Mikey Moon's health and fitness column: Consistency is key

Consistency isn’t spoken about enough in fitness. The ‘all or nothing culture’ I wrote of last week affects so many.

People preach that you have to be 100 per cent perfect all the time to achieve to your goals. Perfection is not the goal here because no-one is perfect.

However, the pressure to be perfect usually leads to people giving up on their diet – one meal off-plan and suddenly the whole thing seems pointless. But sacrificing consistency for perfection is probably causing you to go backwards.

Let’s say we have two Mikeys (lucky devils!): Mikey 1 is obsessed with being perfect. He cuts out everything that could be bad for him, including fruit because sugar .... actually, don’t get me started on this because it’s ridiculous.

Anyway, Mikey 1 lasts three days before he caves, has a few drinks after work and orders a pizza because that’s it, diet over. For the rest of the evening he shovels in calories like a bear that has hibernated for six months. Next morning, he decides to write off the week and start again Monday.

Mikey 1 has dieted for three days out of seven, which equates to 22 weeks a year.

Mikey 2 isn’t too bothered about being perfect, though he understands he needs discipline. He also goes out with Mikey 1 for drinks on day three and also orders a pizza.

However, he eats only a few slices until he is full and throws the rest in the bin.

Mikey2 doesn’t feel great next morning but is not too worried. He knows this is the long game, so he makes himself a healthy breakfast and cracks on with his day and his diet, not giving a second thought to his little slip-up.

He reduces his calories slightly to make up for it and ups his activity at the back end of the week.

Mikey 2 has dieted for six days out seven, which equates to 44 weeks a year.

Who do you think will get the better results? It is better to be consistently good than inconsistently perfect.

Fortitude Fitness is on the Poulton Industrial Estate, Beacon Road. Visit www.fortitudefit.co.uk for more details.

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