Over the past 3 months, I have made the decision that I wanted to lose weight. I made it a priority to myself when I reached my heaviest weight that some serious changes would occur. Since those 3 months, I have lost 20 pounds and have pushed myself into doing things that I wouldn't have been able to do. A big number of people have kept asking me how I managed to do it. I decided that, if these many people asked me, I could write about it and maybe help someone who was just like me.

1. Drink Water!

I used to hate to drink water. I really did. When I reached my heaviest, I was drinking soda all of the time. When I started making that lifestyle change, I started drinking more and more water. Yes, I pee'd like crazy but drinking water really did rid myself of all of the bad things that were inside me. Even when I had a cheat meal, I would wash it down with water.

2. Start off Small.

Don't think that when you want to change your life that you have to go big or go home. If you do that, you will burn yourself out more quickly. Start off small. I started off with 3 days a week for a couple of weeks and before I knew it, going out and doing something became habit.

3. Change your mindset.

When you go workout, your body releases a chemical that makes you happier. Instead of working out to make myself look better, I would workout to make myself feel better. Your body looking better just became a plus. Sorta like an extra bonus.

4. Eat what you want, but not too much.

I'm in college. Going to the cafe is like walking into a room full of carbs. And yes, to some extent, carbs can be considered bad. Drinking all of that water and being mindful of your portions help you control all of the things that you put into your body.

5. Be Patient.

Understand that good things take time. You are not going to have your dream body in 2 weeks. It gradually happens and when you're not focusing on how you look, you tend to not notice how much your body changes until you're 3 months in.

6. Get sleep.

Because I'm in college, I either get too much sleep or not enough. Getting sleep is so important for your brain. If you don't get enough sleep, you're more likely to skip that workout you told yourself you would do. Getting sleep lets your brain rest and it let's your body rest the way that it should.

7. Know that it's okay to be discouraged sometimes.

When I was first starting off, I would lose a few pounds and then gain it all within a weekend. That Monday I would weigh myself was awful because I felt like nothing had changed. It made me want to give up and never do it again. Know that feeling this way is okay. We are all going to have our moments where we feel like we're doing one step forward and then two steps back. Don't give up! You got this.

Choosing to change your life is sometimes a hard road to choose to be on. Once you do, though, it's the best life changing choice you make. The progress is slow but after about three months, it becomes so rewarding.

Much Love Always. -Addison.