How Do I stay dedicated and stick to my diet and fitness plan?

Thanks for taking the time to look at my website. I have had many comments and feel that the internet is a great tool to be able to help people all over the world.
You said that your weight problems have affected your confidence and self esteem. Many of my personal clients feel the same way, but taking charge of your own health can really turn that around. It is about time that we started taking responsibility for our own health and weight problems and stop using excuses to avoid the problems.
I have found that often the best way to stick to a plan is to have smaller goals that are achievable on the way to your ultimate goal. I set daily and weekly goals each and every week and spend a few minutes every weekend setting up my plan for the following week. I have my clients do the same thing, so that in between seeing me, they can take responsibility and move towards their ultimate goals more quickly. It is really important to write these goals down or to have a check sheet.
Say for instance your ultimate goal is to lose 30lbs. It's going to take a while to get there, so it may be easy to lose focus on the way. What I recommend is to set weekly goals that are going to get you there in the end. Weekly goals are things like-Working out 5 times for at least 20 minutes and making sure that I eat every 2-3 hours every day this week. At the end of the week, you can check them off and it always give a great sense of achievement to have completed what you set out to do. It feels great to be able to put a tick next to something and to say "done."
At www.fitterfasteronline.com I detail lots of healthy eating ideas and different workouts for someone who is just getting started. Following these guidelines, you might set your first week's goal as eating non processed foods 6 days out of 7. Another goal for the first week may be to exercise for 20 minutes 3 times.
The following week, you could add another workout and continue the healthy foods but begin to eat every 2-3 hours. Your goals will depend on exactly where you are starting from. If you already do some sort of training, your goal may be to workout 6 days this week and to really clean up your diet straight away.
I can't stress enough that we need to get real with our health. The population in general is getting heavier and heavier and with that comes a much higher risk of many many diseases that will eventually kill us. It is a fact that if we are overweight, chances are (notwithstanding an accident) that it will eventually kill us. Heart disease, some types of cancers, diabetes are all lifestyle related. It is time to make a change now. And I mean now. Not next week or on Monday. Take charge right now.
Combining a healthy diet and exercise is the surest and quickest way to good health. Don't look at a healthy eating plan as a 'diet' that you will one day come off. This is a lifetime plan. If you go back to your old ways, you will also go back to your old weight. That's what got you there in the first place wasn't it.
I hope I have provided you with some ideas to get started. I will be adding many more workout ideas to my website in the near future. If you need more specific help, please email me again and I can provide a customised eating and exercise plan just for you. Just remember that you can do this. I am living proof that this can be done. You are not too busy, you don't need heaps of equipment. Just Do It.
Goodluck