The right decisions are usually the most difficult

For too many workingwomen in the world, it’s all or nothing when it comes to the upkeep of our own personal care. We put the job, life-partner, children, carpools, etc., ahead of our own needs. We make excuses for why we can’t eat healthier or workout. I’ve done it; we’ve all done it and then we cry in the dressing room when the outfit doesn’t fit.

On June 18, 2014, I decided to forego the aforementioned way of life and I encourage you to consider the same. What did it entail? Waking up two hours earlier at 5 a.m. to get the workout in, while also modifying the grocery list to include healthier foods. Just like our cover woman, Bizzie Gold, I committed to a lifestyle change and so far – 35 pounds lost (and counting) – it works! Gold, founder and creator of BUTI, a “female empowerment lifestyle brand,” told reporter Tara McCollum, “The only thing that works is when it becomes a lifestyle. If it’s not something you can maintain forever, then you shouldn’t be doing it. You’re going to fall off the plan.”

Gold is an example of how a lifestyle change can create a healthier you. She was 55 pounds overweight, following the birth of her daughter, whose needs usurped her own when she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Gold was also forced to overcome her personal lupus diagnosis. She, like so many of us found strength within herself as well as within other like-minded women and so her BUTI Tribe was born. The Tribe allows members to encourage one another with a “zero tolerance policy for catty and competitive behavior.”

We all have a story, an excuse, a tale of woe but it doesn’t have to define our lifestyle. It is possible to care for our life-partners, our professions and our children – or in my case “canine children” – without sacrificing our own needs. You’ve worked diligently to achieve the credentials necessary to pursue your career, why not apply that same work ethic to your lifestyle? By building my life around the needs of others, I’d erected my personal empire on a foundation of quicksand. Recently I relocated to a place where my own tribe (of sorts) can help me rebuild with sturdier principles committed to the longevity of my healthier lifestyle. It wasn’t an easy change, but I’m sure you’ll agree that the right decisions are usually the most difficult.