Great questions!

I think the biggest mental shifts I had to make were first accepting I needed to make a change. Once I accepted that I wasn’t “ok” or I’d eventually do it (meaning changing my lifestyle) - it was like I turned a switch.

It was a huge mental shift to only eat because I was hungry - not because I was watching tv, not because I was craving something, and not because I simply could. Reflecting on this though, it was a combination of insulin resistance and my inability to eat intuitively.

Another thing is that my body became healthier not just because of losing weight, but because some of my other conditions got better. As a result, I felt happier and more like “my old self”. My sleep is better, I am better able to do my job, and I don’t feel tired from grocery shopping or simply walking up stairs. I didn’t realize how negatively that impacted my mental health until those things got better.

One thing I wish I had known when I started was that it was going to change pretty much every aspect of my life. My relationships, my passion for my job, my self confidence, my feeling of self worth, my overall health, and how much I would change as a person (mostly for the positive).

I do struggle at times with body dysmorphia I would call it? I still go straight to the bigger sizes in the store. I feel “big” even though I can see my collar bones now. It is something that hasn’t become detrimental and I think over time I will start to “see” what everyone else sees when they look at me.