By Rae Stampley
How often do you start working out with every intention of transforming your body only to quit before even reaching the midpoint of your goal? Don't worry, you're not alone. Astoundingly, the overwhelming majority of people fail to follow through on fitness goals. There is the initial excitement and urgency, but somewhere along the way we lose sight of the work ethic needed to reach our goals.
Consistency is the key.
Unfortunately, most people are consistent at being inconsistent. We lack the tools to hit every stride along the path to achieving our goals. Here are a few steps to achieve and maintain positive consistency.
Have a written plan. Habakkuk 2:2 says, "Write the vision; make it plain"
Writing out our visions will allow us to see the plan from the beginning to the end. It may start out bare, but you can fill in the blanks as you go along. The important thing is that it has some structure. You can start with when and where you will be training. Next, and just as important, write down what and when you are eating. Write down which days you will measure and weigh yourself. This should only happen once a week, same day and same time each week. Your plan should be easily accessible so using Google and Apple calendars are a great tool to schedule and log weigh-ins/measurements.
Set realistic expectations.
So many of us have trouble staying on a consistent track towards our goals because we cannot live up to the expectations we set for ourselves. Create several short term goals in conjunction with your overall final goal. These small victories are important for our psyche. Breaking up your 30lb overall goal into 5lb increments creates excitement and happiness 6 different times. Healthy weight loss averages out to about 1-2 lbs per week. You may have ebbs and flows, but this is the standard that you follow. Training 3-4 times a week is sufficient. Your rest days are important because your body needs time to rebuild itself. Tearing down torn muscles will only result in possible injury in the future.
Food expectations may be the hardest, but they are the most profitable. Think positive! If you understand that you are changing your lifestyle for the better and not punishing yourself, this transition will be easier. Make sure you reward yourself. No one likes all work and no play. You've worked hard for 6.5 days, you've earned that reward meal or two.
Find an accountability partner(s).
Once you set your goal, tell someone. This is not about having someone all in your business. It's about having someone who can help you become accountable for the things you have said you are going to do. The person you choose must be someone who you trust and don't mind receiving constructive criticism from. Understand trials will come. There will be moments when you want to stay home, eat anything, or just quit. Sometimes you just need the encouraging words from someone else. These people usually know how to put things into perspective for you. This is why you value this person and must keep them in your corner.
See yourself succeeding
The goal is to put ourselves in the best position to succeed, but in order to do this, you must see yourself succeeding. Imagine how you will look once you've followed through on your goals. Know that every completed push-up, every dessert passed on, and every milestone completed moves you a step closer to the success you've envisioned.
