I know, I know, of course you really want to lose weight. Everyone really wants to lose weight. Maybe a better question should be:

Are you willing to do what it takes to lose weight?

This doesn’t mean jumping on the latest fad diet plan, putting in a solid 20 minutes of exercise here and there, or paying money for home equipment that will later turn into clothes hangers.

This means, first and foremost, understanding what it takes to lose weight Know how to eat the right foods, know what kind of exercise programs work and how to do them, and finally implementing these things. It means having willpower to do these things consistently for the rest of your life, not only until you lose the weight.

If you are still not sure exactly what I mean, don’t worry I’ll explain…

The secret everyone seems to miss

Often when dieting and trying to lose weight, we get focused on how many calories we burn in an hour, but then forget later to count how many calories are in the ice cream, beer or cheese fries at meal time.

That’s right – here’ the secret:  The biggest key to long-term weight loss is managing “calories in vs. calories out”.

It’s that simple.

If you burn more calories than you take in, you’ll lose weight. Of course, there are many ways to go about this; you can starve yourself and work out excessively, and you’ll lose weight. You’ll be tired and hungry all the time, in addition to the damage you’ll do to your body, but you will lose weight.

A better option is to eat the right foods, and do the right exercises so that you give your body fuel and nutrients, while burning off the right amount of calories.  But how do you track these?

Step 1:  Get a BodyBugg

We don’t get any money for endorsing it, but the BodyBugg is something every person who wants to lose weight should have.  These devices are no bigger than a watch or a small iPod and will help you keep close track of how many calories you burn throughout the day.

Step 2:  Commit to an exercise routine

If you are serious about losing weight and getting into shape, then you need to be serious about what you need to do and understand that diet and exercise are the two most important factors in weight loss.

This means finding the right exercises for you and your goals, and most importantly, doing them on a regular basis. If you have a well-developed fitness routine, a great support system, and the motivation to keep doing it, you will succeed.

Step 3:  Monitor what you eat

So often we sabotage our efforts to lose weight, often unintentionally. If you are serious about losing weight and getting into shape, then get started today by counting calories in and comparing it to what your caloric output is.

Remember, to lose weight and keep it off, it’s important to understand that these techniques should be for life. By doing it the right way, not only will you lose weight, but you’ll also feel and look much better.