I Have Failed So Many Times. 

Michele, you are NOT a failure. You are human. I support you going on this new training journey and I wish you only the best. You got this.

It's brave of you to put this out there. I think many of us can relate, well, I can anyway! I'm horrible with eating self control.... And I love carbs. Gah. Edited to add: aging and perimenopause is a b&tch when trying to see results from diet and exercise.

I’m a psychotherapist and listening to your ‘share’ was like listening to many of the feelings I have had on the weight journey. I started Atkins in the same year as you and have experienced ‘the walls’ and the sugar addiction and insulin resistance, etc. You are not unhealthy as far as you have shared with us and maybe we all are exactly where we should be even though acceptance can be very challenging. We love you Michelle xx

I'm a doctor, and I have my own weight struggles. I really like how open and vulnerable this video is. I think diet culture is tricky. It's so important to discuss wellness and optimise our wellbeing. Thank you so much Michelle 💓

One of the few times in my life I’ve ever been as “thin as I thought I wanted to always be” was when I got cancer 7 years ago. I’ll never wish that again. I remember coming home from the hospital and crying when I saw what I looked like in the mirror. It wasn’t pretty. We preoccupy so much time with regulating our weight instead of living in the moment and just taking care of ourselves in a loving way. But I know what you mean about getting older and things shift & change for sure. It’s a whole thing that hits you between where you are and another decade. My body always tells me what I need. I like feeling strong, and when I get too thin, I don’t feel that way. Thanks for coming on here and being “REAL” your authenticity is always appreciated, Michele.

You are not a failure, you are human. The act of aging means you have to learn how to be kinder to yourself in all areas. Love for being real in this moment 😊

Oh Michelle you have just described me to a tee , I have dieted all my life and just feel like I am greedy, I am all it nothing with no in between , and I never feel full , I just feel disgusting and a failed , you have inspired me to look into myself , thank you and good luck with how ever it turns out xx

Dear Michele, I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you shared this with us. I have an ED from years and years of serious emotional abuse around food and exercise from my father. Instead of anorexia I went the other direction. I ate for control because I felt out of control. I am WITH YOU with the hating of keeping track of everything and macros and all that. It means I think about food all the time and with an ED that’s kind of the worst thing ever. I could go on and on and I won’t but I just want you to know that I am with you and I have a similar relationship with food. YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE. WE are not failures. This is absolutely none of my business but I will say that therapy has helped me enormously. You have to do what is best for YOU, sweet friend. I am very proud of you. You have a huge base of support and anything you need, we are here. Love to you, so much love.

So many of your viewers, including me, can relate. I've lost and gained the same 20-30 lbs over the years - done Paleo, Zone, Keto - never been skinny except in my early 20's when I was so broke I couldn't afford food. Now that I'm 54 and in menopause, the weight loss is even harder, insanely so. I could never drop weight easily anyway, and now it takes three weeks to lose a pound. I haven't worked out in nearly a year - except walking 9,000 steps a day with my dog - can't muster the motivation to go to a gym or yoga or anything I used to love to do.

