Motivation is an area most people ask me about in regards to losing weight. Often, the first or second question I’m asked when someone finds out that I’ve lost 150 lbs is, “How did you stay motivated?” or “How do you stay motivated?” It’s easy: I hate how I felt and I never want to feel that way again.

While I was losing weight, I immediately began feeling better. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Within a week of starting my Whole30, I began feeling increased energy. I slept better, and I woke up feeling more energized. I no longer had cravings for sugar, so I no longer had the ups and downs: no more sugar highs and sugar crashes. As I lost weight, my knees felt better, and my joints began to feel the reduced load. These little successes fueled my motivation and left me wanting more.

From there, it snow-balled. The more I lost, the better I felt, which in turn motivated me more which led to more success which led to more motivation, etc. In short, I got addicted to the successes.

There were times when I had plateaus in weight, but while the scale didn’t reward me, my pants and shirt sizes continued to get smaller, and I continued to feel great. I continued to have more energy than I had felt in the previous 20 years, and I had grown accustomed to feeling this way. I decided I didn’t ever want to jeopardize feeling so good again. That makes it easy for me to turn down sweets and non-Paleo foods when I’m offered or tempted. It also drives me to run on the days I may not really be feeling super-motivated. The alternative is untenable to me now.

Motivation comes in many forms and from different places for different people. Find your motivation, grab on to it, and use it. It may be the same as my experience, or it may be completely different. Whatever it is, find it.