Oh For Fork’s Sake, Here We Go Again

It happens to everyone, right? That dreadful moment when you realize that Captain Chub is steering the ship, and you're like, "Oh hell no, not today, Satan." You're staring at yourself in the mirror or breaking the scale (again), and your first thought is, "Diet time!" But then, ghosts of diets past start haunting you like a bad Tinder date. Ugh, the frustration! You think, "Why even bother? I'll just be back here next month with a tub of Ben & Jerry's."

Newsflash: You don't need another diet. You need to tell your lifestyle who's boss. But why haven't you done it yet?

Your Lifestyle Obstacles Excuses

Most people resist lifestyle changes for three ridiculously stupid reasons:

• Change is scary. Guess what? Life is change, honey. You can’t outrun it, so you might as well drive the damn bus. Make change your BFF and give it a purpose (and a fancy hat).

• Change doesn't come fast enough. Welcome to the instant gratification generation, where we want results yesterday. Newsflash: good things take time. So, plant that seed, water it with patience, and let it grow, Snowflake.

• Lifestyle misconception. Who said a "healthy lifestyle" means munching on celery and tofu all day? Please, don’t be basic. You don’t have to swear off chocolate or live in the gym. Moderation is key, darling.

Making the Change

Ditch the "all or nothing" drama. Embrace small, simple changes that add up to big improvements. Here's where to start:

What you eat. Let’s keep it 100 — most of your food choices suck. (Yes, I’m talking about that burger and fries you inhaled last week.) It’s time to make healthy eating a habit, not a diet.

• Choose salad over chips or fries (duh)
• Ditch the butter
• Eat fresh produce with every meal
• Go fat-free on dairy
• Limit desserts to one or two per week (I believe in you)
• Cut out mindless snacking
• Drink water, not soda (Mountain Dew doesn't count)

Nobody’s perfect, but try making more healthy choices than unhealthy ones, okay?

What you do. Exercise — yeah, you know it’s important. No more Netflix marathons without actual marathons. Your new lifestyle means moving that cute butt of yours most days of the week.

• Watch less TV
• Stretch every day
• Play with the kids (or borrow some if you don't have your own)
• Jog, do pushups, just move!

Fred Sassani, our fearless leader at Bodies by Design and certified badass trainer, wants to hear from you. Drop him a line at getfit@bbdforlife.com or stalk him at bbdforlife.com. Now, go forth and be fabulous!