Restriction
No matter what the latest fitness ‘guru’ is telling you, you can’t eat pizza and chips all day and have a shredded 6 pack. There needs to be some sort of restriction.
And that is the topic today…..restriction.
If we were all left to our own devices of making our own decisions, we would all be eating ice cream sitting on the sofa in a Netflix marathon for a living. But thanks to science, knowledge and common sense many people know that this is less than ideal for health and quality of life.
Within our day to day there needs to be times when we resist certain temptations and make sensible decisions. For example, there are times in life when people make me angry, but I have to RESIST punching them in the face. This is the same in nutrition and training. Sometimes I want to become a sloth and live my life as a human sized muffin, but I have to RESIST and make sensible choices like going to the gym and eating a balanced diet.
Accepting the fact that something needs to change is the hardest bit.
If you believe you can keep everything exactly the same and you will see results, you are going to be very disappointed. If you don’t change, you will remain the same.
What to restrict?
Okay now we have all got over the fact something needs to change, let’s look at what that ‘something’ is.
Food – There needs to be changes within the diet to reflect your goal. For fat loss, it’s likely that calories are going to be reduced. Food quality increased (whole foods) containing plenty of vitamin and mineral goodness. Lean meats, wholegrains and vegetables will make up the bulk of your diet. The chances are you can’t keep eating the amount of food you previously ate. The sooner you stop crying into the Ben and Jerrys tub and realise these facts the better.
Exercise – The one/two ish sessions a week isn’t going to cut it anymore. You need to be making a sustainable commitment to exercise regularly. By sticking to a manageable sustainable plan you will be burning calories, building muscle, increasing strength and feeling awesome in the process. The thing you need to restrict is sitting on your arse, get up and MOVE!
The mental and physical effects
Your mental state during this tough time is just as important as any other element. I’ve been on a fat loss diet, and I know it’s tough at times. I have experienced full on hangry rages (ask my wife). You will have low days when you feel like giving up, but sticking with it and getting the results outweigh all the poopy days.
Stay positive, accept that it’s going to be tough, and enjoy the process. If it was easy everyone would look awesome. I respect you for taking on this challenge and I know you can make it through. Once you have lost the body fat you need, it is much easier to maintain it.
If you are struggling on a fat loss journey or are interested in starting yours today, then click here and request your free consultation.
The brains, brawn and beauty of Dackattack (basically it’s just me). A personal trainer with a private gym in Norwich, dedicated to giving out simple, actionable advice that will give you outstanding results.
