When it comes to health and weight loss habits, one of the most difficult skills to master is not portion control or exercise technique.

It’s the ability to remain consistent.

You have to be consistent day in and day out. Whether the number on the scale is going down, increasing, or remaining the same.  There will be (many) days when you’d rather be on your couch watching Netflix and chilling, but you’ve got to get your movement in too.

On those days when you’re craving ultra processed foods, the majority of the time you’ve got to still choose a healthy option.

Why?

Because you’ve got a goal ahead of you that you know will make you so happy to reach.

And the only way to reach it is through consistency.

Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. So, while you may really, really want to get healthier or lose weight, showing up every day to do the hard work requires a determination that’s sometimes hard to find.

And that’s ok. You are not alone.

If it were easy, no one would struggle with their weight.

So, if you’re having a hard time sticking to your health and weight loss goals, below are a few more tips to give you the boost you need.

More Tips To Help You Build Healthy Weight Loss Habits

Maybe you’ve already read through my previous post – How to Make Health and Weight Loss Habits Easier and put the tips into action. Perhaps you haven’t implemented anything yet, but you mean to eventually. Whatever the case may be, you’re still having a bit of a challenge being consistent with your health and weight loss goals.

Here are four more tips to help you build healthy habits.

1.     K.I.S.S Your Goals

Keep It Simple, Stupid is a design principle that originated in 1960 by the U.S. Navy. It serves as a reminder to make complex systems, in this case your health and weight loss habits, simple.

If you can make your health habits stupidly simple, and possibly even enjoyable, you’re more likely to be consistent. Which ultimately helps you reach your goals.

For example, you may not have the time in your schedule to go to the gym four times a week. You’ve got family, work, pets, and other responsibilities to attend to. There’s no way you could squeeze out the time or money for four 1-hour sessions a week with your personal trainer.

But could you possibly commit to daily 15-minute walks around the block? And perhaps a 15-minute home workout 2-3 times a week (many of my online coaching clients do this with great success).

On the other hand, maybe time and money are not the issues you grapple with. Your challenge is with emotional eating. The thought of giving up your comfort foods is too much for you to bear. No more sweets forever? Impossible!

What if you add a portion of vegetables to your plate and ate it before you enjoy a sweet-treat dessert? By adding nutrition first, you have protein, fibre and other nutrients to help keep you full. And that can help you feel satisfied with a smaller serving of whatever else you love after.

Remember, every little bit helps. So, while it may take a little longer to reach your goal, your consistency will ensure you do eventually reach it.

Break your big, arduous health and weight loss goal down into something you could easily accomplish each day.

2. Reflect on Your Current Habits

Take a look at your current habits. Not the ones you wish you had, but the ones you actually have. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Why am I over the weight I want to be in the first place?
• What actions/habits/barriers are getting in the way of my reaching my goals?

Be completely honest with yourself.

It could be that you snack in the afternoons, because there’s tempting food in the house, and a bit of a gap until dinner. This challenge could be solved by planning a protein shake for when you get in – a helpful boost of protein that actually tastes pretty good too, and keeps you going until dinner.

Maybe when you’re at work, you get so busy there’s no spare time for you to sit and mindfully eat lunch. So by the time you’re finished for the day, you’re ravenous and end up raiding the cupboards before dinner?

Maybe you simply don’t have the time to get to the gym. So you’re currently not doing anything, but a home workout could be the answer.

When you’ve looked at your current habits and identified the barriers to your success, devise ways around them.

Make sure you get enough protein in your breakfast and lunch to curb afternoon cravings, and have that shake or other high protein snack ready for when you get in.

Take your lunch with you to work and eat at your desk if you really need to when things get crazy busy. Go for a quick walk whenever you can, even if it’s just a few minutes. Check out my Instagram page @hayleyplummerpt for ideas and inspiration on home workouts.

3. Plan for Your Brain’s Excuses

This is probably not your first time trying to get healthy or lose weight. As such, you likely have a good idea of the common excuses your brain uses to stop you making progress.

– You’re tired

– You’re not losing weight on the scales anyway (even though it’s only been 3 days), so why bother?

– Go on, just this one snack won’t hurt

Since you already know what your excuses are likely to be, plan for them ahead of time.

If you struggle with low energy, increase the quantity and quality of your sleep. You could also try drinking more water as not getting enough could cause you to feel tired.

If you’re always feeling hungry, practice mindful eating. Include protein, fruits, and vegetables with each meal.

When your brain offers up those ‘why bother’ thoughts, remember all the reasons why you WANT to keep going. And why you’re worth the effort. Treat it as an experiment – what happens if I just stay consistent for one more day or week?

Break it down into a small and easy next step, and ask ‘Can I just.. do this one small next thing?’

If you want just a small snack, try protein or fruit snacks instead of your usual bag of chips, cookies, or candy bars.

Plan for the pitfalls you’ve experienced in the past and you know will surely show up again in your current journey.

4. Take One Small Change At a Time

When we start something new, we’re so excited we try to do everything at once. We pile on new changes, thinking our initial motivation will carry us through. That is often not the case.

Don’t make wild, sweeping changes to your life because you’re trying to hit your health and weight loss goals. Doing so will only ensure you fail in the long run. Remember your ultimate goal is to make a lifelong change to our health.

The good thing about making one small change at a time is that it adds up to big results over time.

Start with a daily 10-minute walk around the block. When it becomes a habit and you can’t imagine starting your day without your walk, increase the time to 15 minutes.

You could address your issues with emotional eating by beginning every meal with a portion of fruits or vegetables. This will help fill you up, reducing how much unhealthy food you’re able to eat.

Consistency is the secret weapon you’ve been hoping for that will help you reach your health or weight loss goals. Without it, you won’t be able to build lifelong healthy habits. You’ll forever be stuck on the hamster wheel of Yo-Yo diets.

Go through the pain of being consistent now so you can enjoy a healthy way of life later and forever. If you’d like to learn more about how to be consistent with your health and weight loss goals, check out my podcast:

You can also find more information and ideas on being consistent with your fitness goals on my Instagram page – @hayleyplummerpt.

And if you’d like to know more about online coaching, check out more info here:

Benefits of Having an Online Weight Loss Coach