Lots of men and women feel uneasy when they hear the words “weight loss”. The reason for this is most often a sense of failure because they have tried different weight loss programs previously without success. Typically they fail for the reason that they become confused by all of the information available giving advice on how to lose weight. Some of these advice are inconsistent as many businesses advertise their weight loss product as superior over a rival’s, which they imply is not as effective, so just who do you believe?

It’s important that you dedicate yourself to whatever weight loss plan you select. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that weight loss is simply losing all the weight you want by going on a 10 day diet. A rapid diet program will not result in you losing weight by shedding fat but rather of water. If you want to lose body fat, then the best way is going to be over a longer time period. Some diets demand that you to be very conservative in your choice of foods and so you might find it tough to stick with. There is the danger of getting bored with a restrictive diet after a while and you may be tempted to forget about the plan and consume stuff you’re not supposed to, maybe in generous portions! You’ll then start to get misgivings about having started the weight loss program in the first place and wonder if you can stick it out. At this point, lots of people will fall by the wayside and quit or compromise the plan and not lose a great deal of weight.

Weight loss can be summed up rather simply – burn off more calories than you consume at mealtimes. The downside is that you need to keep an eye on your calorie intake which means working out the values for every food item you eat daily. You can’t even reckon that say 100 calories of chocolate must be the same as 100 calories of fruit as there is a minor difference. Some foods are low in calories but low in nutrients as well (empty calories). You should avoid these and ingest nutrient dense foods that tend to be natural and unprocessed such as chicken, fish and fruits. You might think that staying away from all fat when dieting is essential but this is not the case. You can still consume things like some nuts and avocado that have essential fatty acids which are called healthy fats. Losing weight doesn’t mean that you have to pick very boring and bland foods. You need to be able to savor it, and it has to look savory. Salmon, green vegetables and salads, fresh fruits etc are examples of good foods that both look and taste good.

Having controlled your calorie intake, the other side of the coin is to burn off more calories than you consume. This is where exercise comes in and is an important element of any weight loss plan. Exercise has the effect of raising your metabolism (burns off calories faster) and will also develop your muscles making them stronger. Building up muscle = more muscle which means your body will burn up more calories even when it’s at rest. Make sure you choose a form of exercise that suits you and is something you like doing. That way you’re more likely to work out every day and not make excuses to get out of it.

Remember, with the right mental approach and the right weight loss program, you can follow through long term, fat loss isn’t going to be that hard.