What got you here will NOT get you THERE!!!!

Question:


Coach, I’ve been training for over 4 months at the gym and seem to have hit a plateau we in regards to my weight loss. I attend training 2 and sometimes 3 times per week and have cleaned up my diet, kinda. It’s better than before is what I mean. So, what can I do to lose more weight, like 10-15 pounds?

Thanks, G.

Answer:

Well G., I have many, many people ask me this every same question nearly each week and here is what I tell them (and you) “what got you here will NOT get you THERE.” You body has reached a certain level of fitness and has developed a tolerance to the level of stress you’re placing on it each week. Basically you’re doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result- which is the definition of insanity by the way. To achieve something different, you’ll need to DO something different. So, to reach the next level here is what you’ll need to do:

1. Attend more training sessions. Coming twice a week will not cut it!! What happens if something unexpected comes up and you have to work late, give someone a ride home who’s car broke down, or whatever- you get the idea. Then you’ll only be at one training session per week. And just FYI: that sucks. Pick up your training session to at least 4 times per week and 5 if possible. Yes G, that is the number one thing you’ll have to do. You have to train more to burn more calories- bottom line. (Get it?? “bottom” line??) Whatever you have to do to rearrange your weekly schedule to get in 5 times each week, do it!

2. DO NOT diet! When people go on a “diet”, it implies a temporary way of eating. So what happens when you’ve finished your 4 weeks of dieting? That’s right, you go back to eating the same way you’ve always eaten and you’ll get the same results that you’ve always gotten. (Which you need to remember that you do not want.) The best thing to do is create a way of eating for the rest of your life. Here’s what I do: I eat clean Sunday through Friday and then on Saturday I allow myself to eat what I want. I enjoy pizza and ice cream the most. Then I get back to it on Sunday- for the most part. Every so often I’ll have another bad meal on Sunday, like when the Redskins are playing. Along with that, I eat 5-6 clean meals each day making sure I get 150-200 grams of protein. I pack my meals each day and bring them to work making it easier to control what goes into my body and when. So again G, I implore you- DO NOT diet!! Create a healthy way to eat for the rest of your life because once you get used to it after just a few short months, you’ll have many, many years of health in front of you!

3. DON’T “lose weight”! Everyone wants to “lose weight”, but they really don’t understand what that means. I have people who train with me and gain weight! BUT, their clothes fit completely differently and many have to go shopping to get a whole new wardrobe! The shirts are tighter in the chest and arms and looser at the bottom. The pants fit snug in the thighs yet are much looser in the butt and waist. They have gained 5, 10 and sometimes even up to 20 pounds of muscle and have burned off 5, 10 and sometimes even 40 pounds or more of body fat. On the scale that translates to 10 pounds of weight loss sometimes. So my question to you is this: “is how much you weigh as important as how much fat you burn and how much lean, functional and sexy muscle you put on?” Think about it, then get off you damn scale for at least one year!

G, one more thing I want to leave you with: it’s not how bad you want it, it’s what you actually DO that will make the difference. Everyone “wants” to achieve something, but the people who actually accomplish their goals are the ones who DO something about it.