As many of you know, I have been implementing a weight loss challenge at my studio that has turned out to be, well, amazing. Because of the incredible results our clients are experiencing, I am asking them to come back at the orientations we hold each month and share their stories. Let me just say, they are pretty incredible stories.

This past week at our March orientation, Patricia Buckley was our speaker. Patricia has been a client of ours for a number of years, but the weight loss part seemed elusive for her. She was dedicated to her exercise, but for years the weight never changed. When I launched our 6-Week Weight Loss Challenge, Patricia decided that it might be worth checking out.  She started the program at the end of the orientation back in November, she hasn’t looked back. Patricia has lost about 37 pounds which is fantastic.  But beyond the weight loss, she has changed her lifestyle. I have always said,  weight loss is incomplete without the lifestyle change. And that is what Patricia has discovered.

Here’s a bit from her story, “I’m a school teacher and I’m very busy. My husband and I used to eat out, a lot. I liked to eat a lot. Because of that, I have been on many diets and therefore, I wasn’t quite sure what would make this program different. To start with, it wasn’t a diet. Before starting the challenge, I figured because I was exercising that was all I needed to do. But once I came to listen to Nicki speak about her weight-loss challenge, and she kept using the word ‘sustainability’ something clicked, and I knew I needed to do something more.  Since starting the program I have lost 37 pounds, dropped 4 pant sizes, many dress sizes and I’m learning to cook. I was a pot-a-day coffee drinker and now I only drink tea. My energy, outlook and quality of life are all greatly improved. I have learned so many things on my journey, but 3 words that have become my mantra are, CAN, CONSCIOUS and CHOICE.  The focus for me is no longer on the four letter words diet and can’t, rather the fact that I CAN make good CHOICES based on the CONSCIOUS awareness of what is good for me physically and emotionally.”  Wow, well said.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, nothing can change without your willingness to change. The hardest part for people that believe they want to lose weight is taking responsibility for long-term change. For some long-term is just too overwhelming.

So, just for today think about Patricia’s 3 words, can, conscious and choice. Can you make conscious choices that will serve to create a healthier you?  Start by looking at the changes you’re willing to make and implement them in to your long-term plan. Patricia is making changes that will be major contributors to long-term change. Diets are temporary and teach nothing. When you change your lifestyle in order to lose weight, you are creating a success story that will have staying power and that is definitely a story with a happy ending.

Nicki