How not to fail with your weight loss in 2022?
It’s trendy in fitness nowadays to say “start now” and “don’t wait till new year”. And while there’s some truth to this there’s absolutely nothing wrong with waiting till the new year to start your goal. I’ve set goals in my fitness and business.
Why do people often fail with their goals?
People often fail with their goals as they’re too vague. Be specific, don’t just write down something like ‘I wanna lose weight’. Write ‘I wanna to lose 6lbs in 2 months or I want to reduce my waist size by 2 inches in 3 months’. It’s specific, in a time frame and realistic.
People usually aren’t realistic. I think the media/celebs are partly to blame for this but when it comes to weight loss many people have very unrealistic expectations. Losing 1-2lbs a week is really good progress. Furthermore, a lot depends on where you’re starting and how your life looks right now. A student who’s 20 and has a lot of weight to lose will probably lose weight faster than a mum who’s in her 40’s only needs to lose a bit of weight and has 3 kids and a (another!) full time job.
Another error is people forget adherence is one of the most important things when it comes to diet and training. You can have the ‘perfect’ diet on paper, aligned with your microbiome that was designed by the greatest minds of Harvard but if you can’t stick to it then it ain’t the right one for you. That’s my issue with diets like Keto and elimination diets. They’re just too damn hard to do for a long time. Most of us want to enjoy a pizza from time to time and a tiramisu. I know I do!
Measuring things is really important if you don’t want to fail at your weight loss goal as you can see if what you’re doing is working. You can see where you can improve etc.
4. Error 4 is they don’t measure anything or they only measure scale weight. With my online coaching clients we usually measure scale weight (every day if possible) but we measure other things too like photos, how clothes fit, sleep, hunger, and waist circumference. Why? Because the more ‘data’ you have the better overall picture you have. It’s important to remember that sometimes your weight won’t go down. Even after 2 weeks. It helps with motivation too for example if 1 week your weight doesn’t move but your squats improved then that’s a really positive sign and helps you to keep the right mindset.
5. People often give up before they see a change. For example, if someone wants to lose weight and they start doing 4k steps extra a day and give up the 2 biscuits they eat with tea each day. It might be 3-4 weeks before they see visible weight loss on the scale. Many people lack patience, get frustrated at the lack of results and then give up at the end of week 2. If they had just kept going and continued for 1-2 weeks more they would have seen a reduction in scale weight and then that would have motivated them to carry on. Be patient and be consistent with your goals.
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL. YOUR DAILY HABITS!
Just as you have to prune a rose bush for certain buds to flourish you also have to ‘prune’ your goals so that you can focus on certain ones.
you have to eliminate certain goals for others to thrive
If you want to nail a goal it’s a good idea to laser focus on one or two things. If you want to ’ lose 8lbs in 2 months then you might have to prune some old habits so that you can really focus the new one. For example if weight loss is the goal then muscle building and endurance PR’s will probably have to take a back burner for the time being. I took this idea from James Clear.
set a longterm goal and a short ones to get there
This is one area where a coach is handy because they can quickly identify the small steps to get you to your goal and then fit those steps around your life and support you along the way. I had a client during lockdown who wanted to go from 1 to 10 push ups on the ground. So we started training push ups 3-4 times a week building up the volume of her pushups and building up her core and upper back strength. And at the end of lockdown 1.0 guess what? She crushed that goal!
Set a long term goal that scares you a little.
Then set a short term one that doesn’t scare you but gets you closer to the bigger one.
Eg If you’re goal is to lose 20lbs your first short term goal might be lose 5lbs in the first month.
Weighing yourself regularly can be helpful as you have more ‘data’ points.
check yourself b4 wreck yourself
At the end of each small goal if you nail it then move onto the next one. If you didn’t quite get there you need to reflect why and set another short term goal. It’s also important to celebrate the little wins along the way otherwise it can feel tiring if you’re constantly striving for this goal that’s far away.
It’s totally normal to have setbacks and life does sometimes get in the way. Quitting is a choice. Keep going and remember that things worth working for are usually hard.
Remember YOUR “Why”
It’s worth mentioning that when building a goal “why” you’re doing this is super important. If you have a strong why then it will help you to push through the hard times. If you’re unsure of your why try this exercise.
Ask yourself the following. “Why am I doing this?” Then ask “why is that important?”
Then ask again “why is that important?” You may need to ask yourself this 5 times. Dig deep until you find the real reason YOU want to change. Keep peelin’ that cebolla (onion).
Discovering why you really want to change gives you resolve - Precision nutrition
Whilst there’s nothing wrong with having a goal like “I want a 6 pack” it’s not gonna be very motivating when you’re feeling tired and you don’t want to go to the gym etc. A strong why would be something like “I want to be a active, healthy and an inspiring father to my children and I want to be at my grandchild’s wedding”. That’s the type of shit that will get you going when you don’t feel like it.
Having a strong why can really help you not fail with your weight loss goal.
consider getting a coach
Obviously I’m biased but if you hire a coach to guide you along the way usually a few good things happen. Usually you’ll get to your destination faster and in a better more ‘sensible’ way. Good coaches can get rid of the minutia and tell you which things to focus on that will get you results. This speeds things up and stops you wasting money on supplements you don’t need (something I did in the past). A good coach is also there to support you through the tough times and keep things in perspective. Weight loss isn’t easy. They’re also there when you feel like giving up and they can give you that ‘nudge’ when you need it.
This was from a google review from my online client Yildiz using my app.
TAKEAWAYS
Set a long term goal and short ones to get there.
Celebrate the small wins.
Measure.
Have a strong “why”.
Be specific with your goal.
Prune your goals if you need to.
Be realistic.
Hire a coach. Wink wink!
If you’re interested in me coaching you towards your goal then fill out the form below and we can see if we’re a good match to work together. Ed