I’ve lost 90 pounds in the past few years. Yes, you read that right!
I like to repeat that over and over – I never get tired of saying that out loud. And while I’d love to say it was easy or that I have secrets to share, the truth is, it was anything but easy, and I don’t have any hidden tips to offer. My journey was one of necessity, born from a series of health struggles that forced me to look at food, my body, and my mindset in a new way.
My health had become an issue – one I didn’t think I’d overcome.
A few years ago, I found myself at 294 pounds, my highest weight ever. I’d been in the obese category for decades, and when I developed an issue with a disc in my neck, the weight skyrocketed. I struggled every day with pain and numbness and needed surgery. I became even more sedentary and not long after that, I had several bouts of diverticulitis that threw my body into turmoil. I spent months on antibiotics, barely able to eat, and relying on a liquid diet and soft foods just to get by. I was told that if I had one more flare-up, I’d need surgery to remove the infected part of my intestines.
When you have diverticulitis, your diet is stripped down to basics—often just liquids or soft foods, which meant I was consuming a lot of sugar and starches – jello, ice pops, mashed potatoes, rice. My system was a mess, and after all those antibiotics, I was more out of balance than ever. A few months later, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. It wasn’t a huge surprise, considering my weight and the sugars I’d been living on, but it still felt like one more punch to the gut.
I had to make a lot of changes and none of them were easy.
The combination of diverticulitis, diabetes, and medication started to bring down my weight, but not because I was trying. In fact, I was scared. The weight seemed to fall off, but I felt weak and anxious. And as I started to lose more, I realized that my relationship with food wasn’t the only thing I had to change. Even with the weight loss, I still wasn’t happy. Anxiety clung to me, making every day feel like an uphill battle, and I was also coming to terms with a recent diagnosis of ADHD.
I had one option and it was the hardest one of all.
At the time, it became clear that if I didn’t address my mental health and my mindset, no amount of weight loss would bring me peace. Eventually in 2023, I took medical leave from work, determined to use the time to improve my mental health. I needed a new perspective—a shift toward a growth mindset that could help me recognize the positive in life, despite the weight of anxiety and the challenges of ADHD. This wasn’t an easy task; anxiety has a grip that can feel unbreakable, and ADHD filled my mind with so many ideas that I struggled to focus on any one thing long enough to make real progress.
During this time, I dove into anything that might inspire me. I started stretching every day and using my treadmill. I reconnected with my creative side, painting abstract art and experimenting with AI art. The results weren’t gallery-worthy, but they brought me joy. I watched every season of Survivor and MasterChef, drawn to people pushing themselves to their limits, testing their resilience. Watching those contestants reminded me of the power of believing in oneself and the strength we all have to be able to do what may seem like the impossible.
I wrote what may someday become a book, course or podcast on harnessing a growth mindset and the power of positive thinking. I have so much that I want to share to help others sort out what they need to overcome adversity and challenges in life. If I can make the shift – and especially at my age – I know that anyone can.
It dawned on me that while I’d accomplished so much in life, I rarely (never?) gave myself credit. I was always searching for approval, always doubting whether I was truly worthy of success. That realization—that I deserved to believe in myself—was the shift I needed. When I returned to work, I felt hopeful but also apprehensive. The world I was used to didn’t always jive with my neurodivergent strengths. Recognizing that what I had deemed as challenges before were not issues with my capabilities. I had to take that ADHD diagnosis and basically start from scratch. I quickly learned I had to advocate for myself and for accommodations, something that a lot of folks find very hard to do.
I now love the journey and best of all I am beginning to love myself.
The journey didn’t end with the weight loss to date (that’s still a journey), or even with learning to manage my diabetes, ADHD and anxiety. Every day, I’m still learning to balance the progress I’ve made with the acknowledgment that there’s always more work to be done. I’m a lifelong people-pleaser who’s slowly learning to stand up for myself, claim boundaries and recognize my own worth. And while I’m not finished with this journey, I’m proud of how far I’ve come.
So, no, I don’t have weight-loss secrets or mind-shift tricks. But I do have a newfound commitment to growth, self-compassion, and resilience. My hope is that by sharing my story, I can help others believe in their own potential, take charge of their own journey, and find the strength to create change from the inside out.
I’m beginning to share my story on social media. The blogger in me knows it’s what we do, right? It’s part of my healing process and I’d love for you to follow along. I prove every day that I can do hard things, and if I can, so can you.
I may not post much here, but you can follow my journey on @linneyville on Instagram and @linneyville on TikTok.