I’m living proof that you can do it.

And I cannot wait for us to get started.

I thought I’d be happier with my life once I lost weight. What I discovered was that overeating had been a form of self-medication...stuffing down and covering up unexpressed anger and sadness. And it wasn’t so easy to deal with these emotions without my usual coping strategy. I’d lost 25 pounds. I was now a “normal” weight. But I was not happier with myself.

I kept going with my diet, believing I’d find relief once I lost "enough" weight. I never got there; it was never enough. Somehow, the body I thought I should have, and the happiness I expected that to bring, never emerged. In all, I spent 5 years trapped by the darkness of anorexia nervosa.

Therapy helped somewhat, but ultimately I went in search of the answers (boundaries) I needed. It took moving far from my family to accomplish this. Over time, I began to enjoy life more and I allowed myself to gain back some weight. This was a fraught time. I was fearful of losing control of my weight. And my metabolism had been destroyed. I could gain weight very easily eating very little. Over the next few years I weight-cycled, gaining and losing the same 5-7 pounds until I figured out how to maintain my weight.

I’ve maintained my weight loss for over 30 years, and my preferred weight for over 20. It’s only gotten easier over time. I eat what I want when I’m hungry. I have no cravings, I feel no deprivation. I rarely feel food anxiety or guilt. I have found greater acceptance of my body.

My experiences gave me deep insights into the challenges we face once we lose weight. It's then that the longest, hardest battle begins: the battle to keep it off. For many of us, this is a superhuman effort. Many who lose weight struggle with "yo-yo dieting." We have a problem with weight maintenance.  But why?

Losing weight changes your body, not your mind. But if you want to keep the weight off, your mind is what needs to change.

Our thoughts come from our beliefs about ourselves and the world, and they're rooted in our very identity. To keep the weight off, you need to stop acting like you did when you weighed more and behave like naturally thin people do. And this is a conscious effort until you truly embody the identity of a thin person.

A new identity doesn't just get downloaded. It takes work and determination to install specific habits which keep you at your goal weight. Over time these new behaviors change the way you think about yourself. In essence,  through the methodical and consistent execution of a weight maintenance lifestyle, your self-identity changes. You become thin from the inside out. That's when doing the right thing for your body just comes naturally. The answers you need lie deeper than what you put in your mouth. The truly epic change you’ll be making is one that starts between your ears.