There was always such excitement for me on the first day of school!  It was a fresh year with new subjects, new teachers, and new friends.  I felt like this could be the best year ever!  That feeling lasted about a month until I got the results of my first test grade and then the newness was all over.  Similarly, the same feelings apply to a new year with goals, ideas, and dreams.  At first, it's game on!  Eating more salads, exercising three times a week, it's all going great. Then crash, I go out for dinner, feeling a bit too tired to exercise, and I just give up.  Sound familiar?

For many reasons, I don't like the word "diet." The word means restriction and that restriction is the reason most of us fail at diets.  Instead, I challenge you to use the word "lifestyle."  A new lifestyle is a process.  It's making small changes that can lead to better overall health.  Rather than using restrictive guidelines commonly associated with leading diet plans, adopting a new lifestyle is about adding in better choices while destructive choices are crowded out. 

What does that look like? Well, let's say you drink three sodas a day and eat out four times a week. Maybe drink more water and one less soda during the day, and/or eat at home one more time each week until sodas are cut back and the eating out is only on special occasions. These small changes begin to be weaved into a new lifestyle, which can create a healthier and happier you.

The biggest complaint is the cravings, usually from sugar.  When we completely stop all the bad habits, our body goes into withdrawal mode. Our brain goes crazy and all we can think about is food!  By adding in good things slowly, we crowd out the bad choices, therefore, creating less or no cravings. The key is to start slow and gradually build on the good choices. You will be amazed at how much better you feel even in a week's time. Pay attention to your body and live the life you have always wanted. Our bodies were designed to be healthy, it just needs to have the nutrients each day to stay that way.  

Health bite: crowd out the bad by adding in the good