Why is consistency so hard for most people?
Replies
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This is so interesting! I have come to understand that the frontal lobe, which is the newest and most higly developed part of the brain, the seat of willpower and decicion making, needs lots of quality fuel to operate optimally. Humans developed into omnivores, and by eating a varied diet we can make use of our full potential. Our food environment today is very different from our ancestors', what tastes good is very often not healthy, and it takes a concious effort to choose what to eat and not to eat.I'm a big believer in people doing what we want. But I've promised myself that since we all have this energy hog of a frontal lobe taking up space in our skulls, I'm going to use mine to think carefully about what I really want instead of just throwing up my hands for no conscious reason and diving into the oreos, crescent rolls, non-dairy butter, dark chocolate, and all those other foods that don't have a face but definitely would make me fat again. Sometimes we do what we want, but if we'd really thought about it, we really wanted something else more.0 -
This is so interesting! I have come to understand that the frontal lobe, which is the newest and most higly developed part of the brain, the seat of willpower and decicion making, needs lots of quality fuel to operate optimally. Humans developed into omnivores, and by eating a varied diet we can make use of our full potential. Our food environment today is very different from our ancestors', what tastes good is very often not healthy, and it takes a concious effort to choose what to eat and not to eat.I'm a big believer in people doing what we want. But I've promised myself that since we all have this energy hog of a frontal lobe taking up space in our skulls, I'm going to use mine to think carefully about what I really want instead of just throwing up my hands for no conscious reason and diving into the oreos, crescent rolls, non-dairy butter, dark chocolate, and all those other foods that don't have a face but definitely would make me fat again. Sometimes we do what we want, but if we'd really thought about it, we really wanted something else more.
I'm not worried about my diet so far, I'm more focused and have more energy to think with than I ever did on the American omnivore from a package diet. Even with this head cold I've come down with, I'm not nearly as foggy headed. Probably because my former diet was so loaded with sugar that any benefits from the variety were offset. When I was on low carb I experienced a similar brain boost, though not quite as much as I'm currently getting. I do take a multivitamin, though. I'm not going to risk either a B12 or a Vitamin D deficiency.
Edit: You're right, though, from what I've read, meat did play a huge role in our evolution, if only because we went into places we never could have otherwise and developed mental and physical traits necessary for hunting. If it ever comes down to me, a spear, and a deer standing between me and starvation, I'm sorry, deer. Actually, I'll probably stab myself in the foot and the deer will bound away laughing, but I'd like to think it would end differently.0 -
I'm very consistent. I don't log into MFP everyday though and I haven't logged my food into my diary in over a year save for a spot check here and there. I have consistently maintained my weight and it's been pretty easy because I took the time to learn how to eat again while I was losing. Losing weight was just the training ground and logging was my training wheels. Logging helped me to develop healthful habits that I've taken into maintenance.
IMO, it's all about adopting healthful dietary habits and living a lifestyle that is fitness centric. Most people fail to even conceptualize what that means let alone actually go through with adopting a completely different lifestyle than they had before. For one thing, people lack patience...they try to do a 180 overnight and fail almost immediately...adopting a whole new lifestyle takes time...it's baby steps and a lot of patience and practice and falling down and getting up, etc. Basically, people just want to magically be different today than they were yesterday and it just doesn't work that way.0 -
I have several theories on the topic. Now, where do I start?
Well, I joined Sep 2013, and have logged every day, except for one when the internet was down. Also, I've joined a group, the ultimate accountability challenge group, which has helped me a great deal. Besides, this I have a few selected friends, who are very supportive. We have something in common, in that we logg every day and exercise regularly. We are on this journey together, and I am very grateful for MFP, for making this possible.
I had a diabetic test, and analysis last week. I'm no longer in the danger zone, and I'm very exited about this. Thanks to MFP, and my supportive friends on here.
