Self-Discipline to Exercise:
Where to Find It and How to Save It for a Long Time?

If exercise could be packed into a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation. After many decades of rigorous research, scientists are sure that regular physical activity is a key factor in maintaining a healthy weight and preventing chronic diseases.

But unlike pills, exercise requires quite a bit of self-discipline — no matter if you're looking to grow shapely muscles, keep your heart healthy, or lose excess weight.

The Internet is full of miracle diets that promise a mind-blowing body transformation in a matter of weeks.

Unfortunately, they don't usually work. Any weight you might lose on an extreme two-week diet will come back with a vengeance. Your body doesn't want to die of starvation, so it will start putting on weight as soon as you get back to eating normally.

However, there's a simple and proven weight loss method that brings long-term results.

Do the words "healthy diet" feel like a vague threat to you because you can't stand the thought of counting calories and eating bland veggies for the rest of your life?

Well, you don't have to. Self-discipline with food really boils down to several key habits such as cutting down on snacks and eating more of certain foods.

Here are some more tips and tricks that will make healthy nutrition more fun:

• Eat lots of colorful plant-based foods and make sure your meals look attractive.
  
• Use herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor your food.
  
• Experiment with different ways of cooking the same foods.
  
• Keep healthy snacks easily accessible.
  

Last but not least: we know that DESSERTS is just STRESSED spelled backwards, but eating sugary foods whenever you're feeling down can seriously undermine your weight loss efforts.

Exercise is a crucial component of weight loss. Quite obviously, it helps you burn more calories. But exercising regularly also prevents you from losing strength and valuable muscle mass when dieting, which helps you burn more calories at rest, too.

However, exercising requires quite a bit of self-discipline. Spending your free time in front of a screen or curled up under cozy blankets is much more tempting than going for a jog on a foggy morning or sweating in the gym. Fortunately, we've got some excellent tips for you.

Treat your workouts like you treat your medical appointments. That is, schedule them in your calendar and make sure you show up. After all, workouts are appointments with a very important person, namely yourself!

Even if you're feeling tired, sleepy, or still sore from a previous workout, put on your athletic clothes and do at least something. Ten minutes of yoga might be less effective for weight loss than an hour-long run, but it's still better than dozing off in front of the TV.

Not all physical activity has to be meticulously scheduled, though. Unless you plan every second of your day, you probably won't put things like "use the stairs instead of the elevator" on your calendar. People who live an active lifestyle by making choices like this actually burn more calories than those who only follow an exercise routine, believe it or not! So find simple ways throughout your day to add a little extra activity.

Working out without a goal is like driving a car without a fixed destination in mind. Yes, you may get somewhere — or maybe you won't.

Self-discipline to exercise is all about setting goals and challenging yourself to achieve them. To avoid frustration, set a goal that's SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable, and Time-Bound. For example: "In one month, I'll be able to run 1 km."

Then, try to beat this goal. And once you have, set another goal so you don't get bored. Setting challenging goals is the secret to long-term motivation.

Scientists are still arguing about whether willpower is a finite resource. But there's one thing they agree on: Eliminating temptations and distractions is easier than having to resist them.

Leave your phone in a gym locker if you can't resist staring at it instead of working out, and don't keep unhealthy snacks within easy reach. You can't munch on cake in the middle of the night if you don't have any cake!

Have you been working out for weeks but seeing no progress? So-called plateaus (periods when you don't experience measurable progress) are a normal part of weight loss, but they can be discouraging and frustrating.

When you're feeling this way, think of your big WHY. There's a reason why you've decided to lose weight. You may want to boost your self-esteem and feel confident in any outfit. Or maybe you're losing weight because you just want to play with your kids without getting out of breath.

The reason why you started is your biggest weight loss motivation. Whenever you feel discouraged, spend a few minutes visualizing your leaner, healthier body.

Once you've visualized your end result, it will be much easier to get back on track with training and nutrition.

Chances are that you're already naturally good at some kind of physical activity. If you're naturally flexible, you'll probably find yoga quite easy. If you're naturally strong, you'll enjoy lifting weights because that's where you'll make easy progress.

But if you want to lose weight, you need to get out of your comfort zone and challenge your body to do new things. Adapting to new types of workouts burns more calories and helps with weight loss.

Doing the same workout over and over again is a recipe for frustration. As your body adapts to the training stimulus, it loses its effectiveness, so you're just going through the motions without getting stronger or leaner.

We've collected some excellent habits that will add variety to your exercise routine without having to buy additional fitness equipment.

Accountability is a major factor in building healthy habits. That's why it's a good idea to share your goals with people who support you — both online and offline. When you know you're accountable, you'll be less tempted to miss a workout or binge on junk food.

You can go to the gym with your friends or share your workout diary in an online community. Keeping each other accountable boosts the chances of achieving your goals by 65%!

Healthy eating and regular physical activity sound like a lot of work. Fortunately, once you've built strong habits, most of this work will become automatic. Simple habits like eating one extra vegetable a day or taking a 20-minute walk can go a long way when it comes to weight loss.

Self-discipline to lose weight is all about setting clear goals and following simple habits. You don't have to starve yourself or spend hours in the gym — just make sure you're fueling your body with healthy foods and staying active, and weight loss will follow.