By: John DeFendis

I want you to do me a favor. I want you to take a moment out from your busy schedule and look ahead to the summer months. Visualize you laying on the beach in the warm South Florida sun and relaxing. You see beautiful people playing volleyball or throwing a frisbee. You see children making sand castles and playing in the water.

You feel the ocean breeze and look out upon the waves at the sailboats. Now... stop for a minute and walk over to the nearest mirror. Visualize the body that you are looking at in the mirror as part of that beach scene. Does it fit in? Will you be proud to show off this body in a bikini or swimsuit or will you be hiding your body beneath the towel so nobody sees you? This is a tough question to ask yourself but now is the time to critique your body. You see, it is two months before this very real scene will take place and you will want to be ready. So, get up, get motivated and lets all look our best for the summer!

The First Step

Okay, now that I have your attention...Lets put our plan into action! The first step to reaching our weight loss and fitness goals is to set a goal and go after it. Some of us may want to lose body fat and inches while others may want to shape our body by exercising with weights several days a week. We all may have different goals but they all revolve around looking and feeling good and being healthier.

Write down your current measurements and decide what you feel would be ideal for the look that you are after. It is always a good idea to take photographs wearing your beach attire so that you can truly assess the way that you look and have something to shoot for. I highly recommend taking "before" and "after" pictures for motivation.

I have built a reputation on results that anyone could visually see in these photographs. You will be amazed at the changes that you can achieve in just 6 short weeks.

The Next Step... Exercise

Our next step is to get involved in an exercise program. You can join a gym, ride a bicycle, use a stair machine or NordicTrack or just simply start walking if you aren't used to being physically active. I would always recommend that you get a complete check up from your Physician before you start any type of exercise program. It is always better to be safe. I also believe that it would be in your best interest to find a qualified trainer that can give you some advice on what type of program to follow. I am always available to those that have a couple of questions and don't know where to turn.

The Most Important Step... Nutrition

The last and final step is to learn about proper nutrition. Nutrition is the most important key to weight loss, fitness, stamina, and health. We will all be leaner, fitter and healthier once we realize that nutrition is 80% of the battle. We must learn to eat less fat... less sugar... and less sodium in our diets. We should also be aware that nutritional supplements play a vital role in the progress we make.

Did you know that certain nutrients would help the body burn fat at a much faster rate? These nutrients will allow the body to lose weight faster and easier. We can also increase our energy and recover quicker from exercise with nutritional supplements as well as get rid of water retention problems. Learn as much about nutrition as you can because it will help you to reach your goals.

About The Author

John defendis is a contributing writer for the forum newspaper. He is a former Mr. U.S.A. and has been featured on "ABC T.V.'s 20/20", "good morning america", and "the joan rivers show". He has been a trainer for over 20 years and is the director of exercise with the ifpa. He developed the burn fat build muscle pack and can be contacted at (561) 968-6578.