Everyone has had the same thought in their head at one point or another: "I wish I was thinner". This is a normal thought; in popular culture, it's easy to fall into this mindset when you see people like Charlie Hunnam and Kate Upton glorified as beautiful and represented as the "ideal" body for each gender. Now obviously, these are ridiculous standards to live up to, and we see so many young adults jumping through hoops just to try and obtain this goal. For the people who can do that, more power to you. However, for the majority of people who are too busy with school or their careers to do that, here are some tips that helped me lose 40 pounds my freshman year.

1. Set a series of small goals to achieve a larger one.

What happens with a lot of people is that when they set a goal, they get all excited and motivated to achieve that goal, and then realize how much work it will take. They get intimidated and end up giving up. A good way to avoid falling into this trap is setting multiple small goals that will help you achieve a bigger one. For example, if you want to lose 20 pounds, set up a goal to lose five pounds in a certain amount of time. It's less daunting and it helps in the long run.

2. Have a plan when you go to the gym.

A common mistake that many people make when they go to the gym is that they don't plan out what they want to do before they go. If you go to the gym and try to figure out what you want to do there, you'll end up standing around more than you will be working out. You don't have to have anything set in stone, but it's helpful to have an idea of what you want to do.

3. Get out of your own head.

Lots of people go to the gym and expect instant results. When they don't get them, they get frustrated and end up quitting. DO NOT FALL INTO THIS TRAP. Things like this take time, and although it can get very frustrating, you need to remember that good things come in time.

4. Don't starve yourself.

A common term when it comes to weight loss is that if you eat less and move more, you'll lose weight. While this is somewhat true, you also can't starve yourself. Think of your body like a car; you need fuel to run a car. Food is your fuel, and you need it to operate. So go grab a fork and eat!

5. It's not about how much you eat, it matters WHAT you eat.

I don't care if you work out for 30 minutes or 3 hours if you go home and crush a pizza and down a liter of Pepsi, you might as well not have gone, to begin with. Try and find healthier alternatives to your favorite snacks to help crush those cravings. For example, I started using cucumber slices as a substitute for chips, and it gets the job done!

6. Don't try to impress anyone.

This one is a big one to remember. You're at the gym for one reason and one reason only, to better yourself. Don't worry about what the other sweaty people are doing. If you try and overcompensate at the gym, you'll end up tiring yourself out and not accomplishing what you're there for. Make sure that you're doing things correctly, and don't worry about anything else.

7. It is OK to treat yourself.

There's going to be that point where you grow to resent those colorful little foods called vegetables on your plate. You don't want to deprive yourself, and everyone sometimes needs a cheat meal. And that's perfectly fine! The only trap you want to avoid falling into is a series of cheat meals. As long as you feel like you can stay focused, it's perfectly fine to have pizza every now and again.

8. Focus on how you feel, not the number on the scale.

People tend to worry so much about the number on that little piece of plastic that they forget what's important: how you feel. People get so absorbed in those numbers that they tend to fall into the trap of the first seven things that I brought up. If you know that you have energy and feel good about yourself, the journey will work go that much smoother.

9. Remember... YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!

We as human beings are all beautiful. It doesn't matter how much someone weighs, how someone looks, we are all beautiful. People shouldn't go to the gym and eat healthy foods because they feel the need to fit into some "beauty norm" created by society. You should do these things because they are good for you. And if you're able to wear tighter clothes and have more confidence in yourself, well that's just a cherry on top!

We've grown up in a society that demands perfection, a society that expects the people within it to achieve an almost impossible standard. Not everyone is going to be a gym rat or a health nut for their whole lives (if you've ever had chicken nuggets, you understand). The point is moderation and to remember that your health is what matters.