Constructs of Adherence: Part 2

Welcome to part two of the Constructs of Adherence series.  A mind boggling, heart thumping, edge of your seat adventure of.......two blogs.  Now that I've gotten you all riled up and ready to learn, let's dive in, shall we?

Before we continue, I do recommend that you go back to Part 1 and read Constructs of Adherence to set the table for you (because we're mainly talking about nutrition and training....see what I did there? Set the table?  Nevermind).

4. Discipline

Your goals are written down, your game plan is set, and motivation and inspiration are still blowing a gale force wind into your sails.  You are unstoppable.....until those winds die down.  You see, motivation is effective but extremely exhaustive, and unless you have a motor attached to your ship fueled by "willpower", you will get stuck.  Willpower is the source you draw from when the going gets tough.  It keeps you from going under.  It brings you back to the surface when you want to give up.  If we think about it, nutrition and training should be easy if all we have to focus our willpower fuel sources on is nutrition and training.  But other things take your willpower away, as well.  Family. Work. Friends. Pets.  Willpower is not an infinite source.  Willpower is finite.  It can bring you back to the surface after a bad day, but it needs to be buoyed by discipline.  Discipline is remembering your game plan when you want to binge eat a box of Captain Crunch cereal (with berries).  Discipline is getting your training session in even though it took all of your energy just to make it through the work day.  Discipline fills in those gaps when willpower starts to wane.  Discipline brings you to the ultimate goal of nutrition and training.  Habit.

5. Habit 

Habit is the ultimate goal when it comes to diet and training.  Whenever we set goals in the gym, habit is where we want to end up.  Lets be honest, staying disciplined 24/7 is hard, especially with nutrition, and willpower as discussed above can be restored, but not if depleted.  It has even been shown that focusing on diet for too long can have a negative physiological effect on the body.  Habit is where we need to be to help create sustainability.  How can you help yourself get to the goal post that is your habit?  
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Stick to a nutrition plan that compliments your schedule and preferences.  I know many overnight nurses that can't sit down and eat 6 meals per day, so they adjust their eating schedules around their lifestyle.  If you don't like broccoli, then don't include it as your vegetable of choice.  There is no one right way.

Make sure your game plan is attainable.  We reviewed the S.M.A.R.T. goals in the previous blog.  If your goals are so out of reach that you have nothing to measure against, you will get discouraged faster, and motivation and willpower will wane, as well.

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Don't do someone else's workout.  Your body is going to function differently than your friends, spouse, etc.  This is not an excuse to do less work, but we all know someone who has over done it to keep up with a cookie cutter program (or friend) and they burn out before the month is over.  Get a program regime that is tailored to you.  Your age, experience, diet, sleep habits, and stress all play a role as far as how much work you can do in a given week.

When your nutrition plan becomes a habit your chances of success skyrocket.  The less energy needed to adhere to your program, the easier it is to make it your daily routine.  The likelihood of sticking to your new habits after you take a break from your diet is also much more promising.  So keep in mind that there is a pot of gold at the end of your adherence rainbow.  It may take 4-6 weeks to get there, but the reward is worth it.

6. Passion

Ah, passion.  A deep affection for the process.  People who are passionate about their craft have developed the habits and found something deeply special  in those habits.  For people passionate about nutrition love making their food, love the structure of their eating habits, and love how their eating habits make them feel.  BUT! An important but.  Passion, especially for nutrition, is not for everyone.  It's a feeling, and all grown ups know, you can't tell people how to feel or promise someone they will feel this passion.  All you need to know is that you can't reach passion without habit, and don't confuse passion for inspiration or motivation.  Passion happens with practice.

The short story is adherence takes work.  Consistent work.  And it never ends in a few weeks or months.  Wherever you are in your journey apply these 6 steps and see where it takes you.

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