Even if you don’t know how Dave Grohl is, he’s absolutely right about this. Set your mind to it and focus and you will accomplish anything you want. It’s that way about eating right and losing weight, too.

When I set out to get healthy just over six months ago, I never dreamed that I would actually be where I am today. I hoped, and I had the right mindset, but still, it seemed out of my grasp. Why did I think that way? Because I’ve tried in the past and failed every time. I did make an effort to avoid sodas, and that was helping me with about a 2 lb per month weight loss, but at that rate, I’d be 90 before I got to my target weight, so I had to do something more drastic. Enter Whole30 and Paleo. They changed my life.

The overall weight loss is since 2013 when my wife and I got the scale, and this is the app that works with the scale. Since September 1, I’ve lost 83 lbs. Since my heaviest, I’ve lost 106 lbs.

What is different between all the times I’ve tried to lose weight in the past and this time? If I had to pick the top factor, it would be that I get to eat foods that are delicious, that fill me up, and that I enjoy. It also helps that the food I eat now make me feel healthier, more energetic, and are actually improving my health.

In the past, I’ve been on diet after diet that was restrictive in one way or another. Almost without exception, the diets were forcing me to eat foods that were just not that delicious. On top of that, they contained a lot of carbs and were missing the mark in terms of hitting the root of the issue of my weight gain: sugars. Since I’ve cut out sugars, I’ve changed my mental attitude, lost the cravings, and I’m able to go from meal to meal without starving or needing a snack.

I know people who think that Paleo cuts out a food group, and they feel that it is unhealthy. Well, carbs are not a food group. I guess if there are two food “groups” that we avoid, they are legumes and grains, but otherwise, I can (and do) eat fruits, meats, and vegetables.

Paleo is popular right now, but it’s no fad. It’s not a diet to make you lose weight that you can then get off of. It’s a lifestyle that is easy to adapt to once you learn some basics and accept the fact that you have to work a little harder to eat healthy. Like Dave said, if you’re driven and focused, you can do pretty much anything you want to do. Do you want to be healthy? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to feel more energetic? Then do it. Nobody can do it for you.