Are you a winner? Are you driven in life to succeed? Do you go all out on the softball field or tennis court? Do you volunteer for the tough assignments to get ahead in your career? Harness that competitive fire to lose weight and get healthy.

One of the most popular TV shows is The Biggest Loser. The original has even spawned take-offs. What makes these shows so compelling and the participants' desire to lose weight so profound?

The original show that focused on individual contestants was all about one-on-one competition. Each participant stood to gain financially the longer he or she stayed on the show and continued to lose weight. I'm not advocating the techniques the participants used. The key take-away is to figure out how to harness your competitive drive to succeed in getting healthy.

Losing weight permanently requires an unwavering commitment to a healthy lifestyle. You don't need to be perfect every day, but overall you need to adopt a healthy diet, moderate exercise, and control any emotional eating that causes you to overeat.

None of this is easy when faced with constant temptation and demands on your time. But you are not the type to settle for what's easy. You are better than that.

Here's where I'm going with this. If you are a driven person who strives for success in your profession, being the best parent you can be, perfecting your photography hobby, or getting straight A's, why are you treating the goal of being healthy differently?

Are you getting a little uncomfortable? Maybe even a little annoyed? OK! That's the passion I'm talking about! Harness that to achieve your weight loss and health goals.

Don't accept failure. Change your mindset. You can do this. Just like you succeed at work, just like you are a great parent, just like you are a killer photographer or student or tennis player.

You don't settle for being average in any other area of your life. Why is getting healthy any different? Strive to be the healthiest, fittest person you can be. Get control of your health and weight. Be passionate about being healthy.