Most of us have stories. We've been through, well, a lot. If I challenged you to name one person you know that hasn't struggled, sacrificed, or endured a hardship, could you? I can't. In each of us, there's a fire that keeps burning. There's a desire that pushes us to do what we do and be who we are. I show up every day positive, smiling, upbeat, and ready to help. I don't do it because I have to. I feel it.

However, when I think I know what fuels me, I leave the Middleton WI clinic more inspired than when I arrived. It's your journey and your successes that inspire me to do, learn, and know more. Your story, your health, and your triumphs empower me, and yet together; we see that it's not bliss at every turn.

Maybe these Middleton WI stories will empower you as well.

I had a woman get discouraged recently about her progress. She responded so quickly at first that as we started to dive deeper into her hold-ups and plateaus, she became frustrated and discouraged. These "plateaus" we began to encounter were her body's cries for help. They were the reasons she couldn't ever get passed this point. The reasons she couldn't seem to "get healthy," couldn't improve sleep, couldn't make the changes she needed because the results didn't show. This is why she had 2-3 drinks every night. This is also why she continued eating the way she was. Nothing ever changed, so why change her routine?!

We've all been there. We wish the healing happened instantly, and goals achieved yesterday. So, we talked...

I laid out her "whys" – Why did you begin this process in the first place? Her number one goal was to establish healthier eating habits long term. She wanted to put in the work now so she could reap the benefits years later. She wanted to release toxic inflammation, have energy to enjoy her family, and finally wake up feeling refreshed. Some people like stories and motivational quotes to inspire them. Some people need facts.

I laid out the facts: She lost 14lbs in 4 weeks. She was sleeping better. Her bowels were beginning to normalize (no longer fully constipated when she ate healthily). She felt better. She was happy that she looked better (no more bags under her eyes). She was living the routine she said she wanted to live. Ten days of sickness and "plateau" surely wasn't enough to throw her off track.

We all need someone to point out the small changes. Someone to show us where we've been and to remind us where we said we wanted to go. This woman wasn't discouraged by the results. She didn't know how she could keep going. She had drastically changed her life (maybe too drastically). Her frustration was actually fear. How would she manage the changes for two more months? This we planned out!

Go back to your "why" and reason for starting. What motivated you? Maybe you can't move forward because fear is masquerading itself as discouragement. If so, learn how to label your fear. This, alone, will allow you to continue moving forward.