Everyday, I get asked how I am losing weight. Everyday. I love it when I am asked because I get to talk about the programs that are working for me. I eat according to LoseIt! and I workout according to New Rules of Lifting. I love talking about these programs. But I make a point to tell each person that, as great as these programs are, the programs alone won’t lose the weight for you. There are two traits that you must posses or are willing to procure:

• Dedication – to really lose weight and make a lifestyle change, dedication is a must. I need to me dedicated to what I am trying to achieve and follow through. I have dedicated myself to eating right and exercising. Dedication is an easy word to toss around in the first few weeks. However, the truly dedicated are the ones that stick with it for the long haul.
• Being Militant – some people call this dedication, but I think being militant is being dedicated times 10. Being militant means not eating that cookie cause you have extra calories for the day. Being militant means going to the gym at 6am even though I only got 6 1/2 hours of sleep. Being militant means that you want this and you will do anything to get it.

I am rather passionate about needing these two things to be successful at losing weight. I think I might scare off a few people during the conversation, but this is the truth. There are no pills or magic fruit juicer or other infomercial products that will melt off the fat. You must be dedicated and militant about that dedication to succeed.

The thing is, we all have that inside us. We all currently or have wanted so bad that we did what ever it took to get it. Maybe you saved up for three years for that trip to Italy or maybe you rode your bike to work to save for that new truck. That same dedication is what is needed to lose weight. Its not about the program that you are following, its about YOU!