I am who I am, but who am I?

Has being healthy become synonymous with being unhappy?

Who knows.

What I do know is that there’s no reason working toward physical health should have the nasty side effect of emotional displeasure.

When I first started out on a path toward physical fitness, I made a lot of sacrifices. Some of my favorite things to eat—like fast food, fatty, sugary pastries and expensive, thousand-calorie coffee drinks—and favorite things to do—like sit on the couch all afternoon flipping channels, or sleeping until noon—became relics of my past.

I’ll admit, at first I was pretty miserable. Even after I started seeing results in my physical health and appearance, I couldn’t help but reminisce for the days when I could eat what I wanted, do what I pleased (or just do nothing, since I’m being honest) and sleep as late as I’d like.

But through it all, I somehow snapped out of it. I found ways to turn my healthy life into a happy one, and I want to share my top tips for being happy and healthy.

Before I do, though, it’s important to understand what “being happy” really means.

Happiness is a simple concept that’s difficult to achieve.

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