Guidelines to aid in weight loss

1. You must get real first, and accept that you really need to lose weight for yourself and no body else. Don't wait for something drastic to happen before you do anything.

2. Set goals!!! A goal of "I just want to lose weight" is not enough. Write it down and be specific (I want to lose 10 kg before my daughters wedding in 5 months). Monitor your progress and re-evaluate your goals if need be.

3. Be accountable for these goals. No one else is to blame for slip ups but yourself.

4. Gather support around you. Family, friends, Personal trainer or neighbours and explain to them that you have a goal in mind that you are striving to achieve and that no one is going to stop you from achieving it

5. Watch for saboteurs. These are the people that are insecure about
themselves and enjoy seeing you the way you currently are because it keeps them feeling better about themselves. They will do everything possible to make you fail ("don't worry about losing weight��, "what about our pub nights��, "I think you are losing too much weight��, "Your not losing anything, so why bother�� etc).

6. It's OK to be selfish. Think of YOU first before anyone else.

7. Create a no fail environment. Clear your house of negative foods (lollies, cakes, chips, ice cream etc) and replace them with positive foods (fruit, vegies, cereals, grains, pastas).

8. Design a plan and stick to it!! For example: shopping every Saturday morning stocking up on healthy foods, preparing food for the following week, work everything around making YOU as healthy as possible.

9. High fat and sugar food is a great mood enhancer. Food is similar to drugs in the fact that it results in a chemical response in the brain stimulating opiate receptors. When you are feeling down, the food you turn to stimulates these receptors and what results is a short term high (similar to drugs). The brain adapts to these highs and this is what causes you to use food all the time whenever you are feeling down.

10. Carbohydrates are an essential requirement in the diet. Forget about the "low carb�� fads and Atkins. Carbohydrates don't make you fat!!! It is the total energy intake that causes you to put on weight.

11. Exercise!!! You must burn more calories that what you eat in order to lose weight. Sound easy? Well�� if you get all the above right, then it actually is.

Nick Prochilo of 3D Personal Training provided this information.
Ph: 0433 015 960 E-Mail: nickp81@optusnet.com.au