It takes time and dedication to reach goals and make sure your efforts result in lasting change.

So, how can you sustain yourself for the long-haul and keep your attitude positive to ensure success? There is a secret trio of ingredients that go into any successful weight-loss plan.

When a balance is struck between these three things, weight loss success will happen and the pounds lost will likely stay off for good.

What are the secrets to success? Make sure to strike the right balance between:

• Food – Rather than starve yourself or go on a fad plan that won’t produce lasting results, learn to adopt sustainable, healthy eating habits. Avoid processed foods and be sure to include plenty of vegetables, lean meat, legumes, low-fat dairy and other smart options. It is also wise to consider eating less at a sitting, but increasing the frequency of “meals.”
• Activity – Exercise is simply critical for weight loss success. The best plan includes about five days a week of activity that extends for 30 to 60 minutes each time. Make sure to blend in both cardiovascular and strength training for the best results.
• Attitude – This is the real secret ingredient necessary to enjoy healthy, happy and successful weight loss. It does take time, dedication and a willingness to make weight loss goals happen. When you develop the right positive attitude, you can sustain yourself even during the roughest of days. Set realistic weight loss goals, strive to achieve them and focus on mini-successes along the way.

When you strike a balance between eating, exercising and attitude, obstacles will not stand in your way. You’ll have the inner strength to power past weight-loss plateaus and you’ll gain the fortitude necessary to carry you throughout your entire journey.

If you’re having trouble with any of these key ingredients or want some insight on setting realistic goals, talk with a personal trainer or the pros at your local fitness center. They can help you tailor a plan that will work best for you.

That is fantastic news, but it’s time to temper your enthusiasm with a bit of reality. The fact is your motivation is very high right now and that’s a good thing. Your motivation, however, isn’t going to last forever. When you’re 10 pounds in and that last ten pounds won’t seem to go away, you need a plan in place to keep yourself going.

So, how can you bolster your motivation and make sure it stays on course? There are a few fairly simple tricks that can help you retain your desire to achieve even when the going gets tough. Try these things to help yourself stay on track:

• Don’t work out alone – When you work out alone, it’s all too easy to quit in the last 10 minutes. It’s also a whole lot easier to skip a day here and there. You need a way to hold yourself accountable to overcome those dips in motivation that are very likely to occur. Instead of going it alone, workout with a friend. Keep up with personal training sessions. Join a group exercise class. Just do something that involves another human being that can help hold your feet to the fire if and when the urge to quit strikes.
• Keep a journal – The journey to get into better shape can be long and arduous. It is often fraught with ups and downs, too. Write down everything that happens in a journal. Record your successes and lament about your struggles. Releasing your doubts can help you gain focus. Recording your successes might give you the strength to draw on when you need it the most.
• Set goals – Saying you want to lose 100 pounds is great, but it’s a pretty big number to shoot for. While it’s a great idea to have an end goal, try setting smaller ones along the way. Use milestone goals to help keep yourself going. Give yourself rewards when you attain these milestones, too. Little things like a massage or a day at the salon for losing five or 10 pounds can motivate you to keep reaching for loftier goals.

Losing weight is a journey that calls for motivation. Keep yours high by enlisting some help. The pros at your gym or your Jackson personal trainer can help you get on track and stay that way.

The simple truth is there is no diet plan that is the best. Go on a strict diet plan to drop weight fast and you will soon find your weight bouncing up and down. The problem is most diet plans aren’t realistic for long-term use. While you might lose weight while you’re on them, that weight is likely to come back as soon as you start eating normally again. Plus, many so-called diet plans neglect proper nutrition. They cut out entire food groups for the sake of fast losses in weight.

