When you have the urge to reinvent yourself, it usually stems from a strong desire for change. People go through many transformations, but weight loss is the most common life change by far. In our world of modern food choices, staying healthy and fit is a real challenge. However, with practice and consistency, it can be done.
Marissa Dawn went on this journey herself, losing 115 pounds in the process! She now works as a personal trainer and does online coaching as well. Here is her uplifting and motivating weight loss story.
“My starting weight was 260 pounds, and I was like a lot of other people,” Marissa says. In the beginning, she thought she’d missed out on many opportunities in life. She thought she was stuck forever being overweight, at a job she hated, and in a relationship that didn’t make her happy.
“Overall, I just thought my life was what it was and there was no changing it, no matter how hard that I had tried.”
However, she quickly found out that she could reinvent herself at any time; she didn’t have to settle. After beginning her weight loss journey, she documented her results on her Instagram and YouTube channel. She never imagined she’d have a fulfilling new career helping others achieve their fitness goals as well. Now, her YouTube channel has over 120K subscribers, and she’s been voted the #1 personal trainer in the San Antonio area.
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“I have gone through my very own 115-pound weight loss journey, but more importantly, I went through a major mindset shift along the way, and this is how I did it,” Marissa says. “One of the main reasons I decided to lose weight is because I realized that my body was no longer serving me.”
Marissa decided to reinvent herself to feel good in her own skin again.
She says that at 25 years old, she couldn’t walk and keep up with friends while in New York City. She had to hold her breath, experiencing chaffing on her thighs and getting quickly overheated and red in the face. Marissa felt embarrassed and uncomfortable in her own skin like she was suffocating. Feeling this way made her want to lose weight for good so she could enjoy life again.
When she returned home from her trip to New York, she went to the doctor and got diagnosed with pre-diabetes. This motivated her even more to reinvent herself and shed the excess weight she’d been carrying around. She had tried many times to lose weight in the past, but she finally found success this time.
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Here are three main things that she attributes to her weight loss success:
How did she achieve this?
1. Holding herself accountable by making video diaries.
She put the video diaries on YouTube, which helped her stay accountable since other people followed her journey. They checked in with her once a week to see how much weight she had lost or what meals she’d made. They also asked her about the exercises she’d done to have inspiration for their own workouts.
2. Surprisingly, she said letting go of the idea of motivation helped her lose weight.
Instead, she focused on the process and procedures of losing weight. This way, it became part of her routine, whether she felt particularly motivated each day or not. By taking the necessary steps to reach her goal and putting feelings aside, she found it easier to maintain a routine.
3. Finally, she turned her weight loss journey into a fun experience.
Many people end up quitting the gym or whatever exercise routine they have because it’s simply grueling. However, Marissa wanted to find exercises she enjoyed to stick with the process to the end. She found that dance classes, HIIT body workouts, and lifting weights made exercise fun.
So, by holding herself accountable, sticking to the process no matter what, and making exercise fun, Marissa reached her goal. Actually, she ended up losing more weight than she ever imagined, having a whole new lease on life. By reaching her goals, she found a whole new passion and career path as well. Plus, since people had watched her lose weight, they felt even more inclined to hire her as their personal trainer.
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Marissa’s advice to anyone looking to reinvent themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally
“My biggest piece of advice for somebody who’s just getting on a weight loss journey and the same piece of advice that I give to all of my clients is to stop focusing on instant gratification,” Marissa says. “You have to be focused on the long term, so really ask yourself throughout the day, check-in with yourself, be mindful, get rid of negative self-talk. You CAN do it, you are worthy, you’re meant to be whatever you want to be in life, and it is never, ever too late for you.”
If Marissa can do it, you can too! For someone who reinvents themselves, they already know what they signed up for. They know the journey won’t be easy, but the reward waits for them at the end. Actually, the whole process itself is rewarding because every positive step gets you closer to your goal. Never give up on your dreams or yourself because you’re more capable than you think.
Final thoughts: you can reinvent yourself at any time and become whatever you want
Marissa’s story is a powerful reminder that we are not trees – we don’t have to stay stuck in life. We can move wherever and however we please and grow to become something totally different. In life, the only constant is change, so it doesn’t make sense to resist it. If we can embrace life by emboldening ourselves and realizing our inner power, we will no longer be bound by limits.
We leave you with this helpful piece of advice from Marissa’s Instagram:
“Instead of focusing on quick results, turn your focus towards just the system, aka the choices you are making. Make choices with a purpose, get the results you want. Make the same choices you have been; get the same results.
My journey started in 2016. I have been making choices with a purpose for four years now. And every year, I have gotten more and more results.”
The post Woman Reinvents Herself With 115 Pound Weight Loss appeared first on Power of Positivity: Positive Thinking & Attitude.