Red Mountain Spa (Utah)
We all know that we need to eat less and workout more to lose those unwanted pounds. What most people don't know is how to go about it. When you break it down, it is as basic as one, two, three.

1.The average individual needs to consume 1,800 to 2,100 calories a day to have enough energy for your basic bodily functions, as well as, to chase kids, clean house, and go to the office. You need to burn 3500 calories in a week to lose one pound.

2.The safest and most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is to lose not more than two pounds a week. In order to lose one pound in one week you need to either burn 500 calories a day through increased activity or eat 500 calories less daily or a combination of both.

3.Your diet is the first step to success. If reduced calories seems impossible, working out is key. On average you burn about 450 calories walking on the treadmill at 4 mph in one hour. Choose an exercise program that works for you, if you like to hike, get outdoors. If you like to lift weights, get in the gym.

Your success is greatly enhanced when held accountable to another individual. You may want to get a personal trainer or ask a friend to join you. If you hire a personal trainer or a nutritionist, they can assist you in creating a calorie deficit with complete accuracy. Losing weight may seem like an unattainable goal with all the different fad diets out there. Whichever one you choose often times limits what foods you can or can't eat, thus you eat less. It all boils down to eating less, exercising, or a combination of both...no matter what you eat! As always, choose a variety of fresh, natural foods and steer towards eating whole grains, green and orange colored foods, and eat fewer sweets.