How I lost 100lbs: The Mindset Shifts That Changed Everything

For years, I struggled with my size. I tried every diet, every exercise plan, the pills, the powders, and every so-called "quick fix" out there. And for years, I always ended up in the same place - stuck, frustrated, and wondering if I'd ever break free from this vicious cycle.

It wasn't until I stopped chasing external solutions, and started transforming from inside myself, that everything changed. Losing 100lbs wasn't just about food or exercise. It was about the weight I was carrying between my ears: my beliefs, my mindset, and my identity.

If you are feeling stuck in any area of your life - whether it's your health, your career, or your self-perception - know this: real transformation begins in your mind. Today I'm sharing the powerful mindset shifts that helped me lose the weight and, more importantly, reclaim my confidence, ambition, energy, and sense of self.

1. I Stopped Trying to "Fix" Myself and Started Working on Loving Myself

For a long time, I believed that losing weight would make me worthy - worthy of happiness, of love, of success. But this mindset kept me stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage. The truth? I had to embrace and accept myself before I could truly change my behaviours.

I stopped speaking to myself with shame and started focusing on celebrating myself and speaking with self-appreciation. Instead of looking in the mirror and saying, "I hate my body," I started intentionally looking in the mirror and saying "I am grateful for this body and everything it enables me to do."

That shift changed everything. Because isn't it true that when you love something, you want to take care of it?

2. I Stopped Relying on Motivation and Built Discipline Instead

The feeling of being 'motivated' to do something is fleeting. Some days you wake up ready to conquer the world and your to-do list. Other days you would rather stay in bed and drown your sorrows in an entire pizza.

That's just reality!

What made the difference for me was learning that I didn't need to "feel like it" to do it anyway. I created systems and rituals in my life that made my new habits automatic. I prepped my meals, scheduled my workouts, and made the decision to show up TODAY, not staying focused on just how far I still had to go.

Discipline isn't about willpower. It's about making commitments to yourself and following through on them. It's about taking action when the mood in which you decided on that path has long since left you.

3. I Changed My Identity, Not Just My Habits

I used to tell myself, "I'm just not one of those people," and "I've always struggled with food." And because I believed those things to be an integral part of who I was, I lived them out.

Everything shifted when I started believing new, empowering things about the woman I was. When I started to see myself in a different way. When I no longer accepted the identity of someone who was always going to be that way.

When you change your identity, your actions MUST align. Instead of forcing yourself to make healthier food choices, you start wanting to make choices that are rooted in who you are, not just "I have to do this".

4. I Faced My Emotional Triggers Instead of Just Numbing Them

Food had always been my comfort, my escape, my stress relief. I come from an African family where food was the centre of all things - we celebrated with food, we commiserated with food, we had food as part of every family anything.

But the truth was, the weight I had gained wasn't just about the food - it was about what I was using food for.

I had to get honest about the emotions I was avoiding. Instead of reaching for junk food when I was sad, I started to ask myself, "what do I really need right now?" Sometimes it was rest. Sometimes it was a chat with someone who loves me. Sometimes it was sitting quietly and getting lost in the pages of a book.

Breaking free from emotional eating wasn't about restriction and 'dieting'... it was about healing.

5. I Committed to a Long-Term Process

Diets had failed me because I was always looking for the fastest way to get the weight off. I never considered my health or even the quality of life I wanted to be living. I had to shift my focus from how fast I could lose this weight to how I could create a lifestyle that made me feel great.

That meant ditching extremes and embracing a long-term process of change. It meant learning how to eat in a way that fueled and nourished me rather than punished me. It meant finding movement that I enjoyed instead of forcing myself through workouts that I hated.

I didn't just lose 100+lbs... I created a life that FELT too good to go back to my old habits.

Your Transformation starts with you.

If you are feeling stuck in your health, your career or how you feel in your life right now, I want you to know this... you are not broken, and you are not behind.

The version of you who has everything she desires? She already exists inside of you; she's just waiting for you to see her, believe in her, and step into your power to let her out.

Your breakthrough won't come from the next diet or workout plan - how I lost 100lbs certainly wasn't - it will come from shifting how you see yourself.

xoxo Sabrina