Our bodies may be different, but the basic recipe for how to lose weight is universal: healthy diet and regular exercise. With the right tools, you can easily design a weight loss program that will work for you. Your challenge and struggle will be following through. Tempting short-cuts and fad diets often crash or fizzle, and do not yield long term results. Realistically, there are no tricks, only tools and information to help you stay the course. Make small changes every day and start seeing healthy, gradual weight loss.

Remove mystery and guesswork from your weight loss equation. You’ll need to calculate and know your daily calorie intake and BMR. To lose weight, you must then create a calorie deficit by eating less and burning more calories with physical activity. Take it step-by-step to determine what you need to do each day to get to your ultimate goal. Figure out when and where you can make dietary cut backs and add exercise. Track everything and use the following tips on how to lose weight now.

1. Establish daily targets. Using a calorie calculator tool, determine your daily intake for weight maintenance. To lose weight, you will then need to follow a diet plan with fewer calories per day depending on your goals.

2. Track your calories. Utilize an online diet tracker to enter all foods and beverages you consume. Keep an eye on your diet score card to stay within your target ranges for calories and major nutrients like carbs, proteins, and fats.

3. Know what you eat. It’s a good idea to have some general knowledge of how many calories are in the food you eat before you eat them. Search an expansive food database for all your store-bought and restaurant food favorites.

4. Prepare smaller, healthier meals. A recipe creator tool will calculate the nutritional information for the foods you cook at home. Practice portion control by eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout your day.

5. Burn more calories with exercise. Exercise regularly. Find activities you enjoy doing and do them. Burn extra calories by adding time to your workout routine, walking more, or even just taking the stairs. 

6. Know how many calories are burned. Whether you're running, biking, walking, or lifting, see how exercises impact your overall weight loss program. Know what it takes to burn 200, 400 or however many calories needed to meet your daily goal.

7. Keep a journal. Set up a journal or blog to record how you’re feeling as you diet and exercise. Keep track of your foods and workouts. Note your successes as well as your failures and make necessary adjustments to your program as needed.

8. Don't do it alone. Friends and family are a great source of support and motivation. Invite trusted friends to watch what you’re eating and when you’re exercising. Participate in groups and message board discussions with other interested people.

9. Knowledge is power. Maximize your weight loss efforts by exploring the latest in diet and workout articles, Q&As, and exercise demos. Chock-full of expert tips and advice, these guides suggest small changes that will help achieve big results.

10. See your progress. Many people like to see visual proof of their hard work. Chart your weight and measurements with graphs. As you see the lines drop, you may be more inspired to keep up the good work.

Good Luck!