As of this morning, I’ve lost more than 135 lbs since I weighed my heaviest in 2014. Of that 135 lbs, 113 lbs of it has been lost since September 1 of last year. Of that 113 lbs, 110 lbs of it was lost without exercise. Since I began running on September 10th of this year, I’ve only lost 3 lbs.

When people find out that I’ve lost over 100 lbs in a year, they immediately assume that I’ve been working out like a madman. They couldn’t be more wrong. When I tell them that I did it through a change in lifestyle alone, they seem almost disappointed. They would rather learn that I did it through exercise than through diet alone, because then, they have no excuse. Changing what you put into your mouth to fuel your body is something we each have 100% control over (unless you’re in a coma, and in that case, how are you reading this?).

135 lbs.

I have a hard time getting my head around that. I have lost more than 1/3 of my former weight, and I did it safely and improved my health and blood chemistry at the same time. I did it all without anything more than eating smart. If I can do this, anyone can. I feel like I really did stumble upon the secret to weight loss, and while it’s not easy or painless, it’s doable with some perseverance.

We sacrifice for those we love. We sacrifice to reach goals. We sacrifice for others all the time. Isn’t it time you sacrifice a little for your self? Aren’t you worth it?