Have you ever felt so successful after meeting a goal that you literally wanted to jump for joy? You realize that all of the hard work put towards accomplishing that goal was worth it since you came out on top in the end. Even if it is an achievement as small as learning to dribble a basketball, the effort you put into learning how should make you feel like a superhero.

Year after year, my body image and the want to lose weight was always number one on my to do list. Because of my fear of weight gain, I went two months without weighing myself. Weight gain has always been a fear of mine due to the fact that I do not want to be obese; some of my family members who have gained weight have not been able to lose it, making the pounds stay for a long time. I finally built up the courage to step on the scale and promised myself not to freak out. When I hopped on my scale in my bathroom, I dreaded looking at the number on it.

Recently, I felt on top of the world when I noticed a loss in my weight: 11 pounds to be exact. The number I had seen two months ago had decreased by 11 pounds. I could not help but stand there and smile for about five minutes. To me, even if it is not a really big number, 11 pounds makes a huge difference. It makes me feel more confident to be in my own skin and to feel one step closer to reaching my desired weight of 115 pounds. Of course, losing weight is still going to be on my list, but I now feel more determined to reach my initial weight goal.

Now that I have made progress, I can continue my daily routine while adding helpful exercise routines. The key to my weight loss has been controlling my food portions, which has made a huge difference. I have not taken the drastic measure of not eating entirely, but rather I have lowered the amount of calories I eat from 1500 to 1000-1200. 1200 is the recommended calorie count for women, but it is best to check with your doctor to check for a suggested calorie count.

Likewise, it is really simple to lose weight while still enjoying the same foods you normally eat. I eat chips, but instead, I purchase baked versions or the ones from Special K. They taste even better than your normal junk food chips, and they are even healthier. Not just chips but many other junk foods can come as healthier versions: they just take some searching in order to find them. A healthier version of ice cream can be either the Skinny Cow brand or even ice cream made with soy milk.

This is the first time in my life that I have felt so successful with a goal I have set. I have been able to reach other goals of mine, but this is the first time that I have felt like jumping for joy. This time, instead of saying I think I can reach my goal, I can say I know I can reach my goal.