If you're on a mission to lose weight, you have perhaps already realized that it is not an easy journey. Everywhere you go, you either see or 'feel' that there is a food store around the corner. It is not easy to give up on those goodies that you were so used to eating for years. But wait; if we are determined to achieve a goal, no obstacle can be too hard for us. In this article I will tell you how to let go of the temptations and stick to a healthy diet plan.

As a matter of fact, if you always feel tempted to eat delicacies that are rich in calories, you will find it very hard to stick with any particular diet plan for a long time. You will want to run after the fad diets which promise instant and quick fix solutions. You will use these fad diets because you want to lose weight quickly so that you can forget all about dieting and return back to your normal life. What you might not have realized is that it was this very 'normal' life that made you overweight in the first place. So, here are the four steps to creating and following an effective weight loss program:

1. Maintain a diet journal:

Get a small diary from your local store. Use it to keep notes on what you eat everyday. Make sure you list all the foods you eat and don't be judgmental regarding 'good' or 'bad' foods. Remember that if you are not aware of what you are eating in the first place, you will never be able to decide what you SHOULD be eating to lose weight.

Maintain the diet journal for at least two weeks. Whether you eat a snack, or a cup of tea, write it all in the diary. Make sure you date all your entries.

2. Visit a local doctor:

The next step is to visit a local doctor to rule out chances of any disease that might be the reason behind your obesity. There are some diseases that make a person gain weight. That is why you should visit a doctor and have a physical checkup done on yourself to make sure that there are no other causes behind your weight gain besides bad lifestyle.

3. Visit a nutritionist:

The third step is to visit a nutritionist. By now, you should have all the data regarding your health and food habits ready. When visiting a nutritionist, take the diet journal with you. Make sure you show her your diet journal. This way, she will know what foods you like and then create a diet plan that you will like very much because it would contain all your favorite food items.

4. Follow the diet plan:

Once you have got the diet plan, follow it. Stop making excuses because they won't help you lose weight. Stick to the diet plan given to you by your nutritionist and see how easily you start losing one or two pounds every week!