The New Year has just begun and the gyms are busier than ever before, flooding with people who are trying to achieve their typical cliche New Year’s resolution: to get fit and lose weight. Unfortunately, the same thing occurs every year. After a month or two into the New Year, gyms and other fitness facilities gradually become less crowded because a lot of people choose to give up. They back down because it is “too hard” or “too much effort” to be healthy. Imagine how energized and amazing you would feel if you followed a healthy diet and exercised regularly all year round. Instead of sitting around and watching the grass grow, people need to get up and put in the vital effort needed in order to achieve their goals of getting fit and eating right.

It is safe to say that many people, especially young women, have compared themselves to a Victoria’s Secret model or someone famous in a fashion magazine numerous times. It is easy to become jealous of Karlie Kloss or Kendall Jenner’s physique because of how “perfect” their bodies seem to the public eye. You do not need to look like a stick-thin model to feel good about yourself. Sorry to break this news, but no one achieves a fit or toned body without lifting a finger. Unfortunately, this is something that people do not want to accept. Anyone can achieve a healthier body if the work is put in. If you do not work for it, you will not get it.

Models may be famous for their looks, and most photos are perfectly edited down to a single pixel, but do not let the photoshopped images discourage you or make you think that you need to look like them to achieve happiness. Look at the bigger picture. If you eat clean foods and exercise on a regular basis, that is a big step in the right direction and it will surely work wonders, inside and out. Waiting and wishing to look like a Jenner is not worth your time.

Girls frequently complain about how they dislike their physique or wished they looked different. The baffling thing about this is that a majority of people who complain, do nothing about it to change. I have heard people ask the same question numerous times: “How do I lose 10 pounds in three days?” The fad diets, like running until you feel nauseous and not eating hours before bed are all a hoax. There is no magical time of the day to eat a bowl of berries, and there is no secret workout to growing a fully developed six pack in two weeks. Live simply, stop comparing yourself to the magazines and put in work to reach your goals.

We are all human. Changing bad habits takes true determination and it is all worth it in the long run. It is truly a life’s work and it is important to eat foods that nourish your body instead of slowing it down. You are worth it.