It’s no secret–weight loss isn’t easy. Especially with all of the conflicting information regarding how to reach your health goals. Count calories. Move more, eat less. Stick to whole grain bread. This kind of misinformation keeps people unhealthy and overweight. In this article, I will share with you 10 ways that you can experience weight loss by reaching your health goals.

Weight Loss: Reach Your Health Goals

1. Don’t try to make a lot of changes all at once.

Go ahead. Start Crossfit. Eat vegan. Drink 2 gallons of water every day. Make that 2 mile run at the crack of dawn. All on the first day.

Do this and you will set yourself up for failure. . . not to mention you will be impossible to live with. You’ll be exhausted and burned out.

You must start small.

What does that look like, you ask?

I suggest making changes in your diet as a first step to health and weight loss. Take the first week and focus on one small change. For example, begin by only eating real food that doesn’t have a label. Then add another change when you master the first one. Health and wellness is truly a journey and a process. I’ll say it again: if you want to experience lifelong results, start small.

2. Don’t eliminate, swap instead.

We all know how daunting it is to give up something we are used to living with. Whether it’s the bread basket at your favorite Italian restaurant or your incredibly “healthy” breakfast that consists of a Toaster Strudel and Diet Coke, suddenly cutting foods from our lives can be traumatic and the results usually don’t last. That’s why I strongly recommend making swaps (learn more here) for the foods that you need to omit from your diet. Addicted to diet soda? Swap it for a natural high-quality energy drink. Love sugar in your coffee? Swap it with Stevia. Trying to ditch grain? Search Pinterest for tons of great grain-free bread alternatives. You can do this.

3. Don’t exercise right away.

You read that correctly. Of course, this doesn’t apply to everyone. If you are already exercising on a regular basis, please don’t quit! But, if you struggle with chronic fatigue and other debilitating issues, the last thing you feel like doing is exercising. I believe that proper nutrition is the biggest piece of the puzzle regarding health and weight loss, so focusing on what you put in your body should be your first priority. After all, you can’t exercise away a bad diet.

I’m not saying that I always feel like exercising. As a matter of fact, exercise is not one of my favorite activities. However, I’m quite fond of the muscle tone and fat loss it provides, so I do it. There are days when I all but force myself to get a workout in. What I am saying is that there was a time in my life when I experienced debilitating fatigue that I later learned was caused by food intolerance and hormone imbalance. Therefore, for those of you struggling with low energy, is very important to first make changes in your diet. Eating clean, whole foods will help to increase your energy and balance your hormones. Those of you experiencing extreme hormone imbalance may require the help of a health practitioner who is highly trained in this area. Consistently eating real food will eventually reward you with higher energy levels which will allow you to introduce exercise into your daily routine.

4. Cut Yourself Some Slack.

I’m a recovering perfectionist. There, I said it. Any other perfectionists out there?

Whether you struggle with this issue or not, we all have a tendency to beat ourselves up when we fall off of the health and weight loss wagon. And sometimes we fall hard.

That’s why I want you to know something: You will, at some point along your health journey, fail. That’s right. You won’t be perfect <gasp!>. You’ll wake up late and skip breakfast. You’ll gorge yourself on the doughnuts your husband brought home. But you always get another chance. However, don’t wait until tomorrow–start fresh again the very next moment after your slip up.

What really matters is what you do and eat on a daily basis. The occasional slip ups will not doom you to a life of tight jeans, split seams, and muffin tops. So why not go ahead and accept that you’ll mess up every once in a while? After all, I don’t know about you, but I have learned some of my most important lessons through failures. One of them being that, while I may fail, I am not a failure. Someone once said that you wouldn’t slash all 3 of your tires if one was flat, so be committed to climbing back on the health wagon immediately following a slip up.

