So, you’ve arrived at the very last chapter… the thirtieth Change. Welcome, and congratulations. You’ve taken a small chunk of time out of your long, busy life to commit to you. Doesn’t that feel good? So now, you ask, what next?
Whether you’re here because you’ve just begun the Changes, completed them all, or are somewhere in between, you should be proud of yourself for taking back control of your life.
If, however, you haven’t even started yet, what are you waiting for? (And please don’t say Monday. That’s a lot of pressure to put on the poor day.) The truth is, you will never be 100 percent ready to change—ever. So don’t wait for the perfect day of the perfect month, because it’ll never come. As it turns out, the perfect time is actually right this second—it’s literally right now.
For the rest of you, who’ve been following all twenty-nine Changes, I want you to know something: This is not the end, it’s only the beginning. There’s no finish line. The goal was to give you thirty Changes that jump-started your health from “I don’t know where to start” to “Look at me! I feel great. I’m moving great. I’m eating great. Let’s keep going!”
So now, I hand over the reins to you.
You understand what you have to do to stay in shape—not because you’ve read about it but because you’ve done it.
This journey was never about doing this for you, it was always about doing it with you. The day I started writing this book, I was staring at myself in the mirror a few weeks after giving birth to my second daughter. I knew that I couldn’t just write about change for you, I had to dive in, get dirty, and do each of the Changes, one by one, right alongside you. I had to prove to myself that every single word in this book was part of my own overall plan to lose that weight, get back in shape again, and stay in love with the person looking back at me in the mirror.
So when you tell me it’s hard to start, I know—I was there. When you tell me you have tough days when carbs are calling out to you from across the kitchen, I know—I was there. When you tell me there are times when you absolutely do not want to work out, when the gym seems less appealing than a bikini wax, I completely hear you (and I apologize for the analogy). But my options were simple:
Either I quit and went all the way back to square one (the loneliest shape), or I pushed through and lived in discomfort for a few seconds to reap many rewards. I chose option B. I kept going, much like you can and you will. And now I’m here, sharing my journey with you in small pieces.
So I guess what I’m saying is, after twenty-nine Changes that have guided you from THEN to NOW, the last one is very simple and yet the most important one. The last Change (drumroll please)… is YOU.
You’re the one who decides what you eat, when you work out, where you find time to relax, why you keep quitting, and how you’ll reengage for good.
So I will leave you with this last piece of advice: Simply put, whenever you feel scared, doubtful, insecure, confused, weak, or fragile—whenever you want to quit, stop, cheat, cry, beg, or break—I want you to say to yourself, “I can and I will.”
Say it to the person next to you.
Say it as a whisper.
Say it as a prayer.
Say it in Spanish.
“I can and I will.”
ME: Hey, guys. What are you doing?
MOM: Just cleaning up from dinner. Thinking of taking a walk now that it’s warmer out.
ME: Nice! What did you have for dinner?
MOM: We grilled salmon with broccoli and a big salad. And some pineapple for dessert.
ME: Wow, Mom, that’s great!
MOM: And now we’re going for a walk.
ME: Yeah, you just mentioned that.
MOM: All those times you thought we weren’t listening to all your advice, we actually were. And now we’re eating better and starting to exercise with the walking.
ME: Again with the walking. You feel good?
MOM: Your father lost eight pounds and I lost five. Here, say hello.
DAD: Hey, honey… Did your mom tell you we’re walking now?
ME: Briefly.
DAD: We love the changes we’ve made thanks to you.
ME: I’m curious. What changes?
DAD: Drink water, don’t eat pasta after six, and keep a diary.
ME: A food diary. Not a regular diary. Keep a food diary. Anyway, go for your walk. I’ll talk to you later. Where are you going, by the way?
DAD: Oh, they’re having a cheese and cheesecake festival in town tonight. Who knew they paired together?!?
(Dead silence)
ME: I give up.