9 Steps I Took to Reinvent Myself in 6 Months

Have you struggled to lose weight but failed time and time again? You may have to shift your mindset, says one influencer. Ashley Hughes is a mother of four who regularly shares her weight loss journey. In a new video, she reveals that establishing three healthy habits was a core part of her slim-down success, ultimately helping her drop 40 pounds.

It’s Never Too Late to Reinvent Yourself, She Says

At the start of the clip, she explains that she wants to discuss “reinventing yourself” using her own story. “I think most of us at some point think it's too late to create changes, even if deep down we really want something,” she says in the video. She hit a point “where I felt I wasn't in control of so many areas of my life, and that I just needed to accept where I was physically, financially, emotionally, really, I just felt every aspect of my life just felt sad,” she said.

She Struggled to Lose Weight for Years

“Up until that point, I had done countless weight loss challenges in my life,” she continued, explaining that after having each of her babies, “the weight seemed just to be a little more difficult to get off. You know, I'd gain weight with each pregnancy and then not lose all of it. And then I was pregnant again, which meant more weight.”

She Hit Rock Bottom

She finally hit a bottom with her weight. “This was all me. And I could accept my past decisions of never finding time to exercise and not paying attention to my nutrition. I could have accepted that this is just who I am. So why bother even trying? For a while, I actually did feel that way because I had tried so many things in the past, yet I always found myself back here, back in the same routine of eating habits and having no physical activity, a part of my daily routine. This is where I ended up every single time.”

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A Discussion with Her Husband Sparked Change

However, on the last day of October, she sat down with her husband and talked about “all of the areas of my life that I wasn't happy with and that I really wanted to change,” she says. “What was interesting was the whole month of October when I was living in a state of acceptance, you know, accepting the fact that my past decisions had made up my life and that this was just who I was.”

She Decided She “Deserved More”

“When I sat down with my husband, and I had this conversation with him and just opened up about the fact that I wasn't happy and I wanted to change at that moment, I immediately felt better. I felt happier. I felt excited. It was like this moment of realizing, no, I am the creator of my life, and I get to decide what my next chapter looks like. That immediately lit a flame inside me. And I believe it takes this realization moment for all of us to decide we want more or deserve more finally, and we're far more capable of maybe what we are accomplishing,” she says.

She Committed to 6 Months

“On November 1st, I remember waking up with a new feeling inside of me that I wanted to change but wasn't sure how I was going to go about it,” she admits. She “stumbled across a little graphic on Instagram that said something along the lines of, if you committed yourself to six months of doing these things on this checklist — some of those items were working out four to five times a week, personal development, going for walks, getting eight hours of sleep, cutting out negativity — and I remember reading that and feeling a fire inside of me, and I knew that I had to do this. I had to commit myself to six months of really trying.”

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She Focused on Personal Development

And so she started “spending time daily in personal development, meditating and focusing on removing negativity from my life, which included negative thoughts or self-talk, this was literally the answer I needed to change my life and to reinvent myself completely,” she continues. She also stopped staying up late and eating unhealthy food. “Let me tell you something I really found to be true during this whole journey. The day you decide to change, and you wake up, and you're crossing things off your checklist that are helping you move the needle towards your goals, you will never be happier than when you are working towards something,” she says.

Habit 1: Immerse Yourself Into Your New Lifestyle

What are some different ways to apply this idea and create a new daily routine that you will stick to? Here are the three habits. The first is “to immerse yourself into the world of whatever it is you're trying to go after,” she says. “To really completely reinvent yourself, you've got to be eating, sleeping, breathing, this new lifestyle.”

She recommends “following accounts on social media that will inspire you every single day to stick to your new lifestyle, unfollow anyone who maybe causes you to have negative thoughts or will distract you from becoming this new version of yourself, find podcasts, YouTube, videos, books, eBooks, all things related to your topic,” she suggests. “Maybe you've heard of the power of proximity, who you surround yourself with, you become, and this can absolutely be virtual. You don't have to know these people to be inspired by them and for them to influence your daily decisions.”

Habit 2: Create Daily Action Step Goals

“I would also make a point to create daily action step goals. Make the action your goal. So, instead of saying, my goal is to lose 20 pounds, that can be your big goal, but your goal today is to get your workout in and to stick to your meal plan. When the day is over, you will feel so much more accomplished because you achieved your goal,” she says. “When you do this consistently, your big goal happens by default. This can be applied to any goal you have. Create action step goals on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis that are bringing you closer to your big goal.”