5. Plan to Cheat.

I set aside one meal every week to eat absolutely anything I want, within reason, of course. For me, this meal is typically lunch with my family every Sunday afternoon. Having a cheat meal (notice I didn’t say “cheat day”) provides you with a sense of freedom and keeps you from feeling deprived. And one bad meal is not going to break you. Ironically, I have found that I often don’t use my cheat meal. This is due to the fact that once you realize the connection between how food makes you feel, you will be more compelled to make good food choices.

6. Make a vision board and practice gratitude

I have a vision board in my office and it has served as a powerful tool for helping me to achieve my goals. I simply cut pictures and phrases from magazines and books that represent my goals and attach them to a cork board. My vision board it placed on my office wall where I see it every day. I try to take a few moments on a daily basis to look at and pray over my board and dream about the goals I want to reach. I also envision myself achieving my goals, visualizing how I will feel and what my life will be like when these goals become reality. The cool part? Many of my past goals are now my reality!

When visualizing your goals, you must also practice gratitude. Every day must end with focusing on what you accomplished—not what you didn’t get done. Thank God for giving you the strength to get through the day in spite of your weaknesses. Be specific about what you are thankful for and why. Constantly dwelling on what’s wrong in your life will not draw you closer to your weight loss goals. In fact, just the opposite will occur and you will find yourself stuck in an “I can’t” attitude that will hinder your progress.

Speaking of goals. . .

7. Set Specific and Short Term Goals

Don’t just say “I want to get fit” or “I want to lose weight.” You need to be able to measure your successes as they will serve as the fuel you will need to achieve your future goals. Maybe your goal could be “I want to fit into my favorite jeans again” or “I want to lose 25 pounds.” Those are measurable goals that have a definite finish line.

Setting a goal to lose 100 pounds can be quite daunting. So daunting that you are likely to give up before the pounds do. That’s why I strongly suggest that you set short-term health and weight loss goals that will carry you along your journey toward your ultimate goal. Want to lose 100 pounds? Great, but start with a 5 pound goal. And celebrate the junk out of that thing when you reach it! Small victories have a snowball effect as they gain momentum as they grow bigger.

8. Define you “why.”

Every goal should have a “why.” Why do you want to lose 25 pounds? Why do you want to fit into your favorite jeans again? Maybe losing 25 pounds means that you will be at a healthy weight for your height and you can come off of your blood pressure medication. Maybe fitting into your favorite jeans again means that you will have the opportunity to exemplify a positive body image for your little girl.

Whatever the reason, your “why” is extremely important and motivates you to follow through with pursuing your weight loss goals. On the days when you feel like giving up, revisiting your “why” will convince you to carry on. Your “why” must come from deep within you and be an expansion of your passion. Passion fuels the achievement of goals.

9. Be Patient.

Don’t expect to lose 10 pounds overnight and throw in the towel because your plan “isn’t working.” You didn’t gain it overnight, so you certainly won’t lose it that quickly. If you do happen to wake up 10 pounds lighter the next day, there is a good chance you need medical attention and an IV. Let’s not go there, okay? Goals take time, and you must accept this fact. Remember your “why?” The length of time it takes to reach a goal is the primary reason that your “why” must be strong. You will need to revisit your “why” often in order to gain the motivation you’ll need to continue the journey toward you goals. So come up with a good one! Remember, consistency is they key. What you do on a daily basis adds up!

10. Make the Decision.

This, by far, is the most important tip of all. Many people are interested in making life changes. They say things like, “I’d like to experience weight loss” or “I want to get out of debt.” However, there is no action to support their wishes, which means that they have not made the decision to make a change. Real change occurs when a decision is made. And a decision is made when action follows. A thought or idea not accompanied by action stays imprisoned in the mind.

Be brave enough to rewrite your personal story. Your actions are a direct result of your beliefs. If you believe you will always be fat, in debt, etc., you are likely correct. Change your self-talk, rewrite your story, and decide to live differently so that you can experience abundant health and weight loss. It’s not easy and it takes hard work and dedication, but the rewards are worth it! The time will pass anyway. 2016 will be here before we know it. Will you choose to make this year different or live the same way you always have? The choice is yours.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product/website is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.