So many professionals say it, even I do, fat loss is about one thing, energy. Burn more of it than you have and BAM… fat loss. If only it were really that simple. If only those few simple words took into account everything it takes to actually lose fat. The mental aspect of fat loss is beyond complicated, and this is not a psychology 101 class. What I am presenting to you is the 14 steps everyone, no matter what level of knowledge or training they have, should take before they attempt fat loss. Meaning, this isn’t going to tell you how to physically lose fat, it doesn’t even tell you how to mentally lose fat. No, I can’t help you with desire and motivation. This is the foolproof method of the steps you need to start the journey into fat loss. You follow these 14 steps, and I promise you by the end you will achieve fat loss on a level like never before, no matter how advanced you think you are.
Step 1: Acceptance
This is without a doubt the most important step. I know what you are thinking “um yeah I know okay, I am fat, what more do you want from me?!” No, don’t just accept that you are overweight, accept that it’s your doing that you are overweight. See we like to blame our excess weight on things like depression, work, being busy, getting comfortable in life, etc. The truth is at all times you are aware of what, how much, and when you are eating. So unless you have been living under a rock, (sorry family in phone commercial) then you know that food is part of what contributes to weight gain. In fact, unless you have a medical condition, it is the only contribution to weight gain. Accepting that the fate of your body lies in what you eat is the first and most important step you can take in your fat loss journey.
Step 2: Voice Change
Now that you have accepted that you are responsible for what you have done and are still doing, its time to admit the need for change. This isn’t about actual change, this is about voicing that the change is going to occur. The instant you accept that you are ready for change you have to voice it in some shape or form. Write it down, youtube it, whatever, but open up the world to it, swallow your pride and make your need of change known.
Step 3: Plan Action
This is just like before, this isn’t time for action, this is time to plan it. If you jump in right now where is that going to get you? You need to get a plan together on how to put this change into effect. Skipping this step alone is where most people go wrong. They accept and voice they have a problem and then they just jump into trying to fix it without really planning the next step. If you really want to change, you need to plan how it is going to come about. How are you going to go from one step to the next with out coordinating the steps to make?
The next few steps revolve around education, how are you going to get that education? Computer, teacher, or what about a trainer? If you decide you want to join a gym, plan on how to find the best gym, what questions to ask, and feel out if you are comfortable with the workers there. Don’t ever go into any step blindly, always have a plan.
The next few steps revolve around education, how are you going to get that education? Computer, teacher, or what about a trainer? If you decide you want to join a gym, plan on how to find the best gym, what questions to ask, and feel out if you are comfortable with the workers there. Don’t ever go into any step blindly, always have a plan.
Step 4: Learn nutrition
Remember how we discussed that food is what ultimately makes you lose or gain weight? How much do you know about what you eat? Do you know if the last meal you had was made up of more fat, protein, or carbs? What about how much you need to eat for your body, and your activity level? Nutrition is 80% of the battle in fat loss, learn it and you will conquer a big chunk of the battle. A great way to do that is to pick the right materials to learn from. I wrote an “easy to follow” guide that teaches you the basics called “The Fat Loss Troubleshoot”. It not only gives you the nutrition information that you need to know but also gives links to even more sources.
Step 5: Learn Training
The average person’s idea of a workout is a sad thing. This isn’t entirely their fault. The media in all sources perpetuate myths about training left and right. While losing fat is about energy, (and diet is key) understand that training makes things go smoother and faster. This isn’t about being a cardio bunny or about grabbing magazine/book to read while working out on a machine, and I can 100% say that the “Glute Master” should NOT be in your program. I can say what should be in your program are full body movements, aggressive aerobic training, and most importantly progression with every workout. The more you learn about training, the fewer mistakes you are likely to make, meaning better results and less chance of injury.
Step 6: Learn Everything Else
Step 7: Plan Your Days
Before you start to plan food and working out, you need to plan your actual days out. You know the drill, start on MONDAY! If you didn’t know Monday’s hold secret keys to the universe in form of psychological and physical change…not really but you can think that if you want. It doesn’t matter when you start, just commit to actually doing it. First you need to plan out the things in your life that you can’t change. Then you can open up other slots for negotiations. For example, you can’t help or change when you have to work, but you can set up your TIVO to record the new episode of “Lost”. If you know you need at least an hour to relax before bed, take that time to watch the show, instead of trying to fit in a workout. Planning has become a lost art, you should become a master of it.
Step 8: Plan Your Workouts
After you have figured out where you have breathing room, it is time to throw your workout in. There is not one magical time of the day that is best to work out. You figure out what works best for you. If you like to get it done and don’t want to think about it for the rest of the day then maybe a morning workout is for you. If you want to take the stresses of your job out on the treadmill then the 5:30 rush maybe your style. If you hate a crowd and hate mornings then perhaps you are a pre-bed lifter. All have pros and cons, don’t let that guide you, just go with what pops out at you and plan it. My schedule can be kind of crazy, I have to take what I can get. My days can be morning one day, evening another, or a quick lunch workout break. If I plan well, I can always fit in my workout. I MAKE TIME for it so it gets done.
