Many people are just waiting for the perfect day to start reaching for their fitness goals, but all too often that perfect moment never seems to come. You tell yourself that you’ll start losing weight today, then tomorrow, or on Monday, or at the beginning of the month, and before you know it you’re making a new year’s resolution. At some point, we realize that it’s up to us to decide when we will finally make a change.

Maybe you have been wanting to make a change, but simply don’t know how to start a diet that is both healthy and effective.

So why not make the decision now, to make today the day you change your life forever? By taking a little time to make a plan, and set yourself up for success, you can make today the perfect day to finally start losing weight.

In this article, I’ll show you how to start eating healthy to lose weight, as well as how to find the motivation to stay on track so that you can reach your ideal weight.

The four action steps below will show you how to start your weight loss journey with a plan, and some momentum!

1. Find your source of motivation

Motivation is often the determining factor in whether we will fail or succeed in weight loss. People often feel that they either have it or they don’t, but this is not true. We can actually create motivation for ourselves by making a plan, and connecting to what drives us.

Connecting with your personal reason for wanting to get in shape is the most powerful way to find long-lasting motivation.

Think of all the different reasons that there are to get in shape, and find the one that means the most to you. What is the one idea that inspires you to change more than anything else?

Maybe you want to be more active with your kids, or have more energy in the day, or maybe you just want to have the body you have always dreamed of.

Whatever it is that means the most to you, hold it close to you and let it be your source of motivation. Thinking of this goal will help you make healthy decisions in times of doubt, and give meaning to everything that you are doing.

2. Dedicate to 20 minutes of exercise

One of the essentials of starting your weight loss journey right, is to make a plan for exercise. Take some time to plan how you can exercise for at least 3 days per week. Make a list of ideas that you can choose from to make starting the task easier, and if you are worried that you might not follow through simply schedule 3-5 workouts in the next week so that you can hold yourself accountable.

You can refine your routine later, but the important thing is to start exercising today and to wake up tomorrow ready to do it again. There is no need to feel that you have to exercise for an hour or more every day, as 20 minutes is plenty of time to burn fat and build muscle.

Whether you walk, jog, do floor exercises, lift weights, or a mix of all of them, dedicating to 20 minutes of exercise a few times per week will start bringing on the changes that you want to see.

3. Make a healthy shopping list, and go shopping

The best way to start a diet is actually taking the time to make your healthy grocery list, so that when you get to the store you’ll have a plan, and make sure that you know what foods you will buy, and which you won’t.

Whether you go all out and plan/prep your meals, or just make a list of healthy foods to buy at the store, it can make all the difference in the world to plan what kinds of foods you will be eating to lose weight.

Making a change in your diet can be hard, so take it in steps that you are comfortable with. Feel confident that the more healthy food you eat, the more weight you will lose, which means that you will never need to go hungry.

Plan to fill your shopping basket with lots of whole, nutritious foods that are high in fiber and protein, such as vegetables, chicken, fish, lean cuts of red meat, brown rice, and eggs.

Replace bread products with whole grain versions, and look for all natural versions of your favorite foods that have no artificial ingredients, added sugar, or high-fructose corn syrup.

Remember to cross some junk items off your list as well, since the whole idea is that you will be eating lots of healthy food and eating much less junk food. It is much easier to avoid junk food in the store, than it is to buy it and then avoid it at home.

Take a trip to the store, and stick to your list. Remember that the decisions you are making now are going to make a big difference in the near future. Eating a diet with lots of whole, highly nutritious food will satisfy you, and still allow you to burn your own store of fat rapidly.

4. Start cooking, and eat a healthy meal

This is where a lot of people will stop, and is one of the most important steps to start losing weight. It’s easy to buy the food, but when you actually prepare it and have your first meal, you actually follow through with eating healthy, and can have the confidence of knowing that you’ve actually done something to make a real change in your body.

When you get home don’t just put the good food in the cabinets, start cooking some right away! Replace at least one of your meals today with something healthy, and place to gradually increase your healthy diet at a pace you are comfortable with. I recommend starting with breakfast as your first healthy meal, since you can get in the habit of starting your day off right, and it’s a meal that is easily controllable as you will not be at work yet.

Cooking healthy food may take more time than you are used to, but it’s the key to losing lots of weight so make sure that you get comfortable with cooking regularly. Cooking in larger portions will go a long way toward having to cook less often, and having healthy food readily available.

Brown rice and chicken was the meal that I started eating each day to start losing weight, and remains one of my go-to weight loss meals.

If you start losing weight today, you will be very happy that you did in the months to come.

Today really can be the day that you start getting in shape. All you have to do is find what motivates you, make a plan, and make the decision to start right now!

If you want to start losing weight today with an effective and easy to follow plan, try the 8-Week Weight Loss Challenge. It’s a great way to change your eating habits gradually, so you can stick with the changes and find long-term weight loss success.