If you do these eight things, you will lose weight. It’s that simple. Each step has supporting scientific studies proving efficacy for weight loss. The only thing you need to do is to do them.

1. Burn more calories than you consume.

Decide how many calories you can eat each day and still lose weight. Do this by eating 500 fewer calories per day than your daily caloric needs (there are lots of online calculators to help with determining your caloric needs) and maintain or increase your exercise activity. Never eat fewer than 1200 calories per day.

2. Prioritize calorie consumption.

Focus on vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, dairy (or foods supplying calcium), fats/nuts/oils in small quantities and fruits, in that order. Ditch the junk food or anything else that is substantially processed or packed with sugar.

3. Pay attention to hunger.

Learn your triggers and determine whether you are eating in response to real hunger or a temporary mood swing. Know that hunger pangs will pass and you won’t die of starvation if you wait to eat again until your next scheduled snack or meal.

4. Build muscle.

Do strength training exercises at least 3 times per week. Each time focus on major muscle groups. That means working your biceps, shoulders, inner and outer thighs, middle back, upper back, trapezius, and triceps. Lean muscle mass burns more calories even while at rest.

5. Burn fat with aerobic exercise.

Aim to do at least 200 minutes per week of aerobic exercise such as jogging, walking swiftly or working out on a treadmill.

6. Get plenty of rest.

Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Experts say that people who sleep two to four hours per day are 73% more likely to be over weight than those who get normal sleep (seven to nine hours).

7. Drink at least a half gallon (two quarts) of water everyday

Add an additional 8 ounces for every 25 pounds you are overweight.

8. Keep track of all of the above.

According to an Obesity Research study, people who self-monitor at least 75% of the time (6 out of 7 days) are more likely to achieve their goals than those who don’t. This is also true for those who slip off track, but then get back on.  So if you’re serious about losing weight, keeping track is the way to go. It’s easy to forget that piece of candy you ate, or whether you had enough veggies in a day.   Set goals for all of the above and keep track. In less time than you imagined, you will achieve your goal weight having employed all of the strategies of the weight loss experts.  The only difference is that you will have developed the program for yourself, which is much more powerful than feeling dependent on someone else to tell you what to do.