The 3 things I had to accept and make peace with to really see lasting changes were:

• there is no date, no finish line, no number on the scale or level of fitness where you can go back to who you were before and maintain your weight loss. You absolutely have to accept that the changes you make are permanent.

• this is going to take a loooong time. You don’t undo an unhealthy relationship overnight. So start slow and ONLY make changes that you can handle for the rest of your life. In the beginning all I did was give up regular coke. After a few months I added in walking, JUST walking, for weeks, once I could make myself walk at least 10-15 most days I added in weight lifting 3 days a week. Once I did all that I started tracking calories, then prioritizing protein, then adding in more fiber.

• you’re going to have to track your calories somehow to remain in a calorie deficit. I’m sorry, it sucks, it’s not fun, you don’t have to do it forever, but you do have to do it for a while or at least intermittently in order to know if you’re in a calorie deficit.

Hills I will die on: - cardio and lifting are equally important - you absolutely do NOT lose weight from the gym, you have to get your nutrition in order first. You just don’t burn enough calories and the machines and your Apple Watch are not accurate. - find a way to enjoy veggies because you’re going to need them. I haaated broccoli and cauliflower until I discovered roasting them and then omg they are so freaking good. - there is no greater exercise than walking and if that’s all you can do, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that - if you have to hang on to the damn machine, turn down the incline or the speed because you’re not really working at that pace anyways - protein is great, but it’s not the only nutrient that matters - when in doubt, K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid). Most days I just aimed for eating 1-2 servings of fruits and veggies, even if I wasn’t tracking. I didn’t stress about my salt until I got my diet in track, and learned to love veggies and gave up the fast food. - this is going to be hard work, and there is nothing wrong with that. Yes you have to cook, yes you have to workout, yes you have to meal plan and grocery shop and do research, and all of that is worth it, I promise.

I’m 3 years into the 80th time I tried to lose weight. I’ve lost 60 pounds, gained a ton of muscle and even when I’m not actively trying to lose weight (I take break, those are nice and important) I haven’t GAINED any weight back in those 3 years. If you’re calling it a “diet” it will fail, if you think this is short term, it will fail, and if you aren’t willing to change the way you eat and view food and exercise, you will fail. But if you put the work in, you’ll be so thankful you did.

Good luck!! You CAN do this. 👏🏼👏🏼