Everyone wants to be healthy, there's no doubt about that. But how do you go about actually living a healthy lifestyle without giving up all the habits that you hold dear?

First it starts with your diet and activity level. You've got to take charge of what you are putting into your body and what you are doing to improve your health. Daily exercise is vital to good health and provides the body with many benefits.

Perhaps you've tried diets and exercise before, only to find that they just didn't work for you. Frustrated with this sense of failure, you may have given up and quit. Left with feelings of regret, you might even dread the thought of starting another program for fear that you will never succeed. You're waiting for something to spark you to make that change.

Are you feeling that spark today? Is there a slow fire burning inside you that's begging you to make a change in your life? Are you ready to transform the way you look and feel?

It requires a commitment from you. That's the secret ingredient to a healthy lifestyle. Making a promise to yourself and vowing to keep it, focusing on that commitment everyday will make your journey to success an easy one.

Now, I'm not discounting the challenges of exercising and staying on a diet. I know that this is easier for some people and more difficult for others. But I have also witnessed determined people lose 30 pounds while others who were less committed struggled to lose 10 pounds in the same length of time. That is the power of this secret tool.

To help boost your level of commitment, start each day with affirmations of praise and appreciation for all that you have achieved. Speak positive words of encouragement and keep a journal of everything you eat, drink, and all of your daily activities. Make a list of your goals and allow yourself time to meditate on them. You will come away feeling refreshed and ready to take your life to a new level.