Notes from town square: Sticking to a diet and exercise plan

Deciding to start a healthy dose of exercise paired with a healthy diet is a goal for all of us, but how do you stick with it?

Temptation is on every menu, in every aisle of the grocery store, and at most social gatherings.

Staying consistent with any goal, especially with diet and exercise requires a lot of focus and preparation. It comes down to three things: consistency, accountability, and goals.

It may seem obvious but here’s a breakdown of each and how you can apply them to your life.

Consistency

Consistency is having general movement forward towards something. It can also be defined as having regular harmony, being predictable, or steady continuity.

Being consistent means you’re making progress in the right direction, while understanding that there will be some up days and some down days. Isn’t that just like everything in life?

You have to expect and give yourself permission to do whatever it is you want to do, and that you’ll keep showing up despite negative thoughts. You also have to know that you’ll fall off the bandwagon from time to time.

Replacing negative thoughts with positive affirmations will remind you of how you plan to make progress and reach your goal.

Being consistent is a skill you can work on, learn, and discover which methods work best for you.

Accountability

Accountability starts with making a plan. If you want to achieve something, you need to know how you’re going to get there. That starts with a plan.

Many people use an accountability partner or “partner in crime” to hold them to what they said they were going to do. Working out with a partner makes it a lot easier to show up and do the work because if you don’t, you’ll let them down instead of just letting yourself down.

Partners work because you bring each other up and remind each other of what you want to achieve, especially when it feels so far away.

Group fitness classes are the perfect means to set up your “fitness date” at the gym.

Goals

Goals are a huge part of staying consistent and sticking with something because it gives you an end to work towards.

Make sure your goals are small and attainable, not large and feeling far away. For example, if you want to lose 30 pounds, make sure you break it down into 2-5 pound increments, because 5 pounds is a shorter goal and will give you momentum to knock down the 30 pounds as you continue working.

Schedule time every day to work towards whatever goal you set, but remember that you aren’t trying for perfection just a consistent effort. No one is perfect and life is going to get in the way. ust make sure you work on it more days than not and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals and learning how to consistently show up to whatever it is you’d like to work on and towards. If you trip up or have a down day, just pick yourself up and try again the next chance you get.

Your progress will be up and down but if you’re consistent you’ll achieve whatever it is you set your mind to.