Why Lifestyle Changes Can Be Difficult There are two reasons why making healthy lifestyle changes commonly fail: Making too many changes at once Choosing changes that are too hard to make or goals that are too hard to reach Making small changes to the foods that are already in our diets, or swaps, can help those who often “abandon ship” stick to healthy habits. Adults, children, families, and those with pre-existing conditions (or those who wish to prevent future disease) can make simple, everyday swaps to the foods they already eat to help manage or reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease