For individuals struggling to lose excess pounds, studies have shown a direct correlation between eating healthy and weight loss.

Instead of trying to lose weight, your focus should be put on increasing your overall sense of health-the lost pounds will be a great side effect.

Since your physical weight and your overall health run hand in hand, you will quickly see a dramatic difference in how you feel and your energy levels as the weight begins to go.

Regardless what pills, drinks, and diets may promise, the real weigh loss secret is eating right and exercising.

Although those two things are not as appealing as a simple cure-all pill, they will guarantee results.

Exercise, eating healthy, and weight loss can literally turn your life, your self image, and your self esteem upside down.

The best way to show the correlation between eating healthy and weight loss is to evaluate what you eat in a given day.

Start a food journal and write down every meal and snack to consume in a 24-hour period.

After one week, you will be able to truly see the impact of your current way of life on your body.

In addition to zapping your energy, your diet can be detrimental or even dangerous to your health.

It will be easier to begin a healthy way of life after you see the results on paper, so work diligently to be true to yourself in documenting every crumb you eat.

Once you have determined what you are eating, look at how much you are eating.

An occasional cookie, candy bar, or ice cream cone is certainly not going to make fail in your mission, but eating an entire box of cookies, bag of candy bars, or half-gallon of ice cream can certainly set you back.

Learn moderation in everything you eat and strive to control your portions.

Look for healthier alternatives for your favorite foods and consider using recipes that are lower in fats, sugars, and carbohydrates.

With the amount of low-fat, low-sugar, and other "diet" food on the market, finding suitable alternatives should not be difficult.