I can't really answer the question in regards to other people, as everybody is different. But, I think if we can programme our thinking a bit, we will get results. Overcome habits, and don't be afraid to do your own thing, to achieve results. I've always been a firm believer in myself, but not everybody is confident. In some cases, it might be an idea, to learn to love yourself, in order to achieve results. Self help groups, or personal development classes, I think they're called.
My other theory, is that we need to realize that our bodies, where not designed for modern day living. We know our ancestors, where very active from morning to night, cooking, cleaning, hunting, farming, and in some cases travelling. So, we have to incorporate exercise to mimic, our ancestors activity levels, by rambling, lifting, swimming, cycling etc. Some of us are fortunate enough to have physically demanding jobs, but for the rest of us, it's not so easy.
To think, like a 'slim' person is the key.
I wish you all good luck, on your journey, with MFP. Remember, it's not a diet. It's a life change.0 -
My lack of consistency can be traced to a few things.
1. Impatience with the process and then giving up because "it's not making a difference anyway"
2. Resistance to any discomfort. Most times I should push through a little harder, but instead I say, "Too hard, forget this. "
(this is not about experiencing pain; that's a different thing)
3. Looking at the amount of time it will take to hit my goals and giving up.
4. Making a bad plan which immediately sets me up for failure, so I just think, "There, that proves I can't lose weight." Bad plans include extreme diets, completely omitting macros because they are "bad," starving myself, using cleanses which only hurt my efforts and pathologizes food.
5. Not having a health buddy, whether it's online or in my real life. Always going it alone hasn't really worked out for me. With support, I have both accountability and a sensible voice urging me not to quit.
6. Let's face it, I'm lazy when it comes to exercise. "I really need to watch all 3 seasons of the Mighty Boosh, I'll go another time."
I applaud you for your first-person answer. That's some serious self-awareness there. I suffer from 1-4 and 6. The only way I beat it was when I got to a new low (high I guess) and decided to work on changing my habits. Three years later, I still struggle. Because my natural state is to be lazy.
Totally agree.0 -
In the past, I tried Nutrisystem. It was something I could do while my husband traveled during the week. I didn't really like the foods and, when my husband was home, he wanted nothing to do with it, so I would eat whatever. I lost a little weight while sticking with it and then put it all back on (and then some) once I stopped.
I started on here a little over a month ago and finally feel "ready" to lose weight. I'm enjoying not "eating out of a box" but rather, having what I want. Last night, I craved chinese food, so I had some. I make sure not to cut anything out of my diet, but rather, have it in moderation. And I work out a little extra if I know a bad day is coming (or went by).
For me, it was all about really accepting that this is a lifestyle change, not a "diet." This is something I'm going to have to be able to continue for the rest of my life. That's why I keep some chocolate in the house and have a piece or two every night. I find I make healthier choices consistently, but if I want/crave something bad - I'm gonna have it. I do my best to make it work with my calorie intake for the day.
So far, I've been consistently losing weight. I haven't measured myself, that's next in line. I know I have a LONG way to go, but I try to take it one day at a time and keep mini-goals for myself. I'm super proud of myself that I went from walking .5 miles 2 months ago to walking 3+ miles just about every other day.
My worry is that I've gotten a routine down for myself, but starting next week, things change. I'm back on the road for work and will be traveling the entire month of July. I'll be bringing my workout clothes and plan on hitting the gyms in the hotel. I am already planning places I can eat out, but it's a little nerve wracking. Anyway, I'll find what works best for me.
One of the big things that helps me stay consistent is my husband. He's also doing this with me. He cheers me on when I need cheering, but he also reaffirms that it's ok if I need to eat something. He helps me keep my perspective and is the rock I need.0 -
Maybe I can look back on this post when I am feeling this way and turn it around. Thanks for this post OP.
You're welcome! I really think consistency is key, and underrated. I hope I can offer more help to people who ask for it in the future by giving good advice on staying consistent. These ideas are golden.0 -
bb0
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My lack of consistency can be traced to a few things.
