Exactly what are you aiming for in your weight loss program? Too many people start a diet either with no idea of how much weight they aim to lose, or with a vastly over-ambitious target that will only lead to disappointment.

This article will help you establish a realistic target of how much weight you should aim to lose. Although it's not necessarily the weight you should be aiming for, it's useful to know your ideal weight.

This is the weight you should ideally be, according to your sex and height. This runs as a curve on a chart. For example, a woman of 5 feet 6 inches should ideally weigh between 8 stone 12 pounds and 9 stone 12 pounds. If she is 5 feet 10 inches tall then she should ideally weigh between 10 stone and 11 stone 2 pounds.

A man of 5 feet 9 inches should ideally weigh between 10 stone 12 pounds and 12 stone, and if he is 6 feet tall then he should be somewhere between 11 stone 11 pounds and 13 stone 1 pound.

But once you're established your own ideal weight (just enter the term ideal weight height into Google or any other search engine), bear in mind that is not necessarily the weight you should be aiming for. There are a number of other factors to consider.

The first one is your present weight. If you are seriously overweight then you will very likely have sought professional advice. It would be appropriate to aim for a modest reduction in weight initially. Make a realistic target over a period of a month. Even if this is only a few pounds it would be a major achievement to lose it on schedule. This will give you confidence to make a more ambitious yet still realistic target for the next month.

If you're only moderately overweight you can plan further ahead at the outset, but it's still important to be realistic in your weight loss plan. Losing the pounds becomes more difficult the further down the line you are. And this brings us to our next factor.

Which is your body type. Body types are broadly divided into three, though most people don't fit neatly into any one of them, but more between any two of them. The three main types are ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.

Ectomorphs are typically thin, slender, delicate. They seldom have a weight problem, unless it's one of wishing to put on weight. Mesomorphs are typically broad chested, athletic and muscular in build. They can usually put on weight easily, and lose it just as easily. Endomorphs are usually heavy and big boned, with more body fat, but with less muscle than mesomorphs. They are more likely to have weight problems as their body type stores fat easily and loses it only with difficulty.

Establish which body type you are nearest to. If you are an endomorph, or between that and a mesomorph, you will find it more difficult to lose weight, and may have to accept that you will never be the same weight as an ectomorph of the same sex and height.

The important thing is that, whatever body type you are, you can get to your ideal body weight, according to your sex and height. Even if you have to accept that you will never have a slim, sylph-like type of body, you can still have a trim body with little or no excess body fat. Whatever weight loss plan you decide to go for, follow the instructions and keep to the rules, and you will be amazed at the results.

As to which weight loss program is right for you, check out our home page for an independent review of three leading weight loss programs.

Copyright © 2009 Philip Gegan