7 Unconventional Ways to Stay Consistent (And Actually See Results)

 

If you’ve ever started a new routine feeling super motivated, only to fall off a few weeks later and wonder why you cannot stay consistent, this episode is for you. Real life gets busy, motivation fades, and relying on willpower alone eventually becomes exhausting. The good news is there are ways to stay consistent that do not require you to feel fired up every day.

In this episode, I’m sharing seven unconventional strategies that make consistency feel doable, even with a full schedule, low-energy seasons, and imperfect weeks. We talk about building systems that remove decision fatigue, setting up your environment so the right choice is the easy choice, simplifying habits so they actually stick, and using mindset tools that protect your progress when life happens. This conversation will help you stop starting over and start seeing results that come from steady, repeatable action.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why systems matter more than goals for long-term results
• How to remove barriers before they derail you
• The best way to start small so habits become automatic
• A simple rule that prevents one off day from turning into a lost week
• How identity-based habits make consistency easier
• How to stack habits onto routines you already do
• Simple progress tracking that keeps you motivated without obsessing

If you’re listening and thinking, “Okay, I need help turning this into a real plan,” this is exactly what Movement With Julie and Macro Counting Made Simple are designed to do. The workout structure is already built inside the app, and the nutrition framework inside MCMS gives you a clear, supportive system so you are not relying on motivation to make decisions every day.

If you loved this episode, you may also enjoy: Episode 477: Mastering Nutrition Even on a Busy Schedule
https://www.juliealedbetter.com/embrace-your-real/mastering-nutrition-even-on-a-busy-schedule

If you want more from me, be sure to check out… 

Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Transcript

 (0:00) Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, (0:06) a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and (0:12) actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving (0:17) your authentic self.

Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get in. Let's go.

(0:29) Hello, and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Real podcast. How many times have (0:34) you set a goal, maybe to work out five days a week or eat healthier, to finally just build (0:38) the body that you want and started out so motivated, like you're so ready to crush it, (0:42) and then a few weeks in life happened. You found yourself right back where you started.

(0:46) If you've ever felt that way, I need you to know that you're not broken, you're not lazy, (0:49) and you don't lack willpower. The problem isn't you. The problem is that most of us have been (0:54) taught to rely on motivation and discipline to stay consistent, but here's the truth.

(0:58) Motivation is unreliable. It's gonna come and go. The discipline, that's exhausting to rely (1:02) on willpower alone day after day after day after day.

So today we're gonna be talking about (1:08) unconventional ways to stay consistent, strategies that don't require you to be a superhuman or have (1:13) endless motivation. These are the things that actually work in real life for real women and (1:18) real schedules and real challenges. And I'm not just gonna give you surface level tips.

(1:22) We're gonna go deep today because if you can implement even a few of these strategies, (1:26) you're going to see a massive shift in your consistency and in your results. But before (1:30) we dive in, I wanna share this review because it really made me smile and reminded me exactly (1:35) why I do what I do. She gave a five-star review and said, this is the first podcast that I've ever (1:40) loved.

This helps keep me motivated and I learned so much. All the small changes have (1:45) slowly led to big changes and that's sustainable. I'm looking forward to each episode.

Yes, (1:50) this is exactly why I do what I do. I'm telling you, it made me smile again, (1:54) just even though I knew it, but just reading it again, I'm like, ah, this is so amazing. (1:59) This is exactly why I do what I do.

So thank you so much for taking time out of your day, (2:03) you guys, to send in these reviews. It's a new year. So if you could scooch over to Apple Podcasts, (2:08) even if you left a review last year or the year before, I would love to hear kind of how (2:12) a new episode has helped you or just the podcast in your season of life right now.

It's likely (2:17) changed from 2025 or 2024. And so I would love to hear how it's helping you. So scooch over to (2:23) Apple Podcasts, leave a rating interview.

You can also rate the show on Spotify. That really does (2:27) help us just reach more women over there as well. So thank you in advance for doing that.

