I have to say I get a little chuckle at how people will justify things to themselves. Do you think just because a diet doesn't hit the masses or the Oprah’s reading list that it’s not a "fad diet?" I am not here to tell you that it is wrong. I am here to tell you not to judge or be ashamed of it and make it something it is not. South Beach, TNT, Velocity, PSMF, Atkins, mine, etc., all of it is just a method. It’s all a diet. If you are doing TNT it doesn't make you any better than someone doing South Beach, that is just diet elitism. Most of these diets have short-term stages that should progress to a longer term balance. Most people never get there because of fear, lack of compliance, or they just don't get it. If you are going to do diets, if you are going to toy with what works and doesn't work for your body, own it and be completely aware of it. Most important, get to the long-term balance aspect as soon as possible, meaning get the weight off of you as quickly and safely as possible, then stop dieting.

Tip: Weed Out Your Weakness

This one is really important because everything in fat loss is about progress. Progress in your workouts, nutrition, and in actual fat loss, is equally important. Inside every fat loss trainee is a mound of skills balanced out with a mound of weakness. Every week you take it upon yourself to pick out one of those weaknesses and attack it head on. For example, maybe your workout program is great and your nutrients are all set up and you are getting what you need but your food tastes like crap because you can’t cook. ATTACK that weakness. Have the week devoted to learning how to cook. If a week isn't enough, then do it for two or three weeks, just attack that weakness until it becomes strength. When that is done you move on to the next one until you are a pillar of strength, and the only thing weak in you is your selection of needed improvement.

Tip: Set Up Support

You have got everything together now, but one of the most important aspects to keeping it up is accountability. Be it your husband, kids, friends, strangers, or a message board just make sure you not only have a shoulder to lean on, but also someone to keep you accountable. Sometimes we give up on ourselves; even the strongest of people just aren’t enough for themselves. So prepare yourself for that. Have a core of people that you don’t want to disappoint. Let’s face it, as much as it may be hard to believe sometimes, the average person really cares about what others think. We really care if we let someone down. If you have that kind of guilt and burden then great, use it! Turn it into something positive for yourself and set up a system of support that gives you a hug when you want one and a kick in the rear when you need on.

Tip: Fat Loss Takes Time…But It Shouldn't Take Forever

If you want to lose water quick it isn’t that hard. Want to shed some real fat? It takes effort and time. The more that you can settle into the fact that real fat loss takes a little time and effort the less of a disappointment this whole process will be for you. That being said fat loss should be happening and if it isn't then that is what my book is for. Check the Troubleshoot and see where something could be going wrong.

Tip: Fat Loss Takes Time…But It Shouldn't Take Forever

You want the fat to be your fault. If the fat isn’t ripping and roaring, you want it to be because you are not coming through for yourself. It means you can fix it. You don't want it to be beyond your control. You don't want it to be medical. Medical means it’s in "their" hands and you really don't want that.

Myth: Decrease Salt to Decrease Fat

If you eat a high sodium diet, then decreasing your sodium may help in performance and excess water loss, but it isn't going to help you lose actual fat. Now, perhaps you are at a stage in your fat loss or body composition that you just need to lose some water to take your body from lean to sick lean. Keeping your sodium low, constantly, while training is a bad idea. It throws off electrolyte balance and will just make you retain even more water the second you touch salt, leading you to more and more frustrations.

Myth: Maintenance Doesn’t Exist

A lot of you may not be aware of this, but you don't have to spend your life dieting down. You need to learn the difference between the kind of lean that you can maintain easily and the kind of lean that is for competitions and photo shoots. Lifelong dieting does not have to be a part of your life. This is constantly reinforced by fitness professionals that are always trying to cut fat, “try this diet, and try that diet.” Most pros are recovering from some sort of eating problem themselves. My best advice in this whole book is getting in and get out as soon as possible.

Myth: You Are The 1%

A lot of people like to think, or convince themselves that they are the 1%. That their case is different, that they are doing everything right and there is just something wrong with them. Having something medically wrong with you, and it being the reason you are not losing fat, is very rare. Even doctors misdiagnose people all the time, just because they can. A doctor doesn’t know everything, I have to tell doctors myself about nutrition. Heck, I train them. Trust me, it’s very rare that something is medically wrong with you and that is the reason you can’t lose fat. Really be honest with yourself about what you are doing before bookmarking WebMD.

Myth: Aerobic Work Is Pointless

Like I said before, you don't need to train aggressively to lose fat. You could lose fat lying in bed all day; sick people do it all the time. However, if you are going to utilize training into your program to achieve a faster rate of fat loss, then aerobic work is going to need to be a part of your program. Lifting is important, and aerobics are important. Everything gives way to more caloric burn, more glycogen usages, therefore leading to more fat utilization from storage. It’s a tool; use it.

Myth: Aerobic Work Is All You Need

I am going to turn right around and tell you that lifting is important to achieving peak conditioning, muscle growth, glycogen depletion, "tone," etc. Doing just aerobic work will not help you achieve all that.

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