If you feel that you look like this!

then you must do something about it.

Weight loss and fitness go hand in hand, so if you are serious in losing weight, you should stick to a diet plan as well as changing your mindset. It will require self-discipline and determination to go through it.

There are three important points you need to keep in mind, if you want to succeed in weight loss through dieting which are as follows:

• Make an effort by visualizing your overall weight loss goal and pushingyourself to achieve that goal.
• Stay in focus on your overall goal. By staying in focus, your dieting plan will soon become a habit. Try dieting plan with your friends.
• Try exercising. Take long walks with your family or friends or your dog. The goal is to burn up some calories while you are dieting.

The first step in starting your diet plan is to detoxify yourself. Get rid of the accumulation of toxins you have in your body from having a poor diet, drinking alcohol and being exposed to pollutants. This first step should take not more than one week. Then you can start on a nice Mediterranean diet I will be showing your later.

The first phase would be to go on a one to three day juice fasting diet. You would need a juicer for this diet. Before you start on a juice fasting diet, you should consult with your doctor to check if it is safe for you considering your age and medical condition. You should only take fresh vegetables like celery, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber and similar vegetables. Don’t go for processed vegetable juice in a bottle or can, because they are loaded with artificial flavors, color and preservatives. Fruit juice may contain too much sugar which is not good, if you are diabetic, and they add calories to your diet. You can also try barley grass juice or similar grass juice which can be purchased in powder form in a dietician store.

Try to endure three days of juice fasting. Thereafter, you can eat the following foods in moderation:

• Fresh vegetables
• Avocados
• Beans and lentils
• Unsalted nuts and seeds
• Brown rice and rice noodles
• Fish
• Low fat yogurt
• Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• Garlic and herbs

You can make any meal you want with the foods mentioned above. Use your imagination. The portions should be sufficient to fill a salad plate like this.

Drink at least two liters or four pints of water per day.

Foods to avoid while detoxifying your body are as follows:

• Red meat, poultry, sausages and other fatty meats
• Butter and margarine
• Milk, cheese and cream
• Snacks including salted nuts
• Breads including wheat
• Processed foods and takeaways
• Chocolate, candy and jams
• Coffee, teas and sodas including diet sodas
• Alcohol
• Salad dressings, mayonnaise and sauces
• Salt

Stay on your detox diet for at least seven days. You should be able to feel that you are burning up fat. You face would turn rosy and flushed.

Once you have passed your detox diet, I will put you on a heart-healthy diet based on foods from the Mediterranean in my next post.