Biggest tip for someone who wants to be “healthy” and “lose a lot of weight?” These terms aren’t always exclusive to one another. For example, there are people who lose a lot of weight but may be nutritionally imbalanced or lack strength.

On the other hand, there are people who are heavier who have normal blood pressures, great nutritional intake, and can out-muscle Popeye. For that reason, I’m going to focus on the “healthy.”

Here’s 5 tips to get healthy:

#1: Prepare your environment:

What is in your pantry that might tempt you later on? Who do you spend time around that lives the lifestyle that you’re trying to change? Removing temptations and bad influences are difficult things to do, but in focusing on a long-term goal of sustained health, it’s one of the most essential pieces of the puzzle.

*Related: 7 Mind & Body Adjustments for Successful Weight Loss

#2: Document the “why:”

When you feel bad or have a moment where you think “I really need to get healthy,” grab a journal and write. Write what you feel in your mind and in your body. Use as many adjectives as you can – be as vivid as possible. This will be gold for all of those times when you are about to talk yourself out of doing something you’ll regret, or for when you need to get back on track. Here’s some more of my thoughts on this.

#3: Embrace the “run & go:”

You know when you are a kid and you think that taking a running start will propel you over that puddle of water? That’s a run & go. All of the pre-work in steps 1-3 above are the runny-go for your health shift. It’s the ammunition that you will use to power you towards the most important step…

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#4: Start:

There is only so much preparation that you can do. At some point, you just need to start. Small changes will pool into larger changes which will lead you to your healthy destination. One foot in front of another. One good choice after another. As long as the good outnumbers the bad, you’ll succeed. Don’t be afraid to use the anytime reset!

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#5: Celebrate victories:

This is the hardest part for most people. You end up making these little changes that cumulatively add up to major, life-shifting wins! Did you make a great decision when you were at a restaurant? Did you go out and walk even thought you didn’t want to? Maybe you skipped a caramel latte at Starbucks and got a healthier drink option like a shaken green tea instead?

Conclusion:

All of these things are reasons to celebrate.

Recognizing the new healthy behaviors are essential to accepting your new lifestyle. Write it in a journal, give yourself a gold sticker, tell your friends how awesome you are. Even if you just shut your door and turn the music up to have a solo dance party, do something that makes you feel great.

Oh, and have a sense of humor about weight loss!

It is no big secret that losing weight through diet and exercise is a great way to become more healthy. As with any cosmetic procedure, remember to do your research first before making any commitments.

Once you have lost weight, you might want to make a few other changes to celebrate your new body. A friend of mine recently had a full body makeover after losing 80 lbs.

What tips do you have for getting healthy? Please share in the comments.

Article by Missy Woodruff