1. Impatience with the process and then giving up because "it's not making a difference anyway"
2. Resistance to any discomfort. Most times I should push through a little harder, but instead I say, "Too hard, forget this. "
(this is not about experiencing pain; that's a different thing)
3. Looking at the amount of time it will take to hit my goals and giving up.
4. Making a bad plan which immediately sets me up for failure, so I just think, "There, that proves I can't lose weight." Bad plans include extreme diets, completely omitting macros because they are "bad," starving myself, using cleanses which only hurt my efforts and pathologizes food.
5. Not having a health buddy, whether it's online or in my real life. Always going it alone hasn't really worked out for me. With support, I have both accountability and a sensible voice urging me not to quit.
6. Let's face it, I'm lazy when it comes to exercise. "I really need to watch all 3 seasons of the Mighty Boosh, I'll go another time."0 -
Well said.
Along with my, "Yes, what he said," I also track my own lack of consistency to ignorance. The amount I have to lose is overwhelming at times. Seeing an expert in the field who can look at my actions and help me plot my next move has been life changing for me. I am 47 years old and am seeing success with weight loss for the first time because of the knowledge he has given me. If doing it alone isn't working, find someone.
Best of luck to all of you.0 -
Whatever works for you
Personally, for me, I find mfp consistency over-rated - it's the flexibility here and the realisation that one pig-out day/weekend isn't going to undo everything that has gone before that keeps me coming back and losing.
In the past I've started diets then felt so bad, even guilty, when I deviated from them that I've thrown in the towel and gone into the gain back everythng and more cycle.
Here I've had streaks of 100+ days and I've had odd days and weeks without logging - some of those log free times I lost pounds and some I gained. Some days I eat (and drink!) way over target but I'll usually balance over a week. And if I'm away from home I can't log in - my phone just isn't that smart, lol.
Could I see faster results with greater consistneccy? Almost certainly. But I'm healthier, smaller and not done yet - I'll just carry on in my own inconsistent way0 -
I sitting at just a little over 1000 days logged in. I find consistency easy. From my experience, I think people that don't, are the ones that go 110% from day 1 and don't ease into things. One of my coworkers are a good example of this. From time to time, she picks up the latest diet-craze book, reads it from cover to cover, then she cuts out all the "bad" foods, gets super restrictive with her diet. She sticks with it for a little while then gives up. She also puts in all her progress on the scale. If she doesn't lose anything in 1 week or gains, she gets discouraged and gives up.
I don't cut out anything from my diet, aside from soda pop, I eat both good and bad. I don't focus on just the scale to track my progress. I also track my fitness levels, inches lost, strength gained, etc etc.
Fantastic progress! Congratulations!0 -
I work shiftwork, which means my schedule is consistently inconsistent. My life does a complete 12 hour switch every month. Not an excuse, but on night shift, it's difficult to log things at the right times. Sometimes things don't get logged at all, but I've been nit-picky to the extreme when it comes to weighing and planning. My food just doesn't fit into times that mesh between MFP and fitbit....and I haven't quite figured out how to make it work "on paper." Losing weight-wise, it IS working. I guess I could pre-log, but I usually have no idea what time I'll actually be eating on nights..before or after midnight. Plus sometimes my workout is at 3pm, sometimes at 2 am, sometimes at 7am or anytime in between.
I'm watching results and trying to come up with a better solution as I lose more and little differences can matter more.0 -
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My lack of consistency can be traced to a few things.
1. Impatience with the process and then giving up because "it's not making a difference anyway"
2. Resistance to any discomfort. Most times I should push through a little harder, but instead I say, "Too hard, forget this. "
(this is not about experiencing pain; that's a different thing)
3. Looking at the amount of time it will take to hit my goals and giving up.
4. Making a bad plan which immediately sets me up for failure, so I just think, "There, that proves I can't lose weight." Bad plans include extreme diets, completely omitting macros because they are "bad," starving myself, using cleanses which only hurt my efforts and pathologizes food.
