Consistency is the ingredient
Often in conversation, the subject of other peoples success in getting fit, losing weight and having positive change occur (that changes that persons life) are commented on, often with envy.
When it comes to our fitness, there are a multitude of factors that have some bearing and can influence our results, such as genetics, time available and what training we use. There is one element that we all have control over and that is our commitment to consistency. The definition of consistency from The Cambridge Dictionary is the quality of always behaving or performing in a similar way, or of always happening in a similar way.
Over the past three years or more, I have watched a lady walk on most days that I am out. When I first spotted her, she was walking with obvious discomfort and was seriously challenged walking up the slope to her turn around point. She was quite a large lady, so I could understand how hard it must have been.
Recently I fell into step with her while I was running (yes she was). I had to pay her a compliment on firstly her efforts and secondly, how her size and body shape had changed so dramatically from when I first spotted her. I did ask her why and how she had achieved the results she had.
She explained that she realised one morning that she was not happy with herself and that it was not that long ago when she was happy and full of energy. To start with, she set a minimum amount of time each day that she would walk. When she did her first walk, she was so overweight and unfit that it took her almost all her time allocated for the week to complete it (a little over 1 km). She had also made a conscious choice to leave what she thought was equal to two mouthfuls of food on her plate at every main meal time. At the time of the discussion she had been going just shy of three years.
A point we discussed was it did not happen immediately, she did not wake up the day after making the decision to start the changes and the weight fell off. It took her almost eight weeks to become aware of any change. During that initial period, she almost quit three times. She kept going. It was seven months before she lost one dress size.
The conversation was a great reminder that consistency was the platform that facilitated this change for her and that this applies to anyone, not only with fitness. Keep this in mind when you are next facing the quandary of your results. Ask yourself, how long have you been consistent at your efforts?
By the way, she was size 18 to 20 when the decision was made to change and is now a size 10 (easily).