(2:32) Okay, here are some unconventional ways to stay consistent that will actually change the game for (2:36) you. Number one is to really focus on systems, not goals. So let me start with this because it's (2:41) completely changed my personal approach to fitness and nutrition.

Goals give you direction, but (2:46) systems actually create results. Think about it this way. You can set a goal to work out five days (2:51) a week.

That's great, right? It's gonna give you direction, but if you don't have a system in place (2:54) to make that happen, you're basically hoping that motivation shows up every single day. And we both (2:58) know that that's just not realistic. A system is the repeatable structure that removes that (3:03) decision-making.

It's the process that happens whether you feel like it or not. So here's an (3:06) example. Instead of saying, I wanna work out five days a week, you're gonna create a system around (3:10) that.

Maybe your system is, I train right after I brush my teeth in the morning, or every Sunday, (3:15) I'm gonna prep my protein for the week so that I don't even have to think about it during the (3:18) actual week. The system is gonna remove the guesswork. It removes the need to feel motivated (3:23) every single day.

You just follow the process and the results will follow. Likely, if you have (3:28) read or heard about the book, Atomic Habits, it kind of went like nuclear viral by James Clear. (3:35) There's a quote in there that says, you do not have to rise to the level of your goals.

You fall (3:41) to the level of your systems. Again, let me say that again. You do not have to rise to the level (3:44) of your goals.

You fall to the level of your systems. That's so powerful because it means (3:48) that if you wanna see different results, you don't need a bigger goal. You just need a better system.

(3:52) So I want you to ask yourself, what is the system that I can put in place that will make showing up (3:56) for my workouts or my nutrition automatic? Maybe it's scheduling your workouts in your calendar (4:01) like you would any other important appointment. Maybe it's meal prepping, one day a week so that (4:06) you always have healthy food ready to go. Maybe it's keeping your gym bag if you do go to the (4:11) gym or keeping your clothes out so that there's no excuse.

Whatever it is, focus on building the (4:16) system and that consistency will follow. Okay, number two, remove the barriers before they show (4:20) up. I know this sounds very simple, but it's so powerful.

If you wanna be consistent with (4:25) something, you have to make it ridiculously easy to do. And what I mean is remove every barrier (4:30) before it even has a chance to stop you. So if you wanna work out in the morning, I want you to (4:34) lay your workout clothes the night before.

Put your gym shoes or your workout shoes by the door, (4:40) have your water bottle filled, ready to go. If you wanna eat healthier, make your food visible (4:44) and easy to grab, put fruit on the counter, keep pre-cut veggies at eye level in your fridge, (4:48) have protein already cooked and portions that you can just grab it when you're hungry. (4:52) The more visible and accessible the habit is, the more likely you're gonna do it.

And the (4:55) opposite is true as well. If you have to dig through your closet to find your workout clothes, (5:00) or if the healthy food is buried in the back of your fridge while the chips are front and center, (5:04) you're making it much harder on yourself. I've learned this personally the hard way, right? For (5:08) years, I would tell myself, okay, I'm gonna work out after work.

But by the time I got home, (5:12) I was tired, I had a million things to do. The couch just looked way more appealing than the gym. (5:17) And so personally, like when I first started out in my fitness journey, and this is like 10 plus (5:21) years ago, I would start packing my gym bag the night before and keeping it in my car.

That way, (5:26) I could literally go straight from work to the gym without going home. And that one small change (5:31) made all the difference. The point is your environment matters.

And if you make the right (5:36) choice, the easy choice, you're gonna do it more often. And over time, that's what's gonna add up (5:41) to those massive results. Number three is simplify the habit before you make it intense.

So here's (5:47) something I wish that everyone would have told me earlier in my fitness journey. Consistency beats (5:51) intensity every single time. You don't need the perfect workout.

You don't need to go all in on (5:58) this crazy restrictive diet. You just need to show up consistently enough to make that habit become (6:03) a part of your life. So instead of trying to go from zero to 100, start with a version of the (6:08) that almost feels too small.