5. Not having a health buddy, whether it's online or in my real life. Always going it alone hasn't really worked out for me. With support, I have both accountability and a sensible voice urging me not to quit.
6. Let's face it, I'm lazy when it comes to exercise. "I really need to watch all 3 seasons of the Mighty Boosh, I'll go another time."
All of these plus using my multiple health issues as an excuse to not exercise when in reality for all but 1 of them exercise (unless I really over-do it) actually helps lessen them.0 -
Not just with diet and fitness, but in life in general, I see people having problems with consistency. There is not enough follow through. People are busy, priorities get juggled, and often we have to decide what to spend time on among seemingly equally important parts of our lives. So many factors are involved.0
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Whatever works for you
Personally, for me, I find mfp consistency over-rated - it's the flexibility here and the realisation that one pig-out day/weekend isn't going to undo everything that has gone before that keeps me coming back and losing.
In the past I've started diets then felt so bad, even guilty, when I deviated from them that I've thrown in the towel and gone into the gain back everythng and more cycle.
Here I've had streaks of 100+ days and I've had odd days and weeks without logging - some of those log free times I lost pounds and some I gained. Some days I eat (and drink!) way over target but I'll usually balance over a week. And if I'm away from home I can't log in - my phone just isn't that smart, lol.
Could I see faster results with greater consistneccy? Almost certainly. But I'm healthier, smaller and not done yet - I'll just carry on in my own inconsistent way
Pretty much this ^^ for me, too, although I have been "consistent" on logging. I'm over 300+ days, and haven't missed a day logging since I started on MFP --- but I have plenty of days over "goal," and maybe 5% of my days are over maintenance, but I think I've only had one week (vacation), or maybe two (a business trip to Las Vegas -- I would have to go back and check), where I was over maintenance for the week. They didn't bother me when they happened, and they don't bother me now.
Depending on exactly what you mean by "consistency," I think that consistency is not quite as important as accepting that you won't be 100% consistent in adherence to nutrition and exercise goals or in logging, and not seeing that as a reason to abandon adherence completely. I log every day, but when I eat homemade foods prepared by other people or eat at restaurants that don't post their nutrition information anywhere, I just do my best to log it and move on. Heck, once in a while I even stick a spoon in a peanut butter jar, look at it, say, "yeah, that's around 30 grams," and log it without weighing (once you've weighed a couple hundred spoonfuls of peanut butter, you've probably got a pretty good idea of what 30 grams of peanut butter looks like). But that's the exception. The other 95% of the time I still weigh it. That's the consistency. And just because I log every day doesn't mean everybody has to, although if someone was having trouble losing and asked me for advice, I'd probably suggest getting a food scale, weighing all solids, and logging everything.
I think "consistency" and sticking with it 95% of the time and not using the 5% of the time as a reason to abandon the process is easier for me this time than it has been in the past for two reasons: (1) I have health-related motivations this time that I take seriously and that are very important to me, rather than just a vague, "I'm so fat, I wish I could lose some weight" motivation; and (2) the straight-forward calorie counting approach that MFP enables works for me and my geeky, data-driven approach, as well as offering the flexibility to deal with any eating situation that comes up, even when I go over my deficit goal or even maintenance level ("OK, I'm 300 calories over maintenance today, but look, I'm still 2500 calories below maintenance for the week, so it's all good.") -- Also, having all that data is very reassuring to me in the face of the nonlinear nature of weight loss. Even when the scale tells me I've gained weight since the previous week, I know from months of data and experience that I was below maintenance, and eventually the ups and down of sodium levels, bowel movements, glycogen repletion and depletion, hormonal cycles, etc. will even out and I'll see the downward trend of consistent weekly caloric deficits reflected on the scale.0 -
I sitting at just a little over 1000 days logged in. I find consistency easy. From my experience, I think people that don't, are the ones that go 110% from day 1 and don't ease into things. One of my coworkers are a good example of this. From time to time, she picks up the latest diet-craze book, reads it from cover to cover, then she cuts out all the "bad" foods, gets super restrictive with her diet. She sticks with it for a little while then gives up. She also puts in all her progress on the scale. If she doesn't lose anything in 1 week or gains, she gets discouraged and gives up.
