Living a healthy lifestyle can be hard work for some of us. The temptation to cheat or splurge on things like cake and potato chips sometimes outweighs the disciple it takes to push your way to your fitness goals. However, maintaining your weight through exercise and healthy eating habits is not only good for you physically, but mentally too. Below, I’ve listed 12 amazing things that will happen to you as you make up your mind to start taking good care of yourself.

1. You will have more energy.

Working out, believe it or not, gives you more energy, especially if you exercise early in the morning. It helps you to tackle the day and not be worn out by lunchtime. Also eating foods rich in vitamins and minerals will fuel your body and keep your metabolism up.

2. You will be more conscious of what you place in your body.

Taking care of yourself will make you think more about what goes into your body. You will begin to count calories, look at food labels, and decrease your salt intake. Water will even become your best friend.

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3. You will have more mental clarity.

Eating healthy carbohydrates like beans and legumes, and foods rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon and tuna, both give you mental clarity and more brain stamina throughout the day. Those projects that were usually harder to tackle become easier because you can now make clearer decisions, freeing your mind to do things it would have taken much longer to do or were more difficult to focus on.

4. You will get addicted to the gym.

Ever heard of ‘gym rats’? Well, many people proudly use this term to describe the time they devote to the gym every day. But really it’s because they have committed to living a lifestyle of regular conditioning and they have results to prove it.

5. You will feel guilty when you mess up.

It only takes one time of eating the wrong thing or not finding the time to exercise to make you feel regretful. However, when you learn to not beat yourself up when you choose to do little things in moderation, you get back up the next day and start on the journey to wellness all over again.

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6. You will lose weight.

This is truly a given when you learn to eat properly. Having five to six small meals throughout the day burns calories constantly, even while you sleep. Combine that with exercise and you will end up a lean, mean, fighting machine.

7. You will gain more strength.

When you sit around all day at work and live a sedentary lifestyle, you lose muscle mass; thus, you lose the brawn. But active people have more strength and vitality working for them, which also keeps them trying new things to gain fortitude.

8. You will begin to appreciate others.

When you abuse yourself, you ultimately abuse others. But when you start to take care of yourself, you take care of your surroundings. You will, in turn, admonish others to do the same.

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9. You will become an advocate for healthy living.

When you get to a place of results in your life, you want to show others how to see the same for themselves. Some people go into personal training, while others start blogs and share recipes that are full of healthy benefits. But the point is: they become a resource for other people.

10. You will be proud for how far you’ve come.

Everyone needs recognition for a job well done. When you take good care of yourself, you will give your own self a pat on the back. You will also celebrate by treating yourself. For example, a new wardrobe would be nice. You deserve it for working so hard.

11. You will begin to live with more purpose.

There’s something about getting the thoughts of “I’m not good enough,” or “I have to lose some of this weight,” or “I have too many pressing things on my mind to exercise” out of one’s head and moving in the direction of purpose that brings definite change in one’s life. These thoughts truly can keep us from living a healthy lifestyle. Many know these as excuses, but people who take good care of themselves don’t have those things to worry about. They are more concerned about making an impact and a strong impression on those they serve. Kind of like the advocate for healthy living above, you will work to bring change in others because you know that if you can do it, so can everyone else.

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12. You will age gracefully.

The more you take care of yourself (physically, mentally, and spiritually), the slower the aging process. Research has shown definite advantages for aging gracefully associated with regular exercise, a healthy diet, and even daily meditation. Our stance on life also has a direct correlation with how we age. People who age gracefully have a positive outlook on life and appreciate the little things that the world brings.

Taking care of yourself means loving you enough to be good to your body, mind, and spirit. It frees you to be all that you can be!