Fat loss isn’t meant to be fast if it’s meant to last!
Fat Loss. The fact is that an astounding number of those of you who lose weight, or have lost a large amount of weight, will eventually put it back on and often, more.
Yes it’s unfortunate and it also doesn’t need to be this way.
As coaches, we aspire to be the catalyst for change.
We choose to help people live their best lives. But sadly we fail.
So for us, if you do go backwards it really does make a difference to us. It actually does affect us. We actually feel like we have failed and question our techniques and tactics. This is the honest truth. And if wasn’t the case then you probably would see through us. But you haven’t and we are here, in the now.
So let me encourage you a little further, if I may.
Your fat loss journey has just started (for most of you) and like anything meaningful in your life, there are times of growth and there are times of maintenance. But maintaining the habits you learn in the first place are crucial to your future success. For example, most of you know that to create wealth you need to make a little money, save a little money, spend less than you earn and keep practising this. It takes time. But do you go backwards and go and splurge day upon day, week upon week, month upon month. No! Because you would go broke.
The same goes for fat loss, your health and more importantly your well-being. We all have a metabolic rate to maintain in order to do the things we love and perform the way we wish. We all have a budget of calories and which we get to spend in order to nourish our body and fuel our minds. If we Spend this was splurging day upon day we will soon go broke and our body will break in one way or another.
Systematic Fat Loss
I encourage you to think about the important things in your life like this. Systematically. Like brushing your teeth for hygiene and showering twice a day. It’s just a part of what you do!
This system allows you to achieve the things you want. It gives you freedom to do, act and be more. Systems allow us to produce results! Day in and day out.
With finances most of us have a budget and this in turn helps us to be accountable. For if we overspend, we pay the consequence through credit applications or through having to go without or some firm of moderating in some way.
With nutrition we also need to account to our budget in order to be the people we want to be. To be gluttonous and over- eat regularly (and not move our bodies in a way to balance this out) is not how humans are meant to be. It’s not a system we can healthily accomodate without consequence.
But if we apply systems we do understand, for instance, finances, then perhaps we can look at it through different lenses and simplify our approach.
Because for anything to last, it needs to be simple, meaningful and understood. It needs to be another system for you to upload and achieve a desired result.
And once you’re achieving this result, let me ask you a question… Would you move such a system to your trash folder? Would you want it from your hard drive?
No, there’s a better way…. Compliance through Customisations.
Plan Your Cheat Meals
Firstly, an ‘off meal’ known as a ‘cheat meal,’ is something we all do from time to time. It is perfectly ok and permitted in any diet or nutrition regime. We believe that if your focus is on managing your shape, then a question to ask yourself is “have I ‘earned’ this”?
The following is a guide to ‘mitigate damage’ with ‘off meals’. Just allowing yourself a treat because ‘I have worked hard’ unfortunately is not enough to keep the kilos off for most of us. Think of it this way, if you were to buy an expensive dress and you have not saved over the previous weeks, you are likely to be out of pocket. You now have to restructure finances to get through your next week or arrange to pay off the debt in some way. With food it is no different. If you have overspent (as in the dress example above) you now need to make a plan to pay off the debt. What I want to encourage is that you have ‘saved’ in the first place. This allows you to spend a few extra calories guilt free whilst managing your budget.
Here is the next step:
We want to implement conscious decisions with our nutrition and below I have created a checklist in order to create this healthy mindset around your cheat meal. By weighing up the pros and cons for the action to be taken, you become aware if your personal inner dialogue supports your goals or is sabotaging your progress.
2 Health Conscious-Some of us may feel we are losing weight but adding in too many treats. Here are some questions you could ask yourself.
Cheat Meal
Weight Management
Clean Eating
Have I earned it?
· Have I kept in my calorie budget for the week?
· Did I exercise today- Higher Cals are better on exercise days for weight loss.
Some ways to do this are:
· Removing a meal that day
· Low Cal days for a higher calorie day
· Try removing a food group like carbohydrates from meals if your splurge had carbs. I.e., alcohol
Have I earned it?
When on a calorie deficit you have a limited budget of food, making it hard to get in all the micronutrients and fibre needed for health and wellbeing. So, earn it by adding in power packed foods earlier in the day. This means foods like lean meat and fish, healthy fats, fibre, and veggies. I.e., Try for three types of protein and eat the rainbow in veggies daily. Always use fish oil, magnesium, and zinc to support your immune system and nervous system.
