Losing fat and changing your body can truly be life changing for my clients. It obviously has a physiological affect on them. This includes more mobility, balance and lower blood pressure to name a few. Additionally, your knees will thank you. There are simply too many to list here, but you get the point. The strength gains from working out are also life changing.
This is true to the point that it can even allow people to simply enjoy things they couldn’t when heavier. One of my clients was over 400 lbs, and as he dropped, he could finally get down on the floor and play with his kids. Something that is amazing, as before he came to me, he wouldn’t do it as he needed help getting back if he sat down on the floor with them. Another client that has lost over 60 lbs. in less than a year has had a better golf game because of more mobility with his swing and more power to drive the ball as he was adding muscle as he was losing weight. This is the key to success.
While you are seeing the physical affects here, don’t forget the psychological ones. Being “fat” takes an emotional toll on you, and it can lead to binge eating which simply makes things worse. PLEASE do NOT fall into that trap. It is a spiral you may never come out of. To be successful with weight loss, you must only make simple changes. Nothing too radical. These can be as simple as cutting pop (soda) out of your diet, cutting out fast food and meal prepping and starting a workout program. Just fitting into an old pair of shorts or top boosts your attitude with success. Small gains start to show, which builds your desire to continue the journey as you are finally seeing that hard work and dedication DOES pay off.
Still, I allow my clients to “cheat.” I ask for 90% compliance. If your habit is that every Friday you and the friends go out for pizza and a few beers, do it! This keeps you sane. Still for success, this means the rest of the week you must stay on track. When you are struggling through the week, you can say, “but Friday I get to eat that pizza and have a beer.” If you do this, you WILL have success. Once again, I am targeting the average fitness person, not elite athletes competing.
Don’t over think weight or fat loss. It’s simple really. To gain weight (muscle or fat) you must have an excess of calories. To lose, you must have a deficit. There are 3500 calories in a pound. So a deficit of 500 calories a day will cause a pound of loss in a week. That translates to 250 calories burned through exercise a day, and 250 less calories a day cut from diet. That makes 500 calories. Do that every day, and at the end of the week, a 500 calorie deficit times 7 days means a pound of loss. A pound loss a week means 52 lbs. a week.
I think a big problem is people want everything INSTANTLY. It’s our society! NO people, a pound a week loss is doable and sustainable. 10 pound a week is NOT! Stay on track, cut back your food in slightly smaller portions, add in some resistance training as well as cardio and stay the course! If you follow these few simple tips, you WILL change your life. If you want to know more, go to garanfitnessconsulting.com, or Facebook
at Garan Fitness Consulting or Garan Fitness Tactical Training.
Scott