Come on, losing weight is always the primary focus of diet change. You know it and I know it. And by losing weight, I mean the intended reward of looking better. But what if you don’t really care?

Huh, you say?

Believe it or not, some of us (yeah that was inclusive), don’t care. We don’t care because we’ve given up on being a size (insert ideal size here) or we’ve decided were comfortable in our skin. Maybe we’ve looked this way for so long and been accepted, that there’s really no pressure to look a different way.

But what if the reward of adopting a healthier lifestyle extended far beyond looks and even physical health? I mean, really. What if we had something more to look forward to and our jean size was just an after thought.

So in an effort to inspire and motivate myself, I made a list of rewards that don’t include physical weight loss. Boom! Here you go…

Increased energy
It’s pretty amazing how awesome you feel when you begin fueling your body with the food God intended. Processed junk is hard work for our body to…well, process. But eating whole foods are quite the opposite. Your body was made to use them in a most fascinating way. Test it. I bet you have a new level of energy even after one day.

Deeper, more satisfying sleep
Sign me up! Do you toss and turn at night? Feel like you just can’t get the right amount of rest? Start eating better and exercising and I guarantee you’ll sleep like a baby. Again, it’s how God intended for us to thrive.

Joy upon joy
First, let me say this, if you don’t know the true Prince of Peace, then you’ll never know real, lasting joy. But if you’re fueling your body correctly, you’ll probably notice a mood change. Yup, ask my kids. Mommy can be pretty cranky (or hangry) when experiencing a sugar high, sugar low, etc. Start eating whole, real foods and you’ll find that your moods even out. It’s pretty cool.

A renewed focus
Food no longer becomes a source of something, but a means to an end. Throughout this post I’ve used the word “fuel” in reference to food. That’s because food isn’t the end (though we do get the opportunity to enjoy what we eat – thanks tastebuds!). Whole foods are used to give our body the health and energy it needs to: go to work, clean house, help kids with homework, run a mile, and so on. Using food as fuel reminds us why we eat and therefore helps us decide what to eat. Choose the best fuel source to get you through the day.

So there’s four pretty significant ways that you’ll be (almost) immediately rewarded for improving your healthy lifestyle that don’t involve weight. Woo hoo!

But, I guarantee you. If you eat well and exercise, you will lose weight. Bonus!

All this week, I’ve been talking about simple steps you can take to actually change your life and make your goals/resolutions stick. Since we are in the last day of 2015, I thought I would sneak one last one in for you as you prepare for 2016 and think through what you want to accomplish. To me, this is the most important step you can take and the one that will help you the most. You ready? Here we go.

Know your reason for motivation.

This is by far and away the best thing that I can tell you. There is something inside of you, or something that happened to you, that is the reality behind your drive. It will be the thing that will keep you on track on the days when you want to quit. It will be what keeps screaming at you when you want to give up. If you haven’t actually thought through what is motivating you, then you need to sit down and do that. Otherwise your goals and resolutions just become a list of things that you think would be a good thing for you to do, and not something that you are determined to change or accomplish because deep down you actually have something driving you forward.

For me, my motivation is my mom. She passed away in 2011 because of diabetes. At that point in my life, I was about 40 lbs heavier than what I am today. My glory days were long gone and I was a shell of the confident woman that I was constantly portraying. It was my mom’s death that was my wake-up call to say to myself that I don’t want to end up like she did. I wanted a different life, I took a hold of it and my life changed.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – no one actually wants to go to the gym. On my best day, I still have to drag myself there and kick my butt even when I don’t want to actually be there. But I can choose to sit on the couch and become a potato or I can remember what drives me – and for me, it is and always will be my amazing mom. So, as you write out your list, let me challenge you to write out right next to it what your reason is for doing this. And come January 12th when you want to quit, look at that reason and let it fuel your fire. Here’s to an amazing 2016 – may you seriously kick some butt.

We are coming up on that time of year when gym memberships increase, every where you turn someone is talking about some new fad diet or committing to Whole30 for January, and people who never had a shred of self-determination before all of a sudden find that they are more determined than a shirtless Putin on a warm day sitting a top a horse.

Let’s get real though. How many of us do this every December and come January 3rd, 12th or maybe even February 2nd, we are off our determined wagon and eating chicken parmesan with a heaping side of pasta and a piece of cheesecake afterwards? From someone that lost 34 lbs because she was determined, can I just say this? You/we will never achieve our goals unless you/we become something that you/we are not. It was not determination that got us to where we were, it was life and laziness and thinking that we can never become something we are not.

This is an incredible week because I fully believe in starting something now rather than waiting until a specific month. You can rev yourself up for January by working out 3 times this week. Get to the gym, go for a walk, sit in front of your tv and do 500 sit-ups, 100 push-ups and 500 squats and you will be golden. Eat well this week – toss the cookies and fudge and whatever else seeped into your home this Christmas season and get some carrots, apples, hard boiled eggs and just plain old nutritious things that will make you feel good on the inside.

This week, I want to get practical with you all. So, I’m going to write about some steps that each of us can take to begin to change your life. Because trust me, it will not happen because January magically comes each year.

So the first step is this – what can you do today to make it a better day for your goals? For me, it’s starting my day off with a little black coffee, a couple of hard boiled eggs and in an hour a trip to the gym. What about you? You probably still have some holiday dinners, lunches, etc. scheduled – so make the wise choice and get a salad with some awesome veggies and protein all over that mother. You can do this. We can do this. Just start with step 1, which means focus on what you can do for yourself and your goals TODAY.

For me, its always ‘all or nothing.’ And when you’re trying to live a healthy lifestyle, that mentality can be so destructive.  Especially if you’re a perfectionist, rule follower, like me.

Yes, I’m a joy to live with. Ask my dear hubby. Last year I took a personality test and it compared me to Judge Judy. Mhm.

But I digress.

When I did a 30 day clean eating challenge last June, I succeeded with flying colors. Not one intentional cheat. I gave it my all.

And when I cheated two weeks ago during a weak moment at work, I quit and never looked back. Yeah, I’m ashamed to say, that was my nothing.

Thankfully, I have friends in my life who don’t let me get away with excuses or thoughts of quitting. Instead, they challenged me to ‘reset’ and ‘take baby steps.’  I love those words. Notice they don’t include all or nothing?

So, this is me officially hitting the ‘reset’ button. Starting today, I’m challenging myself to make wise food choices this week. I plan to blog frequently for accountability and will check-in on Friday to give you the low-down on my success (or failure).

Challenges that await me this week: my twins’ celebrate their 4th birthday today (read: CAKE), my work Christmas party is Tuesday (Read: MORE CAKE) and I’m certain a long day at work will be met with the temptation to eat out and somewhere unhealthy.

So, there you have it. I’m not perfect (not that I thought I was fooling anyone). But I do want to lead a healthier lifestyle, so I’ll start with this week. Check in on me to see how I’m doing. If you see me out, slap that piece of sugary death from my hand and encourage me to make a better choice. For real.