What Does It Really Mean to Be “In a Routine” With Your Health and Fitness?
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You hear the phrase "in a routine" all the time... but what does that mean? Is it JUST a feeling you get when you haven't fallen off the wagon (yet) or is it actual THINGS you are doing?!
In this episode, you will learn what it actually means to be in a routine in your journey and how habits AND choices play a role. Because when you can understand something fully, you can take the right steps to live it out, and you'll be on your way to CONFIDENTLY walking out a healthy lifestyle day in and day out!
Routine is defined as a sequence of actions regularly followed.
Aka doing specific actions in a regular order consistently over time!
So to be in a routine means there are certain HABITS (things that happen basically automatically) you do consistently. That also means there are certain CHOICES you make consistently.
Both habits and choices are consistent day after day instead of sporadic.
You know when you feel "off" in your journey?
You're eating whatever throughout the day… workouts aren't super structured or planned ahead… just doing whatever and whenever it fits in the day... you're feeling unproductive at the end of the day because you just kind of went through the motions.
Whether you struggle with just one of these or all of these, you'd probably describe yourself and NOT feeling "in a routine" in your journey.
Being in a routine means...
You're being mindful when you eat.
You're consistently working out and it's around the same time of each day.
You're going to sleep and waking up around the same times each day.
You feel accomplished at the end of each day because what you do to take care of YOUR body is pretty predictable.
There will be minor shifts in your routine in the day to day and over larger spans of time… larger shifts. THAT IS NORMAL!
The key is that in the moment to moment choices — you stay disciplined and you stay consistent! That is what creates that "in a routine" feeling each DAY and over time. That is what equips you to navigate the small shifts day to day and bigger ones over the course of months.
Start by focusing on small choices you're making moment to moment. That overall feeling "off" won't go away by 180-ing everything you're doing.
SMALL changes done consistently over time. Capiche? Capiche.
Get after it, mama!
Are you ready to go from overwhelmed and stuck to disciplined and consistent in your journey?
Book your Starting Point Session and let's get you on track to your healthiest life!
FULL TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] You hear the phrase in a routine all the time, I'm guilty of using it, but the good news is that there's nothing wrong with that phrase. I just want you to understand what it actually means to be in a routine with your health and your fitness and your nutrition and that feeling. You know what I'm talking about, it's a feeling that you feel in a routine, and I want you to understand what that actually means.
So when you're in a routine, You can acknowledge that and live in it and be proud of yourself for it. But when you're out of it, you can take steps to getting back there because when you can understand something fully, that's why we're diving into this today. You can take the right steps to live it out, and you'll be on your way to confidently walking out a healthy lifestyle day in and day out.
Now we're here to learn today, but if at any point during today's episode, you're like, okay, I get it. Now I understand what it means to be in a routine. But I also need to know the right steps in the right order to get there. And I don't wanna go too fast. So I fall off again. I just wanna do this right [00:01:00] this time.
That is what starting point sessions are for. So during this episode, at any point, while you're listening, you can head to the tough love mom.com/coaching. It's also linked below for you in the show notes. To book your starting point session so we can figure out why you're stuck and not feeling in a routine.
We'll find your starting point. So you can get into a routine in a sustainable way and actually make it a lifestyle. All right. Ready to learn? Let's go.
Hey, mama. Welcome to the tough love mom podcast. I know you're here because you're ready to get consistent and finally lose that weight. And you're not afraid of a little tough love, you know, what to do to lose weight. But following through on those things feels impossible. You wish you could just feel like you're strong, confident self again, and want to be a good example for your little ones, but you get thrown off by mom guilt and the unpredictability of motherhood.
It's frustrat. Taking on your journey. [00:02:00] Postpartum is hard, but it's not impossible. Hey, I'm Liz and I've been where you are. I gained a lot of weight in my pregnancies, 90 pounds, and then 60 pounds. I needed to lose that weight to take control of my health. And honestly just wanted to feel like myself again with a sustainable approach to weight loss.