Can I keep this around exercise?
Try to keep excess eating post training within 3 hours.
Your body will use the excess calories better. Majority of your carbohydrates should be ingested post training as the excess calories will be used more rapidly, rather than stored. Splurging on non- training days is a great way to add some size to your frame.
Can I substitute this for a healthier option?
I.e., popcorn for chips, hot choc for choc. Diet soda options for the real thing.
Healthy sweet recipes. Homemade fudge, cookies, yoghurt sweets, date energy balls, banana bread, homemade muesli, frozen yoghurt, homemade ice cream, smoothies, protein shakes
Is it a treat or a habit?
let us say ice cream or chips (which has little to no nutritional value) limit these foods. If it occurs weekly or more then this is not a treat but a habit.
See across as you may have healthier options in which can be substituted and built in your plan more frequently.
Do not justify it but earn it!
Food is fuel- creating this belief is powerful!
When you think this way, your decisions are influenced by this belief, and you will become more conscious of how foods make you feel and your performance afterwards
I.e., how would you feel during the day when starting with a bowl of ice cream? You will probably crash soon after due to unstable blood sugars. Compare this to some high fibre veggies and low gi eggs, which have both protein and healthy fats. Your mood will be far more stable, and focus/ performance will be better.
To Summarise on Your Cheat Meal
Is this food doing what I need it to? Go through the above and then use these final questions as a checklist to support your health and body shape goals! If it is a no- go back and look above for your options 😊
If I have this, will I feel good about it? Will I be able to move on with no guilt and stay on track? Am I handling my stress, and will this make me feel good about my choice?
Do I have control over it? Can I opt in or out? Am I constantly justifying these foods or having them sparingly? That is what an ‘off meal’ is after all.
Is it budgeted for (calories and micronutrients)?
Am I ok with any possible fat gain and health repercussions? I.e. 2 off plan days in a row. You are likely to gain bodyfat
Can I get back on track and leave this here?
Am I ok with how I perform after this food?
Stick me up on the fridge and challenge yourself over this next month to build some healthy habits.
Make it happen
Dion Mychalyn
Fat loss isn’t meant to be fast if it’s meant to last!
You know the fact is that an astounding number of those of you who lose weight, or have lost a large amount of weight, will eventually put it back on and often, more.
Yes, it’s unfortunate and it also doesn’t need to be this way.
As coaches, we aspire to be the catalyst for change.
We choose to help people live their best lives. But sadly, we fail.
But did you know that for the majority of us, if you do go backwards, it really does make a difference to us. It actually does affect us. We actually feel like we have failed, and we do question our techniques and tactics. This is the honest truth. And if wasn’t the case then you probably would see through us. But you haven’t and we are here, in the now.
So let me encourage you a little further, if I may.
Your Fat Loss Journey
Your fat loss journey has just started (for many of you) and like anything meaningful in your life, there are times of growth and there are times of maintenance. But maintaining the habits you learn in the first place are crucial to your future success. For example, most of you know that to create wealth you need to make a little money, save a little money, spend less than you earn and keep practising this. It takes time. But when you do put a little away do you then go splurge day upon day, week upon week, month upon month. No! Because you would go broke.
The same goes for fat loss, your health and more importantly your well-being. We all have a metabolic rate to maintain, in order to do the things we love, as well as perform the way we want. So, we also have a budget of calories in which we get to spend, in order to nourish our body and fuel our minds. If we spend this by splurging day upon day, we will soon physically break in one way or another.
I encourage you to think about the important things in your life like this. Systematically. Like brushing your teeth and showering twice a day as a system to maintain your hygiene. It’s just a part of what you do!
This system allows you to achieve the things you want. It gives you freedom to do, act and be more. Systems allow us to produce results…Day in/ day out.
With finances most of us have a budget and this in turn helps us to be accountable. For if we overspend, we pay the consequence through credit applications or through having to go without in some way.
With nutrition we also need to account to our budget in order to be the people we want to be. To be gluttonous and over- eat regularly (and not move our bodies in a way to balance this out) is not how humans are meant to be. It’s not a system we can healthily accommodate without consequence.
But if we apply a system we do understand, then perhaps we can look at it through different lenses and simplify our approach.
Because for anything to last, it needs to be simple, meaningful and understood. It needs to be another system for you to upload and achieve a desired result.
And once you’re living the desired result, let me ask you a question… Would you move such a system to your trash folder? Would you wipe it from your hard drive?
