107: Q&A: 7 Ways to Finally Stay Consistent (Even When Motivation Dies)
7 Ways to Finally Stay Consistent (Even When Motivation Dies)
Tired of starting and stopping? Tara breaks down 7 real strategies to stay consistent with your training when motivation fades, no magic, just what actually works.
Let's cut to the chase: if you've been training for months and you're frustrated that nothing's changing, it's probably not your workout plan, your supplements, or even how hard you're pushing in the gym.
The truth? It's consistency.
And yeah, we know, not sexy. Not flashy. Not the quick fix you were hoping for. But it's the one thing that actually moves the needle. It's the difference between spinning your wheels and making real, sustainable progress.
In this no-BS episode, Tara breaks down seven ways to finally lock in your consistency so you can stop the cycle of starting and stopping and actually see the results you're working for. We're talking about the real cost of skipped workouts, why the scale is keeping you stuck, how to stop waiting on motivation that's never coming, and why imperfect workouts will always beat no workouts.
If you're tired of waiting for the "perfect" time or constantly starting over, this is the reality check you need.
The Hard Truth: Consistency Is Why You're Not Seeing Results
Here's the thing nobody wants to hear: your lack of results probably isn't because your program sucks or you're not working hard enough. It's because you're not consistent enough.
You train for three weeks, then life gets busy and you miss a week. You're on point with your nutrition for a month, then a vacation throws you off and it takes you three weeks to get back on track. You crush it in the gym for two months, then you get sick and lose all your momentum.
Sound familiar?
Tara emphasizes that results come from doing the work consistently over time, not from doing it perfectly for short bursts. If you're constantly starting and stopping, your body never has the chance to actually adapt and change.
Think of it this way: you can have the best training program in the world, but if you only follow it 50% of the time, you're going to get 50% of the results. Or less.
The hard truth is that consistency beats intensity every single time. Showing up four days a week for six months will get you further than going all-in for three weeks and then falling off for two months.
If you're frustrated with your progress, the first question you need to ask yourself is: am I actually being consistent?
The One Thing Everyone Overlooks That Costs You Progress
Here's what most people miss: every time you skip a workout or fall off your routine, you're not just losing that one session. You're also losing momentum, and momentum is everything.
When you're in a rhythm, showing up is easy. Your body expects it. Your schedule accommodates it. Your mind doesn't have to negotiate with itself about whether or not you're going to train today, you just do it.
But when you break that rhythm, you have to start from scratch. Every. Single. Time. And starting is the hardest part.
Tara talks about how the cost of inconsistency compounds over time. It's not just the missed workouts. It's the mental energy spent deciding whether or not to go. It's the guilt and frustration that creeps in when you realize you've fallen off again. It's the physical regression that happens when you take too much time off.
The goal isn't perfection. It's maintaining enough consistency that you never lose your momentum completely. Because once you have momentum, everything gets easier.
Your Scale Obsession Is Keeping You Stuck
If you're stepping on the scale every day and letting the number dictate your mood, your motivation, and whether or not you feel like your training is "working," you're sabotaging yourself.
Here's why: the scale doesn't measure progress. It measures weight. And weight fluctuates daily based on hydration, sodium intake, stress, hormones, digestion, and a million other factors that have nothing to do with your actual body composition or fitness level.
Tara breaks down how scale obsession keeps women stuck in a negative feedback loop. The number goes up, you feel discouraged, you skip workouts or restrict food, which leads to more frustration, which leads to more inconsistency.
But here's what actually matters: are you getting stronger? Do you feel better in your body? Are your clothes fitting differently? Is your energy improving? Are you sleeping better? Those are the real indicators of progress.
If you're going to track something, track your workouts. Track your lifts. Track how you feel. But stop letting the scale be the judge of whether you're making progress, because it's lying to you.
Consistency matters more than the number on the scale. Always.
The Motivation Myth That's Holding You Back
Let's talk about the biggest lie the fitness industry has sold you: that you need to be motivated to work out.
You don't.
