Getting to and maintaining a healthy weight involves the daily practice of mindful behaviors. Mindfulness is all about making conscious decisions with full awareness and acceptance of your emotions and fears. It is about being present in the moment and making a healthful decision in that moment.

Simple daily habits like eating fruits and vegetables, fish, lean meats, & healthy fats, controlling portion size, using alcohol judiciously, quitting tobacco and keeping moving will start you on the path to weight loss, and a healthier lifestyle.

Movement is absolutely mission critical. This is true not only from an energy or calorie expenditure perspective. Staying mobile improves every aspect of your wellbeing. Whether you are walking, dancing, or skipping rope physical activity affects your heart rate, your breathing, your circulation and your muscles, bones, and joints. You’ll sleep better, too. And, keeping moving has the added benefit of lifting your mood. You can kiss that late afternoon sluggishness or evening letdown goodbye.

Getting to your goal weight, and more importantly getting into a lifestyle of healthy habits is easier than it seems. Grab a friend and get started today!

Charla Johnson, RN, MSN, ONC and James E. Wood, Jr. MD