We all know people who appear to sail through life, happily moving from one success to the next. And yet there are others who fail at just about anything they have a go at – but can always tell you why it wasn’t their fault. Our civilisation is made up of victors and victims. The difference between the two can very often be reduced to one key thing, and that’s attitude.

It’s essential when working on a weight loss program to adopt the habits of the victor to accomplish the right outcome. Feebly attempting a weight-loss plan without taking responsibility for the outcome will put you in the ‘victim’ camp. And yet for a victor it’s all in the bag from the beginning.

Let’s envision we’re on court for a tennis finale. We listen to the players before the start – One player says the outcome is now in the lap of the gods, whereas his opponent states “I am destined to be the champion!” Who’s most likely to succeed?

The victor is characterised by the word oar- a figure paddling on to victory. (OAR stands for Ownership, Accountability and Responsibility). On the other hand the victim is characterised by ‘BED’ – he/she stays in bed and is defeated. (BED stands for Blame, Excuses and Denial).

Not relying on others, but taking ownership of the job is a strong characteristic of a victor. He takes account of his actions by taking them seriously. He sees things through by tackling problems instead of creating them. He doesn’t take excuses from himself and is responsible for the outcome of his activities.

The victim can always come up with a reason for not accomplishing something, and it’s hardly ever to do with him. Mistakes or short-comings are always transferred on to a third party. Justifications are always made for why he couldn’t perform well – but inevitably he’s the only one who’s convinced! The pattern of blaming others and making excuses leads to an existence of absolute denial. The victim is then sure beyond doubt that he can do nothing about his lot.

People approaching a life-changing diet and exercise program need to give themselves a mental work-out, to stack the odds in their favour. To really embrace the health-enhancing program, any traces of the victim syndrome have to be wiped out.

Attitudes (both good and bad) are simply habits, and with constant repetition they can be altered. When you’re alone with your thoughts, are you thinking like a victim? If the answer is yes, then take control right away. Don’t think others are better than you – it’s just that some people have fought their demons and come out on top.

“There is no such thing as a hero,” as Churchill said, “only those who rise to the occasion.” We need to have a winning outlook on life in order to become a winner in the weight-loss arena.

(C) Scott Edwards. Hop over to WeightLossDietWar.com for smart diet tips on tips for losing weight and belly fat loss.