When You Fall Off That Horse, Get Back On!

You ever try going to the gym in January? It’s full. Lots of people are trying to get back into shape and not break their New Year’s resolutions. 

“New year, new me,” they say. 

Then, around the end of February or the beginning of March, the weight rooms and treadmills start thinning out, unlike the people who decided to skip the gym.  

It’s easy to quit something. Not so easy to stay committed, especially to diet and fitness. 

I should know. I’ve been there many times. Most of my life, my weight has been up and down like the stock market.

I’ve never really had an issue working out. I guess I’m fortunate that way. My weakness: Food. 

I love to eat. I’m not sure if the web server this page is stored on has enough memory for me to list all the foods that I love.  

Overconsumption of the foods I love has been a constant struggle for me, but one that I overcame two years ago, when I struck up a conversation with a random trainer in a gym that I belong to. 

He said, “Consistency is the key. Whatever you choose to do, do it consistently for a period of time, like three months or six months, then check your results. If it’s working, stay consistent.” 

Let me now say that I am not a medical professional, a licensed dietician, or a certified fitness trainer. What worked for me may not work for anyone else. 

What I will say is that I changed my eating habits, picked a workout program that I enjoyed doing (that’s important), and over the course of a year, I lost 80 pounds. But more importantly, I stayed consistent. 

I’m not going to pretend that it was easy. It wasn’t. I had lots of obstacles. 

Such as... strategically placed displays of snack cakes on the way to the produce section of my grocery. And fast-food commercials. Did you know that “America runs on Duncan?” Or that Arby’s has “the meats?” What about all the different flavors M&Ms come in now? Not to mention, you can buy a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup the size of a hubcap. 

Maybe I dreamed that last one. I’d better stop listing my obstacles before I crash the server. 

Wait, one more... the Cooking Channel. My wife enjoys watching the Cooking Channel. They don’t exactly count calories when they’re trying to beat Bobby Flay. 

Where was I? Oh, yeah. Consistency. 

The results I achieved through consistency taught me a lesson. Many things in life can be achieved through consistency. That lesson helped me finish my first novel. I knew that if I committed to writing a certain number of words each week, I’d hit my goal and complete the book. 

I’ve read that out of all the people who say they’re going to write a book, only 3% actually finish. I’m not special. I just stayed consistent. 

Staying consistent in whatever you do is a mindset. I’m not trying to preach here, but it goes without saying that if you apply that consistent mindset to self-care, good things will happen to you. 

Okay, let’s be realistic here. It’s great to stay focused and not steer away from whatever goal you’ve set for yourself. But sometimes, you need a break. We’re not robots; we’re human, and if your mind and body are telling you to pause, then do it. I think taking a breather, recentering, and refocusing are at the heart of self-care. 

I certainly took breaks, and I didn’t beat myself up if I ate a cookie or had a beer with the guys, or was a few hundred words short of my weekly goal. If you fall off that horse, get back on.

Be consistent at being consistent. 

You’d be surprised at what you can do or accomplish.

Ron Clyburn

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