I am a foodie that comes from a long line of Italian foodies, and as such I have struggled with maintaining a balanced diet (one that consists more of fruits and veggies and less of pasta and ‘mutzadel’). In my home, a rough day was met with comfort food, a scraped knee was healed with sweets, and a healthy dinner was a delicious pesto pizza doused in olive oil, melted cheese, and a creamy basil mixture. But when summer came around, and last year’s shorts no longer fit, I stepped on the scale and discovered a number that swiftly kicked my motivation into gear. Things needed to change, and they needed to change now.

In the past, my efforts to maintain a healthy routine for any length of time had failed. Working out was my last priority, and cooking was a preposterous idea when mom’s eggplant lasagna was ready and waiting in the fridge, taunting me with its molten cheese and crumbly breadcrumbs. However, I have since committed myself to living cleaner; pizza is not worth a loss in confidence and stuffed shells are not worth a deterioration in health.

This time around I modified my strategy. I chose to begin my journey at the start of the summer, not because it was bikini season, but because a massive change in lifestyle required significantly more time and focus then I could give whilst in school and working. To ensure sustainability of my process into the busy fall, it was crucial that I gave myself ample time to practice in the relaxed summer.

My second approach was to download a dieting app on my phone. Counting calories won’t work for everyone, but for me it created a daily personal competition. When I exceeded my limit, I felt guilty, and when I fell below it, I felt exceptionally proud. We tend to live our lives on our phones; we watch television, maintain our friendships, and play games. Why not use some of that screen time productively? Logging my meals into MyFitnessPal not only provided me with a responsibility, but it actually helped me learn a lot about the content of the foods I was choosing.

Most important to this process was my support group. If you can, encourage your family, friends, and/or partner to diet and work out with you. Each day my boyfriend and I discussed our meals, and an unhealthy helping would get you in trouble. However, this accountability was not about judgment, but rather encouragement. We made it a game, and it ultimately created something new for us to talk about.

Having a fitness partner is also like having your very own physical trainer, pushing you to lift a little more and run a little faster. For someone like me, who had long avoided sweat and physical exertion, firm encouragement was crucial. Conversely, my companionship was important to my boyfriend for a different reason. For him, competition was the motivation he needed to advance. (Unfortunately for him, I’m not a worthy adversary… yet).

Additionally, fitness has opened a whole new realm of date options for us. Instead of lying around watching movies, we plan hikes and biking trips; we have substituted restaurants with cooking together and for one another. My girlfriends also began dieting around the same time. This commonality made it impossible to deviate from my plan. Whoever I am with, I know we will be making good choices together. Surrounding yourself with people who have the same goal with surely aid in any pursuit.

Crazy as it may sound, investing in active wear was another excellent fitness incentive. It would be such a waste of money not to put my new sneakers and sports bra to use. Plus, it’s an awesome opportunity to expand your wardrobe!

However, the one thing that I really struggled to accept throughout this journey was that results are not immediate and patience is the key to getting in shape. You need to make choices that work for you and avoid setting rules for yourself that are unsustainable. I never completely cut out carbs or dairy, heck as an Italian that would be blasphemy anyway. Healthier choices and smaller portions can make a world of difference in making you feel and look better. Lastly, and maybe most essential, homemade banana ice cream…yeah, look that up!