Want to make some changes to your health? Here's where to start.

The secret to good nutrition is establishing healthy habits you can follow for the long haul—not for weeks or months but for the rest of your life.

We have seen that over the years, those who find long-term success share a similar approach. The people who meet—and exceed—their goals share five essential qualities that have nothing to do with eliminating certain foods or eating at specific times during the day.

If you’ve been struggling to stick with a nutrition plan, consider these five habits of highly successful eaters.

Goals may vary, but the path to achieving them looks quite similar for our most successful nutrition clients.

1. Seek Help

Changing the way you eat is a major undertaking, not something to approach halfheartedly.

Those who get the best results seek help for themselves—as opposed to someone who says ‘I’m going to just eat better’.

If you’re not committed to the process, it’s almost impossible to make healthy decisions at every meal. The motivation to improve your diet must come from within, not from a friend, coworker or relative.

2. Focus on Health and Performance

Which is more motivating: looking good in a bathing suit or improving your health and performance? As much as we think we’re motivated by looking good, the subjective nature of aesthetic goals means it’s difficult to evaluate—or even recognize—progress.

People who are solely focused on aesthetic goals are rarely satisfied.

The mirror lies. Your workout logbook won't.

Sometimes we are too close to the problem to actually see real change. Where as we can see when we add more weight to the bar and can perform movements that were previously out of our reach.

Even before and after pictures can be tricky, because clients’ eyes immediately go to what they consider problem areas.

There is rarely a ‘goal accomplished’ moment when it comes to aesthetics goal because that goal post will always be moving. You could always look more toned, more shredded but still continue to see yourself as the same, or have low energy, always tired etc.

If the goal is improved health and performance, we can look at blood markers and gym numbers to see evidence of success. Have your blood-sugar levels gone down? Are you running faster and lifting heavier? This is a great way to motivate people to achieve long-term success with performance or health goals.

3. Log Your Intake

We don’t know what to change if we don’t know what you are doing. Take the guess work out of the equation.

Daily logging, helps take the emotion out of eating and puts the focus on data. When clients track nutrition, and how they perform- then we can start to see patterns in emotional eating and usually the guilt/shame cycle that follows. Once we see that pattern, it is easier to address and change habits.

“‘I eat this, and this is how I perform’ or ‘I eat this much and feel tired and sluggish after’ We start to see the connection of nutrition and how it relates to performance and recovery. Instead of ‘I ate this many calories, now need to workout for this many hours’.

People who track the data behind those things are able to actually see success in the long term because they can change what they consume to meet their goals, versus just ‘I’m gonna eat less’. This is a slippery slope with no results.

Recording intake is more important than following a specific nutrition plan or philosophy.

If you are tracking what, and the amount of food that goes into your body, then you actually have the information you need to be successful long term. If you aren’t tracking, then it’s all just a guess.

4. Make a Long-Term Commitment

A healthy diet is a lifelong pursuit, people who find success share a commitment to the process and an understanding of the time it will take.

Try changing one habit until it becomes a no brainer, then tackle the next habit. There is nothing to be won from a crash diet that burns you out in a few weeks but leaves you with months of the same guilt/shame cycle that got you to try the diet in the first place.

It’s a journey just like the rest of your health and fitness is. Take every day one step at a time. If we happen to make a choice that isn’t in line with our goals- there is no ‘falling off the wagon’. Simply make the next better choice and repeat.

There are going to be outings, holidays, celebrations where you will deviate from the plan. That doesn’t mean we ditch the plan. Enjoy the occasion and continue on.

Too much restriction often leads to rebellion and isn’t realistic in the long term. Logging your food can help you keep close to the plan so that one Easter dinner doesn’t turn into 3 weeks of indulging in mini eggs.

5. Find a Community of Support

Sticking to healthy habits is much easier with a support system. If you’re surrounded by people who drink and eat fast food, it’s difficult to forge your own healthy path.

Even a supportive partner or gym friend can provide accountability and encouragement.

We live in an area that it is very socially acceptable to get together and drink several nights a week-but find yourself some friends who like to hit the gym or the trails for a walk more nights of the week.

If you are stuck and needing help on where to start, our Golden Habits Challenge is a great place to find guidance, accountability, and support. DM to get started.