Ready to lose some weight and make a change? Read this before starting and keep these strategies with you for the full duration of your journey. 

1. Create a Goal and make it visible

The most effective strategy to start a weight loss journey, is to create a destination or goal. Write down how much weight you would you would like to lose(or desired fat percentage), a reason why you want to lose the weight and a person/picture of someone who you would like to look like. Keep your goal easily visible for you to see everyday by placing it on your phone(iphone/blackberry pda), desktop, bathroom mirror or any place that you know you will see everyday. Sounds silly, but it's not. You need to work the mind before you work the body - plain and simple. 

2. Lower your expectations, start small and be patient

We all seen the misleading advertisements on TV and the internet saying that you can lose 20 pounds in a week(as an example). One of the biggest mistakes is to believe that a person can lose 20 pounds in a week, only to get disappointed a week later and then quit right away. Losing weight takes time. The average amount of weight a person can lose 'safely' (no pills, drugs, etc) is 1 to 3 lbs per week. If you are hitting this range, you are doing well. So, be patient - there will be times when you think you havn't lost a single pound or see that the waist line hasn't decreased for all the hard work you put in for the week.  Again, be patient and continue to work hard as you cannot reach your destination overnight - it will take time. Have faith in yourself - your rewards of change are soon to come.

Words to live by: "Every small step forward are giant leaps over time." 

3. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail


From what I believe(and after much searching around the net), the best program I found and tried myself was the RTP Transformation System. I will never regret the day I started and will always remind myself that if I stop living the healthy lifestyle(eating right and exercise) I can be looking at 'ground 0' once again.  The before and after pictures speak for themselves. If you are interested in the RTP System(sorry, no longer avail), I would strongly recommend checking out Tom Venuto's "Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle" system that RTP was based from. I truly believe that most diet/exercise plans will indeed provide results, but it will all depend on 'you' to action on every item that it promotes. Good Luck with whatever plan you choose, but please do not skip this crucial step. Pickup a plan today.

4. Get a partner or simply ask for help

Got a spouse or really good friend? Get her/him involved as well. It's much easier to reach goals when you have someone else reaching for the same goal. Don't have a friend to help out? Ask....Get into a social environment (such as Twitter, Facebook or any Weight Loss Forums) to help you out. We live in a great time where information is readily available and very knowledgeable people who are more than willing to help an online hand. =) 

5. Set your mind to change your old habits to new healthy habits

As part of your new Healthy Lifestyle, you'll soon notice that the smallest of actions you take will make a huge impact over time. An example would be grabbing the apple instead of a donut, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. All these actions add up within your day and will become as natural as brushing your teeth, taking off the AC when not in use or something as simple as locking the front door. 

6. Believe in Yourself and Reward Yourself - All the time. 

You've already started on your wight loss plan and consistently thinking about your destination/goal. You must believe in yourself that you are going to reach your goal and understand that  after your days/weeks of hard work, there will be a reward at the end. Always make an excuse to celebrate - just try not to celebrate with high calorie foods unless it's your weekly 'reward meal'. Another good idea is to save $50.00 / week to purchase something nice for yourself. As an example, if you are on 12 week weight loss program and saving $50.00 per week, you'll have $600 to spend on new clothes! =) 


7. If you Fall Down, Get Back Up

Remember learning to ride a bike for the 1st time? When you fell off - you got back on right?  You continuously motivated yourself to get back on, because quitting was not an option and you really liked that new bike. =) Always keep your goal in mind and visually think of how your life will be once you reach your destination. Create that 'happy place' and refer back to it every-time you think you are slipping away from your journey. Many people think that if they miss a workout day, you have to make up for the day and therefore the whole week is a failure. Not true..Just pickup where you left off and continue the journey. Just do not quit.

You will succeed if you do not quit. 

8. Write your actions down


Studies have shown that you are more likely to stick with your weight loss plan if you write down your healthy actions for the day. Whether it's tracking your daily progress, placing in a personal occurrence of the day where you were weak or to expose a fear that you may not been aware of. You can learn from it with each passing day going forward. There are many online forums that offer areas to post a daily workout journal, or if you want to keep it private write in a spiral book or use Microsoft Word and document each day. Highly recommended as this will help you identify your bad habits and create good habits.

9. Prepare your meals and workout the night before 


You probably heard this many times from personal trainers, "Preparation is Key" - and it's true....Preparation will be the key factor to your body transformation success. The night before you go to bed, make sure you know what time you are going to the gym as well what you will be doing. Have your gym clothes ready, bag packed and running shoes near the door. As for food, cook the night before and have everything packed in containers for the next day or for the next few days. Veggie Soup is a great example of you can make that will last for days and is quite good for you.

By preparing the previous day, you will :

• Keep on track with your calorie count
• Avoid fast food(save money too)
• Guarantee that you receive your 5 to 6 small meals a day
• Know in advance of your exercises for that day, so your mind is prepared of what you will be doing
• Know what to wear in advance to avoid any delay or cancellation of getting into the gym

Having everything prepared for you in advance will be one less thing to worry about when dealing with your daily activities. For an example of how I prepared during my journey, see here.


10. Fun, Fun and more Fun!

Now that you're on your journey, you have to enjoy it and make the best of it. If you look outside, there are many people getting their exercise by either rollerblading, jogging, cycling or walking the paths. If you are not into those options, try picking up a sport you've always wanted to play - hockey, tennis, soccer, baseball, basketball and etc...Get you friends together and start a league. Or on a nice warm evening, take your significant other and go for a walk. How about that new workout outfit or shoes you always wanted to buy - go buy it to make yourself feel good and motivated. Always look for ways to enjoy the ride and have fun. =)