by Alexandra Heep

Created on: September 03, 2008   Last Updated: March 20, 2009

Excitement about weight loss can mean three different things: How to get excited about it before you lose weight, while you lose the weight, and after. In order to maintain a successful weight loss, all three steps are important. If you have wrong reasons or motivation behind losing weight, you will end up having to do it all over again.

Getting excited about the prospect of losing weight may sound easy, but it necessarily isn't so. Pounds and inches don't just spring up over night, they appear gradually. Just like they build up your exterior, chances are something is happening inside of you as well. Perhaps a growing dissatisfaction about not feeling right and loss of energy make themselves known. Even deterioration of health or onset of health problems, like diabetes, high blood pressure, etc can follow.

Eventually you will come to the conclusion that it's time to lose the weight, but instead of excitement you may feel down because it seems like a battle uphill is looming ahead. How do you conquer this feeling and turn it into excitement? Examine your motives first and make sure they are what you want.

If you want to lose weight for example to please someone in your family, because he or she made derogatory comments, you are not addressing the core issue. Also, if you think losing weight will gain you a partner, if you are single, can hide other issues as well.

What about losing weight simply to try to get into a wedding dress for your upcoming wedding? This is not a good idea either. Remember the famous jeans that Oprah wanted to fit in? Sure, she lost the weight and modeled her jeans on the show, but how fast did she gain the weight back? While no doubt you can starve yourself to make it into the dress, chances are that years after it will be a visual reminder of what size you used to be and that can take away from what should have been a joyous memory.

Do some soul searching first and make sure you are doing this for yourself, your health, and your well-being. Now you can get excited! What could be more exciting than knowing your are doing something for your body, mind and essence? Set yourself a goal and break it down into smaller goals. Plan rewards for yourself when you reach each goal. Make sure the rewards are not food related of course.

How do you stay excited until you hit your first goal? Remain focused on the reward that awaits you. Approach everything with a sensible attitude. Don't try to something unrealistic. For example, if you know one very fattening,

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