First step in losing weight? Preparation!

The decision has been made. You already know that you have to lose weight because postponing that decision means more superfluous kilograms and a growing frustration. There is only one question: how to prepare for that wisely?

Check your general health condition

Before starting a diet it’s worth to make basic blood and urine tests which will show current condition of you organism. Essential tests in that situation are: blood count and general urinalysis. It’s also worth to check glucose on an empty stomach, lipid profile (Total-C, LDH, HDL, triglycerides) and blood pressure. An internist should verify the results of this tests and, in case of any abnormality, give some guides about the diet.

For example: a high fasting glucose blood sugar level can signalize glucose intolerance, and that in the future may lead to diabetes. In that case it’s necessary to include in the diet the products which will normalize blood glucose level. Other health parameters similarly will influence your diet. Furthermore the tests provide valuable information, which is a perfect benchmark.

During or after dieting it’s worth to repeat all basic analyses and verify how your health condition has changed.

Write down what you eat and drink

Regardless of whether you are planning dieting on your own or using a nutritionist’s help it’s worth to look closely at your daily menu. Write down everything you eat during the course of at least three days. The main things to record are: what you ate and drank, how much and how often.

It’s necessary to remember that such notes should be taken up to date, that means right after eating and consistently. It happens that some products are slipping away our attention while they can have decisive influence on energy value of a diet.

The food diary will help you or your nutritionist realize where those extra kilograms came from.

It will also help with choosing a proper diet and signalize what changes should be made in your daily menu to achieve your goal.

Now there is only one dilemma left. To go on a diet arranged by a nutritionist, use a scheme of a diet taken from the Internet or just implement the rules of healthy nutrition? You will read about choosing a proper diet in the next article. But no matter what way of dieting you will choose, it’s important to take that issue reasonably and solidly prepare for that.

This attitude not only will help you avoid mistakes which may negatively influence the effectiveness of your diet but will also give you an adequate motivation. And, as we all know, motivation is the most important thing during dieting.

*This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.