Hey there, friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far.

This week has been one of the busiest weeks I’ve had in a long time. I’ve been working on putting the finishing touches on my nutrition program that starts on Monday, chatting with online clients for consultations, and my client capacity is full right now through the end of this month

I have two good girlfriends visiting from Illinois, so I’m super pumped to see them this weekend 🙂

But this morning, I want to talk about not-quitting your exercise and nutrition program.

Has this ever happened to you? You have felt stuck in your progress with your workouts and nutrition, but you find a program that sounds like a good fit for you – one that will make you stick it through and see your goals come to fruition. But then…four weeks in, you find yourself missing a workout every now and then, and making nutritional choices you originally set that don’t support your goals a little more often than you were before. The next week those gaps get larger, and before you know it, you’ve given up.

It’s not a good feeling. I know because it’s happened to me, as well. The excitement wanes, and so does your consistency. But it doesn’t have to. Today I want to tell you what should A) make sure your next program includes, and B) what YOU need to make sure you bring to the table.

How to Stick to a Training Program the Whole Way Through

The Program

A sound program should have several factors in place that will help set you up for success. It should provide an environment that you can thrive in if you put in the will and commitment. Look for these qualities when deciding when deciding whether or not to commit:

• Workouts and nutrition that fit your lifestyle. If you work 8 hours a day, with an hour commute, and have a family, a workout program that has you in the gym for longer than an hour probably won’t be very conducive to your schedule. Make sure when selecting a program or working with your trainer, that you consider or tell him or her all potential limiting factors – schedule, preference, equipment, etc.
• Frequently updated workouts.  I am all about building a solid, sequenced workout with progressions along the way. However, I also know that workout boredom is a real thing, and it’s important to keep the workouts new and fresh each week.
• Accountability to someone. If you’re doing a plan from a book or an ebook, this is a little bit tougher, because you won’t have an actual coach whom to be accountable. If this is your only option, recruit a motivated friend to do the program with you, who you check in with each day.
• Support from a group. Having the camaraderie, support, and accountability of a group is an amazing thing. It’s true what they say about having a tribe – they can really help motivate and encourage you along the way.

Your Component

Even the best-designed program won’t work for you if you don’t do it. Here are a few things to consider before starting your next program.

• Commit to it. Make the decision, knowing what’s OK and what’s not ok. If your program has you eating far more protein than you think you’ll be able to eat, speak up or lower that amount to a more attainable goal. If the program calls for five workouts a week, and you know that your schedule will only allow for you to consistently fit 4, shoot for four, letting the fifth one be a bonus. Know what you’re capable of and commit to it. Basically, you have to really be motivated by your goals!
• Schedule it in. Decide when you’re going to take some time to prepare your meals and when you’ll be working out each day, and put it on your calendar. Putting it on your calendar makes it more of a commitment, and you’ll be more likely to complete it.
• Don’t make excuses. Pet peeve alert: I hate excuses. I’m not being harsh, and it’s not that some excuses aren’t valid. But having excuses breeds MORE excuses or validates those excuses, and can make you more likely not to commit to your next workout or meal choice. Were you compliant with your program? Yes or no. If yes, awesome! If no, do we need to reestablish the action plan? Or just make a different choice the next time. There’s always a clean slate and the chance to make your next workout count, and make your next meal one that works with your program. We all mess up. Move on, and make your next choice one that’s in line with your goals.
• Be consistent. This is possibly THE most important factor, because when one workout starts to slip, more do. I always tell my clients that even if they only have 10 minutes to do their workout, go do 10 minutes of that workout. The most important thing is that you work out and check it off for the day. A 10 minute workout is still a success in my book, but not completing the workout at all can lead to more missed workouts, and then quitting altogether.

I hope this gave you some pointers on what you can bring to the table to your next program, and what your program should be doing to help YOU out. If you have any questions at all, as always PLEASE feel free to ask below or email me.

Have a lovely weekend, friends! XO

Are you currently doing a training program? How is it going for you?