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If you have gained a lot of weight or have been overweight your whole life, the desire to get rid of those excess pounds is very strong and can even make you feel kind of desperate. Just know that you are not alone - there are millions of people thinking to themselves right now . . .

I'm so desperate. How do I lose weight successfully?

This is a good question and unfortunately, there are way too many opportunistic companies willing to take advantage of your current state of mind. You are at a very vulnerable point right now and you may be tempted to try one of the many fad diets circulating around the weight loss community.

I hope that you can hang on a little bit longer without giving in to the many false promises of quick fix weight loss plans and products. These will only lead you to experience more disappointment (and I'm sure you've had a lot of that already). Most successful diet plans will include good food nutrition and weight loss goals that are realistic and doable.

Now I'm not going to lie to you and say it will be easy. The first week or so of any diet plan is going to be the hardest, because you are changing your eating habits. And your eating habits must change because that's what is keeping you fat and miserable.

Decide right now that you are going to make a commitment to yourself (you can't lose weight for anybody but you), and do whatever it takes to stick to a healthy eating plan and include some moderate exercise in your life (like walking) in order to permanently drop those pounds for good.

No matter what anybody tells you (or tries to sell you), there is simply no substitute for eating healthier and getting up off the couch and moving your body around. When it comes to burning the fat and calories, you keep hearing it because it works!

Keep in mind that you may experience some ups and downs on the diet plan that you choose. Many great diet plans allow you to have some cheat days, where you can eat whatever you want, but you may still find yourself cheating a bit too often. If this should happen, don't get down on yourself. You're only human, just get back on the plan and take it day by day.

Reward yourself: Pay yourself a dollar for each day you stay on track, then buy yourself something nice after you've reached your goal weight.

Some people struggle with the exercise part of dieting. If you should reach a point when you're scratching your head and asking yourself . . .

Why can't I lose weight when I exercise everyday?

Exercising can get monotonous. If you're doing the exact same type of exercise, then you need to change it up a bit. One day you go walking, the next day you're on the recumbent bike, the next day you lift weights, the next day you do a yoga workout, etc.

Your body can be a fat-burning machine, but it needs variety to stay that way. The fact is, you don't even have to exercise everyday to get results. Three times a week for 30 minutes is good enough.

So now that you are committed to losing weight permanently, all you need to do is choose which diet plan is going to work for you the best. It's okay that you're feeling desperate right now. You can use your desperation to create a mindset that will keep you motivated, while you sculpt your body into the slim person you know you can be.