One year ago I hit a physical low.

I was the heaviest I’d been since right after I gave birth nearly 9 years prior. Stress was oozing out of my pores. My energy was l-o-w. I felt miserable in my skin.

Covid-19 was more than a pandemic. My body reflected the toll of the pandemic.

I made a commitment to get healthy. It was about the number on the scale but it was way more than that. Strength. Fitting into my clothes. Feeling sexy and confident in my skin. Moving my body. Stress release. Fueling my body more than comforting my fears.

Today, I’m 42 years old and I’m literally the healthiest and strongest I’ve been in my entire life! The physical discipline and focus I’ve practiced these last 12 months has benefited every dimension of my life. I’ve lost 20+ pounds and 17+ inches, but I’ve gained so much more. I’ve got my groove back!

These 5 lessons changed everything for my physical wholeness.

LESSON #1: Make a Decision

I decided enough was enough. I didn’t want to continue to feel or look that way any more. But the angst had to translate to making a commitment. Often making a decision to do something different comes from a place of frustration. I decided that working toward a preferred future was better than settling for my present reality. I desperately wanted to create simple shifts that would work for me.

I was done making excuses. I was sick and tired of feeling tired, sluggish, and beyond my own body. I decided to make a change.

LESSON #2: Tell 3 Supportive People

Honestly, I tried for well over a year to loose a few pounds that weren’t serving me well. I even tried with a couple girlfriends. The difference this time? I told people who weren’t going to let me off the hook or co-sign on my excuses. I told people who were equally committed to my success and new way of life. They held me accountable, supporting my sacrifices and commitment.

LESSON #3: Create Structure

To get what you’ve never had, you have to do what you’ve never done. My previous attempts had vague, ambiguous structure. I kinda thought the weight would miraculous come off if I ate an extra serving of veggies every day. I didn’t decide what shifts I would commit to making in order to achieve my goal.

**Hello! I’m a certified coach! This was insane, but it also reflected that I wasn’t really committed to the goal until a year ago.**

This time, I created some flexible structure with to two basic practices:

1. I would work out daily for 20-30 minutes minimum before the kids woke up. (BeachBody workouts are my jam … tons of calories burned, interval training with weights, and I didn’t have to leave my house)

2. I signed up for Noom*. I needed to learn a different way to think about sleep, nutrition, and movement. The mindset shifts, new knowledge, increased self-awareness, and weekly check-ins with a coach were game-changers. (*no affiliate link but message me if you want a discounted rate)

The structure eliminated decision fatigue. The attention to how I was caring for my body brought SO much self-awareness which lead to deeper transformation. I made more changes, but the structure these two practices created were the trajectory shift I needed.

LESSON #4: Track Your Progress Daily

Daily I began reading 10 minutes of Noom’s articles, weighing myself, logging my all of my food, counting my water intake, and accounting for my exercise.

What you focus on expands. Weigh-in, food, and exercise can be real tricky for women, so I made a decision to track my progress so I could LEARN my patterns, tendencies, pitfalls, and how my body reacted to specific foods and workouts. I became really CURIOUS about the influence and impact of how I was treating my body.

Tracking became a way to learn about my body, not punish, shame, or perfect her.

Tracking your progress daily matters because if you’re not measuring it, does it really matter to you? If it does, how will you measure it that will lead you toward wholeness?

LESSON #5: Do It For Others … and Yourself

For almost a year I didn’t share anywhere on social media about my weight loss or physical wholeness challenges. In fact, I hardly talked about it with anyone who wasn’t on the front lines to help me achieve my goal.

I wanted it for me. I wanted it for my marriage and kids. I wanted to prove to myself that I could make sustainable changes that would last beyond the dopamine burst I’d get from social media likes.

Oftentimes we don’t change for ourselves. We’ve rationalized how we’ve settled for the life we’re living. It’s human nature. But when your 8 year old hugs you and says, “Mom, you’re feeling really fluffy these days”, it’s a reality check!

I knew I wasn’t honoring my body well. I knew I wasn’t caring for her like she deserved. I knew the trajectory I was on was NOT the one I wanted to continue. But it took feedback from someone I loved to knock me out of my delusions.

We’re all on a wholeness journey. Different seasons requires paying attention to different dimensions of wholeness. Our lives are never static. We’re either getting better or worse.

I’m so proud of the work I’ve done–and continue to do–so I can live and lead with wholeness. I’m worth it. My family is worth it.

You are worth it, too. What about you? 2022 is ready for you to say YES to your wholeness more than ever before.