Would you take 12 lbs. down and dietary freedom in 3 years?
Serious question.
If you asked me that about 10 years ago, I would have said hell no.
Interestingly enough, it took me almost 10 years to finally achieve dietary freedom. So, that 3 year offer would have been pretty damn worth it.
I think the reason you may be hesitant to say yes is because of the 12 lbs. …
Maybe you feel like it’s not enough.
Maybe you feel like it’s not fast enough.
That’s the perspective that the diet industry has ingrained in us with all of their “lose 30 lbs. in 30 days” marketing.
What they really mean is lose 30 lbs. in 30 days and then gain it back in 30 more days!
That’s why the dietary freedom piece of the puzzle is so critical.
One of the curses of having coached thousands of transformations at this point is the ability to tell when the results will last and when they won’t.
It’s strongly correlated with mindset.
That’s exactly why our process begins with increasing self awareness around your personality type and specific tendencies that are either helping or hurting your progress.
When you read this story about our client, Melissa, you’ll see what I mean by a transformation that is lasting.
You’ll see what I mean by dietary freedom.
How Melissa achieved dietary freedom & lasting change
Here’s what she said …
“These pics show a physical change, but I wish they could show the change in my mental health which is way more impactful!
The first pic was taken two years into my health journey. (I wish I had pics from the start). By this point, I was crossfitting for one year and new into Powerlifting. And, I was learning how to fuel my body for performance but still struggled with my mindset.
I was focused on the scale as the be-all/end-all. I had many ups and downs in day to day life, always feeling like I was on a roller coaster and didn’t know how to get off. I regularly lived life on the edge of “too much” or “too little” (alcohol, junk food, sleep, work, stress, working out).
I had major goals in every aspect of my life and steps for how I was going to get there. I journaled daily. But, I never believed I could actually achieve my personal goals outside of work. I self-sabotaged every couple weeks and was regularly injured.
Fast forward to today. I live a sustainable lifestyle that fits my priorities (including weekly ice cream, date nights, workouts for health not punishment). I love what my body can do and I am comfortable in my own skin.
I follow through on goals to the end (no more self-sabotage) and believe I can, and will, achieve them. I deserve success, love, joy.
My life is in balance. I have strong relationships, my work and personal lives mesh well and I don’t identify as having anxiety and depression. I trust myself to get through bumps in the road. I get consistent sleep … still working to improve the quality and it will be a major focus going into Fall and Winter.
Others may look at this and say, ‘Easy for you to say, you’re …’ (fill in the blank). Small steps, and I mean baby steps, building on top of each other over a five year journey have gotten me to this healthier place, along with support from April and the team.
I am type 3, so perseverance at a turtle’s pace works for me. Did I want faster results? Yes. But, every time I tried to go fast, I ended up back where I started.
I needed to try a new approach. So a year ago I joined POP, transferring over with April. And, that is when the pieces really started coming together. Nutrition and workouts by themselves are okay, but I realized unless I fixed the root of my struggles by improving the health of my mental state, I would never really achieve fully sustainable overall health.
Do the challenges, take pics, journal or don’t. Do what works for you. And never, ever give up on being a healthier version of yourself.
I am so thankful for April Simmons Blackford, Mike Millner, and Jk McLeod and the entire POP family who inspire me every day. Sincerely, thank you for helping me reach my potential on so many fronts! Can’t wait to see what’s next.”
