One of my prominent excuses? Comparing myself to others around me who were bigger - mom, co-workers, friends - and think, "it could be worse. I guess I'm not *that* big." And with that, I'd ditch the whole diet thing and pig out, and abandon exercise. I'd conveniently "forget" that I had never been bigger, and that the only clothes left that fit were those with elastic waistbands, plus some of my boyfriend's things. That's a poor way to think. That's like thinking that if you got a D on a test, you don't need to try any harder since other people got Fs.

So I changed my tune. If you really want something, you can't ask youself whether or not the people around you have it. If you leave others behind in the dust, so be it: that shouldn't stop you from going after what you want. We're talking about your health, after all.