Most people “overestimate” how hard losing fat is,
but they “underestimate” how low it will take…
The most important thing you need to realize when it comes to weight loss is that:
“Losing Weight Is Relatively Easy… Keeping It Off Is The Hard Part.”
Pretty much everyone who follows a fat loss diet is going to be successful to some degree in losing weight initially. But problems arise when people get impatient and push themselves to do too much, too soon, and burn themselves out in the process. This is why the majority of people who go on a diet end up quitting in frustration.
Real world weight loss is a slow process. And the slower you lose the weight, the more likely it is that you’ll actually be able to keep it off for the long term. There are no quick fix solutions that provide long term results. Regardless of how badly you want to lose weight and get lean, you can’t short-cut the process.
Most people can realistically expect to lose 1 pound of bodyweight per week, and keep that weight off over the long term when following a sensible diet and exercise routine.
Now I know this doesn’t sound like much. Especially if you have a lot of weight to lose, and you are constantly bombarded with hyped up advertisements claiming that you can “Lose 30 Pounds In 30 Days with a Get Ripped Quick Program.” But trust me, if these types of programs really worked like the advertisements claim, we wouldn’t be facing an obesity epidemic in the world today.
If you are reading this now, you may have already followed some type of restrictive low calorie diet in the past, and you probably even lost weight from it. But the problem is that an overly restrictive diet is not maintainable long term. It’s like trying to sprint your way through a marathon. While you may cover a lot of ground initially, it’s only short lived because you’re moving at a pace that you can’t maintain. Before you know it you’ll be exhausted, burnt out, and end up quitting in frustration.
That’s why over 90% of the people who try to follow an overly restrictive “Get Ripped Quick Diet Plan” end up quitting before they reach their fat loss goals. And for those hardcore few who actually stick with it long enough to reach their ideal weight. Sooner or later they’re going to run out of will power, give into the cravings, scrap the diet, and the worst part – re-gain all the weight they worked so hard to lose!
Your diet and exercise routine has to be “easy enough” so that it can become a regular part of your lifestyle, something that you enjoy doing and can maintain for the rest of your life. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, it’s not going to work, you are not going to be able to keep it up for the long term and reach your weight loss goals.
Just look at the chart below to see the differences between following an aggressive “Get Ripped Quick” program that includes a restrictive low calorie diet and rigorous workout routine VS. following a “Slow & Steady” program that focuses on consistently doing a few simple daily exercise and nutrition habits over the long term.
Right from the start the “Get Ripped Quick” group will leave the “Slow & Steady” folks in the dust. Losing 12+ pounds in the first month alone. As long as they can stick with the restrictive diet and exercise program they can continue losing weight quickly, dropping another 8+ pounds during the second month.
However, by the third month their progress usually slows down as the body starts to adapt to the low calorie diet. When this happens some of the metabolic processes in the body actually become suppressed. During the third month they only lose a “measly 5 pounds”.
Into the forth month they will continue to experience even more metabolic slow down due to the restricted dietary intake. This is also accompanied by extreme hunger pains, food cravings, mood swings, low energy levels, and all the other pit falls of low calorie diets. During the forth month they may lose another pound or two, but that’s about it.
At this stage they can’t take it anymore… The “Get Ripped Quick” group is getting burnt out from feeling hungry all the time. They are becoming more irritable, moody, and find it hard to concentrate at work. And they are frustrated by their lack of weight loss progress over the past month. At this point they usually give into their cravings and blow the diet. In doing so they actually re-gain 5+ pounds.
This downward spiral continues until they are eventually right back to their starting weight, and very often even a few pounds heavier than when they began.
However, the “Slow & Steady” folks have been pacing themselves with a conservative program of healthy eating and moderate exercise. By most people’s standards their progress is not very impressive. Some people would even consider it a waste of time to follow a “weight loss program” where you lose less than a pound per week.
But here’s the kicker…
The people who take it “Slow & Steady” are not stressing themselves out, they don’t feel hungry during the day, there are no uncontrollable cravings or mood swings. In fact, they feel better now than they did before. So they stick with it because it’s “easy to do” and they actually enjoy the process – day after day, week after week, and month after month.
So even though the “Get Ripped Quick” approach produces fast initial results. The real lasting changes can only happen when you zoom out, look at the bigger picture, and take a “Slow & Steady” approach.
The body can only burn bodyfat at a certain rate. You can’t force it to burn fat any faster without causing metabolic problems. So the key to successful fat loss is to diet longer, NOT harder.
Slow and steady is the only way to win the fat loss race. And the tips that we covered here will certainly help get you moving in the right direction. But regardless of what diet and exercise approach you take, eventually you’re going to hit a weight loss plateau. A simple program of walking and eating cleaner does work, but it will only take you so far.
In order to develop a lean athletic physique you will eventually need to incorporate a more advanced program to build lean muscle, while burning burning bodyfat at the same time, and still keeping it an enjoyable and maintainable part of your lifestyle. This is where following a well structured Total Fitness Bodybuilding exercise program along with a strategic calorie cycle diet plan comes into play.
If you would like help in setting up an advanced fat loss program that fits your personal needs and lifestyle, than I encourage you to sign up for my Advanced One-On-One Fitness & Nutrition Coaching. With this advanced fat loss coaching program I’m going to personally help you develop the skills and lifestyle habits that will transform your mind and body. You’ll lose fat, build muscle, increase your strength, and have more energy… But more importantly – you’ll learn how to maintain your results for life!
“Bill lost 116 pounds in 2 years!”
“Mother of 3 Lost 77 Pounds In 1 Year!”
If you’re ready to get the body you deserve and take in control of your health and fitness once and for all, I’m here to help. You’ve tried doing it alone. Now try with someone who’s ready to bring a level of commitment that’s as serious as your own.
all the best,
Lee Hayward
This content was originally published here.
