It’s not easy. If it were, everyone would be successful at everything. But, we’re not. We struggle. We face temptations, we face cravings and hunger, and we have to work against habits that we’ve had our entire lives. This is no small task, and taking on too much at once can be overwhelming. That’s why perseverance is so important.

Tackle one thing at a time. I started with a Whole30 to tackle my sugar addiction. Through Whole30, I was able to get out from under the Sugar Dragon and enter into the Paleo lifestyle in a much stronger position making it easier for me to succeed. It wasn’t until I lost over 100 lbs that I began to run, tackling my lack of fitness.

Perseverance is trusting in the process even when you’re not making any progress you can see on a scale or feel in your clothes. Perseverance is sticking to the lifestyle even when you really want a pizza or some pasta. Perseverance is saying no to dessert when you see your favorite chocolate cake or apple pie is on the menu. Perseverance is food prep.

Stick with it. That’s the first key to success in any process. We may trip, we may fall, but only the successful get back up and keep at it in the face of adversity.