So for workouts, that means committing to just five minutes. You're gonna (6:13) go work out for five minutes, and then you can stop if you want to. Here's what usually happens, (6:18) though.

Once you start, you're gonna have that momentum. It's gonna carry you further. Five (6:22) minutes turns into 10 minutes.

10 turns into 20. And before you know it, you've completed the whole (6:26) workout. For eating, it might mean adding one healthy meal in per day or even every couple of (6:32) days instead of trying to overhaul your entire diet overnight.

Maybe you start with a protein-packed (6:37) breakfast. That's it. Once that becomes easy and automatic, you add in another healthy meal.

The key (6:41) here is to make that habit so small and easy that you cannot talk yourself out of it. Because the (6:47) goal here isn't to be perfect. It's to be consistent.

And small, consistent actions compound over time (6:53) into those big results. Number four, never miss twice. All right, this one's huge, and it's one of (6:58) the most important mindset shifts that you can make when it comes to consistency.

Never miss twice. (7:03) Here's what I mean. Life's gonna happen.

You're gonna miss your workouts. You're gonna have days (7:07) where eating is off, and that's normal. That's being a human.

Missing once, that's not gonna (7:11) derail your progress. But missing twice, that's when the habit starts to unravel. That's when (7:16) one day turns into two, two turns into a week, and suddenly you're completely off track and feeling (7:21) like you have to start over again.

So the rule is, yes, you can miss once, but don't miss twice. And (7:25) now let me be clear. I'm not talking about when you're actually sick or when your body genuinely (7:29) needs rest.

If you're sick, please rest. If you're injured, rest. If you're completely exhausted, (7:35) rest.

Those aren't misses. That's just you honoring what your body needs. I'm talking (7:39) about the times when life gets busy, when motivation is low, when you just don't feel (7:44) like it.

Those are the times that this rule matters the most. If you skip Monday because (7:48) you just had a crazy day or you weren't feeling it, that's okay. But just make sure that you show up (7:53) on Tuesday.

Or if you had a rough eating day on Saturday, get right back to it on Sunday morning. (7:57) Don't wait until Monday. Don't tell yourself you'll start over next week.

Get back on track (8:02) the very next opportunity. This has saved me so many times, especially in the postpartum season, (8:06) where literally every day felt unpredictable. Some days I just couldn't work out.

My body was (8:11) exhausted. Blake needed me, or I was running on super low sleep. And instead of spiraling into (8:16) guilt or letting one missed day turn into a lost week, I just told myself, okay, today it didn't (8:21) happen, but tomorrow I'm back.

And that rule really does protect your identity as someone (8:25) who shows up, because you're not someone who quits. You're someone who gets back up and that (8:29) makes all the difference. All right, number five, tie habits into your identity.

All right. This (8:35) one sounds a little woo-woo, but stay with me because it's incredibly powerful. Behavior sticks (8:39) when it reinforces who you believe you are.

So let me explain that. Most of us set goals based (8:45) on outcome. I want to lose 20 pounds.

I want to fit into those jeans. I want to look a certain (8:48) way. But here's the problem with outcome-based goals.

They're focused on what you want to have, (8:53) not who you want to be. And when things get hard, it's really easy to give up on something that you (8:57) want to have, but it's much harder to give up on something that's a part of your identity. So (9:01) instead of saying, I'm trying to eat better, you're shifting your mindset to, I am someone who takes (9:07) care of my body.

Instead of saying, I need motivation to work out, I want you to think, (9:11) I am the type of person that moves daily. See the difference? One is a goal you're chasing. The (9:16) other is the identity that you're living into.

And every time you show up for a workout, every time (9:21) you choose the healthier meal, every time you honor your body with movement or nourishment, (9:25) you're casting a vote for that identity. You're proving to yourself, yes, I am that person. (9:29) And over time, those votes are going to add up.

Your behavior starts to align with the person (9:33) that you believe you are. And this is one of the most powerful shifts that I personally have (9:37) made in my own fitness journey. I stopped seeing workouts as something that I had to do.

