Consistency = Success

Consistency... that is the name of the game isn't it?  When I look back on my life to times where I have been successful the key ingredient has been consistency.  When I really wanted to be a flag girl back in Jr. High, I brought home that practice flag and practiced the routine until I could do it in my sleep.  And oh, boy, when I wanted to be a cheerleader in high school you could find me on my front yard lawn practicing the routine in front of the big plate glass window.  It was like the giant mirrors that were on the wall in the girls' gym.  And the same goes for my school work, jobs, and hobbies.  If you consistently put in the time, success usually follows close behind. 
So, how do you make that consistency happen?  That is the hard part, right?  While I can look back and see the successful results of consistency in my life, I can also see the poor results from times where I was not consistent.  Those times are not looked upon very fondly.  I can't even count the number of exercise programs I have tried, let alone the number of diets. (eek!)  That is so embarrassing!  So what was the problem?  Why couldn't I hang on?  Why didn't I EVER make it to my goal?  It is simple really, I was looking at all of these things as temporary fixes.  A diet I would only have to be on for a short time, and then I would be able to go back to my life and live.  I had to look at them that way, they were so restrictive!  No one should have to live without ever getting a dessert, or a piece of bread with butter!  Enjoyment is what life is all about.  We should enjoy relationships, food, exercise, and what we do for a living. 
Here is the deal, once I realized that I needed to make PERMANENT changes in my lifestyle, was when I realized that these changes needed to be something I could live with forever without feeling deprived.  I started by changing my nutrition, and Shakeology has become a big part of that.  I consistently have one shake a day and it delivers a full day's nutrition to me in the one glass.  Once I was doing that, I started eating better, it was easy since the Shakeology took away my cravings!  Then I was ready to add in regular exercise.  The first program I chose was Insanity.  I opted for such an intense program because I knew I needed to make some big changes in my life.  It was hard on this overweight 45 year old mother of two teenagers!  But I knew that consistency was the key.  Even when I felt like I couldn't give it my all, I still got by butt up and out of bed every morning.  I pushed play and gave it whatever I had available to give.  It wasn't always pretty, but it was DONE.  I can't tell you the sense of accomplishment I felt when I completed that program.  It was the very first exercise program I have ever completed.  And I succeeded in doing that by consistently pushing play on my DVD player.  So here I am at the end of my first month of my second exercise program (Focus T25), and I have not missed a single day of exercising.  I will achieve success with T25 as well, because I do it consistently.  You can too.  I can help you.  You see, that is the part I didn't mention.  It is helpful to have accountability.  My Beachbody coach has been there with me all along.  Supporting me, cheering for me, and really just being there expecting me to do my best... so I did.  Hmmm, accountability, that sounds like another blog topic...