Consistency is Key

As a personal trainer I am regularly asked what are the best methods and diets when someone wants to lose weight/fat from not only clients but also friends and strangers.  I have exhausted this response in the past with various answers, some slightly premature and other ideas too complex for the audience but from experience and further development, I have attained a better understanding and knowledge of what actually works and the best advice I have received and practised is very simple: consistency is key…

Essentially you find a plan and routine with your food, exercise and various health commitments that work for you and you stick to it.  This can be as dynamic as what time of day you train, how often you exercise with a trainer and by yourself, the days you know you can control your food, the days you are subject to other responsibilities, what time you eat your meals/snacks, counting calories, etc There is no set rule as to what is right and wrong when it comes to managing your diet and whilst as a trainer I can offer what I think are the best options that will bring you closer to your goal, they may not be ideal for your work/life environment. It is not perfection that we are chasing but a better and hopefully healthier lifestyle to the current situation you find yourself in.

If you can maintain a diet plan, naturally inclusive of good quality foods consisting of complex carbs, protein and fats (which is what Revolution advocate and encourage clients to undertake) and know that you can commit to training X number of times per week and you can practise this weekly with few hiccups then this is the best option for you. Expecting to give more than what you are capable of will lead to unrealistic goals and a feeling of hopelessness and negativity when they cannot be met. When faced with a reasonable and doable solution towards dieting and exercising, weight loss and developing a leaner physique will have the chance to become progressively consistent.

On a personal level, this is one of the most important lessons I have learnt from having personal training with Ryan weekly these last two years. It took a while to accept that not every workout would be my best and therefore I put in the effort when I am full of drive (a good quality Ryan can detect from my moods) and go through the motions on low energy busy working days. This is why personal training works; you have a coach who develops a relationship with you and they seek to find your capabilities and make sure you perform to the best of your ability on that specific day (in my humble opinion!) This has taught me that it is consistency and progression in my workouts as well as following a clean and lean food plan (most of the time!) that has seen my physique and shape dramatically change since I started working at Revolution.

You should not feel intimidated by a proposed action plan to lose weight/lean out but rather feel full of excitement and be prepared to embrace the positive changes you can make to improve the quality of your life. If you can practise it, it can become consistent and you will have success in reaching your goal. Find what YOU CAN DO rather than what you cannot and then APPLY IT.

By Rebecca Maslin