Before you make any big life-changing decision, you will likely assess yourself and the situation. This means that you evaluate your abilities, your desires, and what’s best for you. This should also apply before you begin a weight loss program. Start by doing a little in-depth research on yourself. Try jotting down information about your activities, goals, and interests. Use this information to formulate a realistic diet and exercise routine. Conducting this type of self-evaluation can be difficult, even painful. But asking your self a few questions and being honest about the answers can be beneficial for your long-term health. You should do this before you begin a diet and weight loss regimen, in order to guarantee your success. According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States. If you are not honest with yourself, and work to find a feasible health and nutrition program, you will suffer the effects for a lifetime. Because so many diets expect you to follow cookie-cutter methodology, you might follow them for a while, but will quickly grow bored. That is why having a personalized diet and exercise plan is so important. By finding what works for you, you will have an easier time sticking to it. In your self-assessment, determine how you are doing physically and nutritionally. Grade yourself honestly. Establish how long you have been overweight and think about your crash dieting patterns. Also, determine if you tend to regain weight once you’ve lost it. After listing those things, determine what you want your realistic weight loss goal to be. A sensible goal is to lose about two pounds per week. Finally, determine how you can reach your goal most effectively. Consult a dietician if you need to. Don’t forget to consider your family medical history. A doctor or dietician will want this information as well. Consider any family members who are overweight. Is there a family history of heart attack, diabetes, or cancer? Also, learn such information about yourself as your Body Mass Index, your cholesterol level, and your blood pressure. Also, assess you general stress levels. Think about your current level of physical activity. How much you do physically now will determine the rate at which you can begin exercise for your weight loss goals. The idea of taking a personal inventory is not to discourage you, but to educate yourself about yourself so that you can approach a new diet and exercise lifestyle safely and realistically.