Share your secrets of remaining consistent please!

What I do to motivate myself is that I find a shirt I really like but a smaller size than my actual size and hang it up as a reminder as to why I want to lose weight. This site also motivates me also because I am gaining new friends who are great help to me and I do not want to feel disappointed logging junk food all the time.

bump. I need consistency help as well...

Whatever u are eating track it everyday for 30 days and look back on your log to see exactly what you ate for the whole month look at the calorie amounts sodium etc and this will be a well to keep you motivated to change how you are eating right now.

There's no secret. You just make yourself go. And you don't eat all the pies.

Consistency is a skill. Most people have mastered it by the time they are adults, but not everyone. I have ADHD and consistency has always been a HUGE issue for me, in every aspect of my life. I have been told I don't want it badly enough, I am not trying as hard as I should (when I am trying so hard I am physically ill with the stress), and that I am lazy. "Just do it" works for a lot of people, but if it doesn't work for you, you need to seek out other paths.

I agree 100% with all the posters that have mentioned baby steps. It is hard not to want to do everything at once, especially when you know you could do it (for a while, at least). I used to be an athlete and I took 18 months off for an injury and got out of shape. When I was cleared for walking on the treadmill (finally), I resolved to jog an hour a day. It worked. For maybe 3 days. My ADHD coach suggested that I make consistency itself the goal, not a means of achieving a goal.

So I resolved to walk for 10 minutes on the treadmill every day, no matter what. I knew I could do way more on most days, but that if I were sick, or running late, I could squeeze in 10 minutes anyway. It was actually really humbling to pick such an activity when I used to train 3-4 hours a day, but the goal was not about the exercise, but about building up the skill of consistency. When the goal is weight loss or something like that you can rationalize skipping it too easily by pledging to make up for it later. When the commitment is to do it every day, you don't have that cop-out.

I also found that writing it somewhere I can't miss it helps me to remember that I have committed to it. This might not work for you, but I actually have a list with my morning routine in it (including exercise) framed and hanging in the living room. People think it's weird but honestly I would not notice it on the fridge or look in a binder for it; I just wouldn't.

Lastly, I keep a log so I can look back and reflect on how much I have accomplished cumulatively, even if I don't feel like I am making tons of progress day to day.

By the way, 6 months later I now do cardio and bodyweight exercise 6 mornings a week, rehab and heavy lifting twice a week, boxing twice, and spar for 90 minutes each week. It starts small, but if you stick with it it will build in no time.

Consistancy is something to build up too. In order to "build" it ....you have to let go of the "I screwed up this time.....so when I'm ready....I'll start over." You're not starting over.

Baby steps....do 1 thing consistantly ....then add something else. When you try to do everything at once (and you screw up) .... it's too easy to throw in the towel.

Years ago I realized that I was not eating very many vegetables....a day or 2 would go by and I hadn't had a real serving of veggies (and I like veggies) ....My New Year's resolution was to eat a serving of vegetables every single day. Another resolution ....move more. You can use a pedometer, or a video it doesn't matter. I had a small exercise goal for the week....I logged minutes into a spreadsheet. After I became consistant with the small goal...I added more minutes. Make yourself accountable....if you need to put a smiley face sticker on a calendar (in a public place) for every workout....then do that.

After awhile you will fall into a rhythm.....as long as you have more good days than bad .....you are making progress. You might break your weight loss goals into smaller pieces ....my first goal is xxx and so on.

I fully agree! This is how I have been able to do it. Make small goals for yourself and over time you will notice there are changes. Now when I am confronted with food that use to give me issues I don't even want it. I have trained my mind and body to be okay without it. It's about doing the small things You can do it!

It's a mindset, friend. It all starts in the noggin. You have to have a reason why you want what you want. And that reason has to be strong enough to push you past the comfort zone, the fear and the pain of sacrifice. When you make up your mind that this is what you TRULY want to do, no person or no thing will sway you. Figure out your WHY...the journey will be difficult, but worth every step. I'm in there with you.

I prep all my meals on Sunday after church for the week. I package them in storage containers, place in the fridge for later consumption. And I usually eat the same foods over and over each wee eating 5-6x a day. I also allow myself a planned cheat meal on Saturday.

Prelogging! Both food and exercise! It guilts me into being consistent.

Remaining consistent.. you just do it. I have no secret. I set my alarm for 7am on my days off and just workout for 30-90 minutes. If it's a walk it's generally 90 minutes if it's raining I get 30 minutes in.

