When I was 38 years old, I was severely overweight. A major weight-related health scare landed me in the hospital for a week, and when I got home, I knew that I had to make some serious changes.

At first, attempting to lose weight was a major struggle. Like most people starting a weight loss journey, I made many mistakes. For example, I was depriving myself of all my favorite foods, trying to do too much exercise too soon, and I heavily focused on all the negative aspects of losing weight.

A wise health coach gave me a great piece of advice that completely changed everything:

“Stop focusing on losing weight. Instead, focus on creating health.” 💪

Losing something feels terrible. On the other hand, creating something positive feels incredible!

This simple change in perspective changed everything.

Instead of focusing on what I was giving up each time I made a healthier choice when eating, I started focusing on how much better I was going to feel thanks to those choices. Instead of thinking about how out of breath I was while exercising, I started focusing on how exciting it was that my body was getting healthier with each workout.

Focusing on the negatives made trying to lose weight miserable. Focusing on the positives made it very exciting and so much easier to stick with.

Today I’m in the best mental and physical shape of my life. I’m so grateful that I received this advice. I hope it is as helpful for you as it was for me!