One of the best ways to lose weight, and one of the most common reasons people don't lose weight is because of accountability.

Think about it.  If you tell yourself I'm gonna start working out tomorrow morning, but find yourself hitting the snooze button, no big deal.  You'll just do it again tomorrow (and probably snooze again)

 But if you tell yourself that your going to start working out tomorrow morning, but your friend is going to join you, you have an accountability partner.  An incentive to keep you motivated which, in this case is your friend.

I recently discovered a new website/app which has an awesome form of accountability...your money.

The website and app is called Diet Bet and its a great way to keep you accountable to your health, fitness, and weight loss.  The concept is simple.  You've probably heard or participated in a diet bet before.  A group of friends or coworkers get together to see who can lose the most weight.  At the end of the contest, whoever wins the most weight gets a prize, money, whatever.

Diet Bet takes this concept and makes it convenient and practical.  The site is easy to join with many different contests to participate in.

The rules are simple and easy to follow.  There are official weigh-ins where you are asked to send in your weight loss statistics and pictures of yourself.  To prevent cheating, they have people review the pictures and have an algorithm designed to detect fraudulent activity.  
As you can see, the entry fee for the contests is small, yet still high enough to motivate most people to hold themselves accountable.  The possibility of also winning a pot of $25000 is also a great motivator.

As with any weight loss program like Diet Bet, Weight Watchers. or Lose It, the important thing is that the app, websites, and community help keep you accountable and help teach you how to lose weight properly.  Sure it would be great to win thousands of dollars in a weight loss contest, but hopefully by the time the contest is finished you will have developed a healthy habit of diet and exercise that will serve you well for the rest of your life.  
Sure this may seem like a gimmick, but if something helps you develop a healthy lifestyle habit, then you really win the prize.
For more information click here to be taken to the Diet Bet website.

If you're a beginner looking to start a fitness program or just joined a new gym, you may be intimidated about the road ahead.
It can be a real challenge to embark on a new fitness, health, and weight loss journey.  But when you start, an amazing thing happens.
After you finish a few workouts, after a week or two has passed, you'll actually start to look forward to your workouts.  As you start your day, you'll notice some extra enthusiasm and energy within you knowing a great workout is coming soon.  It may sound counter-intuitive, but its very real and will help propel you to a new, fit you.

Whether you're a runner or not, we've all probably experienced the awesome high from even a short run.  You know you did something great for yourself and that feeling energizes you for the rest of the day.  In fact, there's even scientific evidence that supports this feeling.

So the next time you're having motivation starting a new workout or fitness routine, just get started and your body will take care of the rest.

I’m all for hitting the gym, using weights and getting a great workout in but sometimes it’s nice to find quick ways to workout without all of the equipment. Learning to use your own body resistance is a great way to lose fat fast, especially if you’re just starting out. You don’t need to drag around a 20lb kettle bell everywhere you go to get a great resistance workout in. You’ll be surprised at how strong you become after doing body resistance workouts on a regular basis. The great thing about these exercises is you can do them just about anywhere!
 
Pushups – the dreaded (yet amazingly effective) arm workout. Pushups seem to have that “punishment” stigma to them. Maybe it’s because your gym teacher tormented you with threats of another 50 if you didn’t catch the dodgeball but pushups are an excellent way to increase your upper body strength and see some mad definition. Beginners can rest on their knees, Make sure to keep your back flat and avoid dipping your hips down to the ground or pushing your rear up high towards the ceiling.
 
Tricep Dip – this is best done on a sturdy chair or a park bench. Place your hands on the seat and walk your legs forward, keeping your feet flat on the ground. Then slowly lower your body up and down with your arms bending back behind you. You’ll feel the burn in no time.

Plank –Keeping your body horizontal to the ground, place your forearms underneath you making sure your wrists are underneath your shoulders. Start off by holding the position for 20-30 seconds with a flat back. Over time you’ll be amazed at the strength you gain in your core and arms. The plank can also be done on your sides as well with one forearm and one foot on the ground. Beginners can start off on their knee. For a real resistance push, try lifting your core up and down 15-20 times barely touching the floor each time. 

Squats & Lunges – ah yes, the perfect exercise for your tush. Squats and lunges are an excellent way to lift and tighten your behind and look amazing in a pair of jeans. There are a variety of ways to do squats. The main one involves standing with your feet about hip width apart, then slowly lowering your body (making sure not to extend your knees past your toes) and bringing your arms up forward in front of you for balance. The further you can stick your butt out behind you and the lower you can go, the deeper the burn. 
You can also do side squats with your legs standing far apart. Lunge down to each side with your hands clasped in a first in front of you. Focus on pushing your butt back behind you and not extending your knees forward by much.
 
Basic lunges can be done by placing your hands on your hips and alternating placing one foot in front of you and lunging down. Over time you should be able to touch your opposite knee to the ground and then raise back up. Again, careful of extending your knee, keep it right above your ankles as you lower your body. 

 High Knees – to get a little cardio going, try doing high knees for bouts of 30-60 seconds. Standing in place raise one knee in front of you as high as you can, making sure to protect your lower back and stand up straight. You’ll feel this in your legs and core.