Diet and exercise. The clear and simple solution to getting and remaining fit. So why if it’s so simple is it so difficult? It’s because so many of the things that compete for our time and taste buds seem more appealing in the present than the idea of sweating and skipping the fries. Making those important decisions requires that they are indeed important to us.

How does you make them important? Begin by raising your standards. Become intolerant of any condition you want to change. For just about everything in your life, you have a set level of tolerance. You will accept a neighbor’s dog barking at three in the afternoon, but not likely at three in the morning. At a restaurant, you expect a certain level of service and quality, or you won’t return. If your car broke down every 100 miles, you’d probably get rid of it.

It’s the same thing with your body. Do you want to lose weight? The DECIDE you will not tolerate anything more than a given number when you step on the scale. Start with an increment that you believe is achievable and watch what happens. Refuse to do anything to your body that does not direct you toward that goal, and once you reach it, reset your tolerance. There is no reason to concern yourself with how you will do this. Once you have set your tolerance level, your brain will assist you in figuring out the how.