Maybe you caught a view of yourself in the mirror that you don't like. Perhaps a friend commented about your sudden weight gain. Or maybe, like some, your doctor finally got through to you while trying to convince you that you needed to switch to a healthier lifestyle. Whatever the case, you've decided that you are going to start eating right and exercising. So, why are the odds stacked against you? The odds are pretty good that you're going to fail on your endeavors to switch your life around and become a healthier person.

Why?

You've been exercising and eating right for three days now, and although those three days feel like forever, you're still marching on. You're committed to stick to your diet this time. That is, until lunch.

You have an hour lunch break. Although you've been following your diet like you're supposed to, your stomach rumbles for something good. A cheeseburger. A pizza. Fries. Maybe a chocolate milkshake. This is when the doubt starts to surface. The first moment you have a strong craving is when your inhibitions are put to the test.

"No, I'm not going to break my diet", you convince yourself.

Unfortunately for you, you end up in the drive-thru. "Well, just a little something bad. I've been doing good. I need to reward myself." But when you pull around to order, that "little something" turns into a full-fledged combo.

Why are we, as Americans, so out of tune with reaping the benefits of a healthy lifestyle? Why would we rather have the pleasure of a high calorie meal day after day than lose weight or get into shape? It's not that we would rather have a burger than a lean body. But a burger is a lot easier to get.

Our culture is so immersed in instant gratification. When you eat, you're happy. The food tastes good, you're happy in the moment. When you go to the gym, it doesn't feel good for you. (Not yet anyway!) You get sweaty, it seems gratuitous, you hurt. It's simply because exercising is not as appealing as that pizza.

As a personal trainer, I know this. I am a personal trainer for dozens of people throughout Greenville and Easley, SC. Let me tell you, here in the south, it's hard enough to eat right--especially with all of the good food! This is why I take a more realistic approach to exercise and fitness.

I tell my clients to firstly, work on how they eat, not what they eat. In other words, try to eat 5 times a day as opposed to 2 or 3 huge high fat meals. When they throw two snack breaks into the mix, this in turn hopefully holds the appetite over, so that when it is time for lunch or dinner my client doesn't over indulge. From there, I have them substitute healthy items in their meals. Water for soda. A salad for fries, etc.

It's all about slow progression. When you change your entire lifestyle ten-fold, you're bound to set yourself up for failure. What you do wrong from the beginning is try to make a diet change. What you need to do is make it a lifestyle change. Slow and steady change is what will make you more successful in your endeavors.

Now, I'm not saying that you can eat burgers every single day and be healthy. But what I am saying is that when you change your diet just a bit and start exercising, that it should hopefully encourage you to want to eat healthier. You want to be just as healthy on the inside just as you are on the outside.

Here's to your fitness success!