I have wondered many times – are all those amazing weight loss success stories really true? And I think we all know that most are not. But it is likely that many of them are if they are based on proven weight loss programs and if they portray losing weight in a realistic time-frame. But there are also the ones which you know are outright lies. Weight loss testimonials based on fad diets generally fall into this category. You know the ones – they show a picture of a gorgeous, reed-thin, bikini-clad blonde next to her *before* photo at 350 pounds, and she says she did it in only 30 days!

Weight loss success stories have been around forever and they continue to be seen everywhere. We see them in tv commercials featuring celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Rachael Ray, and Marie Osmond; they are in magazine advertisements for weight loss programs such as Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and Nutri-System (usually which include these same celebrities); and, of course, blogs and forums that focus on losing weight are filled with them; and finally, that is all some people talk about in the work place.

While much of this information leans more towards the shallower aspects of losing weight – how fabulous you will look in (and out of) your clothes and how much more attractive you will be – in reality good and safe programs can actually save lives. And that is a fact. We all know that being grossly overweight is risky to your health, but it is far more glamorous to accent how you will look and how you will attract better things to your life by being thin. Frankly, both of these concepts are true, so the most important thing for you if you need to lose weight is to get inspiration!

The fact is that personal success stories are very inspirational. Many of these stories are from real people who have made huge sacrifices and life changes to achieve their goals. And those before and after photos of themselves can be extremely inspiring to you and motivate you to begin your own journey to weight loss success. So guess what the next step is? You got it – TAKE ACTION! Put your *before* photo up where you will see it every day and get that *after* vision of the sleek new you in your mind.

Now, you may be thinking (I can hear you…) that it just is not possible to become one of those weight loss success stories yourself, but that simply is not true. What you weigh now does not matter. All that matters is to accept as fact that absolutely anyone can achieve their weight loss goals. People of all ages and of all weights and in many different circumstances have regained control of their lives, so there is no reason why you cannot do the same.

So take action today! Starting your new sensible-for-you weight loss program, not a fad diet you cannot possibly stick to, will be the first step towards your ultimate goal of achieving your desired weight. Remember though that you must tailor your plan for yourself, as everyone loses weight in different ways and in different time-frames. All weight loss success stories do have one thing in common though – they all had the will and motivation to get started and then to continue their diet and exercise plan day after day.

Keep in mind that you will not have your own weight loss testimonial by tomorrow, next week or even next month, but by sticking to it, every day brings you one day closer to your target! You will have doubts, you will have lapses, but if you do not give up and go back to your old eating habits, it will be a journey well worth taking.

Reading about and hearing about weight loss success stories is fun and inspiring, so share yours with us here. If you don’t have your own success story yet, make one up that you would like to come true… then go out and live it!