I am going to be very honest: You are wasting your time and energy working out if you fail to include a proper diet in the Total Fitness Plan. Frankly, you might as well stay on the couch and watch re-runs instead of sweating in a gym investing time and effort trying to make your body look better if you don’t pay attention to what you are putting in that body the rest of the time. What the world sees on the outside is a direct result of what you have put inside the body in the past six months. Your diet is just as important than any workout plan to achieving your weight loss goals.

Now most people think that a diet basically boils down to what you usually eat or drink on a daily basis. This is certainly true but I want you not only to focus on what you put in your body but also when you do so. Making changes to your diet is more than just giving up carbs or whatever else those fad diets suggest. Fad diets bring short-term success at best. How long do you really think you can stay on a no-carb diet or eat Subway sandwiches all the time?

These fad diets are too extreme in their approach and are only focused on achieving short-term success. To achieve significant weight loss, you have to change what you usually eat and drink and when you eat and drink.

There are six specific changes you can make that will lead to a healthy diet. They are:

• Eat a balanced, low-fat diet each day
• Establish a healthy meal plan
• Establish a diet rich in fruits and vegetables
• Avoid late night snacking
• Drink plenty of water
• Drink less alcohol

If you want a balanced and sensible approach to your diet that will bring you long-term success with your weight loss goals then you are going to have to start thinking of it as a lifestyle. Changing your diet, or changing what and when you usually eat or drink, is changing the very way you live. Like me, you are going to think that this is crazy in the beginning because it means so many drastic changes to the way you live and normally function. A proper diet and healthy eating habits are absolutely essential to achieving your long-term weight loss goals and leading a healthier, happier life.

So what kind of changes am I talking about if no-carb and other fad diets don’t work in the long-term? Well, if McDonalds is what you usually eat, you simply cannot achieve significant weight loss nor can you keep any weight loss off in the long-term if you continue to eat that way. Sure you can enjoy a burger every now and then, but you have to eat a healthy diet the majority of the time to achieve significant weight loss.

Trust me, I know how easy it is to say all of this and how very hard it is to apply to your life. We are all human and none of us like changes that affect the things we love. I’ve been there before. I was the fast food king. I could make the rounds at any of my favorite spots and all of the cashiers not only knew me—they actually knew what I was coming in to buy! And yes, I still occasionally stop in for a quarter pounder with cheese nowadays but at least I no longer recognize every member of the crew and I feel such “treats” in the diet are absolutely necessary.

There is no question about it--changing your eating habits will be one of your biggest challenges to your weight loss. Our lives are filled with processed foods, hectic schedules, and a constant battle against the clock. We also live in a world where just about every social gathering involves food--and typically unhealthy, fatty food. When I first began my weight loss plan, it took several weeks before eating a healthy diet became a habit. With any bad habit, it takes a mental commitment and time to establish a new, healthier habit. Setbacks are inevitable but they should not be used as an excuse to quit the diet and go back to your old ways.

Give yourself time and don’t think you have to quit your bad eating habits “cold turkey” because that approach rarely works. The sooner you can begin a healthy diet, however, the quicker you will lose weight. If change is usually difficult for you, I suggest you start out small. For example, you might make a daily goal to replace one “bad” food for “one” good food (i.e. you drink bottled water instead of your usual can of Coke). If change is relatively easy for you or if you want to see results sooner rather than later, go for an immediate overhaul of your daily diet and commit to sticking with it!

I would just like to add in one thing concerning "bad" foods... A “bad” food or beverage is not bad in and of itself. What makes them bad is if you eat or drink them the majority of the time. A juicy cheeseburger, for example, isn’t bad if you eat it every once in a while. If you eat one or two everyday, however, it becomes a “bad” food. The good news about eating a healthy diet after a few months is you’ll be surprised how little you miss those “bad” foods and beverages. I know it sounds impossible now, but give it time. Before you know it, you won’t miss that greasy cheeseburger at all!