Why is it so hard to be consistent?!

Consistency is what sets you apart from the rest. It is what takes you to the next level or next chapter in your fitness journey. For me, it is the one thing that I struggle with the most. I can prep for a show and stay consistent and discipline for 12 weeks and then it all collapses after that. I’m growing and learning each time. 

What does is take to stay consistent the whole year? 

First, you definitely have to stay motivated. Find what drives you and remember why you started doing this in the first place. Your motivation might be your spouse, your kids, or even proving to yourself that you can achieve what you have always wanted. 

Second, find accountability. Ask someone you trust to keep you accountable. For me, I prefer someone not so close to me. It’s easier to let down someone who loves you like family member because you know they will still love you after and there isn't much consequence. A good person to keep you accountable is a personal trainer, fitness coach, or even social media. If you have constant check-ins with a coach or trainer, it will keep you on your toes. Plus, progress pictures are so motivating! Now what do I mean about social media? If you make your goals public, people are constantly watching you, following your journey, and looking to see if you are doing what you say you were going to do. Sounds kind of scary doesn't it? It definitely does keep you going, though.

Find balance. I know one of the main reasons I struggle with staying disciplines long term is because I get burned out. I go balls to the wall and eventually get bored with my diet or exercise regimen. It is a good idea to still make time for things you enjoy outside of fitness. I love to spend some time with friends, travel, and painting. Also, mixing things up in your routine will keep things fresh. On an active recovery day, try yoga. Go hiking or join a new bootcamp for cardio. Experiment with different seasoning to make your food prep taste a little different. Go run along a path with beautiful scenery. Change up your playlists on apple or spotify. Have a gym partner to go with you to the gym to motivate you, change things up, and make things fun. It is always good to be with someone who challenges you to be the best version of of yourself. 

Lastly, keep a routine of healthy habits. Habit change is for sure the key ingredient in a lasting lifestyle shift. Be sure to check out my blog post about habits. When the things you do become habits, you naturally don't have to think about them as much because it just part of your daily routine… it is something you are use to. These kind of things don’t happen overnight. It is going to take some time. Keep giving each day your best effort and the rest will take care of itself.

Reality Shift

Ever wonder why some people kick butt at what they are doing and seemingly never get bored with it? Why do some just fall flat on their faces and their endeavors seem like a constant struggle? 

Well, the common denominator is the mindset. Your thoughts direct your reality. 

If your reality is that you’re too busy, you’re always tired, you’re hurting, its just too hard.. you need to change your beliefs in order to fix that reality. Write these things down and then rewrite them with the exact opposite. Ex: I always have time, It's never too hard, I got this! You need to love yourself and tell yourself you are going to dominate.

How to change your reality:

• Fake it till you make it- Yep, I just told you to be a fake.. If you think you’re not ever going to reach your goal as a hot, aesthetically pleasing, fitness model.. Act as if you will be both in and out of the gym. If you don’t think you’ll ever get your dream job, pretend you are already super qualified, work your butt off to take the necessary steps, and tell yourself it will happen and your moment is about to emerge. This works for anything. Act like what you would want your future self to be like.

• Upgrade- If someone is holding you back from your goals, I think you need to upgrade! That can mean friends or significant others. If it’s your current job holding you back, quit and allow yourself to be available for a new opportunity. Upgrade your lifestyle. You can get rid of all of the clutter, donate your old clothes, organize your closet or workspace, clean out your car, buy a new wardrobe that makes you feel sexy and confident, get a new hairstyle, etc. There are so many things you can do to start fresh.

• Support- Surround yourself with people who think and act the way you want to. Be around and make friends with people who motivate you and who are positive influences. Stay away from small minded and negative people. Ask friends and family to keep you accountable to your goals.

• Make it Public- When you make your goals and ambitions public, it keeps you very accountable. It makes you feel like people are watching and you have to stay on your toes. Post your goals online and you’ll be surprised how much support you get. Posting progress pictures also keeps you accountable! When you keep things hidden, its easy to just to mess up and act like previous progress and mess ups never happened. Its easier to give up and sweep under the rug.

BE UNSTOPPABLE

Why Fitness Is Hard

Like most goals we have, we get excited about them for maybe a couple of weeks and the excitement fades. Many people have the unrealistic expectation that their body will drastically change in a couple of weeks. They don't see big results and they tend to give up. The best things take time and patience. 

Most common reasons for failure with dieting:

 1.) They starve themselves and deprive themselves from carbs which eventually leads to binging- carbs are not your enemy!

2.) Their diets are so restrictive that they find it too difficult to stick with it for a long period of time

3.) They aren't educated enough in nutrition and they consume hidden calories and fat in dressings, drinks, and snacks

4.) They become too tempted to eat junk because of busy schedules and/or traveling (Try 1st Phorm's Level-1 protein as a quick and delicious meal replacement)

5.) They don't want to sacrifice their social life and end up drinking and eating unhealthy at parties, outings, dinners, weddings, etc..

Most common reasons for failure with exercise regimen:

1.) They lose motivation and lack patience when results aren't seen right away

2.) They fall out of habit because of life circumstances, work, travel, holidays, etc

3.) They start out too strong that they burn out easily. The workouts may be too challenging. This could also cause injury and lack of energy.

4.)They compare themselves to fitness models or someone who’s been doing this a long time and have a lack of confidence and mentally “check out”

You need to prepare yourself for these challenges and know you are not alone! Make sure your expectations are realistic. Drastic results often lead to the results being reversed just as quick. A Lifestyle change happens over months and even years. Stay motivated and keep going!! It is so worth it.