Very often, when clients come to me for a consultation and I ask a question: “What is your goal?”, I hear the answer: “I want to lose weight”, “I want to lose body fat”.
There are quite a lot of tools that you can use to achieve it. Being more active, training in the gym, going for classes, eating less, jogging etc….
But before you even take the first steps in the gym, you need to answer one more and yet very important question
WHY ?
Why do you want to lose weight/body fat ?
…. now you should take a pen and write it on the piece of paper or somewhere where you get an easy access to. Write down the reasons WHY you want to lose weight/body fat.
For example: I want to lose weight because:
“ I don’t feel good in my body”
“ I want to improve my health, blood pressure and blood sugar level”
“ I want to stay healthy for my kids”
“ I want to prove to myself that I can do it”
“ I got enough and I am tired of being always big”
There are hundreds of reasons, and I am sure everyone has got at least a few.
Establishing WHY is so important. It is your main motivator when you start doubting yourself. If you start looking for the excuses, missing the workouts or eating more over the weekends, you take a look at this piece of paper to remind yourself WHY you have started your journey in the first place. It will get you back on track faster than you think.
In my opinion you must do it for YOURSELF and not someone else. And then you will be mentally ready and most likely you will succeed.
Once you establish your WHY’s and connect them with yourself, you can move to other steps.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS.
THERE IS A SAYING: THE BEST DIET IS THE ONE THAT YOU CAN STAY ON FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
You don’t lose weight and body fat because you exercise and doing enormous number of hours on a treadmill. You need to start thinking differently. You have to treat the exercises, weightlifting, cardio training as a tools to improve your strength, posture, cardiovascular system, make your heart stronger and more efficient and especially to start moving better and easier.
Weight and fat loss come from the CALORIC DEFICIT. So put it simple, you eat less calories than you need for your day-to-day activities. No fancy diets, just looking at your calories and/or portion sizes.
How to make sure that you stay positive and long enough on your, lets say “diet”…..
…. well, first of all I would not call it diet. The diet has a bad meaning by itself. People think, when they are on diet, they can not have this and that and it is for 3 months. After the “diet” is finished, I will go back to my old habit and old eating patterns. And that is the time when you start gaining weight again.
Sounds familiar? Yes, I know, I have been there too.
THE MAIN POINTS TO FOLLOW IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS:
- Change your relationship with food.
- Learn about the food and start treating it as a fuel for your body. And start cooking if you don’t already.
- Make sure you are having enough carbohydrates, fat and protein in your diet. Watch your calories. By doing so you don’t need to follow boring diets anymore. You can have whatever you want as long as you stick to your calories and protein. The rest of the calories will be coming for fat and carbs. You only need to become more creative with food.
- Manage your stress level.
- Make sure you have enough sleep.
- Don’t forget about the Recovery.
- Ad training to your weekly routine. It can be gym sessions, playing your favourite sport, jogging, swimming, bike …. Anything you enjoy.
- Increase your daily activity levels by doing 8000-12000 steps, replacing your car for a walk when possible, taking stairs rather than lift etc.
- Drink enough water.
- If you overeat one day, just carry on with your diet … DO NOT start from Monday
- Work on your habits. Small steps towards the goal. Healthier habits will ensure that you will achieve your goals and will be able to maintain them.
- Learn, learn and learn. Once you know more how to …. and why ….. you will carry on with your healthier Lifestyle for the rest of your life