So, what can you do to eat yourself to a healthier weight without going on a diet plan? Just use good common sense and consider these things:

• Eat whole foods – It is best to buy your groceries and make your meals starting with fresh vegetables, lean meat and other healthy products. While processed foods might be easier, they often contain chemicals, sweeteners, artificial colors and who knows what else! Freshly prepared meals that start with healthy ingredients are better for weight loss and they’re better for fueling the body.
• Read labels – It’s not always possible to eat whole foods at every single meal. When this is the case, select processed or pre-packaged products with care. Read the labels and look for items that are as close to natural as you can find.  Also look at the serving size compared to the amount of calories in a single serving.
• Go for balance – Make sure meals contain foods that truly nourish and fuel your body. Strike a balance with fruits and veggies, legumes, lean meat, low-fat dairy and nuts.
• Eat less, but more often – Smaller, more frequent meals can help greatly with weight loss.  Shoot for smaller portions, but try to eat three meals a day and at least two, possibly three healthy snacks. It’s important not to skip meals – especially breakfast – because doing so can foster weight gain rather than loss.
• Avoid temptations – Uncover your unhealthy habits and take steps to overcome them. If you can’t steer clear of ice cream after dinner, try finding a healthier, lower-calorie option. It’s okay to keep “treats” in your diet when you’re losing weight, but make sure they really are treats. No one really needs ice cream seven nights a week.

Losing weight and keeping it off is a journey. Fad diet plans just aren’t sustainable. To get the results you want, learn to make wiser choices every day. For more ideas on creating your own “diet plan,” talk with the fitness pros at your gym or your personal trainer. Chances are they have some great tips and tricks that can help you develop your own diet that’s tasty, healthy and fulfilling.

The truth is that success is often born from a positive and healthy outlook to everything in life. When you examine your thoughts and the chatter that you “speak” to yourself on a daily basis, you are likely to find you are your own worst enemy. Open your eyes and your mind to the thoughts and really hear what you tell yourself. Learn to eliminate the negative inner-speak. Stop telling yourself you can’t and start saying you can. When you do, some amazing things are going to happen.

While this sounds all well and good, you’re probably wondering how to get from Point A to Point B. There are a few tricks and tips that can help you change your mind and your life. Try:

• Spending a few days truly listening to yourself – Grab a notebook and a pen. Jot down the negative thoughts you have. Listen to what you say to yourself in your mind. Explore what you are saying and consider what triggers your own negative responses.
• Learn to speak kinder to yourself – Positive affirmations aren’t just New Age mumbo jumbo. They can actually work. Learn to program your mind to believe in yourself. Set realistic goals and keep telling yourself you can attain them. Take that same notebook you used to record your thoughts and write down the positives about yourself. Focus on these positives that you know to be true and use them to build up your life in other aspects.
• Enlist help – When you’re trying to change your mind so you can change your life, positive influences can go a very long way. Join a group exercise class, get with a Jackson personal trainer, ask family and friends to assist. Let them know your goals, what you are doing to reach them and how they can lend a hand by offering moral support. Having a cheering section rooting for you can build your self-esteem and it can give you the motivation you need to keep going even when the road ahead is tough.

When it’s time to effect positive changes in your life, the place to start is within. Look into your mind and learn to reinforce the positives and throw out the negatives. You can do it!

Beverages really are the overlooked calorie giants in today’s fast-paced society. We down lattes, frappes and other drinks like there’s no tomorrow, never stopping to consider just how many calories might go down with every gulp. Even many so-called healthy smoothies might be getting in the way of weight loss.

What To Watch Out For

Aside from the obvious sugar-loaded sodas, there are some beverages well worth avoiding when you’re trying to lose weight. Some of the top culprits to stay away from include:

• Processed smoothies – Any time a smoothie is loaded with sugar and artificial flavorings, you’re going to get more calories than you really want.
• Sugary sports drinks and waters – Read labels when you buy drinks to finish off a workout. Chances are you’ll discover a whole lot more calories than you bargained for. It’s best to stay away from flavored waters that get most of their flavor from sugar.
• Coffee drinks – Unless you’re dealing with honest-to-goodness coffee, be very wary. Many of today’s coffee drinks are loaded down with sugar, and this doesn’t just include the whipped cream on top!
• Alcoholic beverages – It is never a good idea to drink a lot of alcoholic beverages when you’re trying to lose weight. Even light beer, for example, can deliver a lot of calories and carbs.

Better Drink Choices

Just because you’re trying to lose weight doesn’t mean you need to stick only with pure water. While water is never a bad choice, you can also partake in such beverages as:

• Tea – Green, white and black teas are generally perfectly okay. Watch out for adding sugar to them though.
• Non-processed smoothies – Make your own smoothies with ice and fresh fruits or vegetables to enjoy a tasty beverage that’s packed with nutrients without extra calories.

