By Elizabeth Sims
Staff Writer

Growing up, I would come home from school and sit down to enjoy an afternoon snack of a smoothie or apples and peanut butter that my mom had prepared for me. However, when I would go to a friend’s house my smoothie and apples would often be replaced by chips, cookies and soda, and I would limit how much of these snacks I ate because my mom always told me they were not good for me. While I was not entirely deprived of snacks such as these, I was taught how to exercise self-control when enjoying them.

So many people talk about “getting in shape” or “eating better” or “having a healthy lifestyle,” but the large majority of these ideas are unaccompanied by action. They become discouraged by the potential challenges of their endeavors, and they question whether or not taking on the task would be worth it.

While living a healthy lifestyle does require work, it is not impossible. Success lies in changing a few daily choices. The first could be simply thinking of the pursuit as a new lifestyle as opposed to diet and exercise. Though they are the same thing in reality, the change in mindset could make the endeavor much less intimidating.

Once the right attitude is achieved, the next step is commitment. It is not enough to just talk about exercising or cutting back on junk food. These words have to be followed by action and not by excuses.

If someone decides to exercise three times per week, then he or she just needs to get out there and do it. Using the excuses like “I will go tomorrow because I am too tired today” will only make achieving that goal harder. It is a choice to either take a nap at the end of the day or just go for a quick jog. This is not to say catching up on sleep is inherently bad, but it cannot be a replacement for physical activity. While the nap may seem more appealing initially, the jog will be much more beneficial later on down the road. In order to achieve a goal such as this, the long term effects must be considered instead of focusing solely on the initial challenges.

The same amount of commitment applies when someone wants to watch what he or she eats. The talk has to be followed by dedication to action. This does not mean that someone has to go to the extremes that are described in “fad diets” advertised ontelevision. In a conversation with my mom, who is a registered dietitian, cutting all carbohydrates, proteins or sugars like they do in these diets could actually do more harm than good and throws off your body’s natural processes.

It is perfectly fine to enjoy sweets and junk food in moderation, but replacing a meal with pizza and cookies or eating a bag of chips for an afternoon snack is extremely harmful to a person’s health. Instead of chowing down on that bag of chips, pick up the healthier alternative of an apple, some carrots or a handful of pretzels. The process of choosing these snacks over the chips is difficult at first but will help in making better nutrition decisions in the future and eventually become habit. Though the sugary or salty goodness of your usual junk food has a much greater draw, the apple or carrots will be much better for your health in the long run. It is all about re-writing your habits.

The final step in this process is being consistent. It is not enough to go jogging once or twice and then go back to napping or to eat an apple once for a snack before switching back to chips. These goals should just become a normal part of the daily routine. Consistency is the only way these goals can ever be achieved and retained.

This is not meant to pressure you to meet a certain standard about the way people should live, but simply to help those struggling to improve their health. Though the task may seem incredibly challenging at first, it can be accomplished with just a little work, commitment and consistency. But the initial challenge is well worth it. The benefits of achieving these goals have positive effects that last far into the future.

As I am finishing this column, I have also finished the last of my protein bar, which I now have as an afternoon snack instead of my smoothie or apples and peanut butter. Though my preferences for afternoon snacks have changed, the lessons I have learned from my mom’s example and advice will stick with me into adulthood.