By Heidi Dahlke

My struggles with weight began early in my marriage. My husband was hardly ever home—he was a teacher and coached three different sports—so I spent a lot of time alone. That was the first time food started to feel like a friend.

Nine months into our marriage, I became pregnant. I thought having a little companion with me all the time would ease the loneliness. And while I truly was never alone again, the loneliness stayed. Deep down, I carried pain from childhood and high school—experiences that had convinced me I wasn’t enough. That trauma followed me into motherhood.

Six kids and nearly 25 years of marriage later, I’ve dabbled in or fully immersed myself in more weight-loss programs than I can count. Along the way, I faced food addiction and self-hate head-on. I punished my body with grueling workouts, thinking I could force it into submission. But gradually, I began learning how to show myself compassion—even on the less-than-perfect days.

Every program, every plan I tried gave me something. Not one was a waste of time.

Through the ups and downs—sometimes as much as 50 pounds gained or lost—I’ve discovered how to love myself. I’ve become empowered by celebrating what my body can do through movement and exercise that I actually enjoy and feel inspired to do.

Now, I see myself as one point on a triangle, with my body and Heavenly Father at the other two. The three of us make an incredible team. We work together for the good of the whole.

As I’ve learned to show love to myself, I’ve become more intentional about my health. That intention led me to a powerful class called Live Life Lean, which encourages participants to create a personalized health plan. I wrote a goal for my health, and I now follow the inspiration and promptings that come to help me live into that dream.

Each day, I check in with myself—through journaling and by reading my goal. I’ve been amazed at how much guidance I’ve received. I’ve grown so connected to my goal that when I read it, I can physically feel the joy and peace of living in that energized, vibrant body I’ve envisioned.

My health journey has become so much more than a number on the scale.

Friends have started to reach out because they see something changing in me—physically and mentally. I feel empowered by the curiosity I have toward my old programs, deciding whether they still serve me or if it’s time to replace them with something new. Each day, I choose to focus on how far I’ve come, not how far I still have to go.

In my mind, I’ve already achieved my goal. Now I’m simply waiting for the dream to catch up to the vision.

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