If you get fat are you doomed to stay fat?
According to a study conducted in the UK in 2015, less than 1% of the formerly obese will
maintain weight loss for more than a year. Specifically, this broke down to just 1 man out of
210 and 1 woman out of 124.
Participants in the study were told to eat less and move more, a method that failed to deliver
long-term results. Clearly this sound bite advice wasn’t enough.
Now I could launch into a debate over whether or not this study practised sound research and
whether or not the participants really did eat less and exercise more, but instead I’d rather
share with you what I know to be true about lasting weight loss.
Make no mistake about it, long-term fat loss results are very possible and are enjoyed by the
majority of my clients – in stark contrast to the UK study results!
Since there’s more to it than simply eating less and moving more, how does one go about losing
fat and then keeping it off for the long haul? Here are 5 Steps to Finally Lose the Fat…
Step #1 to Finally Lose the Fat - The Right Mindset
There are only two mindsets to choose from when you approach your quest for weight loss:
This is a temporary change in my behaviour.
This is a new way of life.
There’s no middle ground, you either see it as temporary change or you see it as permanent
change. It’s pretty obvious which mindset produces permanent results.
Step #2 to Finally Lose the Fat - New Habits
Understanding how to put new habits in place is the second step to losing the weight and keeping
it lost.
As we just saw in step one, looking at your weight loss behaviour as a new lifestyle is the only
way to ensure permanent results and this means adopting healthy new habits.
Habits are best taken on in gradual steps. This has been proven to be the most effective way to
make the new habits stick. Approach building new habits with baby steps instead of grand leaps.
If one of your current, fattening, habits is that you drink sugary soda then first switch to
drinking diet soda. Once the habit of drinking diet soda has completely replaced your sugary
soda habit then you can start replacing some of the diet soda with water. You didn’t jump
straight from drinking flavourful, fizzy soda to just drinking water, that’s too extreme and will
make success unlikely.
Step #3 to Finally Lose the Fat - Your Environment
In order to permanently change your body you must permanently change your environment. It makes
sense that you won’t maintain a lean body in the same environment where you gained the weight.
The term “environment” sounds vague, so let’s break it down. Your environment is the world that
you create around yourself. These are the foods that you see, smell and have easy access to.
This is the ease or difficulty you have in consistently accessing exercise. This is the
lifestyle of the people closest to you that casts an influence on your own lifestyle whether you
realise it or not.
I’ll bet you could draw out the ideal environment for permanent weight loss. You know the path.
Now put in the effort to walk the path.
Step #4 to Finally Lose the Fat - Good Nutrition
The problem with the advice of eat less and move more is that it doesn’t make a distinction
between calories. When total calorie count is your only goal you’ll end up consuming lower
quality calories than you should, which leads to mindless eating and malnutrition.
Educate yourself on healthy calories versus nutritionally void calories. A great rule of thumb
is that calories that are created in nature are always superior to calories created in a
factory. Stick with real food over anything from a package.
Step #5 to Finally Lose the Fat - Your Support System
If you just did the first 4 steps then you’d be well on your way to successfully transforming
your body from fat to fit, and keeping it that way for the long haul. However, in order to fully
ensure that you make the switch from where you are to where you want to be it’s important to put
a support system in place.
Nothing is more powerful than social accountability. Instinctively you don’t want to let people
down, and so you’ll work harder and more consistently in a support group than you would when
working on your own. It’s hard to sleep in when you know someone is at the gym waiting for you!
This fifth and most important step is where I come into your life. My entire mission is to not
only provide you with the action steps to getting into the best shape of your life, I also am
here to provide you with the support that you need to make it happen.
Call or email me now to get started on a programme that will get you fit for life. You can do
this!
