Weight loss and getting thin is what eight out of ten women desire. Maybe it's second only to having unlimited credit on your credit card...And, unlimited funds to pay it off.

Joking aside, obesity has become what some people believe as an epidemic disease in modern times. In fact, it is not a disease at all; it is caused by our own lifestyle and priorities, with health often not being one of them. The top thirty countries for obesity are almost all western, developed countries.

Years ago, we had a life that included activities like walking, playing sports and we had enough safety to jog in a park.

Today we have more workload, student responsibilities, and family affairs, all competing for our time. This produces an entire generation that does not have time to exercise or eat properly and "suddenly" we notice...we became FAT.

Now, there's a difficult one.

Losing weight 'healthily' is a process that demands time, determination and planning, and the change of lifestyle habits is the most important - and difficult - to achieve.

To reduce weight healthily, one has to THINK differently, as it is not just 'weight' you need to lose; it is 'body fat'. Many people are fixated with losing 'weight' and the figure on the scales rather than 'body fat'...there is a big difference.

-Stop eating automatically and plan your meal. If you cannot plan, observe, and pay attention to choose foods that help in your goals, not prevent them.

-Having five or six meals a day, in smaller portions, even if you have little time is better than two or three larger meals. If you really want, you will MAKE time.

-Learn about healthy foods and get the right portions. Yes, some self-service restaurants have dishes the size of a tray! Don't fall into this plot!

As always, it is easier said than done. You know what to do but at the very moment of execution, you procrastinate to next week.

It is important to first find the MOTIVATION and then the RIGHT ORIENTATION to start an 'effective' and healthy weight loss program.

Motivation comes first because it gives you the strength to say NO to some destructive habits, which can also be dangerous habits in the long term and this can hinder your diet program.

Orientation will be the difference between another failed 'fad' diet and permanent weight loss. It is good to find a good nutritionist.

Motivation can be internal or external.

Internal motivation is your perception of a heavier body, increased chances to have metabolic and heart diseases, and the desire of wearing a bikini without feeling uneasy. This is the most difficult but the most powerful one. Look around and notice: Everybody that loses weight and keeps it off permanently HAD to find internal motivation. They HAD TO FIND this strength inside them. If you hear something different, about some miracle remedy, it is marketing lies...do not be fooled.

External motivation is also well known. All the humiliation and prejudice that obese people suffer, from getting a job to finding a significant other, is reflected in today's society. Everybody seems to think that overweight people are lazy and self-indulgent. They have increased chances of diseases and may be a problem in the future, if hired.

Unfortunately, the same society that produces obesity, demands you to be HEALTHY AND THIN.

It is up to you, to start a 'healthy' diet and weight loss program or keep "trying" all the fad diets on the Internet.