10 Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Start Dieting

Q1. Do I need to lose weight?

Yes! This is the first, most basic and yet one of the most important questions that you must ask yourself. A lot of times you may think you should lose weight just because you have seen someone else doing that or heard about it or may even have been advised to try it. But, don’t do it unless it is needed. The best way is to measure your height and check if your weight is in proportion with the same. You can do it by using a height and weight chart. So, you may consider going for a diet in case your weight exceeds the limit with respect to your current height.

Q2. How much overweight am I?

This is quite a common doubt that pops up when considering going for a weight loss diet. But are you asking this question to yourself correctly? This means that if your ideal weight is 60 kg and your current weight is 63 kg, then even though your weight is over than the ideal limit but you might not necessarily need to follow a strict diet plan to reach your ideal weight goal. Even moderate discipline in eating habits or a bunch of basic exercises might do the trick. Then how to decide, what qualifies as overweight to go for a diet? Well, that is a subjective question and must be asked to a dietitian for expert opinion.

Q3. What type of diet would suit my body type?

Different people have different body shapes and body types. You might be a Mesomorph, i.e. Someone with a well-built body and muscular mass, and thus you might not require a diet to lose weight. And if you are an Endomorph, which represents a pear shaped body, then you might have to go for a diet plan suiting your body requirements.

Q4. Can I lose weight without dieting?

It is a very important question because not everyone has to follow a diet plan to lose weight. Also, not everyone has the required time or resources to follow a diet plan. In that case, you may want to look for alternative options, but of course under the expert guidance of a health expert.

Q5. What all would I have to eat or leave eating?

This entirely depends on the type of diet you are going to follow.Certain types of diets might require you to abstain from a certain type of food while others might recommend you to eat a high quantity of the same. So, eating or abstinence from eating depends on what type of diet plan you are planning to follow.

Q6. Which diet can help me lose weight fast?

Almost everyone who wants to lose weight wants to lose it as quickly as possible. Though there are diet plans that are customized to lose a target weight in a short span of time, but it might not be suitable or even required for everyone who wants to lose weight. And plus following a diet is a science, not magic. There is no shortcut to achieving your targets. You need discipline and expert guidance for the same.

Q7. Do I need to workout also?

A very common question that people ask is if they can just follow a diet and not exercise at all. Well, you need to understand that regular exercise is important for healthy weight loss even if you are following a 7-day or a 15-day diet plan or any other general/specific diet plan. The amount of workout that needs to be done depends on your current weight loss goal. Though few short-span crash-course type diet plans might not require a workout schedule to follow, but doing a basic regular exercise is always an added advantage and will add value to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

Q8. Should I get a surgery done instead?

Taking medication or getting a surgery done is not a very popular option to lose weight. The reason being that it is not only expensive but it is not a natural way to lose weight. But yes, people do consider this option when they are either too lazy to follow a strict diet plan and just want a quick solution to weight loss problem or when they are so overweight that they think a diet might not actually work. In either way, you must not decide to go for a surgery or medication without consulting an expert dietitian. Because only a professional dietitian or a health expert can guide you if your weight loss goal can be achieved with any diet plan or not. Plus, it is always a better option to lose weight naturally than going through a surgical procedure for the same.

Q9. Would I be able to survive a strict diet?

All it takes is a strong will and motivation to lead a healthy life. Once you are full of will and motivation, there won’t be a room for excuses or a question of ability to follow a strict diet plan. Plus, there are numerous examples to get inspired from. Look around and you would surely find some.

Q10. Am I at any type of risk?

Diet plans are a natural way to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle. There is no risk until you chose to not follow the diet plan devised by a dietitian and make changes in it as per your own judgment. Thus, till the time you religiously follow a diet plan under an expert supervision of a professional dietitian, you are not at risk.

Apart from the above 10 questions, there are several other questions that might pop up in your mind. The key is to not keep them in your mind, but get them answered by an expert dietitian.