Denial is an amazing thing. Denial can make you believe that everything is going along fine, when in fact things are spinning out of control.

I never realized I had let my weight get out of control. Buying XXL shirts? They must me making shirts smaller than they used to. Denial. I stopped drying my jeans in the dryer because I believed they were shrinking from the heat. Denial. Even mirrors were no match to the depths of my denial.

One day I was at a church picnic, playing games and having BBQ with my wife and friends. A few days later I saw that there were pictures from that day posted on social media. What I saw horrified me. A picture was taken from the side, and I didn’t recognize the man in the picture. It was embarrassing, horrifying, and most of all, eye opening. I knew that a change had to be made.

I had ordered DDP Yoga a few months before that after seeing the famous Arthur video. I thought I could lose a “pound or two.” Again, denial. I did not take the workouts or diet seriously until I saw where I really was. September 2015, I got serious.

I weighed in at 268 lbs the day I began the DDP Yoga Plan. As most people who begin like I did, I could not even touch my toes from a standing position. A chair was necessary for some of the stretches, while others I couldn’t do at all. But I kept at it. I also cannot emphasize enough how important the diet is to losing the weight. No amount of work you do can outwork a bad diet.

June 6, 2016, I weighed in at 212 lbs, for a total lost (so far) of 56 lbs. I cannot tell you how much better I feel both physically and mentally. I basically have had to buy a whole new wardrobe. My favorite part is the double takes that I get from friends who I haven’t seen in a while.

If you are serious about changing your life, you can do it. Don’t quit. Don’t live in denial.