I have researched weight loss, dieting, fitness, and health for years and have come up with my ten top weight loss tricks and tips for losing weight and maintaining that weight loss, all while getting a toned body and living a healthy lifestyle. These tips work!

1. Exercise! Dieting alone will not get you the greatest weight loss results. You need to exercise, as well
as watch what you eat, in order to lose pounds and get fit.

2. Weight train. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Add strength training to your workout to improve your weight loss results. Don't be afraid of using weights and gaining muscle, even if you may gain some initial weight. The increased muscle mass will help you burn more calories, even when you are not actively exercising in the gym. Weight training will also help you get more toned.

3. Don't drastically cut calories. It screws up your metabolism. Zig zag if you can. If you starve yourself or stop eating for an extended period of time, your body becomes used to taking in less calories and you will no longer lose weight because of your decreased calorie intake. Also, you will have less energy to exercise and be generally more grumpy and emotional. The best way to keep your metabolism up is to vary your calorie intake from day to day in a zig zag pattern (high calories one day, medium the next, low the third).

4. Get over it. If you make a mistake, admit it, and move on. Don't dwell. The worst thing you can do is get mad at one mistake and then binge eat or eat emotionally.

5. Eat natural and organic as much as possible. Processed foods are generally unhealthier, with trans fats and saturated fats and extraordinary amounts of sodium and sugar. Stick with natural foods for a healthy body.

6. You can have your cake and eat it too.If you want dessert, eat it. But in small portions and not every day. Depriving yourself of something usually just results in binge eating and other destructive behaviors later.

7. Remember, you're not dieting. Do not follow fad diets. They give you nothing but a quick fix. Slow weight loss is the best path for permanent weight loss.

8. Record what you eat Record down what foods you eat every day, so you can see where you overeat and what nutrients and vitamins you are missing. Counting calories can be helpful, but only if you don't focus on the daily numbers so much as the general trend.

9. Drink lots of water. The recommended daily water intake is eight glasses of water per day. Often the body mistakes thirst for hunger. Drinking water makes you feel full and helps decrease appetite.

10. You are gorgeous. You really are. You're not an ugly person becoming beautiful through weight loss. You're a beautiful person becoming even more beautiful!

For more tips and my personal experiencs on losing weight, visit The Not-So-Sore Loser, my personal blog about weight loss, eating healthy, exercise and fitness, and keeping control of it all without going crazy.