It is likely we have made some goals to improve certain aspects of our life, especially those that are health-related and are focused on improving diet or exercising more often. In order to best help ourselves reach these health-related goals, it is important to identify barriers that have previously kept us from reaching them. These barriers are more commonly identified as lack of self-motivation, lack of time, being too busy, etc. Barriers to improving health by eating better or exercising more can also be lifestyle habits which include drinking high calorie beverages, eating large portion sizes, snacking frequently, watching TV for extended periods of time, etc.

Which barriers in the table listed below apply most to you?

Lack of self-motivation	Busy schedule	Lack of time
Drinking lots of high calorie beverages	Eating fast food often	Snacking on high calorie foods
Eating high fat foods	Eating quickly	Skipping meals
Breading or frying foods	Eating late (after 8:00 PM)	Eating in front of TV
Using lots of high fat/calorie condiments and salad dressings	Eating large portion sizes	Frequently eating high calorie desserts
Significant others	Work	Home environment
Making excuses	Saying “I will start tomorrow”	Snacking often/mindless snacking
Environmental barriers	Physical barriers to exercise	Job that requires a lot of sitting
Spending extended periods of time sitting in front of TV or computer at home
Feeling tired all the time

Identifying your individual barriers to lifestyle change and improving health is the first step to creating strategies in order to overcome them. First ask yourself, “If I make these changes, how will my life be different than it is today?” Next, brainstorm and provide yourself with realistic solutions to the problem or barrier to change. Consider a variety of options - even ones that you have not tried before – but be creative. Evaluate if this is a realistic solution for you by listing the pros and cons. Think about how this solution will help you achieve your goals. Finally, select the best solution that will help you make those desired lifestyle changes.