And I (9:42) started seeing them as something that I did because of who I am. I'm someone who shows up for herself. (9:48) I'm someone who honors her body.

And once I made that shift, consistency became so much easier. (9:54) Number six, to piggyback off of what you already do. Okay, this strategy is so practical, (9:59) and it makes building new habits almost effortless.

It's called habit stacking. I've (10:03) talked about it on the podcast before, but here's how it works. You attach a new habit (10:08) to something you've already done every single day without fail.

So I want you to think about (10:12) your daily routine. What are the things that you automatically do without thinking? Maybe (10:15) it's brushing your teeth, making your morning coffee, coming home from work, putting your baby (10:19) down for a nap, whatever it is, right? Now I want you to attach your new habit to one of those (10:23) existing routines. So after I pour my morning coffee, I drink a full glass of water and take (10:28) my vitamins.

Or you can do that before. While I make my coffee, I'm going to drink a full glass (10:32) of water and take my vitamins. After I brush my teeth at night, I'm going to lay out my workout (10:36) clothes for the morning.

After, personally, this is one that I do. After I put Blake down for a nap, (10:41) I immediately change into my workout clothes if I'm not already in them. And I start my workout.

(10:45) After dinner, I stop eating for the night and I start my evening wind down routine, right? (10:50) The beauty of this is that you're not relying on remembering or on motivation. You're just (10:54) linking the new behavior to something that you've already hardwired into your day. And over time, (10:59) that new habit becomes just as automatic as the old one.

You don't even have to think about it (11:03) anymore because it just happens. And last but not least, number seven, track progress in a very (11:07) simple way. Okay, here's something I've learned about human psychology is that we're motivated by (11:12) progress, even tiny progress.

When you can see that you're moving forward, it is going to fuel (11:17) you to keep going. But if we're only measuring progress by the scale or how we look in the mirror, (11:22) we're going to miss so many wins. And honestly, those metrics can be really discouraging because (11:26) they don't always reflect the work that you're putting in.

So instead, I want you to track your (11:30) consistency in a way that gives you immediate feedback. So for me, that's a simple calendar. (11:35) Every time I complete a workout, I put a checkmark on that day.

Every time I hit my protein goal, (11:40) checkmark. Every time I get my steps in, checkmark. Every time I drink my water, checkmark.

(11:45) It sounds so basic, but seeing those checkmarks stack up is so incredibly motivating. You start (11:51) to think, okay, I've got six days in a row. I don't want to break the streak.

It gives you (11:54) something tangible to work toward beyond just the end result. And honestly, on the days where I (11:59) personally don't feel motivated, just looking at that calendar and seeing all those checkmarks (12:03) reminds me you have been showing up. You have been doing the work.

Don't stop now. (12:08) You can do this with anything, a journal, an app, a chart on your fridge. It doesn't matter (12:11) what you use.

What matters is that you're making your effort visible so that you can celebrate the (12:17) small wins along the way. All right, there you have it. Let me recap what we covered today.

(12:22) The seven ways to stay consistent are, number one, focus on your system, not your goals. So (12:27) build a repeatable process that makes the behavior automatic. Number two, (12:32) make the habit obvious.

Remove that friction and make the right choice easy. Number three, (12:36) make it easy before you make it intense. Start small and let the momentum carry you.

Number four, (12:43) never miss twice. Get back on track the very next opportunity that you can. Number five, (12:47) tie habits to identity by being the person who shows up, not the person who's trying to.

Number (12:53) six, use habit stacking by attaching those new habits to things that you already do. And last (12:59) but not least, number seven, track progress simply. Use a calendar, a journal, anything that's going (13:04) to give you those visual feedback.

If you can implement even a few of these strategies, I (13:09) promise that you're going to see a massive shift in your consistency. And when you're consistent, (13:13) results are going to follow. They just do.

Here's what I want you to remember as you move forward. (13:17) You don't have to do any of these perfectly. In fact, perfection is honestly the enemy of (13:22) consistency.

