I’m down 97 pounds/44 kilos. I usually don’t talk about my weight loss, unless asked.

When I reached the 50-pound loss milestone, I shared that I hadn’t talked about it so far, because I was embarrassed I had that much weight to lose. After enduring several years of public ridicule and online shaming about my weight, among other things, I was still thinking about what others thought. I’m glad I’m now able to see it for what it was and move past it.

Receiving a lot of questions about my weight loss lately, I posted about it on Instagram and got even more questions, so I’ll be sharing some of my journey and what worked well for me here.

On January 1, 2018, I set out to lose 40 to 50 pounds over the year. During the first few months, I didn’t focus on the best nutrition, which was harmful, even though I lost weight. In hindsight, my biggest mistakes were not eating till I was hungry or pushing it further, often not having anything other than water till the afternoon; consuming large quantities of fruit and fruit smoothies; and justifying occasionally overindulging in desserts by limiting other food intake on the same days. I wasn’t giving my body the basic nutrition that it needed to properly function.

After some unpleasant surprises at my annual checkup, I regrouped and applied the same success strategy I use in my professional life and to help others achieve their goals.

I saw a nutritionist and continued hiking and walking as much as possible. Meeting with a nutritionist with recent blood test results in hand was one of the best things I did for myself. There is a lot of misinformation about healthy living and fad diets readily available, and it’s easy to fall for it. A nutritionist is a trained professional who understands realistic healthy lifestyles, and can see your big picture, discuss your goals, and help you create a plan that will work for you.

Today, I couldn’t be more pleased with my results. I surpassed every new goal weight I set throughout 2018 and, most importantly, achieved my health goals.

If my weight levels off here or even fluctuates within five pounds or so, I’ll be fine. While I’m proud of my weight loss, it’s not the number on the scale that’s most significant to me.

It’s important for me to maintain my healthy habits, to continue eating well, and to stay active. I’ve created a routine that I enjoy and appreciate that supports my goals. I track my progress, celebrate my successes, and adjust when necessary.

If I can achieve my healthy lifestyle goals, so can you. We got this!