I don't cut out anything from my diet, aside from soda pop, I eat both good and bad. I don't focus on just the scale to track my progress. I also track my fitness levels, inches lost, strength gained, etc etc.
This is kind of me. I really have to keep it simple and do baby steps. I started MFP to watch my eating when I eventually quit smoking. I was consistant with logging and walking my dog. I had no intentions of working out or lifting, just walking, as I did not have weight to lose.
After a few weeks, I started a 30 day squat challenge. After that 30 days I did the 30 day Squat challenge AND the 30 day Lunge challenge, consistantly.
I felt great! So I looked into Body Weight exercising. I read every post/book/website about bodyweight training. It just got overwhelming for me, and I wasn't doing it exactly to the elaborate plan I had set for myself. :ohwell: I got discouraged.
I need to just go back to the simple squats and lunges, and ease into things from there.
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Because it's easier not to be consistent. Because being consistent takes more work. It isn't limited to dieting/eating by a long shot.
It's easier to blame "triggers" than to accept personal responsibility for what you eat.
It's easier to blame high interest than to accept you bought stuff you couldn't afford.
It's easier to blame your kid's high spiritedness than to accept that you were too lazy to instill discipline so now he thinks a restaurant is a playground.
It's easier to blame the teacher/professor than accept that you shouldn't have put off the research paper until the weekend before it was due.
If it were easy to make smart decisions and execute them sensibly, it would be more common.0 -
Consistency is hard, as is commitment. I have a 1000 lame *kitten* excuses. My husband, who is my biggest supporter, tries to validate my excuses with legitimate reasons as to why I haven't accomplished this weight loss in over 30 years. but you know what? I know the truth. I know what I put in my mouth. I know that I always start my new diet plan exited and eager, and once I don't see skinny in a month I give up. Over and over and over again.
I signed on to MFP last Sunday after binging on Saturday and not sleeping most of the night because of being so full I thought I was going to die. Yeah, that is a bit of an over-exaggeration but ya'll know what I mean.
I've done the work....this week. Next week is still a mystery. I so want to say this time is it. But as my dear husband is fond of saying, "actions are what matter....not words."
See ya tomorrow! :glasses:0 -
I am exactly the SAME!!!My lack of consistency can be traced to a few things.
1. Impatience with the process and then giving up because "it's not making a difference anyway"
2. Resistance to any discomfort. Most times I should push through a little harder, but instead I say, "Too hard, forget this. "
(this is not about experiencing pain; that's a different thing)
3. Looking at the amount of time it will take to hit my goals and giving up.
4. Making a bad plan which immediately sets me up for failure, so I just think, "There, that proves I can't lose weight." Bad plans include extreme diets, completely omitting macros because they are "bad," starving myself, using cleanses which only hurt my efforts and pathologizes food.
5. Not having a health buddy, whether it's online or in my real life. Always going it alone hasn't really worked out for me. With support, I have both accountability and a sensible voice urging me not to quit.
6. Let's face it, I'm lazy when it comes to exercise. "I really need to watch all 3 seasons of the Mighty Boosh, I'll go another time."0 -
Because, inherently, placing any restrictions on consumption runs counter to the human make up. We, as a species, just don't take well to purposeful, consistent efforts to control food intake and lose weight. And we also naturally resist being told "no" if there is no immediate gratification for doing so. In the past this wasn't nearly as big of an issue because we not only worked harder in labor jobs, we also relied more on foods that were naturally higher in volume, but lower in calories; more natural staples. Food has become easier than ever to obtain, and much of it is man-made and altered to be high in calorie, but low in volume. It's the perfect storm for obesity.
