They say it takes 21 days (or more) to create a new habit, and 21 days (or more) to unlearn a bad one. It’s not easy to make something new part of your everyday routine.

When seeking lifelong transformation, one healthy habit at a time™, establishing new habits and behaviors are essential to your success.

We’ve outlined the following tips to help you build new roads, while creating new habits that stick!

• Choose only new habits that are attainable. When starting on your journey, remember to start small. For example, when trying to integrate more exercise into your daily routine, start small with a shorter walk, introducing a longer walk or hike at the park the following month. Soon after, you’ll see how these smaller changes add up to what eventually becomes a new habit.
• Personalize your experience. Pinpoint the motivations behind your goals when forming new habits. Make it personal so it means something to you each day you strive to build change. This will make it easier to stick to your goals.
• Develop a morning ritual. Take advantage of the morning, when our minds are clearer, and think about how you’re going to make your new habit realistic and achievable for the day. Write down your plan or keep a daily journal to keep you on track.
• Practice positive reinforcement. Recite positive daily affirmations to eliminate negative thoughts. Choose to believe that you can do the very thing you want to change. Building your overall confidence makes it easier to develop a new habit.
• Visualize the end goal. It’s important to focus on the change you want to bring, and visualize the path needed to get to the end goal. Think about the long-term rather than short-term gratification along the way.

Making this personal investment every day is important in your quest for Optimal Wellbeing! Ask me, your OPTAVIA Coach, about other ways to create and sustain new, positive habits.

Summer vacations and weekend get-a-ways in the warmer weather are right around the corner. It’s important to prepare for your next trip to the beach or cruise because all too often we bring back something we don’t want: extra pounds.

Sticking to Plan can be tricky on vacation, but it can even be enjoyable if you create a plan of attack. Follow these tips when preparing for your vacation.

• Plan. Scope out nearby restaurants to see how well they will accommodate your Lean & Green Meals. Choose an establishment that will cater to your needs.
• Pack enough meals. Fuelings are designed to be easy; most of them go everywhere you go, and don’t need much in the way of preparation. But, you can’t pick them up at the store, so make sure you pack at least five of them per day of vacation!
• Drink water. Though alcohol and vacations go hand in hand, it can derail your plans for a healthier you. Not only can alcohol pack on hundreds of calories—per drink!—to your daily totals, it also can lead to the weakening of your willpower. As an alternative, take your H2O to the next level with our popular Energy and Flavor Infusers, for refreshing flavor, and a little extra boost.
• Exercise. Don’t forget to integrate 30 minutes of Motion into each day of your vacation. Take a walk on the beach, explore a nature hike, or paddle a boat. Vacations are the perfect way to maintain, or even increase your activity level.
• Don’t wait to weigh-in. Part of the OPTAVIA Program means monitoring, and if it will help you stay on track, find a scale—at the hotel, a spa, or a gym – and weigh yourself at the start of your trip. Then try to maintain that weight all week!

Your OPTAVIA Community is always here to support you along your journey to lifelong transformation, one healthy habit at a time™. Ask me for additional ways to prepare and plan for your upcoming vacation so you are sure to stay on track!

Lifelong Transformation

Andrew began his journey to lifelong transformation, one healthy habit at a time™ to save both his life and his marriage. He was obese, miserable, and 345 pounds. He was married to the couch.

“All I did was sit and watch TV and get aggravated over the news. My relationship with my wife was failing because she is a fun loving person who loves to do a lot, and when she would ask me to do go out I never wanted to join.”  

As a result, Andrew’s marriage was in jeopardy as he and his wife began to live separate lives.

“I had chronic pain in my back and knees due to past injuries and the excessive weight, and it would interfere with my sleep. I had to take over-the-counter and prescription medications at the same time to help me sleep.”

Andrew had no quality of life and it continued to put strain on his family. This is when he found the OPTAVIA Program, and the Habits of Health, and lost 115 pounds*.

“Today, thanks to OPTAVIA I am much lighter and full of energy. I now take spin cycle classes 7 days a week, weight train 6 days a week, and am also training for a 5k marathon.”**

Andrew has also participated in spin events and walkathons to raise money for cancer.

“I have also returned to active duty as a volunteer firefighter and EMS worker, and my relationship with my wife could not be better.”

Andrew and his wife now do a lot of together as a couple. As an OPTAVIA Coach, he pays it forward and helps others who have lost hope in themselves.

“Today I tell people not to lose hope. I know I can help them turn their lives around, just as I did.”

Life for Andrew’s family could not be better and he owes it all to OPTAVIA, and his OPTAVIA Coach.