There are hundreds of fat loss plans to choose from, even just for the over 40s, and it can be daunting to realise that you have to choose just one that you believe can help you lose weight. There are books, videos, diet plans, exercise routines, weight loss clubs and organisations, and of course all the usual magic diet pills and weight loss potions.

So it would help if you had a simple set of rules to help you distinguish between not only those that can work for you and those that are just quick fixes or worse, but those that are probably good but only for younger people. This article will give you a few pointers.

When your body gets into its forties it's not the same body as when you were in your teens and twenties. Things start to deteriorate little by little. Back then getting rid of any excess weight was just a matter of a few extra exercises and that was the end of the problem. Not so now.

Your body metabolism has slowed down and will get slower as you age. It becomes more difficult for it to filter out excess fat and proteins and eject them, and the result is more fat being laid down on areas such as the hips, thighs and tummy. If you are to reverse this process you have to watch out for a number of pitfalls if you are to select the weight loss plan that's right for you.

The first pitfall you have to avoid concerns plans that concentrate on cutting down on protein. These may work in some cases with younger people, but probably not with you. Protein should form 15 to 20 per cent of all calories of any meal or snack. Avoid, however, proteins that are high in saturated fat. Eat as many healthy foods as you can, such as soy, nuts, fish and lean meats.

Pitfall number two concerns breakfast. If any plan includes not eating breakfast, or eating only a very stunted one, then beware. Skipping breakfast will only make you more hungry later on and tempted to eat the wrong foods. So stick to one that allows you to eat a light breakfast of something like oats or muesli, with some fruit juice. This will start your metabolism working on digesting your food and getting the excess out of your system, burning calories in so doing.

As with tiny babies, the secret with older people and food is, "little and often". It's far better to have five or six meals of moderate proportions a day than two or three large ones.

Finally, beware of any plan that promises results very quickly or for no real effort. The chances are that if a certain action causes weight to be lost quickly, it can just as easily be put back on. This is especially so for people over 40. Look for a plan that promises results over the long term. You yourself have to be prepared to alter your lifestyle permanently, whether in terms of diet or exercise or both.

For every benefit you have to pay a price. If you want to rid yourself of those extra pounds you have to change your eating habits, not just for a few weeks, but over the rest of your life. If your diet plan includes regular physical exercise (and it should) then remember that you will have to maintain this for years to come, because if you don't then you'll soon have the same problem back.

Good luck with your efforts to change your lifestyle and lose those excess pounds. Check out the low-down on three leading weight loss programs so you can decide for yourself. Just click here.

Copyright © 2009 Philip Gegan