1. Eat mindfully

More than any other facet of a weight management program, nutrition is key. Getting the right balance of nutrients for your body—including a healthy proportion of carbohydrates, fats and protein—along with a steady of flow of water-based hydration throughout the day, is truly the single best thing you can do for your body. Generally speaking, three balanced meals with two snacks, spread evenly throughout the day, will keep you satisfied but not over-full. But if you are looking for a more vigorous diet, you’re in luck!

Recent studies have indicated that any short-term diet, so long as it is nutritionally sound, will work for you, as long as you are consistent with it. Curious to try Keto? Dreaming of the Mediterranean foods of the South Beach Diet? Debating the DASH protocol? You can’t go wrong, as long as the diet gets you a base level of calories that keeps your energy going strong. (For calorie amounts recommended specifically for your weight, talk with a nutritionist or do a Google search!) The choice is truly yours. So cruise the internet, check out diet books at your local bookstore or library, talk with friends and family and see what’s worked for them, and pick the diet that you think you can manage long term…then stick with it for 4 to 6 weeks. Shorter than that and you may miss out on the true weight-loss benefits most diets offer, longer than that and you may lose steam. At the six-week mark, if need be, change things up! But no matter what, keep a careful eye on what you’re consuming…it’s the single biggest factor to maintaining (or losing!) weight.

2. Move your body

Contrary to popular belief, you can’t lose weight simply by exercising more…but it can definitely help. Combined with a thoughtful nutrition plan, moderate to high-intensity workouts that combine weight training and cardiovascular exercise (like jogging, biking, sports and fitness classes) can help you torch calories and build muscle, both of which contribute to weight loss. Another critical benefit of exercise is that it supports a well-rounded approach to health and fitness by releasing brain chemicals that make you feel better and sleep more deeply.

Not all of your workouts have to be high-intensity, either. Add in long, easy walks to clear your mind, as well as yoga or other stretching to keep your body loose and limber and help you reconnect. Get to know your body and listen to what it’s trying to tell you—and don’t overdo it! Better to go slow and stay healthy than get injured and have to limit what you can do.

3. Be accountable

While nutrition is the #1 success factor of most diets, the second isn’t exercise—it’s accountability. By signing up for a fitness challenge, embarking on a diet with a friend, joining a fitness-minded community on social media that expects you to post regular updates and track your progress, or even logging your progress with an app on your phone, having an accountability practice is like attaching turbo-boosters to your weight-loss rocket. You may be surprised at how much you feel compelled to stay the course, when there are others around you cheering you on (or competing with you, if that’s more your style!) But no matter what, find an accountability app, partner or team to see real results, fast. Before you know it, you’ll be welcoming Spring in the best shape of your life!

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According to the Chinese practice of Feng Shui, certain colors help attract energy to your living space, and by using these colors consciously, you can draw the things you want into your life. Why not give it a try the next time you’re shopping for throw pillows or curtains?

Get your calm on with Blue

The colors Blue and Black are associated with water energy, and make great choices for anyone who wants to focus on meditation, contemplation, and creativity. While Blue is the perfect choice to create a calm, private space, Black is considered a fantastic color for stimulating your career. Additional Feng Shui tip: your entryway is an ideal area for career energy, so consider putting something Black in this space (such as a floor mat or a wrought iron mirror on the wall) to amplify your career fortune even more

Grow your fortune with Green

Linked to wood energy, Green is the ideal color to focus on growth, decision-making, and taking action on your most cherished dreams. The color of health and vitality, it’s also associated with abundance and can help you motivate yourself to make the changes you need to improve your life. After all, Green means go!

Heat things up with Red

Not surprisingly, Red is known for its connection with fire and life energy—and it’s also a tried-and-true favorite for bringing romance into your world. Add a bit of Red to any room in your home where you want to rev up your mood. Additional Feng Shui tip: As you consider your home, think about the section of your space that’s against the back wall and all the way to the right. Is that room a bedroom? Living room? Kitchen? That area is considered the “romance” section of your home! Add a little Red to this space to attract loving relationships to you.

Sunny days are here with Yellow

Associated with earth energy, Yellow can cheer you up, infuse you and your space with hope, and take your mind to a higher level. It’s considered particularly helpful for any space where you need to be very focused. So next time you take a look at your desk area, consider adding some bright Yellow to the mix!

White is for creativity and hope

The color White as well as metallic colors are associated with mental energy—as well as a certain playfulness that emphasizes fun and creativity. Add White to any room where you want to add purity and hope to your thoughts!

Decorating is about the whole look—finding the right item to fit your space and your lifestyle, in a color that brings you joy. And now you know how to make that color bring you abundance, romance and career success too. With these ideas as your guideline, go forth and Decorate!

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Natural light

Bring the outside in with natural light, one of the quickest and easiest ways to open up any space. Unless you need black-out curtains to keep things dark for sleep during the day, choose sheer curtains or woven blinds that let the sun shine in. Place mirrors on walls opposite your windows to reflect and spread sunlight, and maximize every ounce of sunshine by choosing fabrics for linens, pillows and blankets that are light and bright as well.

Make Choices for Today’s Space—not Yesterday’s or Tomorrow’s

If you feel your bedroom is just too small for your end table, don’t despair over that table—replace it with a sleek stool! Can’t fit your ancient TV cabinet in your living room? Mount your TV on the wall or make your bookshelf pull double duty as a true multi-media shelving unit. Don’t squash your space with oversized furniture. As your budget allows, let that furniture go to someone else who might be able to use it (either by selling or donating it), and replace it with fun pieces that fit your unique space.

Sometimes you might be tempted to hold onto a piece you don’t love, in case sometime down the line it will fit your lifestyle better. While you should absolutely keep treasured pieces no matter where your travels take you, don’t let your stuff hold you back from your best style. Simple, inexpensive pieces that fit who you are today can go a long way toward making you feel great about your space!

Storage Wars

If there’s space, there’s probably storage space to be had, whether it’s using cube cabinets that double as tables, taking advantage of under-bed or closet modular storage, or making unexpected choices that work for you—like placing your sofa directly in front of your bookshelf to create “built-in but out-of-sight” storage.

Also, as you consider replacing old or worn-out furniture, bring in new pieces that serve double duty, too—a kitchen table with drawers that can moonlight as a desk, or perhaps a fold out couch that can double as a guest bed. Again, it’s not necessary to rack up huge costs to outfit your space, but keep a sharp eye out for inexpensive right-sized alternatives to large, awkward or clunky pieces that no longer fit you and your life.

Get in the Clear!

Eventually, you will run out of space, no matter how brilliant your storage strategy is. When that happens, take a hard look at every flat surface in your home. Do you really need to have that bowl full of coasters sitting on your table—along with stacks of magazines from the past three years? Can you live without having every beauty product you own sit on your vanity…even the ones that you haven’t used in ages? The more you can clear from your surfaces, the better you’ll feel—and the lighter your home will feel, too.

Go Bold!

Just because your space is small doesn’t mean your ideas should be. Sometimes the key ingredient to a fresh and fun space is a bold accent piece that gets your imagination flowing. And don’t limit your thinking to ready-bought pieces. Funky finds at craft festivals or yard sale castoffs can be turned into really eye-catching pieces of art with just a little work, and become an expression of your creative self as much as a functional part of your home.

As you consider your next decorating task, remember: Great Style isn’t about a particular set of pieces or a collection of artwork, it’s about using furniture, color and fabrics to celebrate who you are. With that as your guideline, go forth and Decorate!

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