How do you become disciplined?

[HRNY4ZRNY]

OK so for awhile now I have been realizing how inconsistent and undisiplined I have become.

I smoke when I drink and would really like to quit or atleast cut down on both of them.

I also make diet plans/ workout plans but really have a hard time sticking to them.

What are some ways to gain discipline. I know alot of people will say

"just do it"

I've tryed that before. Dont get me wrong, I have a full time job and work hard everyday. Alot of things I am disciplined in.

I just have a hard time holding myself accountable. I must have told myself 100 times that Im going to lose 30 pounds. I do good for a week or so, become distracted and fall off hard.

Any ideas on how a grown adult can become more disciplined. I guess its easier to teach your kids at a young age than it is to change when you get older.

[Larry]

I understand there are lots of women on the internet who specialize in discipline.

:halo:

[twa]

Sounds like ya need a good nag...eer wife:silly:

[TheDoyler23]

Count your calories.

http://www.fatsecret.com/

Do well, and reward yourself with things that aren't food.

You can even keep track on your phone.

[The 12th Commandment]

There's two ways, just doing it, and the way I chose, paying for it too many times and getting sick of it. You're not too old to join the military which, in hindsight, I would consider the former.

[HRNY4ZRNY]

Count your calories.

http://www.fatsecret.com/

Do well, and reward yourself with things that aren't food.

You can even keep track on your phone.

Is this free?

And thanks all so far for the ideas.

[GibbsFactor]

Self hypnotize yourself.

What ever it is you want to do, eat healthier, save money, quit smoking, work out, repeat that out loud to your self 6 times a day. 6 is the key number for retention.

I am going to eat healthy x6 Out loud. EVERY DAY.

[HRNY4ZRNY]

Self hypnotize yourself.

What ever it is you want to do, eat healthier, save money, quit smoking, work out, repeat that out loud to your self 6 times a day. 6 is the key number for retention.

I am going to eat healthy x6 Out loud. EVERY DAY.

Thanks, Im gonna sound like a idiot but if no one is around who cares.

[Destino]

Sounds like ya need a good nag...eer wife:silly:

hahaha I was thinking the same thing!

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

As far as a diet, it's all about preparation. If you are ahead of the game, you won't find yourself in many situations where you HAVE to eat a doughnut just to quell the hunger. It gets to the point where sweet, fatty foods taste nasty to you. You'd much rather crunch in to a carrot dipped in dressing.

Make big pickups at the grocery store of raw fruits and vegetables. The night before work, put some in a baggie and leave it in the fridge for you to take to work in the morning. Take some salad dressing with you for dip. Preparation.

As you are sitting down reading these posts, you could peal an orange and banana, drop them in a blender along with some strawberries, ice and water...and had a Vitamin C nuclear bomb waiting to be blended. It tastes incredible.

Do some research on the world's healthiest foods, see what you think you'd like. Write out a list, go shopping for an hour and stock up on raw fruits and vegetables. Don't be afraid to use spices. You can cook a huge pot of peas and salsa for an hour and freeze it without it losing its nutritional consistency. That's a great source of protein, fiber, and it has barely any calories. It will fill you up, and don't be afraid to use spices and dips with a questionable sodium/calorie content. You could drink a few bottles of fat free salad dressing and it'd be better for you than a Big Mac.

But like I said, it's all about preparation. You have to minimize the instances where you have no other choice but to eat a calorie bomb. Mix up the variety of foods you bring around with you, because eating the same fruit or vegetable in back to back days can become difficult for some. Also remember that most veggies take a lot to fill you up because they aren't loaded with fat and calories...so make your shopping trips worthwhile. Remember, variety! A ton of variety!

[DeanCollins]

H4Z, Writing down your goals is very powerful. After writing the goal, write the reason why you wish to obtain the goal and the benefits (and added reduction of negatives). Then imagine yourself doing the work and achieving the goal and benefits. Look for pictures of the benefit (A pic of you when you were slimmer) or pic of a material goal ( a large breasted woman that you hope to attract in that slimmer physique, and post it on the refrigerator next to the sign that says Do not enter. :pfft:

[Mark The Homer]

Will power, and the willingness to get serious about whatever it is you want to do.

[HRNY4ZRNY]

mark, dean and double thanks.

Double good stuff in there.

[renaissance]

There are lots of free calorie tracking sites out there. fitday.com is one (though I've heard a lot of the preset data is wrong), thedailyplate.com (through livestrong.com) is another that I've heard is more accurate.

As for really staying disciplined, know that you can't always do it on your own. Stuff like dieting, quitting smoking, working out, etc is often MUCH easier when you have someone to go through the process with.

