While deciding on a weight loss diet you should also determine the amount of weight you want to loose and also approximately how long you will take to do this. This is going to depend on the weight loss diet which you plan and has to be balanced with a combination of proper nutrition and exercise. A lot also depends on the physical and emotional condition while you are dieting. If you find that at the end of the period you are off the mark by a few pounds, do not write off your effort as a failure. People differ in their metabolism and this is what determines the amount of weight you can loose, so you may have a slower metabolic rate than another person who went on a similar diet and exercise program but lost more weight. Just give yourself a longer period of time for the weight loss diet to work according to your calculations.
While setting weight loss standards, be realistic and take your age, gender, health condition into the picture so that you do not expect too much in the beginning and then get disappointed and give up on your diet. Remember that if there is a steady weight loss with your weight loss diet and exercise combination you are on the right track. The speed at which you loose weight is really not the criteria, but the consistency has to be taken into account. Maybe you get revamp your diet a bit and speed up the weight loss with this, especially if you have reached a plateau and the weight has come to a stand still. Cut down on foods which have no food value and which only increase the caloric intake like oil, fat and sweets; eat meat, poultry, low fat dairy products and nuts; vegetables and fruits can be consumed in larger quantities but the way they are cooked matters.
When cutting down on fatty foods do not replace them with carbohydrates as this may not reduce the number of calories that you are consuming and there will be no weight loss. Instead add on some salads or low sugar fruits to your weight loss diet so that you do not feel too hungry. Eat some minus calorie vegetables and you will feel full and yet loose weight this way.
Often while on a weight loss diet you get cravings for foods which are high in calories and do not have much nutrients. To overcome this either substitute it with another food of low calories or eat a very small portion of what you are craving for. If you want to be sure to stick to your weight loss diet you should make it a long term one so that you do not have to go to extreme lengths to cut down on your food intake and feel you are being starved. Instead it is better to eat lightly and eat the right kinds of foods so that your weight loss is gradual but steady.
To the weight loss diet add exercises which burn up at least 2 to 3 hundred calories in a session and this should give you a good back up for loosing weight in a healthy manner.