So you got on the scales and decided it's time

So you got on the scales and decided it's time to lose weight now: here's how, once and for all!

Each year, most of us partied hard over the holidays beginning in the cold weather, with a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast and going right on through the Valentine's Day chocolates. Now that summer is upon us, we're getting on the scales for the Nth time, with some dismay at the readout. There's no way around it it's time to lose weight now. Let's say you gained 10 or 20 pounds. Unless you're willing to spring for a new summer wardrobe in a size larger, not to mention parading around with those extra inches, it's really far easier to make a diet plan. There's no need to despair. You can do it.

You may have tried all the fad diets to no avail. You know what really works? Common sense and the right mindset! Keep your goal firmly in mind: you want to lose weight now, without tormenting yourself with tiny portions of food you don't enjoy. So let's take a look at constructing a diet program that works for you. Then, go for it!

We all know that calories consumed is the bottom line. The problem with most diet programs and diet recipes is that you're given strict menus, often containing foods you don't even like. The usual result is that you end up feeling deprived, with hunger pangs throughout the day and the eventual 'falling off the wagon' and giving up. That's when the inevitable cheating starts a cookie or two here and there, a non-diet soda that does not have that satisfying sugar, or the candy bar.

To begin with, make a list of foods you love that are also on the healthy list. Here's where the right mindset comes in. Sugar and fats are among your food enemies at this point. Virtually eliminating these two is what's going to allow you to lose weight now, not some months down the road.

Explore different cuisines. Mediterranean and Asian menus and dishes from India are generally heart healthy, low in calories, using fragrant herbs and spices for fabulous tastes.

Fish and lean meats are diet friendly foods, and may be eaten in ample portions that supply the protein you need to build muscle, are satisfying and can be prepared in so many non-fattening ways, with toppings of salsas, chutneys and herbs that make this entree truly delicious and hasten you towards your lose weight now goal. Try a lemon, ginger or orange sauce that leaves you with the feeling that you really got away with something, rather than a lackluster meal that leaves your palate wanting.

Replace the mashed potatoes, French fries and other high starch sides with a rice pilaf. Use chicken stock to cook the rice and season with fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, sage (good with poultry), dill or tarragon (excellent additions to fish).

Fruits and veggies are a dieter's best friend. Very few of us get enough of these foods. Without sufficient fiber in your diet, you're effectively shooting yourself in the proverbial foot, scuttling your goal to lose weight now. Prepare fresh fruit dishes in imaginative ways that satisfy the craving for sweets. Ambrosia prepared with yogurt, fruit and Jello(TM) dishes, mixed fruit cups dressed with non-dairy whipped topping and fruit smoothies are all tasty alternatives to a piece of cake.

As for the veggies, a large chef's salad makes a dinner entree that's filling, low in calories and usually requires more calories to be burned in the process of digesting the insoluble fiber than the salad contains, keeping your digestion in good order as well. If you want to lose weight now, put a chef's salad on your dinner menus 2-3 times each week. The salad lover can afford to put a lovely non-diet dressing on that salad. Italian style vinaigrettes, poppy seed and fire-roasted red pepper vinaigrettes are just a few good choices.

There are two other things essential to the lose weight now program: water in plentiful amounts and daily exercise. Another recommendation is a complete multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. Ask your doctor for guidance on particular brands. Wait at least two hours between your last cup of morning coffee and taking your supplement, as caffeine washes out water-soluble vitamins.

When you want to lose weight now, use these guidelines to make your menus and you'll get rid of those unwanted pounds, feel and look great and save the expense of purchasing a wardrobe you don't want!