On a health journey, healing your relationship with food will benefit you more than avoiding it. When you avoid food that has power over you, you are handing over control to those foods. It may sound corny, but you have to take your power back. It will be a long process, but it’s worth it. Health journeys are lifelong, so you have the time.

       What is the rush? If you feel the need to rush on your health journey, it’s likely from poor intentions. Health and healing-based motivations usually allow for a natural-paced mindset. When your goals are superficial, you may want to rush your results. Your focus is on a shallow result rather than healing and changing for the betterment of your health. When you don’t take the time to heal and improve the habits that lead to poor health, you will regain weight when you return to those habits. Extreme restrictions can help people lose weight quickly, but the underlying behaviors that lead to weight gain remain.

       It is necessary to decenter the opinions of others in your life and on a health journey. You can feel the hurt from it. It is natural, but you cannot let them have too much power over your health and happiness. When you make lifestyle changes, make them because you love yourself and want to treat yourself better. Do not make lifestyle changes in an attempt to gain approval from others. It is impossible to meet everyone’s expectations, so focus on yours. You cannot control others’ perceptions, but you can control yours. Attempting to make everyone happy is a lost cause, but making yourself happier is possible. Forget about the negative people in the world, and be a positive person in your world.

       On your health journey, I want you to be cognizant of the cycle of your thoughts, actions, and feelings. We have to challenge these negative cycles and turn them into positive ones. Remember, your thoughts influence your actions, and feelings develop from those actions. Those feelings further feed your thoughts, and the cycle continues. If you think negatively about yourself, it’s less likely you will take positive actions regarding your health.

        It is easy to obsess with constant progress on a health journey. Nothing feels better than reaching new low weights, wearing smaller clothes, or running further than before. As soon as you achieve some success, you want more. The reality is that you will not lose weight or perform better every day. Some days, especially after outperforming myself, I’m tired and need rest. Success doesn’t come daily. It comes when you are dedicated and consistent. As long as you continue to push forward, you will progress. You may not see that progress every day, but it is there. I may not be able to run far every day, but walking or a short run is still exercise and still progress. You must challenge your fears of reverting; they’re unnecessary. Trust the process and keep fighting. You will be successful.

       You do not have to give up eating the foods you love to lose weight and be healthier. Focus on finding a healthy balance. This process usually involves making small changes you later build upon and finding alternatives. First off, start smaller and be realistic. It is difficult to change lifelong habits, so take your time. It is unrealistic to go from a “My 600Lb Life” diet to a “Victoria’s Secret model” diet overnight. Secondly, find alternatives to help make your favorite meals healthier. For example, when I eat at Raisin Canes, I order the Kid’s meal because the portions are smaller. I consume fewer calories, and I can enjoy the same foods I like. My mom’s order is a regular meal. But instead of ordering fries, she gets a second portion of cole slaw. It is simple changes like these that will help you improve your diet without suffering from too much restriction. These changes are easier to maintain long-term and build upon. Remember, you don’t have to suffer to be healthier. If you take on too much too soon, you may give up and overeat. It is better to make small changes first than to make no changes at all. You do not need to be perfect to make improvements in your health. In the end, it is consistency, not perfection, that yields results.