Staying Consistent

1111ace
1111ace Posts: 34 Member
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
Hi Everybody. As I get started on MFP I think my next biggest step is to stay consistent with newly learned habits. Anybody have any good methods or successes that would help me stay on the right track?

Replies

  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    Welcome .. I am a newbie here too.

    I used to be very consistent ... consistently bad. I used to be really into Diet Pepsi (as much as a couple of bottles on a daily basis). I also regularly had junk food binges. Just bad habits.

    But one day I just got tired of the protruding stomach. What can I say .. but it really isn't very sexy and I just got tired of looking like an old fat guy. Besides my family was on my case .. just another little thing to get me started.

    So I did something about it .. dropped the junk food and pop, cold turkey. I just find that I keep motivated due to the fact that I just want to go back to a time where I was slim and trim. That was about 7 years ago.

    Personally I find that having some real compelling reason for getting healthy is enough motivation to keep me honest. Your reasons for being healthy are probably different than mine .. but we probably all have some reason that we want to lose our old habits.
  • lynnymcc
    lynnymcc Posts: 89
    I too have a difficult time staying motivated...I will do well for 3 months, then fall off for a bit then get back on the saddle.
    I find searching this site is very motivational. LOTS of tools, stories, hints, THE BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOs are a great motivation for me.
    I also have 2 young daughters that i have to set an example for. They need a healthy Mom around for a long long time.
    Good luck to you!
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
    Hi Everybody. As I get started on MFP I think my next biggest step is to stay consistent with newly learned habits. Anybody have any good methods or successes that would help me stay on the right track?

    I just tell myself that in three days it will be normal. You have to work out what's rational and logical, and then just force yourself until it becomes habit. The hardest part for me is getting up in time to do it.
  • derhz
    derhz Posts: 6
    The biggest hurdle for me staying consistent was the first three days. After that, my new habits had sunken in and even on my 'cheat' days (1 day a week where ill let myself have something indulgent on the same day I work out the hardest with my PT), I can't bring myself to eat nearly as much as I used to. Yesterday it was a grilled chicken burger and small fries from Burger King for my cheat day, but I couldn't even bring myself to finish the fries. It was like my body was rejecting it. I felt ill by the end of the burger and I just gave them to my husband.

    I feel like if your diet consists of the right natural substitutes for what you used to be eating based on what you like, you'll have no struggles at all staying on track and you'll feel loads better! I have a biiig sweet tooth, so when I want something sweet, which is often- I'll have fruits (mostly watermelon and rockmelon, as they are my absolute favorites) and yogurts.

    Now even lately when people try to give me cakes and cookies at work, I have no issue saying "No thanks!"
  • bellesouth18
    bellesouth18 Posts: 1,071 Member
    My mantra is "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." That has helped me win over temptation.
  • lauren_lovely7
    lauren_lovely7 Posts: 13 Member
    I love that quote! I think it's easier staying consistent when you have people in your life holding you accountable and encouraging you! My family is not very encouraging or helpful and it's so hard for me to stay consistent.
  • brynnsmom
    brynnsmom Posts: 945 Member
    My mantra is "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." That has helped me win over temptation.

    Totally agree with the above. Also, I have certain foods that I eat every single day. Healthy foods, that I love and don't look at as deprivation that I'm eating in place of something else. Find some of these to work into your diet. It also makes for quick food logging, which makes being a consistent logger that much easier.
  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
    I too want to get back to my old self that was trim with a decent build. You really just need to keep that reason in the back of your head to keep you motivated as you lose weight.

    Once you get close or get to your goal, then you need to focus on maintaining. One website I read for a while had a saying that said something of the following:

    You don't like exercise or eating vegetables and a healthy diet? Well...do you like being fat? No, well there you go! Haha!
  • I_mustacheU4pancakes
    I_mustacheU4pancakes Posts: 41
    Consistency is key man and patience is the hardest thing to have
    but the most important thing we need,no matter what the goal is.
    Good luck man!
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Just do it. Use a phone app and log every single thing as soon as you eat it. Log your exercise. Eat/log. Just do it.
  • 1111ace
    1111ace Posts: 34 Member
    Welcome .. I am a newbie here too.

    I used to be very consistent ... consistently bad. I used to be really into Diet Pepsi (as much as a couple of bottles on a daily basis). I also regularly had junk food binges. Just bad habits.

    But one day I just got tired of the protruding stomach. What can I say .. but it really isn't very sexy and I just got tired of looking like an old fat guy. Besides my family was on my case .. just another little thing to get me started.

    So I did something about it .. dropped the junk food and pop, cold turkey. I just find that I keep motivated due to the fact that I just want to go back to a time where I was slim and trim. That was about 7 years ago.

