Weight Loss Plan for a Busy Mom It has been about six months since I had my first child and after looking in the mirror and noticing I look like I’m six months pregnant with my second child; I thought it’s finally time for a change. Being a full time mom and working part time as a Clinical Assistant I thought there is no way I have time to fit a workout into my busy schedule. Like most regular Americans I can’t afford to do the most popular diet plan so I decided to research how I could lose weight while doing my every day routine. I had many questions to be answered. What should I eat and how much? Should I count calories? What can I do around the house or at work that gives me a little workout? How many minutes a day should I work out? Is there a diet plan out there for me? Once I started researching I almost changed my research topic because all I would get are diet websites trying to sell me their next best diet plans. After clearing out all the diet plan offers, I was able to find great website articles that answered all my questions. There are hundreds of trend diets, weight loss programs and weight loss scams that promise losing weight fast but doesn’t keep it off. I ran into an article named “6 strategies for success” by The Mayo Clinic Staff. First looking at the site it looked very well put together and had a lot of information on the human body and health. After doing more browsing of the site I found out it is put together by many different physicians, scientist and much more medical experts that are willing to take up a little of their time for this website. Starting off “6 strategies for success” at number one is “make a commitment”. The Mayo Clinic points out being committed to losing weight takes a lot of mental and physical health. Therefore the Mayoclinic claims to “Make a plan to address other stresses in your life first, such as financial problems or relationship conflicts.” (1) Although these stresses may never go away completely, handling them better is a great way to focus on achieving your healthier lifestyle changes. Second on the “6 strategies for success” list is “Find your inner motivation”. (1) Mayo clinic staff asks “What's going to give you the burning drive to stick to your weight-loss plan?”(1) The Mayoclinic staff suggests making a list that’s important to you to stay motivated and focused. Example can be a beach vacation or just to be healthier. For stopping temptations, try sticking a motivating note next to tempting foods to help keep you away. Last but not least get motivation and support by surrounding yourself with friends and family that will motivate and help you to keep on track and stay away from temptations. Number three on the list is “Make realistic goals”. (1)The Mayo Clinic staff reports “it's best to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week” Mayoclinic continues to say in order “To lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular exercise.” (1) In setting goals you need to think about process and outcome goals for example a process goal would be to exercise regularly by walking 30 minutes a day. An outcome goal would be setting a goal weight for example losing 30 pounds is your goal. Most people think diet equals food with no taste but number four on Mayoclinics strategy list is “Enjoy healthier foods.” Part of losing weight means lowering your calorie intake but that doesn’t mean giving up taste or satisfaction. One way you can lower your calories are eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grain. You can start by eating a healthy breakfast every day and eating at least 4 servings of vegetables and 3 servings of fruit and lowering your fat intake by using olive and vegetable oils and nut butters. “In addition, cut back on sugar, choose low-fat dairy products and keep meat consumption to a 3-ounce portion (about the size of a deck of cards).” (Mayo 2010) Number five