When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s often the overlooked items that get in the way of success. What you drink can be just as important as what you eat. If you need more ideas on what to avoid, talk with your personal trainer or the pros at your fitness center. They can offer excellent insights on the right foods and drinks to consume and those that are fraught with caloric peril.

So, how can you get the results you want without chaining yourself to a treadmill or doing 200 sit-ups a day?

The first thing you need to do is change your thinking about working out. Working out doesn’t have to be a dirty verb in your vocabulary. Consider this term to mean simply being active. A “workout” can technically involve any activity that gets you up and moving around. You can even “workout” and have fun, too. Really!

Here’s how!

Ask yourself these things:

• What do you like doing? – Are there physical activities that you actually enjoy? Perhaps you love to play ball with your kids. Maybe swimming is a favorite pastime? It might be that you really enjoy taking brisk walks with your dog. Whatever it is, build your “workout” routine around that activity.
• What are your goals? – Set very realistic, attainable goals to lead yourself down the path to weight loss and exercise success. Reaching even the smallest of goals can boost your esteem and encourage you to go even farther.
• Do I have 30 minutes a few days a week? – Exercising effectively doesn’t call for setting aside hours a day, every day in a week to make real changes happen. All you really need is about 30 minutes, five days a week to put yourself on the right path. If you’re having fun playing ball, swimming or doing something else enjoyable, you will stick with the program.

A good “workout” doesn’t have to be an exercise in frustration. The fact of the matter is there are many different activities that can help you get into shape and lose weight, too. Getting the best and most consistent results often calls for thinking out of the box and finding activities that you truly enjoy. Remember, you can even mix things up and still get results. You might, for example, play ball on a Monday, go swimming on Wednesday, take part in a kick boxing class at a local gym on Friday and so on.

If it’s time to change the way you think about exercise, explore the real possibilities. They are not as boring as you’ve been led to believe! Check with a Jackson personal trainer or the professionals at your local gym for some ideas and even classes that fit your need to get active while satisfying your appetite for fun.

So, how can you find the support you need to shed pounds, tone up and create the healthier body you’re after? There are a few great ways to gain the edge you might need to succeed. They include:

• Joining a group exercise class – This is an excellent choice that’s offered at most gyms and fitness centers. Group exercises classes, like a boot camp, can really help people see the results they are after because everyone involved may literally work together to help others see results. Class members often form bonds and the sense of camaraderie can help push you to keep showing up and working out. There is also a sense of accountability that can go along with group sessions.
• Working with a personal trainer – If group classes don’t fit your personality, you might find working with a personal trainer or fitness coach works for you. A trainer can help you set goals, devise a plan to reach them and then assist you in making sure you stay on task. Many people find the one-on-one sessions with a trainer help motivate them greatly. Plus, trainers are great at holding their clients accountable for actions.
• Working out with friends – Just having a workout buddy or two can make all the difference in the world. Get a few friends or family members together and head to the gym together. You can provide each other support both inside and outside the fitness center.

Whether you join a class, get a trainer or workout with a buddy, having someone else to lean on for support can make all the difference in the world. When someone else stands by your side, it becomes much easier to get through the rough spots that can go along with working out.

Community support can increase your motivation, helping you over the rough spots that go along with getting in shape. When you workout in a group or community setting, you’ll also gain assistance in dealing with those weight loss plateaus that might otherwise set you back.

While it’s always wise to learn to eat right, work exercise into your routine and generally take care of yourself from the inside out, these actions won’t produce the desired results if you don’t develop a healthy body image first.

Sadly, the messages we receive from movies, television and magazines can make it very hard for individuals to be pleased with how they look. When the truth is uncovered, however, it becomes a little easier. The fact is the icons society holds up as “beautiful” are just people, too. The models in magazines with those perfect faces and bodies are generally airbrushed. They don’t look perfect in real life. Actresses who are 10 or 20 pounds underweight just for looks are likely gambling with their health to stay paper thin.

So, how can you develop a healthy image of yourself in light of society’s role models?