Oh Michele! You could be telling my story, 2 years ago. Like you, I was about to start doing the same things- eat less, no carbs, move more, etc - that had ultimately failed so many times before. I was in my late 50s and on the verge of being clinically obese. The idea of going through that same cycle yet again just had me in despair. I was very fortunate at the time to be working on a project with 2 national experts in weight management, and I picked their brains. It turns out that nearly everything I thought I knew about losing weight, getting to a healthy body weight, etc was WRONG. They both said the first they tell their patients is to only make changes they can stick with for the rest of their lives. Anything else will eventually fail, even for the most dedicated people. Highly restricted eating and promises to work out like an Olympic athlete ("eat less, move more!") may create some temporary changes, but most of us aren't able to maintain them. One of the experts worked with patients who had been winners on the Biggest Loser. These people started gaining weight back like crazy as soon as they went back to their regular lives. After extensive metabolic research, she concluded that diets, even medically supervised, only make us fatter. Even good diets! As my advisor told me "You've got to get out of the "dieting" mode and figure how you want the rest of your life to look like." So I examined every thing I'd ever done to help manage my weight, figure out what worked and what seemed to backfire, and follow their advice. Well, it worked. I have lost 70 lbs, about 2-3 lbs per month. My BMI is back in the healthy zone. I'm not anxious about eating while traveling, entertaining, etc. These are the steps I took: 1) I stopped restricting foods and calories based on a plan. Instead, I changed the way I eat the foods I love and enjoy. I chew every bite until it's mush, really tasting the food (as one expert told me, taste it with your teeth!). Also, I put the food or fork down while I'm chewing, so I'm not already focusing on the next bite. I literally had to sit on my hands when I first started doing this! 2) I eat when I'm hungry, and stop when I'm not hungry anymore. Not when I'm full, or when the plate is empty. It took me 6 months to figure out what feeling full was! Over time, though, this practice has shrunk my stomach so that I don't need as much food to feel satisfied. 3) I eat 2- 3 balanced meals a day, based on my hunger. Both experts really cautioned about diets that have you grazing, or eating small meals (usually about 200-300 calories) every 2-3 hours. Most adults will start to overeat, but since they're never really satiated they're always hungry and feeling deprived. Medically, eating this way keeps the body in constant insulin production mode, which can lead to insulin resistance. Most people benefit from allowing their digestion to work and then reset to empty (sort of the idea behind intermittent fasting). 4) I set an exercise goal I could achieve. I am a pretty active person and exercise regularly, but my advisor said she challenges her patients to set the bar so low they can't help but succeed. So my new goal was to change into my workout clothes at the end of my working day. I was amazed at how quickly that changed my mind set from "you're a failure, you can never stick with a plan" to "You're killing this!" Also surprising, I did work out most days after changing my clothes, even when I was tired or not in the mood. There were some other pearls, such as avoiding sparkling water, or drinking water before a meal (one of my favorite old habits, I thought it helped me not overeat!) No more big salads or "free" foods - turns out no one needs to eat 10 cups of salad, no matter how low-cal. As they explained, the goal is to not need huge quantities of food to feel satisfied. The idea is to allow your stomach to be full with food, gradually needing less food to feel comfortable. I probably eat about half of what I used to eat, but I eat based on what I need to feel comfortable so I don't feel deprived. When I took the time to really taste what I was eating, I found I was satisfied with less food. Over a year or so, I do think I've retrained my stomach so that it's physically uncomfortable when I overeat. I probably could have lost weight faster if I was willing to measure portions, but I knew I didn't want to have to do that forever! My advisor gave me an exercise when I first started: Serve yourself 10 peanuts (or other nut). Then eat them one at a time, chewing each one until it's the consistency of applesauce. Roll it over your tongue and mouth so you're tasting the peanut in your entire mouth. It should take no less than 10 minutes to eat all the nuts. I was skeptical, but honestly after the 5th peanut I didn't care if I ever ate another peanut again. I'd had enough of the peanuts! That's the principle; if you eat foods you enjoy, take the time to enjoy and savor them, and pay attention to your body's cues for satiety (they can be subtle! If I start having little burps when I'm eating, I now know that's a signal my stomach is getting full) It took time to learn to trust those cues too . Phew, that was a lot. I'm happy to share more details! I hope this helps you, and anyone else who's on this journey.

One thing I am learning about getting older is to be kinder to myself, I’ve beat myself up about my failures my whole life, but I am learning how to give myself more grace…our hearts are the most important thing and how we treat others, the most important muscle to exercise.

We all know you are not a failure!! The problem is the diet culture. Thank you for sharing your experience, I can relate with your story. And it is so strengthening to see you are brave enough to speak out. Hope everything will be great for you!

As a 61 year old woman and looking back, always had a nice "normal" figure... I'm the heaviest I've ever been at 172 lbs and 5 foot 4 inches, I thank you so much for your transparency in doing this video! ❤ 9:40

This is my favorite video you have ever posted. So much of your life is like a fantasy: the high end things, the trips, the huge house… this is real life. Thank you for being real.

You’re honestly someone that embodies “life goals” for me; not because you have a gorgeous home/go on fabulous trips, etc., but because you comport yourself in such a graceful, classy way. I can now be inspired by your courage, because to be this vulnerable with 230,000 of your closest friends is really amazing. I’ve been overweight all my life, and struggle with disordered eating and serious physical and dietary limitations thanks to an aggressive blood clotting disorder. I carry so much shame from it, so while I’m not in your mindset, thank you for opening the door to having a long overdue conversation.

Me watching this video at the gym starting over for the 1018th time to get fit, lose weight and get healthy. I felt every word in my bones. Much love to you Michelle, you are not alone.