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Check in with Yourself Nightly

“A very important step is to check in with yourself every single night. Reflect on your day and the decisions you made. Did you make decisions based on your old past self, or did you make choices? This renewed higher version of yourself would make the simplest way to stay on track when it comes to reinventing yourself is to consider your highest self in every decision you make each day. Is this the choice the higher version of you would make? If not, don't do it, and eventually, you will become this person. In fact, the decisions that used to be so hard or uncomfortable for you to make will become uncomfortable for you not to make them because this is just who you are now. This is the new you,” she concludes. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

We've all been there—willing to try any diet, workout, or trendy solution to lose weight and get in shape. The frustration of not seeing results despite our best efforts can lead us down increasingly risky paths. But what if getting lean could be simpler than we thought? Rachel, the wellness coach behind the YouTube channel Rundown with Rachel, discovered exactly that. Through her own journey from restrictive dieting to sustainable habits, she now helps others find easier paths to their fitness goals. Here's her proven approach that anyone can follow.

Why Traditional Weight Loss Methods Weren't Working

Rachel's journey began from a place many women know too well. "How many women are out there, and myself included? I've been a part of this. You're willing to do whatever it takes. You're willing to do whatever workout, whatever diet to lose weight, get results, get a good body," she shares in her post. Even with today's trending solutions, she noticed growing frustration. "People are getting so frustrated, they're not getting results, they're not sustaining results, whatever it is. When they're at the point now where they're like, you know what? There are these medications out there, and they're going to get me results."

The 75 Medium Challenge That Changed Everything

The transformation began when Rachel joined her work friend in the "75 Medium" challenge—a modified version of the viral 75 Hard program. "This feels like some type of cruel joke. I got leaner than ever, and it was one of the easiest things I've ever done," Rachel reveals. The challenge required five daily tasks: a 45-minute workout, drinking a gallon of water, reading ten pages of a nonfiction book, taking a progress photo, and avoiding alcohol. Miss one task, and you start over.

A Simple Daily Structure

Rachel broke down her routine: "I would wake up each day. The first thing I would do is take a progress photo because, believe it or not, in the 75-day challenge, this is what most people failed on." For hydration, she explains, "I would drink at least four of these [Yeti bottles] every day, one in the morning before my coffee... I'd have one before lunch, I'd have a Yeti after lunch, and then I'd have it around dinner time. It wasn't like I was guzzling these Yetis, but I just was drinking water throughout the day."

Keep Your Daily Movement Simple

Forget intense workouts—Rachel's exercise routine focused on accessibility. "I really didn't put too much pressure on it," she explains. Her activities included 90-minute walks near the St. Petersburg Pier, low-impact workouts, and gentle rebounding on a mini-trampoline. "I could not believe how lean I was getting. It's one of those things where you're like, how on earth am I getting a workout from this?" The key was consistency, not intensity.

Replace Old Habits With New Ones

Breaking patterns proved challenging but rewarding. Rachel admits, "I love a good skinny margarita...but what will happen? I'll go from one to two glasses of wine a week to drinking the majority of days of the week." Instead of using alcohol to transition from work mode to relaxation, she discovered alternatives. "I started going on a walk after work...and I'm a different person," she shares, noting how this simple switch improved both her body and mindset.

Trust in the Compound Effect

Results didn't appear overnight, but patience paid off. "Around the 35-day mark, my neighbor was like, 'Rachel, what are you doing? You look like you haven't had a carb in months,'" she recalls. The magic happened through consistent daily actions rather than extreme measures. "We've all done things maybe for a month. Have you ever done something consistently for two and a half months? Because it's almost like after that month point, that's when things really start compiling."

Let Go of Obsession

Perhaps most surprisingly, Rachel found that releasing her grip on results actually helped her achieve them. "When I stop caring about the results of a workout, that's when I see the result. When I stop caring about whether or not I have a cookie, that's actually when I'm not so interested in having a cookie," she explains. This mental shift proved crucial for sustainable success.

The Power of Consistency Over Perfection

Rachel highlights the importance of giving strategies time to work: "Women have reached out to me on Instagram, and they're like, I've tried this program, that program, that program, but I am not getting results. I don't know what to do." Her response? "We've got to give things a chance. We've got to be consistent. It's one of the reasons why I have started seeing an esthetician. I am no longer falling for influencers pushing a new 'oh, this is now my favorite cleanser.'"

Build Trust Through Discipline

The journey wasn't just about physical changes. "When you start regaining trust in yourself, and wow, I am working out every day...it's so encouraging," Rachel shares. This self-trust created a positive spiral affecting all areas of life. "To me, those are the things that actually contribute towards happiness—when I feel so proud of myself, and there's all this hope and possibility."

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Maintain Your Progress

The impact became crystal clear when Rachel briefly stopped her routine. "One day of zero activity, another day of zero activity, before it's been a week and I haven't even left the house, my mood started falling," she admits. This experience reinforced how these simple habits weren't just about weight loss—they were fundamental to overall well-being. As Rachel puts it, "Weights like money, it comes and goes. I know if I ever want to be supermodel status, I just do these things, and it's just easy."

A Final Note on Sustainable Change

"The thing that's easy to do is just as easy not to do. And with just a subtle tweak and just some encouragement and some discipline, you will be astounded with the results you can get," Rachel says about lasting transformation. Her experience proves that sometimes the simplest approach is the most effective—and sustainable. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.