by Sabrina Peterson

Created on: February 18, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

If I remember correctly, statistically 50% of American women, and only 25% of American men are on a diet at any given time. So many of us are concerned about losing weight and many of us fall into the category of people who will try anything that claims to work: fad diets, pills, crazy exercise routines, etc.

Weight loss or dieting is very simple! It's only as hard as you make it! It's way more than what and how much you put in your mouth. Your thought process, self-esteem, and determination are a huge part of the equation.

Most of the women I've had the privilege of counseling about weight loss have what I call the "Loser Mentality". They've tried countless diets and saw minimal or no results and then put all the weight back on plus a few, or more, pounds. Their participation in my weight management class is a last ditch effort; they are doubtful they will ever reach their weight loss goals; they are tired of it all but are willing to try again. They are dieting because that is what they are supposed to do: lose weight and be thin.

I've heard thousands of times from ladies, "Every time I try I fail." That's the problem. They've decided they are 'failures' and they really don't think following the plan I teach in my class will work ultimately anyway but they hope to lose 5 to 10 lbs. to tide them over until they hear about something else that piques their interest or promises amazing results.

My main focus in my classes is to change the way my attendees think. The diet plan I teach is all spelled out in the book I use (Curves International Weight Management Plan in the Curves Member Guide) so I don't spend a lot of time talking about what or how to eat. I give plenty of tips and personal advice but half of my classes are spent talking about attitude, determination, praising their efforts and success, plus some tough love.

I look at myself as a motivational speaker and teacher and weight loss is the by-product. In my very first class I ask my ladies to be determined to follow the diet plan. I give them a copy of 'Contract with Myself' which I have adapted slightly from Bob Greene's original and a goal sheet or 'Personal Plan for Success' which I created so they can spell out what they hope to accomplish. Goals are important for anything you do otherwise you're just drifting along and at the mercy of whatever happens. No goals = no destination!

I always get a fair number of complaints such as the plan isn't working, this is too hard, why am I not losing as much

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