Do you adjust your schedule, get up early, and exercise for two weeks straight... and then find that you only lost half a pound?

Do you adjust your eating so that you eat smaller portions, fresher ingredients, and avoid your trigger foods while your family eats whatever they want... only to find that nothing changes in your body when you expect it to?

Do you salivate over the donuts at work and walk away time and time again, only to find that it didn't change how your clothes fit one bit??

Do you avoid your favorite restaurants, watch your husband eat m-n-m's and your kids go out for icecream, and feel like life is passing you by... only to find the cellulite is still there?

These experiences have happened to me, too, and quite often. What are the voices I hear in my head?

"Yep, it's official. It's not possible for me to lose weight."
"It's just not worth it."
"I can't do this anymore... I need some chocoate/pizza/whatever..."
"Everyone else eats whatever they want. I might as well just stay fat."
"I'm sore all over from this working out nonsense. I'm tired. I'll skip today since it's not working anyway."
"I hate sweating. Why bother?"
"I can eat this today, it won't matter... I'll just go back to my diet tomorrow."

The feelings of defeat that go along with these voices are indescribable. I know that feeling all too well. It can take me down like a huge tidal wave and pull me right down to the bottom of the pit of despair.

If this sounds like you, then LISTEN UP!! I'm here to tell you that those voices are DEAD WRONG. It's different for me, now. Something clicked in my head, and in my heart, and I'm finally losing weight.

You have GOT to come face to face with why you eat the way you do. I recommend the book "When Food is Love" or any book by Geneen Roth. This book has opened my eyes, and changed me for the better. It's also time to realize that life is not supposed to be entirely 100% about comfort.

I know the couch, the bed, and the easy chair are MUCH more comfortable than putting on your workout clothes and huffing and puffing.

I know that lifting weights makes you sore the next day and maybe the day after. And I know that doing it every other day for weeks on end can be tiring and hard to squeeze into your schedule. It would be so much more comfortable to veg-out in front of the t.v. and escape for an hour into some interesting story.

I know that mashed potatoes are comfort food, and so is chocolate, and peanut butter, and a stack of french toast on a sunday morning. I know a donut and coffee with cream and sugar makes you feel comforted with a surge of pleasure before your hectic work day.

I know it's uncomfortable to go out to dinner with your family or friends and order the plainest menu option. And during the holidays, it's uncomfortable to pass up the delicious treats that everyone brings. It might even hurt some feelings, and that's extra uncomfortable.

Do these things make you give up? If so, I know how you feel. It made me give up over and over for years. I just didn't feel I had the strength to overcome all of this and change my life for the better.

HERE IS WHAT IS HELPING ME:

Understand that life is not supposed to be about comfort, but SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.

Understand that even if you don't feel any changes at first, you WILL see results if you continue your healthy behaviors.

Understand that your mind and heart are just as much, or even more, a part of this journey than just your workout and eating plans.

Understand that if you give up, you will want to try again at some point and will feel bad that you gave up now.

Understand that you are probably on the precipice of change, and wouldn't it suck to give up now, just before you might see the changes?

Understand that Jillian Michaels, or Tony Robbins, or the latest workout machine is not the answer. They can certainly be IMPORTANT TOOLS, but they can't save you. Only you can save you.

Understand that if you keep growing, keep learning, and keep exploring your diet and lifestyle mistakes that you WILL eventually CRACK THE CODE! There is no reason to beat yourself up for what you've done or where you've been, as long as you analyze it and learn from it.

And finally, understand that you are worth loving exactly as you are. There is no reason to hate your miraculous body that has gotten you through your childhood, through various relationships, through your ups and downs, through your illnesses and fun times, and that will take you through to the end of your days. Your body is to be celebrated, appreciated, and admired for its ability to adjust and adapt to all it's been through. And it will adapt to the new changes you are making.

If you live a healthy life, it shows all over your body. And if you live an unhealthy life, it shows all over your body.

So don't give up. That's all I'm trying to say.