3 Simple Steps to Sustained Fat Loss
Yesterday I did a short video on 3 Simple Steps to sustained Fat Loss, but I didn’t really cover all the angles. It sounds simple, but it is certainly not easy. There are so many avenues we can take on our journey to a healthier, stronger, more spiritual, wiser version of ourselves. What I have seen and continue to see is, that people want the quick fix with fad diets, supplements and cutting corners. While getting quick results is desirable by anyone who makes the decision to get healthy, the methods used to achieve said results are not always the way to go. People will try almost anything to get the ball rolling without a plan for what’s to come afterwards. I’ve seen people try crash diets, juice cleanses, soup diets, 21-day fix and so on without a notion of what they are going to do to sustain the short term results they get while on that particular diet. Not only is there no plan, but I’ve seen people force themselves into short term habits without any intention of continuing to maintain that habit. With that said; below is my solution to quick fixes.
1. Find what works for you
We all have that point where we either feel bad enough about ourselves or have an underlying fear that drives to make a conscious decision to begin or get back into a healthy way of living. Sometimes we are afraid to make a positive change in our lives because we have identified with the person we have become. We know it will take a giant leap of faith that will require us to kill off that old version of ourselves that got us here, to become a new, better version of ourselves. The key word here is ourselves. Not someone else. What someone else is doing in and out of the gym is not going to necessarily work for you. You have a different metabolism, different taste, different hormone levels, different schedules, sleep patterns, genetics, eating patterns, exercise regime, limitations, motivation, commitment and so on. All of these circumstances vary from person to person, so comparing yourself to another isn’t the best idea. For you to enjoy sustainable health, finding what works for you is what is needed. For you to find out what works for you is going to come down to 3 things.
EAT
a. Experiment
A little experimentation with different foods at different times of the day. Maybe cutting certain foods out and adding them back in.
b. Awareness
Pay attention to how those foods make you feel. Does that food give you energy of does it make you sleepy? Does it make you feel bloated, gassy, constipated etc. I would recommend you journal your findings.
c. Transition
With your findings, make the transition away from the foods that make you feel heavy and towards the foods that make you feel light.
2. Set a routine (and stick to it as best you can)
People have an aversion to routine for some reason, but routine takes discipline and discipline over time creates habits. Good habits become paradigms and eventually those paradigms become your new identity which leads to positive results. If its results you want, you need discipline. I’m not saying change your whole life to revolve around one goal. I’m saying change one behavior within your day that will become part of your routine. For example, we all have a routine that we use when we wake up in the morning. Get up, brush your teeth, take a shower, get dressed and so on. Most of these things we do without even thinking, but it makes our morning efficient and gets us to where we need to be. The funny thing is you put you pants on the same way every day and don’t even think about it. You put your left sock on before the right and the left shoe on first everyday and don’t even notice. These simple routines make life easier because they are automatic. Here’s an example of how routines can better our lives. If you are a person who is always late, you must pay attention to why you are late. It might be more complex than, I always get stuck in traffic. It might be more complex than I don’t leave the house enough. Maybe it’s because you can’t find your keys. The reason you can’t find your key is because your current routine is toss the keys on the kitchen table when you come in. If you can get in the simple habit or routine of putting your keys on the key hook when you walk in the door, you’ll know exactly where they are. This little routine eliminates the time you spend looking for your keys helps you get to where you need to be on time. Now, let’s apply this to fat loss. Ask yourself the question, why do I have excess fat?
There will be multiple factors that play a role in excessive fat, but I would invite you to write down all the reasons why this is so (that are in your control) and pick one habit that you can change. On that list for most people is “I don’t drink enough water”. Develop a routine that will allow you to drink the necessary amount of water every day. If that means setting alarms set an alarm but do whatever it takes to get 30 days consecutive of drinking ample amounts of water. If you fail one day, start again. Only focus on that one habit and you’ll be surprised which other habits follow.
3. Stay Consistent
Like we talked about at the top of the article, everyone wants a quick fix. I hear all the time, “I will be happy when I lose 20 lbs”. This mentality is what defeats us in the long run. You can choose to be happy now. You can choose to focus on doing everything in your power today to help you progress towards that goal. We cannot look back in the past and reminisce about how we used to be so fit or look to he future and say I can’t wait till those 20 lbs. are gone. Neither one of those thoughts will help us. Yes, it’s good to visualize for practical purposes, but to dwell and obsess about the past of future will only cause us suffering. We must make the commitment to the routine and execute that routine to the best of our ability each day and moment that is presented to us. Presented to us!!! We must be present. We must not focus on the fruit of our actions, but on the action itself. The fruits will take care of themselves. Practicing presence daily will feed consistency.
Consistency will give is results.
Because our bodies change, we must adapt constantly. We must be flexible in our approach. We must keep experimenting, remain aware, make transitions to positive habits and master routines. Doing these things consistently will help you become a little better than you were yesterday.
Remember, progress, not perfection.
Komentar