Losing the Fat you Want to Lose

Hello Internets

Before we get started, I just want to let you know that I will be posting my blog every SUNDAY NIGHT from now on. This is so you know when to expect them and keep reading! Remember you can also subscribe to my blog at the top of this page.

This post is to follow up my previous post on spot reduction and how to lose fat in the places you want to and not in the places you don’t. To make a long story short, non-surgical spot reduction is physiologically impossible despite what ANYONE tells you…so sorry ):

However, you CAN lose fat relatively easily with some simple life changes. So how do you get started?

1. Realize and Accept:

Before embarking on your fat loss journey the first and most important thing to do is to accept and realize what you are working with. If it took you 2 years to gain the excess fat you have right now, then it will take a similar amount of time to lose.

Now, coming to this realization is not meant to discourage you but empower you. When you accept where you are and are ready to move forward then nothing can stop you.

Try this out. Get naked all by yourself.  I’m serious… do it right after reading this post (unless you’re at work that is). Then stand in front of a mirror. Look at yourself, every part of yourself and accept yourself as you are right now. Smile and do a little dance, even if you don’t want to, and tell yourself “I am 100% ok with how I look right now, but am ready to make some positive changes in my life for my health starting today.” Say this over and over until it feels natural. I reccommend doing this exercise at least once a week.

Why? Because you need to accept yourself and stop beating yourself up because it is de-motivational and will only detour you from becoming empowered. I’m not just making this stuff up either; they have seen this correlation over and over in research.

2. Small Changes Lead to Bigger Changes

I cannot stress this enough, do not take the world on starting next Monday. Trying to go from not working out and eating like crap to working out 6 days a week and eating like a fitness model will not end well. Trust me, I’ve tried to do it over and over. I say to myself “Byn, next Monday you are going to stop drinking, consume no sugar, eat 5 times a day every 2-3 hours and will starting  workout 6 days a week”.

Unless you are extremely neurotic (which also isn’t healthy) you will FAIL if you take on too much. Once this happens the cycle of self loathing will continue, and you possibly will just say “who cares, this is the way I’m suppose to live”, “it’s too hard”  or my personal favourite “you’re a failure, you can’t even do something so simple as eating right and working out”….STOP THINKING LIKE THAT RIGHT NOW.

So what can you do?! Excellent question! Just like the title indicated, start small. Try the follow schedule for a month.

Week 1:

·         Workout/be active for 2 bouts of 30 minutes or 4 bouts of 15 minutes.

·         Example: Go for a brisk walk (like you’re late for catching a bus) on Monday and Wednesday or jump on an exercise bike Monday-Thursday for 15 minutes.

·         Decrease your caloric intake by 200calories/day 3 days a week.

·         For example, drink water with breakfast/dinner instead of juice or beer. Hate water, use crystal light and slow cut back the amount you put in until you DO like water.

Week 2:

·         Up your workout days for 20-30 minutes 3 days of a week.

·         Eliminate all sugar drinks from your day (including juice) 2 or 3 days in the week.

Week 3:

·         Do cardio 3 days a week for 20-30 minutes and 1 full body weight training session once a week.

·         Try and eat 200-300calorie meals (depending on your BMR) consisting of protein, veggies and complex carbs every 2-3 hours once a week.

·         Eliminate all sugar drinks from your day 4 days this week.

Week 4:

·         Do cardio 4 days of 30 minutes and 2 full body weight training sessions this week.

·         Try for 2 days of 200-300calorie meals (depending on your BMR) consisting of protein, veggies and complex carbs every 2-3 hours.

·         Try 5 or 6 sugar free drink days this week.

This program allows you to have concrete and easily obtainable goals weekly to increase the amount of time you are moving and improve your nutrition. Reward yourself to sticking to your goals each week. Make sure to not fall into the habit of rewarding yourself with food or booze. Buy yourself a cute hat, or some jewelry, i.e. something to make you feel good.

As always, we are all different, so you may need to modify this plan slightly to fit you. For example, if your problem isn’t sugary drinks (which includes booze and beer) but eating sweets or crap replace sugar drinks with “junk food”.

3. Consistency

My third, and final, tip for how to lose the fat you want is to stay consistent. This was also a big problem I used to have.  I would workout for a month then take four off, feel like crap, then go back. This is a bad cycle to be stuck in because that nasty ol’ self loathing and fatigue that seems to come back in this cycle, which can make it easy to feel like a constant failure.

Why?  Because you’re body needs exercise, just like food, air, and water. So those unpleasant feelings that come along with being sedentary is your body’s way of telling you to do what it needs you to do. Think of it this way, do you feel like crap if you just drink pop all day….the answer is YES, because your body needs water, just like it needs to be active.

So how can you stay consistent when your life is SOOO busy and stressful and things that de-rail you always come up, e.g. like getting sick.

My answer to this problem is A. stick to a schedule and B. schedule break weeks.  Part A is basically to continue what you are doing in my second point of this post. Have a goal for each week and stick to it. Write in your schedule/I pod/blackberry what days you are working out and what you are doing. Do not change these plans for anything.

For example, I circuit train on Monday at noon, I do legs Tuesday from 4-5 then spin from 5-6, Wednesday is an optional rest day or circuit training, Thursday I do arms from 4-5 then spin from 5-6, Friday is my make up day if I didn’t work out on Wednesday. Saturday and Sunday I try and stay active if possible, but if not, no biggie. I never work out less than 3 days a week unless I’m on break.

These days are in my schedule and I stick to them. If I get sick or really busy I take the week off .  This is where Part B. comes in. I schedule 3 break weeks a year, well I guess I don’t really schedule them, but I find I usually get sick once or twice a year (2 weeks) then I have a break week just in case.

These break weeks can happen anytime throughout the year as long as they are not back to back.  It’s good to see it like vacation time from work.

So those are my tips. As always, any questions or comments are very much welcomed. I’d love to hear your challenges with this fitness journey we are all on. I care about my readers and hope I’m making a difference in your lives.

Stay Strong and I’ll see you next class or Sunday night!

Byn