The second half of August was really good for me.
I made a decision to make some changes with my eating and committed to eating from my own kitchen. That was big for me because I am a creature of convenience and when I’m ready to eat I want to do it now and not have to spend time preparing anything! So I was really proud of myself for buckling down on cooking my own meals (which were delicious I must say) and reaping the benefits by losing 10.8 lbs.
And then it happened.
Inconsistency, which seems to be my m.o. I start off really strong. I’m able to make some headway. I experience marvelous results and then I fall off the wagon. One missed step, one bad move, one slip up and I’m back to my default. I suck at being consistent except for when it comes to being inconsistent.
Consistency is a weakness of mine.
And that is something I am working to change. Why do we do what we do or in this case don’t do what we say we want to do? In pondering that question I came up with the following possibilities for our inconsistency…but don’t worry, I also have some solutions to help us to turn things around.
- We try to make all of the changes we need to make in one fell swoop
- We give value to other things in our lives and don’t prioritize our health and well-being
- We disconnect from our whys. Or maybe we haven’t taken the time to determine deep down inside why we want to lose weight (outside of wanting to “look” better)
- We sabotage our efforts and progress by striving for perfection, which we will NEVER obtain
- We allow our feelings to dictate what we do or don’t do
Here are 5 strategies to help you (and I) to be more consistent.
I got these strategies from Marie Forleo, who was talking about being consistent in business, but I thought they were right on point for those of us trying to lose weight!
Consistency Strategy #1 – Stay Connected To Your Why
Now this is something I talk about all the time because I feel very strongly about it. I believe when we change our focus from the act and process of losing weight to connecting emotionally to the reasons WHY we want to lose weight, this will be the fuel we need to consistently motivate us to do what needs to be done to reach our goal. We make time for and put in the work for the things we value. When it comes to your health and well-being, what do you value the most? Why do you want to lose weight? Here is a worksheet to help you to answer these questions.
Consistency Strategy #2 – Pick Your Battle
There are a lot of moving parts to losing weight. You have to make healthy food choices, move your body daily, get plenty of sleep, watch how many calories you take in, and the list goes on and on. The reason we struggle with consistency is because we try to make all of the changes we have to make ALL at once, instead of focusing on one change at a time. That’s where picking your battle comes in. Change one thing at a time. Once you have the new habit firmly under your belt, then and only then should you move on to changing another habit. What is one thing you are going to change and focus on doing consistently?
Consistency Strategy #3 – Schedule It
“Don’t prioritize your schedule, schedule your priorities” ~ Steven Covey
Let that sink in for a moment. We’ve all been exposed to time management and productivity strategies where we are encouraged to create a to-do list and to then assign high, medium or low priority to each task. If we are to conquer consistency we need to flip that around. What’s important to you? What things do you do that you know make you a better you? I suggest that you make a list of those things and then pull out your calendar and planner and get them scheduled everyday! Remember, what get’s attended to gets accomplished! Schedule it and stand guard. Don’t let anyone or anything knock you off your game.
Consistency Strategy #4 – Ignore Your Feelings
Let’s face it, our feelings keep us stuck. Our feelings allow us to stay in our comfort zone. Think about how many times you say, “I don’t feel like it”. What usually follows those thoughts? I’ll tell you what, a whole lot of nothing! Our feeling are real, but they mean us no good. Get in the habit of ignoring that voice in your head that encourages you to fight for your limitations. Feelings and excuses keep you from moving forward. Train yourself to immediately do the opposite of what you “feel like” doing all the way to the finish line of your goal!
Consistency Strategy #5 – Forgive Quickly, Move On Swiftly
You are going to have slip ups. You are going to fall off track. You are not going to be perfect and that’s okay. In fact it’s all a part of the process. You will have good days and you will have bad days. The goal is to not let one day turn into five, or a month, or a year. Acknowledge and accept your slip up but learn how to recover quickly. Just because you made one not so great meal choice at breakfast doesn’t mean that the whole day is a wash. Forgive yourself and get right back on track with your next meal. Let’s face it, one bad meal didn’t get you here. The sooner you can bounce back, the sooner you’ll be back to moving consistently towards your goals.
“Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently”~ Marie Forleo
Your Turn To Share
What are some of your strategies for staying consistent?