As a personal trainer, I come across many individuals who tell me they just want to lose weight and tone up. With the proper mix of a progressive exercise program and the right diet, weight loss can be achieved.

Easier said than done, as I'm sure many of you reading this are already thinking to yourselves.

No, it is not easy to lose weight -- that's why motivation is a very important part of the recipe, also. Without this ingredient, the other two probably won't work.

PROGRESSIVE PROGRAM

Exercise is a key ingredient for losing weight because you need to burn calories and increase your metabolism in order to change your body's structure. The three types of exercise I have my clients do are strength, cardio and interval training. Using all of these, not just one, greatly increases the rate at which a person loses fat.

Strength training is used because it boosts your resting metabolism by increasing lean muscle mass in your body. Strength training for weight loss involves performing exercises that work many muscles at one time. An example of this would be a lunge with a shoulder press. By increasing the muscle used in your body, your resting metabolism will increase, resulting in burning more calories even while sitting still.

Cardio training involves working large muscle groups at a low intensity over a period of about 15 minutes or more. This type of exercise burns the calories while you do it, but ONLY while you do it. Examples would be a 30-minute run or bike. Machines such as treadmills, ellipticals and Arc Trainers are also very good cardio training devices that can be used.

This type of training is great for beginners, as well as for those at higher levels of fitness.

Interval training uses the same mode as cardio training (for example, running or biking), but periods of high intensity and low intensity are used to get the heart rate higher than cardio training. During interval training, you may not burn as many calories as you would while doing cardio, but you will burn calories for about 24 to 48 hours AFTER you do this type of exercise.

Yes, you heard that right -- you actually keep burning calories even while you are resting afterwards. This makes interval training much more time-efficient.

I don't suggest this type of exercise for newcomers, however; a sound fitness base is needed first.

PROPER DIET

As a personal trainer, I am required to know about nutrition and how it relates to exercises. However, in order to really reap the benefits of a proper diet, it is best to contact a registered dietician so that he or she can design a diet based on your individual needs. They will help you achieve a negative calorie balance, which is crucial for losing weight. It is simple physics. You need to burn more calories than you take in.

MOTIVATION

Motivation is the most important aspect of an exercise program, for it won't last long without it. Make sure you establish goals for yourself, both short-term and long-term, and remind yourself of them often. Writing goals down and displaying them where you will see them every day is a great way to do this.