This is why people who eat everything in moderation, make "lifestyle changes" that seem permanent, who genuinely enjoy their new found way of eating, moving, and living still almost always fall back into old habits. The food is ever plentiful, the desire to be "normal" and eat everything without restriction takes over, and BAM, right back where you started.
Asking a human being to not only restrict their eating for the time it takes to shed excess weight, but for all time, is a daunting task. Which is why you'll never know if you made a true "lifestyle change" until you've actually walked it out. Somebody just a few months, a year, hell even 5 years into a weight loss or maintenance journey can not exclaim that they've made a "lifestyle change". It's all wishful thinking until you've actually walked it out.0 -
This! Adding to that that the food we eat now has overall poorer nutrient quality and man made foods are engineered to be way more tempting than anything found in nature, it's hard to fathom why there still are people out there with a healthy weight for their height.Because, inherently, placing any restrictions on consumption runs counter to the human make up. We, as a species, just don't take well to purposeful, consistent efforts to control food intake and lose weight. And we also naturally resist being told "no" if there is no immediate gratification for doing so. In the past this wasn't nearly as big of an issue because we not only worked harder in labor jobs, we also relied more on foods that were naturally higher in volume, but lower in calories; more natural staples. Food has become easier than ever to obtain, and much of it is man-made and altered to be high in calorie, but low in volume. It's the perfect storm for obesity.
This is why people who eat everything in moderation, make "lifestyle changes" that seem permanent, who genuinely enjoy their new found way of eating, moving, and living still almost always fall back into old habits. The food is ever plentiful, the desire to be "normal" and eat everything without restriction takes over, and BAM, right back where you started.
Asking a human being to not only restrict their eating for the time it takes to shed excess weight, but for all time, is a daunting task. Which is why you'll never know if you made a true "lifestyle change" until you've actually walked it out. Somebody just a few months, a year, hell even 5 years into a weight loss or maintenance journey can not exclaim that they've made a "lifestyle change". It's all wishful thinking until you've actually walked it out.
Official attempts to amend this are so wrong. Bland, fat-free, high-fibre foods have noe chance against McD et al. I am trying to find a solution for myself, using only the best quality foods that my money can buy (healthy foods aren't more expensive in Norway where I live, but the discussion about what is healthy, is tiresome). When I am home, I cook my own food. I eat whatever I like, including the odd piece of chocolate, whenever I like, but practice portion control and normally only eat at meals.0 -
This! Adding to that that the food we eat now has overall poorer nutrient quality and man made foods are engineered to be way more tempting than anything found in nature, it's hard to fathom why there still are people out there with a healthy weight for their height.Because, inherently, placing any restrictions on consumption runs counter to the human make up. We, as a species, just don't take well to purposeful, consistent efforts to control food intake and lose weight. And we also naturally resist being told "no" if there is no immediate gratification for doing so. In the past this wasn't nearly as big of an issue because we not only worked harder in labor jobs, we also relied more on foods that were naturally higher in volume, but lower in calories; more natural staples. Food has become easier than ever to obtain, and much of it is man-made and altered to be high in calorie, but low in volume. It's the perfect storm for obesity.
This is why people who eat everything in moderation, make "lifestyle changes" that seem permanent, who genuinely enjoy their new found way of eating, moving, and living still almost always fall back into old habits. The food is ever plentiful, the desire to be "normal" and eat everything without restriction takes over, and BAM, right back where you started.
Asking a human being to not only restrict their eating for the time it takes to shed excess weight, but for all time, is a daunting task. Which is why you'll never know if you made a true "lifestyle change" until you've actually walked it out. Somebody just a few months, a year, hell even 5 years into a weight loss or maintenance journey can not exclaim that they've made a "lifestyle change". It's all wishful thinking until you've actually walked it out.
