One of the things I’m often asked by people after they learn that I lost over 100 lbs in a year is, “Wasn’t it hard to give up x?” (where x=pasta, bread, grains, beans, dairy, sugar). My answer to them is always the same: It’s only as hard as you make it.

The first key is mindset. As long as I mourned giving up foods, it was hard to be around them. Seeing people eat donuts in the morning or chips at dinner was initially difficult for me. Not impossible, but the temptation was always there. Once I changed my mindset and considered those foods as sabotage to my overall plan, it got a lot easier.

The second key was changing my relationship with food. Not just the bad food, but with all food. I needed to get past eating out of boredom, sadness, stress, or entertainment and only eat when I needed the fuel to continue living. I needed to learn to enjoy the things that happen during the times I was not eating instead of making eating the center of my universe. This has helped immensely.

We make obstacles where they don’t need to be. All those foods you think you can’t live without? I have news for you: you can. It’s all in your head. I have to admit that I’m surprised at how easy it is now for me to walk through the deli section of the grocery store, or the soda or snacks sections. There’s not even the slightest bit of temptation left. But when I see some plums or grapes? Man, it’s on like Donkey Kong!

Giving up those bad foods is only as hard as you make it. Whole30’s aren’t easy, but they get easy after three weeks. Changing your life eventually gets easy when you go all-in and adopt the healthier lifestyle and you realize how many amazing, flavorful, and healthy foods there are that you can eat without missing all the bad stuff. It’s only as hard you make it on yourself. Give the healthy life a chance.