Dieting down for the first time can be both exhilarating and daunting. On the one hand, it's exciting to think about showing off that hard-earned muscle. But on the other hand, there's that little voice in your head that keeps asking if you're going to be lean enough to do your hard work justice. Learning the principles of successful dieting and avoiding common mistakes will go a long way toward making your efforts that much more successful!

Now that you've got your head in the game and your mind focused on the prize, it's time to learn about several “external” techniques that will further propel you toward your goals. If you didn't read our first article on the topic of internal motivation,  click here to check it out.