And you have it.
Detoxes, cleanses and fad diets are all the rage—and most of us at one time or another have tried one of these methods to improve our health or lose weight. But the reality is, the benefits of these fads are short-lived if not useless, if your goal is to live a heathier life, feel better on a daily basis and to lose weight. Whatever you’re looking to achieve, there is one thing that you can do that can truly change your life. When it comes to achieving your best life possible, whatever that looks and feels like for you—consistency is key. Take a look:
Why “diets” fail
Everyone can relate to their last failed attempt at eating healthy. With good intentions and even some ambitious goals, you set out to implement an ideal nutrition plan for yourself--add in superfoods, count calories, reduce your sugar and/or alcohol intake or even cut out carbs or other specific foods. But after a short period of time, you found yourself straying from the plan, eating foods that were more convenient and easily ready or just giving up because your plan made you feel like you were being deprived of your favorite foods. The fact is, change is hard. Losing weight or eating more nutritiously is hard. It takes planning and commitment. Experts report that most folks who try fad diets, detoxes, cleanses or other methods to change their lives say their reasons for quitting include:
- They missed eating their favorite foods
- The diet they choose was too strict
- Their diet/plan did not have enough variety
- It was hard to prepare the foods or they didn’t have enough time to do it on a daily basis
Why consistency is the key to success
We all know that doing something over and over again eventually becomes a habit. Eating healthy is no different. But when it comes to a change in lifestyle, it’s important to make doing the right thing, in this case, getting ideal nutrition--easy, flexible and convenient. Changes should be incorporated into your existing schedule and lifestyle. Consistency is achievable by anyone and everyone because you’re in control. You decide what your goals are, you make the commitment and then you map out how you’re going to achieve results—which can mean different things for different people. For some of us, adding in more vegetables daily or weekly may be enough, for others it may mean less carbs or less sugar and for others it may be as simple as drinking more water. Whatever your healthiest life looks like, the benefits of being consistent include:
- Consistency helps you stay focused on your goals
- Being consistent helps you develop self-control and discipline
- Healthy eating becomes a habit when repeated over and over
- Planning out your meals makes it easy to stick to your goals
- Consistency leads to progress and builds self-confidence
- Being consistent helps you hold yourself accountable
How to develop consistency
Once you’ve made the decision to improve your health by eating more nutritious foods you can help yourself achieve your goals by developing a consistent routine that will be easy and convenient for you to stick with. And while it may seem daunting at first, the top way to be successful is to follow some of these general tips to developing consistency:
- Start small: Make a few small changes that don’t feel drastic or unattainable
- Create a plan or a schedule that fits into your lifestyle
- Count the wins, even the smallest successes are worth celebrating
- Arrange for or plan out meals that can be easily and quickly prepared
Ideal Nutrition can help you achieve your goals and live a healthier life—we provide chef-driven, nutritious meals that are ready to heat and eat and delivered right to your door. Each of our delicious meals includes a nutrient label so you know exactly what you’re putting into your body and because we have more than 40 different menu options you’ll enjoy a variety of foods each week. Our goal is to help you achieve yours! Get in touch today!
