5 Tips To Make Fat Loss Suck Less

I recall working with a particular client who needed to lose weight badly, but it was always a struggle. It was a constant roller coaster ride……down 3 pounds, up 4 pounds, never finding that consistent sweet spot of regular weight loss.

“That’s it, I’m done eating bread!” he would say after weighing in and not seeing any progress.

To me, that was laughable and totally unsustainable. But he was doing what many people do when trying to lose excess body fat. They assume they must eliminate bread, carbs, ice cream and any other foods they enjoy in order to make progress.

And that just isn’t true.

Change is necessary, but if you’re feeling miserable and deprived all the time, you’re doing it wrong.

If you want to lose body fat without being hangry and wanting to murder your neighbor for mowing his lawn at 7am (just an example), check out these 5 tips to make the process less sucky.

 

1.) STOP eliminating foods you love.

With very few exceptions, it isn’t necessary to make progress. You can enjoy pizza, burgers or a couple beers and still see the scale moving in the right direction as long as you’re not doing it all the time. Eliminating foods typically leads to feeling restricted and eventually a binge that results in weight gain.

 

2.) Be consistent in whichever approach you take.

This is one of the biggest struggles I see with people. They will start a diet plan, not see 10 pounds of weight loss in the first week and want to try something else. At minimum, stick to one nutrition plan for 6-8 weeks before making changes.

 

3.) Be in a moderate calorie deficit most days.

Expending more energy than you’re consuming is mandatory for fat loss. A 500 calorie daily deficit is manageable for most people and will lead to about a pound of weight loss per week. Stay away from restrictive, low calorie diets because they aren’t sustainable and any fat loss you achieve will likely be temporary and eventually lead to gaining all the weight back, plus some extra.

 

4.) Set realistic expectations about your progress.

You didn’t gain excess weight overnight, and you won’t lose it overnight either. Weight loss is a process with many hills and valleys, and it won’t always be fun. Learn to embrace it.

 

5.) Flex your patience muscle.

We are an instant gratification society that expects filet mignon in the time it takes to re-heat macaroni and cheese. Sustainable weight loss doesn’t work that way. Average, healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week and the more you want to lose, the longer it’s going to take.

 

Losing body fat and getting healthier isn’t just about the weight you lose, it’s about keeping it off permanently.

About the Author:

Chris Proctor, contributing blogger

Chris helps people reach their fitness goals. He’s been a coach since 2009, has a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Medicine and certifications from NSCA and NPTI. He live in New Hampshire (Live free or die) with his wife Keira, their son Wes, and their daughter Serena.

Website: http://www.chrisproctorwellness.com