A good diet and exercise program is no walk in the park. To succeed you need to know exactly whats going to happen, when it's going to happen and how you will deal with what happens. Only when you have set yourself up to win in this battle for control of your body will you be successful.

By doing this you will be ready for the changes in your life and will know what to expect. An effective diet and exercise program will start with these seven steps:

Step 1: Recognize the Importance of Diet and Exercise

This may sound simplistic but you need to recognize the importance of a good diet and exercise plan. If you're just thinking about dieting and firming up...Forget it! You need to realize how vital diet and exercise routine is to your health.

You need to have a good reason to want to do the program. Ex.: You want to live a long time. You want time to enjoy your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

You might want to write a book or climb a mountain or cruise around in your motor home not knowing or caring where your next nights stop is going to be. The point is you need to have a reason to stop the neglect of your body. The alternative is looking at the bottom side of daisies and that is not very appealing.

The fact that you want to live a good healthy life has to sink in and be accepted by you and not just something you might want to try.

Step 2: Select a Diet and Exercise Program You Will Enjoy

There are all kind of diet and exercise programs out there. Most of them are pure junk! We have taken the time to review the very best of these programs and listed them at our web site.

cooking not your cup of tea, then a lot of the programs are not right for you. Trying to become a gourmet cook at the same time as going on the diet and exercise program will frustrate you and all those around you.

There are a couple of great programs that deliver tasty meals right to your doorstep so all you need to do is push the microwave button and you have a delicious nutritious meal.

Pick a type of exercise program that you enjoy. Picking something you don't like to do is pure drudgery and you are too important to set your self up to fail.

The main thing is to get your body moving enough to raise your pulse above it's resting rate. Here's a partial list of activities that would do that:

Bicycling Jogging Bowling Stair Climbing Cross-country skiing Bicycling Dancing Swimming Gardening Tennis Golfing Treadmill Heavy house cleaning Walking briskly Jazzercise Weight lifting Kettlebells Hula-hooping

Try picking 4 or 5 of these activities and vary your routine. That way you won't get bored by doing the same thing every time. Remember pick things you enjoy doing.

Step 3: Monitor Your Diet and Exercise Program Religiously

While you're exercising, monitor your heart rate. In most gyms they have a machine to do this but it is just as easily done at home. Place your middle and index finger of one hand on your opposite wrist, or on the side of your neck just below the angle of your jaw. Start with 0 and record the number of heart beats for six seconds.

For your pulse rate add a 0 to this number. If you counted thirteen beats add a 0 and your pulse rare is 130.

To find your training rate subtract you age from 185. So if your age is 50 subtract 50 from 185 and your training rate would be 135.

Also make a weight loss chart. You will go through periods when you don't see any results but don't disparage, things are happening inside your body and will eventually show up on the scale.

Step 4: Do Your Diet and Exercise Program Often

"Bodies to Die For" are not built in a day but by sticking to your diet and exercise routine every day, one day at a time. Don't worry about tomorrow it will take care of it's self. Take one day at a time and do your own thing - your worth it. It won't be long till you and all those around you will recognize the new you.

Step 5: Make it Exciting.

Finding a workout partner would be a great asset. Find a couple of people you know whom you would like to go walking with. By setting up a date to go walking you will certainly be more regular than if you rely on your own good intentions.

Try something different like hula-hooping. Get a couple of balanced hula-hoops, some good music to hoop to and get the body moving. Shake-it-up!

Step 6: Stay Excited

Stay excited and motivated. Read or page through some of the diet and fitness magazines, look at the pictures and imagine what you're going to look like when you are all buffed up.

Set small realistic goals that are doable. Success breeds success. Write down your daily goals and check them off when you have accomplished them.

As I have said before don't do the same thing every day. You will tire of the routine. Mix up your exercise routine the same as your diet. You wouldn't want to eat the same thing day in and day out. Don't do the same exercises every day.

Step 7: If in doubt Consult A Good Doctor

If you are over 40 or in bad physical shape you should consult a good Doctor. Exercise and diet change can be harmful if your heart is not able to take the increased demands on it.

Don't allow yourself to use the Doctor visit as an excuse not to start your diet and exercise routine. Get up right now. Call a Good Doctor and make an appointment. Go to healthfood-guide.com and choose a diet and exercise program that's right for you and you're on day one of a very healthy and satisfying rest of your life.