Success is not final...

Here we are starting week 16. The last week in this workbook. By now you have lost 8 pounds in fat which is fantastic. You have probably dropped at lot more than that in water retention. This is because you have balanced your body with healthy foods. You have removed excessive sodium and reduced all the inflammation in your body.

But remember this quote: success is not final. The way I interpret this is from personal experience as a yo-yo dieter. Once I would ‘cross the finish line’ of my diet it was right back to eating as I had before. Back to the junk food and the processed foods. And the weight I had worked so hard to lose would come back in no time at all.

And with the weight would come the inflammation. And then the fear from chest or abdominal pains and the low self esteem knowing I wasn’t doing right by my body.

But this time, it's going to be different. You are coming from a place of unlimited amounts of good healthy food. Full plates of it. So you are not coming from a place of deprivation from small measured portions. You now know you can eat almost unlimited amounts of food to satiation by eating the correct foods.

If you want this weight loss to last, you must continue on with your new healthy lifestyle. That means:

• At least 2 pounds of non-starchy vegetables per day
• 1 pound of fresh fruit per day
• 1 to 2 pounds of legumes or whole grains or starchy vegetables per day (or any combination of these three)

And the avoidance of sugar, oils (fat) and salt.

I am not saying that you have to be perfect and that you can never eat processed foods again. I want you to aim for an 80% diet. Make it a lifestyle diet that you can live with. If you need to add a little sugar or salt to your food, then do this.

Make the lifestyle doable for your unique personality and preferences. If you want to eat turkey at Christmas or have that piece of non-compliant birthday cake, then do this. But know that adding non-compliant foods may take a toll on your health. And it may reawaken your processed food addictions.

Have seen progress but are not anywhere near your ideal weight range? Take heart, buy your next 16-week BREAK THE CYCLE workbook on Amazon and just keep going starting May 1st.

By the new year, you will have reached your goal weight range. Then you will be able to continue your new slim and healthy lifestyle in 2024. So, stay the course and look forward to the new year with a slim, fit body, a healthy self esteem and a zest for life.