Most of us realize that whether we like it or not we have to stick to weight loss workouts if we want to shed those pounds the right way–the way that will keep them off. But one common mistake that first-time dieters, or dieters who are in the first couple of days of their diet, make is to diminish their food intake too much while exercising.

Doing this will not allow you all of the energy you need in order to get through your exercise. You’ll tire too quickly to be able to follow through. Perfecting the delicate balance of eating right (the right foods, and not too much or too little) and exercise is what will get you to your goal weight.

Many diets suggest that you cut down (or even eliminate) carbohydrates from your meals. However, you need carbohydrates for energy. Just make sure that you are getting the right kinds of carbohydrates. They should come from foods that are unprocessed and rich in fiber like whole grains, vegetables, fruit, brown rice and potatoes. When you eat the right carbohydrates, you’re getting all the necessary fiber and other nutrients that your body needs. You also want to make sure that you are getting enough protein and healthy fat (like olive oil, nuts, seeds and fish oil). You should be eating three moderate meals and two snacks or five small meals a day in order to have the energy needed to work out.

When it comes to working out, you need to first assess your status and determine how in-shape or out-of-shape you are. You’ll eventually want to incorporate both aerobics (cardio training) and strength (resistance) training into your weight loss workouts, but if you’re just starting out, you need to start with one and start very slowly. In your assessment, also take into account how much time you can dedicate to your workouts and your preferences.

Then, take heed to a few general rules. If your goal is only to lose weight, you can really concentrate on cardio activities. You should also do some strength training to tone and raise your metabolism. But if your goal is also to build up some muscle mass, you will need to focus on the strength training. If you’re going to put both aerobics and strength training in the same workout, do the strength training first so that you don’t use up all of your energy after the cardio part.

You can do five minutes or so of cardio for a warm-up before your strength training. If you don’t have any real specific goals except to lose weight and just be healthier, just alternate days of strength training and aerobics training. This ensures that you will get both in and takes away the boredom of doing the same thing all the time. Also try to mix up what you do for aerobic training and what you do for strength training in your weight loss workouts.