Motivation is fleeting. It's emotional. It comes and goes based on your mood, your stress level, how much sleep you got, and what's happening in your life. If you're waiting to feel motivated before you train, you're going to be waiting a long time.
Tara emphasizes that people who are consistent aren't more motivated than you. They've just stopped relying on motivation. They've built systems, habits, and routines that carry them through the days when they don't feel like showing up.
Here's the truth: you're not going to feel like training every day. Some days you're going to be tired, stressed, or just not in the mood. And that's completely normal. But the people who see results? They train anyway.
Discipline is doing the work even when you don't feel like it. That's it. That's the whole secret.
So stop waiting for motivation to strike. Stop believing you need to feel a certain way to show up. Just show up. The motivation will follow, or it won't. But you'll have done the work either way.
What Perfectionism in the Gym Really Steals From You
If you're the type of person who thinks that if you can't do your full planned workout, you might as well not do anything at all, this section is for you.
Perfectionism is one of the biggest killers of consistency. It convinces you that it's all or nothing, that if you can't give 100%, there's no point in trying. So you skip the workout. And then another. And before you know it, weeks have gone by.
Here's what perfectionism steals from you: progress. Momentum. Results. Confidence. All because you decided that a 30-minute workout wasn't as valuable as a 60-minute one, or that lifting lighter weights because you're tired doesn't count.
Tara breaks down why imperfect workouts always beat no workouts. Always. A 20-minute strength session is better than zero minutes. Three sets instead of four still builds strength. Modifying exercises because you're tired or sore is smart training, not failure.
The goal is consistency over time, not perfection in every session. If you can shift your mindset from "all or nothing" to "something is better than nothing," you'll show up more often. And showing up more often is what gets results.
Let go of the idea that every workout needs to be your best workout. Some days you're just checking the box, and that's not just okay, it's necessary.
Build Non-Negotiables Into Your Life
Here's a strategy that changes everything: treating your workouts like non-negotiable appointments.
Think about it, you don't skip brushing your teeth because you don't feel like it. You don't miss work because you're not motivated. You don't bail on picking your kids up from school because something more fun came up. Those things are non-negotiable.
Your training needs to become the same.
Tara talks about how building non-negotiables into your life removes the daily decision-making process. You're not negotiating with yourself about whether or not you'll work out today. It's already decided. It's on the calendar. It's happening.
This doesn't mean you can never miss a workout or that you need to train through sickness or injury. It means that missing a session should be the exception, not the rule. And when you do miss, you're not starting from scratch, you're just getting back to your routine.
Here's how to make it work: schedule your workouts like you would any other important appointment. Put them in your calendar. Treat them with the same respect you'd give a work meeting or a doctor's appointment. And show up.
The fewer decisions you have to make about working out, the easier it becomes to stay consistent.
Play the Long Game, Not the 30-Day Challenge
One of the biggest mistakes people make is approaching fitness like it's a 30-day challenge. They go all-in, give it everything they've got, see some quick results, and then burn out and quit.
That's not sustainable. And it's not how real, lasting change happens.
Tara emphasizes that fitness is a long game. It's about building habits and routines you can maintain for years, not weeks. It's about creating a lifestyle that supports your goals without consuming your entire life.
If your current training and nutrition plan isn't something you can see yourself doing in a year, it's not the right plan. Period.
The people who get the best results aren't the ones who go the hardest for a short period of time. They're the ones who show up consistently, week after week, month after month, year after year. They build sustainable habits. They play the long game.
So stop chasing quick fixes and 30-day transformations. Start thinking about what you can sustain. What can you do four times a week for the next year? What eating habits can you maintain long-term? That's where real progress happens.
Ready to stop the start-stop cycle and build real, lasting consistency? If you want personalized support to help you show up consistently and see actual results, check out Broads 1:1 Coaching and work with a coach who gets it.
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What's your biggest consistency struggle? Share your experience with the Broads community on Instagram @broads.podcast—let's talk about what's actually keeping you stuck.
