Over the last two years I lost close to 100 pounds. A lot of people have asked me my secret to weight loss. Inevitably, they are disappointed in my response. Typically I respond by saying it’s not a secret, eat better and exercise more. But the truth is, there is more to it.

I was one of the millions of yo-yo dieters. My weight would go up and down. I would commit to some fad diet or an exercise plan and give up after a few months. I was frustrated. I knew what needed to be done to lose weight, but I just wouldn’t stick with it and didn’t understand why.

Honestly it came down to the fact that my health wasn’t a priority to me. On a daily basis, everything got a higher priority… EVERYTHING. Why? For some reason I didn’t think I was important enough. I was full of excuses.

self-disciplineBefore I could truly commit to becoming a healthier version of myself I had to deal with my negative feelings about myself. I had to learn to love myself. I had to learn I was totally worth the time and the effort. I had to make myself a priority.

Once I worked through that, it became much easier. There wasn’t an internal conversation about whether I had time to workout or whether or not I should eat more pizza. It was obvious.

I believe, for a lot of people, losing weight starts with a mental shift. You have to want more for yourself.img_9698