Yes, I said ‘enjoy’. Losing weight and getting healthy doesn’t have to mean torture and deprivation. In fact, it can feel more like an indulgence if you wrap your head around the process in a healthy way. Think about it, would you really be able to stick to your weight-loss plan long enough to do well if you are miserable the entire time? I didn’t think so. You can set yourself up to succeed by following these simple attitude-bending hints:

1. Put yourself first. Losing weight and taking care of yourself takes more time and energy than you’re probably used to spending on yourself. If someone you love needed help moving toward a healthier life wouldn’t you make that your top priority? Love yourself that much. If you still have a hard time justifying the self-devotion it takes to eat right and exercise, make a list of all the things you do for everyone around you. Next, jot down the things you regularly do for yourself. Chances are, you have earned the right to exert a little of your energy in your direction.

2. What’s the opposite of deprivation? That’s what you need to create for yourself if you want to succeed in the long run. If eliminating soft drinks is going to be your particular hardship, be sure to keep plenty of fresh lemon slices handy and buy a unique piece of stemware to use every time you’re having a low-calorie drink. Try sitting in your formal dining room more often to make your healthy meals seem more special, or dine al fresco when weather permits. Make conscious decisions like these often and you won’t walk around feeling as if you’re missing out on something.

3. Go on a weekly shopping spree (at the supermarket). Okay, so a produce section isn’t exactly the mall; but try to stop treating grocery shopping like a meaningless task. Don’t burden yourself with planning a week’s meals in advance, just make sure that you load your cart with the kinds of healthful choices that lead to low-calorie, low-fat meals. Never let yourself run out of boneless chicken breasts, fresh vegetables and brown rice, for example. Yogurt and granola, seasonal fruit and whole grain munchies should always be on hand as well. Forget brownies, but you can whip up a fiber-rich fruit cobbler when you have a sweet tooth if your pantry is packed with the right items.

4. Be forgiving of yourself when you fall off the wagon. If you succumb to bratwurst instead of a turkey club for lunch, get right back on that wagon and cut way back at dinner time. If you have time, take a walk or do anything to try to burn those extra calories. If you’ve totally messed up your healthy food plan for the day, make tomorrow a fresh start and maybe you won’t lose too much ground on weigh-in day.

Once you get a few good days behind you, these efforts will become second nature to you. Put aside some money every day that you are good and reward yourself once a month with a non-edible treat for yourself. And think about the new you that is evolving every day.

Julie Clark Robinson writes on a wide variety of topics which include Georgia colleges, Florida colleges, and online degree programs.

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