With the cold weather and snow days coming in fast, it may be tempting to “let yourself go” under all those thick sweaters. But, it’s only a few short months until summer starts to approach and people begin to feel the annual pressure to get in shape. Getting in shape during the winter is best way to feel good and not have to stress out when that anticipated time comes. Losing weight, or even just trying to tone up, can seem like a long, stressful, and exhausting process; but it doesn't have to be!

Instead of solely trying to change your appearance in order to reach some idealized or unattainable goals, focus more on making a healthy lifestyle change. So instead of calling your recent spur of healthy eating a “diet,” set yourself up for success by accepting it as your new way of life.

This doesn't mean that you can never treat yourself to some devilishly delicious junk food - just have it less frequently and in moderation. Researchers have found that having a “cheat meal” once in awhile can actually give your metabolism a wake up call, and speed it up! Also, sometimes it’s simply needed to stay sane. You may have have heard the phrase: “eat good, feel good,” and it couldn’t be more true.

Junk food is just that - junk. Sure, it tastes good. But next time you’re reaching for that cookie, ask yourself if you really need it. Most of the time we are looking for and feeding a temporary satisfaction, instead of making choices that’ll help you achieve your long term goals. When you think of food as it really is, fuel for your body, it makes it a little easier to choose healthier options.

There’s such a thing as good calories and bad calories, which are also dense and empty. Good calories are whole and complex foods such as raw veggies, lean protein and whole grains (not whole wheat) that are dense with loads of nutrients that your body needs for excellent health and to simply survive.

Bad calories are empty foods that have absolutely no nutritional value. This would include fast food, things with artificial flavoring or sweetening, and much more. If you’re looking to shed away some fat for the warmer months, then try to avoid these processed foods!

Your body with feel and perform extremely different if you are consuming 2,000 calories of good, natural food compared to 2,000 calories of processed junk.

When it comes to losing weight, the simplest way to do so is to have a higher daily caloric deficit than intake. This means that you are consuming less calories than you are burning. According to Yale Health, “The bottom line is to lose weight you either have to reduce the calories you are eating or increase the calories you're burning through physical activity.” For example, let's say that you burn approximately 2,000 calories in a day. Consuming about 1,500 calories would be a good deficit that’ll help you lose body fat. When tracking your intake, it's important to remember not to eat too little as it can be extremely detrimental to your metabolism, overall body, and your mind.

The example I used before for your daily intake is perfect for your weight-loss goals. All of this of course depends on your personal body and your activity level. So if you are a very active person who plays sports or workouts on the daily, you should keep your intake on the higher side since you are burning a lot of extra calories throughout the day. Although it’s good to be determined to stick to your goals, try not to go too crazy counting calories. Like I said before, food is fuel for your body.

Food is your friend.

It’s way too easy to form an unhealthy relationship with food, whether eating too much or eating too little. Having a healthy mind is more important than having your “goal body”- so don’t sacrifice it for that.

It's often said that health is 80% nutrition, and 20% exercise. And while that remains true, the 20% should not be pushed to the side!

Not only does exercise extend your lifespan, it helps to prevent you from developing many diseases, reduces depression while improving your mood, and boosts your metabolism. Being active regularly will speed up your weight loss goals, and is essential for toning or building muscle.

Exercise shouldn’t feel like a chore, or else you’ll never end up doing it. When it comes to achieving your personal fitness goals, it's important to find something that you enjoy doing. If you don’t like going on runs, join a gym. If you don’t like working out at a gym, take classes such as kickboxing, Zumba, or yoga.

Harvard Education touched on the guidelines of how much physical activity we really need. “The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that healthy adults [teens +] get a minimum of 2-1/2 hours per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or get a minimum of 1-1/4 hours per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or a combination of the two.”

There are so many little things you can do as well just to stay a bit more active like doing planks during commercial breaks (as funny as it may sound), taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or going on a hike.

Although it could be easy to start, motivation is what keeps you going when things start to get hard. A picture saved on your phone of a girl with a great body can only do so much.

The key is to find inspiration in yourself. Who you are, how far you’ve come, and how much further you want to go.

Change doesn't happen overnight, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results right away. Progress takes time, but the end results are worth the effort.