Forget the fat. Focus on fitness.

America is obsessed with weight. You might say it’s an unhealthy obsession. But America’s obsession doesn’t have to be yours, too.

A healthier and more productive focus for you is fitness. Instead of thinking pounds and inches, turn your attention to nourishing your body, to getting plenty of rest, to reducing your stress, and to increasing your physical activity.

Diets are too often simply the latest fad. Good weight management, on the other hand, is a way of life — one that becomes a healthy part of who you are, not something you feel forced to do.  Put to much emphasis on a cool new diet craze, and you’ll too likely lose motivation down the road without shedding the pounds you hoped. That’s why diets fail. And they fail consistently. We simply end up reverting to old, unhealthy habits, and we just put the weight right back on.

Instead, focus on your clothing. If you’re pants start loosening up, you’re making progress.

As you eat right and work more activity into your daily routine, you might even put on muscle as you lose fat. Because muscle is more dense than fat, you may not notice changes at first if you were to judge by your weight alone. But, you’re body will be getting healthier, stronger, and fitter.

Here are some important changes you can make in your life to gain fitness.

1. Commit to be fit. Prepare yourself mentally by forgetting the fat and turning your attention to fitness. That’s your new priority. You must truly want to change. Decide to make fitness your new way of living, not simply a thing you’re going to do for a while to lose weight.
2. Go in for the long haul. Understand this is not a quick fix. It’s changing your lifestyle permanently and for the better. You don’t stop what you’re doing after losing 5 pounds, and you don’t go back to the old ways. For any reason.
3. Think nutrition. Eat real food, not processed nonsense from packages. And definitely not fast-food. Boost your intake of fruits and vegetables. Eat less meat. And watch everything you buy to avoid added sugar like it’s your worst enemy. Because it is your worst enemy.
4. Don’t snack. Or at least choose fruit or veggies when you do.
5. Drink more water. Take a pass on soda and other sweetened beverages.
6. Be a food label hawk. Read labels like your life depends on it. You’ll make better choices simply knowing what’s in what you eat.
7. Move more. In summer & winter alike. Don’t let cold weather slow you down, just dress for it, get outside, and move. Find friends who enjoy the same activities, and devote energy to nurturing those friendships. Track your minutes of activity, and set a personal goal to increase them.
8. Sleep more. Healthy living includes being rested. If you have trouble sleeping, see your doctor. Or, ask the experts in our sleep center.

If you need help, reach out. Ask family or friends. Ask your doctor. Join a gym and ask the trainers for help. Make an appointment with one of our nutritionists. Or, even look online for information and inspiration. Everyone needs help now and then maintaining a healthy lifestyle and an ideal weight. Your fitness is a cumulative result of the many things you do over time.