Yes it sucks getting up early (for me 7am is early) and sweating and shuffling through a mini jog or a brisk walk.. but when you're done and take that shower there's something so satisfying about it.

You did it, you shuffled, sweated, grunted through another workout and can move on with your day.

I find it so much easier to get the workout in early in the morning on my days off, forcing myself to get out of bed and go to bed early so I can get up and start all over.

Yes, there are days where I want nothing more than to sleep, but I earn my mid morning nap after the shower after the workout. without the workout there is no nap.

So I give myself the nap for the workout. That's part of my motivation.

I do pre-prep my food and snacks so it's ready for my work week.

I haven't had a cheat day as I know if I skip working out one day or snack hard core one day the progress I've made will unravel.

Plan, plan, plan.

Plan your meals, at least a day or two in advanced. I like to plan my breakfast, lunch and dinner, then I can be creative with snacks (apple, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc.). It's easy when you eat the same thing every morning for breakfast like I do, that takes the brain work out of that meal. If I don't have leftovers for lunch I always have a couple freezer meals in the freezer.

AND... plan your exercise! I am fortunate enough to have access to a gym at work, so my fiancé knows I stay over to exercise everyday except for Friday's, when I exercise at lunch. If I have something to do in the evening, I will exercise at lunch, but it's all about planning to work out and actually doing it!

If you need support, feel free to add me, I'm always looking for supportive friends.

The thing is, you either want it or you don't.

There's no secret to motivation or consistency, it is purely an internal thing. You either have to be ready to make the changes to change or accept your life the way it is and keep doing what you are doing.

I realized that I needed to make serious changes last year when I went to buy new jeans and had to size up....twice. Instead of buying the big jeans, I walked out of the store and immediately started analyzing my eating/activity choices.

Part of your failure may be in that you are trying to take on too many changes at once. There's nothing shameful in slow progress because it is still PROGRESS. Make a plan, write it down, and stick to it. Put it up on your fridge if you have to. Set small short-term goals and try to meet all of them. I understand how easy it is to get caught up in the number on the scale, but that isn't what this is all about.

Exactly.
If you're losing motivation after 1-2 days (like I used to), it just means that you're not ready.
You need to decide on your realistic target and plan. And remember that it won't be easy. And ask yourself if you really want to do it. Take a break from dieting if you need to. Just relax, don't think about it (no overeating, of course).
Start the diet when you're ready. Don't obsess about the target which is so distant - focus on today, tomorrow. And on your progress. And just keep in mind that time flies really fast. Sooner or later you'll see the finish line. Be happy about your small winnings - you'll want more of them.

If you 'fail' one day, don't give up. Don't run to your fridge just to punish yourself even more for not sticking to your perfect plan. That's the crucial moment. You need to understand that one 'fail' doesn't mean the diet is over. It just mean that you'll reach your target a couple of hours later. If you're tempted to go over your limit, remember that people die of starvation and you just have to wait a couple of hours for the next meal. That's nothing. You can do it. Eat an apple if you need to eat something.
Keep repeating yourself that you're a winner. It sound silly, but you need that mindset.

And finally, what worked for me was the realisation that there are so many dumb chicks around with a perfect figure. I mean, if they can have it, then surely I can, too?

Oh, and when I'm sick of salad and veggies, I'll just have ice cream for dinner ;D

After a while, it becomes a lifestyle. But you have to stay motivated to keep on habits, like working out. Don't let a bad day mess up all your days. Just move on and get back on the wagon.

Plan ahead and track if you're busy.

And for the love of God, stop making excuses!

The thing is, you either want it or you don't.

There's no secret to motivation or consistency, it is purely an internal thing. You either have to be ready to make the changes to change or accept your life the way it is and keep doing what you are doing.

I realized that I needed to make serious changes last year when I went to buy new jeans and had to size up....twice. Instead of buying the big jeans, I walked out of the store and immediately started analyzing my eating/activity choices.

Part of your failure may be in that you are trying to take on too many changes at once. There's nothing shameful in slow progress because it is still PROGRESS. Make a plan, write it down, and stick to it. Put it up on your fridge if you have to. Set small short-term goals and try to meet all of them. I understand how easy it is to get caught up in the number on the scale, but that isn't what this is all about.

Absolutely THIS. Consistency happens when one COMMITS to a program come hell or high water.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition