With the modern images of what "the perfect body" for a man and woman looks like, new fad diets, diet products and techniques are coming out every day. Everyone is trying to get rich off of the obesity issue by selling low quality products that have little or no impact on the actual fat loss.

It hit me one day, which is what contributed majorly to my current fitness level. Going back to the basics is all you could ever need to get the body that you want, and the health level that you wish for.

1. Fat loss is 80% in the kitchen. Go on the treadmill, and run yourself silly, for a test. See how many calories you've lost. 300-400 or so? Now, how much easier would it be to simply cut out those 3 extra slices of cheese from the daily diet? Much easier. Planning out what you eat for the day allows you to keep a strict intake of calories/carbs/proteins/fats. This is key to proper dieting, and proper dieting is key to shedding those pounds.

2. The other 20%. We've all heard of Weight Watchers. I personally know a few people who did it, and one person lost 60 lbs without any exercise. It's true, you can lose weight without exercise. Why I wouldn't recommend it is because you lose all of your muscle mass. Without muscle, there's no shape, and whether you're a guy or girl, looking near anorexic is as unattractive as being obese. Weight training 3-4 days a week is key to maintaining and building lean muscle. After all, why aim for a flat stomach if your abs are too small to show off, right?

3. Don't cut everything out! How many times have you tried a diet and failed? 95% of failed diet attempts are because people restrict themselves too much, increasing the temptation of cheating by a lot as well. Include a cheat day or two, or even a small cheat meal once a day. You can enjoy being on a diet, if you do it properly, and shed those unwanted pounds.

Vadym Zyabkin, living in Vancouver, used to be obese. Over the past two years, he's worked with proper exercise, and proper nutrition, in order to make girls walk into walls.