Simple consistency in working on my mindset. I lost it all in just over a year, both times. And I'm here to help you do the same. I believe that we have an ingrained ability to figure out what we need to do, make it happen and do it in a way that AWS the world, if you're ready to stop falling off the wagon, create solid routine and healthy habits and finally feel your best inside and out all while enjoying D nuggets on your salad, you are in the right place.
We're about to transform your journey. My. Get pumped up. It is tough. Love time.
I am so guilty of using this phrase all of the time and using it in a really light way without [00:03:00] getting into what it means to be in a routine with your fitness or your nutrition or your health or your sleep. I mean, it feels really broad to say that, right? Like I'm in a routine with my. It feels good.
What does that mean? Right. And I found myself saying that a lot in episodes and to clients, and recently I was like, huh, that can mean so many things to so many different people. When I say it, it's probably kind of confusing or unclear to whoever hears me say that. So what does it mean. So, you know, me and, you know, I love looking into definitions of words when we're diving deep like this.
So let's do that for the word routine routine is defined as a sequence of actions regularly followed simple enough. So rephrased in my own words is doing specific actions in a regular order. In a, you know, predictable order consistently over time. That's basically what it means. So to be in a routine means there are certain habits.
Remember, in the last episode, in [00:04:00] episode 81, we talked about the habits being things that happen pretty much automatically. We don't have to put a lot of mental effort in, and you're doing those things consistently. So things that are just second nature, you're doing them consistently over time. That's what it means to be in a.
It also means though there's a second part to this. It also means there are certain choices that you're making consistently over time. Those choices are consistent. They're not all over the board, both your habits and your choices. AKA your automatic responses to things and your intentional actions that you take are consistent day after day instead of sporadic.
So you're doing pretty much predictable things time after time, whether they're automatic responses or things that you're intentionally choosing, you're doing pretty much the same stuff. It's predictable day after day versus being all over the place. Right. That's what it means to be in a. makes sense. So, you know what it feels like when you're feeling off in your journey, you're eating whatever throughout the day.
There's not a lot of thought going into it. [00:05:00] Workouts aren't really structured or planned ahead. You're just doing whatever type of exercise whenever it fits into the day. If it fits into the day, you're feeling unproductive at the end of the day, because you just kind of went through the motions and you just weren't as intentional as you would've liked to be, you know what that feels like.
Okay. And whether you're struggling. With just one of those things I, I mentioned or all of them, you'd probably describe yourself as not feeling in a routine in your journey. Right? I mean, I've been there. We've all been there. I have had recently I've had seasons where I've been there. When I get back from vacation, I feel like this for about a week, so it's totally normal.
And you honestly should have zero guilt around this because life and seasons and our journey, ebb and flow, they're not gonna be the exact same upward trajectory straight line. No. Our whole life. It's not how it works. It is not how it works. It is not linear. Life is not linear. So our journey is not gonna be linear and it's okay to not [00:06:00] feel in a routine sometimes, but you have to be able to recognize when you're not feeling that way and then do something about it.
So what does being in a routine mean? What does that feel like? You're being mindful when you eat, you know, you're making choices. And not just, you know, automatically doing whatever feels best and easiest. You're actually making choices around your nutrition. You're consistently working out and it's around the same time each day, whether it's three days a week or six days a week, doesn't matter you're doing what you would expect of yourself in that season.
You're going to sleep and waking up around the same times each day. You feel accomplished at the end of the day because what you do to take care of your body is pretty predictable. Okay. Those are all things that kind. End up leading you to feeling in a routine. What you'll be encouraged to know though is that there will be minor shifts in this day to day, right?
It's not gonna look the exact same again, it's not linear. And over larger spans of time, there will be larger shifts in what this looks like. For you. [00:07:00] And that is normal. The key is that in the moment to moment choices, you stay disciplined and you stay consistent. This is what creates that inner routine feeling each day.
