In spite of the many weight loss options, diet plans and diet pills available and the fact that we spend over $30 billion each year on weight loss products and services you would think we would all be slim and trim. But the reality is that 3 out of every 4 of us are overweight or obese and that number is growing according to the World Health Organization.

Many of us believe it is simple to lose weight. The idea behind weight loss is simple ? burn more calories than you eat. But if it is really that simple why aren't we successful at it? Why is the epidemic of overweight people continuing to skyrocket?

Below are 3 things you will need to look at in order to get yourself on a healthy track.

1. Your Attitude - If you are only on a health kick fad to lose weight or look a certain way, it will be hard to lose weight permanently. Why? Because you are likely to give up if you don't see results quickly enough. Although losing weight is a great health goal, just weight loss alone is not enough to motivate you for the long haul. Weight loss is slow ? it takes time to lose weight so how will you motivate yourself in the meantime?

A good way would be to find some more reasons to be healthy, such as having more energy, looking and feeling more youthful, wanting to live longer and better, sleeping better or getting off toxic medications. Those reasons would give greater staying power for the long term as they add so much more substance than weight loss alone.

2. Your Workouts - If you don't workout with the right exercise program consistently enough, it is very hard to lose weight. You will get the biggest 'bang for your buck' with strength training exercise. As it is toned muscle tissue that will increase your metabolism (your body's engine) strength training is the only exercise that will do this for you.

You will then be burning more calories every single minute of the day and night. Low intensity activity like walking, jogging or cycling is not enough to rebuild and maintain muscle tissue. Keep those things going if you enjoy them and they are part of an active lifestyle but just don't expect them to do the job of a proper exercise program.

3. Your Eating - Changing the way you eat is another thing you are going to have to do for long-lasting weight loss. You need to be willing to replace unhealthy foods with healthier choices - every single day. This might mean that you:

Keep a food journal

Spend more time preparing meals

Say no to extra food portions

Get at least 20 grams of protein at each of your 4-6 meals each day

Make conscious choices every day about what you put in your mouth.

Focus on what you should be eating, not what you shouldn't be eating.

To lose weight you will need to pay attention to what you eat and make good choices more often than not. A structured diet or food plan eventually ends, but healthy eating never stops...there will never be a time when you will not be eating healthy.

You might feel you are sacrificing the good stuff (pizza, ice cream, fast food, etc.) and your life won't be fun if you can't have those foods. And guess what? You can still have them...just not unlimited amounts whenever you want.

Are you ready and willing to make these changes? Are you ready to stop giving your body the most convenient food available (often a bad choice) and, instead, spend time planning what and when you will eat and taking it with you wherever you go? That is what it is going to take for you to lose that weight and get healthy...permanently.