I recently wrote, “Change your body or don’t – we are all works in progress – but please start from a place of self-love and body-acceptance.” (Blog here). Today, I share some of my journey.

My weight fluctuates. I remember being 13 and thinking I was too fat (at 115 lbs!).

13 and playing dress-up at my aunt’s place

I also remember being my heaviest in my 20s (190 lbs!).

Remember Jane Fonda and the thong-leotard-leg-warmers aerobics phase? I jumped on that bandwagon, got my first certification (ACE Group Fitness Instructor) and got down to 125 lbs as an adult – which I maintained for about two deep breaths. I’ve also attained lifetime membership with Weight Watchers twice!

My weight goes the 140s to the 170s depending on whether I’m in a calorie-counting-exercising phase or a couch-potato-take-out-dinner phase.

I’m okay with being a “heavier” dietitian. My hope is that it gives people a place of realism from which to start, it reinforces that “knowing” and “doing” are two different things, and it lets people know that I can relate to their challenges since maintaining a socially desirable weight doesn’t come easy for me either!

This year, I’ve focused on bringing my body weight down. My reasons? I like to feel strong (I didn’t) and I have a closet full of super-cute clothes that I want to wear again. Okay, and arms. I love to see my upper arms have a little definition.

Body change will not happen until you are ready and decide what will work for you with your circumstances.

It is EASY to not think about what to eat until you’re hungry and it is HARD to meal plan, shop, and prep.

It is EASY to flop onto the coach at the end of the day and it is HARD to make time (and motivate!) to exercise.

It is EASY to make excuses and it is HARD to find small things you CAN do regardless of circumstances and place responsibility squarely on your own shoulders – where it belongs!

Next is what has worked for me to slowly lose 15 pounds this year – 3/4 pound a week adds up over time.

First was putting some money on the line. I tried DietBet. The app takes your real money from you and challenges you to lose 4% of your weight in 4 weeks. I’ve won 5 games and lost 1. Knowing that I have to make a certain goal or lose $10 – $35 has been incredibly motivating and helped with consistency.

Second was that dreaded meal planning and prepping ahead of time. I started with the New Year, a new notebook, and a heart full of hope. It worked. I have done this faithfully EVERY WEEK since January! It sucks. It’s hard. It takes soooooo long to do the prep sometimes. But it is SOOOOOOOOO worth it! (I do count calories using SparkPeople and have for years – love this site!)

Finally, (and I hate to admit this) a FitBit helped me to get moving. I didn’t realize how sedentary I was. Now I try to get 10-12k steps 4 times a week and 7k on other days. (Note that my employer has incentive money tied to steps – financial incentive helps!) In addition, I tried (and loved!) a yoga studio and promptly signed up for two Intro to Yoga series workshops.

My secrets to success are find something you love for activity, make the time for meal planning and prepping, and put some money on the line!

WHAT ARE YOUR SECRETS TO SUCCESS???

NOTE – There are NO affiliations or sponsorships from any of the linked resources mentioned.

Featured picture from:http://www.niashanks.com/stop-weighing-on-the-scale-for-weight-loss/. The other pictures are obviously mine. Please don’t use them without my permission.