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Episode Overview
“I’ve been in Balance365 since September of 2016 and always seem to be in the red zone, but in April 2018 after a lot of self-love and diet deprogramming, and started picking my habits, picking up my habits and slowly scaling up when I could. I also went through one round of small group coaching and I’m happy to report that I have nailed three to four meals. I am no longer snacking. My NEAT game is strong, my water game is strong and my sleep is constantly improving. With these changes alone, I’m down 25 pounds and about 15 inches. I’ve had a lot of red zone moments in there as well. But I’ve been able to pick up my habits when I make it through those times.”
In today’s podcast episode, Megan Prince shared her Balance365 story with Annie, how she left diet culture behind after fifteen years of being steeped in it and after struggling with poor body image. Now, she says, “There is nothing wrong with my body size and the scale doesn’t mean anything.” She’s found peace in her journey and more self-acceptance than she thought possible.
An Awakening
Megan examined her diet history through the Diet Deprogramming part of the Balance365 program and realized the diets didn’t work because she tried to make her life fit her latest diet, instead of finding a way of eating and living that worked for her life.
A progression
Megan built her new way of living by adding habits one at a time and building on her past success. She started with hydration, moved on to breakfast, and then worked towards eating 3-4 meals before finally working on her sleep. She scaled up her habits as she successfully integrated new behaviors into her life.
The Decision To Try
“Trying in the past it was all or nothing,” Megan said. In trying to lose weight with Balance365, Megan took a more realistic approach, and instead of trying to change everything all at once, she opted to focus on attainable goals. She layered small changes on top of each other and let go of her all-or-nothing thinking.
A Group Effort
Megan participated in small group coaching and enjoyed the accountability and support from her coach and from other like-minded participants in her group. She was able to approach challenges she found overwhelming knowing she could reach out if she had any questions or concerns. She continued to implement habits she learned long after the program was over, allowing her to enjoy ongoing results.
Freedom at Last
When asked what her biggest takeaway from the Balance365 program was, Megan said, “The biggest takeaway is that I finally feel free…I developed the love for myself and for my body and for what it can do now…just utter freedom, like food freedom, freedom from diet culture.” Megan had long delayed purchasing a bathing suit for years. Finally, she bought one and went swimming with her daughter.
New Confidence
Megan has been encouraged by her success in Balance365 and found new confidence. “I know from here on out, there’s no turning back because I know what I can do and I know what I’m capable of. And I know it doesn’t matter what body I’m in. I can do those things,” Megan said. When Annie asked what she would say to someone tentative about joining Balance365, Megan said, “What have you got to lose? I can honestly say that you will never regret it in your life.”
That confidence comes from her new perspective on life and on herself. She elaborated, “It’s just so important to be able to know that you matter and that your worth is not tied to anything that people have been telling you or that you’ve expected it to be.” Megan knows that change can come from self-love and doesn’t need to be driven by self-loathing.
A Better Way
In describing the program, Megan shared, ”It’s about you, what you want for your life. And you get to cultivate what you want that to look like and build the healthy habits to fit into that.” She described the Balance365 as not just being limited to physical health but also mental wellbeing. “It’s so much more than just pounds and inches. It’s getting back your life,” Megan clarified.
For Megan, the changes she has made have been sustainable. “I’ve never done anything where it’s been this sustainable and that I’ve been able to be at a certain point comfortably for over a year.”
Transcript
Download a copy of this episode’s transcript here.
