When you establish your accountability system, you can set it up so that you are accountable to yourself, to someone else or to both. The methods by which you record your habits are very similar for both internal and external communications. It is necessary, however, that you commit yourself to being entirely honest with your report. Know that the honesty of your report will lead to a change in your overall body weight.

Here are some general methods of accountability that you can use:

Chat it up with a "Buddy"

Find a "buddy" that you can develop a sustainable weight-loss relationship with. Speak with that partner via phone or email several times a week with updates on your individual weight loss routines. Sometimes all you need to make it through a challenging period in your dieting or weight loss is someone to chat with about the challenges you face.

Friday Fess-Up

Weigh yourself each Friday morning. Send the number to your "weight loss buddy" and have your "weight loss buddy" send you her number. Knowing that at the end of each week you will have to report your weight will help you to stay focused on your goal of dropping a healthy 2 pounds a week. You will also have an opportunity to gauge your success against your partners.

The end-of-week fess up can become a small competition between the two of you to see who was able to lose the most weight over the course of the week. By weighing in on Friday, you will also be encouraged to maintain a healthy routine over the weekend.

Chart Your Intake

If controlling the amount of food that you eat is important to your weight loss routine, then chart the number of calories that you eat on a daily basis. Separate a sheet of paper into columns ? one for each day. Record each piece of food that you eat along with the caloric content. At the end of the day, tally your calories. Compare the tally against what is recommended by doctors for your weight and body type.

You can either compare this chart with a buddy or retain it for your internal use. Either way, you will have a record of the food you eat to keep you on the right track when preparing and eating food.

Make it Public

Many people have found that participating in public bogs helps them in their weight loss. When you post each day or week what your activities and foods have been, you are opening your lifestyle to critique from readers. Readers can suggest healthy methods to change some of your habits and can offer general encouragement. Take a look around on the Web for the blog that is right for you. Some are more helpful than others.

Most importantly, remember that you are primarily accountable to yourself and to your future. A healthy weight loss plan will help you maintain and active, happy life. A little accountability now will reap larger rewards years down the line. Go ahead: engage.