With the obesity epidemic in the United States, fast food joints on every corner, an FDA-approved food structure underwritten by Big Business, constant bombardment of weight-loss wonderdrug advertising underwritten by Big Pharma, and the Hollywood/Madison Avenue glorification of bony, undernourished bodies, it is no wonder the average American feels bad about his or her body and seeks to lose weight.

In fact, it should come as no surprise that there is a spike in gym memberships this time of year as millions of Americans half-heartedly "resolve" to lose weight this year. Trouble is, those same resolutions were made last year. And the year before. And the year before that. I should know. I used to do the same exact thing.

What changed for me? Well, getting off the diet rollercoaster was the big first step. How did I do it? Well, after watching The Secret and learning more about the Law of Attraction, I began to understand more about how our minds and bodies work together.

The absolute first thing you must do before you can even hope to achieve your healthy, ideal weight is...drum roll please...love your body exactly how it is right now. I know that it is going to be a challenge for many of us because we have been bombarded for so many years from other people and companies that we should hate our bodies and being overweight/obese as motivation for losing weight.

The problem with attaching emotion, such as hating our bodies, is that we get what we give under the Law of Attraction, so we end up with more weight. That's one of the main reasons most diets fail. You HAVE to love or at least accept where you are right now.

Once you love your body right now, the rest gets easier because you can view your ideal weight as a journey and not a destination. Success can be yours.