One thing that has always contributed to my success, really the failures too, has been whether I have a plan and ways to hold myself accountable. You can wake up tomorrow and say you will lose weight, but that does not make it magically happen. You need a plan about how you are going to do this and research could even be involved once you have determined the method.
My plan for weight loss and health has been to lower calorie intake, monitor carbohydrates and exercise. Some of the ways I maintain my focus is to track my food each day. This provides accountability to everything that enters my body. A few times in the last 4 years I have stopped keeping a food log, and each time the weight started to creep up faster and faster. Also, if I see a change in my weight or the way I feel, I have a reminder of some possible culprits. You might feel this will be too time consuming, but I think tracking takes about 10 minutes of my whole day. It has been a very valuable tool for me.
Some people would feel that having a set schedule for exercise is easiest for them to stick with a plan. This has proven to fail in my life, therefore, I try to be as flexible as possible. I wake each morning with a few possible time slots for exercise. If one falls through, there is a back-up. This may not work for everyone, but it has eliminated a hurdle I encountered a few times.
Another great accountability source for me has been awesome friends that remind me of my goals. This is not always through actual conversation about my weight loss or exercise. It can be a text or email about workout tips, food analysis, discussion about their workouts, etc.. Just having these subjects to discuss each frequently helps me remain focused.
Having a plan and ways to hold myself accountable has been important to my weight loss journey, but it can relate to many other areas of life. Success throughout life is not going to happen without work and determination. If it is worth spending the time doing, you should get the most from your hard work.
Your mission can vary greatly from mine, but many of the factors are probably the same. Whether is is staying away from a person that is no good for you, eating the right foods, spending less money, managing stress, much of your success will be based on whether you have a plan and accountability. Create the path and visualize your success. Once you have the ground work done, get started living your life to accomplish it.
Oh and don't forget to grab a few people to take the journey with you. I promise their support and encouragement will become invaluable. It sure has for me.
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