If you are constantly starting a healthy exercise and eating program, only to let it fall by the wayside by the middle of the week you are destroying your metabolism, and killing any motivation you might have had.

Getting in shape is just as much as a mental approach as it is a physical one. If you want to get in shape once and for all you have to make some changes. Below are some tips on how to get in shape to prevent falling off the wagon again.

Tip #1 Make a committed goal to get in shape ? Goal setting, blah, blah, blah. You may think this is an unnecessary step and a waste of time, but NOT making a committed goal can be your biggest reason for failure.

Tip #2 Stick to your goal - Don't keep changing your mind ? Sure, just because you have some goals written down or outlined on your calendar doesn't mean you will get in shape. You have to actually follow your plan.

Tip #3 Eat balanced meals ? Eating balanced meals is one of the most important aspects of getting in shape. Most people tend to think that a can of tuna or an apple is a meal. Wrong. A meal is a combination of a complete protein and a carbohydrate.

Tip #4 Eat real food ? Any food won't do. You should be feeding your body quality nutrients in the form of natural foods. Far too many people rely on processed food-like items in boxes labeled "healthy," low-fat," low-carb," etc. for health and weight loss. For the best quality food, eat those that Mother Nature has provided. If you can hunt, pick, gather, or harvest it, you can eat it. More importantly, it would be wise to eat organic as much as possible.

Tip #5 Don't skip meals ? Many people think that in order to get in shape they have to be in a calorie deficient mode. While this might stand true to an extent, most people are going about it in the wrong manner by skipping meals.

Tip #6 Don't cut the carbs ? The no-carb craze is still in high gear. Granted, lowering carbs can have an effect on fat loss to a certain degree, but there's a certain procedure you have to use to do it correctly to prevent fatigue, burnout, and excess muscle loss.

Tip #7 Don't kill the Cardio - Cardio is fine, provided you are eating the right nutrients to support it. The problem many people have when trying to get in shape is that they drastically cut their calories AND carbs, and then suddenly jump on an hour of high intensity cardio a day. This is simply as recipe for disaster because it leads to metabolic downgrade.

Tip #8 Don't put your faith in the latest wonder drug - People become desperate when they want to shed pounds, build muscle, or just get in shape. This can lead you to taking "fat burning supplements" with high promises and disappointing results.

Conclusion Now that you have some crucial guidelines to follow to get you on the right path and to literally get you in shape, use them to your advantage. Nothing worth having comes easy. So, put forth the effort and the time it takes to get you in the best shape of your life.