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There are no secrets to weight loss. There are NONE. Everything you need to know is already out there (among lots of other BS). It’s on the internet, in books, and being taught by many professionals in the industry.
However, execution of these strategies is really the hard part for many. If I had a nickel for every time I heard “I know what to do…but I can’t do it” I would probably have about $5.65.
Here are the 5 things, not secrets by any means, that you need to do to lose weight. If you are not losing weight, you probably aren’t doing these things – so go back, audit what you are doing – and do these things again.
Where professionals like myself come in is to help people execute these things – or make them fit into the individuals lifestyle. I can only pass along the information and motivate you so much – the rest of the work, almost all of it – must come on your behalf. I can’t do these things for you.
Well, I could. We have a nice guest bedroom at our apartment and for $2000/week you could move in with me and my lovely wife and I would do everything (besides workout) for you. Not sure how Amanda wold feel about that…
Back to the topic. Here are the 5 things that must happen for you to lose weight.
1. Create a caloric deficit
Yes. For the 100th time. If you are not losing weight, you are eating too many calories. End of story. (assuming you have no underlying major health issues that affect your metabolism tremendously)
Write down everything you eat, track it, and track calories. If the scale does not budge after 1 week, then cut out 100-300 calories per day. Repeat the process. You should lose weight.
What if you do all of this, and you lose only .5-1 pound in a week. Great! Don’t change a thing. Stick with the consistency and see what happens week 2. Continue this process until it stops.
Essentially, this is really the ONLY step you actually need. However, the following steps also help greatly, and will improve overall results – and are just as important for creating an overall healthy lifestyle.
2. Be more active
Notice, I didn’t even say exercise more. Just move more in general. If you wakeup, sit and eat breakfast, sit in your car to work, sit at your desk, sit on your drive home, sit for dinner, sit and watch TV, then go to bed you are not active at all.
Walk more. Move more.
Buy a $5 pedometer and see how many steps you get in a day, then increase that by 20% each week until you get over 10,000 per day.
3. Consider training for muscle
Yep, lifting weights and training to build muscle. No matter what your goals are, train to build muscle. While not necessary to losing weight, this will help tremendously, and will prevent too much muscle loss in the process – assuming protein needs are met.
You won’t turn into the Hulk or She Hulk in one day, week, month or maybe even year. Ladies, you won’t build big slabs of muscle like many still think, and guys you probably won’t end up looking like Arnold in his prime.
But training for muscular growth and development has many benefits associated with fat loss.
More muscle = higher metabolism = more calories burned at complete rest.
More muscle = more strength = more independence = less reliance on others = freedom.
More muscle = that look you really want, but magazines that target females call “toned”.
Lift weights, 2-4 days per week, all muscle groups, varied rep ranges (8-30 reps) and track progress.
4. Eat like an adult.
Yes, you CAN lose weight eating nothing but fast food or ice cream. But going back to rule #1, it is very hard to mentally stay in a caloric deficit when you are eating junk food that is super calorie dense.
Us adults KNOW:
- Vegetables and fruit are good for you
- Processed sugary foods and drinks are unhealthy
- Processed cardboard carbs are unhealthy
- Deep fried, greasy, fatty foods are unhealthy
- Lean, animal protein foods are good for you
- Healthy fats are good for you
Like I said, WE ALL KNOW THIS. So eat more like an adult, and less like a child locked in a candy store.
5. Give it time.
If you are doing all of the above, 80% of the time, you will get results.
Will you lose 10 pounds in 10 days? Probably not. But anyone who has ever done a fad/crash diet knows – that weight comes right back.
Give the process time. If it’s working, don’t change a thing.
If its not working, then are you doing steps 1-4? Or could you do better. Take personal responsibility for your self and your actions. This is not meant to shame or scold you – but I’m just being brutally honest here.
Now go re-read steps 1-5 and write down if you are doing these things 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Consistency is KEY.
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Stay healthy my friends,