I think we can all agree that everything in life worth attaining boils down to having a plan, taking action, and assessing the results. You simply repeat what works and drop the rest.
photo credit: flora
Experiment with new methods on a second go. Continue tracking results. Rinse and repeat over and over again. Achieving your goals is a matter of finding out what to do and then doing the right things to the best of your abilities.
Results will come as it's a natural outcome of nature's laws.
The real secret lay in finding out what to do and then just doing it. The conceptual framework of success is right underneath our nose and in front of us. It is no different with losing fat or transforming our body. Many already know what to do. We at least know how to find out what to do to achieve permanent fat loss.
The information is all over the place in books, training programs online, personal trainers, fat loss and fitness sites. You can find hundreds of free sites giving good tips on losing weight.
It's just a matter of having the will to sift through the information and make a final decision to dedicate time and effort to a weight loss journey.
The next step, then, is to actually go out and do it. Put the plan and information to use by following a proper deficit diet, exercise, and get proper recovery. Focus, consistency, and discipline is pertinent to success and results. You're not going to achieve any noticeable and worthwhile fat loss if you don't consistently work out, eat right, and get proper sleep.
90% of the people tackling the weight loss challenge will jump right in enthusiastically and excited for 2 weeks. After the honeymoon phase, they drop out and get lazy. They might lose a pound or two but afterwards fall back into being a couch potato, eating poorly without strenuous activity.
The obvious fact that most choose to ignore, whether sub-conciously or knowingly, is that it takes time to see real results.
5% might probably make it past the 2 month mark, then drop out as well and regain all the weight in 2 weeks so they're back to square one. Often, perhaps once a year, they'd go back to an ultra strict diet and exercise regimen only to lose focus again in 6 weeks time.
They repeat this year after year without achieving long term results, despite accumulating the knowledge to lose fat properly. They're just wasted their time.
Now, the remaining 5% will be successes adopting a fitness lifestyle all through the way. They might experience some laziness and skip one or two workouts every once in a while but for the most part they eat right and exercise with joy and consistency year round.
Sticking to proven methods, programs, techniques by taking action and staying focused on the process, journey, and end goal is the real "secret" here. Former heavyweights have lost tons of weight by following what works.
Just do what works! Quit giving excuses to yourself. Don't self-talk yourself into delaying workouts to tomorrow or the weekend. If you have a schedule to exercise today, do it. Stick to the schedule.
This is basic fundamental stuff that's damn obvious to most of us. We know what to do but choose to ignore most of the time. How many diet and exercise books do you have to buy before actually getting up and doing something about it. Stop searching for the next big secret, magic diet pill, or painless quick fixes going around in circles.
I''m going to repeat this again.
Just do what works and has been working for generations of successful fitness goers and fat loss success!
That's the macro level part of fat loss and body transformation. On a micro level lies all the details that make up an effective fat loss program.
Take some time to go through the fat loss blueprint article if you haven't detailing the essential and most important steps to getting started on guarantee fat loss.
photo credit: faeryboots
Fat loss is broken down into 3 steps:
Nutrition + Exercise + Recovery
1) Nutrition includes formulating a calorie deficit diet plan with the recommended macronutrient ratio breakdowns; 50/30/20, 40/40/20, 35/35/30 of carbohydrate, protein, and fat ratio. Adequate micronutrients like vitamins and minerals and plenty of water intake are also essential for proper functioning and performance of the body.
Supplementation is optional and secondary to a proper nutrition plan. Supplements are supplements. They supplement a proper food plan and nothing more. There are no magic pills or drugs that will miraculously suck away the fat into thin air.
2) Exercise involves strenuous activity with varying intensities from low to high (intensity in this case is perceived effort). I recommended, as an optimal approach, a combination of cardiovascular distance work (mid to long distance running, biking, treadmill, or light jogging and walking), strength training, and interval conditioning work that mixes bodyweight exercises and distance work.
I'm a firm believer in training for performance to improve athleticism and strength for body re-composition and fat loss purposes. A stronger body is a more able machine for fat loss and muscle gaining purposes.
Functional fitness is best achieved with a variety of exercise modalities:
- Cardiovascular distance and interval conditioning work speeds metabolism and enhances nutrient partitioning helping you burn more calories, and thus fat after workouts
- Strength training builds a basic strength foundation and preserves muscle mass. Muscle is the most energy intensive burning more calories at rest and during workouts. You'll actually look like you work out with lean muscle mass. The ladies will look "toned" and slim.
- Bodyweight exercises, when used with interval protocols, will improve work capacity allowing you to work longer and harder. The resut is more calories and fat burned and improved recovery. You'll also improve flexibility and stave off potential injuries.
3) Recovery deals with sleep. Get at least 6-8 hours of sleep every single night. Fat loss occurs most during the twilight hours when you're getting those zzzzzzzz's. The body is most susceptible to body composition changes, repair, growth, and synthesis during sleep. Train hard, smart, and safely during the day time and eat right. Then sleep to experience the results. Sleep is the most effortless part of the fat loss equation. Sleep and get lots of it.
Now if the above still sounds archaic, unfamiliar, or confusing, read the Fat Loss blueprint article to get the overall concept of achieving fat loss the right way. Then expand your level of knowledge of fat loss with this list of recommended books and training programs:
- The Abs Diet
- Fat Smash Diet
- 4-Day Diet Plan
- Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle at burnthefat.co
- The Body Fat Solution
- Fat Loss Troubleshoot at leighpeele.com
- Turbulence Training at turbulencetraining.com
- Your Six Pack Quest at sixpackquest.com
- Lose Fat, Not Faith: A Body Transformation Guide
The above list is my list of the top most informative guides to fat loss in terms of real world training, exercise, diet/nutrition information to get you started. You can always start with just one book and put to use what you've learned. Continue education yourself on training and nutrition. Don't stop learning.
And if you still can't come up with the a training program with the information you've read, then just pick one of the best-selling training programs and follow the program from start to finish.
Here's a list of the best fat loss programs:
Your Six Pack Quest
Fat Loss 4 Idiots at fatloss4idiots.com
Fat Loss Troubleshoot
Now, don't get sidetracked with the little details like the exact amount of fish oil, whether you need 80 grams of protein or 82 grams, etc. As long as you get around the average figure, you'd be good. Think of the big picture of fat loss in the fat loss equation.
Over time, you can easily refine all the details to get the training and diet as close to perfect as you desire. If you get 80% of the things right from the start, you're guaranteed to get at least 70% of maximum potential results or close to that.
The effort of carrying out a fat loss program is not directly proportional to the results but once thing is for sure; if you don't take action and start training and eating right now, you'll get zero results.
Make fitness a priority. Make a decision to take action and plow through a fat loss program. Don't look back. Enjoy the results.
Train Hard. Train Safely. Train Smart.
If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to leave a comment below or email me at ZQH245@gmail.com or ZQH250@gmail.com
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