It takes real courage to be so vulnerable, not least on a platform where people can comment without kindness. Good on you! You describe many of us ....keep strong, keep focused but most of all be kind to yourself ❤ xxx

Dear Michele żyjemy w czasach gdzie ciągle mówi się o wyglądzie i dlatego robimy różne rzeczy których aby wyglądać super. Jesteś ciepla, mila osoba, dbaj o siebie ale rób Ci tobie sprawia radość ,życie jest tylko jedno. Love ❤❤

Hi Michele, I appreciate your vulnerability....as I have struggled with my weight since I was a child. This made me quite emotional as well, it sure hits home. We fail and get right back up!!!! I too am recently working on my health, it's been a rough road but we can do it. We're warriors!

👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 This took a lot of courage to post. As a 51 year old who has struggled with my weight since age 12 (weight going up and down, periods of really strong commitment to diet and exercise, and periods, where I was sloth eating everything), I 100% know where you are coming from. I do want to say don’t be afraid of failure. Failure at least means that you are trying!

Hi Michele, please know you are not alone....When you were talking, I felt you were describing me with every word you said. I am a 59 year old woman that have struggled with my weight and portion control all my life. Please don't give up! I am not! :-) Some day we will be skinny and healthy women!

You are an ICON, Queen, we love you

This is exactly my journey so far - thank you for taking the time to share your feelings. I tried to articulate this to my therapist, who seemed really judgmental and reticent to talk about my concerns because they weren’t sure how to support me without entering ED territory. Just because I want to build sustainable health habits, lose weight, and work on my physique doesn’t mean it’s an eating disorder… (btw 5’4” at the 155 range, trying to get back down to 135-140).

I really appreciate you sharing this. I am 52 and have been feeling the same way but you really encourage me this morning. I got on the scale before looking at this and didn’t come to RU-vid to see this but I so happy I did. It has encouraged me to give myself grace and keep pushing even if I start and stop. Im going to fight because I want to be skinny but more importantly healthy. We got this!!!!! Thank you and your beautiful!!!!! Im so proud of you!!!❤

Michele, thank you for this! I’m 39 and I’m exactly you, eating mindlessly without even thinking twice. This video brought up so much perspective to me personally and made me not be so obsessed with the end goal and just have fun with the process. ❤

Thank you so much for posting this, Michele! I found myself tearing up at several points because my journey with my weight/body has paralleled yours. 😢 I also realize now that I’ve given up on myself. Not sure how to get back to it, but maybe I’ll just make a small change and try. Thank you again for being so open. It makes me feel less alone.

I very much empathize with you on all of this. I hate meal planning. A few bites? Enough to piss me off. Regular exercise can get… boring. Thank you for sharing this aspect of your life and staying true. It’s a journey, and I’m glad we can all do it together!

This was so personal of you to share. Thank you so much for choosing to share this with us. I can’t imagine how difficult this was for you. Your vlogs always feel like hanging out with a close friend. ETA: I am *NOT* a medical professional at all, but with regards to your comment about 1-2 bites: maybe you have a FOMO/all or nothing mentality? So, 1-2 bites isn’t enough because you feel like you’re missing out if you don’t have the whole piece of cake/brownie/ice cream. So, maybe the issue is contemplating on _what_ you think you’re missing out on if you stop at 1-2 bites and also _why_ you think you’re missing out if you don’t have the whole thing.

I have to say this conversation really had an impact on me and I have thought about it for days. I am 45 and also feel like I've been "trying forever" with this sort of thing. You gave me a lot of food for thought and I am wishing you the best journey and most positive experience. I am definitely going to continue to follow your experience. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and feelings on such a personal topic with us. 🙏♥️

Very excited to listen to this, it just popped up on my phone! Love that you're getting real and talking about things that can be difficult for some. ❤

Thank you for speaking about this and for sharing your story. Truly. I am constantly impressed by you when I watch your videos, and the way you approached this discussion was so thoughtful and well-done. I continue to be so grateful I found your channel. ❤

Thank you for sharing this deeply personal struggle. I can relate on many levels. Just start and see what happens. The journey will be something that is valuable, regardless of the outcome. The fact that you are dedicating your precious energy to this, which regardless of the weight/fitness changes (will have so many benefits). It's about being mindful about life, and that is GREAT!

I love food as well..and the frustration of having self control I completely understand. I wish you luck on this journey, sending good vibes for you to be successful!

