When you start to lose weight everyone wants to know your secret.
What diet are you on?
Did you take (fill in the blank) that was on the Doctor Oz show?
Are you running 5 miles a day and doing 100 sits ups?
They seem disappointed when you tell them.
I watch my portions.
I stopped eating out every day.
I plan my meals.
I do LESS cardio and I started lifting weights.
And I do it CONSISTENTLY.
Consistency is the secret ingredient. Anyone can do anything for a week or two. That’s how most fad diets work. Anyone can give up all but the most basic foods for a few days or weeks (think cabbage soup or baby food diet). And you’ll lose weight that way – water, some muscle and perhaps some fat. But as soon as normal resumes you will gain it back.
Real fitness comes from consistency.
- Consistently lifting weights allows your body to get strong, to build muscle and to keep your metabolism boosted while the body repairs the muscle tissue.
- Consistently eating the same healthy breakfast helps you keep calories in check, keeps hunger at bay and leaves you one less thing to think about. This means more Willpowerto resist the cupcakes in the break room.
- Consistently eating throughout the day keeps insulin spikes and hunger hormones (or just plain hunger) at bay. It keeps you from overeating. It keeps your body comfortable in the fact that there is food available thus it doesn’t need to soak up calories like a sponge and store them for later use.
- Consistently moving your body keeps your joints lubricated and reduces the pain from tightness in your calves, hamstrings, low back and shoulders. Being hunched over or unable to touch your toes is not a normal state of being!
For anything to work, you have to do it regularly. You have to practice. You have to be patient. You may not see results in 7 days but you will feel a difference. The results you do see over time will be ones you get to see for the rest of your life – consistently.
