10 Commandments of the Best Exercises and Weight Loss Programs

Exercise and weight loss programs each have different attributes that may or may not help you be successful. My 10 commandments have stripped them down to the stuff that really works for weight loss.

Read on...

1. Thou Shalt Move... Anytime!

Having a 20 minute exercise routine is better than having none. Having a 10 minute routine is better than none. The key is being prepared. Many people find themselves with 20-30 minute pockets of time during their days where they have nothing to do. This is the best time to squeeze in a walk or a quick office or one of your home workout routines.

2. Thou Shalt Not Skip Breakfast

You would think that the clients I have who are over 300 pounds would eat a kings breakfast. They don't. In fact most of them don't eat breakfast at all. Not even the stuff that is nutrient poor like pancakes, bagels and waffles! When you skip breakfast, your metabolism never "wakes up" from your sleep and your body thinks there's going to be a famine. This means it holds on to food in the form of fat, making your waistline expand, and your energy levels drop.

3. Thou Shalt Eat Healthy Meals

Successful exercise and weight loss programs hinge on the time you make for yourself to eat healthy meals. Everyone is "on the run", whether they travel, have kids, work 18 hours a day. Planning is the only way to integrate healthy eating habits and exercise into their daily routine. Just like anything, you have to think about it and make a conscious effort to change your habits in order for them to stick.

4. Thou Shalt Be Prepared

Carry a bag in your car with these items. Running shoes, bottled water, a change of clothes and a towel. Being prepared with this emergency exercise kit will help you use those precious moments to get in some of the exercise that your body so desperately needs.

5. Thou Shalt Find a Support Group

A great way to succeed is to be around a group of peers who support and care about you. There are many different ways to find a support group. You can join a local one or an online group. If you're not comfortable with that, you can always enlist the help of a friend.

6. Thou Shalt Drink Water

To keep your body functioning at maximum efficiency, you need fluid. Many people compromise their exercise and weight loss programs by never drinking enough water to flush out their systems and keep their metabolism fired up.

7. Thou Shalt Not Listen to the Fat Guy

Don't go to the fat guy for health and fitness advice. I can't tell you how many fat people want to give me advice on how to train and teach people how to lose weight. Listen to those who are living it and are visually in the place you'd like to be.

8. Thou Shalt Learn New Things

Keep learning new things from new people. Many different exercise and weight loss programs focus on different ideas and techniques. The best weight loss program might be a combination of two or three.

9. Thou Shalt Set Goals

If you don't know where you're going you'll never get there. Exercise and weight loss programs go absolutely nowhere if you don't plan for your success. Write your goals down, be extrordinary, and make sure you put together a collage and put it somewhere you will see it all the time to be reminded of your quest.

10. Thou Shalt Smile!

Smiling will help you succeed mentally. Exercise and weight loss programs are tough and when you can take them with a lighter heart and mind, your success is inevitable.

Kevin Gianni is an optimal health expert that develops weight loss programs, exercise and health plans that help people lose weight and keep it off.