While there are no "rules" (yet) for weight loss, people often sabotage their genuine efforts. Essentially, weight loss efforts fail for two main reasons: failure to develop effective weight loss strategies, and the belief in some to common weight loss myths. Top of Form

Jumping into any weight loss program without a plan is the quickest route to disappointment and failure. And planning addresses several areas. In order to set yourself up for success from the beginning, start by asking yourself a few crucial questions:

• What is my goal?

o How much do I want to weigh?

o Is there a date by which I want to reach this weight?

Keep in mind that a healthy rate of loss is ½ - 2 pounds a week for maximum fat loss. Losses of more than 2 pounds a week will draw from the lean muscle you need to maintain functioning, and to further your fat losses over time. Yet some overweight people set a goal of 15 pounds in a month in order to look good at an event or in a bathing suit. In addition to the dangerous physical and nutritional deficit required by such a goal, this rate of loss cannot be sustained over the long-term, and will result in failure and future gains.

Note: Obese and super-obese individuals may lose up to 15 pounds per week initially.

Once you've developed a realistic goal and timeline for yourself, how are you going to live and lose? In other words, while weight loss would be easier if we could insulate ourselves from the social functions and work parties and holiday meals that are often our undoing, we live in a world where food is a focal point of social and professional interaction. Restaurants supersize their items, while parties are laced with alcohol and sweets that are often the first step off the weight loss path.

But perhaps the most common reason diets fail, is an underestimation of calories and fat consumed coupled with an overestimation of calories burned through exercise. The average person doesn't know how to read nutrition labels, nor does he/she know what a single serving looks like. So while you may think you're eating a serving of cereal and milk for 200 calories and 1 or 2 grams of fat, most of the time, if you're eye-balling rather than measuring your food, you could easily be consuming 500 calories and double the fat. Then, are you following this up in the gym with a 500-calorie workout focused on fat loss? If not, that food simply remains as excess, unburned energy and a diet saboteur.

Ultimately, reducing calories and increasing exercise is the key to weight loss. But mental attitude and social adjustments are part of this equation as well. Recording what you eat, exercising 3-4 times a week, eating at home more often, and replacing processed foods with whole, natural ones are the areas people tend to struggle with most. In combination, these elements will lead to long-term weight and fat loss and the increased strength and energy to make you a winning (and losing!) success.