Hopping around from guru to guru and being disappointed with the results, or lack thereof, has led savvy women to become empowered when it comes to their health.  In the process, they have learned a very big lesson:  Modest lifestyle changes can add up to major results. You don’t have to be a raw-egg-drinking-ultra-marathon-running-twenty-four-seven-workout fanatic to live a healthy lifestyle.  In fact, you can be fantastic just by making a series of moderate changes and good decisions over time.

1. Make the Commitment. Knowing what you should want and actually wanting it are vastly different.  You already know that you should strive for a healthy lifestyle that includes a strong balance of mind and body wellness.  However, you must actually commit to taking the necessary steps towards achieving your goals lest they be made in vain.
2. Set Realistic Goals. In order to reach your wellness goals, you need to commit to eating no less than 6 meals a day consisting of exactly 200 calories each, and you are no longer allowed to ever have chocolate, fruit juice or anything with sugar. Is this a plan that you are willing to commit to for the rest of your life? Obviously not. So be careful not to make plans like this in the name of creating a healthy lifestyle. There is no way that the average person will be able to make all of these drastic changes, and planning to do so is a recipe for failure.
3. Find Like-Minded Friends. Women often connect with friends who have similar interests. Take time to think about who you tend to spend your free time with and what you do during that time. If you want to live a truly healthy lifestyle, it helps to hang out with folks that are trying to do the same thing. This does not mean you need to get rid of the pals you have now. Instead, just expand your horizons and include new individuals into your circle.  Try to meet up with others who share your interest in healthy living so you don’t have to travel the journey alone.
4. Take Control of Your Health.  According to recent research, there are five major drivers of our overall health, but a whopping 40% of our total health is affected by our own personal behavior.  What you choose to eat, how active you choose to be and whether you choose to smoke or use drugs – all of these are completely in your control.  Make good decisions and choose wisely.
5. Release Your Feelings of Guilt.  So you missed an entire week of workouts, ordered delivery 4 nights in a row and finished off an entire pan of double-chocolate caramel supreme brownies by yourself, eh?  While this definitely is not the type of week you should consciously incorporate into your schedule, once it happens, just forgive yourself and move on.  After a splurge, do not punish yourself by avoiding your favorite food or skipping meals. This perceived “solution” is more likely to fuel your craving and lead to more overeating. Learn from your experiences, and make better choices the next time around.

While no one can be expected to revolutionize behavior overnight, you can make up your mind to begin your wellness evolution today.  Starting on Monday morning or January 1^st can be oh-so-tempting, but don’t let the calendar trick you into thinking there’s any better time than right now.  The first step to a healthy lifestyle starts in your mind – not in the gym.  Your journey begins the moment that you make the conscious decision to change the way you think.

So, what are you waiting for?