And over time, that is what equips you to navigate the small shifts day to day and the bigger ones over the course of months. So all in all. When I'm talking about being in a routine, it just means that what you are doing day to day is pretty predictable. Might not be the exact same day to day, but you're confident you have this feeling of confidence in knowing I know what I'm doing for myself and I'm following through on that.
And you also know, and you're also confident in the fact that you can pivot and navigate those pivots. With ease with, well, maybe not ease, ease, isn't always the best word to use, but you can navigate those pivots with confidence, knowing that, you know what life does happen in seasons. And my journey's gonna ebb and float and it's gonna be fine because I know I'm capable of being consistent.
I'm capable of [00:08:00] having a predictable. You know, routine choices, actions in my journey. And I'm also capable of being disciplined when I need to be and being relaxed when I choose to be as well. Like knowing that you can do that yourself is what makes that feeling of being in a routine. So if you need help with the moment to moment and the day to day, that discipline that you need for those choices that you have to make moment to moment, day to day.
Cause remember not everything is a habit. And not everything just is this automatic response. A lot of the things we're doing moment to moment that either make our journey more productive or are self sabotaging end up being choices. And we do need discipline around choices. When we don't have discipline, we can't make productive choices for ourselves.
So if you need help with that moment to moment and day to day, that's what starting points are. All. in your starting point session. What we'll do is figure out why you're stuck right now while you're not feeling in a routine, we'll decide on which pillar to focus on first, is it gonna be nutrition, fitness, or [00:09:00] routine.
And then from there, what we'll do is find your starting point and a starting point is just that one simple action that you're going to make a habit. Remember we talked about habits being automatic. And then the rest of it all being choices, things that you actually have to put mental effort into. So your starting point probably isn't a habit yet, but we're going to make it a habit.
And by giving you accountability by giving you just that consistent focus on that one thing. So you're gonna get a starting point's that one simple action that you're gonna make a habit over the course of a couple weeks. With my accountability, because that's what builds that in a routine feeling. And that is what creates true change like lasting change.
It becomes who you are, not just this bandaid that you're slapping onto your journey, trying to lose a couple pounds. It is what creates true change. So you can actually live a healthy lifestyle and change the way you're living, change the way your kids choose to live. When they're adults set the example, right?
So you can go book your starting point [00:10:00] session@thetoughlovemom.com. Back slash coaching. If you're ready to make lasting change, I'm only gonna work with you. If you are ready for real change in your journey, you're not wanting a quick fix. You're not just wanting to lose a couple pounds. You are ready to make actual, healthy changes in your life.
Okay. That's what we do. If you're ready for that, go sign up for your session and finally get to that feeling of in a routine and it takes time to get there, but you will. Okay. in the meantime, remember to start by focusing on small choices that you're making moment to moment got, don't gotta make big shifts.
You don't have to. It's the small, small choices in the day to day. And the moment to moment that overall feeling off, right when we're feeling off, it's not gonna go away. By one, aiding, everything you're doing. I mean, it will like right off the bat, but it won't last. You're gonna fall off and I'm not here to let you fall off.
I'm holding your hand and making you take tiny, tiny, tiny, small changes, because that's the only way you make lasting change. Okay. So you want it to last [00:11:00] small changes done consistently over time. Say it one more time. You wanna make these changes last, you need to make small changes consistently over time.
So they become habits, right? So they become just part of who you are, part of how you function. Capish capish go get after it. Mama, before you go. Thank you for spending this time with me on the tough love mom podcast. If this episode encouraged you in any way, the number one way you can thank me is to leave a review, letting me know how the show has impacted you.
Then. Send this episode to another mom friend, or take a screenshot, post it on social media and tag me so I can personally thank you for helping me on this journey to impact thousands of moms. I'm so grateful to be on this journey with your sister until next time. Get after it.
