The Three Principles of Weight Loss

There are more than a few tips to safe and simple weight loss - and I am not about to tell you this is the BEST. Certainly, pills or machines bought off of a infomercial aren't going to do it. Also, be careful of anyone promising that you can lose MORE than 2 pounds in one week. Even if they are "guaranteeing" your success - the diet or program is risky and your weight loss is unlikely to be permanent. How many times do you want to PAY to lose weight? Pay for a trainer, or a coach - but the plan to lose weight, one of the hardest personal acheivements in our day and age, should be FREE.

Listed below are the 3 basics needed to lose weight. All plans work around these core principles.

1. Decide on your goal so you can make a plan!
   
   Yes, everyone talks about goal setting...because it WORKS! If you want to lose a dress size, or a 100 pounds; what you WANT is your goal. Decide and WRITE it DOWN or email it to yourself, EVERY DAY. It makes a huge difference to help you keep your focus on it.


2. Cut your calories
   
   Even if you have been working out for hundred years...if you still have weight you want to lose, it is about What you are eating. So you have to ask yourself, what are you doing now to keep you from your goal? Take stock of your food intake every day. What are you willing to trim out, to reach that goal you decided on earlier?
   
   I found for me, it was much easier to plan my daily and weekly meals out. My family was completely behind me and it was great to share it with them.
   
   Keep in mind that an inch of fat around your belly equals approximately 6-8 pounds of fat; to lose weight safely you want to limit your weight loss to a maximum of two pounds a week, or a daily caloric reduction of 1000 calories from a combination of cutting calories and burning calories.


3. Increase your exercise
   
   The final step is to increase your exercise. To get that daily reduction of calories between 500-1000 (equaling 1-2 pounds of fat loss a week) you can enjoy some concentrated interval training that will really help to increase your metabolism without increasing your workout time. When I was working on my degrees, the science said that to burn fat, one must perform, Long, Slow Distance. The SCIENCE has changed and research points to shorter and more intense workouts that create an increase in heart rate (which means an increase in metabolism, which means more calories burned in shorter workout time!)

Ok...you now have the core principles of weight loss before you:

• DECIDE (and write it down daily),
• Reduce your calories and
• Increase your Exercise.

Weight loss, especially for the obese isn't easy. If it were, we wouldn't be obese. However, it can be made simple, and you are not alone in your battle. Good Luck!