You see a kobe beef burger and truffle fries from the Burger Stand as a typical Friday night feast while I see a quinoa stir-fry with kale, beets, walnuts and chicken as a better option.

You see a workout once a month as an acceptable amount of exercise to keep you physically fit while I see working out five to six times a week as a healthier way to stay fit.

You and I may not see eye to eye, but I’ve realized the harmful effects of poor eating and limited exercise.

When I was younger, I lived a stereotypical American lifestyle. I ate cookies frequently and didn’t care about how much exercise I got every week. I thought it was okay to watch TV after school everyday instead of going on a bike ride or practicing my soccer touches. At first, this mentality seemed fine because I was still a little kid. However, as I grew older, my body started to feel the effects of this lifestyle. I got closer to becoming overweight, faced respiratory issues like asthma and felt tired sooner than my companions.

It’s not that I was living an unhealthy lifestyle before, I just knew that changing my routine would help me out in the long run.

I had my first revelation at a Dog Days summer workout my freshman year. Now, if you haven’t been to one of these workouts, don’t let the name fool you. 45 minutes of calisthenics and running, all on top of the sweltering 90 + temperatures make you sweaty, tired and satisfied. On this specific day, it was boiling, and we were slated to run up almost all the steps on the KU campus.

After 20 minutes of the workout, I was breathing heavier than normal but still had more than half to do. I had to stop and walk the rest of workout, getting passed by 50, 60, even 70 year old athletes who were able to complete the workout despite their bad knees and backs.

I didn’t want to submit myself to defeat, but I knew I couldn’t go on. From that moment on, I was determined to get in the best shape of my life so I could follow in the footsteps of these dog days participants. And now, there’s no way I’m stopping until I reach the top.

It began with creating a regimen. I realized I couldn’t run all of KU yet, but I would work to it. So I started by running one mile every day that I had time. I also knew that I had to eradicate some foods from my diet. I observed that I felt more lethargic after drinking soda and eating super sugary or fried products. In order to feel my greatest, I cut these from my diet, replacing them with more vegetables and fruit.

After a while, one mile became two, and then three. By the summer of junior year, I could run six miles despite the heat. And now, I hate the smell of bacon and can’t force myself to eat a doughnut.

I have also benefited emotionally as well as physically from this lifestyle change. I feel less stressed after running and more well-balanced inside after eating a healthy meal. Exercising and eating healthily has been proven to reduce tension and increase happiness within people. It relieves the body of any negative emotions and helps people focus better afterwards as well. Health companies like Lululemon also say healthy living leads to a stronger mental toughness because it makes the body more immune to worries and strengthens relationships between yourself and other people.

I know how to chill from my mindset though too. I will nibble on a piece of cake at a wedding or take my rest day once a week so my muscles can recuperate. And I also have my share of stressors despite my attempts to follow Lululemon’s mantra. But I take breaks as part of my healthy lifestyle, not because I’m dieting or worried about what others think of me. It’s all for that happy mentality I get from choosing hummus and carrots over Nutella and angel food cake. I’m maximizing my life without being lazy about my choices and am proving that no one can avoid life’s flaws.

I’m not trying to brag about the successes of my story. I’m not trying to tell you that you are going down the wrong path for not following a healthy lifestyle. And I’m definitely not trying to convince you to start eating and exercising like me. But let me tell you a few things about our generation’s health:

According to Healthfinder.gov, a third of all Americans will have obesity by 2050. The average teenager eats 156 pounds worth of sugar every year. And most Americans believe they can get their daily vegetables from a side of French fries.

Obesity is a rising epidemic that most people are avoiding. Our generation will start to live shorter, less healthy lives that will result in a mentality of overall laziness in the United States. This will affect us more than people realize, from the prejudices of other nations to the economic state of our nation.

But unlike some problems society faces today, obesity CAN be tackled. Unfortunately, many think this is easier to do than one would imagine.

We’ve all seen those commercials on T.V. about people who have lost 50 pounds on weight pills. Magazines plaster throughout their pages “easy workouts” to help people lose weight fast. But what these methods fail to show is that people can’t reach life-changing results just by losing weight.

That’s right. Weight loss does not change your life. And neither will following those crazy diets.

So what will?

This is when my workout-a-holic regimen plays a role.

Workout for one week, whenever you have time. And get rid of those highly-processed foods if you have other options. Because if you start following this path for one week, you will notice a happier, healthier self that will motivate you to continue until you can run even past the KU steps and to bigger things like Washington D.C., the 2016 Summer Olympics or even the top of Mt. Everest.

You will start to see that change is possible and can make you feel better inside. You will feel less stressed out about school or friends and more aware of your surroundings. Nature will seem more appealing to you as well, and small things won’t make you explode as quickly as they did before.

And once you stop eating bad carbs and fats, you’ll realize your body doesn’t really like them either. Once you try eating them again, you’ll notice how hard it is to force them into  your diet again.  Instead, a salad will always sound (and eventually taste) better than other sides.

Being healthy isn’t about looking the part and following specific guidelines. It’s about feeling it as well. Once you feel better inside, results will come in the safest way possible, sans binge eating or over-exercising. The best living proof comes from people who’ve done it. And look at me? I’m now working towards running my first half-marathon and I’m passing boys in my path, and I could have never thought I would come this far in 3 short years.

So call me a health freak all you want. Laugh at my bag of broccoli over your bag of cheetos. Judge my ridiculous workout schedule. Say that I don’t have fun because I don’t eat unhealthy food or watch countless hours of television after school. We’ll see who’s having more fun 20 years from now, even without the added cholesterol. But if you ever change your mind, let me know because I’ll be at the top of those steps cheering you on with all the other health-a-holics in the world who have reaped from the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.