You just went for a weekend and you came back to discover that you gained 5 pounds or more over the course of 3 days. Disbelief finds you and you quickly curse the Weight Gods for being so cruel. Sound familiar? Okay, you’ve started to thinking of exercise, two hours every day and Still can’t seem to losing weight. What could possibly be the problem? Well, one answer might be the underhand way that additional calories get added to our diet. Innocently eating the wrong kind of snack can blow your weight-loss program out of the water.

Well, worry no more; here are top 10 lists of the Weight Loss Tips that will help you keep the weight off! If you’re looking for quick weight loss tactics, this article is not for you! To get real weight loss (not just quick water weight loss), you MUST include fat loss. This takes time folks! Go ahead and make the commitment to consistent exercise and changed eating habits!

• 1 – Make a commitment to a lifetime of fitness, weight loss and fat loss.

  This commitment trumps all other fitness commitments. Without it, you will always fall prey to the inevitable obstacles and pitfalls along the way. Get your motivation right!

• 2 – Be willing to change your eating habits!

  Sixty to 70% of your weight loss/fat loss success or failure will depend on good nutrition. Get to know your body and what types of food you are better off not eating. For example, grains/starchy carbohydrates cause some people to not make progress with fat loss.

  You must burn more calories than you consume (caloric deficit is needed over time) in order to lose weight and burn body fat. This is the law of thermodynamics. Even if you are a “workout warrior,” the law of thermodynamics still apply. You cannot eat as much as you want (or maintain a caloric surplus) and still lose weight! On the opposite end, you can’t starve yourself and expect to succeed long-term with weight loss and fat loss. Starvation will cause your body to go into survival mode and store fat!

• 3 – A weight loss pill, patch or cream will not make you lose fat and weight!

  You’ve seen the ads for diet patches or creams that claim to melt away the pounds. Don’t believe them. There’s nothing you can wear or apply to your skin that will cause you to lose weight. Try your best to get the nutrition you need from the food you eat! Save your money! Supplements have no long-term effect on fat loss and weight loss!

• 4 – You must change your body composition! You must increase muscle mass to become a “fat-burning machine.”

  So, your metabolism will speed up when you build muscle. Concentrate on compound (multi-joint) strength exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges, bench press, planks and rows because they work and build more muscle groups. Do less single-joint exercises like biceps curls and tricep extensions.

• 5 – You must do more than cardio exercise to burn body fat, lose weight and change your body composition to “lean and toned!”

  Your muscles will waste away on those cardio machines if that’s all you do! Your body will not be toned! Some of the best fat-burning, body-toning cardio exercises are sprinting on grass, bodyweight cardio exercises (like mountain climbers), stepmill and jump rope.

• 6 – Keep a food journal.

  This will help you keep track of your eating habits and help you make needed changes. Here is another fact: research has proven that you will have a better chance of succeeding with your meal plan if you keep a food journal! By logging your actual food choices, you are holding yourself accountable throughout the day. You will also be forced to plan your meals better. A food journal will also help you control emotional eating and binge eating!

• 7 – Find out your basal metabolic rate (BMR).

  Your BMR is the amount of daily calories your body needs to maintain itself. You will use this amount and your daily activity level to set your daily menu. If you use severe calorie restriction (i.e., don’t eat enough), your body will store fat because it will think you are starving. And, you don’t want to lose muscle, you want to lose fat!

• 8 – Find an accountability partner such as friend, spouse or personal trainer.

  This is also a critical step to help you succeed. Don’t try to do your exercise program alone!

• 9 – Get a fitness assessment performed by a certified personal trainer to identify your postural deficiencies, muscle imbalances, etc.

  You need to get started on your program the right way! The trainer can also tailor the program to your individual needs. Two people following the same program can get different results. A personal trainer will take your “body type” into account when designing a fitness program.

• 10 – Fat loss is more important than weight loss!

  If you lose major poundage without strength training, most of your weight loss will be muscle mass. And, this will “slow down” your metabolism. That is why you see some people who are “skinny-fat” (skinny with high body fat). The goal should be to have a “lean and toned” body!

SEE ALSO:

10 of the Best Ways to Achieve a Good Looking Body 10 of the People with Bizarre Medical Condition Stories 10 of the Pregnancy Facts no one usually tells you 10 of the World’s Top Heaviest People in History