We are bombarded on a daily basis with diets, health foods, TV shows, exercise equipment, and so-called gurus telling us that their approach is the best way to lose weight and get fit.  We get emails talking about magic pills with the "latest" herbal remedy. This overload of information is confusing and often annoying.

Weight loss, particularly if you have a lot of excess fat to lose, is not easy, and certainly not quick.  However, the secret to weight loss is deceptively simple.

When it comes down to it, there are three guaranteed ways to lose weight:

1. Eat less than you currently eat, or
   
2. Exercise more than you currently exercise, or
   
3. Do both 1. and 2.

Really, that's it. If you want to lose weight, pick one of the three options, and do it. Not kinda do it, not sometimes do it, but make it a part of your life. In the words of a valued weight loss mentor, "If you kinda do it, it kinda works. If you really do it, it really works."

What, was this not what you were expecting?  Every successful weight loss program on the planet focuses on these three options.

I bet now you're saying, " Okay, if its that easy, why are so many people in the United States overweight?"  Well, I never said it was EASY, just simple.

So, if you've read this far, you haven't dismissed the concepts. Option 1, and half of Option 3 is to EAT LESS.

Your body needs a certain number of calories to function each day. Calories are energy, and food is the fuel that provides that energy. Your body uses the energy from food to keep you breathing, your heart beating, your brain thinking, your muscles contracting, and your cells repairing themselves. If you eat more food than your body can burn as energy, it stores it as fat for later. If you eat less than your body needs, your body taps into its fat reserves to make up the balance.

Okay, there is one little catch here. You can't eat too little, or your body doesn't have enough energy to function. You get sluggish, your body starts to shut down and go into famine mode. So, not good.

So, the balanced option is to eat a bit less than you do now, and see how your body reacts. When I say "less", I mean ingest fewer calories. You can compromise by eating the same volume of foods that are lower in calories, or smaller amounts of the foods you're eating now.

Option #2 and half of option #3 is to move more. Activity requires your body to burn more calories than it does when it's not active. By burning more calories each day than you usually do, you'll lose weight.

There are three types of activity that can benefit you in different ways:

1. Aerobic activity raises your heart rate, improves your breathing, and burns calories
2. Strength training helps to increase your muscle weight. Muscle burns more calories per pound than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn when you're doing nothing. Strength training also helps to improve bone strength.
3. Stretching helps to increase your flexibility and make your body more resilient.

If you're totally inactive, doing anything, even for 5 minutes a day, will help. The goal for many programs is about 30 minutes of aerobic activity 5-6 days per week, and strength training 2-3 days per week. Anyone starting a new exercise program should contact their doctor to see if they have any concerns before they get started, just in case.

Well duh, if each of these options work independently, imagine what happens when you put them together!