The key to fat loss is consistency. You may have heard this phrase before, and that is because it is so absolutely true. There is no quick fix, no product that will change everything and no sudden solution that will change the game. Fat loss is about doing the right things over and over again, day after day, with discipline, structure and purpose.
Without consistency, the desired outcome is not achieved. For example, you will not see progress if you are very disciplined with your training and nutrition from Monday to Friday and then go completely off the rails on the weekend – you have to be doing the right things every day and not sporadically.
However, it is not easy. Fat loss is as much of a psychological game as it is a physical one. Most of the battles that people face throughout their journey are happening in their mind, especially if they are having issues outside of their fitness journey. So, how can you overcome this? How can you stay consistent so that you keep progressing and achieve the goal that you so dearly want?
Set Goals and Link Each Task to Them
During your journey, there will be many times when you are not motivated to do a specific task. This could be anything from performing your training sessions, sticking to your diet, or not doing that extra bit cardio. It is very unlikely that you are going to feel motivated every day, no matter how much you are enjoying the process. This can then affect your consistency, as you are more prone to going off track during those days when you are less motivated.
However, when you go through these phases, the most important thing to do is remember why you started. It will more often than not be about something bigger than looking and feeling good – you will have deep, emotional reasons behind wanting to achieve a better body shape. This is what we call the ‘anchor’ and once you find that, you then need to link each task to that anchor. For example, ‘if I don’t train today, I will not be closer of achieving my dream body shape, which is preventing me from achieving my goal of becoming a professional Rugby player.’ That is powerful. So, find out your deep, emotional why, and relate every task to it. Your mind should then click into gear and do what is required without hesitation.
Have a Structured and Sustainable Plan
Having goals is key, but if you don’t have a plan in place for how you are going to get there, you are going to struggle for consistency. There is no point in putting lots of effort into your workouts if they are not suited to your goals, even more so when you can’t back it up with your diet and other important factors, such as sleep, stress, digestion, and water intake. It is vital to know that your efforts are being rewarded and this will encourage consistency over a long period of time and having a structured, effective plan is essential to that.
When it comes to the plan, there should be detailed workouts designed specifically for you in place, a personalised nutrition plan which features targets and plenty of other important information, such as example meals, example days of eating, and nutrition sources (protein, carbohydrates, fats), and a sustainable form of cardio. Once you have a plan, you then have clarity in your mind as to what you need to do to reach your goal, which is vital for achieving long-term consistency.
Have Professional Support and Guidance
When you are looking to change your body shape, it is important to understand that it will not be a straightforward journey. There will be bumps along the way, such as dips in motivation, confusion over certain topics, and a lack of expertise when it comes to making slight changes along the way. Going at it alone can be a lonely and complicated process, so having someone in your corner to keep you on track is going to be essential.
This does not always have to be a coach, it could be a friend or family member who knows their stuff when it comes to training and nutrition, but having one by your side is extremely important, not just from a knowledge perspective so that you get rewarded for your efforts, but also from a motivational standpoint. It is easy for your standards to dip if you are on your own, but a good coach will support, guide, and motivate you through the tricky moments that you will inevitably come across.
Track Your Progress
Consistency is stimulated by progress. If you are not seeing rewards for your efforts, whether it be fitting into clothes better, feeling stronger and having more energy in the first few weeks to seeing noticeable differences in your body composition (how you look) within a couple of months, you are going to feel frustrated and, in all likelihood, give up with the process.
This is why tracking your progress is so vital, you need to know if you are going in the right direction. Progress can be measured in multiple forms, ranging from pictures of your body to scale weight, energy levels, strength levels, how you feel, fitting into clothes, more self-confidence and a better relationship with food, along with many others. Celebrating the small wins and tracking progress is going to be vital for keeping you motivated and knowing if you are moving in the right direction.
Enjoy The Process
The last point is an important one – make sure you are loving the journey. Losing fat and changing your body shape through months, sometimes years of bad habits is going to take time, but it is a process you should enjoy if you are progressing every week. Of course, when you see progress, you will be encouraged to keep going, but the journey should be one that you relish and see as something that changes your life.
Although you should aim to enjoy working out, if you still don’t enjoy it, that is fine. However, you should enjoy the rewards you are getting, such as having more energy, feeling stronger, being in a better routine, enjoying your diet, feeling more flexible, noticing better posture, and having more self-confidence and positivity. All these things should help you enjoy the process, and when you combine that with noticeable physical progress, you will appreciate the positive changes in your life and you will never want to go back to old habits.
Summary
So, to achieve your fat loss goals, consistency is going to be the key word. Maintaining it over a long period of time is going to be hard, but there are several things you can do to help you, such as linking each task to your goals, having a structured and sustainable plan, having professional support and guidance, tracking your progress and enjoying the process. Make these a priority in your daily routine and you will find that achieving consistency becomes much more manageable and enjoyable, which will then lead to greater results.
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