While it’s important to have clearly defined goals on your journey to lifelong transformation, it’s just as important to develop a structure that supports these goals long-term. In Chapter 3 of Dr. A’s Habits of Health^®, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen discusses the importance of structuring success by explaining structural tension.

Structural tension is the difference between our desired outcome and our actual state. This tension prompts us to take action to achieve our desired results. Answer the following questions to clearly define your goal and to help determine your path for achieving success:

• What do you really want? This is called your primary choice, or major choice. This should be a clearly defined, measurable goal.
• Why do you want it? This is your motivation, or underlying reason, for achieving your goal. Why is this change personally meaningful or important?
• Where are you now? This is your current reality, or current state. It’s important to describe your current reality honestly and objectively so you’re taking the right path toward achieving your goals.
• What are you willing to do or sacrifice to achieve your goal? These are your secondary choices, or actions taken to support our primary choice. They may include doing some things you don’t necessarily like, or sacrificing some things you do like. Secondary choices are necessary to achieve the desired outcome.
• Are you coachable and willing to work? The key to discipline is found by establishing your primary and secondary choices. You now have a clear path to take to reach your desired outcome. The great news is that you don’t have to do it alone! Your OPTAVIA Coach and Community are here to support you along every step of your health journey!

You should now have a clearer understanding of where you are in your health journey in relation to where you want to be.

Ask me, your OPTAVIA Coach, to help you determine the most efficient path to your health goals, on your journey to Lifelong Transformation, One Healthy Habit at a Time™.

This Sunday, the Easter Bunny will be hopping by to drop off baskets of goodies, pastel-colored eggs will be hunted, and holiday dinners will be prepared. While many associate Easter with chocolate, candy, and large feasts, there are plenty of opportunities to incorporate healthy activities and snacks. Here are some healthy ways to enjoy Easter with your loved ones:

• Easter egg puzzle hunt. Instead of using chocolate or candy, fill your Easter eggs with puzzle pieces! Once you’ve collected all the eggs, work together to solve the puzzle. This is a fun way to get the entire family involved in the activity.
• Bunny hop race. Just like the potato sack race, work together in teams or pairs to hop to the finish line. All you need are some bunny ears to do the bunny hop!
• Dye Easter eggs. This classic activity is fun all around for the entire family. Keep a few hard boiled eggs on the side just in case anyone needs a nutritious protein snack.
• Healthy Easter baskets. Ask the Easter Bunny to substitute activities or small toys such as crayons, notepads, stickers, and bubbles in your children’s baskets instead of chocolate and candy.
• Veggie flowers. Opt for a healthier snack option by making colorful veggie flowers. Simply cut mini peppers into rings and insert string beans as the stems.
• Have a lean and green dinner. Easter dinner is the perfect opportunity to serve a delicious dinner that is on Plan and enjoyable for the entire family. Serve a lean protein, such as chicken breast without the skin, along with your favorite green vegetables like broccoli, green beans, and asparagus. For more lean and green recipe ideas, check out the featured recipe below or visit the OPTAVIA Pinterest page.

Finding My Path

“I felt defeated when I could barely squeeze into the only pair of jeans I had in my size and the fabric gave way. It felt like having a tire blow out on the interstate with no spare! It was a horrible feeling that I had experienced one too many times.”

Since Sandy was 12 years old, she struggled with emotional eating and yo-yo dieting. Her thoughts seemed to constantly entail food. If she wasn’t eating, she was thinking about eating.

“I had a lack of willpower to end this vicious cycle. I tried dozens of programs, equipment, videos, books, gadgets and even starvation with the hopes of finally attaining freedom from my compulsive food behavior and gaining the body of my dreams.”

Sandy had some short-lived success, but would ultimately end up right back where she started, sometimes with a little less self-esteem and a little more weight gain.

“When I first met my OPTAVIA Coach and learned about the Program, I didn't want to commit to the Plan. I had been following an organic whole foods diet that I thought would work for me. I lost a little bit of weight, but consistently struggled and was still weighing in at just less than 300 pounds.”

When Sandy wasn’t getting the results she wanted, she reluctantly decided to try the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan^® for 30 days. Within the first week, she knew that this Plan was different!

“My cravings and obsessive food thoughts just seemed to disappear! It was so freeing to not be always thinking about food. I wasn't hungry and I gained a ton of energy. I was actually losing weight* and wearing sizes that I hadn't seen in over 25 years!”

Sandy really appreciated the Habits of Health®, which showed her that by making small, simple lifestyle changes, she could live a longer, healthier life.

“The OPTAVIA Program is the BEST thing I have ever done for myself! I finally found my path and I am very excited to be in a position to guide people along, as best I can from my own experience, on this fabulous, life-changing journey!”