“Eat less, exercise more, and you will lose weight,” is the single most common weight loss tips you will come across when reading and talking to people about successful weight loss plans. This goes back to the equation of weight loss being the result of burning more calories than you eat, which is the only truly guaranteed weight loss plan out there. What complicates matters is that sometimes our bodies are not as cooperative as we would like them to be. Still, there are a few things that you can do to ensure that you stay on the “losing” side of this equation and maximize your results.

The question, “How many calories should I eat each day to lose weight?” covers one half of this equation, but you can’t determine this number until you know exactly how many calories you burn each day. The easiest and generally most accurate way of doing this is to use a Body Bugg or other similar calorie monitoring device that provides you with real-time feedback regarding how many calories you have burned. Still, not everyone can afford fancy weight loss tools, so another estimate that provide you with a rough idea is the BMR, or basal metabolic rate, which can be calculated for free.

Now, on to your workout routine. Many people feel that performing the exact same workout routine every day will allow them to lose weight, but this is actually one of the most common mistakes people make in their weight loss efforts. Each time you perform the same routine, your body gets more efficient at it, and thus burns fewer and fewer calories each time you perform the same workout. Our caveman ancestors may have benefited from this, but the problem is that it tends to make it more difficult for us modern humans to lose weight.

Assume for the moment that every day, your workout entails a 30 minute run on a treadmill going 5 MPH. This is a good workout, and can burn 600 calories at first, depending on exactly how much you weigh. A few months down the line, your body may adapt to the point where you only burn 200 or 300 calories doing the exact same workout. Preventing adaptation is the key to keeping your calorie burn as high as possible, so changing your workout routine every few weeks in order to prevent this from happening is a great idea.

There are a thousand different fad diets out there, but the idea behind all their rules and requirements is about tipping this equation toward weight loss. As long as you maintain this equation, get in plenty of exercise, and fill your diet with healthy, nutritious foods, weight loss success is assured.