Do you remember your teacher giving you what seemed like tons of homework, because “practice makes perfect?” Well, those three words have become my healthy living mantra. I am now eleven months into my healthy living plan and, needless to say, I’ve had a few fumbles along the way.

However, I have managed to find a routine that works for me.

Creating a diet and exercise plan was no easy task 

Weight Watchers® provided me with nutrition tools and moral support from people walking the same path. IBX provided easily accessible fitness tools and resources, such as the Healthy Lifestyles℠ programs, nutritional counseling benefits, onsite gym, and IBX Healthy Steps. However, marrying Weight Watchers® and the support I gained from IBX in a way that fit into my day-to-day life was accomplished through practice.

Some people can purchase healthy meals for breakfast or lunch with little to no effort. I tried it and I found myself making the least healthy choice more often than I wanted to. Others can choose an apple over a cupcake without a second thought. Not me.

Through trial and error, I learned that the best method for me is to plan ahead. So, each night while cooking dinner, I decide what I am going to have for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack the following day to ensure that I make healthier choices.

Me + the treadmill + my iPod = the perfect combination

When I first started going to the gym, I went with a group of four people. At the time, I wasn’t physically capable of keeping up with them. Although they went out of their way to make me feel welcome, I was pretty uncomfortable. Then, I decided to go with a close friend. That didn’t work out so well either because we spent more time talking than actually working out. About two months after that, I got an iPod. Bingo, it worked!

As 2011 comes to a close, the thing that I am most proud of is finding the PERFECT healthy living routine for me…even if it took some practice.

What are some of things that fit perfectly into your healthy living routine?