5 Planning Tips for Weight Loss Beginners

I'm a notoriously habitual planner.  Seriously, I am absolutely AWESOME at meticulously planning things down to the last detail.  Back when I was a big Dungeons and Dragons geek (okay, I probably still would be if my profession allowed the personal time necessary for it), I was almost always the Dungeon Master; needless to say, my favorite part of this was the massive amount of planning that went into every adventure before we all even sat down at the Dr. Pepper-and-Doritos-filled gaming table. 

I've found my planning skills to be useful (while sometimes annoying to those around me) in everything from friendships, vacations, my career, cooking, and pretty much anything I involve myself in.  That's why I believe that having a well developed plan will end up being one of the keys to weight loss for beginners such as myself.  Any time I think of straying or behaving badly, my plan will be there to keep me on track.  Here are 5 planning tips for other beginners at the weight loss game:

• Know where you are now.  It is crucial when working towards any goal that you take a clear, honest assessment of your current standing.  Tonight I weight in at 238.4 lbs, which at 5'11" puts me at a 34.2 BMI, squarely in the "Obese" category.  Obviously, this is not awesome news, but if I am going to get down to a healthy weight to help me need a longer, happier life, I need to know the ugly reality.  
• Know where you want to go.  A map only works if you know where you want to go.  And since my plan is my map to success as a weight loss beginner, I need to know what success looks like if I want to achieve it!  For me, success looks like a weight in the "healthy" BMI range, meaning 135-170 lbs.  I think with my broad-shouldered, stocky build, 165-170 would be a suitable range.
• Decide what tools you will use to get there.  The two obvious ones are a healthy diet of fewer calories than my body needs to maintain my current weight, and a healthy dose of good old fashioned exercise.  However, in order to track these things and make sure I am sticking to plan as best as possible, I will be using MyFitnessPal, the leading web-based calorie tracking app.
• Decide which path is most appropriate for you.  Different "paths" will lead you to the same place with different degrees of speed and efficiency.  The ultimate goal for a weight loss beginner is lifetime habit change, so I will be starting off slow, aiming only to lose 1 lb. per week until I've proven to myself that I can stick to a regimen and make consistent progress.  Only then may I look to get more aggressive in my efforts.
• Hit the road!  The most important part of any plan is actually executing it.  This is where I have failed in the past, and it is where I intend to really put my nose to the grindstone.  Instead of mapping out endlessly detailed scenarios and possible paths to success, I am picking one and just getting started.  

What does your weight loss plan look like?