In my experience, starting and keeping up with a healthy lifestyle are quite different. The causes for wanting to get going are different from the causes to want to keep going.
For example, at the start of our program, my girlfriend and I didn't exactly get excited about going to the gym every day. We used other motivations, such as knowing we wanted to get healthier, not wanting to let each other down, and not wanting to be seen (or see ourselves) as quitters. We also gave ourselves an incentive that if we finished the 12 weeks without missing any days, we would buy ourselves a massage chair. That definitely kept us going for the first few weeks!
After about 4 weeks, we had entirely different motivations. We were starting to enjoy our trips to the gym because we were seeing and feeling results, and we wanted more! Our bodies had become accustomed to exercise, and would shift into gear as soon as we started moving, so it became easier to get going. By week 6, we knew we were going to make it, so we didn't even think about the massage chair at the end of the rainbow.
Now, more than 6 months into it, it's become a way of life, and going back to the way it was before doesn't even seem possible. My main motivation now is to help others get on track with their own exercise and nutrition program.
It can be difficult to commit to 6 days of exercise a week and 6 healthy meals a day. I know I never thought I'd be able to do it. I'm glad I found a simple, sensible program that spelled out exactly what I should do every day. I needed that to start, because I knew I wouldn't be able to set up my own plan all by myself and I couldn't afford a personal trainer. It wasn't really about passion in the beginning, it was about making a real effort to try this program out for 12 weeks. That way I knew I would be able to say if it worked for me or not.
If you're contemplating starting your own program, go for it! Check with your doctor, find something sensible that combines good nutrition and exercise every day, and try it out! Don't overdo it, but don't make the mistake of just doing part of it or easing into it. In my mind, that's making life harder, not easier. Think about when you try to "ease" yourself into a cold swimming pool or lake. You rarely make it all the way. Aren't you a little bit jealous of the people who just dive right in?
