by Melissa Knight

Created on: August 14, 2008   Last Updated: December 05, 2011

In today's society it seems we hear "I know, I need to do something about my weight," all the time, but all too often, those same people are shoving mass amounts of food in their mouth and heading off to take a nap.

All over the world, people are bemoaning their size and adding to it, instead of making a difference for themselves. Why is this happening? Are people too busy in their lives to focus on losing weight or is it just too hard? Is this world of easy internet shopping and online entertainment making things so easy that we are numb to the powers of self-improvement? Or, is it simply that losing weight is hard to get excited about?

Probably a little of both. Honestly, it is hard for most of us to get excited about hefting our bodies around until we can't breathe and we're sweating like pigs. It's not fun to work out until our legs quiver and then spill our great bulk into a seat at our favorite restaurant only to find that the only thing we can have on the menu is salad and water. These things are not fun.

What is fun to most people is to indulge. If you've ever gone to dinner and had a fantastic meal that started with a cocktail or glass of wine, dinner rolls, appetizer, another glass of wine, salad, another glass of wine, soup Well, you get the point. At any rate, that was a good time. By the time we get home, we're feeling satisfied, full and pleasantly sleepy. We don't even notice when our bed sags from our extra weight.

The thing is, if you're looking in the mirror taking yourself apart and criticizing all aspects of yourself then you will need to do something. Diet and exercise, a lifestyle change - whatever you call it, it's time to do it. You know what to eat, you know the workout, but how on earth are you going to succeed at this if you hate every moment of it? How are you going to get into that bikini and look great if all you're planning is the next birthday party you can go to and have cake? Most great successes in life come from being excited about what it is you're attempting to accomplish. So, now it's time to get excited about weight loss.

First thing's first. Understand (especially women, but you guys too) that you do not need to be skinny. You just need to be healthy. Recognize your body type and set realistic expectations for yourself. Think in terms of strength and health and not in terms of thin or skinny. Use the term lean, instead of thin. You want to lose weight, but also maintain good nutrition.

Once you understand what to expect

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