SUCCESS! Magazine - Issue 01 Issue #01 | Page 7

I started counting caloires in June 2016. At the time, I couldn’t really exercise. Walking for even five minutes made the muscles in my lower back tense up. That’s one of the reasons I needed to lean on the shopping cart when I went grocery shopping and one reason I preferred to sit down with while showernig. It was uncomfortable. I cut my caloric intake pretty aggressively and watched my macronutrient balance like a hawk. The first month, I lost almost 14 pounds. It was exciting! As time went on, I found that I did well with afternoon workouts. I discovered intermittent fasting by accident. I was never a breakfast person, preferring to have just coffee with a little cream in the morning. But I also preferred to exercise without food in my stomach which meant waiting until after my afternoon workouts for my first meal. I still eat this way, except now that my body doesn’t use fat for fuel, and I am much more active, I eat a little bit of food (200 calories) with my morning coffee. I’ve learned so much about myself on this journey. I reached a maintenance weight that bounces between 140 and 142 in October of 2017. I am so much more happy now. I am living my best life and no longer have the anxieties that I used to. Is life perfect? Of course not. But the lessons learned while taking control of this aspect of my life has empowered me in many other areas of my life. THE JOURNEY