Try doing these things to become happy with who you are now:

• Identify and capitalize on your strengths – Explore the inner you and list out the traits that make you special. These can includes both physical and personality traits. You might be the most loyal friend in the world. Perhaps you have eyes that can stop traffic. Focus on what makes you special and embrace those things.
• Identify the things you’d like to change – Let’s face it; most of us do have things about ourselves we’d like to change or make better. Identify these things and determine which ones can be changed within reason. Perhaps you’d like to lose 10 pounds? Or maybe you’d like to work on being a more understanding person? Consider the things that are within reach and take action to make these things happen.
• Take steps to make positive, realistic changes – Once you identify the things you can do to become the person you want to be, take steps to make the goals become reality. Start a workout plan to begin the weight loss process. Focus on eating healthier. Go back to school to obtain the degree you want. Use positive reinforcements to develop the personality traits you’d like to display.

It doesn’t matter how many days a week you spend in a gym, you’re not going to be happy with the changes made until you learn to love yourself. Developing a positive self image is the first step to becoming happy with who you are. Work with the pros at your local fitness center or a personal trainer to identify steps you can take to reach your goals and improve your self-image along the way. Remember to embrace the wonderful person you already are to gain maximum enjoyment of your results.

According to recent research, that old “wives’ tale” about water and weight loss is actually quite true. A study involving two different groups of overweight men and women showed that water drinkers do really lose more weight. Both study groups were asked to adhere to a low-calorie diet, but only one group was instructed to drink two cups of water before each meal. At the end of a 12-week period, the water drinkers lost an average of about 15.5 pounds. The non-water drinkers only shed about 11 pounds.

So, what it is about water that helps with weight loss so much? If you think about it, drinking water before meals really does make a lot of sense. As little as two cups of water can help you:

• Feel fuller – Drinking two cups of water before each meal is a great way to start off the eating process because it will help you feel fuller without adding calories to the mix. Water will begin to fill up the stomach, before the food even hits it. This, in turn, can lessen the amount of food consumed before the body feels sated.
• Begin the digestion process – Water can also kick-start the digestion process and get your metabolism kicked into gear. When this happens, you can benefit from your body potentially burning more calories faster.
• Stay hydrated – Adding two cups of water into the mix before each meal is also a great way to ensure the body stays hydrated. This can help you out with weight loss to an extent. It’s also incredibly important for overall health.

Why Water?

While you could technically drink up two cups of other liquids to get the same filling effect, there are potential downsides of doing so. Filling up on soda, for example, will add calories to your meal and defeat the purpose. Sugary drinks should simply be avoided when you’re trying to shed pounds.

If you’re ready to start losing weight, drink to your success! Don’t forget to check with your local gym or your personal trainer for assistance with other measures that can help you in the quest to shed pounds. Diet and exercise are both critical components that can help you reach your goals.

How can you get past a weight loss plateau to see the results you really want? First off, don’t give up! You can bust through that obstacle to see the rewards on the other side. The key is in learning how to keep your motivation high through a plateau and continuing to work in the right direction.

Weight loss plateaus are quite common. A person trying to lose 50 pounds, for example, might shed the first 30 with a fair amount of ease and then not see that last 20 budge an inch for some time. There are ways to get past this stumbling block successfully. The more effective ways to keep your motivation high and start to see the results you want include:

• Mixing up your exercise routine – The stalling in your weight loss progress may in fact be because your workout routine no longer works for you. As your body starts to shed pounds and you become more fit, the vigor of a routine may need to go up. If you no longer feel challenged with your workouts, it’s a good sign that a time for change has come. Try to increase your difficulty level, add in different exercises and be sure to talk with your personal trainer for advice.
• Alter your diet – While you’ve no doubt been eating right to produce the results you’ve seen so far, you may need to make a few more changes to drop the remaining pounds. Stick with fresh whole foods and continue weeding out the hidden sugars and processed junk. This can help you barrel through that plateau while also assisting you in developing more lean muscle mass.
• Give yourself a break – Taking a week off from the exercise routine might be what your body needs to adjust to its newer, slimmer size. This doesn’t mean jumping off the wagon entirely though! Make sure you keep your food intake healthy and wise.
• Use mind over matter – Weight loss plateaus can be very taxing on motivation levels. Remind yourself that they happen to just about everyone. Keep your focus and you will get through this bump in the road.

There’s no reason to accept a weight loss plateau. Keep your eyes on your goal and bust through the block to see the results you want. Don’t forget your trainer or the pros at your local gym can also help you get past the bumpy patches.