you’ve decided that 2016 is the year that you will finally lose that extra weight and now you’re scouring the web looking for something, anything that is going to be the difference between successful weight loss and another failed attempt.
If you’ve searched the web you have seen literally 1,000s of different diets, exercise programs and supplements “guaranteed” to lead to weight loss. Well underneath all the fads and behind the bad science of every hormone, carb blocker and fat reducer supplement, there are some simple truths.
This is first of several posts I will be writing on the topic in an attempt to help bring some much needed clarity to the world of weight loss.
1. State of mind
Here is the big one, the one that no one wants to admit to and only those who have been successful can attest to: losing weight AND KEEPING IT OFF, is all about changing your state of mind.
To be more specific, it’s about changing all those bad habits. That’s right I said it. You can’t go eat fast food 3 times a week because you “don’t have time” to get something better. You can’t follow a program for a week and eat 2 pizzas and a gallon of ice cream on your off day. You can’t sit down in front of the TV and grab a handful of cookies.
The key to lasting weight loss is changing your bad habits to good habits. Josh Hillis and Dan John wrote a book called “Fat Loss Happens on Monday”. They do a wonderful job breaking it all down into easy to understand habits that any successful weight loss program needs. Start small, change one habit at a time, and stick with it. Before you know you’ll be a regular health nut.
2. Skip the excuses
I am the worst at making an excuse as to why I can grab that burger for lunch or skip a workout because “I have too much work to do.”
I know as soon as it leaves my mouth, that it’s BS. It comes down to what is important to you.
Dieting and healthy eating sucks for a couch potato. It takes time and effort to plan your meals, do quality shopping, prepare your meals in advance, keep your food journal up to date and stick to your workout plan.
I know it’s hard but these things are what will make you lose weight. It is all about determination.
Now I tell myself, “I’d rather show off my six pack in 6 months then eat that pizza now.”
I often provide manual therapies to patients and I’m not going to lie, they can be painful at times. But I tell all my patients the same thing ahead of time. “It’s going to be painful, but you’ve chosen pain now for better performance later.”
To date, I have never meet a patient who regretted that choice.
3. Give it time
I am guilty of this one in my previous attempts to drop weight. I would follow a program religiously for a week and only see minor weight loss. I would get angry about how it failed to deliver what I expected and go eat a pizza.
If only I had the patience to stick with it for a month.
Most diets promise quick results but they deliver their best results after 3-4 weeks of consistent adherence. The same goes for those exercise routines.
Your biggest and best results will come 2-3 weeks into a program not after a single workout so stick with it.
4. Don’t make changes
I have had patients who would get full diet and exercise plans from their Doctor, Nutritionist, Physical Therapist, Weight Loss Specialist, and in the middle of their routine they will change something that dramatically changes the plan.
This happens a lot in medicine when people think that because they read a book and saw a TV special that they are experts in a given field.
“I know it says 2 tbs of peanut butter but the protein is good for me so I had 8 tbs”. Sure laugh, but I’ve seen it happen for real.
“I can swap squats and sprints for bicep curls and yoga, it’s all exercise anyway isn’t it?”
If only it were that easy…
5. Don’t Complain
fussing-crying-complaining-We all know dieting can suck, especially at the beginning of a new program.
I know you’re sore, you’re hungry, you’re angry and have a headache. But no one else wants to hear about it.
Suck it up.
Negative thoughts actually increase the stress response in your body and diminish the effects of the diet. So can the negativity and think instead of how awesome it’s going to feel in 6 weeks when you’ve hit your first milestone. Think of how awesome you’re going to look in that bikini this summer. Think of how surprised everyone is going to be when they see you after dropping all that weight.
Think positive thoughts and you’ll be amazed how all that soreness and hunger drifts off into nothingness. Don’t feed the doubting wolf. Feed the determined one.
If you’ve searched the web you have seen literally 1,000s of different diets, exercise programs and supplements “guaranteed” to lead to weight loss. Well underneath all the fads and behind the bad science of every hormone, carb blocker and fat reducer supplement, there are some simple truths.
This is first of several posts I will be writing on the topic in an attempt to help bring some much needed clarity to the world of weight loss.
1. State of mind
Here is the big one, the one that no one wants to admit to and only those who have been successful can attest to: losing weight AND KEEPING IT OFF, is all about changing your state of mind.
To be more specific, it’s about changing all those bad habits. That’s right I said it. You can’t go eat fast food 3 times a week because you “don’t have time” to get something better. You can’t follow a program for a week and eat 2 pizzas and a gallon of ice cream on your off day. You can’t sit down in front of the TV and grab a handful of cookies.
The key to lasting weight loss is changing your bad habits to good habits. Josh Hillis and Dan John wrote a book called “Fat Loss Happens on Monday”. They do a wonderful job breaking it all down into easy to understand habits that any successful weight loss program needs. Start small, change one habit at a time, and stick with it. Before you know you’ll be a regular health nut.
2. Skip the excuses
I am the worst at making an excuse as to why I can grab that burger for lunch or skip a workout because “I have too much work to do.”
I know as soon as it leaves my mouth, that it’s BS. It comes down to what is important to you.
Dieting and healthy eating sucks for a couch potato. It takes time and effort to plan your meals, do quality shopping, prepare your meals in advance, keep your food journal up to date and stick to your workout plan.
I know it’s hard but these things are what will make you lose weight. It is all about determination.
Now I tell myself, “I’d rather show off my six pack in 6 months then eat that pizza now.”
I often provide manual therapies to patients and I’m not going to lie, they can be painful at times. But I tell all my patients the same thing ahead of time. “It’s going to be painful, but you’ve chosen pain now for better performance later.”
To date, I have never meet a patient who regretted that choice.
3. Give it time
I am guilty of this one in my previous attempts to drop weight. I would follow a program religiously for a week and only see minor weight loss. I would get angry about how it failed to deliver what I expected and go eat a pizza.
If only I had the patience to stick with it for a month.
Most diets promise quick results but they deliver their best results after 3-4 weeks of consistent adherence. The same goes for those exercise routines.
Your biggest and best results will come 2-3 weeks into a program not after a single workout so stick with it.
4. Don’t make changes
I have had patients who would get full diet and exercise plans from their Doctor, Nutritionist, Physical Therapist, Weight Loss Specialist, and in the middle of their routine they will change something that dramatically changes the plan.
This happens a lot in medicine when people think that because they read a book and saw a TV special that they are experts in a given field.
“I know it says 2 tbs of peanut butter but the protein is good for me so I had 8 tbs”. Sure laugh, but I’ve seen it happen for real.
“I can swap squats and sprints for bicep curls and yoga, it’s all exercise anyway isn’t it?”
If only it were that easy…
5. Don’t Complain
fussing-crying-complaining-We all know dieting can suck, especially at the beginning of a new program.
I know you’re sore, you’re hungry, you’re angry and have a headache. But no one else wants to hear about it.
Suck it up.
Negative thoughts actually increase the stress response in your body and diminish the effects of the diet. So can the negativity and think instead of how awesome it’s going to feel in 6 weeks when you’ve hit your first milestone. Think of how awesome you’re going to look in that bikini this summer. Think of how surprised everyone is going to be when they see you after dropping all that weight.
Think positive thoughts and you’ll be amazed how all that soreness and hunger drifts off into nothingness. Don’t feed the doubting wolf. Feed the determined one.
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