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The fitness element of Ornish Lifestyle Medicine is scientifically proven to reverse heart disease and to help us become fitter, healthier versions of ourselves. Even those of you with high motivation to add fitness to your lifestyle may still run into some roadblocks. A common struggle is staying consistent, and when your consistency wanes so do your results.

The problem with focusing on future weight loss is that slower than expected results can destroy consistency.

One of the common paths to the consistency roadblock is too much focus on success, failure, and goals. When we focus too much on success, we’re often blinded from our most-needed focus, which will ultimately lead to a healthier outcome. This is daily consistency.

Think about building a house. The architects and builders don’t begin by focusing on the final product; they start with a solid foundation. The same is true for our fitness routines.

It’s more helpful to focus our attention squarely on building a foundation of daily effort rather than on potential success or failure in the future. I’m not implying we shouldn’t have goals, but I do propose we refocus our thoughts on what we are doing in the present to attain those goals.

A research study by Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert at Harvard University found that people who focus on the present moment are actually happier. So when it comes to exercise, I advise you to focus on the consistent daily action you need to take to eventually get to what you want. This refocus will actually simplify our effort by holding us accountable only to daily action. We then rely less on weight loss or visible body changes to motivate us. The problem with focusing on future weight loss or other changes is that slower than expected results can destroy consistency and motivation. If you reorder your fitness priorities and place consistent daily action first, then the outcomes and successes will come in time. What motivates you everyday to attain your fitness goal?

Contributed by

Phil Hardesty
Exercise Physiologist

Have a healthy, happy and fit week!!

Better Health Begins With You...

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