by John K. Wilson

Created on: February 03, 2009

You've decided you want to lose weight and get in shape; a decision millions of people make each year. There are many factors involved with successful weight loss. These include determination, motivation, and patience, among others.

Most overweight people got that way because of poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. This tends to put the average person between 20 and 50 pounds overweight.

Make no mistake, if you do not have the motivation to exercise every day, you will likely not succeed in any long term weight loss program. This is about changing your life forever. You got the way you are because you weren't paying attention. If you accomplish your weight loss goal and simply stop paying attention again, you'll get fat again, guaranteed.

This article will describe a basic 14-20 week program to get you in superb shape. In order for this to work, several steps must be taken in preparation. If you are sedentary and overweight, your body is weak and frail and cannot stand up to the wear and tear that an effective fitness program will inflict.

You must pre-condition your body for fitness. This will take about 3 weeks. Do not step on a scale during these 3 weeks. This period is not about weight loss. It is about conditioning the joints, tendons, and muscles in your body to withstand the incoming onslaught.

In these first 3 weeks, you need to stretch, walk, and lift some light weights. This part is not about pushing yourself to your limits. You need to start slow to avoid injury and burnout. There's no set list of stretches you have to do. Whatever you can remember from gym class will be fine. Do not hurt yourself by pushing too far. You don't have to do it all in one day.

The next thing you'll need to do is walk. Start with half a mile, slowly working up to 2 miles by the end of the third week. Walk every single day. Wear thick socks to avoid blisters. Make sure you stretch before and after you walk.

Get some dumbbells. Women can use a pair of 5 pounders, while men should start with a pair of 15 pounders. Using weights this small will not contribute to very much muscle gain. These are just for toning up in preparation for the heavy stuff after these 3 weeks are over. Those who do not wish to add noticeable bulk can stay with these low weights throughout the program, but it will likely take longer to reach your weight loss goal.

Eat right. You don't need to worry about counting calories. Just don't be silly. Eating a Big Mac is silly. Drinking a Coke is silly. Drink

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>