If you're overweight at all, it can take a long time to slim down and finally get rid of that last bit of fat on your body. So how do you stay encouraged and determined to win, even when it gets hard and you just feel like quitting?

The answer is to keep a journal of your weight loss stats. You should make a goal to write in your journal every day. It doesn't have to be a long entry, just a couple words and some stats and you're good to go. It will probably only take you 5-10 minutes a day to keep a journal, and the benefits are well worth it.

Having a journal where you track your progress will be your history book. If you feel discouraged one day, look in your journal a month ago and see how you were doing. If you've been sticking to your plan and eating healthy, you'll likely see a drop in weight or body fat percentage from that time to now.

Seeing that you're making progress is a huge motivator to keep going. If you don't journal, how will you ever know how far you've come?

Keeping a journal regularly also forces you to deal with reality and be honest with yourself. You could probably get away with shrugging off an extra meal, or that double helping of ice cream. But when you record it on paper and see yourself write it out, it will seem much more real and you'll be able to see the after-effects it has on your body first hand.

Once you know and see that, your likely to think twice before committing the same mistake again. Learning in small chunks like this is completely normal and healthy. Each thing you learn about yourself will bring you one step closer to your weight loss goal.