Throughout my childhood my mom / my "sister"/ my best friend went through long periods of being "sick and tired of being sick-and-tired." She was adamant about feeling better and healthier. So she tried supplements, different diets, protein shakes, support groups, almost anything she could think of to lose the weight with some success, but nothing that felt everlasting.   Her journey to be less sick and tired was nothing short of exhausting. I couldn't understand what was wrong since we ate well and she made many changes.  I felt her pain and her longing for more energy.

I tagged along to her weight loss support group once.  I saw more people there than in my 5th grade class and I realized that my mom wasn't alone. There were many people trying anything to feel better. They were logging their food, self-weighing, and showing up to support group.  Some people's weight loss journeys were going really well and we'd applaud their successes. Others were struggling and we listened.  The room was filled with hope and heartache. 

It dawned on me that it's not anyone's fault. Weight loss is an incredibly sensitive and complicated endeavor. I wanted to help people feel less of that pain when trying to lose weight.  I wanted to help so they could live their lives the way they wanted to: with health, happiness, and vitality.