Ok, so I will admit, I’m not the best at creating and sticking to healthy changes. Like most of the world, I struggle with making healthy choices with food, lifestyle, and self-care. There are times when I feel like I’m crushing the game and then there are times when I ask myself how in the world am I even doing life. Over the last year, I have lost 23 pounds and have maintained it. I firmly believe that this is because I first made the decision to make positive changes internally, and second I included my kids in the process. I, of course, want them to adopt a healthy self-image and I need to be an example of that. Here are some things that worked for me.

1. Give up the gimmicks

Keto, Cabbage Soup, Blood Type Diet, etc… This may be an unpopular opinion, but gimmicks never worked for me...at least not in the long run. Keto did jumpstart my weight loss but it certainly wasn’t a sustainable way of life for me. What it did do is force me to pause and think about the food I was eating, which helped me to make healthier choices - which is sustainable. Involve your kiddos in the process. Talk about healthy foods and let them help choose healthy meal options.

2. Know your prime time

When are you most likely to exercise? For me, it is right after work or in the early morning on weekends. I know myself enough to know if I go home at 3:00 pm, I’m not coming back out at 4:30 for yoga. There is no going back once the bra is off. Home workouts as a family helped to make exercise habits stick as well. You don’t know pressure until you have 3 kids begging you to do dance fitness every night.

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3. Make it fun

I hate running. My dislike for running is probably a little extreme. At any rate, getting on the treadmill while effective would be torture for me. What I do love however is dancing and yoga, so I dance my little heart out and stretch until my heart's content. Find your thing and then do it. Trust me, there are all kinds of fitness niches. Trust me, if you have an interest in an activity, there is probably someone who has figured out a way to turn it into a workout.

The main tip for creating healthy habits that you can stick to is to be gentle with yourself and start small. Small changes add up to bigger ones. Set goals for yourself that are easy to attain. For example, maybe you want to give up carbonated drinks. Start small by switching a can of soda (or pop depending on where you’re from) with a glass of water. Each week swap out another can for water. Before you know it you’ll be soda free. The main tip for creating healthy habits that you can stick to is to be gentle with yourself and start small.