I can't believe it! It happened again. I'm losing weight with out trying!. How am I successful now without trying when I'd been so unsuccessful when I struggled so hard. It's so unfair! I know that sounds sick, but who says I have to be rational about my weight..

So what's different? I made a mental shift in the vision of the life I want. I'm in the driver's seat again! I'm no longer waiting until I lose weight to live my life. I'm making choices to live my life, regardless of my weight.

The first time I noticed this, I was upset because a year had come and gone and I hadn't lost a single pound. I hadn't gained any weight back either. As my disgust turned to surprise, I wondered how that was that possible? How had I maintained my loss for the first time ever? Of course in my own sick way, it felt wrong to have some success when I wasn't trying. Especially when I'd been so unsuccessful when I struggled so hard in the past. What was happening? The only thing that made sense was I had changed my life, not my diet.

My eating was still kind of the same as the last diet plan. I still had some good habits like drinking my water. But that had happened before and I'd gain the weight back.. Then it hit me. Somewhere, somehow unconsciously during that year, I had changed my vision of my life. That shift changed my beliefs and my behavior.

I have always been a high energy person mentally. But in my new, improves vision of my self, I was also physically high energy. That meant I had to start moving. Unconsciously, I did. The mall was my first place of choice, but who cares. Actually, window shopping helped me change an idea into an action. Now I can feel the difference physical activity makes in my thinking and the overall quality of my life. Now I look forward to the beach with. When I was dieting, my belief was that food was the enemy with this great power over me. As I lived my vision, I became more active and did more. Food became the fuel I needed to make this happen.

What is your vision? What beliefs do you have of yourself? How did you see yourself when you were in your 20's. Do you still think of yourself as that energetic, vibrant, individual who could control the world? Or do you believe that you will never do it or that your have to struggle your whole life? You can have that life again and the physical presence to make it happen.

Did you notice that I didn't use words like slim, beautiful, handsome or sexy? I didn't even say healthy. To me, those are the expectations that others had for me. I spent most of my life going through this hellish struggle, because it was expected. Now I that I know what I want, it is effortless. What do you want? Can you honestly see yourself living the life you want in a body that is working with you?

Live your vision in some small way everyday. Take a walk and think about the life you want. Take time to see how your body has changed. Make a conscious choices about life and food. Big changes are hard to sustain All you have to do is make small changes consistently and over time you will have the results you want.

So what steps are you going to take today? What resources do you have?

A coach can help. Remember this is a journey. Laugh at yourself along the way. And enjoy the unexpected detours!