Going back in time, I introduced myself to all of you readers with “My name is Caitlin, and if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I believe in sweat and sweets.” This year, I’m proud to say I’ve stayed true to my word and maintained a consistent workout regimen and a healthy diet without sacrificing any of the foods that I love—I just save those foods for special occasions and the weekends (like the amazing chocolate chip cookies I baked the other day; boy, I could go for one of those right now if my family and I hadn’t eaten them all.)

Practicing our Zen N’ M’s mantra “moderation, not deprivation,” should remind us that healthy living is a process, and it’s a process that never ends. No matter where you start your fitness journey, none of it matters if you don’t learn how to maintain your healthy lifestyle consistently day to day.

I sincerely hope that I was able to help all of my readers maintain this consistency. I promised at the beginning of the year to help you reach your fitness goals, your nutrition goals, and your mental health as the school year got rocky. I know that I personally learned a lot about health this year by writing my blog, and it has been one of my top priorities to share this knowledge with the WHS community. All of the WSPN readers were my motivation when the going got tough, so as we reach the end of this school year I really want to say thank you.

But, I’m not the only one who should be doing the thanking around here — you deserve to give a big thank you to yourself! Reflect on your own health journey this year, and remember what challenges you’ve accomplished. Maybe your accomplishments were big and obvious, like running a long race. Or, maybe your accomplishments were more understated, like learning how to say no to that final oreo, or making time to go to the gym to give your brain a rest even if you have a test the next day. Either way, you deserve a pat on the back.

Before I leave you all to continue your path to fitness and health nirvana, I just want you all to remember to respect yourselves. We all progress at different paces, and no matter what you’ve accomplished this year, you’ve accomplished something. So keep going! I can’t promise it will be easy, but I can promise that it will be worth it – because you’re worth the effort.

Thank you all for tuning in this year. And don’t forget that the metaphorical door to my non-existent office is always open if you have any questions you want to ask or any cool fitness stories you want to share!