[GibbsFactor]

Thanks, Im gonna sound like a idiot but if no one is around who cares.

That is why you say it out loud. It will stick in your mind and you will do it.

[TheDoyler23]

Is this free?

And thanks all so far for the ideas.

It's free and you can get it on a lot of cell phones. You put in your weight and it gives you how many cals you can eat to maintain your weight, or you lose a certain amount per week.

You also add in your exercise to get a realistic track on cals burned and it has tons of supermarket foods and restaurants.

I tracked everything religiously for about a month, which got a little tedious, but it helps keep things in check a bit. I still punch things in here and there.

[HRNY4ZRNY]

Dean Collins, awesome pic

Problem is Im engaged and pics like that are great if your single. When you have a girl its just depressing.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Personally, I don't do the calorie trackers. I think they are suited for advanced athletes and fitness gurus. The tracker can get annoying, and frankly, you don't need to count your calories to realize you're doing better. All you need to do is have control of what is going down your pie hole, which obviously shouldn't include pie. What you need to focus on right now is preparing for a big change in diet by stocking up on healthy foods. Period. If you do that, and consistently stock up on healthy foods over and over and over and over, you won't need a calorie tracker to tell you that yea, that's an ab muscle.

[LaxBuddy21]

I find its easier to stay on track when you have someone doing with you. Find a workout buddy to help push you. I am a competitive person so competing with someone at the gym makes it more engaging for me. If you are worried about your diet, it starts at the grocery store. Do not buy anything that is not good for you. If you dont have junk food, you cannot eat it. As far as quitting smoking, I still havent figured that one out so cant help you there...lol I also find the more I talk about my goals and progress with other people, the more committed to them I am. I dont want to be talking about the weight I am going to lose and follow it up with how I slacked off at the gym or my diet. Paying for the gym helped me too because I am cheap and hate wasting money so it makes me go. I have been working out for a little over a year and have lost almost 40 lbs and about 8-10% body fat. I hate cardio so I started playing basketball to make it fun. The more you enjoy your diet and your exercise, the more likely you are to stick with it.

[Prosperity]

the key to a happy life is to get pleasure out of doing "the right thing" and to feel pain from straying that path. Of course you have to know what's right and wrong, but that's the easy part, the hard part is regulating your life habits.

first organize your mind

then instill good habits

then get rid of bad habits

it's important to start working on creating and maintaining good habits (like working out).

creating and maintaining a good habit will in itself make you disciplined. You can then use that discipline to create new situations for yourself ahead of time so that you won't be tempted, or to resist those temptations when they are present. (the former is easier, but the latter should be the ultimate goal).

[Skin'Em84]

What helps me a little is refusing to do anything negative to your body at work (eat out, dip, etc...), and after work hits, put all the addictive frustations into the gym.

It won't stop all your problems, but it'll slow them down.

[LaxBuddy21]

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9RCpXMiLTA&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9RCpXMiLTA&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

[TD_washingtonredskins]

Personally, I don't do the calorie trackers. I think they are suited for advanced athletes and fitness gurus. The tracker can get annoying, and frankly, you don't need to count your calories to realize you're doing better. All you need to do is have control of what is going down your pie hole, which obviously shouldn't include pie. What you need to focus on right now is preparing for a big change in diet by stocking up on healthy foods. Period. If you do that, and consistently stock up on healthy foods over and over and over and over, you won't need a calorie tracker to tell you that yea, that's an ab muscle.

I disagree. I think everyone who is attempting to lose weight should participate in a calorie tracker for at least a month or so. I was amazed how much the "little things" added up. When you're forced to enter everything into a calorie tracker, it really makes you take stock of what you're eating.

I would always grab little unhealthy snacks in the kitchen at work (bite-sized candy, cookies, chips, etc.) in very small portions. However, since I was doing it several times per day, it essentially added up to another meal.

I would agree that, after some time tracking, you get an idea of how much of what food gets you to your goals and it becomes overkill to continue tracking. I think it's an eye-opener though and a very worthwhile exercise for a month or so.

[Springfield]

Find something you love and do it.

Obviously, it has to be something healthy. For me, it is walking a mile to work and a mile back while listening to The Mike O'Meara Show five days a week. Ice skating, strenuously, twice a week. Playing ice hockey once a week.

I'm no pro, but I think the best advice is to find something that you love, get into a routine and keep up with it. Otherwise, you'll find yourself quitting if you hate the activity you choose.

[Springfield]

Don't forget water. Water is ****ing awesome.