Weight loss has everything to do with nutrition AND exercise. The two go hand in hand like "love and marriage". First and foremost - CHANGE YOUR EATING HABITS! Before you begin be sure you make a concerted effort to clean all the “junk foods” out of your kitchen. Find a nutritionist and a personal trainer to help you with your most difficult tasks:
o Getting started right
o Staying motivated
o Being accountable
o Maintaining your efforts to becoming a healthier you.

When starting any weight loss program be sure to consult with your medical care provider to be sure what you want to do is alright for your present physical condition.

Set goals for yourself. - To begin goal setting, think of a realistic amount of weight to lose. It needs to be realistic and it needs to be in a safe range - 2 pounds a week along with some physical exercise at least 5 to 10 minutes a day is an excellent start! If you set your goal to 5 or 10 pounds a week and you don’t keep up with it you will get discouraged and the “yo-yo” effect will set in. That is when you quit your plan and gain weight (usually more) only to try to lose at an unrealistic rate, again leading you right back into discouragement. Good nutrition is one step to weight loss, however, weight loss is accelerated with a sensible exercise program.

Set a plan for exercise. - Start with 5 to 10 minutes a day of walking, stretching, using an exercise ball. Begin slowly, adding exercise when your physical condition and endurance has built up.

Decide if you need low-impact exercise. - If you have a problem with your joints, low-impact exercise may be the best place for you to start. Water takes the impact out of exercise. When you are submerged in deep water you unload 90% of your body weight. It is a great benefit for those that have painful knees and hip joints or back problems. Anyone with a weight problem can exercise in an environment that soothes and supports the muscles and joints. The high calorie burn and aerobic conditioning that is gained during water exercise makes it a great way to trim and tone your muscles - without the pain! You can find other low-impact health fitness tools on this site.

Set up a cross training exercise program - It should include some form of aerobic exercise, core workouts, balance and stability exercise, and strength training. Walking is an excellent form of exercise for those who need to get started on an exercise program and have no joint or other physical problems. If there are no good walking areas where you live, consider an exercise treadmill or recumbent bike and plan to use it about 10 minutes, to start, working up to 20 to 30 minutes daily.

By exercising daily you increase your rate of metabolism, which will help you burn calories. Alternate types of training each day will allow for your body to heal from any stress. Try exercising before you eat for the best results. Some form of protein would be good if you really need something to sustain you.