Some days you're going to nail it. You're going to follow your system. You're going (13:25) to show up strong.

You're going to feel amazing. Other days, you're going to do just the bare (13:29) minimum version. Maybe that's a 15 minute workout instead of an hour.

Maybe that's hitting your (13:33) protein goal, but not worrying about the rest of your macros. Maybe that's just putting on your (13:37) workout clothes, even if you actually don't get a proper workout in. And all of those days count, (13:41) every single one of them, because what builds the body and lifestyle that you want isn't (13:44) perfection.

It's showing up repeatedly, even when it's messy, even when it's imperfect, and even when (13:50) you don't feel like it. So give yourself permission to show up imperfectly. Give yourself (13:54) grace on the hard days.

Just don't give yourself permission to quit altogether, because you are (13:59) building something here, not just a stronger body, but a stronger relationship with yourself. (14:03) And that's worth showing up for, even on the days when it doesn't look perfect. And if you're (14:07) listening to this and you're thinking, okay, I love these strategies, but I need help actually (14:11) building these system.

That is exactly why I created these two resources, my Movement with Julie (14:16) Dumbbell Only Workouts and my Macro Academy and Simple Online Academy. So my Movement with Julie (14:20) Dumbbell Only Workouts, they're going to take care of your workout system for you. You don't have to (14:24) figure out what to do or how to progress.

The structure is already built for you. Just open (14:28) the app and follow the plan. You have 30 minutes, a full hour, whether you're in the gym, you're at (14:33) home, you're traveling, there's workouts that literally will fit your day.

That's how you never (14:38) miss twice and stay consistent, even when life gets busy. All you genuinely need for these workouts (14:43) is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space. The second resource is my Macro Academy and Simple (14:47) Online Academy.

This is going to give you your nutrition system. So instead of relying on (14:51) motivation to make good food choices every day, you have a clear framework that tells you exactly (14:57) how much to eat for your goals, how to balance your meals, and how to make nutrition work for (15:01) your real life. No restriction, no guesswork, just a sustainable system that removes the barriers.

(15:06) When you put those two together, you're building exactly what we talked about today, systems that (15:11) make consistency automatic. You're tracking progress, you're removing barriers, you're building (15:17) the identity of someone who shows up, and you're doing it without having to figure everything out (15:22) on your own. Both programs are designed to help you build habits that stick, so you can finally (15:26) stop starting over and start seeing real results, like lasting results.

So you can go to sale, that's (15:33) s-a-l-e.mootwizardly.com and macroacademyitsimple.com. Both of those are going to take you to each of (15:40) those systems that I just talked about. I will drop both of those links in the show notes below. (15:45) And if this resonated with you, I have two quick requests.

First, I want you to make sure that you (15:50) hit that follow button so that you never miss an episode. And second, if you could leave a quick (15:54) review, that would mean the world to me. Reviews help this podcast reach more women to hear this (15:59) message, women like you who are trying to build a healthier relationship with your body and finally (16:03) see lasting results.

Plus, I love reading them and hearing how the podcast is impacting your life. (16:08) If you want to keep learning, I think you'll also love episode 477, (16:13) Mastering Nutrition Even on a Busy Schedule. I will go ahead and link that in the show notes (16:17) below.

But that is all that I have for today's episode. Thank you so much for being here. I'm (16:21) so proud of you for showing up for yourself and listening to this podcast.

That alone is a vote (16:26) for the person that you're becoming. I love you so much and I'll talk to you in the next one. (16:37) All right, sister, that's all I got for you today.

But I have two things that I need you to do. (16:42) First thing, if you're not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A. (16:47) Ledbetter, yes, it's with an A in the middle, for that daily post-workout real talk, (16:52) healthy tips and tricks, and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check.

The second (16:57) thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for (17:04) joining me. It means the absolute world.

And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The (17:08) most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and (17:14) secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface.

(17:21) So go out there and embrace your real because you're worth it.

 
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