Thank you for sharing Michele….yours is a journey that many of us experience, including me. It’s nice to have it out in the open and not in the shadows. Hugs and best wishes 🤗

This is absolutely my favorite video that you've made. You're not alone in your thoughts and feelings. I started to watch this while at the gym, and it made me question my own goals and objectives. Thank you for the inspiration, and I look forward to hearing more of your journey as you're comfortable sharing. You can do this!

Thank you for being so brave in sharing your vulnerabilities, I identify so much with what you are going through - sending u so much love and encouragement ❤

Thank you for sharing your story! You have the strength to do this even if you stumble a little on the way. The journey does not need to be perfect! Wishing you the very best!

Michele! Stop saying you’re a failure! You just need to find what is best for you! ❤

I can relate to this in so many ways Michele. I'm so excited for you and proud of you!❤😊

Thank you for this... I can really relate. So personal. I actually had tears in my eyes at some of your comments, really hit home. Sending you THE most sincere good vibes for your training! You CAN do it... and you've been a much needed inspiration for me and my own journey.

Michele, thank you for opening up & sharing this very personal topic in your life. I know it’s something many of us in our 50s are dealing with so it’s nice to hear someone like you who is definitely not a failure but who I see as successful & beautiful talk about it. I hope you share more of your journey with us. Thank you! 😊❤️

I am so incredibly proud of you! You can do this!

Michelle A good trick when you go out to eat is to immediately divide your food in half. When you have finished half, have the waiter take your plate away. Also, drink lots of water with your meal. Maybe one glass of wine. Good luck! It’s an adventure for sure.

Thank you so much for sharing this. I’m going through hormonal weight struggles and it’s so hard to be patient with myself, to learn to be kind to myself. I needed this. I’m cheering for you! No matter where it goes, where things end, I’m cheering for you and your body goals no matter how long or short it takes.

Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing this with us !! That is INSPIRATIONAL! We all have our STUFF and talking about it as women without judgment is so COMFORTING !! Thank you for opening up dialogue ..

You are amazing. I love your honesty with all your topics. You got this!! I started weight training in my 40's and it was a total game changer.

We appreciate you, Michele! thank you so much for this vlog and your honesty! we look forward to watching your journey!

So inspiring! I have a very similar history in eating issues. You inspired me to start again! Thank you! Cheering for our portion control!!

thank you for sharing your journey and vulnerability! it really helped me to relate and to think about my own perceptions around food, exercising and psychology behind it. I'm so happy people in your life helped you to lift the heaviness and let go. much love 💜

I haven't seen your videos in a while, but always enjoy them. This video is so real, so authentic and exactly what I needed to hear to not feel so alone on this journey!

Happy 50th Michelle! I am 50 in Dec. This is an interesting time of life... I used to smoke heavily like you too and as you know quitting that is the hardest thing. Cheers to that!

Hey thanks for being so authentic, it’s promoting some thoughts. It’s made me think about my relationship with the idea of failure. Thank you.

Much love and support on your journey Michele! Just know you are not alone in the struggle 😉

So incredibly relatable, and though I work out regularly too, I love to eat and while this worked for me when I was younger, at 55 the weight doesn't come off. Thanks so very much for being who you are., I love the fashion you show and I feel catered for and SEEN.

I’m there right now and just jumped on board with a program last week too. Very scary emotional risk. Great video and thanks for laying yourself bare to your viewers to help us feel supported too! I’ll be thinking of you! XOXO Heidi

I love this! I have terrible issues with portion control and eating when I’m upset, happy, bored, etc. it’s great you’re real with yourself and want to be healthy-not just “skinny”. Wish you the best luck, you’re excitement is contagious 😊

Michele, this topic could not be more timely. This struggle has been on my mind because my birthday, 68, is around the corner. I have been on a similar journey since I was young...The Scarsdale Diet comes to mind. I'm getting it in gear once again, and trying to walk away from my emotional eating. I eat through my pain or stress. You are not alone and far from a failure. I have faith that I will take care of myself so I will keep flexibility, balance, bone health & remain healthy into my 70s. You can do this. The trainer is a great decision, good for you! in gear

I appreciate your transparency and how this journey has affected you and how it has encouraged this new journey for you. Sending best wishes your way as you move forward. Be encouraged!

I always appreciate your vulnerability and honesty. I also have faced challenges with my relationship with food and exercise, especially being young. Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing your story and taking us along for the journey!

