Enjoying the journey

What if I told you that you could enjoy the process of losing weight? Yeah, I didn't believe that shit either.

What many of us don't realize is when we decide to lose weight (especially with 100 pounds or more to lose), we're deciding to change our lives. You can't lose 100 pounds (and keep it off) if you're determined to be the same person when you reach your goal.

For me, I didn't set out to change who I was — I thought I liked that person — but the changes happened so slowly over time that most of the time I didn't even realize how much I was changing. Now I can look back and see that I wasn't the best version of myself. I struggled with anger, expectations, resentment, perfectionist and so many other unproductive emotions and habits.

If someone had told me how different I'd be in a year, I might not have had the courage to even start. It's in the small victories we have daily that inspires us to do a little more. It gives us courage to believe we can do more than we think we can. And who knows who I'll be a year from today and that's exciting now instead of frightening.

I still drink, I still overeat, I still have negative thoughts that weigh me down sometimes, but I also have resiliency now. One bad day doesn't mean I give up. One bad day doesn't mean I go back to the old habits. I also have results that I can point too and tell my brain, "well that's just bullshit and not true."

Take time to savor your small wins — not eating those free cookies in the break room, taking a walk instead of sitting on the couch, realizing a yoga class can be self care just as much as a pedicure, substituting your ice cream for frozen yogurt, rewarding yourself with a kayaking trip instead of a pizza! All small wins that lead to new healthy habits.