In those moments, come back to the data. Come back to how you feel . Do you have more energy now that you aren't starving? Are your relationships better now that you aren't obsessing over food? Is your anxiety lower now that you aren't berating yourself for missing a workout?

Enter the paradigm shift:

When your motivation to exercise is hatred for your thighs, you might lose weight, but you rarely gain peace. In fact, studies in the Journal of Health Psychology suggest that weight-centric health models often lead to yo-yo dieting, increased cortisol (stress hormones), and a higher risk of metabolic syndrome—regardless of weight change.