This summer it will be 3 years since I took my first class at JeniFit Studios and this fall it will be 3 years that I completed DYW, lost and kept off 45 pounds!

So many of you must be thinking what makes weight loss sustainable? Well I can tell you(and I think the other successful DYWers would agree) that the SECRET TO WEIGHT LOSS IS THAT THERE IS NO SECRET!  The DYW Program taught me that weight loss is about eating well, exercising and being consistent. It is a lifestyle and not a diet!

Here are a few things I have learned along the way and help make weight loss sustainable

• Schedule time for yourself. At first, I felt like self- care was being selfish. It took me awhile to realize that self-care is not selfish it is necessary. You need to take care of yourself in order to take care of anybody or anything else. That being said find what interests you and schedule fun for yourself. Stress relief is one of the top reasons we overeat so the more fun you have doing things you enjoy the less you will look to food for that relief.
• A vast majority of weight loss is diet. It is very difficult to out exercise a poor diet. You need to eat as clean as possible.
• Plan and Prepare Meals. This realization took me awhile to get used to and I still have some weeks where I just don’t feel like doing it but I realize now that my weeks are so much better when I have a plan. Keep your fridge filled with healthy food, this makes good choices much easier.
• Determine if you are actually hungry before you eat. Learn the difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly and feels urgent. It usually involves specific food cravings. When its emotional it isn’t the food you are craving but the avoidance and distraction. Try the broccoli or fish test: if you feel hungry and would eat fish or broccoli then you are probably really hungry😊
• Plan your indulgences. Eat treats when they are special to you. Ask yourself will I remember this in 2 weeks? Don’t waste an indulgence on a Chips Ahoy cookie.
• Learn to forgive yourself. This is not a race, there is no end point. It is all about the journey, there is no destination. If you chose to indulge, allow it, feel it, be mindful of it and move on! Your next meal is a new chance to make healthier choices. Find the balance you need to make this a sustainable lifestyle.

– Melissa