Staying Consistent to Lose weight​

The majority of people at some stage in their lives will attempt to, or successfully lose weight. There are lots of factors that affect which group someone will fall into.

Lots of people can lose a small amount of weight, however losing a lot of weight, and maintaining that weight, is where people tend to have difficulty. 

Again, there are many reasons for this too, so today we’ll break down some of the difference. 

I will talk about what I believe are the key or fundamental things to focus on while trying to lose weight.

#1, Action:

As you may already be aware, we are great planners and poor doers. We make plans with our friends; we make plans to travel, plan our future. Still, reality tends to stray away from what we originally intended. 

The mood and thought process involved in planning rarely surfaces when it comes to acting. 

A very relevant example of this is New Year’s resolutions. 

Something that is shown time and time again is the majority of people fail their resolution within the first two weeks, most won’t see a month, or even close to a year. 

It’s partially human nature. The you that makes the plan isn’t the same you that has to do it. Planning you is full of excitement, the action you is tired before you start.

Without action, there’s no result; the trick is to find something that works for both versions of yourself, while you’re planning, make the process as painless for your future self. 

For example, say you wanted to start running at 5 am every morning, this would be a tough start.

If you put your alarm far enough away from your bed that you need to get out of it, your shoes and clothes ready on the floor, there is a much higher chance of success. 

The main point is to create an environment where the action is more comfortable to start. Once you start, you’ll more than likely keep going.

#2, Consistency:

Humans are creatures of habit. If you don’t make exercise and eating better a habit, you won’t be successful. 

We generally pick a path and stick to it, and this appears in all aspects of our lives. Being spontaneous comes with its risks to any creature trying to survive, and we aren’t much different from any other animal.

We pick a career, house etc. and only change when it’s necessary or comfortable to do so. 

This same principle applies to make changes such as increasing our activity level or changing our nutrition. 

The initial step outside of our comfort zone is often firstly taken too quickly, but also too far.

Those who are successful in changing their body composition set consistent long term goals that have a compounding effect.

Focus on nutrient density, as well as how filling your food is per calorie (Calorie satiation).

That will lead you to eat more fresh fruit, lean protein and lots of vegetables, as well as steering away from highly processed foods.

Exercising is stressful, and often unenjoyable for a lot of people. If you don’t fall into that category, it’s great, but there’s no denying that exercise can suck. 

We are focusing on small progressions weekly. 

Do some form of exercise that isn’t excessively intense and takes away from your life; you can change your body for the better. 

It takes a long time, you won’t get long term results from a short term solution. I’d rather achieve a goal over the space of two years than fail at it monthly.

#3, Self Education:

Knowing how and why you lose weight is going to make a massive difference in both the process and outcome of losing it. 

Have a basic understanding of what required to reduce your body fat will ultimately affect how you structure your training and your eating habits. 

Not knowing what to do is as detrimental as not doing anything. There is a lot of conflicting information due to the low entry point for personal trainers and zero industry regulation. 

Anyone can label themselves a trainer and start handing out advice. Whether they understand the psychological and physiological process involved in losing weight is pretty unlikely without any formal education. 

This leaves the health and fitness industry saturated with ordinary people giving poor advice. People are aware of methods of losing weight without understanding the process. 

This results in diets that involve eliminating entire food groups, workouts that cause injuries etc. 

Following research-based practitioners is always a good idea, and if you find information to be a bit too good to be accurate.

Look for evidence that it is based in science and not just social hype.

Hopefully, you found this helpful if you have any questions, feel free to email me. [email protected]

Chris.