Aren't you tired of hearing yourself say the same old excuses year after year?

Now that the New Year has begun, you no longer have any more weight loss excuses...simply start losing weight today with this simple five step weight loss plan.

First step towards weight loss...activate.

The most important ingredient in your weight loss plan is exercise. If you think exercise is a dirty word, it's time to change. Starting today, resolve to activate your life in every way possible. Leave the car keys behind and walk to the corner
store. Race yourself to get your housework done in ten minutes less time (because the more vigorous your movement, the more calories you burn). Get off the elevator one floor early and walk up the stairs. Every extra active thing you do will burn calories - and the more calories you burn, the more likely you'll reach your weight loss goal.

When you're ready to really activate, get a physical workout that is designed with your own interests in mind. Join a gym, take up a sport, or take an extra long walk during sunset. But just make sure your exercise plan revolves around your own interests.

Second step towards weight loss...motivate.

Grab a pen and notebook and start writing down all the reasons you should lose weight. Don't stop till you get to ten, at the very least. Here are some suggestions:  
1. I'll be healthier - losing 10 pounds can decrease your risk of heart disease, diabetes and a host of other weight-related illnesses. 2. I'll save money. Super-size costs more. 3. I'll be able to keep up with my kids. It takes energy to keep up with kids, and extra weight saps your energy. Lose ten pounds and see how much better you feel. 4. I'll get back into my favorite jeans. 5. I'll look better.

Third step towards weight loss...keep track of what you eat.

Once you have your ten reasons to lose weight, don't stop writing. Keep that pen and notebook with you all day and write down every single thing you put into your mouth. You'll be surprised at all the 'unexpected' calories you catch yourself
eating. The last two french fries on your son's plate. The two bites of chicken you tasted to make sure of the seasoning. The 'just one bite' of your friends ice cream cone. The handful of potato chips you snagged from the bowl on your way by. Write down every single bite, even if just for a few days, to make yourself aware of all the food that you didn't even realize you were eating.

Fourth step towards weight loss... educate.

Educate yourself about healthy diets and weight loss plans, and find a diet that you believe you can live with for the rest of your life. It's the only way that you'll lose weight and keep it off permanently.

Fifth step towards weight loss... salivate.

If you think that diet food is boring, find a good low-fat cookbook and start re-educating your taste-buds. Healthy, low-fat, low-carb cooking is delicious - prove it to yourself.

Remember, don't fall back into your bad habits. Stick with your New Year's resolution and start losing weight today with these five simple steps towards weight loss.

The basic fact of weight loss is when you use 3500 calories more than you take in, you loose one pound. There are tons of fancy programs, workouts and supplements that promise something more. Most of these cost a lot of money. At the end of the day, you need to burn more calories than you take in. Here are five steps you can do to increase the calorie burn and decrease the calorie intake.

Step 1 - Knowing your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is a key component to . You use energy no matter what you’re doing, even when sleeping. Your BMR is the number of calories you would burn if you stayed in bed all day.

Your BMR decreases as you age. Depriving yourself of food in hopes of losing weight also decreases your BMR. A regular routine of exercise can increase your BMR, improving your health and fitness when your body’s ability to burn energy gradually slows down.

Step 2 - Increase your activity. Just from the BMR, a petite woman of 45 burns around 1200 calories a day. A large man in his mid thirties burns 2200. Most of us are in the middle. This is just for existing and breathing. You want to burn a few more calories with some activity. Whether this is running, walking or mowing the lawn, you are doing good by adding more. There are plenty of fun activities that burn a few hundred calories in one hour.

The goal is to be active. Moving your body and mind burns calories. Not all activities are the same. One can quickly burn an extra 500 calories a day with little effort. In one week that is a pound if you do nothing else.

Step 3 - Eat Less / Eat More. We want to eat less at each sitting. We also want to eat more often. Eating more often keeps your hunger at bay. Eating smaller amounts is simply putting less in you. Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other non-processed foods. These can keep you filled longer and give you the energy you need.

A great goal is to have 3 meals a day not to exceed 500 calories each and 3 snacks a day not to exceed 250 calories each. An average active male can burn 3000 calories a day between BMR, one decent workout and everything else one does in a normal day. If that same person stuck with the meal plan, he would consume 2250 calories. A net difference of 750 calories. That is 6.5 pounds a month before exercise.

Step 4 Create a Food Log - We have a bad habit of underestimating how many calories we eat. A little bite here or just a taste there, it all counts. A single triscuit has ten calories. Eating from carton of ice cream is a good way to consume 3 or 4 servings and 500 calories.

The best way to keep yourself honest is to create a food log. Writing down everything you eat is a great way to not go over a calorie limit for the day. On days you eat great, it will be hard to keep it under 2000 calories. On days you are bad, you will see it grow to over 4000 calories.

Step 5 Set Realistic Expectations - Losing weight is not easy. It took you a long time to pack it on. It will take a while to get it off. It can come off faster than it goes on though. It takes work and discipline. The benefit is you live longer and live better.

Expect ups and downs to come. Plateaus will be there also. A big secret to get past these times is to change the diet or exercise routine. You can essentially confuse you body.

You are not going to lose 30 pounds in a single week, so do not expect to. Stick to a good daily plan and create the lifestyle choices to keep the weight off.

(Editor: admin)