Probably one of the best things that the Internet and modern technology has brought to us is the access to all sorts of information, including weight loss plans that used to be restricted to those who could afford to pay experts. In return, diet and fitness experts conjure personalized strategies for shedding the extra inches where they shouldn’t be. But who knows what "personalized" means and how the plan for one client is different from that of the next. Good thing the Internet now enables dieters and weight watchers to have access to free weight loss plans that are equally effective and proven successful.

But of course, the availability of information should not give people the license to simply take the first weight loss plan that they stumble upon. After all, it’s your body, and extra care should be taken to make sure that whatever you do to it, you will help not harm your body in the long term. For example, the most basic requirement before you can put together a diet plan is to have a profile. This includes such important details as the amount of activity you undertake, the types of food and amount of calories that you take in, and the health conditions that you may have. Without this information, the diet plan that you set out to follow may actually be bad, or at least ineffective, for you.

Before you start searching and selecting from among the free weight loss plans out there, it will do you well to prepare by making sure you get some important things covered. This includes stocking up your cupboard with healthy (read: fat-free, no-calorie, no-sugar, no-salt) ingredients. A big component of a diet plan is cooking healthy food by using ingredients with the least amount of calories in them. So it’s best to have these stuff handy before you are ready to start.

Another major component of any weight loss plan is the regular workout plan. Your regular workout plan should include cardio exercises for burning calories, strength or resistance training routines for speeding up your body’s metabolism rate, and toning or spot exercises for addressing problem areas such as the arms, the thighs, the hips or the waist.

Aside from the commitment to stick to your plan the moment you have selected one, another great secret to successful implementation is having the commitment to cook more meals at home. By cooking at home you have complete control of the means, methods and ingredients, rather than eating out. So be sure that you are ready for more home cooked meals, and all the cooking that they entail when you set out to begin executing your plan.

Finally, even free weight loss plans will require you to have a mechanism to monitor your progress and daily intake of food and water. Have a small notebook that you can carry with you, and where you can note down every morsel or bite that you take, including drinks such as water. This way, you can ensure that you will be able to keep to your plan.