Michele you’re awesome 😎 Thank you for sharing, I really needed to hear this and know that I am not alone in this constant food consumption struggle. You inspired me to continue to not give up! I hope that you enjoy this new journey your on, the ups and the downs. xoxo

Luv this. So refreshing to hear you speak with so much honesty. I’m exactly the same. Please share your journey!! ❤xx

Thank you so much for sharing your journey. You are an actual true inspiration and role model. There are a lot of things you've shared through your vlogs that have stuck with me and in turn I have applied to my own life and it's helped me be a happier person. Thank you again.

Thanks so much Michele for sharing this with all of us. Wishing you the best on this new journey 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 We can be in our 50’s, 60’s and on up that our body may age, but not our mind. Love your blogs ❤️❤️😘😘 Greetings from Spain ❤❤

It is so brave of you to talk about this and I am excited for you and this health journey! I am a little bit younger than you but so much of what you said resonates with me and I don’t think I could be this open in my videos

I just came over from your update to this video (Nov), and again, I’m impressed with how thoughtful you are, particularly in analyzing your thoughts and choices. Having said that, I can also appreciate that being so analytical can lead to thoughts of “I’m a failure!” I’m impressed by how you went from this thought process to the next video, and look forward to what things you’ll accomplish next. 😊

I remember my first diet was the Atkins, I was about 11 years old. I dieted because my siblings called me fat and they would tease me at every turn. I recently saw a photo of myself when I was in my early twenties I couldn't believe how attractive and thin I was. I called my brother and asked him why he called me fat and teased me so badly for being fat. He said he and my siblings thought I was pretty and thin and they didn't want it to go to my head. I told him he succeeded. I rarely think I am attracted or thin.

Can totally relate unfortunately! Add this to a few life-changing devastating events, and you've basically got me! Best of luck to you. You are not alone.

Thank you Michele for your honesty and taking us on your journey. I too have struggled.

I appreciate this video, what you said is exactly how I feel ... spent my life dieting and yo yoing back and forth and feeling like a failure, giving up, starting again and being totally sick to death of it all... but I cannot give up I have to keep trying.. appreciate your voicing it all as I feel it is not just me that I am not alone in this.

I needed to hear ALL of this topic. Thank you for your vulnerability Michele ….you are speaking truth to my ears & have no idea of the impact that you’ve made.❤

Thank you for sharing your journey! I’ll be 50 in April of next year and I am right there with you. I literally had a break down about this very thing LAST WEEK! Nevertheless, I’ve made changes w/my eating over the last few weeks and noticed positive changes. It is hard. And two bites of anything is never enough! Lol! Here’s to NEVER giving up! ❤ Love your channel, and your style!

I thinks its very admirable for you to share something so private about yourself. I have always wondered about your fitness journey and goals. Thank you for this!

Regardless what, please know that we love you ❤

Thank you for sharing this with us, you said a lot of things that really resonated with me, very encouraging 💕

Thank you for for sharing I’m 51 and tried so many diets over the years,just like you I over eat can’t stop myself till it’s all gone. I hope you share more of this journey you are definitely not a failure you have inspired me.

Thank you for sharing Michele!! So helpful as always!! ❤

Thanks for sharing this. Definitely relate. My experience improved hugely when I included resources that support peri and post menopause. It answered a lot if questions that you’ve touched on here and opened up other options that really shifted things. Hope your trainer is taking that into consider.

❤ I can relate to everything you’re saying. It takes courage to speak so openly about your struggles, which resonated with me so deeply. I enjoy your vlog very much… Be well.

this was soooo recognisable, I’m very all or nothing as a personality and in many areas of life that works so well, it forces me to stick in at things and do well, but i can never be moderate with food it’s especially not helpful! i’m thinking of you and on a similar journey too so this was timely video, your trainers insights about life and travel were so sensible ❤

I hear every single word!! You’re speaking exactly my world/life!!! Yo-yo eating.. but, i definitely workout regularly as well. This must be more common than I thought. 🌺🌼🌺

Good for you for getting a trainer! This year, I started on an Osteoporosis journey & at age 61, weight training for the 1st time in my life! I only track my calcium & protein to make sure I'm getting enough. I will supplement with calcium if I need it & Vitamin D but that's it. I've learn so much about what I need to eat to fuel my body -- feel guilty I may have been depriving it or undermining nutrition & bone building by eating too much sugar, soda & sodium (via baked good & processed foods). Anyway, never felt stronger in my life! Increasing muscle mass helps us life long but especially as we grow wiser. 😉 All the best to you!

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻. I hear ya. Good luck and look forward to hearing about your journey.

