Do You Really Have a Consistency Problem? (The Truth Might Surprise You)
Why the issue isn't your willpower and what to focus on instead
"I just need to be more consistent."
If I had a dollar for every time I've heard this from women struggling with their health goals, I could retire early.
It's the default explanation for why results aren't happening. The go-to reason for why this program didn't work, why that diet failed, why the workout routine only lasted three weeks.
But here's what I've learned after coaching hundreds of women: Most people don't actually have a consistency problem. They have a plan problem.
The Consistency Myth
We've been conditioned to believe that success comes down to willpower, discipline, and the ability to stick to something no matter what.
If you're not seeing results, you must not be consistent enough.
If you missed a few workouts, you're inconsistent. If you ate off-plan on the weekend, you're inconsistent. If you couldn't maintain a routine during a stressful week, you're inconsistent.
This narrative is not only wrong, it's damaging. It places the blame squarely on your character rather than examining whether the approach was realistic in the first place.
The Real Problem
The real problem isn't that you lack consistency. The real problem is that you're trying to be consistent with plans that were never designed for your life.
Think about it:
You're attempting to follow a meal plan created for someone with unlimited time for meal prep, no food preferences, and a completely flexible schedule.
You're trying to stick to a workout routine designed for someone who can hit the gym at 5 AM every day without fail, has no physical limitations, and loves high-intensity exercise.
You're following advice from someone whose life looks nothing like yours, whose body responds differently than yours, and whose circumstances are completely different from your reality.
Of course you can't stay consistent with that.
The Plan-Fit Problem
Here's what most fitness programs get wrong: they assume one-size-fits-all solutions work for everyone.
The Generic Plan Trap
The Instagram workout challenge assumes you have 60 minutes a day, love high-intensity exercise, have no injuries, and are motivated by competition.
The popular diet program assumes you can meal prep for hours on Sunday, have no food preferences or restrictions, eat the same things repeatedly, and have complete control over your food environment.
The trending fitness app assumes you're motivated by tracking numbers, have consistent energy levels, can work out at the same time every day, and never have schedule disruptions.
When your reality doesn't match these assumptions, the plan fails. But instead of blaming the plan, you blame yourself.
Your Actual Reality
Let's be honest about what your real life looks like:
Your schedule includes work demands, family responsibilities, commuting, household management, and social obligations. It's not the same every day, and unexpected things come up regularly.
Your energy levels fluctuate based on sleep, stress, hormones, and life circumstances. Some days you feel great, others you're running on fumes.
Your preferences matter. You don't like every type of exercise. You have foods you enjoy and foods you don't. You have times of day when you function better.
Your body is unique. You have different strengths, limitations, injury history, and responses to various approaches.
Your goals are multifaceted. You want to feel good, not just look a certain way. You want energy for your life, not just numbers on a scale.
A plan that ignores these realities isn't a plan you can be consistent with long-term.
The Consistency vs. Perfection Confusion
Another major issue is how we define consistency. Most people confuse consistency with perfection.
The Perfectionist Definition of Consistency
"Consistent" means:
Never missing a workout
Following the meal plan exactly every day
Hitting every macro target perfectly
Never having an "off" day
Maintaining the exact same routine regardless of circumstances
Under this definition, any deviation equals failure.
The Realistic Definition of Consistency
"Consistent" actually means:
Following your plan most of the time (80-90%)
Getting back on track quickly after disruptions
Making choices that generally align with your goals
Adapting your approach when life gets challenging
Maintaining your habits over months and years, not just weeks
Under this definition, flexibility and adaptation are part of consistency, not threats to it.
As research from Dr. Gretchen Rubin on habit formation shows, sustainable habits are built through flexibility and self-knowledge, not rigid adherence to external rules.
Signs You Have a Plan Problem, Not a Consistency Problem
Your Plan Requires Perfect Conditions
If your approach only works when:
You have unlimited time
Nothing stressful is happening
You feel perfectly motivated
Your schedule is completely predictable
You have access to specific foods/equipment
You have a plan problem.
You're Always "Starting Over"
If you find yourself:
Beginning again every Monday
Feeling like you've "ruined everything" after one off day
Completely abandoning your approach after minor setbacks
Going through cycles of perfection followed by chaos
You have a plan problem.
You Dread Following Your Plan
If your approach makes you feel:
Deprived and restricted
Anxious about social situations
Guilty when you deviate
Like you're constantly fighting against yourself
You have a plan problem.
You Can't Maintain It During Challenging Times
If your routine completely falls apart when:
Work gets busy
Kids get sick
You travel
Life stress increases
Your schedule changes
You have a plan problem.
What a Well-Fitted Plan Looks Like
A plan that actually fits your life has specific characteristics:
It Accounts for Your Real Schedule
Instead of assuming you have unlimited time, it works with your actual availability. Maybe that's three 20-minute workouts instead of five 60-minute sessions.
It Includes Your Preferences
Rather than forcing you to eat foods you hate or do exercises you dread, it incorporates things you actually enjoy or can at least tolerate.
