Next week, would you like a really good little fat loss result? If so, this is the post to read, and this is the plan you need to action if you’d like to have a ripper, positive, “feel good, I nailed it” week, no matter whose plan you’re following (provided it’s basically a good healthy one)!
A word on fat loss, not getting/achieving your desired results and why
Let’s call out some truth here. Shitty thyroids and slow metabolisms is NOT, for the most part, why fat loss stalls. Sorry, but it isn’t. What is the biggest reason why peoples results stall/plateau/don’t get achieved? Simple. One-word answer: COMPLIANCE — or lack of it.
I’ll state it differently. You didn’t follow the plan or you didn’t realise you didn’t follow the plan. And that’s not to say “you aren’t good enough” or “you did bad”.
But with a fat loss and/or muscle gain plan, you SHOULD be able to see positive results in some way, shape or form virtually every week. I don’t necessarily mean scale weight (a poor indicator, as we know) but if you are feeling like you aren’t getting anywhere, here are some questions I want you to ask yourself:
- Have I been doing everything I need to do every single day — or have I been skipping/missing/not adhering to something?
- Have I done my absolute best — or, if I’m honest, is there an area (or two, or three) that I deep down know I can do better at?
- Is it possible that you overestimated your activity level (calories ‘burned’) or underestimated your caloric intake? Be aware that one of the major reasons for a fat loss halt is that people eat well, their actual food choices are spot on – healthy and nutrient dense — but they still overconsume their food, making them not in a calorie deficit.
Perhaps you have reverted back to guestimating food portions? Eyeballing? Look, I am not a fan of being a slave to counting calories (less so macros) but measuring, counting and tracking food intake can be a real eye-opener when you haven’t done it for a while.
SO, HERE’S YOUR ACTION PLAN:
Sometime before, say, next Monday — because we all start our weeks on a Monday, don’t we? — I want you to REALLY answer the three questions above.
Then I want to rate yourself daily from 1-5 for seven days on your compliancy in the below four different areas (or three, if only three apply to you):
- Poor
- Fair
- Average
- Very good
- Excellent (Bloody proud of myself; I lifted a notch.)
1) Firstly, I want you to rate your nutrition. Whatever plan you are following, rate your compliancy based upon this question: Did I follow my plan to the very best of my ability?
2) Secondly, I want you to rate your weight training sessions collectively. Did you do all of your planned sessions and did you give each session your absolute best AND were you able to add some weight, sets, reps or decrease your rest time?
3) Thirdly, if applicable, rate your cardio sessions. Did you follow your allocated or prescribed cardio to the letter this week?
4) And finally, I want you to rate your MENTAL TRAINING. Come on, you know me pretty well. This is THE thing that is going to get you that body you want. And not just to obtain it, but to KEEP it. How do I want you to rate your mental training? Ask yourself the following questions: Did you tick off each of your written goals for the week? (so, if your weekly goals aren’t written down, THERE’S a problem!). Did you read some of your personal affirmations daily? Did you SEE your goal, every day (either via meditation or your picture card, or vision board)?
If you are doing cardio, this means you have a potential chance to score 20 points. If not, 15 points.
Try this for one week. Just one. Don’t be lazy. Don’t say “I can’t be bothered”. Do it, and then see how you go. I absolutely bet my two staffies you will feel better and be in a better place than this week because of it.
Do you like my compliancy assessment plan of action? Are you going to trial it? Any questions? Let me know and share or tag others that might like to give it a go.
If you are in a plateau – would you like me to do a blog on busting through 3 types of plateaus and provide three solutions?