Everyone finds counting calories tedious, but the truth is, weight loss is all about calories in (eating) and calories out (exercising). When the calories in is way over the calories out, you gain weight.

Calorie counting is not something you’ll have to do forever, but starting out on a diet it can be a big help and eye opener. Most people don’t realize how much they really eat. They tend to forget the little bites of this and that, completely underestimate a serving, and are in total denial about what is consumed. The best way to fix that is to keep track of the calories eaten.

Over at FitWatch you can find out the calorie count of hundreds of foods as well as sign up for its free Fitness Tracker (there is a paid deluxe version as well) that will help you monitor the amount and quality of foods you eat, as well as your exercise efforts.

The scale isn’t moving. The clothes aren’t any looser. All this despite the fact that you’re doing what your supposed to do to lose weight. When you cannot lose weight you begin to think why bother? Why sacrifice and miss out on the yummy stuff when doing so doesn’t change things? Before you go on a binge, check out the tips below to maximize your weight loss.

1) Change something. Our bodies get used to things we do over and over. As a result, the lose their effectiveness. Instead of eating the same things, change it up. Don’t eat almonds for a snack. Have celery with peanut butter instead. Don’t walk for 30 minutes. Instead walk 3 minutes as fast as you can and walk slower for 2 minutes, repeating 5 times. Intervals are a great way to mix things up for the body.

2) Stop something. Sometimes our bodies react to some foods in a negative way. Diet soda for instance often hinders weight loss. I find that meal bars slow my weight loss down.  Pick something you consume a lot, and stop eating it and see if it makes a difference. In particular focus on things that may be high in sugar and/or sodium.

3) Get real. Studies show that most people underestermate how much they eat and overestimate how much they work out. Keep a journal and be honest about calories in and energy out. You may find that you haven’t been doing as well on your diet as you thought.

4) Cut 100 more calories. Only do this if you’re eating 1500 calories or more. Cutting 100 calories a day, should help you lose an extra pound every 5 weeks (100 X 36 days = 3600 cals less).

5) Add 10-15 minutes on to your exercise regimen to burn more calories without spending too much more time.