Starting new things can be challenging. Starting this public writing has been more challenging than I thought it would be. Sharing this video is more challenging than sharing my writing.

None of these challenges come anywhere close to the challenge of making the decision to transform myself, to start a new way of life, to forge a new way of living, to dare to hope.

Still, speaking and writing about my personal shadows around weight and weight loss challenge me — even though I see my story as one of hope, optimism, and possibilities. Several thoughts help me.

When I started preparing to make changes, I included the self-directive: Start where I am now. I continually use this line to focus on the present, to avoid traps of inaction that dwell on the past or future. Start where I am helps me now.

So does knowing that food addiction is more common than I first thought. Many people fight battles with addictive foods, no matter what their weights. The strength of food addiction is not directly proportional to size.

Genetics shape our weights differently — how we store weight, how our bodies handle processed foods, what our set-points are for how much food we eat regularly. Change around individual genetics is difficult but possible.