Motivation gets you started. Habits and Routines keep you going

Why do most people fail in achieving their weight loss goals?

People set themselves up to fail because they follow a short-term method and expect a long-term result.  They do not develop habits and routines for long-term success.

What is the difference between short-term methods and long-term habits and Routines?

A short-term method is exactly as it sounds. Short-Term.  It relies on motivation rather than habits and routines.

Motivation will fade with time.  The things that last and are followed for the long-term are the habits and routines that you enjoy.

How do you know if you are following a short-term method or a long-term habit?

Ask yourself this.    Can I follow this plan for the rest of my life?  Be honest with yourself.

I will give you some examples:

Exercise:

A short-term method would be participating in hard core exercise when you don’t really enjoy exercise in the first place.

Here is a couple of examples:  One person starts running everyday saying they are training for a marathon, yet they don’t like to run.

Another person enrolls in a 90 day fitness challenge.  They plan on doing 90 days of exercise and then figure that they can stop exercising after the 90 days.

A long-term habit  would be adapting a habit and routine into your life that you enjoy.

For instance: I work at a standing treadmill desk for a couple of hours everyday when I first wake up in the morning.  I walk at a slow pace (1.5 to 2 mph).  I do this everyday because I enjoy it and it is part of my daily routine.

You may enjoy hard core exercise and part of your daily routine is to go to the gym daily after work.   This is something that only you will personally know if you truly enjoy doing enough to stick with.

Eating:

A short-term method would consist of eating things that you don’t like or eating more times than you want to.

Eating multiple times per day.  The more meals you eat in a day, the more complicated you are making your life.  Doing a detoxification plan that involves eating nothing but maple syrup and cayenne pepper.

Isn’t this obvious that these strategies are short-term.

These methods fail.  People go back to their old habits if the new habits are not easy and enjoyable.

A long-term routine involves eating at times you are comfortable with and eating foods you enjoy.

For instance, you don’t like to eat breakfast.  I would suggest following an eating plan that does not include breakfast.

Here is the long-term routine that I personally follow and have seen a lot of other clients follow.

Coffee for breakfast.  A superfood smoothie for lunch.  Whatever I want for dinner.

This does not mean that this plan is perfect for you because you may like eating breakfast.  Again, you should follow a plan that you enjoy.

Here are more details about my long-term routine:

I make a superfood smoothie or CappuGreeno for lunch that contains about 300 – 500 calories.  Note that these calories are coming from the healthiest food sources known to man.  These are the type of calories that react very well within your body.

Since I have such a low calorie lunch, I have more room to eat more at dinner,  This makes it easier to maintain my current weight if I eat large dinners containing higher calorie levels.

If I am gaining weight, it is because I am eating too much for dinner.  When this scenario happens from time to time, I simply eat less for dinner and I begin to lose weight.  I also follow this plan (click here).  I usually will adjust my dinner to include more protein and vegetables, which fills me up more, is lower in calories and helps with hunger.  This also makes it easier to fast until lunch the next day.

Now ask yourself if you are following a long-term habit that works and you enjoy?  

Or are you jumping around from one short-term method to the next?