Step 9: Plan Your Meals
If a client tells me they didn’t have a choice in what they had to eat, I say “No, you didn’t have a plan.” Always have a meal plan, always have a back up, never give yourself the excuse of having to grab something. If you end up in that position it is because you are not committed and don’t care to make a real change, simple as that. Now don’t get mad, you can plan the fun cheats to eat along with the good foods! When you plan the naughty foods you don’t end up eating a stale peanut butter cracker and thinking “great, I just blew my diet for that!” With the right planning you can set up your program with treats thrown in between all that solid nutrition you are going to be having. It doesn’t just stop there either. Plan your cooking and your meals step by step. Leave no stone unturned in your nutrition program so you can know exactly what you are taking into your body. Never guess and never settle, because your body deserves better than that. Once you do this, all of a sudden you realize you are on autopilot and it won't seem so hard anymore. Step 10: Pick a Weekly Weakness
This one is really important because everything in fat loss is about progress. Progress in your workouts, nutrition, and in actual fat loss is all important. Inside every fat loss trainee is a mound of skills balanced out with a mound of weakness. Every week you take it upon yourself to pick out one of those weaknesses and attack it head on. For example, maybe your workout program is great and your nutrients are all set up and you are getting what you need but your food tastes like crap because you can’t cook. ATTACK that weakness. Have the week devoted to learning how to cook. If a week isn't enough do it for two or three weeks, just attack that weakness until it becomes strength. When that is done you move on to the next one until you are a pillar of strength, and the only thing weak in you is your selection of needed improvement.
Step 11: Purge
Get rid of your old life in every way. Don’t hang on to food because it would be a waste and it needs to be eaten. That kind of thinking just makes you put off really starting the program. The world is going to surround you with constant temptation, so you need to have your home be your safe ground. If it isn't in your home, you can't eat it! While you are at it, don’t keep big baggy clothes that you feel comfortable in. You aren’t going to be using them anymore so chuck it. Remember you can’t return to something that isn’t there.
Step 12: Go Shopping
So you have got the plan for what you need to workout, and you have the foods you are going to eat written down. But then you realize you need a brand new notebook to keep track of your progress. Yes it is time to go shopping! Truly the most fun part of getting into shape is buying all the goods that go along with it. Workout gear, cooking supplies, food to replace what you have purged, notepads, software, whatever… just go buy it and have the best time doing it because you are starting your new journey. Some people run into a problem spending money on themselves, to that I say remember this is your body, you only have one.
Step 13: Set Up Support
You have got everything together now, but one of the most important aspects to keeping it up, accountability. Be it your husband, kids, friends, strangers, or a message board just make sure you have not only a shoulder to lean on, but also someone to keep you accountable. Sometimes we give up on ourselves; even the strongest of people just aren’t enough for themselves. So prepare yourself for that, have a core of people that you don’t want to disappoint. Let’s face it, as much as it may be hard to believe sometimes the average person really cares about what others think. We really care if we let someone down. If you have that kind of guilt and burden then great, use it! Turn it into something positive for yourself and set up a system of support that gives you a hug when you want one and a kick in the rear when you need one.
Step 14: Start Your Engines
It’s time! You are all ready to go. You have nothing holding you back now. Your workout plans are set up, your meals are all laid out, and you even sprung for that special Tupperware and cooler so that you are never left without a choice. Now it is time to apply it. It is going to be weird at first, change always does. Hey but you have been prepping for this change so long. You have been doing this for days now and look at all you have gotten done! Seems a little silly to turn back now doesn’t it? You have no clothes; you have all this healthy food, new cook books, a gym membership, workout gear, even on of those ipods. You practically took a study course on nutrition and can design your own training program. Now all you have to do is take eh about 40 mins at most a day and apply the workout. Maybe another 20-30 minutes. to heat up your meals because you set aside a bulk cooking day on Sunday that covered half of your meals for the week. You are all set to go, all you have to do is put it in action. Somehow, someway you woke up and you weren’t just trying to lose fat anymore, you woke up and found you.
Step 14: Start Your Engines
It’s time! You are all ready to go. You have nothing holding you back now. Your workout plans are set up, your meals are all laid out, and you even sprung for that special Tupperware and cooler so that you are never left without a choice. Now it is time to apply it. It is going to be weird at first, change always does. Hey but you have been prepping for this change so long. You have been doing this for days now and look at all you have gotten done! Seems a little silly to turn back now doesn’t it? You have no clothes; you have all this healthy food, new cook books, a gym membership, workout gear, even on of those ipods. You practically took a study course on nutrition and can design your own training program. Now all you have to do is take eh about 40 mins at most a day and apply the workout. Maybe another 20-30 minutes. to heat up your meals because you set aside a bulk cooking day on Sunday that covered half of your meals for the week. You are all set to go, all you have to do is put it in action. Somehow, someway you woke up and you weren’t just trying to lose fat anymore, you woke up and found you.
