FAILURE is inevitable. No matter what you’re goal, you will fail and fail again. We so seldom accept this, however. Somehow we are convinced that to win, everything must be done in perfect order. I have spent my entire life feeling like a failure because I was overweight. Your weight, of course, does not denote your worth, nevertheless this self-deprecating thought process plagued me. I always felt like I would only achieve true happiness once I lost the weight. Each time I tried, however, I either ended up quitting early or gained back any weight lost. 

Have you ever been mad at yourself?

…because another summer has come and you will feel self-conscious…again….

…because you bought all the healthy foods that were listed on the diet plan, only to cave into junk…again…

…because you were late leaving work, had nothing healthy ready for dinner, and ended up eating fast food…again…

…because you are worried what habits you are demonstrating to your children.

…because…………clothing shopping is misery. 

…because you feel bad that you have not focused on your health, well, ever….

…because this is the 48th time you have tried to start, and stay on, THM or any healthy lifestyle

…because you gave in and ate what you craved, but now feel horrible because you threw caution to the wind and binged on enough cookies for a classroom. 

Your negative thoughts, or reactions, about yourself are your biggest obstacle to your health goal. Even when you are fully tuned-in to a new weight loss plan, those thoughts will be in the background, waiting to smother you the second you give in to a piece of chocolate or lack the energy to exercise. The same thoughts that try to convince us to fail are the same ones that kick us when we are down and promote that “disgust”. Would you be friends with a person that behaved that way? Absolutely not. Stop trying to be perfect, and accept that you do have the strength to do whatever it is you want to do. 

SUGAR ADDICTION is another land mine for success and is a massive health issue in the US. A recent study suggests 75% of Americans eat excess amounts of sugar, many of whom could be classified as having a sugar addiction. It has also been found to be as addictive as cocaine. This instant energy boost, dopamine surge, yummy taste and universal availability make it so hard to remove from our lives. Many who eliminate sugar from their diet (especially after consuming large quantities over a long time) find themselves experiencing withdrawal symptoms of irritability, fogginess, moodiness, and low energy – these are common reasons people fail when trying to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Persistence is key. I was also a sugar addict for many years: the impulse candy at the grocery store, the sugary lattes at Starbucks, and local bakery goodies all had me. I passed it off that I was simply a “sweet tooth” and sweet stuff was just what I preferred. I now know that it was actually a substance addiction that was both rewarding and reinforcing. I had cravings for sugary foods for at least a year on THM until they finally died out This was accomplished by giving in to my cravings with trim healthy mama treats – peanut butter cups, brownies, cookies, chocolate, milkshakes – all with stevia instead of sugar. No deprivation.

THM is a plan that is nurtures your body from day one. It is a total wellness program that helps you stop eating processed/chemical-laden foods and break the sugar addiction. If your goal is weight loss, you will gradually lose weight on THM as I did (100 pounds). If your goal is more for overall wellness, following the plan is perfect for you as well. If your goal is a healthy pregnancy, THM is perfect for you. If your goal is natural hormone management in menopause, THM is perfect for you. If your goal is a food plan that your family can eat too, THM is perfect for you. I have never in my life come across a lifestyle that feels so natural and sustainable. No more counting this and that. No more feeling hungry. A few weeks after starting THM, I couldn’t believe how I enjoyed it, how comfortable it felt, and how many meal options there were for me to explore. Those negative thoughts in my mind were growing quieter….and I was becoming more confident. 

I did not get to my current sustained weight without countless failures along the way. I loved THM so much however that each time I gave in to temptations or even accidentally ate “off-plan”, it was not torture getting back on-plan. Of course, there were times that I screwed up for days on end and even gained a little weight back, however I enjoyed THM so much that I WANTED to come back. Women have the added struggle of monthly hormone cycling which can make eating a healthy diet difficult, no matter how focused you are. Those cravings haunted me every month, and still do. Sometimes I crashed and burned, eating all the chocolate I could find. Sometimes I chose to make healthy chocolate desserts from a THM cookbook to curb those cravings and not interrupt my progress. These repeated fail/restart episodes were pivotal in my training process of clean eating. The point is, despite all this, I got back up and KEPT GOING. 

Nothing worth having comes easily or quickly. You will get there.

Embrace the failures that will lead to your reinvention. 

This is dedicated to my beloved current and past coaching clients, and everybody who has been down or is navigating this road. 

….y mi cariña, tú sabes quien eres.

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