Are you really ready to lose weight? This might seem like a rhetorical question to anyone who has thought about trying to shed unwanted pounds but it is one that I ask all of my nutrition and training clients before we start working together.

One hundred percent of them initially answer an enthusiastic “yes!” the first time they’re asked if they are ready, but in reality less then half are “really” ready. Unfortunately, the majority of people wanting to get fit have not yet mentally prepared themselves for the challenge that lies ahead. So are you really ready to drop the extra pounds? Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you get in the mindset for a successful weight loss effort.

Are you ready to change how you eat and exercise for the rest of your life? To be truly successful in your goals and never have to set “weight loss goals” again, you need to be ready to make your health and fitness goals a permanent part of your every day life and routine.

Are you ready to be accountable for your own actions? Food did not make you gain weight, your food choices did. So, are you ready to take responsibility for your actions and stop blaming something else? There are millions of excuses for gaining weight but none of them are unchangeable or unavoidable with some effort and dedication. Be ready to take ownership in your food and diet decisions.

Are you ready to actively recruit help, and if you cant find any help are you strong enough to do it all on your own? A good support structure is way more than a good personal trainer or nutrition counselor. Friends, family, workout buddies, and diet buddies can be your biggest allies when tackling these life changes and sticking to them.

Sometimes, however, the ones closest to you can also be obstacles between you and your healthy goals. When this is the case, sometimes making new friends who have your best interest in mind, or committing to work one hundred percent on your own may be your most likely path to success.

Are you ready for a potentially long hard fight? Though weight loss can be very easy when all the right tools are in your hands, sometimes it still takes time to reach those goals; especially if you have a lot of pounds to lose. Expect some setbacks to occur occasionally. You can’t be perfect all the time but you can minimize the effects of your slipups by getting back on path quickly after a detour.

Lastly, Are you ready to work hard? Weight loss is not easy otherwise everyone would be thin and Crispy Cream would be out of business. You need to be ready to put forth the effort all the time; when it is easy to follow the plan, and especially when it is hard. Getting to the gym will not always be easy and changing years of eating habits is harder than quitting smoking but it can be done with the right preparation and drive.

This is not meant to discourage you from starting a course leading to weight loss and healthy decisions; it is instead meant to give you the chance to prepare yourself for what is ahead. The more mental preparation you’ve done, the greater your chances of success.

No matter how hard it is for you to reach your weight loss goals, you will never look back and say it wasn’t worth it. Remember that every road has a few bumps-just keep pressing forward, keep it fun, and most of all stay focused on the prize; a healthy, fit body.