Key Questions to Answer in Choosing a Diet Plan

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In order to design your own diet, ask yourself the following six questions:

• Do you prefer to eat three, five, six, or eight meals a day? Determine your desired eating schedule then divide your calories accordingly.

• How much time will you devote to food preparation? Do hate to cook, or have limited time? Then you'll need to simplify the preparation of healthy, fresh, and lightly (or preferably UN-) processed foods.

• What type of support, and how much, do you require? Everyone needs support to succeed, especially when the initial enthusiasm for changing bad habits begins to wane. Family and friends, online weight loss communities, and diet buddies can help you when you're tempted to stray from your healthier diet and exercise program.

• Do you enjoy dining out? You'll need to account for restaurant food by finding out the calorie counts of the foods you eat most often.

• Will you need a daily treat to feel satisfied? If you can't live without a particular treat every day, reserve 100 calories for a single-serve package of cookies or chips, or for a frozen treat, like a fudge bar.

• How much exercise can you reasonably do? Experts recommend at least 30 minutes a day (60 is much better) of moderate physical activity, such as walking, on most days of the week. You may have to build up to that if you aren't currently physically active. Ask your doctor what's best for you.

Once you have asked yourself these questions and answered them HONESTLY, you can narrow down your choices of plans, or design your own. These are but a few of the questions I will ask. I will also want to know lab values, measurements, results of a few simple fitness tests, and other lifestyle information. This will help to personalize each plan.

As always, I remain, MommyDoc.