Take the time to look at the nutritional information – marketing has a way of telling you what “healthy” lunches are, but if you are trying to lose weight, your definition of healthy can be very different!

First of all, when it comes to losing weight and making the results last, there are simply no easy answers. That means that as great as it would be to believe some of the commercials that are on television today, there are no magic pills to take that will allow you to eat what you want and exercise as little as you want. Put simply, being fit is not easy.

In order to get lasting weight loss results you have to do two things; diet and exercise. You have to do these two things together as one will not be as effective without the other. If you diet and don’t exercise you may get great results at first, but as soon as you slip up on your diet, you will begin to put the pounds right back on. If you exercise and don’t eat right, then your best case scenario will be that your body will still be out of shape, but your cardiovascular will improve. Either way, the results are not going to be what you want or be lasting.

Really when you think about lasting weight loss, you need to think about lasting changes. While it would be great to lie on the couch all day and eat whatever you want, this type of lifestyle will only lead you to being overweight and at risk for many health issues.

Instead of thinking about diet and exercise as something you will do for a little while, think about it as a lasting change I your life. Get used to working out and get used to eating better foods. After awhile you will be used to your new lifestyle and the results that you achieve will not soon fade away.

It should be noted that this is not something that will happen overnight. If you haven’t taken care of your body for 15 years then it will take some time to get back to where you want to be. Just as it took you years to form all the bad habits you have, it will take some time to change those habits into new and better habits.

The worst thing you can do is to diet and exercise for a few months and then give it all up because your results have hit a wall. This is bound to happen, but if you make those lasting changes in your lifestyle, those walls do get smashed and more results eventually come.

It all comes down to how much you really want change. But realize that lasting change in your weight loss only comes with lasting change in your habits. If you can commit to these changes in your life, then you will see the results that you want with time and best of all those results will last.

1.    EA Sports Active: More Workouts

EA Sports Active was a huge hit and More Workouts has proven to be the perfect compliment.  It provides players with 35 more workouts to ensure that your routine never gets boring.  If you are already playing EA Sports Active, then transferring your current information into the More Workouts version is cinch.  The highlight of this game is the 30 Day Challenge, which allows you to set goals and watch yourself meet them in 30 day increments.  The original EA Sports Active is not necessary to play More Active, however some of the additional accessories are not included in the second version.

2.    The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser has been popular since the day that it was released and it has stayed popular even with the release of other games.  This game features nearly 90 different exercise to make sure that you reach your weight loss goals in record time.  The best part is that you can customize your workouts with a daily calendar.  The Biggest Loser will allow you to choose either a 4, 8, or 12 week program where you can actually compete against the contestants from previous seasons.  You can even compete with a friend.

3.    Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

The title might a little long, but the game has proven to be fantastic.  With this game, weight loss seems more like a by-product than the purpose of the game.  However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t get a fantastic workout.  This game offers a wide variety of traditional winter Olympic games that can be played alone, multi-player, co-op mode, or even festival mode.

4.    Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 has successfully improved upon the already popular 2009 edition.  Jillian is a brutally honest and direct as always as your personal trainer and she will guide you through unique workout plans for 6 whole months.  This game provides a lot of balance in regards to combining strength and cardio games.  Compared to the 2009 edition, the new version has been more enhanced to utilize the balance board more effectively and all of your movements are much more accurate, while the exercises are more brutal.

Wii Fit has brought rise to a wide variety of fitness games and it seems like this trend will be continuing long into the future.  Lasting weight loss games for Wii are easier to find than ever, so pick up and start shedding pounds.

The people I saw today were calm and most relaxed as they caught up on their reading while at the gym. How convenient and efficient of them. I bet neither one burned more than 100 calories. I kept wondering why they bothered to come to the gym at all if this is the sort of workout they were going to have. They should have just called it a day earlier and stayed at home on the couch.

You can read or you can work out, but you can’t do both. Pick which one you want to do and really do it. Don’t half way do both at the same time, because you’re really doing neither.

Going on a “diet”. Most people have success with diets, however the problem with going on a diet means eventually you will go off a diet.  It’s better to start something sustainable like eating healthier foods and smaller portions.

Start over again on Monday. Another problem with setting unrealistic goals is that when you do slip up – eating too much one day or skipping the gym – we feel like the entire week is a wash.  We tell ourselves I’ll just wait and start fresh next week.  If you slip up, accept it and keep with your plan.  Putting it off until the next week won’t help anything.  

Eat less to lose the weight faster. This is a recipe for disaster.  Actually the less you eat, the slower your metabolism gets.  The end result – you actually lose weight slower!  Slowly cut back on your calorie intake, don’t make a drastic change.  Another problem with drastically cutting your calories – you will feel more deprived and your cravings will surge.

Only looking at the long term goal. If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, be sure to set smaller targets as well.  It’s a long road to lose those twenty pounds  – don’t put off your success until the finish line.  Set smaller goals and celebrate those. For example, lose five pounds in a month.  When you reach that goal you will feel proud and motivated to keep working at your next goal.

Losing weight will solve all your problems. Many people have false expectation of how losing weight will change their life.  Dropping pounds will not solve all your problems.   Solely losing weight will not make new friends or find the love of your life.  Think about why you want to lose weight and what your expectations are.

Recognize these lies that can derail your efforts.  Set realistic goals and take small steps.  Think about your lifestyle and come up with a plan that works for you.  Being realistic can help set you up for success.

You’ll have to learn to forgo your old favorites of enchiladas, chimichangas, and refried beans.  Americanized Mexican food is prepared with vast amounts of lard and generous portions of cheese.  In fact the dishes we consider Mexican often don’t even exist south of the border.  Authentic Mexican food uses fresh, nutrient packed ingredients and is very different than the supersized American versions high in fat, sodium, and calories.

•    The first thing to do when dining out at a Mexican restaurant is to refuse the free chips and salsa.  Tortilla chips are full of fat and it’s too easy to fill up with these chips while waiting for your entrée.  If you do opt for the chips, only get one basket and share it with your entire table.

•    Avoid anything that is fried.  This includes refried beans.  Ask if you can get whole pinto or black beans, which have not been fried in lard. Look for items that are baked or grilled.  Avoid anything that described as fried, crispy, cheesy, or smothered.

•    Ground beef tends to have lots of fat; opt for chicken instead.

•    Turn down extra toppings such as sour cream and guacamole which are full of fat.  Ask for raw avocado instead of guacamole.  Salsa, which is low in fat and full of vitamins, is a better topping for your meal.  If you really want to fatty toppings, order them on the side and use them sparingly.

•    Order a la cart to skip the sides of refried beans and rice.  The combination platters are great, but the portions are enormous and you don’t need the rice and beans.

•    Choose fresco, if available.  Even fast food chains, like Taco Bell, are offering this option of using tomatoes and lettuce in place of cheese.

Use these tips and you can still enjoy Mexican food.  Try to find authentic Mexican restaurants to get healthier options using fresh produce, fiber-filled tortillas, and beans packed with protein.  True Mexican cooking uses spices such as chilies, cumin, and garlic to enhance their dishes instead of oil, fat, and calories.  You may find you even prefer authentic Mexican cooking over the Americanized versions.