I was always a comfort eater as a child. Most of my childhood pictures were taken with food. I was the funny fat friend who made everyone laugh, but inside I was miserable. I despised myself and would go on extreme diets to lose weight. My friends and family would roll their eyes whenever I said I was going on a diet because they knew I’d return to my chubby old self in a couple of months.
Eating was my favorite pasttime, and sometimes, I would spend the whole day eating. My days started with something sugary, then I would have something sweet for lunch, and a large unhealthy meal in the evening. I knew my eating was out of control and that I needed more than willpower to help with my food addiction, so I joined the 12-step program. Although it was very helpful, and I learned a lot from it, I needed something else to get me started on my weight loss journey.
I signed up for a diet bet program, and I bet that I would lose 100lbs in 12 months. In January, I started going to the gym, and then the pandemic hit, and we were on lockdown. But I was determined to win the bet and lose the weight, and so I started going for walks every day. I changed my diet and began eating healthy meals. I really struggled with this because my first thought when I got hungry was to go out and buy something unhealthy. I had to learn to police my thoughts because once I started thinking about eating fast food, I would convince myself to eat it.
I started documenting my journey on Instagram to keep myself accountable. I figured if I put it out there for the whole world to see, I’d feel like a complete fool if I didn’t win the bet. But I wasn’t expecting the outpouring of support and for so many people to tell me how I had inspired them to start their weight loss journey. The feedback I got from social media motivated me to keep going.
I reached my goal and actually lost 110lbs within one year, and I was so proud of myself. When people ask me how they can achieve the same results, I tell them to start small. I think one of the biggest hindrances to success is trying to do too much at once. That’s what I used to do. I would go on extreme diets and fail because my brain couldn’t handle the shift. Doing one small thing every day accumulates, for example, getting off the bus one stop earlier and walking. Have a salad for lunch instead of a sandwich. These small changes will eventually help you reach your weight loss goals.
Another strategy I used was to have a vision board in my room so that I was constantly reminded of what I wanted to achieve. I put positive quotes on the vision board, and I would read them out loud every day. The way you speak to yourself is also important. Instead of telling yourself that you can’t, tell yourself that you can. The most important conversation you’ll have throughout the day is the one you’ll have with yourself. Make sure you say things to yourself that will motivate and inspire you to achieve your goals.
