Once upon a time you were young, living at home without a care in the world except where you were going on Friday night and who you were going with. Your week is spent in school with your hormones going through the roof and most likely taking your metabolism along for the ride. The next stage was college where you spent your days running across campus trying to get to your next class on time. If you were lucky enough to have some athletic ability you were also involved in some kind of sport after school. Then you get home and have to do homework, term papers and research projects 'til the wee hours of the morning all tanked up on coffee (Lucky You!). We all know what happens after that: LIFE! Reality sets in. It sneaks up on you and hits you with all the delicacy of a right cross from Mike Tyson. Soon you find yourself working a full time job with a boss, who wants you to perform like you're getting paid twice as much, and then you have to go home and spend time with your family. Now, one morning you look in the mirror and... Who the hell is that? Last time you looked, your body at least resembled a human being. Now you think you have just discovered a new species. But wait! That IS me. I can see my true self under that new layer of soft stuff.

What you do next is probably the hardest thing you have ever done. Admit that you have a problem and need to fix it. Getting started is the hardest part of any exercise program. What I have noticed from the many people I have trained over the years is that they don't have the confidence in themselves that they can lose the fat and build a better body. People will always say that they don't have the time to do anything about it, or they don't have the discipline to exercise regularly or eat right. I really believe that all these are EXCUSES. I think the underlying reason is lack of confidence. If you don't believe you can do it, then you can't. But if you actually believe you have the power to make a significant change in your body, then I promise you WILL be able to do it. You must take an active roll in your own life and fight for what you want out of it. Be that as it may, let's tackle each of the "reasons" one at a time.

NO TIME:

Hey, it's your body. If you are one of the truly rare people who has a schedule so crowded they have to schedule a bathroom break, then you will have to SCHEDULE a time to exercise. We all take great pride in a job well done and because of that we all make sure we do a job as well as we can. To do this you have to know about every aspect of your job. You want to be successful and generally are because you put in a great deal of effort to ensure that success. Then you get home and have to make sure that everyone and everything at home is doing well and running smoothly. All this time you have forgotten about taking care of yourself. You have made sure everything else in your life is as perfect as can be, but at what cost? If you could focus that energy on yourself you could realize THE NEW YOU sooner than you think. It's time to become a little selfish and think about you and invest some of that energy into yourself. I'm not saying that you should ignore the other aspects of your life, but you should at least count yourself as much, if not more, of a priority as everything else. Once you can honestly do this, then you are on the way to salvation. Look at it this way, a healthier, happier you can do everything else BETTER!

NO DISCIPLINE TO EXERCISE REGULARLY:

A big problem here is that people often think they have to do so much to get the results they want. Adding to the problem is that most of us want results sooner rather than later. Remember that it has taken your entire life to reach this point, so don't expect to have things change over night. It's O.K. to start off slow. The important thing is that you START and start now. Then you can gradually increase the frequency of your workouts. If you don't know how or what to do or are someone who simply will not put forth the effort necessary then you should take the next step with great haste. Get a qualified Personal Trainer to help you. Oh my god! They may actually weigh me, or worse, they may want to give me a body fat test! Guess what? Any Personal Trainer worth a damn will probably do that and more. Remember, these are professionals and they are in it to help people who want and need help. The majority of people that have trainers are not professional bodybuilders, models or actors. They are folks just like you. People who have enlisted in the military to fight the battle of the bulge. These are the generals who have a wealth of knowledge that will help you navigate the mind fields, dodge incoming missiles and avoid enemy attacks. Of course, before you plunk down your hard earned cash, you should do some legwork, and I don't mean squats. You should interview a couple of trainers and ask them some important questions.

1. Are you certified and with who? There are many different certifications out there. Some of the better-known ones are ACE, NSCA, ACSM, ISSA and AFAA.

2. If you have a particular condition or injury going in, like a meniscus tear, herniated disk, hip replacement, arthritis or what ever, be sure to ask if they have experience with it.

3. How long have they been a trainer?

4. Where have they worked in the past?

Don't be afraid to ask these and any other questions that might concern you. Beside a good trainer will ask you a load of questions or have you fill out a health history questionnaire before you even step foot on a treadmill. If the trainer seems bothered that you are asking him / her any questions, chances are you wont be happy with them anyway, move on. You could also ask your friends who they use.

NO DISCIPLINE TO EAT RIGHT:

Oh brother! Let's not get started in the wrong direction here. I definitely understand the hardship you will go through here. I've been there. But all the same, you absolutely must eat right to get what you want. I don't mean that you should start eating only wheat germ, tofu, salads and broiled chicken breast. But you must get off that steady diet of pizza and beer. That crap will kill you. Now to be honest, I do step over the line occasionally and I do it because I don't want to deny myself too much. But it's done in a controlled manner. I know what I need to do to compensate for my indiscretions. I am not going to make this an article on nutrition, but I will touch on a few things. First of all, it's not true that your diet is 90% of the battle. It's 25% of the battle. The other three parts are resistance training, cardiovascular training and flexibility. All four are equally important for a balanced development, which is what you want, isn't it? Hey, your dinning room table has four legs for a reason. If one leg were 90% longer than the rest, the damn thing would fall flat. Secondly, remember the three F's ? Forget Fat Free. We all need a certain amount of fat in our diets for such things as hair, nails and skin not to mention a number of metabolic processes of the body including hormone control. Fat is not the bad guy everyone thinks it is. If you want to blame anything, aim your guns at Simple Carbohydrates. Those suckers really pack on the fat with a vengeance. Lastly, don't be afraid to eat more protein. It's very important because your muscles are made up of protein. If you don't take in a sufficient quantity, your body won't have the building blocks to produce the muscle. There are many sources of quality protein around like chicken, fish, lean beef, eggs etc. I would suggest a supplemental form of protein because they can really make a difference. Using a protein supplement will make it much easier to reach your daily requirement of protein without having to eat like a horse.

Look people, It's your life and your body. You are the only one who can change it. This is not about losing weight for now. This is a lifestyle change. You should and will want to adopt this way of living for the rest of your life. Stick with us and we'll take you step by step. This is the first day of the rest of your life ? HAVE A GREAT DAY!