This may burst your bubble, but we need to make this clear now. I will be nothing but honest here on DIYMBU, and I won’t lie to you. Giving your body an overhaul will take time. There is no such thing as a miracle fix. How much time the upgrade takes depends on where you’re at now both mentally and physically. And while it does seem more convincing to do something that promises you will “lose 30 lbs in 2 weeks”, it is much healthier, realistic and permanent to do it slowly through changing your lifestyle. When you go slowly and alter the very way you live, you will always be at a happy or comfortable size. Once you get to that point, even if you’ve been slacking it a bit or want to look extra lean for a special occasion, you will know your body and the healthy methods to get you the look you want within a couple of weeks! You won’t be far from it, and you’ll have the tools you need to do it. And since you’ll be upgrading your mind too, you will have a more positive attitude towards your body and reaching your goals, which will in turn help you achieve them more easily.

Weight loss supplement companies and cosmetic surgeons bank on the fact that people want quick results with little to no effort. But those results don’t last. I’ve tried everything, short of liposuction (only because I couldn’t afford it, trust me I was ready for it) and the best results come from a combination of mind and body balance and self-awareness that will take time to achieve. Weight-loss supplements are usually just filled with stimulants that can be harmful to your body and sleep patterns, and the reason why the commercials say “combined with diet and exercise, you can achieve a new body!” Is because what is causing the changes is the diet and exercise. However, it is easier than you think.

Making one or two small changes at a time is easier than changing diet, exercise patterns and thinking patterns all at once. And even these small changes will show results! Once you see results from each little modification, you will want to move on to the next stage. Then you’ll see more results and move on to the next one and so on. Eventually, you will have changed your lifestyle and your body all at the same time!

Going through all the phases to completely change my lifestyle, mind and body, was a process that took me over 6 years to complete. Though that was because I made changes in a less than optimal order since I was learning through trial and error and had many ups and downs. But that is why I have structured DIYMBU to outline the changes in a more naturally flowing way. It will take you much less time than it took me to go through the whole process. Like I mentioned before, it depends where you are at now and every individual moved, develops and learns at a different speed. It may take someone 2 months, and it may take another person more than a year. Be patient with yourself and stick to it. You will see progress throughout the whole process, so that should keep you going. Also, forgive yourself if you fall back into your bad habits and just get back on the horse again!

Each step supports the next one and creates a base for the following steps as you go through the ultimate DIY project. I’ve especially structured the Core Concepts page and The Basics so you can explore each step at the right time, and take as long as you need to with each one. So don’t rush it! Patience is the key to a new you that you can be proud of for the rest of your life.

I know my journey would’ve been faster and easier if I had started by changing my mind. So I suggest exploring this part of yourself before you change any eating habits or come up with weight-loss or fitness goals. You must change the way you think and feel about yourself, certain words, foods and behaviors. Get to know yourself better, find out why you truly want to change and start from there.

Next Step: Why do you want to Upgrade?