We all think we know what to do to lose weight, or that is what we often hear.

So, if we all know what to do, then why are there so many people who are not happy with the way they look and feel?

Besides finding the right eating plan that works for your body, exercising regularly, staying hydrated and getting good quality sleep, the single most important thing you can do is to develop self-discipline.

Self-discipline is intrinsic – an inner game. It’s about developing an inner strength, having the ability to not give in to unhealthy habits, laziness or procrastination. It gives you more control over your life and teaches you to be proactive, not reactive. Self-discipline also helps how you see and feel about yourself, and keeps you focused on becoming a better version of yourself.

Self-discipline can also be aided by extrinsic factors. One of the easiest ways to build extrinsic motivation is to put yourself in an environment where you are surrounded by people wanting to achieve similar results.

But self-discipline isn’t something that you wake up with one morning. It is a combination of putting these four disciplines into action:

1.Having a Goal

If you can articulate what you want to achieve and by when then you have your goal.

“I currently weight 85kg and in 5 months (21 weeks) I want to be 75kg and comfortably wear my favourite size 14 little black dress that I wore to my engagement party.”

By setting your goal you set a clear intention, it gives you confidence and belief in yourself, it helps you to stay focused, and it reminds you where you are headed.

A goal must be written down and made visible so that you read it at least daily. You are not relying on other people, you are relying only on yourself and comparing where you were, where you are now, and where you want to be.

Your goal will help you bounce back faster from setbacks. A clear goal will also help you get back on track if you ever deviate off your plan.

We also recommend that you have a non-weight goal as well, so you don’t place too much emphasis (or stress) on yourself if you’re having not such a good day.

2. Measuring behaviour change

Don’t rely on motivation, it just doesn’t work for forming new long-term habits. We often find ourselves highly motivated, but a slipup here, a slipup there, and before you know it, your old habits are rearing their ugly head and you are in complete overwhelm and giving up seems like the only option.

Changing habits on a small incremental daily basis makes it manageable and allows you to step out of your comfort zone without too much stress. Small changes become BIG results.

Know your weaknesses and remove any temptations. If you want to have a month off drinking alcohol, then don’t have any alcohol in the home. 

Adjust your home and work environment to support your habit changes. If you want to exercise each morning, then have your exercise clothes and shoes laid out by your bed to make it easier. 

If you plan to take your lunch to work each day, cook double for dinner and pack half for lunch tomorrow. 

If you want to drink more water, have bottles of water in the fridge, in your bag, on your desk or by your bed. You get the picture. 

Discipline is having the choice between what you feel like having now and what you really want the most at some point in your future.

3. Having a Scoreboard to measure your small wins

If you have ever played or watched a team sport, then you’ll know that there is always a scoreboard. We play differently when the score is being kept. 

And it’s no different for you when you are on a mission to lose some weight or to be as healthy as you can at any age. Remember, doing the things necessary to achieving a weight and health where you are happy, are not moments in time – they are lifestyle choices.

So, what would your scoreboard look like? Here are some suggestions:

• Reward yourself for every 5 kg lost
• Put a coin in a jar every day you exercise, and put towards a new dress, jeans or shoes
• Good sleep habits for a month, shout yourself a massage
• Keeping hydration up daily, then reward yourself with non-food or drink rewards: buy a book to read, go to the movies or have your nails done.

4. Weekly Accountability

You have your goal, you are working on changing habits one by one, and you are rewarding yourself along the way as you achieve successes, but you still struggle to stay on track. Why?

You may have a friend who is on the same journey, so this is a great opportunity to have an accountability partner. Get together weekly, compare notes, provide motivation for each other, share recipes, exercise together and set new goals.

Or you could join the Keto Fitness online program and be guided weekly through this process and they will be your accountability partner every week.

The weekly lessons monitor your weight, prior week’s eating, exercise, sleep, and then pre-plan for any challenges you may face in the coming week. This helps with creating new habits that stick, help educate and empower you to make the right choices and to set new goals when needed.

Being at a weight that you feel your best and being healthy and feeling fit so that you feel empowered is a wonderful outcome. It does require self-discipline and for some many habit changes, but it is worth it!

If you want to get started Click on the Lose Weight Now button at the top of the page.