No doubt you’ve heard a thousand times over that, if you want to lose weight, you have to be consistent. You have to have a routine and you’ve got to stick to it, no matter what.

While it’s true that consistency is King and commitment is Queen when it comes to getting fit, here is a little known exception to that rule: Deferring from your regular fitness routine can, in fact, be just the thing you need if you’ve hit a wall or your scale starts moving in the wrong direction.

The alternative most folks choose when they hit a plateau is to “take it up a notch” by working harder, longer, heavier, or faster, or, they move to near starvation in an effort to squeeze the body fat off. But here’s some good news. None of that is necessary if you know what you are doing. Here are 3 ways you can switch just a few things around and shift your results into high gear:

The Difference is in The Difference - The human body is one of the most adaptable machines on planet earth. How else do you explain the diverse environments in which we exist? With this in mind, it’s easy to understand why, once you become acclimated to something new, both your mind and body can become comfortable, or you might even say, complacent. When you have physically grown accustomed to a consistent amount of calories or a consistent exercise routine (this typically happens 5 to 7 weeks into a steady fitness regimen) your body will often kick into BTDT (“Been There Done That”) mode.  When this happens, you might be moving along at a nice, even clip, getting all of your workouts in and eating like a runway model and then, suddenly, without warning, the scale comes to a screeching halt.

A Different Drill – When your body gets to the point where it is no longer impressed with your flat bench press or the 12 sets of 50 squats you’ve been performing, rather than trying to pound it into submission with longer, harder workouts, try instead to switch exercises. If you’ve been using free weights, switch to machines for a while. If you’ve been doing nothing but circuit training at the gym, try moving to body-weight exercises like counter push-ups or stadiums. When you ask the body to move through a different plane of motion, no matter how slight the difference, it can cause the muscle to tap in on fibers that have not been called upon before. Simply changing to a different piece of equipment or exercise method, even at a lighter weight, can produce that nice feeling of fatigue and soreness you’ve been missing –  much easier than adding more weight or more reps.

A Different Diet – If your scale has all but stalled out, rather than eating less and less food, a better approach (and one that will yield much better return with a lot less pain) is to change either the timing, portions or combinations of foods you eat. If you tend to skip breakfast, eat very light all day and then eat your largest meal in the evening, try doing just the opposite. Eat your largest meal first thing in the morning, then consistently down size throughout the day. Ideally, of course, to get the best results from your nutrition plan, all of your meals should be about the same size (a little larger than your clinched fist,) contain an equal portion of protein and carbohydrates, and should be spread out evenly throughout the day (about every 2-1/2 to 3 hours.) But, again, if you have been doing this consistently and are no longer getting the results you want, it’s time to try something new.

A Different Dream – Using a goal picture or creating a vision board is one of the most powerful ways to wake up your focus and keep it there. Unfortunately, after a few weeks, if you are still looking at the same images, no matter how inspirational they once were, they won’t serve much purpose unless you continue to have a strong, positive, emotional response to them. If the vision of your dream has faded (and the excitement of changing has moved in the same direction) it’s time to find some new images or phrases that inspire you. Another way to wake up your inspiration is to begin carefully and methodically charting your progress on paper. Set new goals, make a calendar of daily and weekly achievements, and reward yourself by checking them off as you go along. While most people focus on the action part of fitness - sweat, work, pain, resistance, denial and deprivation - the true key to long-term success comes with changing your vision and your vocabulary. Get in the habit of talking about the DREAM as opposed to the struggle. Ultimately, it’s how you view your world and communicate with yourself that makes all the difference in the world.

About the Author:
Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online™, a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-works-better approach.

For more information on how you can get better results in less time and with less effort than you ever thought possible, visit http://www.lovelivingfit.com. Send for your Free LivingFit Progress Tracker by emailing dianne@lovelivingfit.com and placing the words “STV Free Progress Tracker” in the subject line. You will receive the tracker and a free bonus as our gift to you!

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