I am about to share with you the secret of how I went from a size 31 to a size 27. It is a diet like you have probably never heard of before but after 8 years of trying multiple diets this is the only one that worked for me

It is called Self-Love.

Now I know you are shaking your head trying to understand how self-love instead of a certain fitness routine or certain food or drink is the trick but truthfully self-love changed my life and my overall health.

I think like most girls I have struggled with self-love and finding myself. I have always been trying to find my way, my passion, who I am but more so I have struggled with body-image.

Growing up I did the crash diets but I also binged on my favorites. You know the ones where you only ate this or that, you didn't carbs and some where you barely ate at all. I always struggled to lose weight and never understanding why I just couldn't. As I got older, I got in tune with my body, my soul and my mind. I learned in my twenties that living Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) had something to do with it and I learned how to handle it. Having this issue through my life caused to some of the weight gained and depression but more than it was self-love.

I learned over time that it is never about the number on the scale because it will satisfy your self-love. Instead it will impact you to the point of obsessing over a number and not health.

When I was 19 I was a size 31 in jeans. I wanted to be in the twenties so badly that I would crash diet only to binge eat on pizza and drinking the next day in college. I struggled with feeling good about my body because IBS made me sick, I struggled with fitness because I was always fit but over time I got lazy. As I grew up, I started to learn more about what worked for my body vs what worked for other peoples bodies. I realized some of my friends could eat a whole pizza and maintain weight but some friends including myself that was not the case. I learned if I lifted to much vs cardio how my body reacted and I learned what over training meant too. Throughout the years, I tried to find what worked for me, and what I learned is when I paid attention to my health, my stress and my happiness the weight came too.

So what does that mean for you? It means, you have to find what works for you, it means learning to have self-love.

You need to be healthy to function.

Being healthy is very important. I love chocolate, brownies and pizza but I also have a love for green beans, spaghetti squash and chicken. I have learned what the word moderation means that instead of binging on my favorite foods because I deprived myself of them, I eat a little here and there because at the end of the day I want to be healthy. Binging on food or drinks and depriving yourself will never make you healthy but moderation will. Finding the fruits, veggies, carbs and proteins that work for you and having balance is important. If you are not healthy, your mind is deprived of functioning to the fullest, you should be your best self and that means healthy.

Lower Your Stress

I never understood what lower your stress meant, like stress? Thats part of life, thats my job and thats just how society works. Wrong! I learned over the years that I was not healthy when I let stress take over my body. I became exhausted, cranky, sick and depressed and then my body suffered from it. The more I spent doing things I loved, saying no to things I didn't want to do and over all lowering my stress, my body changed. I was more in tune with it because I felt better, I had motivation to do more and the pounds started to come off because my body was not so tense.

Find What Makes You Happy

Yes being happy makes you lose weight. I never thought I would say this, I thought I was always happy but when I lowered my stressed, did what I loved and laughed more, I wasn't thinking about food, the binge eating or anything, I was too busy being happy to have my thoughts consumed with my diet. Find what makes you happy and keep it in your life. That could be teaching, crafting, writing or hanging with certain people!

Find a Work Out That Fits for You

Healthy food is just as important for your body as working out. I have worked out since I was little but I also have tried many things that I do and don't like and eventually I found what I loved and I make sure I keep it in my daily routine. I found self-love through running, kickboxing, weights and I have become a fitness instructor for the past two years. I found what work outs work for me and my body. For instance, lifting heavy all the time hurts my knees or bulks me in certain areas because of how I am built so I stay away from that however running, weights in moderation and teaching spin have helped my health, fit level and self-love. You have to do what works for you, many of my girlfriends don't like any of those but love yoga!

Surround Yourself With Positive People

This is one really important one. Positive people give you positive vibes and self-love. Growing up I had to learn who was a friend vs someone who wanted to see me fail. I learned the people that encouraged my crash diets, my obsession with calories or anything unhealthy I needed to not allow so close to me. Instead I have found the friends that continue to lift me up and help me became a better person. This helped me continue to shed the pounds because my body was not in a depressive stat of mind

Do What Works for You

Society is always going to tell you to do certain things. For instance, to drink a green drink every morning to lose weight. Sure the greens are important BUT if you hate the taste of it why do you drink it? Instead try something different find what works for you!! You get to decide what you put in your body and your own happiness, that is pretty awesome!

You have the secret, so now what?

So I have just now given you all the secrets to me losing weight. Don't get me wrong it isn't easy, I had to find the work outs that worked for me, the healthy lifestyle I wanted without giving up all the foods, I had to learn the quick easy fixes to lose weight aren't sustainable and I had to learn how to lower stress and be happy. But through the journey it was worth it because I am now in tune with my body and love ever inch of it, even my small chest, big butt and cellulite that I use to frown upon.

You now have the secret, which is self-love. You are the only one in charge of it so go make the difference. You are beautiful.

Other articles you may like Finding Self-Love Through Running, Why Self-Love is so Important, A Tribute to my Journey of Self Love, 5 Ways to Increase Self-Love and Still Learning To Love Myself.