The problem with most diets and fitness programs is that most people are unable to keep up with them for very long.  That is why when assessing the chances of achieving success with any such program one of the key parameters you should evaluate is the sustainability of the program.

In this article we will give you a some very important pointers to help to select a fitness program that will not only get you to the fitness level desired, but that will also make it easier to sustain it for a long time, assuring long-term success.

There are basically two components to any successful fitness program: dieting and exercising.  Let’s examine some key aspects of these two components that will increase the probability that your initiative will not turn into another failed attempt to change your body.

Dieting

In order for you to be successful with any long-term dieting program you need to make sure to incorporate the following items in your diet:   

1. No hunger – if your diet makes you feel hungry all the time it is almost guaranteed to fail.  No one can sustain self-inflicted hunger for very long.
2. Don’t self-deny your favorite foods – if you really want to stay on a diet for a long period of time, it is very important that you take a break from it once a week.  You should follow your diet strictly, but once a week you should take a break from it and eat as much as you want of any of your favorite foods.  This not only has a positive psychological impact, but it also prevents your body from slowing your metabolism.
3. Keep it simple – the best diets only have a few rules.  If it is too complicated, or if it involves too many measurements or restrictions, you will quickly give up on it.

 Exercising

By the same token, use the following rules in order to sustain your exercising program for a long period of time:  

1. Practice your favorite sport – the best type of exercise is one that you do for pure joy, and not just to stay in shape.  Choose a sport that you enjoy and practice it as much as you can.
2. Keep any gym-type exercises to 30 minutes – for the days when you cannot practice your favorite sport, or for resistance type exercises, you may have to go to the gym or work on some exercise equipment at your residence.  For these types of exercises, if you keep them to 30 minutes a day you will be much more likely to not skip it when you don’t feel like exercising.  Thirty minutes is relatively easy to sustain and you will more likely just do it.
3. Just like with dieting, you should have a day off every week when you do not exercise at all.  This has a positive psychological impact, just like the break from dieting, and it also helps your body recover.

These are very simple concepts, but they are extremely important for the success of your fitness program.  Success many times is found in the simplest forms and doesn’t necessarily require sophisticated programs.  Follow the simple rules above and you will notice that it will be a lot easier to stay with the your fitness program to achieving long-term results.