    Personally I find that having some real compelling reason for getting healthy is enough motivation to keep me honest. Your reasons for being healthy are probably different than mine .. but we probably all have some reason that we want to lose our old habits.

    Thanks for your nice feedback, I know how it is to be motivated enough. Last year I got into great shape lost about 50 pounds then gained 20 back over the following year. Motivation is key, I definitely need to get better at being able to remember why I am, so I don't forget when life hits me fast.
  • 1111ace
    1111ace Posts: 34 Member
    I too have a difficult time staying motivated...I will do well for 3 months, then fall off for a bit then get back on the saddle.
    I find searching this site is very motivational. LOTS of tools, stories, hints, THE BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOs are a great motivation for me.
    I also have 2 young daughters that i have to set an example for. They need a healthy Mom around for a long long time.
    Good luck to you!

    Thanks for your nice post, life does seem to be an endless roller coaster. I wish I would have taken more after photos before I gained weight back, next time. Staying consistent for your family is definitely better reason than any. There's definitely a lot of good gems on this site. I'm glad I found it, thanks again and good luck to you as well.
  • 1111ace
    1111ace Posts: 34 Member

    I just tell myself that in three days it will be normal. You have to work out what's rational and logical, and then just force yourself until it becomes habit. The hardest part for me is getting up in time to do it.

    Thanks for your feedback friend :) I agree with you, I quit smoking 7 years ago and it seems like after 3 days I was well on my way. I've also noticed that my nutrition seems to really affect me 2 or 3 days after. Different subject but similar idea. Anyways scheduling out for 3 days doesn't seem that bad. I'll try it thank you.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    Takes 21 days to form a habit. Usually habits are the consistency that people do on a day to day basis.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • 1111ace
    1111ace Posts: 34 Member
    The biggest hurdle for me staying consistent was the first three days. After that, my new habits had sunken in and even on my 'cheat' days (1 day a week where ill let myself have something indulgent on the same day I work out the hardest with my PT), I can't bring myself to eat nearly as much as I used to. Yesterday it was a grilled chicken burger and small fries from Burger King for my cheat day, but I couldn't even bring myself to finish the fries. It was like my body was rejecting it. I felt ill by the end of the burger and I just gave them to my husband.

    I feel like if your diet consists of the right natural substitutes for what you used to be eating based on what you like, you'll have no struggles at all staying on track and you'll feel loads better! I have a biiig sweet tooth, so when I want something sweet, which is often- I'll have fruits (mostly watermelon and rockmelon, as they are my absolute favorites) and yogurts.

    Now even lately when people try to give me cakes and cookies at work, I have no issue saying "No thanks!"

    Thank you. I'm glad to hear about your success. Junk food definitely isn't as good after going without it. I'm a sucker for cake though. Wish it wasn't so good. Need to find a good substitute for that for sure. I'll try to substitute more that's a great idea thank you :smile:
  • 1111ace
    1111ace Posts: 34 Member
    My mantra is "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." That has helped me win over temptation.

    That's an excellent quote, I'm going to save it thank you :smile:
  • 1111ace
    1111ace Posts: 34 Member
    I love that quote! I think it's easier staying consistent when you have people in your life holding you accountable and encouraging you! My family is not very encouraging or helpful and it's so hard for me to stay consistent.

    I definitely know how that is, this site seems to be a valuable resource for that reason. I recently did a strict 30 day paleo style diet (whole 30) and when I went to my dads they tried feeding me all sorts of junk, it was tough but since I didn't want to mess up my 30 day commitment it was easier to say no. The only downfall is that when the 30 days was up my nutrition was out of control and I'm still trying to recover from that months later. Thank you for your nice feedback :smile:
  • morticia16
    morticia16 Posts: 230 Member
    It helps if you have understanding and support of those closest to you. And all the incredible success stories here at MFP are a great inspiration too.
  • 1111ace
    1111ace Posts: 34 Member

    Totally agree with the above. Also, I have certain foods that I eat every single day. Healthy foods, that I love and don't look at as deprivation that I'm eating in place of something else. Find some of these to work into your diet. It also makes for quick food logging, which makes being a consistent logger that much easier.

    Thank you. What foods do you eat that are easy options to replace bad ones? I know that keeping a nutrition journal helps a ton. I lost a lot of weight last year thanks to it. This site is a great resource for that. I had no idea till yesterday.
  • 1111ace
    1111ace Posts: 34 Member
    I too want to get back to my old self that was trim with a decent build. You really just need to keep that reason in the back of your head to keep you motivated as you lose weight.

    Once you get close or get to your goal, then you need to focus on maintaining. One website I read for a while had a saying that said something of the following:

    You don't like exercise or eating vegetables and a healthy diet? Well...do you like being fat? No, well there you go! Haha!

