by Carole Hill

Created on: January 18, 2009

A fitness center might enable you to get started in the right direction to lose weight, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee weight loss. It takes more than a membership to a gym to actually lose weight. Losing weight is big business as we all have seen on TV with programs and commercials enticing us to buy drinks, powders, pills and equipment. Unfortunately not everyone can lose weight that easily. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /

>

I believe that first and foremost, you must be motivated to get in shape and want to drop the extra pounds before you can move forward with any exercise plan. You must be in the right frame of mind and willing to make concessions in your life to reach your weight loss goals. Without that personal drive, you could be wasting time and money on that membership to the gym.

It also takes a certain amount of discipline on your part, to put your plan in place. There's times when you have to "psyche" yourself up to get started. I speak from my own experiences when I say that there were times I had the best intentions to get to the gym after work, but it didn't always go as intended. Sometimes, after a hard day's work, I simply was to exhausted to bring myself to the gym, and yes, I am fully aware that had I pushed myself to go work out, regardless of how tired I was, the workout could have made me feel much better. This is how we make bad habits or sabotage our good intentions and the fitness plan goes out the window.

I have come to realize that exercise and good nutrition are a serious commitment. These two things must become part of your daily routine if you want to change your body image. I have also learned that finding the right time of day (or night, as some prefer) is the key to staying on track with your exercise plan. No two people are alike, so you must find a time that works best for you. Some people like to go to the gym early in the morning before work; others go work out on their lunch hour. Whatever time you choose for yourself, you really need to commit to that time and make it part of your daily routine.

There is no way you can achieve your weight loss goals if you don't take it seriously. Of course this can be difficult in itself, when we all have so many other responsibilities. I can remember times when I would promise myself I would go workout at lunch time, and invariably, during the course of that morning, I would get a call obligating me to attend a business luncheon. And so it was, the gym would get "bumped" by a more important obligation. Naturally, we cannot ignore our job duties, but at the same time, we can't ignore our personal lives either. This is why we must stay motivated, take the bull by the horns and promise ourselves that we won't forget to exercise that day.

We know that we all need to exercise every day for good health, and there's no doubt that working out at a fitness center can improve your ability to lose weight. After all, a fitness center makes it so convenient to get in shape by having trainers available, customized workouts and special equipment that help to tone every muscle in our bodies.

Nonetheless, it is still YOUR decision as to how much or how little effort you put in to your workout. Anyone who exercises daily for at least 30 minutes, will observe changes in their muscle tone and body shape. While it doesn't guarantee weight loss, a regular workout should ensure body tone and fitness. I believe that no matter how much you workout or whether you go to a fitness center or work out at home, only YOU have the ability to lost weight.

Learn more about this author, Carole Hill.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.