Knowing what it takes is one thing; doing it is another. Why do some people succeed in life while others struggle and fail? Simply stated, successful know what to do, and do it. The strugglers don’t. This is true for weight loss too.

Doing what weight loss takes involves planning for weight loss. You must prepare your mind to do what it takes. Here are 4 things you must bear in mind to be prepared and win this fight:

(1)You need to have an inspiring reason to lose weight, one that inspires you to keep at it, despite odds. My reason was my health. I have read of 30+ medical conditions you could attract by remaining obese or over weight, and I want none of them, now or ever! I was also tired of fatigue and aching knee that being fat had brought me. This kept me working my goals. Today I am energetic, and my knee no longer aches! Added to that, I feel and look better than I have in years!

(2)You’ve got to prepare for challenges ahead. There will be plenty, from start to finish! Weight loss is not going to be easy. Don’t kid yourself that it will. I’ve had to exercise when others were having fun. I’ve had to give up some foods and eat others I hardly ever used to. I’ve even had to give up certain company or activities because they “led me into temptation!” You know your weaknesses in this area. Make a list of them. Draw up a plan to prevent or handle each one. Ask God, family and friends to help you. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Plan your way. Follow through each day!

Do you know what words really mean on food labels?

In this article, you’ll discover everything you need to know about how to interpret food labels and make right food choices.

So what does “fat-free” really mean?

To be labeled “fat-free”, food must contain less than ½ gram of fat per serving.

To be labeled “Low Fat”, food must contain 3 grams or less of fat per serving.

To be labeled “Reduced Fat”, food must be at least 25 percent lower in fat than a comparable food.

To be labeled “Light”, food must contain 1/3 fewer calories, OR ½ fat OR 2/3 sodium of a comparable food (but not necessarily all three!).

Some foods (especially meat and dairy products) appear to have less fat than they really do. For example, if a milk or cheese label reads 2% milk or 2% cheese, this means that 2 percent of product volume (NOT calories) comes from milk fat.

You can use a little math to discover how much fat these products actually contain.