Even though most people already know that in order to lose weight, they must eat less and move about more, actually putting action to what they know is a lot harder than following a simple weight loss strategy.  This is possibly due to the likelihood that they never found the necessary motivation to get started.  The most critical element is what you bring to the table which is your own personal drive to succeed.  To cultivate an ongoing, burning desire to succeed, here is some weight loss advice that can help launch your new healthy eating lifestyle.

1.  Start by asking yourself why do you want to lose weight.There may be several reasons including improving your health, you want more energy, or you simply want a rocking bod.  Whatever the reason, make a list of what's important to you and then place a specific reason why it matters underneath each item on your list.  For example, you may want to lose weight to prepare for a high school reunion.  The reason this may be important to you is because you want to show the guy who wouldn't give you the time a day what he missed out on.

2.  Another very simple weight loss strategy is to make yourself accountable.You can do this by getting a friend or family member to work out with you.  You can also make yourself accountable by weighing yourself everyday and keeping a record of it in a workout journal.

3.  Change your eating and activity habits such as not eating when you watch tv.Start visualizing yourself accomplishing your goals.  Think about how awesome you are going to look and imagine how good you are going to feel when you reach this goal.  To be successful, it helps to believe you can actually lose weight.  If you can think it, you can believe it and if you believe it, you will certainly achieve it.

Be ready for when you come to a crossroad and have to decide what to eat and what not to eat.  If you make the right choice every time, your healthy choices will become habits.  Come up with a plan to handle obstacles when they arise.  For example, it you struggle to workout, tell yourself "just do it and get it done; it's only 30 minutes".  Don't entertain the mental dialogue that goes on in your mind.  If you listen to it, it won't be long before you talk yourself out of working out or eating right.

4.  Change your workout routineso that you don't get bored with doing the same thing all the time.  Make sure you work out for at least 30 minutes because it takes around 15 to 20 minutes of aerobic activity to get into the fat burning stage.  Psyche yourself up with positive self talk to overcome any hesitation you may encounter.

5.  Reducing the amount of times you eat out at restaurantsmay not seem like a simple weight loss strategy especially with a fast food joint on every street corner.  If you do find yourself in a restaurant, drink a glass of water before your meal arrives and skip the appetizers and desserts.  If your meal portion is large, eat half of it and take the rest home for another meal later.

6.  Keep a visible record of your activity.I say visible because if its out of sight, it's generally out of mind and you won't remember to write down how active you have been.  The goal of record keeping is to show you how much or how little you have been working to lose weight and eat healthy.  When you weigh yourself and see that you've lost a pound or two, you can check your records to see exactly what you did to lose those pounds.  Then it's just a matter of rinsing and repeating.  You can either put pen to paper to keep your journal or you can look online for a free activity journal.

Your journal will also let you know why you have not reached one of your goals.  Try not to let this discourage you.  It just means that you are going to have to work a little harder at implementing these simple weight loss strategies .  Keep in mind that setbacks and unmet goals are opportunities to learn what need to be changed.  Your job is to make those small changes one step at a time and they will add up to a big difference in lifestyle.