by Michelle Wilkinson

Created on: October 27, 2009

Losing weight is always a challenge, one that most people choose to put off facing. Making a commitment to lose weight, though, is a positive step and you should feel good about finally deciding to tackle a problem that most people prefer to ignore. When people consider losing weight they often concentrate on the negatives, such as not being able to eat what they want and the amount they want, the need for exercise and the hunger pangs they are likely to experience. It is little wonder that rather than concentrating on the positive aspects of weight loss they hone in on the negatives so that they have plenty of excuses to avoid losing weight.

Losing weight can be a positive experience, though, as doing so makes you feel good about yourself. When you weigh yourself and you've lost a few pounds you feel proud of your achievement and realise that the changes you have made to your eating and exercise habits are worth sticking to. As the pounds start to fall off you find that your clothes become looser and that before long you are having to buy new clothes in smaller sizes as your old trousers won't stay up and you are drowning in your old shirts. Other people start to comment on your weight loss, telling you how good you look, and this can provide you with a real confidence boost and motivate you even more to continue on towards your final weight-loss goal.

If you have lost weight in the past only to regain it all you might find it difficult to feel positive about weight loss, because it is always in the back of your mind that as soon as you reach your goal you will return to your former habits and put back on every pound you lost. However, such a negative attitude won't help you succeed in achieving your weight-loss aims, which is why you need to think more in terms of adopting lifestyle changes rather than concentrating on your ability to lose as much weight as possible extremely quickly, which you may have done in the past.

By losing weight at a slow and steady pace you are more likely to keep off the weight you lose, and losing just 10 per cent of your body weight could significantly improve your health, which is certainly a good reason to feel more positive about weight loss. It is clear, then, that if you approach weight loss with a positive mindset you are more likely to achieve your weight-loss aims, which will help to reinforce a positive attitude towards leading a healthier lifestyle.

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