Don't blame anyone or anything for your situation or problems. When you do that, you are saying that you are powerless over your own life—which is utter crap. An empowering step to reclaiming your life is taking responsibility.

A bad day for your ego is a great day for your soul.

It takes 4 weeks for you to notice your body changing, 8 weeks for your friends to notice, & 12 weeks for the rest of the world to notice. Give it 12 weeks. Don't quit.

We all have to work for happiness. And you cannot listen to other people. That is the worst mistake you can make.

Both belly bulge and love handles are about excess body fat, not lack of muscle. Crunches and ab exercises are therefore not the solution. The best way to reduce these problem areas is to reduce your overall body fat percentage, and we all know that that requires diet and exercise.

When friends tell you how awesome you look, drop the "I still have more to go" crap. You worked hard and you deserve the compliment!

Fitness and proper nutrition truly go hand-in-hand. Focus on eating clean and filling your plate with veggies, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins. And, everyone hates to do it, but calorie counting is crucial to weight loss as well as maintaining a healthy physique.