Official attempts to amend this are so wrong. Bland, fat-free, high-fibre foods have noe chance against McD et al. I am trying to find a solution for myself, using only the best quality foods that my money can buy (healthy foods aren't more expensive in Norway where I live, but the discussion about what is healthy, is tiresome). When I am home, I cook my own food. I eat whatever I like, including the odd piece of chocolate, whenever I like, but practice portion control and normally only eat at meals.
Food is part of culture i.e. French; cheese, bread, and wine. Italian; pasta, olives, and wine. Spanish; tapas, paella, and sangria. Germany; sausages, snitzel, and beer. And so forth. Foods that's been consumed for generations, are not necessarily unhealthy because they're high in fat. An active lifestyle, promotes good health, whether you choose to eat a muller yogurt, or a pork pie for breakfast.
I don't need a scientist, to tell me this.0 -
I've been better at being consistent lately, and have maintained/continued to lose for a couple years now, which is definitely the longest I've been able to manage in the 15 years I've been trying to manage my weight (basically, since I started college). For me, I think the keys have been:
1. Regular exercise that I enjoy. For me, this is running. I run because I love how I feel when I'm doing it (most of the time!) and it's gratifying to set plans and goals in the form of training plans and race times and reach them. I know that exercise isn't technically necessary for weight loss/maintenance, but I have a big appetite and don't mentally react well to feeling restricted, do the extra few hundred calories/day I get from running makes the difference between maintaining and gaining for me.
2. Avoiding the "F*** It" mentality. I've already gone over, f*** it. This is hard and not worth it, f*** it. etc. A saying that I heard somewhere and love is, "Every time you say, "F*** it, I don't care," there's a 100% chance that you'll care later." So true for me.
3. Another quote that resonates with me: "If you only work when you feel like it, you'll accomplish very little." Motivating and willpower are fleeting. I've realized I just have to make a decision and do it. It doesn't matter if I feel like it or not. Feeling like it shouldn't even be part of the equation. Running is the first place I learned this lesson. Still not great at it, though.
4. Focusing on process, not outcome. I used to get so impatient and frustrated, wanting to get to my goal, that I would just give up (helps that when I'm frustrated I want to eat!). I've been trying to focus more on just doing what I know I need to do, day in and day out, and worrying less about what the scale says on any particular day. Related to this is actually implementing the behavior. I'm a big planner, but not a big follow-througher, so I have to remember that it's taking action, not making elaborate plans to take action, that actually makes a difference. For me, this means weighing and logging every day, and reviewing patterns over time to see what I'm actually doing.
Wow, that was a lot longer than I expected it to be! Helpful to think it all out thoroughly though.0 -
The only thing that keeps me from being consistent is my social life. I want to go out with my friends, dates, BBQs, family dinners, etc. and enjoy without being THAT person that asks for special orders or forces friends and family to make different things. It's just not the way I operate.
But, that said, I split everything to keep my portion sizes right and I work out pretty hard four days a week. I pack my breakfast and lunch for work every day and when I do eat at home by myself, it's always on point.
It balances out for me and I've maintained this weight for the better part of a year now.
So, perhaps I'm consistently inconsistent but figured out the balance?0 -
I think part of the problem is that people equate consistency with perfection.
They think any time they're not living up to their idea of perfection, whether it's eating cake at a wedding, skipping exercise for a few days, or seeing a slight gain on the scale, they've screwed up, so they quit.
They don't realize that consistency includes imperfections. There's going to be days that things come up and you don't exercise when you'd planned on it, when you eat foods that weren't the most nutritious, when you get invited to a friends' house to try out their new Margaritaville Mixed Drink Maker, and in the name of SCIENCE, you need to try all possible combinations.0 -
I think part of the problem is that people equate consistency with perfection.
They think any time they're not living up to their idea of perfection, whether it's eating cake at a wedding, skipping exercise for a few days, or seeing a slight gain on the scale, they've screwed up, so they quit.
