The Top 3 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started My Health Journey

David Johnson
Jan 6
3 min read

If I could sit down with the version of myself who was just starting out: hopeful, motivated, and a little scared, these are the three things I’d gently place on the table first. Not as rules. Not as commands. Just as wisdom earned through trial, error, and a whole lot of starting over.

Because the truth is, most of us don’t quit because we’re incapable. We quit because we misunderstand what progress actually looks like.

Let me explain.

1. Consistency Beats Perfection (Every Single Time)

When I first started trying to “eat better,” I thought success meant doing everything right. No slip-ups. No indulgences. No mistakes. And that mindset worked… until it didn’t.

The holidays were always my breaking point.

I’d enjoy the food, because food is part of celebration, family, and culture, and then the guilt would show up. I’d tell myself, “Well, I already messed up, so I might as well give up entirely.” One meal turned into a weekend. A weekend turned into weeks. And suddenly I was right back where I started.

What I didn’t understand then is this: One choice doesn’t define you. It defines a moment.

We’re human. We make decisions based on emotion, connection, convenience, and joy. That doesn’t mean we’ve failed, it means we’re alive.

Now I know that health is a long game. There will be speed bumps. Holidays, birthdays, stressful weeks, vacations, they’re not roadblocks. They’re just part of the road. Consistency isn’t about being perfect. It’s about returning. Returning after the holidays. Returning after a tough week. Returning after a meal you enjoyed without apology.

Progress comes from showing up most of the time, not all of the time. And when you give yourself grace, the journey becomes something you can actually stick with.

2. The Scale Isn’t Telling the Whole Story

Early on, every new diet felt magical. The scale dropped fast, sometimes dramatically and I felt unstoppable. Then, just as quickly, it slowed down. Or stopped. And I’d feel discouraged, confused, and convinced that I was doing something wrong.

What I wish I understood back then is what was actually happening.

Almost every diet I tried limited carbohydrates in some way. When you limit carbs, your body taps into its stored glycogen for energy. Glycogen is stored with water, up to four times its weight. So when glycogen is depleted, you lose a lot of water along with it.

That early “wow” weight loss? Mostly water.

Once your body balances out and glycogen levels stabilize, the scale naturally slows down. That’s when real fat loss begins, and real fat loss is quieter, steadier, and far less dramatic.

I didn’t know that. So when the big drops stopped, I felt like I failed. If I had understood this sooner, I would have celebrated the process instead of fearing the pause. I would have focused more on how my clothes fit, how I felt, how my energy changed, and how my habits were forming.

The scale isn’t lying, it’s just incomplete. Progress isn’t linear, and it was never meant to be.

3. Sleep Is Not Optional (It’s Foundational)

This one took me far too long to learn.

I used to think that if I just ate well and exercised enough, everything else would fall into place. Sleep felt negotiable. Something I’d “fix later.”

But sleep affects everything.

Your mindset. Your metabolism. Your hunger cues. Your emotional resilience. Your mental health.

When you’re under-rested, everything feels harder. Motivation drops. Cravings increase. Stress feels heavier. Decision-making suffers. It’s not a lack of willpower, it’s biology.

Once I started prioritizing sleep, something shifted. I wasn’t just more rested, I was more patient with myself. More consistent. More capable of making choices that aligned with my goals.

Good habits become sticky when your nervous system is supported. Sleep, hydration, nourishment, movement, these aren’t separate from mental health. They are mental health. And when your mind is cared for, discipline becomes easier than motivation ever was.