Building a Healthy Lifestyle, Brick by Brick

Sometimes people tell me they feel like giving up on losing weight because they do not have any will power. Others tell me they can't lose weight because they could never give up junk food.

Unfortunately, these folks have not gotten the picture yet. They seem to see themselves as doomed by dieting instead of uplifted by a healthy lifestyle.

Honestly, my choice to limit "junk food" is not so much about giving something up as it is about making a positive choice for my health. That is the lens through which I see my lifestyle.

This view means I am not as tempted to make poor food choices. But I have learned that no particular food has to be permanently off-limits. Anything can find its way into a healthy lifestyle, if practiced in moderation. It really is all about balance.

However, true change occurs slowly. So my advice, if you want it, is to tackle just one change at a time. Choose something that you can commit to doing daily, however small, and keep working it until that change becomes a habit. Then, add on something new. Build your new lifestyle brick-by-brick and you will have a solid foundation.