I’ve tried all sorts of motivation for various things in life. I’ve had to overcome some bad habits to get where I am today. The most depressing part of giving up those things I thought I loved was saying good-bye to them for the rest of my life. I found that I could do it easier if I thought it was only for a short time. If you’ve had problems sticking with a healthy diet and a program of regular exercise. Don’t give up. You probably will find it easier if you just decide that you’ll do it for eight weeks. If you find a healthier you at the end of eight weeks and want to continue, then add another eight weeks to the schedule.

I learned this trick from an ex-smoker.

My mother was a smoker. In fact, she smoked most of her adult life. At the age of 60, she decided to quit. At first, she cut down on cigarettes, then she lit them and puffed but didn’t inhale. After that, she simply carried them with her wherever she went. When I asked her why she tortured herself like that, she said because she wasn’t really quitting, just postponing her next cigarette. She lived another 28 years smoke free. I used that technique when I was in college and had papers to write. I decided to get busy on them and didn’t have to finish them, but could quit any time I wanted. It worked like a charm. Tell yourself you’re not giving up sugar forever, just for a while. Exercise on schedule, knowing you can quit the routine after you’ve given yourself eight weeks of workouts.

Make the first four weeks a learning experience and make that learning count the last four.

Learning to eat healthier doesn’t happen overnight. You can start with eliminating sugar products and processed foods. However, to tweak it to the healthiest possible diet, even eight weeks isn’t enough. There’s a lot to learn. Trying new recipes until you’ve found ones the whole family likes is part of it, so is learning how to make substitutions. Eight weeks will allow you to accomplish quite a bit, break the sugar habit and eliminate some of the junk food cravings.

Working out for eight weeks will amaze you with the difference.

Whether you want to get healthier, lose weight or build muscle tissue, before you start on your 8 week adventure, take measurements, record your present level of strength, endurance and flexibility and step on the scales. All of these are important. Use the same exercise to measure each fitness level and work until you’ve reached your maximum. Don’t weigh in or take measurements until the eight week mark. You will need to track your workout, since adding more weight and/or reps is important. Compare all things at the end of eight weeks.

• Some people use daily tasks as a measurement for improvement. For instance, they count how many flights of stairs they can tackle before the 8-week workout and how many they can tackle afterward.
• Get a wall calendar and mark off the days if you need motivation. A visual reminder is important.
• This technique isn’t for everyone. Some people do far better with regular weigh ins and charting their weight. It’s a fun way to do it if you enjoy making a healthier lifestyle more of a game.
• For weight loss, increasing strength training is important. It’s also important not to do it every day. Muscles need time to heal. On those days you don’t do actual workouts, go for a walk as part of your program.