One year ago today, my doctor gave me some heavy news. If I didn’t make some positive changes quick, I was going to end up diabetic and at high risk for heart issues. I was a whisker away from pre-diabetic and my good/bad cholesterol mix was upside down. We talked a lot about the link between diabetes and early onset dimentia. I came away from that conversation with my head spinning. I knew I wasn’t healthy but I had always figured I had time to get it together. Always sometime in the future. Suddenly, I had no time to waste.

After that conversation, I became very focused on sugar. My choices became very simple. Sugar is hurting me. Don’t eat sugar. I trimmed most of the sugar and processed foods from my diet and got more active. I had a Fitbit and started paying attention to more than just my steps. I started tracking my calories intake/output. I had specific, measurable goals that I could monitor in realtime and make useful choices throughout the day. I started taking my breaks to walk at work and walked on my lunch break. It wasn’t hard. It just required consistency.

I’m no longer pre-diabetic and my cholesterol is mixed the right direction. I lost 40 pounds and feel good most days. I joined a running group and am pushing my mileage toward my first half marathon in November.

This isn’t just a humble brag. Everybody’s journey is different. Losing weight is easier for guys than girls. It has to do with metabolism, muscle mass and such. I’m not bragging. I just want to say that I’m proud of what I’ve done for myself this past year and that it wasn’t as difficult as I had told myself it would be. In fact, I succeeded because it became very, very simple. Avoid sugar. Drink water. Get active. Be consistent.

And that’s the takeaway: Keep it simple and be consistent. Every day do the thing that matters most. Whatever it is you want or need, it is right there for you. It is possible. Start now. Keep it simple. Do it everyday.