It takes sheer doggedness, absolute focus, unwavering commitment and utter willpower to achieve unprecedented and even unbelievable feats in life. Isabelle Audette knows all about it: she lost an astonishing 100 lbs in 10 months.
The ability to stare truth in the face and be frank about what she saw allowed Audette to bring about the amazing transformation.
Reflecting on her former appearance, Audette says, “I grew up being the ‘fat’ kid, and I was even called ‘pig’ back in elementary school. When I was growing up, my mom was always working and barely had time to cook food. We were eating out most of the days or eating unhealthy foods. As I grew up, I started realizing that my health was in danger. At my highest weight ever, which was 224 lbs, I had to make a change.” And she did.
How do you accomplish something so big? Audette shares her experience so you too can achieve your dreams.
1. Discover your motivation
Making a change requires a turning point — a realization that you have to do something about your situation. But unless you are honest with yourself, unless you listen to your gut feelings, you won’t get there or feel motivated to accomplish your goal. Just knowing you have to make a change is not enough. You have to want to do it; you have to be motivated.
Audette explains, “I was raised by two amazing parents that taught me to disregard what other people think. But even with that, I felt horrible. I knew I had to take action, but I never had the motivation to do so.”
Recalling her turning point, she says, “In the summer of 2016, I went to Spain, and that’s when it all started. I remember being at the beach and feeling horrible about the way that I looked. As soon as the plane landed in Montreal, I said to myself that it was enough and that I was going to change.”
When the turning point came, Audette found her motivation and set out to accomplish her goal. You can’t afford to linger once you get to the turning point. It’s more like a calling — you must act on it. Otherwise, things might get even worse, or it might be too late to change them.
2. Make your own decisions
Decisions about your life should be yours and yours alone. If you wait for people to tell you it’s time to make a change, you might wait forever. Plus, others might be encouraging you to go in the wrong direction. Nobody knows you as well as you do, and nobody can tell you when and how to act. Only you know what is right for you.
“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can,“ says Neil Gaiman.
That’s what Audette did: she made her own decision about her own life, which led to the desired change.
3. Follow your own strategy
People tend to have differing views on how to tackle a problem. And while gathering various perspectives might be helpful, at the end of the day, you have to devise your own strategy. Once you do, you’ll be more likely to follow through on it since you were the one who created the recipe for your own success to begin with.
This is how Audette puts it, “It wasn’t always easy. Sometimes, I just wanted to eat everything and give up, but I know I was stronger than those thoughts. My mom would bring back pizza after work, and my brain would see it as ‘bad food,’ so I refused it right away. Weight loss is much more than just a physical transformation. A lot of it comes from the mind. You have to be strong enough to fight the little voice that says: go get a piece of chocolate. Eighty percent of the work is done in the kitchen and twenty percent in the gym.”
Audette created a strategy to counteract the mental craving for food, which ensured her success. Having a strategy and following it with resolve will determine whether you’ll become the person you want to be and accomplish your dreams.
4. Stick to you vision
Your vision has an overriding influence on the final outcome. From the get-go, you must have a clear picture of what you intend to accomplish. There must be an aim, a purpose — an ultimate goal.
If you try pursuing two things at once, you may not be able to achieve any of them and may be left feeling confused, annoyed, disappointed, and disillusioned.
Audette sums up her journey this way, “If I was able to lose 100lbs in 10 months, so can you. I am extremely proud of what I have accomplished. My mission on social media is to empower people and to be a source of inspiration. Body positivism for me is extremely important. Everybody is beautiful and there’s not one better than the other. You can find me on Instagram @iisaxxo.”