Countless posts and videos promising quick-fixes to health problems are circulating the internet these days, but as far as anyone can tell, Americans on the whole haven't become any healthier since the advent of Buzzfeed and Youtube fitness stars.

The reason for this is pretty simple: the road to real health and fitness is a long one, and you never really get to the end. A daily fitness regimen needs to be just that: daily.

Too many Americans fall into the trap of giving up, because there is no end in sight. Diets and exercise plans don't help people because they are seen as temporary. As soon as you stop a diet, you will stop seeing its benefits. As soon as you stop exercising, you will begin to gain weight and lose muscle.

Instead of committing to a temporary plan, make a lifestyle change. Instead of doing an hour of exercise a day for one month, and then quitting from exhaustion and scheduling issues, do twenty minutes of exercise daily. See if you can do it for a year. A year's worth of moderate exercise is worth far more than a month's worth of intense exercise, especially where overall health and longevity are concerned.

Commit to an achievable goal, given your career, study schedule, personal commitments, etc. Be smart about how much time you have and then set up a realistic regimen. This blog and my Youtube channel are great resource for finding exercises that you can do to reach your goals and maintain them.

When it comes to dieting, start by incorporating a vegetable into every meal. Just one. You don't have to get rid of all the sweets in your house. Going cold-turkey is a sure fire way to give-up. Instead, by getting one vegetable in at every meal, you will naturally be more full in between meals, and gradually begin to snack less, and opt for fewer servings of high-fat and high-carb foods.

Once you start feeling good, the healthy choices will be just as enticing as the unhealthy ones, if not more.