Another phase of my weight loss journey ends, while maintenance commences. Evaluating which strategies succeeded, failed, and collective wisdoms support sustainability is helpful. Weight loss’ healing road is paved with a variety of key elements: community support, self-worth, and embracing the imperfection as stepping stones to mastering future outcomes. Consistent practices over time enable a slow, but victorious result. Embracing the slow, but steady path, self belief and faith the process works, achieves sustainable weight loss. Yet personal growth, healing, physical steps, and mindset transformation are necessary also.

Although weight released painfully slow in the direction of my dreams, goals overall were reached. While the cleansed closet released its contents, my body shrunk four clothing sizes, and bathing suit ready I became, success elsewhere proved exceptional. Gaining comfort in my skin and walking with confidence were substantial victories. Continuing the lifestyle without the scale’s negative influence was also a definitive triumph. Obstacles as sleep deprivation, dehydration, or not eating enough healthy food, and uncontrollable life events thwart progress; learning from their cues is vital.

Overall my weight loss goal took months longer than expected. Steadfast and determined to understand the reason for my weight and why travel this journey repeatedly for solutions, I delved deeper for answers and understanding. To slowly become comfortable in my skin and lose at a tedious, slow rate in small increments (one half to one pound weekly) offered me the time to process healing beneath the surface. Emotional scars dormantly awaited awakening to be felt, addressed, and healed. Physically removing toxicity (sugar, processed foods, cleansing the gut, and addressing a sugar addiction), which affected weight loss and gain were vital during the journey. Without these parts, the whole of sustainability is lost.

Self-care modeled by clean food choices, boot camps, utilizing social support mark successful processes. Paving the way for others for a sustainable lifestyle must include personal growth, self belief, and inner healing to transform and maintain success. Losing weight is a physical response from actions, maintaining it is an avenue of self respect, self love, and mindful manning of the body’s fuel or food intake. Gaining self worth from inner healing while losing weight establishes long term success. Feasting on quality food, moving the body that empowers it, and utilizing resources that support you is the weight loss path to sustainability. New epiphanies will arise, yet I am living proof of this sustainable lifestyle.