When you hear a friend say she’s lost 40 pounds, do any of these thoughts run through your mind?

"That’s good for you, but that would never happen to me."

"Sure, I could lose weight too if I had a personal trainer."

"You’re so lucky."

It doesn’t take much effort to be sarcastic about losing weight. It’s easier to laugh with your girlfriends than to wonder, Could that ever be me? Could I really lose weight and keep it off for good? What’s the answer you usually hear in your mind? Nah…

When you think you can’t do something, guess what happens? You’ve just made a self-fulfilling prophecy. Success on the scale doesn’t begin in the kitchen. It begins in your mind. If you’re serious about improving your health, you must first change your self talk into "I can" instead of "I can’t."

I can lose weight.

I can exercise.

I can eat healthy.

I can change my appearance.

Once you believe you can do it, the battle is half over. Throw out the old tapes rattling around in your brain. The tapes that say, "This is how my life has always been. I will never look like that." It’s time to reprogram your mind. This is not an easy task. The subconscious mind is a powerful engine. You’ve been training it for years, capturing your version of reality.

Let’s say you’ve been overweight for the last few years. This is your reality. You try to diet and exercise for a few weeks, and your pants start fitting looser. But then, your subconscious kicks in and screams, "Hey! What are you doing? This is not the real you. Have another piece of that cake!" It’s a tug-of-war between your subconscious and conscious mind. The devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. Who are you going to listen to? Probably the one who talks more.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to give yourself a pep talk. You can achieve your diet and exercise goals, but you must first believe it’s possible.