    Lol that's awesome. I have a good one too for exercise. "If you want to be comfortable then stay home". When I get it right again I'm definitely getting more after pictures to motivate me later on. Its definitely easy to focus on the now and not so much the later. I think the effort it takes to plan has a lot to do with it, besides just wanting the instant gratification of a butter cream frosted doughnut. Thank you.
  • 1111ace
    1111ace Posts: 34 Member
    Consistency is key man and patience is the hardest thing to have
    but the most important thing we need,no matter what the goal is.
    Good luck man!

    Thank you. "Rome definitely wasn't built in a day", at least the health benefits are instant, though they are often the underlying situation we can't feel or see.
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 557 Member
    Something that works for me.
    Every morning I tell myself :

    I just need to do this for one day. I can do anything for one day.
    It's only 24 hours. One day One day One day.

    If you have enough one days in a row, pretty soon you hit Won Day!

    It makes a difference for me.

    Good luck on your journey.
  • purple44444
    purple44444 Posts: 48 Member
    I don't always record calories when I've given myself a "free" day or it's just a bad day that goes downhill and turns into a free day! Then I feel like I can start fresh the next day and ignore all the food I ate the day before!
  • elsdonward
    elsdonward Posts: 81 Member
    Well - I truly believe that the diet drinks can cause bloating. I stopped drinking it about three months ago. I am not saying that this is evident - but at the moment with a good scale - proper control of portion sizes and avoiding junk wherever possible plus walkiing I am losing an average of one pound per day!! And I am 65 years old. I could not lose before.

    But I wanted to tell you that when my family are pushed and want a Macdonalds - I still join in!! - not every week.

    It is staying watchful each day that pays off - but if you do not stray then you do not stay consistent because you have to have some behaviour thing to correct and this gives you the motivation to go on.
  • Kitpurr
    Kitpurr Posts: 26 Member
    Don't expect yourself to be successful overnight, the important thing is to keep trying. It is very easy to get demotivated when you've had a big blow out and gone over your calories for the day. Cut yourself some slack, after all it took years of bad habits to put the weight on and habits don't just disappear instantaneously.

    Choose to make good habits instead. Log everyday, before you eat. "Bad" foods are less alluring when you know how much they're going to cost you. That said, sometimes it's worth it. Don't deprive yourself of everything otherwise it gets too hard.

    Do get a digital scale and find a spot for it on your kitchen bench. If you consistently misjudge your portion sizes you're going to get nowhere fast.

    Do get the phone app so you can add in stuff when you're out and about(you'll likely forget it by the time you get home otherwise).

    Do check into the community once a day. Add friends and make your diary viewable to the public. Being accountable to someone is pretty helpful.
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    Congratulations, but a pound a day seems a bit much!

    Well - I truly believe that the diet drinks can cause bloating. I stopped drinking it about three months ago. I am not saying that this is evident - but at the moment with a good scale - proper control of portion sizes and avoiding junk wherever possible plus walkiing I am losing an average of one pound per day!! And I am 65 years old. I could not lose before.

    But I wanted to tell you that when my family are pushed and want a Macdonalds - I still join in!! - not every week.

    It is staying watchful each day that pays off - but if you do not stray then you do not stay consistent because you have to have some behaviour thing to correct and this gives you the motivation to go on.
  • dpcdpjm
    dpcdpjm Posts: 20
    I love that! And it's so true! with every lb lost, I feel smaller, lighter, and just so much more confident. And a good diet and exercise does wonders for my attitude. I'm just overall much happier.....food didn't do that for me. :wink:
  • jennybennypenny
    jennybennypenny Posts: 90 Member

    Totally agree with the above. Also, I have certain foods that I eat every single day. Healthy foods, that I love and don't look at as deprivation that I'm eating in place of something else. Find some of these to work into your diet. It also makes for quick food logging, which makes being a consistent logger that much easier.

    Thank you. What foods do you eat that are easy options to replace bad ones? I know that keeping a nutrition journal helps a ton. I lost a lot of weight last year thanks to it. This site is a great resource for that. I had no idea till yesterday.

    I'm not the OP of that reply, but I totally agree with her! There are some foods that are my go-to when I don't want to feel like I'm depriving myself but still keep eating healthy. The foods come and go as I find something I love and then I eat it a bunch, but right now I'm doing a lot of smoothies. I use almond milk and a frozen banana (plus berries, or pumpkin, or whatever) and the texture is like a milkshake. Super filling and sweet and satisfies my dessert-y cravings every time. Another one is spaghetti squash in place of noodles. I know it's not exactly the same, but with sauce and cheese it's close enough to satisfy my spaghetti cravings :)
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