I recently heard someone say they fell back into their old habits when the novelty of going to the gym wore off.  I don’t think of the changes I’m making as short-term but instead it’s a life-style change.

Here are some things I’ve done to keep me on track:

Stay committed to my goals 

I am 100% committed to my goals.  I eat well all week and do my workouts throughout the week.

Part of my commitment is allowing myself to indulge on one day where I can eat what I’d like, such chicken wings or beer.  I don’t eat bad things all day – I just pick an evening to go out and have some fun.  This helps me stay focused on my nutrition goals because I don’t have to give up everything and feel deprived of my favourite foods.  I plan for “fun” food.

I stay committed to my fitness by scheduling my workout sessions.  There are some times I don’t quite feel like going, but I make myself go anyway.  I always get energized when I’m there, and never regret going – but I do regret when I don’t go.

Got rid of the fat clothes!

For the longest time, I held on to the fat clothes.  You would think that I’d be eager to get rid of them and get new clothes for the new body.  It was hard for me to get rid of the clothes, because I was so afraid I’d need to get back into the clothes, and then I’d have nothing to wear. But the more I thought about it, keeping the clothes can set me up for failure since it’s easy to go back. So, I sent all my oversized clothes off to Goodwill.  I went shopping and bought some new clothes, which was a lot of fun!! And now that I have these new clothes, I will continue to stay focused so I don’t outgrow them!!

Celebrate my successes

I think we hesitate to celebrate our successes because we are taught not to pat ourselves on the back – that we are being high on ourselves.  I don’t think there is anything wrong with telling people about your successes and accepting the good things people may say about your accomplishments.

I’ve been working hard over the last few months, and have accomplished a lot. I’m getting stronger, and I’m starting to look leaner.  When people say “you look great!”, I say “thanks”, and tell them how I’m getting there.

I’m sure I won’t fall back into old habits but I always stay focused on the ultimate goal, which is to be fit and healthy for a lifetime.  And I plan for a long long lifetime!!