The Real Secret to Weight Loss

I've had some decent success with weight loss, and I occasionally get the question, "What's your secret?"

People are curious and I like sharing because I learned so much cool information along the way.  But I do notice the difference between the folks who ask, "What was your process?" and the folks who ask, "What was your secret?"

Here is what I did NOT do:

Any kind of surgery
Any kind of diet that came in book form
Anything that promised Fast Results
Pharmacological appetite suppressants
Anything requiring the use of magic

Here is how I started:

Decided to look at my health issues as a puzzle to be solved, removing judgment as much as possible.
Prayed and asked God for direction and help.
Got an amazing therapist who is helping me get past the thinking that created the weight gain.
Got an awesome registered dietitian to help me learn about food.  Everyone thinks they know about food, and hardly anyone actually does.
Got an awesome trainer who helped me learn that activity is fun and be all encouraging and stuff.
Already had awesome, amazing friends who were super supportive.

So, the real secret to weight loss is:  There Is No Secret!

Here is how I do it:

Eat sensibly for the most part, with occasional forays into junk food.
Exercise with a passion put to use in my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith (for the EBB fans among us)
Staying away from scales as much as I can just because they only tell half-truths.
Remembering to take vitamins and meds.
Try to develop the habit of kindness toward myself.

I started out trying to lose weight, and then as time went on realized that the weight loss was really just a side effect of learning how to take loving care of myself.

So now, instead of thinking in terms of size and weight, I am measuring progress in terms of what I can do now, and what I want to do next.

I can run and not feel stupid and awkward.
I can plan meals ahead of time.
I can make healthy food choices with whatever is in front of me.
I can feel good and happy and sweaty and gross all at the same time.
I can pick up really heavy things.
I have the energy to do everything I want to do.
I can wake up at 5AM, work out for an hour and get to work on time, and awake.