We all know by now that exercise is important for weight management and health, but the hard part is staying consistent. You know those conversations you have in your head where you talk yourself out of exercise until you forget the last time you did exercise. In the beginning we are motivated and exercise 4-5 days a week for a couple of weeks and then some minor disasters happen at work or home and we exercise only once that week, and then once every two weeks, and pretty soon we are not exercising at all. We've all been here more than once, but the down side to this on again/off again exercise routine is that it will keep you further away from your weight loss goals. If you depend solely on your diet to lose weight with little or no exercise you will be forced to go to a very low calorie level and it will become a much longer and less enjoyable process.

According to Ann Etheridge, fitness trainer and owner of Living in Balance, it takes a full 6 weeks to build muscle mass. For you to begin seeing results you have to be consistent with your exercise for 6 weeks straight. This valuable piece of information also shows that true fat breakdown and building lean muscle mass doesn't happen overnight. After all, you likely didn't gain weight quickly each and every week. When you start on a journey of making lifestyle changes to lose weight (and keep it off) it is a continuous process.

The most startling news is that while it takes 6 weeks to build muscle, it only takes 3 weeks to lose muscle mass. You can see, with all the on again/off again exercise, it will be difficult to obtain the results you are working towards.

Here are 3 steps you can take RIGHT NOW to keep you on track:

1. Commit. One thing we can learn from those who have lost weight and kept it off is that they made exercise a high priority in their life and committed themselves to a regular routine. Ask yourself, what am I willing to commit to? Start with something you are truly ready to do consistently. Right this down in a contract with yourself or tell a friend to help keep you accountable for your commitment.

2. Schedule the exact days and times you will exercise. Keep this appointment with yourself just like you would a doctor appointment. In other words, unless it is a dire emergency, don't let anything interrupt your scheduled exercise time. If someone asks you to do something during this time you don't have to tell them you are exercising, just politely tell them you have an appointment.

3. Don't let setbacks destroy your progress. No one is perfect and we all have days where we miss our exercise. Even when you miss a day, get right back on track as soon as possible to avoid losing the muscle mass you already built. We lose muscle mass and limit our weight loss progress when we let our setbacks turn into weeks and months. There's no need to beat your self up over your setback. Just get back on track. The quicker you get back into your routine the more progress you'll make.

Don