Do you ever feel like you’re your own worst enemy? Holding oneself accountable can be difficult. Even when you do find motivation to exercise, people often struggle to maintain consistency over the long-term. Here are 3 simple ways to hold yourself accountable.
Track Your Progress
Whether it’s a simple spreadsheet or using a mobile app, there are plenty of ways to track your progress. Progress tracking will give you a visual representation of how you’re doing so you can see how close you are to your goals (which should have specifics and timeliness associated with them). It will also make sure that you keep your goals top of mind when you consciously have to enter data each day. And the more progress you make, the more you’ll want to keep going!
For example, if you’re counting calories or need to keep tabs on your nutrition intake, try apps like:
- MyFitnessPal
- This user-friendly app has numerous functions like recording food consumption, hydration, and activity. You can also record your weight for every weigh-in and the app shows your progress in a handy dashboard. There’s also a social component, so you can link up with your friends and motivate each other!
- Lose It!
- Set your goal and Lose It! will determine a daily caloric allowance for you. It has a database full of food so you can easily log what you eat. It also easily syncs with popular fitness trackers so you can log your activity as well!
- CheckOff Diet Tracker (Apple and Android)
- This app allows you to track the amount of food group servings you are consuming each day. Depending on what diet plan you are following, you can set portion sizes and check them off as you consume them.
Make it Public
Letting others know of your goals will not only hold yourself accountable in the public eye, but you’ll receive encouragement and support from those around you. You’ll also feel a certain responsibility to make progress. If you keep your goals private, you’ll be more likely to let yourself get away with slip-ups.
Positive Reinforcement
Aside from the rewards of better health and feeling better about yourself, you should reward yourself for hitting certain milestones along the way. As we mentioned before, your goal should have a timeline, so you should set small goals along the way to make sure you’re making progress. If you hit these milestones, reward yourself with something you’ll enjoy, like a massage. Avoid food-based rewards so that you don’t lose the progress you’ve made. It’s always a good idea to treat yourself, because a healthy mind makes more healthy choices.
How do you hold yourself accountable? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page!