• You’ve gained too much weight to ever lose it all.
• You’re too old to make a change.
• You’d be lost in a gym.
• You simply don’t know where to start.

And so, if you are most people, you give up on yourself before you ever shed a pound. The enormity of your goal paralyzes your ability to even begin.

I believe you can end this cycle of self destruction by simply focusing on the mole hills that make up the mountain – rather than focusing in on the mountain itself.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that weight loss can seem an enormous task – especially when you have 20, 50 or even 100 pounds to lose.

However, rather than being discouraged by the mountain of fat you need to lose, conquer the mole hill of losing one single pound each week.

In fact, make it your weekly mole hill to drop one pound a week. Doesn’t that sound easy?

If you did this consistently for one year you would lose 50 pounds.

So how do you shed a pound a week?

Simple. Just burn 3500 extra calories.

Create a 3500 calorie deficit each week by a combination of increased calorie exertion (exercise) and a decrease in calories consumed (eating less).

Take every opportunity to exert more calories by increasing your physical activity and to decrease your calorie consumption by eating fewer calories and by making healthier choices.

It helps to record your progress in a notebook and refer back to it. You will be surprised how encouraging it is to see your weekly progress written down on paper.

Remember, if you lose 500 calories a day you will drop a pound in a week.

Here are some practical ways to lose calories: