How I put myself in the equation and reignited my life…and you can too!

When I started my transformation journey at 350+ pounds, I had no illusions it would be easy. I knew my stomach would grumble, my muscles would ache and my courage might flag. To succeed, I adopted a new way of thinking and focused on the life I wanted to create.

Below are the five basic principles I followed. I promise you, if you decide to transform your life and follow these steps you too can do absolutely anything. Anything! It is from the center of the equation of your own life, that greatness is possible. I now know without a doubt that when you love yourself…when you give yourself the gift of happiness…and when you honor your true authentic, imperfect perfect self…well, only good can come of it. I am living proof. Let me be your HOPE!

My five principles for how to put yourself in the equation:

1. Be Open. Because life opportunities rarely appear under blinking neon signs, keep your eyes and heart open to the people and possibilities that come your way. And when you see them, don’t be afraid to take the leap and grab hold. Leap—despite your fear —on faith, hope and courage. This is where the real transformation occurs.
2. Set yourself up for Success. Trust the experts. Build a solid foundation of support by putting your team in place. I was successful because I followed the plan by working out and eating right. But without the right nutrition and fitness experts to guide me (thank you Leif Anderson, O’Neal Hampton and Sandra Swami), a counselor to help me find my true self (thank you Denise), and friends and family to encourage me (ALL!), I would not have succeeded.
3. Commit 100% – Go All In. You can’t ‘kind of’ take this on. To succeed, I was honest about what factors could derail me. Then I devised a set of non-negotiable rules to keep me on track, and I stuck to them. I am not perfect, so I didn’t achieve 100% every time. But, I went ‘all in’ with an unwavering commitment and I consistently executed the plan over time.
4. Persevere. And when you falter, persevere. Losing 200+ pounds was tough but it was nowhere near as difficult as I imagined when I was sitting in that office chair paralyzed to move forward. Whenever I got tired of my diet and the gym, or my emotions got the better of me, I alwaysreturned to the plan and focused on my long-term goal. Yes, you’ll falter. However slips are an opportunity to step back and learn, not a sign that you can’t do it. It’s what you do when you slip that matters.
5. Celebrate the process. Your journey is about progress, not perfection. Have an end goal but it’s important to also set milestones along the way and celebrate them. Celebrate the big successes and the little ones. I will never forget what it felt like to be standing at my celebration party sans 200+ pounds in a sparkly dress overwhelmed with gratitude for this new body and life. It doesn’t get much better than that.

I hope my journey serves as an example for how you too can put yourself back into the equation of your life and achieve your wildest dreams. I am here to help. Please CONNECT with me here if you want to chat.

Read my full story of my transformation as it appeared in Duluth Superior Magazine by clicking here.

See before and after transformation photos here.