MINDSET - Six Months at Goal!

May 28

August 1, 2025

Today, I celebrate a new milestone. I’ve officially been at my goal weight and size for SIX MONTHS!!! After working so hard to get here, I’ve been terrified I’d gain it back. But I’m still going strong!!

Every time I begin to doubt myself, I look back on the progress photos I’ve taken and shared. This reminds me of the MAIN thing that got me here in the first place, the thing I tell everyone when they ask me “What’s the ONE thing you can share that was the key to your success?” - MINDSET.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but my life is hectic and unpredictable. I have a child with special needs. I wouldn’t change him for the world, but our world does look different than those of neurotypical families. We don’t know if we’re going to be able to sleep through the night, or if a sensory overload tantrum may erupt (which can happen at any time).

I have an extremely stressful job, as well. And my compensation is directly dependent on my performance. This is a lot of pressure, because since our family has special needs, it’s necessary that one of us is the “stay-at-home parent”. Since my job paid more when these needs became apparent, I became the sole breadwinner. So it is crucial that I consistently perform well.

This stressful lifestyle probably contributed to my weight gain in the first place. We know it’s not easy to plan and think about your nutrition when your every moment is dependent on someone else’s needs and behaviors. It’s so easy to say, “Heck with it, let’s just get a pizza”. It’s also easy to tell yourself you deserve to have at least a few moments of joy and eat something that tastes really good to you - even if it is unhealthy.

Top that all off with little-to-no sleep, and it was no wonder I put myself in such bad shape!

Here’s what changed, and here’s where I can hopefully impart something to anyone reading this. Whether your goal is to lose weight, or maybe you’re just trying to change your life in a different way. Going back to school to earn your degree? Trying to save money to buy a new house? Thinking about writing a book? Is your life as stressful and unpredictable as mine? Well, I have good news for you. There are things you CAN control.

I can’t tell you what you should do and how you should think to accomplish your personal goals. First of all, I would never judge you. Second, I don’t know your challenges. We all have them, and I pray your rough times improve. But I can tell you what I told myself on this journey.

“What can I control?”

This seems a bit too simple, but it played a big part in my decision-making. I couldn’t control what happened at work - whether I could retain that account, what my goal was going to be, how many new accounts I was going to get, how many escalations I’d get that day….. I couldn't control if my son was going to get up in the middle of the night banging on the wall, if he was going to become aggressive and we’d have to deescalate him to keep him from hurting himself, whether he was going to become dangerously constipated again this week…..

So what could I control?

I could (and still can) control what I ate. For example, I could choose to eat whole grains and complex carbs over sugary breads. If someone wanted me to go out and have dinner, I could research the menu before I went and decide what I was having (and how much of it). I could choose option A over option B. THAT was in my control.

And you know what? I quickly realized that those choices made me feel so much better, that I didn’t miss the old poor choices as badly as I thought. Turns out, healthier foods are more fulfilling because your body has what it needs.

Then I began to see results and I realized that having my clothes begin to fit more loosely, sleeping better at night, and having more energy was also more lasting. It only takes a few minutes to eat a meal. Sure, you can satisfy a craving and indulge, but once you’ve eaten it - it’s gone, it’s done. Was it worth it?

Waking up feeling better, getting to buy new clothes to accommodate your smaller size, and having more energy LASTS - providing you KEEP making those better decisions. To me, that was worth much more than just a few moments of indulgence.

I could also control my activity level. With my family’s special-needs lifestyle, planning on going to a gym several nights a week just wasn’t feasible. What was? Well, there was a whole country road on which I could walk. That was my first step (pun intended).

Then I found low-impact aerobics videos on YouTube and began trading off with those on rainy days when I couldn’t go for a walk. I could control that I got off my butt and did one of those instead of using the “Well, it’s raining.” excuse.

I could control how much effort I gave, how much more time I could push myself gradually, and how frequently I worked out.

And you know what? It became something I almost looked forward to doing. I say almost, because let’s face it, not all of us actually enjoy working out. Some people do, and I envy them. But yes, I’d rather be sitting in a comfy chair with a book. But I started actually looking FORWARD to that awesome “after-workout” feeling and I would miss it when I skipped it.

Then I got bored with the YouTube videos and annoyed with the music. So you know what I did? I made my own awesome playlist and did my OWN routine, using what I’d learned from YouTube. It really did make it more enjoyable!

As I’d get bored, I’d introduce some other alternatives. My father-in-law gave me my mother-in-law’s old stationary bike, a friend at work gave me a rebounder, I used my birthday money for a walk pad which I began getting on during meetings at work (I’m fortunate enough to work from home).

I could control how and when I got in my exercise. I could control what I ate and how much of it. (I also spent little-to-no money).

The more results I saw, the more motivated I was to continue. And when I had a moment of weakness, I’d pull out one of those comparative progress photos, and it would remind me that I could have a few moments of eating what I wanted, or I could continue seeing these results and feeling better.

And you know what happened then? I felt a sense of empowerment. I was the one doing this. No one did it for me, it was not granted to me or handed to me. I did it. In my chaotic life where I felt little-to-no control over anything else, I had the power to do this. Realizing this was a game-changer, and it felt great.

It’s a complete lifestyle change, and I’m not going back to my old one. I’ve lived this one long enough and remember how I felt before that I continue controlling what I can control to stay here.

Celebrate Your Wins

Did you make a good decision today? Did you choose a healthy salad over fries? Did you choose to get in 30 minutes of good exercise instead of scrolling on social media? GOOD FOR YOU!! Celebrate that win!!

It could have been just a small win, one tiny good decision that was better than the choice your old self would have made. So celebrate it!!

How do you celebrate it? Well, for me, it may have been splurging on that low-carb expensive cereal. Or maybe it was a trip to the thrift store to get clothes that fit my shrinking body better.

However you celebrate your wins, don’t forget to share them with others. Community is important. I am blessed with a supportive family and friends (some more than others, but I won’t get into that here). But I’m also active in the Lumen community on Facebook and the special-interest fitness chat at work. These are perfect because I’m communicating with like-minded individuals who are on the same journey. Plus, we share ideas, resources, and even recipes!

So, today I hope you will celebrate my six-month anniversary of reaching my goal with me. I’ve failed in my attempts to get here so many times through my adult life. Not only did I FINALLY make it, but here I am half a year later and I’m still going strong because of my total lifestyle change.

Whatever your goals are in life, I wish you the best.

Until next time - be kind to yourself, be kind to others, and always keep a growth mindset.

Much love,

Amy