Losing Weight is Difficult
Weight loss is really hard work. Anyone who tells you otherwise has a gimmick to sell you. There is no easy way to lose weight and, specifically, lose body fat. That’s really what we want to lose anyway is body fat.
Chances are you didn’t gain all the weight overnight, and you won’t lose it overnight. It will probably take longer to lose than it took to gain it, so be prepared for the long haul. Today’s fascination with extreme makeovers and biggest-loser competitions has set unrealistic expectations for the rest of us who don’t live in a controlled environment. Losing weight in the real world is hard work.
The good news is that you don’t have to do all the hard work at once; you just do a little work every day. Consistent good decisions over time will result in lasting changes. Even when you know what to do, it's still challenging to do it consistently. That's why working with a coach can dramatically increase your results. They help you stay consistent.
FOOD
If you’re currently overweight, then you have been making less-than-ideal nutritional choices for some time. This doesn’t make you a bad person. It just means this stuff is difficult, and we often don't know what we don't know. And we're pulled in different directions from all the fads and over-restrictive diets. Working with a knowledgeable coach can help you gain clarity on the kinds and quantities of the foods you'll need to eat to reach your weight loss goals. Look for a coach with your best interest as their guide. Beware of anyone more interested in promoting their specific diet over helping you reach your goals.
EXERCISE
Any exercise is better than no exercise, but if you’re going to exercise, you might as well get the most bang for your sweat and sore muscles. When trying to lose weight on your own, many people feel lost when it comes to exercise. They usually resort to long steady-state cardio sessions, like running or elliptical. The truth is that shorter sessions of higher-intensity work and resistance training with weights are much better at reducing body fat than hours on an elliptical.
But the war on weight is a battle over calories, and a 45-minute walk every day can move the needle a little more if we add that to our changes in nutrition. Better yet, combine a daily 45-minute walk with nutrition changes and resistance training.
MINDSET
As I mentioned before, losing weight is difficult, and it's easy to get discouraged and go back and forth on your adherence to your nutritional changes and how you think of yourself during the process. Do not beat yourself up. It's not a matter of willpower, and you're not a bad person. If your dietary changes require so much willpower that you can't sustain them, they are too much. We're looking for a mindset that is aimed at seeing success. It should not be a lot of crazy-making and an up-and-down roller coaster of emotions.
Here is another area in which a nutrition coach can make things better. They can help you develop a plan, encourage you through difficult moments, and help you see successes where you might not see them. All of these will help you keep moving forward and see the desired results.
