The problem with weight loss is the word itself: loss. It has too many negative connotations for most of us, even though shows such as The Biggest Loser is a successful enterprise. And if you were to ask me at this very moment, "How do you want to be remembered?" I would not reply regarding how thin I was. Instead, I want to be remembered for my substance.

Sticking with a healthy meal plan is all about dropping unnecessary weight, feeling lighter and floating on air, like when you first fall in love and everything and everyone was perfect. Consider the word derivation of "lighter"—its root is to see the light instead of the dark. Consequently, let’s alter traditional perception a bit. Let’s focus on what is gained: health, empowerment and, most importantly, a sense of control.

Here are six ways to help you become lighter:

1. Gain a good self-concept. Change your life story where you perceive yourself as flawed or inadequate. Accept the self to build on your strengths. It is quite difficult to sustain good habits when you begin with the premise that you are a loser.

2. Gain the specific mindset of a winner. Find the good within the bad. Keep a sharp eye for opportunities. Activate your inner optimist who believes that you are lucky—that it will all work out in the end. Like the old joke, "It will all work out in the end and if it hasn’t, it isn’t the end."

3. Lose the anger and disappointment. Try to write simple sentences about the negative situation or conflict. No adjectives or adverbs allowed! This means expressing the clinical facts, not the stories you build around them. Read your sentences out loud and try to see them from a more neutral perspective. It would be nice if everyone you know acted according to your rules and beliefs, but they don’t.

4. Gain a creative outlet to soar with joy and spontaneity. When you are passionate about a hobby or job, you lose track of time and space. Your mind expands and is absorbed by what you are doing. You become weightless taking a quantum leap into the passion of creation. If anything destructive is happening in your life, if you have experienced a loss, go the opposite route to create and regenerate.

5. Gain good eating habits. Tap into food science regarding food and mood. For example, salmon, walnuts, omega 3-enriched eggs and other omega-enriched products lift your mood. Complex carbohydrates help you manufacture feel-good chemistry and stabilize your blood sugars. Happy people don’t need to fill empty hearts with junk food.

6. Gain movements that matter to you. Have an intention for your movements. Perceive exercise as either grounding, self-healing or generating positive energy. So, exercise the right to make time for yourself and exercise some control over your life.

Keep the mindset of, "what I do for me is what I do for us." Share your self-growth with your spouse and you will both gain.

Debbie Mandel, MA is the author of "Addicted to Stress: A Woman's 7 Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life," "Changing Habits: The Caregivers' Total Workout" and "Turn On Your Inner Light: Fitness for Body, Mind and Soul," a stress-reduction specialist, a radio show host and has been featured on radio/ TV and print media. To learn more visit: www.turnonyourinnerlight.com.