I've seen a lot of people start a fitness and nutrition program like gangbusters.
Training four times a week. Following a meal plan to a tee. Prepping all their food in advance. Cutting out the junk and alcohol. Behaving like a world-class athlete.
Inevitably, what happens?
It's not sustainable.
THE TRAP
So if you're starting out, don't go all in or try to be perfect. And if you're in a rut with your training, nutrition, or both, don't fall into the all-or-nothing trap.
In both cases, you can stick with your program longer and minimize the length and frequency of those "getting off track" moments by going for the low-hanging fruit first.
WHAT LOW-HANGING FRUIT LOOKS LIKE
Instead of trying to train every day, start with two training sessions a week. Make it easier and more sustainable. Build some success and confidence for 3 to 6 months. Then bump it up to three sessions a week.
Instead of starting a completely new diet, identify the most glaring omission. Maybe it's fruits and veggies. Maybe it's protein. Maybe it's water. Work on being consistent with that one thing for two weeks. Then move on to the next habit for two weeks and keep building from there.
Don't try to fix everything all at once or be perfect. Go for the low-hanging fruit (and vegetables) and you'll be closer to your goals than the person who went all in last January and quit by March.
Sustainable beats perfect every time. The program you can stick with for years beats the program you can stick with for three weeks.