About a month ago I wrote a piece on my struggle to lose weight. Yeah, well, I’m still at it . . . slowly but surely.

I have started to learn that when it comes to the biggest changes in our lives, often you get there step by step, or even baby step by baby step. But the end goal is not all that counts: the process, while most definitely challenging, is where the real learning and transformation take place. After all, if we could reach our goal too easily or quickly, we probably wouldn’t even appreciate it enough to stay there (thus the issues with yo-yo dieting and quick loss and gain).

“Free time” isn’t something I usually have in my vocabularySo, while my progress has been slow, it has—fortunately—been consistent. And not only has my weight been changing, but my lifestyle and eating habits have as well.

I think that the biggest learning curve is that I need to be conscious, at all times, of what I am doing and what I am eating. To be healthy requires planning, and it doesn’t come naturally. Or, maybe it comes naturally, but it certainly doesn’t come easily. Easy is grabbing the quickest thing there is. Sure, it could be a banana, but chances are it will be chips, a chocolate bar or some other attractively packaged danger zone.

And more than just eating healthy, exercise is required. Exercise means making the time to focus on your body. Trust me, no one has used the “But I have no time . . .” excuse more than I. And to be fair, I really mean it. I am lucky if I get five hours of sleep a night, and between raising four children, working a full-time job and traveling for speaking, “free time” isn’t something I usually have in my vocabulary.

Yet, few of us really do have that free time. We are all busy in different ways. And it is the rare healthy person who became that way from just having so much free time on her hands that she decided to get to the gym and make nutritious meals. Just the opposite: the less we have to do, the easier it is to become lazy. And once lazy . . . we all know what happens. This is why the Hebrew word for “laziness,” atzlut, is related to the word for “depression,” atzvut. When we don’t utilize our time well and ensure that we take time out for ourselves and keeping ourselves healthy, our laziness leads to depression.

The biggest learning curve is that I need to be conscious, at all times, of what I am doing and what I am eating.And, ready for the best part? The Hebrew word for “healthy,” bari, shares the same root as bara, which means “to be creative.” When we are healthy, we can produce, we can be creative. And nothing beats utilizing our creativity!

So, as I head down this long road to a healthier me, I am not only starting to see the changes, I am most definitely feeling them. And, from investing more time in me, I am actually gaining more time for all of those around me. It is not about what time we have, it is about how we choose to use it.

And my favorite new tip so far? I have discovered that at a fairly average pace I can walk on the treadmill and check my e‑mail, respond, and keep my breathing in check to make phone calls. So even when my day is insane and I may not have time for the workout I dreamed of, I can still track a few miles doing what I would anyway be doing at home stuck in front of the computer. Sure, if I was just walking I could go faster and work harder, but nothing beats multitasking and being active.

So, the next time you send in a reader comment, chances are I will be reviewing it in motion . . .

Hope to keep you posted with more good news on this journey. With wishes for us all to use our time in creative and healthy ways!