Why you struggle to stick to your healthy habits and HOW TO SUCCEED
Eat well, exercise regularly, drink less, get to bed on time.
Easier said than done right?
You aim to exercise four days a week but it varies between one and three. Start a new diet but it doesn’t last long. Plan to do dry July but fall off the wagon. Sometimes it feels like you are trying to push a heavy weight up hill.
Sound familiar?
How is the seemingly so simple, difficult to consistently stick to?
How does one person stick to it and go the distance and other people constantly struggle and never quite get to where they want to be?
As a personal trainer with 30 years experience, it is a topic I not only find fascinating, I have found ways to make it so much easier and more successful. I am also studying human behaviour in Counselling and many of these strategies within this article are key strategies for successful behavioural change.
‘How do you successfully stick to your healthy habit best intentions long-term?’
Here is why people struggle and how to succeed….
The wrong information
Here are things I hear frequently…
‘My friend started ‘x’ so I am going to do it too’.
‘I saw on the internet that you need to ‘x’.
‘It’s what I did when I was younger’
There is a huge quagmire of information out there on health, fitness and weight loss but how much of it is accurate? Also, what you saw in a post on Instagram might not be what’s appropriate to you, where you are in your life and what you really need.
One of the most significant reasons people fail, is they have got the wrong information or rather it’s just not appropriate for them and what they need.
As an example, a 50 year old person who has not exercised for 15 years and has a shoulder injury should not start with a high impact group fitness class aimed at 20-30 year old’s. They would just get injured! I have seen this many times. One should acquire the right information that suits you, your situation, current fitness, age, lifestyle and goals.
Why people struggle: The wrong information that is inappropriate or inaccurate.
How to succeed: The right information and approach that suits ‘You’
Inappropriate goals
People often set the wrong types of goals that are unrealistic. New Year resolutions is the classic example.
‘I am going to start exercising 5 days a week, go on a diet and give up alcohol’
8 days later they have given up.
Why – too much change too soon and inappropriate goals.
You may of heard of the SMART formula for goal setting, which stands for:
Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time defined.
They key words here are: Achievable and Realistic -goals must challenge you but not too much. They must be within your skill set and fit your lifestyle. You must be able to sustain them.
Why people struggle: Inappropriate goals or intentions.
How to succeed: Appropriate goals that are achievable long term.
Addressing potential barriers
In addition to setting appropriate goals it is also important to assess what potential barriers might get in the way, in counselling, we call it relapse prevention. Think about situations, events, people or places that may cause you to fall off the wagon with your healthy habits.
The most common saboteurs of healthy habits are being too busy, work, stress and less obviously -lack of sleep. How do you overcome these – well that is a huge topic for another article.
To increase success it is important to consider what might derail you and think in advance what you can do in those situations instead.
Eg, the boozy corporate lunch. You could quite easily over eat and drink. Instead attend with a plan to not eat dessert and stick to two drinks max and leave at a certain time.
Why people struggle: Not being prepared for potential road blocks.
How to succeed: Plan for roadblocks and what you can do instead.
Lack of consistency
Most people know what to do, after all it’s not rocket science, why they don’t get results is because they are not consistent enough with their efforts. They have a good day, then a bad day, a good week, then a bad week, a good month, then a bad month.
The key to success is consistency of action. Beyond setting realistic goals, how do you stay consistent, read the next few points.
Why people struggle: Not consistent enough with their actions.
How to succeed: Consistent action – something is better than nothing.
Accountability
To stay consistent, you need accountability. You can do this with a coach or professional who will not only keep you accountable but also keep you motivated and workshop the challenges you face. Working with a coach also helps with encouragement and motivation which is an essential part of long term success.
You can also stay accountable to yourself with apps and journals. The key thing is tracking. It is a vital part of making successful habit changes , eg, keeping a food diary to help prove healthy habits.
If you want to improve a habit, track it.
Why people struggle: Lack of accountability and they don’t track progress.
How to succeed: Professional accountability and recording and tracking habits you need to improve.
Lack of support
Support is critical for successful behavioural change. Think about AA and giving up alcohol or quitting drugs, it is almost impossible with a solo effort, people need regular contact with professional support, social support groups and have supportive people in their life. The same applies for lifestyle changes. You will be far more successful with support, yes your faithful trainer but also positive people in your life. Support provides motivation, encouragement and makes the journey more enjoyable because you are not going it alone.
Why people struggle: Going solo and lack of support.
How to succeed: A supportive environment and professional support.
Poor self-talk
We can often be our worse critic.
I often hear very harsh self-assessments from people about their progress such ‘I could of done better’ “I need to do better’ even ‘pathetic’. We need to change the language to be far more positive, supportive and self-encouraging such as ‘I am making great progress’ ‘I have come a long way since I started’ ‘I am not there yet but I am on the way’
‘I am proud of myself’
And pat yourself on the back!
Why people struggle: Being to hard on themselves and the moments they don’t get it right they chastise themselves.
How to succeed: Be kind to yourself and don’t let odd moments of ‘failure’ determine your identity.
Recognise successes
Similarly, it is important to take stock of progress and what you have achieved and not constantly push to the next level. Self-praise and recognition of achievement keeps you inspired and motivated. I encourage my clients to ‘Celebrate their wins’ particularly on a Friday: what went well this week, what are you proud of, what have you achieved?
Why people struggle: Not stopping to recognise progress and success.
How to succeed: Regularly recognise your progress and celebrate your wins.
Summary
Why people struggle to stick to their healthy habits:
- Inaccurate information from the wrong sources
- Inappropriate goals they can’t stick too
- Failing to anticipate potential roadblocks
- Lack of consistent action
- Lack of accountability
- Not tracking progress
- Lack of support
- Poor self-image
- Not recognising progress
How you will succeed:
- Find the right information from credible sources
- Set achievable and realistic goals you can actually sustain
- Plan ahead for obstacles and situations that may derail you
- Stay consistent – something is better than nothing
- Track and record your journey
- Having a supportive environment from a coach and/or friends and family
- Being kind to yourself by talking to yourself in a positive way
- Recognising progress and success and celebrating wins
If you enjoyed this article, I am hosting a ‘Gain- Everything’ holistic workshop to upgrade your physical and mental wellbeing so you can look and feel great and live your best healthy life.
I am going to cover:
- What you really need to know and do to get results
- What is appropriate for you, in your life right now.
- How to overcome obstacles that sabotage your best intentions.
- How to bypass trying to find motivation to put healthy habits on autopilot for long-term sustainable success.
If you want to get in shape and live a healthy life more easily and successfully, come to my workshop on Saturday 8th October, please get in touch for the full life-enhancing itinerary.