Losing Fat and Leaning Out - 3 Things You're NOT Doing
Who doesn't want to look and feel better?
Everybody wants to lose fat, get leaner, gain more muscle so they can look and feel better about themselves. This applies to pretty much everyone across the board when they start their journey. But what I've learned over the years is that just saying this is not enough. Just coming to train with me 2-3x a week is not enough. The majority of the work is done outside of the gym. It comes down to the nutrition and developing a healthy lifestyle around your goals. But don't get me wrong, it's not 80% nutrition and 20% gym. It's 100% nutrition, 100% training, 100% dedication, 100% consistency and 100% patience. So what are you missing? Why can't you lose that fat that you've been trying to lose for years?
You're not objectively tracking your progress.
Simple as that. As humans, we are ALWAYS going to be hard on ourselves. When we look in the mirror, we are ALWAYS going to think we can do better, look better, be less fat, have more muscle, etc. Our mind is our enemy in this case. We usually don't give ourselves enough credit.
Now what?
1. Take measurements of your body
Write down the date, write down which body parts you've measured and write down the measurement. Do this on a semi-regular basis. Either weekly or biweekly is great. Where should you measure? Common areas will be around the mid-section, thighs, arms and chest. This will provide you with a very objective number that will show you whether you're on the right track or not. After 4 weeks, if you're still at the same measurement, you might need to change up what you're doing. BUT if you note a 1" change in your mid-section, HOORAY! That's a victory. Now keep going.
2. Take pictures of your body
Same deal as #1. Take pictures, note the date and keep a log. Repeat weekly or biweekly. Day to day, you won't see much change in the mirror. This can be a bit depressing because of all the work you're putting in in the gym, on your nutrition, etc. Again, we are always hard on ourselves so the mirror can be a bit deceiving. Pictures are objective. Comparing pictures from week 1 to week 4 to week 12 WILL show you what's going on. Do it.
3. Weigh yourself
Weigh yourself 2-3x a week and write it down. This has to be done a bit more frequently because weight fluctuates A LOT. So if you only weigh yourself once a week, that number won't show you as much because what you did/ate the day prior will determine your weight for that day. Just like the other #1 and #2, keep a log and write down your weight.
Pick at least two out of the three methods. Let the numbers tell you whether the work you're putting in is paying off. Don't let your mind tell you otherwise. Our minds are unreliable, emotional and inconsistent. Numbers, statistics and photos provide hard, objective facts. As always, the best time to start was a year ago. The second best time to start is now.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I am here to help. You can reach me via instagram or through email.
Instagram Link - @theodore.lim
Email - theolim7@gmail.com