We all need to take full responsibility for the things that happen in our lives. And that includes how big our bellies are. We did it to ourselves - only we can undo it! Only you are in control of what you eat. Only you are in control of your workouts. Only you are in control of whether or not you get out of bed 45 minutes earlier each day to do your resistance and interval training. Once you accept responsibility, the rest is easy. When you know that only you are in control of how many calories come in each day, and how many calories are burned, you can take the right actions to help yourself burn fat.



Now you can start burning calories and start losing fat. Exercise acts in a two fold manner. Firstly it burns up calories and calories equals fat. Secondly it releases endorphins into the body which act as appetite suppressants and you actually eat less and feel fuller.

Get a friend (or several) at work who are ready to support your efforts to lose weight. Get a friend at the gym you are attending or a training partner when you go walking, running or whatever works for you. Get as many positive people supporting you in your fat-loss efforts as possible. The more people standing in your corner the better your chance of success. Your support group is there to inspire you and encourage you, particularly when you are struggling with your day and need a boost. They will also (if they are real friends) give you a swift kick in the seat of your pants when you get slack or start whining. They will hold you accountable in other words. Excuses that are lame just won't cut it with them.

Get a great weight loss program and stick to it. The Internet is a wealth of available information. Use it. Your support group is there to inspire you and encourage you, particularly when you are struggling with your day and need a boost. They will also (if they are real friends) give you a swift kick in the seat of your pants when you get slack or start whining. They will hold you accountable in other words. Excuses that are lame just won't cut it with them.

Rule #3: Give toxicity the flick

If a support group can build you up, guess what a bunch of negative Nellie's can do? They can undermine your best efforts, put temptations in your way ("It's just one donut", they'll tell you), they will share their "true" stories about their failures and how you are just wasting your time. Meanwhile they are growing fatter by the day. You must choose to spend less time with people who undermine your efforts. If you can't avoid them, you need to make it clear that you aren't going to put up with their negative efforts to bring you down.

You must choose to spend less time with people who undermine your efforts. If you can't avoid them, you need to make it clear that you aren't going to put up with their negative efforts to bring you down. You owe it to yourself after all. It's not them who are going to get heart disease or diabetes if they don't lose weight. It's you! So stand up for yourself. Get tough and take responsibility for your actions. Tell them you're not interested.

Clean up your kitchen and your family if you need to. Dump the junk food. If it's not there, you won't be tempted to eat it. No more chips, soda, candy, or processed foods of any kind. Get rid of it! You're not a super saint so remove temptation. Get a program that focuses on the right foods, especially foods that help you burn fat. Good foods burn fat. Bad ones build fat. Find out the difference.

Rule #4: Perseverance.

Rule #4: It's always too soon to quit.

Like all muscles it needs exercise to grow, but use it and watch your life transform. Winners never quit, and quitters never win. Your waist line will tell everyone which one you are. Thin, healthy, attractive, long life or fat, slow, unhealthy and headed for an early grave. Which do you want you be?

Determination is what separates the successful for the "wannabees". Like any muscle it has to be exercised to grow. Like any muscle there is a bit of discomfort on the say to growth and a lot of self-revelation. Are you really going to commit or quit like you have every other time. Now is the time to back yourself into a corner and make failure and quitting just unacceptable. Write down your goals and read then ten times a day until you see no other possibility but success. Remember Rule Number 1? You have the power if you want it.

Start a diary on Day 1 with body measurements and not just weight. You need to know your waist has just shrunk two inches even if your weight is the same. Remember that muscle is heavier than fat, so measuring yourself weekly will tell of your true progress, not a misleading weight-only approach. Without measuring yourself no way to know how well you're doing with your fitness goals unless you are measuring the results. So make a note of how far you could walk when you started your program, how long it took etc. Track your progress.

Review your workouts and diet frequently to identify what is working. That way, you can always come back to successful programs in the future when you are struggling.

Remember the power of change is in your hands. With determination, a good weight loss program and some honest hard work you can achieve your weight loss goals and enjoy a full and rewarding life with a much higher life expectancy.