Losing fat? Yes! This is the ONE thing and one of the most important things you can ever do before embarking upon a crucial lifestyle change.
Losing Fat Doesn’t Have to Be Over-Complicated
It’s just a simple question you must pose to yourself before losing fat.
And this will separate you from being a dieting success from a dime-a-dozen dieting failure.
(This doesn’t apply to you if you’re dieting to get below 10% bodyfat for a competition or photo shoot.)
Well… here goes…
Is your dieting goal realistic?
That’s it.
This is the number one, most important question you have to ask yourself before starting a (permanent) weight loss program (and by weight loss we mean losing fat).
Is your dieting goal realistic?
The vast majority of diets are failures — because they see it as such: diets.
The word “diet” has taken on a temporary meaning detached from lifestyle itself.
Oh, I’m on a diet; as soon as I can get down to X weight/jean size, I’ll be drinking beer and eating takeaway food again in no time after losing fat.
No.
This denotes immaturity and an unwillingness to commit to what should be a lifestyle change.
While you can eat the calorie-dense foods you love, you need to learn moderation and responsibility — behaviors many overweight people do not exercise properly.
It can, in fact, become easier to learn these behaviors over time as overindulging becomes less attractive and even unpleasant. Hangovers get worse over time — this is why many older drinkers tend to set limits. You rarely see 40-somethings knocking back Jägerbombs, and the ones that do, more often than not, would be considered wayward by their peers. Likewise, demolishing a large pizza is not something you tend to see among older diners. Heartburn, indigestion, and diarrhea are potential aftereffects from gorging on goliath portions of junk food.
In my article ‘Getting Your Best Physique After 30‘ I go into detail as to why it’s easier to actually get a decent physique when you’re a little older.
By lacking moderation and responsibility, when one’s excesses catch up with them in the form of flabby muffin tops, people are all too quick to employ that similar lack of moderation and responsibility to their diet model when losing fat.
Trust me, bro, that used to be me!
I actually wrote an essay-length autobiography on my yo-yo dieting experiences and the things I used to do to undo my poor eating — and drinking — habits.
Trying to lose 20lb in a month, for example, while it is possible, is profoundly irresponsible.
Are you really going to be in a 2,400 calorie per day deficit? What will you do, eat 1,400 calories and walk 3-4 hours a day for a month?
It’s completely unsustainable.
It’s unhealthy.
You will lose a ton of muscle and feel like death.
You will lose 99% of the time.
Even the 1% of the time, how will you maintain your goal weight if you haven’t learned to eat a diet that would give you your ideal physique?
If you’re overweight — or even looking to shed a few pounds — the best thing you can do is to choose a moderate, responsible diet model that fits your lifestyle, job, and goals.
I know it’s frustrating to be self-aware of being fat. I’ve been there — it truly sucks. You want that weight gone yesterday.
The sad reality is that it will probably take longer than you’d like.
And there is no “magic pill.”
The only way to lose fat is to be in a caloric deficit. And there might be plateaus along the way.
Don’t panic!
Progress is never linear.
Thankfully, Herculean Strength has a growing section on fat loss to give you tips to help you reach your goals.
Read More:
Don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected] for personalized coaching and a client questionnaire if you’d like DEDICATED tailor-made personal training on strength training, building muscle, losing fat, developing athleticism, and more — all to your liking, lifestyle, habits, and taste!
Otherwise, don’t forget to claim your FREE eBook detailing how to lose 20lb of fat while building muscle in 12 weeks! You can claim it here.