It Has Built-in Flexibility
Instead of rigid rules, it provides frameworks that can adapt to different situations. It includes "Plan B" options for busy days, travel, and unexpected events.
It Scales with Your Capacity
Rather than demanding the same intensity every day, it adjusts based on your energy levels, stress, and life circumstances.
It Focuses on Progress, Not Perfection
Instead of requiring flawless execution, it measures success by overall trends and long-term sustainability.
Real Client Examples
Let me share some examples of how this looks in practice:
Client A: The Busy Executive
Original problem: Couldn't stick to 6 AM gym sessions and elaborate meal prep routines.
Real issue: Her plan assumed she had predictable energy and schedule, but her job involved travel, irregular hours, and high stress.
Solution: Flexible workout times, simple meal templates, and strategies for maintaining healthy habits during travel. Result: sustainable progress for over a year.
Client B: The Mom of Three
Original problem: Kept "falling off" her strict diet and exercise routine.
Real issue: Her plan required perfect conditions and didn't account for the chaos of parenting young children.
Solution: 15-minute home workouts, family-friendly meal planning, and permission to prioritize progress over perfection. Result: lost 25 pounds while feeling less stressed about food.
Client C: The Perfectionist
Original problem: Would follow plans perfectly for 2-3 weeks, then abandon them completely after one "mistake."
Real issue: Her definition of consistency was actually perfectionism in disguise.
Solution: Redefining success, building resilience skills, and creating "good enough" options for challenging days. Result: first time maintaining healthy habits for more than 6 months.
How to Build a Plan That Fits
If you're ready to stop blaming your consistency and start building a better plan, here's how:
Step 1: Audit Your Reality
Time audit: How much time do you actually have for meal prep, exercise, and health-focused activities? Be honest, not optimistic.
Energy audit: When do you have the most and least energy? How does stress affect your capacity?
Preference audit: What types of foods do you enjoy? What movement feels good to your body? What motivates you?
Constraint audit: What are your non-negotiables? What limitations do you need to work around?
Step 2: Design for Your Actual Life
Start small: Choose 1-3 changes you can maintain even during challenging weeks.
Build in flexibility: Create "Plan A" for good days and "Plan B" for harder days.
Use frameworks, not rigid rules: Instead of "eat this exact meal," use "include protein, vegetables, and carbs in proportions that work for you."
Plan for obstacles: Identify your most common challenges and create specific strategies for handling them.
Step 3: Test and Adjust
Track what actually happens, not just what you planned to do. Notice patterns in when you struggle and when things flow easily.
Adjust based on data, not guilt. If something consistently doesn't work, change the plan, don't blame yourself.
Celebrate progress, not just perfection. Acknowledge every choice that moves you toward your goals.
Step 4: Build Resilience Skills
Practice getting back on track quickly instead of starting over completely.
Develop "good enough" mindsets for imperfect situations.
Create support systems that help you maintain perspective during challenging times.
The Transformation That Follows
When you finally build a plan that fits your life, several things change:
Consistency Becomes Natural
You stop forcing yourself to follow rules that don't make sense for your life. Instead, you have guidelines that feel sustainable and realistic.
Guilt Decreases Dramatically
You stop feeling like a failure every time life happens. Flexibility becomes part of the plan, not a deviation from it.
Results Become Sustainable
Instead of short-term wins followed by backsliding, you create steady progress that you can maintain long-term.
Confidence Increases
You prove to yourself that you can follow through on commitments when those commitments are realistic and well-designed.
The Bottom Line About Consistency
Here's what I want you to understand: You are not the problem.
If you've struggled to stay consistent with health and fitness approaches, it's likely because you've been trying to fit yourself into plans that were never designed for someone like you.
The solution isn't more willpower, more discipline, or more motivation.
The solution is building an approach that actually fits your life, your body, your preferences, and your circumstances.
When your plan aligns with your reality, consistency stops being a struggle and starts being a natural outcome.
Ready to stop blaming your consistency and start building a plan that actually fits?
I've created a comprehensive Metabolic Assessment that helps identify not just what your body needs, but how to create sustainable approaches that work with your real life.
This detailed analysis looks at:
Your current lifestyle and capacity for change
What approaches have and haven't worked for you in the past
How to design flexible frameworks that adapt to your circumstances
Strategies for building consistency without perfection
A personalized roadmap that fits your actual reality
Take the Metabolic Assessment →
Because the goal isn't to become more consistent with plans that don't work. The goal is to build a plan so well-fitted to your life that consistency becomes inevitable.
Your Consistency Isn't the Problem
If you take nothing else from this post, remember this: Your consistency isn't broken. Your plans have been.
You have the capacity for incredible transformation. You just need an approach that honors who you are, where you're starting from, and what your real life actually looks like.
Stop trying to fit into plans that weren't made for you. Start building a plan that was designed specifically for your success.
Coach Megann specializes in helping women build sustainable, personalized approaches to health that work with their real lives. Take the Metabolic Assessment to discover how to create consistency without perfection.
