When I started my weight loss journey, I thought that my life would change. It definitely did change in many ways, but some things stayed the same that I wasn't expecting. I have lost over 40 pounds and even though I am not at my goal, I have already seen changes I didn't expect to see. It is a much different experience setting out on a weight loss journey where you know you will be losing a significant amount of weight compared to trying to lose five pounds to look amazing in that dress. You are changing your life and it is a very emotional and tough journey. I am only about four months in and I learned this in the first month. The following situations I did not think I would be encountering while on this journey.

1. People treat me differently ever since I started my journey.

When I first decided to start a journey to significant weight loss, I decided not to tell anyone except my parents and 2-3 of my best friends. I did this out of fear of judgment or people treating me differently. Obviously as the weeks went on, more and more people found out about what I was doing and I ended up writing an article about my weight loss. People started to treat me differently in ways that they didn't even realize. Friends started to come up to me and ask advice on how to lose weight as if I had all of the answers, when in reality I don't. People would feel weird about eating unhealthy foods around me or asking to go out to dinner. If I eat an unhealthy meal or snack in front of people they are shocked and think that I gave up on my weight loss journey. Also, people always work my weight loss into conversations and make it a big deal. I understand that it is a big thing to embark on this journey, but I never thought that it would change my relationships with people.

2. You get really excited about healthy, but good-tasting food.

I never thought I would become one of these people, but I now get so excited whenever I find a snack that's actually healthy and tastes good. Eating something that tastes good and you don't need to feel guilty is the best feeling ever. There are a lot of foods that say they're healthy, but taste like actual rubber or have hidden sugars. I will try any snack that I can eat and not feel guilty about and when they taste like actual food I freak out. Shoutout to HaloTop ice cream for somehow finding a way to make their ice cream taste like actual ice cream and packing in 20-23 grams of protein with only 240-280 calories a pint. Even though I still can't find Birthday Cake flavor.

3. I still struggle.

I would be lying if I said that I don't continue to struggle with my weight loss journey every single day. Everyday you wake up and make a conscious decision to continue this journey you have embarked on. I struggle with what I eat. Everyday is a battle with the dining hall and the foods I decide to eat. I can't tell you how many times I have almost cried or actually did cry in a dining hall or restaurant because I feel like there is nothing actually healthy to eat. If I eat something that isn't "healthy" in my mind, I automatically feel guilty and I need to workout. I log every single morsel of food that goes into my mouth and I almost obsess over every single food I decide to eat. If I don't have access to grilled chicken and veggies for dinner, I freak out. It is a daily battle with food and I am working on it. I never expected myself to struggle with food as much as I have ever since I started this journey. Some people make it seem easy and I thought that after a month or so, everything would become easy. So, for all of you on a weight loss journey, don't feel like you're alone when you struggle, I continue to struggle and probably will always struggle to an extent.

4. It becomes a lifestyle.

I never thought that working out 6 days a week and eating clean would become as strong of a habit as it has. When I made the decision to start this life-changing journey, I thought that it would be as hard as it was when I first began. I thought that I would always be dragging myself to the gym 6 days and I would always be miserable eating grilled chicken and veggies for lunch. It really has become my new lifestyle; the foods I used to love to indulge in, no longer are satisfying for me. Actually, usually when I cheat and eat pizza or ice cream, I end up feeling sick. Some of the foods I used to eat all the time, I taste them differently now. I struggle with the foods I eat, but I no longer feel like I am deprived of foods that I want to eat. Whenever I don't workout, I feel guilty for skipping; which I never thought would happen. My life has changed and my body has changed; definitely for the better!

5. It doesn't solve all of your problems.

I started this journey for myself and to better myself. That first week that I started working out and eating healthy, I thought that a lot of my problems with myself would go away. I thought that I would finally get a little confidence and self-esteem. I thought that I would be less judgmental of myself and my body. I thought that I would be able to look at myself in the mirror without staring at my body for long periods of time. I hate to be the one that says this, but losing weight doesn't solve these problems like I thought that it would. Yes, of course, I have a little more confidence and I know that I am working on myself. I still stare at myself in the mirror, I still am insecure about the way that I look and I still get really self-conscious. I struggle with my perception of how I look. I have lost over 40 pounds and I still feel like I don't see a difference of how I looked before and now. A lot of people tell me I look so much different and thinner, but I just can't see it. I have realized that losing weight will not get rid of my problems with my body-image. Nothing is going to solve those problems unless I start to change my mindset. The only way that this will happen is if I start working on myself and the way I think. Of course losing weight has slightly helped my confidence, but there is a lot more to solving your problems than losing weight. I slowly have realized that there is more to me than my weight and other people need to realize that too.