Maybe your waist is larger, or your hips are wider, or maybe your New Year's resolve has fizzled.

So what do you do about the stubborn and seemingly permanent fat?

Sink into a depression?

Well, the easiest thing to do is to throw a pity party. Then before you know it your feelings of self pity begin to snowball into a full blown case of the Stubborn Fat Blues.

How do you know if you have the Stubborn Fat Blues?

Your pants are tighter today than they were a year ago You've tried to lose weight only to fail. You feel trapped. You're close to giving up on yourself. If you can relate to any of the above statements then you have the Stubborn Fat Blues - quite an unpleasant condition to have.

Fortunately, there is a cure.

It all starts with your mind. The stubborn fat blues affects your mind tremendously.

You see, your mental state is critical in determining your shape and size. When you focus on all of the things that you hate about your current body like the size of your thighs, the shape of your butt, or the way your belly looks then you're putting all of your energy on the negative.

The more you think about how unhappy you are, the unhappier you will become.

Makes sense, right?

So instead of wallowing, use the following techniques to conquer the Stubborn Fat Blues:

1. Take it one battle at a time. You may have 20, 50 or 100 pounds to lose before you reach your ideal weight - and, boy, that can be overwhelming. The truth is that weight loss like that won't happen overnight - it takes months of dedication. It's no wonder so many people simply give up.

Don't worry about winning the entire war today, instead focus on conquering one battle at a time. Take it one meal at a time, and one day at a time. A healthy meal, a good workout and you've won a battle. Remember, 100 pounds is broken down into 350,000 calories. It may seem impossible, but if you focus in on burning off a greater number of calories than you eat today, then losing weight will be inevitable.

2. Use a trigger. How many times throughout your day do you find yourself plagued with negative thoughts? I'm too fat. I'll never look as good as I used to. I'm not attractive. Yikes! Thoughts like these will ruin your chance at regaining your figure - they are total momentum killers.

Here's what I want you to do. Whenever a negative thought enters your mind instantly do the following:

Breathe out and squeeze your abs for 5 seconds - 3 times Throw away any junk food within arms reach Plan to exercise that day Make negative thoughts a trigger to take positive action toward your goal - the results will amaze you.

3. See what you want. If you have weight to lose, mirrors are a nightmare. Every lump and pouch seems to jump out with alarming illumination. And it doesn't help that most of us see things as worse than they really are.

When was the last time that you closed your eyes and pictured the body that you wished you had? It may sound hokey, but I'm serious. Your mind is very impressionable, and when you bombard it with only the negative then you will be stuck on that image.

Take time each day to visualize your ideal body. Imagine your ideal body. Then close your eyes and feel what it would feel like to have that ideal body that you have always dreamed of. This exercise is a powerful way to fixate your mind on your goal in a way that will leave you no room for failure.

4. Get serious. One of these days, you will decide that you have had it with the stubborn fat blues. You will decide that your health is important. You will decide that you deserve to look great. And you will do what it takes to achieve amazing results.