Coming from a family that has had its struggles with chronic illness and working in the medical field for 28 years where I have sadly seen people suffer from chronic ailments, I knew I had to make a change. 

It wasn’t hard to decide whether I was up for the challenge of getting healthier. Oh, I was! But I had to overcome the distractions. 

See, my greatest fear was being forced into having to eat better and get fit because I didn’t take care of my body. So, I knew I had to make a change. Since I was aware of the unhealthy choices I was making daily, I knew the solution to my problem was to become more intentional about achieving it.

A Mindset Shift

Taking the first step to becoming more intentional with my eating habits immediately replaced the fear I was feeling with faith. This is also known as a mindset shift. Gradually, I began to eradicate anything that would get me off course or become a distraction. It was me vs me. I was standing in my own way.

I’ll be honest, it was tough.  

It was one of the hardest battles I’ve ever fought. I was learning to be intentional about what I ate, and it was difficult to say no to my favorite snacks. There were a lot of unhealthy habits that needed to be pruned, and I knew I needed God’s grace to help me win this battle.

Day by day, I put in the work to make healthier choices. I learned to say, “No, to eating tons of sugary snacks and high-in-fat fast foods.” By God’s grace, I persevered. And I’m so thankful for one of my daughters' faithful support in helping me stay disciplined. The mom in me was so proud because it was the same lesson I instilled in her as a young girl. The lesson was, “never give up.”

My “Why” Keeps Me Going

Setting a goal for myself was important, but I had to put a “why” behind my goal. Doing so gave me a greater purpose and strengthened my focus because I was determined to accomplish it. My ‘why” was to be whole, healthy, and extend my quality of life.

I feed my mind with positive affirmations. Each day, I would see the benefits of staying disciplined and consistent. There have been noticeable changes in my weight, but more importantly, the greatest change has been on the inside. Eating better affects your mind and body in so many positive ways. My journey isn’t finished, but I am grateful for the changes I’ve seen thus far. It truly starts in the mind.