We’re rolling into the middle of January as I write this article. How are you doing with your goals? I’m not a big fan of resolutions, I really believe people need to be setting goals all year round.
The problem with that is that we get overwhelmed. Setting a goal that’s too far out can lead to boredom, burnout or just plain giving up for a multitude of reasons (for me personally a lot of self doubt creeps in and maybe you can relate).
With that said, as we roll into 2016 you will have new goals. We all set resolutions and that’s cool. What I want from you is for this to be the year that you actually succeed. I know you want to lose weight and today I want to share with you the 7 best fat loss tips for this year. Warning, they are a little non-conventional so if you’re looking for a quick fix you better stop reading now.
Tip #1- Start Out Slow(er)
Balls to the wall, all out, new year/new you. You’ve heard it all and done it all. How long does that typically last though? For most it’s from the second week of January until “maybe” the end of February. Not long enough to really see a great result or one that will even last you all year.
You get burned out, bored, tired or even worse- you get injured because you try to work out 7 days a week with no plan of attack. No bueno and not this year.
This year you will set yourself up with a solid, smart plan where you train 4 days per week with some structure and direction.
Tip #2- Have a REAL Goal
I know, I know, your goal is to lose weight. I get it. But that goal won’t get you out of bed when it’s cold, snowing and dark on a February morning. If each of your workouts is motivated by the fact that you simply want to lose weight- you’ll get bored really quickly.
You need to develop a specific goal, what we call your “why.” This is what deeply and truly motivates you. If your goal is weight loss, dig deeper and ask yourself “why” at least 3 times. You want to lose weight so that you can feel more confident so that when you’re at work you can dominate your presentations without worrying about if people are looking at you and judging your weight.
That’s a why. Now from there you would simply break down that goal into your long term (aka how much weight you wanted to lose in 90 days) and what you would do every single week and day to get you to that goal.
Tip #3- Keep Score
A good friend and mentor of mine asks me this all the time- “are you winning and how do you know?”
Are you losing weight? How do you know? Many people are afraid to keep score because they have to face the reality of the situation and stop telling stories to justify their results or lack-there-of.
You have to be courageous enough to keep score. With weight loss this means you have to get measured (we do this for you every 4-5 weeks), you have to track your food intake in some manner and you have to measure your progress in the gym. That’s something we track with you as well- making sure each training session you are progressing with form, weight, how many rounds you can do, and a variety of others.
Tip #4- Get Some Freakin’ Accountability Going
What is accountability? It’s simply doing what you said you would do. It’s pretty much impossible to keep yourself accountable, so you need some systems in place for others to help you. My #1 recommendation is to join a structured group training program like the one we run at Durbrow Performance.
Our 8 Week Strong(her) Transformation starts on Monday February 1st- you can apply here
That way when it comes to your workouts you just need to schedule them and show up. You get measured every month and the coaches help you stay on track with the goals that you set. In other words, we help you to continue to do what you said you would do. When you do that, you’ll hit your target outcome.
Tip #5- Have Some Fun Already
Who “really” loves working out? Even as a coach I have many days that I just don’t want to be bothered, I’m sore or I’m tired. Working out by myself can be tedious at times so I try to work out with my fellow coaches or my best friend.
Working out with someone else (in a small group ideally) is one of the best ways to make it fun. Another way is to make sure you’re training like an athlete. Don’t get freaked out by this- we train you like an athlete but at YOUR level. This means that you’ll get to jump, run, throw, push sleds, use Battling Ropes and move your body in a fun and dynamic way.
Get all of this bad-assery right here with our 8 Week Strong(her) Transformation
Each workout you can test yourself (safely of course) to perfect your form, use a heavier weight than last time or beat your score on the number of rounds you did last week.
This sure beats plodding along on the treadmill or elliptical trainer. In 45 minutes you’re warmed up, worked out, stretched out and done.
Tip #6- Find a Plan Where You Can Eat Like that FOREVER
This is the #1 question to ask yourself when you embark on a nutrition plan- “can I eat this way forever?”
If the answer is no, you’re operating on some level of a crash diet. If you find a plan that you can be mindful, moderate and enjoy food again, then you’re good to go. This takes a lot of practice because so many of us are conditioned to be “bad” or “good” when it comes to our food.
Finding the grey area is important because that’s where you’ll generally live your life. If you can follow an 80/20 principle with your nutrition and combine that with a really solid training program, you’ll see great weight loss results.
This means that 80% of the time you’re eating a good amount of protein, veggies, healthy fats and drinking a lot of water. It leaves some wiggle room of 20% to go out to dinner, enjoy a glass of wine or birthday cake at a party.
Tip #7- Balance, Balance, Balance
This is the “non-sexy” truth. Everyone wants a quick fix, a belly blast or a 21 day solution to their weight loss problem. That stuff only lasts for so long until you burn out, get bored or see very little results. Results are the biggest motivator for continued success and compliance, but we all want those results to happen fast.
Patience in a program is crucial. You will have your ups and downs and the key is to not get derailed by the “downs.”
Before you start your new program, identify what any potential obstacles would be.
Examples of this would be:
-I don’t have time
-I don’t trust myself
-I can’t afford a coach
-I’m lazy without someone to hold me accountable
Any of these things and more are going to come up. Figure them out beforehand and then when they do get in your way, you can easily navigate around them because you are prepared.
There you have it, the top 7 reasons that you will lose weight this year. These are much different than what you’ll typically read in the magazines, blogs and find on TV this year. That’s our approach though- we focus on the little things and the stuff that gets you results.
Our next 8 Week Challenge starts on Monday February 1st. If you’re ready to stop the struggle, the frustration and the crash dieting, you can apply to our program here: