If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you have arrived? Get a journal you really like. It does not matter if it is a pretty $1 notebook, a bound journal or one of those spiffy leather bound things. You can even use blank space in your planner as long as you give it a separate tab. Take a few minutes to think about what being healthy will bring into your life. Better yet, set some time aside when you can really ponder what you want.

The questions below can help you visualize your goals. Don't set any goals yet, just visualize what it will be like to feel healthy again. Picture how you will feel and what you will do.

* What does being healthy feel like? What is your energy level like?

* How do you feel when you get up in the morning? Are you energized or exhausted at the end of the day?

*What can you do that you couldn't easily do before? How do your clothes fit? What do you wear now that you are pleased with your body? (Note, this is not the same thing as being "thin!")

*What is the biggest change in your health?

*How does your skin look and feel?

*What other benefits does good health hold for you?

This is more than an exercise, the more you can visualize what being healthy feels like and looks like, the more likely you are to follow through when the going gets tough. Getting and staying well will require sustained effort. When you are discouraged you can look back at your vision of health as well as your progress notes.

Use your journal as often as possible to record your progress, your feelings about exercise and healthy eating, and any other issues that come up for you. You can and will achieve your goals if you give yourself the "write" tools.