"Without faith, nothing is possible.
With it, nothing is impossible.
" Mary McLoud Bethune

When it comes to embarking on the journey to fitness, there are so many things to learn.
Whether you've been at it for a little while, or are just thinking about getting started, there is a world of information, which will be critical to your progress.
Information about what and when you should be eating, and the type, duration, and frequency of excercises you should be doing.
All of these things will be covered in up coming articles.
Before all of that comes into play though, there is what I believe to be the most important component, which will mean the difference between your eventual success or disappointment.
This first and most important ingredient for success is your belief in yourself and your faith that all of your effort will pay off.
When I became serious about fitness, I was 27 and and almost 180 lb.
, about 50 lb.
heavier than my ideal weight.
I did not feel good about my appearance.
I was self-conscious and it did a number on my overall sense of self, affecting all areas of my life.
Around that time, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to a lady who's passion it was to help women attain their highest potential of fitness.
She was a former champion body-builder and knew exactly what to do.
I learned all of the basics from her, but the most important things that she told me were the following:

• Anyone can achieve the level of fitness and attain the awesome body that they want, but it is a situation where you must believe it to see it.
  If you don't believe it, you will not continue with doing what it takes to get it.
  
• It doesn't matter where you are starting from, what matters is where you are going.
  Everyone, and I do mean everyone, has the potential to become more fit than they ever dreamed to be possible.
  Everyone can obtain the body that they thought they would never have.
  
• If you don't like what you see in the mirror right now, don't look.
  Just get to the gym.
  Trust (have faith) that eventually you will.
  
• Do not compare yourself with other people.
  Everyone's story is different and your job is to focus on what you are doing for YOU.
  
• Don't worry about what other people at the gym are wearing or doing (or that they seem to have a better grasp of what they are doing).
  Wear what is comfortable for you and do what you know, you will learn as you go.
  
• When after a few weeks you look in the mirror and are unhappy because you don't see any change (this will happen), do not become discouraged.
  Get to the gym.
  
• Do not try to take any shortcuts (i.
  e.
  food deprivation or diuretics) in a desperate attempt to slim down faster.
  Believe that achieving fitness in the proper healthy way will work perfectly (it will).
  
• Do not submit to any of your excuses to miss your work-outs (unless you are feeling legitimately unwell).
  Point yourself in the direction of the gym and start driving (or walking).
  

The idea here is that there will be times when you are be discouraged, you won't see any great changes, you'll be self-couscous, you won't know why you're making all the effort, you'll wonder what you are doing wrong, or if there's some way to get there faster.
When all of this comes up, you will have to call on blind faith and just keep going.
Even when you see no results, just keep on going anyway.
Remember you must believe this before you will see it.
I went through all of the doubt but kept on going anyway, with encouragement from my mentor and she was right.
It will not happen right away, but it will happen.
Believe and have faith and stay with it and I guarantee, one day soon you'll look in the mirror and be amazed at what you see.