I literally feel this. Very similarly to trying& “failing”/“giving up” because very similar. I definitely should meditate on why I just *stop* when I’m doing well because the smallest thing pops up. I also feel I swing between just a couple bites to must eat whole container. I hope this journey’s successful & not stressful& you’re able to see those “failures” as finding what didn’t work.

Thank you so much for posting this video and for your honesty. Although I am a few years behind you, I'm experiencing similar feelings right now. Your thought about 'training for something' really hit home for me. Like you, I've often worked out, but never trained, which now I realize why I don't stay consistent. Thank you! My mind is spinning and planning now, thank you. Also, it is so so lovely to hear a touch about your husband's support for you. We don't get too much about him, but that was really special. P.s. you've got this!! Only for yourself - not for anyone else.

Michele, I have replayed this video over & over. You capture my current mindset about weight loss, and more importantly, overall health. I waffle back & forth with wanting to just feel healthy & wanting to lose the extra weight. Thank you for sharing your story & inspiring me to just take it one step at a time. ❤

❤❤❤❤ You are the real MVP. We all have our struggles .. I can relate to this. It is what you do about it and the approach towards an issue that matters. I'm glad you're being kind to yourself and doing it so gracefully! I wish you all the very best, and I'm taking notes from you. Have a pleasant day Michelle 🎉❤!!!

OMG, I balled while viewing this. Your story is sooo me that of which I've never verbalized and you just said it! I'm about 12 years your senior and just gave myself permission to not be "skinny". I am concerned about being healthy cause I intend to be around for a while! All this just to say thanks for sharing and don't call yourself a failure. The journey is always a win no matter the outcome!

I hear ya! It feels overwhelming sometimes, but where there is a will, there’s a way. It’s a process finding what works and understanding what doesn’t and why.😎

I’m glad you shared, Michele. I have failed many times as well…may not look exactly like your journey but we’ve all been there. Here’s to never giving up!! 💪❤

Thanks for posting. I have struggled in the area also. Today I made a decision to make some lifestyle changes for my health mental, physical, and emotional. Speaking for myself in this process I find it often to be kind to myself. Self-compassion is very important, but can be hard to do.

This resonates. So many struggles at this stage of life. Financial worries, worrying about aging myself, worrying about aging parents, etc. Add to that, the issues that come with menopause & slowing metabolism and the potential negative impact on health and mobility. Be thankful that you can afford the help of a trainer. I would wish for that luxury for myself above any others right now. But I think acknowledging the issue and intentional and consistent effort are key. Sounds like you are on the right track. Wishing you peace and success.

The only true failure is to quit trying. You are my inspiration in so many ways, and I look forward to your videos because I get pumped up to self-improve, not only with my makeup and skin care but even to clean my closet and dress a little better instead of just coming home from work and changing from my uniform to “house clothes.” You got this, lady boss!! ❤❤❤

Hi Michele, you’re very kind to share your experience - it’s clearly taken a toll emotionally. Small changes, new habits, we’ll all do better 😊

Good luck Michele! Rooting for you! You just inspired me to “train” … gonna try coz I have been working out for a big part of my life and now in my 40s, it’s just so hard to “stay strong” coz working out is just not enough anymore. Looking forward to your journey!

This has so much realness and hope. Thank you for sharing.

Same with the small portions. Awakens the beast is a great description. Thanks for sharing the journey!

Lots and lots of love and support to you, lovely. So many others have said it and I'm chiming in too: you are not a failure. You can never be a failure if you try something, and you are trying. You have a huge support system here in this lovely community you've built, and I know I'm not alone in saying that I'm here if you ever want to talk. 💚💪🏻

Thanks for your honesty. I can relate. I'm turning 30 this year and I've been making a huge change in the way i eat and the way i think about getting exercise

You are amazing! Strength training changed my life. My story is very similar to yours. Every diet under the sun. Back issues. All of it. A year ago, I was using mobility aids to walk, had that fragile feeling you're describing as well. Constant pain. I started physical therapy in September of last year with the intention of stength training. It truly gave me my life back. I lift 3x a week now and stay active with minimal pain. I set small attainable goals for myself of increasing weight on a certain lift and work towards it, and most importantly, I don't beat myself up over anything. I just got on the meal prep game. As someone who hates cooking. It took me a while to embrace it. I'm so happy to see you starting this journey! It's rewarding in so many ways beyond physical strength. Muscle Mommy Michele! ❤