It’s hard to believe. Twenty years have passed since my mother and I walked into the weight loss support group. We wanted to make a difference in our weight loss journey. Finally, we are committed to being better at being healthy. Although things have been difficult for us in the past few years, I have realized that some things are necessary. Ultimately, I must be the one to make choices for the better.

For many years, I lived in fear. I was afraid to get on the scale. I dreaded seeing the weight I had gained. Over the years, I was unwilling to make a change. This was true even until the beginning of the year when I reached my highest weight. I realized I no longer make excuses. I had to face what I had experienced and embrace the things that life had to offer. I wanted to blame the medication for not losing weight. But, I had to be willing to do what I knew was necessary. It was clear that by making the needed changes, things would improve and the weight would come down.

Eventually I would get over the fears that I had about the scale. I constantly thought that doing even the smallest things would make me lose weight. I realized it had to start with me. I needed to do the right things for myself. It mattered to do what seemed the hardest for me to do. I had to be willing to do what was needed to make a difference in myself, because I wanted it. I discovered techniques to overcome boredom and emotional eating. I had to acknowledge wanting to eat out of emotion or habit and not recognizing its detrimental effect. I looked for ways to improve myself and make better decisions, despite the difficulty of doing so.

I nipped the feelings I had about my medication in the bud. After doing so, I realized I needed to work on losing weight. I focused on being more mindful of what I was eating and drinking. I knew that these choices affected my success on the scales. The only way things would improve was by taking the initiative myself. I had to do what was right for my own reasons. A shortcut disguised as help was not going to work for me.

I know I have this one chance at doing better and making my body the best it can be. I need to stop thinking that I can do the same old things and keep improving. Instead, it actually does the opposite. It creates challenges when it comes to accepting things for what they are. I know I am responsible. When I don’t take the necessary actions, I hinder my progress towards being healthier.

The reality is that I can do what it takes to be successful at losing weight. It just takes having the determination that I know I have. I set my mind to doing great things. I overcome my struggles and battles. I do what is right for me and the right way to move on by turning my life around.