Many of us are working towards a healthier lifestyle, and getting on a vitamin regimen is typically on the list of things to do. However, one of the most common issues with getting on a vitamin regimen is staying on the regimen. Like any new routine, it takes time to perfect daily vitamins, but there are so many benefits to taking them consistently. Find out what some common barriers are, how to overcome them, and why compliance matters.

Why Consistency with Vitamins Matters

Like many other healthy lifestyle changes, supplementation benefits don’t occur overnight. It takes time for those nutrients to build up in the body, especially if your body is already depleted of those nutrients. You don’t expect to walk into the gym one day and walk out with the physique of a weightlifter. It takes time to build up all that muscle and discipline to build definition, and your vitamin regimen needs the same for you to see results.

Consistency with Eye Vitamins

Specifically for eye vitamins like EyePromise, the majority of the country is deficient in 2 critical eye-healthy nutrients: dietary zeaxanthin and lutein. Like many nutrients found in supplements, your body doesn’t make them on your own, so you need to ingest them. While these nutrients can be found in a host of dietary sources, it’s nearly impossible to get the amounts of zeaxanthin and lutein your eyes need to not only make up for the dietary gap but actually protect and enhance your vision.

This is another reason compliance is so important: if you don’t take the vitamins consistently, your levels will likely drop back to your original amounts (or lower). This can happen even if you start to notice results or your numbers plateau, so it’s important to stick with it even if/when you achieve your desired result.

Common Barriers to Vitamin Compliance

If you have a hard time staying consistent with your daily vitamins, you’re not alone. In fact, in a study where participants were prescribed a vitamin regimen, only 8 out of 20 complied. While it’s a common difficulty, recognizing the barriers to compliance can help you avoid them. Here are some of the common barriers.

“I don’t feel it working.”

A lot of times when it comes to pills, we look for that “instant reaction.” We want to feel it working, and if we don’t notice a difference almost immediately, we assume it doesn’t work and stop using it.

“It gives me an upset stomach.”

Adverse side effects are certainly going to keep people from taking certain supplements. Some medications can also interact with vitamins poorly, so always check with your doctor.

“I forget to take my vitamins and end up with too much.”

We all have busy lives, so it’s not uncommon for us to forget to take our vitamins. Some people believe they will be the exception to this and buy themselves the extra-large bottle of vitamins. But when they forget to take 1, 2, 5, 10 doses, it can make that big bottle last longer than it should, and the product could expire. Missing a day or two will not hurt as long as you get right back up on that metaphorical horse and try again. Practice makes perfect! But if your product is expired, toss it so you don’t risk an upset stomach or other adverse reactions.

“I forget to buy more when I run out.”

Okay, so you’re killing this routine thing. You’ve started taking your vitamins consistently, and you’re feeling good! But then, you go to reach for your bottle only to find out that you’re on your last dose! No worries, just add it to the list, right?

Two days pass. Four days: gone. Pretty soon, a whole week has passed, and the routine you worked so hard for has been thrown out the window and you have to start all over. This can be extremely frustrating and discourage many people from continuing their supplementation.

How to Overcome Compliance Barriers

Like any new regimen, adding vitamins to your routine is key to staying compliant, and consistency is key to building supplementation into your daily routine. Here are some suggestions for overcoming the common barriers above.

Trust the Process.

Remember that gym analogy from earlier? Like supplementation, working out and eating right aren’t “instant satisfaction” processes, but it’s important to trust those processes. Along the way, you can look for little wins to celebrate, making the journey seem less arduous. Progress is progress, no matter how small.

Take It With Food.

One of the most common causes of upset stomach when it comes to taking supplements is not taking it with food. Taking each dose with food with a little fat (butter or avocado toast, a handful of mixed nuts, etc.) will not only help keep the stomach aches at bay, but it can also help your body better absorb the nutrients in your supplement.

Get Smaller Bottle Counts.

As we mentioned early, those bulk packs of vitamins can be enticing, but forgetting a few doses can put you behind. Getting a 1–3-month supply at a time can help you manage your pill counts and keep your product from expiring. Yes, we know this means more trips to the store, but we have a solution coming up for that, too!

Find Where It Naturally Fits Into Your Routine.

If you convince yourself you’re going to start taking it with your daily morning smoothie, but you also need to start making daily morning smoothies, perhaps that’s not the best fit. If you grab a granola bar and go, maybe take a bottle to work and have it with lunch. If your only consistent meal every day is a late-night snack, take it then. Wherever makes the most sense for you.

Keep It Somewhere Visible to Remind You.

This fits into the above, too. Keeping your supplements somewhere you’ll be reminded to take them helps you, well, remember to take them! Keep them somewhere that makes sense for you, whether it's at your desk at work, in your medicine cabinet, or in your gym bag to take with your protein shake. Another suggestion is having more than 1 bottle to keep in 2 different places. You can keep one at work and one at home to double your chances of taking them every day!

Use Technology.

Our society has made some incredible technological advances in the last decade, and we now have super computers in our pockets. So, let’s use them! Whether it’s alarms, reminders, calendar events, an app, or a different form of notification, use these technologies to help remind you to be consistent.

The EyePromise Auto Refill Program

Technology can also help you remember to order your vitamins by taking care of it for you! The EyePromise Auto Refill Program (ARP) is a subscription-based program that automatically ships your next supply of eye vitamins based on when you need them. You’ll receive a notice 10 days prior to your order shipping, giving you plenty of time to pause or delay your shipment if you forgot a few days. With these automatic shipments come helpful emails to serve as reminders to take your vitamins and why you started taking them in the first place.

Learn more about the EyePromise Auto Refill Program.

If you’re looking to start a supplement regimen, make sure you’re getting the most out of it by staying consistent. For more tips about remembering to take your vitamin, check out this blog. If you want to start an EyePromise eye vitamin regimen, find out which one is right for you by taking our quiz!