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(for the study backing up the assertions below please see the link at the end of the article) You have some extra pounds and you want to lose them. The good news is weight loss is one of the simplest concepts to grasp. However, it is one of the hardest to actually put into action successfully. Here are three simple things you can do to give you a better chance to lose the weight. First, write down both your weight loss goals and your action plan. This sounds like a silly thing, but motivational coaches and results oriented individuals the world over have found actually putting the goal on paper increases your chances of success. Not only does writing your weight loss goal(s) down increase your chances of success but also writing down how you plan to attain those goals. Writing down your action plan causes you to think through the process you intend to use to get where you want to go. This makes sure your goal is really what you intended, is attainable in the timeframe you had in mind, and brings up any holes you might not have initially thought about. The next step adds accountability to the mix. Tell a friend what your plan is and how much weight you plan to lose. Tell them how you plan to lose it and how long you think it will take to lose the weight. Many people skip this step because they are embarrassed and don’t want to admit how much they weigh. However, the difference between just thinking about the goals (43% success rate according to the study) is an amazing 21% (64% for those who wrote down their goals, formulated a plan, and told a friend). Nerd Fitness Rebellion Headquarters is a fantastic place to accomplish this second step. Use the six week challenges to get in the habit of documenting your goals. Once you post that thread you have now ‘told a friend.’ We’ll all help keep you on track, in a kindly way with nearly no snark, promise because we’re all here doing the same things you are. If we aren’t currently doing what you’re doing chances are very good many of us have already done it and can offer wonderful advice on avoiding pitfalls and how to succeed. Take advantage of this wealth of information that is contained in the forums here at NFRHQ. Finally, don’t quit if you falter, fail, or flounder in reaching you goals. Only Superman gets everything done every time (and Jesus). You and I, however, are going to fall down. That’s okay, just don’t give up. Falling off the wagon, so to speak, is just the mark of someone walking the path. You step into the thorns from time to time. In some cases you’ll be able to get yourself back on the path, but in others you’ll need help and that is what we’re here for. I’ve successfully lost weight a couple of times, and since I’ve had to do it a few times you could say I have a problem keeping it off, and that is true. To paraphrase Mick ‘Crocodile’ Dundee, “Yeah food and me, we be mates.†I like to eat. I like to eat a lot, and now that I’m over 45 what I eat likes to hang around more. I’m in the process of getting my weight back under 200lbs and I intend it to be for the last time, too. I share this for motivation and personal encouragement as well because when I write things I tend to think through them better and find the holes. I share this because it works. Weight loss is easy to understand as I said in the opening. Take in less calories than your body needs to operate and it will convert the fat stores into energy, thus losing the weight. Simple. Finding a way that you can afford, live with, and manage is the trick. Put pen to paper today, don’t wait until tomorrow, do it now. Write down what you want to accomplish and make a plan. Then, find an accountability partner (or 67k of us J ) and get started. Not tomorrow, not next week, not for New Years. Make today the start of a new day for you and get on the path to losing the weight you want gone right now. For details concerning writing down goals and the power or the written goal see the study done by the Dominican University here.