Most women have sufficient knowledge on exercise and nutrition to get some degree of arm tone. These are not the rate limiting factors, for the most part. So why do so many women fail at losing arm fat?

Usually, it’s an inability to stick with a program for long periods of time. We are great at starting strong, but few of us can actually finish strong. Thus, the main area women wishing to get rid of arm fat should focus on is psychology.

If only behavioral change were as easy as 1, 2, 3. Unfortunately, any time we try to change a habit or establish a new routine, there is a lot of initial resistance. This resistance is what keeps many women from reaching their sexy arm goals.

Thus, today I am going to reveal 4 strategies for getting over the hump:

1. Focus on the system, not the outcomes. If you are taking your arm measurements every day, or if you are weighing yourself on the bathroom scale every day, get ready for an emotional roller coaster that is NOT sustainable. Instead of micromanaging every inch of the way, focus on the overall system that you have in place to reach your desired sexy arm goal. Focusing on the system will prevent you from getting bogged down with minutiae.

2. Be patient and persistent. This may sound repetitious to you, but you’d be surprised at how many women ask me for quick-fix solutions without wanting to put forth any effort. If you expect quick results without having to put forth any effort, disappointment will be your best friend.

3. Never conclude the negative. In other words, always try something before assuming it will be bad. The problem with assuming the negative is that it leads to procrastination. How many times have you postponed starting a “diet” because you think it will be a pain only to find out that once you start, it’s a lot easier than you thought? The same goes for getting rid of arm fat.

4. Compliment yourself for EVERYTHING. I know this sounds childish, but you have to train your mind to produce an ever flowing stream of positive thoughts. Without enormous quantities of positivity, it will be very hard for you to reach your goal. The most successful people on the planet have the ability to produce optimism on the spot.

Please understand that the key to losing arm fat is in your head, literally. The ability to stay motivated for a long period of time is what will get you to your goal, and it takes practice. So make sure you practice the above tips day in and day out!

And remember that taking action is more important than digesting new information. Because if you don’t take action you’ll simply forget the information.

Katherine Crawford, a Harvard exercise physiologist and recent arm fat sufferer, is an expert on exercises for upper arms. Discover how to get sexy and toned arms right now by exploring her blog on thin arms.