The Real Reason You Can’t Stay Consistent and What to Do About It
- Brainz Magazine
- Jul 30
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 31
Written by Ariana Hakman, Entrepreneur and COO
Ariana Hakman is a former corporate finance executive turned serial entrepreneur in fitness, nutrition, and tech. She’s the co-founder of LunaFit, a multi-brand wellness company anchored by its fast-growing LunaFit app, built to help users take control of their nutrition, workouts, and daily habits.
You start off strong (probably in January), a new plan, a new program, a fresh burst of motivation. But a few days in, maybe even a week or two, it’s already fading. Life gets busy, you miss a workout, grab takeout, and you’ve fallen off again. And suddenly, you’re right back in the loop you swore you’d escape this time: start strong, fall off, feel guilty, wait for motivation, repeat. If this feels familiar, let me say something clearly: you are not lazy or broken, and you’re definitely not the problem. The system you’ve been trying to follow is just fatally flawed.
Why consistency feels so hard
Most fitness advice assumes your life is simple, predictable, and easy to control. But if you’re juggling work, parenting, relationships, stress, and a schedule that changes by the hour (like mine), that advice falls apart fast. Rigid plans don’t hold up, extreme programs burn you out, and motivation is unreliable at best.
You’ve probably been told you just need more discipline, but discipline isn’t the issue. Most people simply don’t have a system that fits their real life.
What actually creates consistency
I’ve worked in health and fitness for years, and I’ve lived this firsthand while raising my daughter and building three companies. What I’ve learned is that consistency is never about doing it perfectly. It’s about having the right support in place, the kind that makes it easier to show up, even on the hard days.
There are three things I’ve seen make the biggest difference:
Simplicity: The more decisions you have to make, the faster your energy drains. You need a simple structure with clear workouts, easy meal options, and daily support.
Flexibility: Life will never go exactly as planned. If your system can’t adapt when things get chaotic, it’s going to break. You need tools that move with you, not against you.
Encouragement: Progress tracking should feel empowering, not overwhelming. You need feedback that helps you feel proud, not punished.
What I’ve seen in the people we serve
Over the years, I’ve worked with thousands of people trying to live healthier lives, and the pattern is always the same. They aren’t failing because they don’t care. They’re exhausted from putting in so much effort with so little support, and they’re overwhelmed by the constant flood of conflicting information that makes it hard to know what actually works.
Moms who are up early with their kids, trying to squeeze in a workout before the day takes off. Working professionals who have every intention of eating healthy but end up skipping meals or grabbing what’s easy. People who have done every challenge, followed every meal plan, downloaded every app, and still feel like they’re starting from scratch each Monday.
That cycle takes a toll, not just physically, but mentally. When you’re constantly starting over, it chips away at your confidence. And eventually, you start to believe the problem is you.
But it’s not you. It’s the approach. And it’s time for something different.
So what can you actually do about it?
You don’t need to overhaul your entire life to stay consistent. You just need to start by putting a few key pieces in place that work with your real life:
Anchor your mornings: Choose one habit that helps you feel grounded, whether it’s a workout, a walk, or just logging your food. Attach it to something you already do, like making coffee or brushing your teeth. Routine creates rhythm.
Simplify your plan: You don’t need ten different options. Pick one way of eating and one way of moving that feels doable right now. Repetition builds momentum.
Focus on what’s working: Track your wins instead of your misses. Confidence grows when you keep small promises to yourself.
Use tools that reduce friction: If your app or plan makes life more complicated, it’s not serving you. Choose tools that make it easier to stay on track, not harder.
Why we built LunaFit around these pillars
When we created LunaFit, we didn’t want to build just another fitness app. We wanted to create a tool that helps people stay consistent in real life, the kind of tool that makes it easier to build habits that actually stick.
Inside the app, you’ll find audio-guided workouts so you can stay present without needing to look at a screen. You’ll get support from an AI coach who helps you stay on track when you feel stuck or overwhelmed. You can log your nutrition, movement, sleep, and hydration in one place, without the pressure of perfection. You can connect your wearables, earn rewards, and get back into a rhythm that works for you.
It’s the app I needed when I was trying to rebuild my own consistency—one that helps you stay committed without having to rely on willpower alone.
You’re not the problem
If you keep falling off track, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong. It’s because the systems you’ve been given don’t support the way real life works. You don’t need to try harder. You need a better structure, one that’s realistic, flexible, and designed for progress, not perfection.
Find what works for you. And if you’re ready to stop starting over, we’re here to help you take the next step.
Download the LunaFit app.
Read more from Ariana Hakman
Ariana Hakman, Entrepreneur and COO
Ariana Hakman is a leading voice in fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle innovation, known for creating practical tools that drive real results. After 13 years in corporate finance within the healthcare sector, she left the boardroom to build a more balanced life for her daughter, and a business that aligned with her values. She co-founded LunaFit, a wellness brand and mobile app helping users simplify their workouts, nutrition, and daily habits. Ariana has built four companies across wellness and tech, with a mission to make healthy living simple, sustainable, and achievable for all.
