NAVIGATING THE FAT LOSS JOURNEY
We already know that a calorie deficit is the most important factor at play when it comes to pursuing fat loss goals. (Need a refresher on what a calorie deficit is? Check out this post from a few weeks ago). But, for most, staying in a consistent calorie deficit is a lot more challenging than “just eating less and moving more.”
Reducing body fat to meet your aesthetic goals is a process. It requires patience and, more importantly, it requires consistency. To achieve your aesthetic goals you must adhere to a calorie deficit consistently over time, and there may be some compromises involved in order to stay consistent. Flexible nutrition is all about (you guessed it) flexibility. So while you should always have the flexibility to enjoy the foods you want to eat, pursuing aesthetic goals may require sticking to mostly high-volume whole foods and limiting meals out and higher calorie treats for a while.
There are so many tips and tricks we share with our clients to help them through their specific challenges regarding tracking their macros while on vacation or eating out, meal prepping, managing hunger, etc. But beyond the individual challenges, one roadblock I see hindering progress over and over is just not committing to our goals in the first place.
IN ORDER TO REACH YOUR FAT LOSS GOALS, YOU MUST COMMIT TO THE JOURNEY.
I use the word “journey” because getting to your goals is far from a straight and simple path. There will inevitably be ups and downs in weight, in motivation, in progress, and there will be holidays and birthdays and vacations. But instead of accepting defeat the moment you experience discomfort or discouragement, your commitment to navigating the ups and downs allows you to plow through the tough times rather giving up when it gets hard.
Working hard during the week only to waste it on the weekends, or crushing it for two weeks then getting frustrated and quitting when two weeks didn’t automatically lead to 10lbs of loss are the scenarios that turn us into perpetual dieters. And perpetual dieting is not only useless, never leading to any real change; it is also incredibly damaging to our mental and physical health.
DON’T BE A PERPETUAL DIET, BE AN INTENTIONAL ONE.
1 || RECOGNIZE IT’S OK TO SAY NO TO THINGS THAT DON’T ALIGN WITH YOUR GOALS
There may be some sacrifice required, and that’s actually ok! The compromises that may be required to adhere to a deficit are only temporary and should not be the case forever.
2 || BE FLEXIBLE, NOT RESTRICTIVE
More often than not, striving for perfection rather than just trying to be consistent leads to frustration and fatigue. Approaching your fat loss goals with restriction and deprivation almost always backfires, so be sure to embrace flexibility. You can still eat the foods you love, enjoy new foods while traveling, and go out to eat with friends.
3 || BE PATIENT
Remember the ups and downs and when you feel like you’re stuck in a low point, keep on moving forward. Plateaus happen, weight fluctuates, motivation wanes. Most of the time just being a little more patient allows you to push past whatever plateau you are in and come out on the other end seeing bigger progress than you even thought was possible.
Working towards aesthetic goals is hard work. There is no magic pill that will get you immediate results. It’s all about consistency and, more importantly, prioritizing your goals so that you can stay consistent.
The absolute best way to navigate your fat loss journey is to set your goals, commit to them HARD, and then move on.
Because in the grand scheme of things, fat loss is a phase, and maintaining that fat loss is the real goal.
Our bodies are not meant to be in a calorie deficit for a long period of time, and spending too much time in a deficit can have negative consequences on both our physical and mental health. Fat loss is not meant to be forever, so committing to your fat loss goals when you have them allows you to meet those goals sooner so you can move on to maintaining those changes and eating in a more sustainable manner.
Feeling ready to set some big goals and make some big changes? Learn more about what our 1:1 Unlimited Macro Coaching has to offer!