They don't realize that consistency includes imperfections. There's going to be days that things come up and you don't exercise when you'd planned on it, when you eat foods that weren't the most nutritious, when you get invited to a friends' house to try out their new Margaritaville Mixed Drink Maker, and in the name of SCIENCE, you need to try all possible combinations.
Yes to this.
I've only ever had 2 attempts to lose weight. This one (I've logged every day since Jan 22 2014 apart from one business trip when I forgot the ticker resets), and then 10 years ago, when I got pregnant immediately after reaching my goal, and the only way I got stop feeling nausea all day was grazing, so I actually haven't had an issue with consistency once I've made my mind up and got on with it.
I don't know why other people are inconsistent. I know why I'm consistent now: I've not made any changes I can't live with for the rest of my life from weighing daily, planning my meals every day, the total calories I eat and my choice in exercise. If I only could eat 1350 calories per day for the rest of my life, you know, I'm just fine with that. And the only exercise I've done is walking every day - I can easily do that for ever, and is it so hard to hop on the scale first thing and write down my weight? Likewise, I find it really helpful to plan my meals to fit my macros in the morning, so I can just get on with the rest of my life without sparing more than about 10 mins thinking about food the rest of the day.
I rely on no one else. I don't have a support network (although I do have friends on MFP, which is kinda cool). I'm completely self-directed. I don't need anyone else to do anything or not do anything for me to keep at this. I have no interest in what others think either (be it positive or negative).
Finally, the losing weight bit is the tedious bit I have to get through before this really starts. This stage is all about learning what I need to do to live the rest of my life at a healthy weight and, maybe, level of fitness. It's not the target, the end or even the beginning. It's the pre-learning bit.0 -
My lack of consistency can be traced to a few things.
1. Impatience with the process and then giving up because "it's not making a difference anyway"
2. Resistance to any discomfort. Most times I should push through a little harder, but instead I say, "Too hard, forget this. "
(this is not about experiencing pain; that's a different thing)
3. Looking at the amount of time it will take to hit my goals and giving up.
4. Making a bad plan which immediately sets me up for failure, so I just think, "There, that proves I can't lose weight." Bad plans include extreme diets, completely omitting macros because they are "bad," starving myself, using cleanses which only hurt my efforts and pathologizes food.
5. Not having a health buddy, whether it's online or in my real life. Always going it alone hasn't really worked out for me. With support, I have both accountability and a sensible voice urging me not to quit.
6. Let's face it, I'm lazy when it comes to exercise. "I really need to watch all 3 seasons of the Mighty Boosh, I'll go another time."
I would agree with all of these and add a couple of my own:
1. Trying to lose weight to please others instead of yourself (or doing it out of spite (this was me))
2. Some folks REALLY suck at cooking and think they can't lose weight unless they cook (not me :-))
3. Creating long term weight loss goals and not enjoying the small victories (this was me)
4. Not having a visual motivator (I have a pair of jeans I used to be able to wear pinned on my wall its the first thing I see in the morning)
5. Not having/knowing a sport they truly enjoy (this was me). For instance last year I discovered I love playing tennis...so when I play I don't "feel" like I am working out. I also swim now which is another sport I like that was also not hard on my joints.
6. Not dealing with depression or the reasons for the depression (this was/can be me)0 -
I think part of the problem is that people equate consistency with perfection.
They think any time they're not living up to their idea of perfection, whether it's eating cake at a wedding, skipping exercise for a few days, or seeing a slight gain on the scale, they've screwed up, so they quit.
They don't realize that consistency includes imperfections. There's going to be days that things come up and you don't exercise when you'd planned on it, when you eat foods that weren't the most nutritious, when you get invited to a friends' house to try out their new Margaritaville Mixed Drink Maker, and in the name of SCIENCE, you need to try all possible combinations.
Yup that was one for me too0
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