How many of us say that we would like to lose weight or that we should get in shape? These are very common statements, but these are statements without substance or validity.

A better statement would be, what are we prepared to do to be able to reach out goals? Getting a good physique doesn't just happen, it requires certain sacrifices.

If you are not prepared to make changes to what you eat, and how you eat then you are not taking your goal seriously. If you are not prepared to use your time to commit to a good exercise program, and cut back on the time you spend in front of the TV or other meaningless tasks, then you are not taking your goal seriously.

I am not knocking your lifestyle, simply because it has nothing to do with me. If you are happy with the way you are then that's great, but don't waste your time and energy thinking how great it would be if you were fitter or slimmer.

Believe me when I say that, because wishing and wanting is a complete waste of time unless you are prepared to make those wishes and wants come true, by changing the way you do things.

If you are serious about changing, then what maybe holding you back is not knowing what you have to do to get into shape. If this is the case, don't feel bad about it because this area can be really confusing, as there is too much information on health and fitness and it can be difficult to choose what to do.

The first step is to think about what exactly is it that you want? You need to be specific, don't just say that you want to lose lots of weight and get really fit. That goal is too obscure you need to set a specific goal to be achieved in a specific time period. Make your goal realistic and achievable. Don't make a long term goal because it will be a long way away.

Set short goals, and when you reach them set more short goals. All the short goals in time will add up to a very big goal on it's own with no work from you. Set goals one month at a time.

Say for example you want to lose 10 pounds in a month, which is very achievable, what are you going to have to do to achieve that? I could easily tell you how to reach your goal but I am not going to.

I want you to think and workout how you are going to achieve it, and not just follow what I or anybody else tells you. It's your body and your health, so it's fair that you make the effort, and your confidence will greatly improve knowing that you did it off your own back.

Do not jump into anything straight away. Spend a week or two researching. Learn about exercise and diet by using the internet, find what is going to suit you best. Once you are confident that you know enough to get started, make a plan for 4 weeks and stick to it no matter what. Once the month is up check to see what you have achieved. You may have lost more than 10 pounds or you may have lost only 7 or 9 pounds.

If you find that you lose more than you aimed for then that's great, give yourself a pat on the back. If you have lost less than what you aimed for then that's great as well. You may ask why would that be great? It's because you had the commitment, discipline, and the presence of mind to set a goal and aim for it.

That takes some doing if you are not used to it, and for that reason you should be proud. Regardless of your results, set another goal for the next month and repeat the process. Small goal setting like this will make your willpower and discipline stronger each month until you get to the point where you will be confident enough to achieve any goal you put your mind to.

If you think that losing weight is going to be too hard and take too long then you need to change your perspective and focus on short goals for weight loss.