Achieving a fat loss goal is not easy and it takes time, patience and a realistic mindset and solid plan. Many, many diets fail and this is due to a number of reasons. In Part 1 of this series we discussed the following essential elements to consider when beginning a fat loss journey.
- Looking at all pillars of health
- Being realistic about your goal
- Consider all measurements of progress
We also put together a sample case study which will allow us to demonstrate a positive approach to dealing with sustainable improvements in body composition. Before reading any more of this article we highly recommend checking out Part 1 – solving the fat loss puzzle!
In Part 2 we will discuss 3 more essential elements to adopt when planning your fat loss journey. These elements are:
- Understanding your ‘why’ and motivation behind your goal
- Finding accountability
- Removing the guilt which is often associated with a fat loss goal.
- Understand your ‘why’.
Why do you want to achieve this goal? What is the motivation behind this goal? Is it to feel better in clothes? Maybe you have a social event coming up and you’d like to wear a certain suit or dress which is currently feeling a little snug? On days that you feel less motivated or have hit a ‘plateau’ it may be helpful to consider why you want to lose body fat and reminding yourself of this throughout the process will be an important part of your journey.
Treat yourself as you would a loved one and apply the same compassion and positive self-talk to your own journey. During any journey we must remember that every choice and action within our short term goals and daily lives feeds into and works with our medium and long term goals. Each time you make a choice related to your goals, no matter how small, consider your ‘why’ and how that action will influence your overall goal. Regularly checking in with yourself and remembering your ‘why’ can be a powerful tool in achieving short, medium and long term goals.
In the case study in Part 1 we met Jane:
Jane has made it to Week 4 of her journey but is feeling a little less motivated this week and her measurements aren’t as she expected so she is beginning to feel that she has not made any progress. At this point it is really important for her to remember why she started this journey and to reflect on the progress that she has made thus far. Writing down her thoughts each week along with her check-in can be extremely helpful for days when mood or motivation has dipped as it can highlight the days which have gone well.
Here are some examples of situations which may arise and where you can try to remember your motivation and your ‘why’ to help you regain focus and move forwards towards your fat loss goal:
- Jane hasn’t met her expected weight loss target this but she has found that her energy levels, sleep and stress levels are all much improved.
- Jane has missed her training sessions this week due to work commitments and begins to feel guilty but then remembers that she has been extremely consistent with her general daily movement and her calorie and macronutrient targets each day.
- Jane’s partner suggests heading out for lunch on Saturday and Jane begins to worry that this meal out will stall her progress made so far. Jane then remembers that she has been consistent with her goals all week and knows that she has both the knowledge and freedom to enjoy a meal out without any unnecessary guilt.
The examples above highlight the need to recognise that many factors, not just weight, play a role in any goal and reflecting on small ‘wins’ each day and week will be an extremely important part of your journey.
Having both a consistent check-in with yourself or another person and a daily or weekly reflection journal may also be helpful.
Another key point for Jane would be to avoid comparison herself to another person. This sounds simple but it is easier said than done! If Jane compares herself to someone who is on a very different journey it may redirect her energy to that person, rather than herself. When Jane feels herself beginning to compare herself to someone she may focus on the following simple steps:
- Think about her ‘why’
- Remember that her journey is individual
- Write down her thoughts
- Reflect on the positive changes she has already made
- Remember that every person is at a different stage to her
When you continuously reflect on yourself and your choices and actions each day it becomes easier to see where positive changes have made an impact on your daily life. Increasing physical activity, making better food choices, reduces stress and improving sleep and sleep quality will have a profound effect on your emotions, physical and mental health if they are kept as consistent as possible over time.
2. Accountability
It is imperative that you are accountable to yourself, another person or group of people when you are on this journey. Checking in with yourself or another person on a daily or weekly basis will help you to stay focussed and on the right track. Having a conversation or regular check-in with someone else can really help to identify key areas which are a) working well for you on your journey or b) need a little help.
On a regular basis it is helpful to reassess your short, medium and long-term goals and to recognise if you are achieving them, no matter how small they may seem. An important part of this is setting realistic long, medium and short-term goals.
For example, Jane’s long term goal is to lose 10% body fat, without compromising lean body mass. She would like this to be achieved over a realistic timeframe of 16 weeks (roughly 4 months). Breaking this goal into ‘mini’ weekly and monthly goals will help her to achieve the long term goal.
Remember, this does not all have to happen at once! A huge driver of a failed diet is taking on too much at one time, feeling very overwhelmed and giving up. Janes weekly accountability and short term goal checklist for the first 4 weeks may look something like this:
Week 1:
Aim to stick to calorie target for 5 days this week
Prepare some healthy snacks for the week ahead
Print my shopping list for my selected meal plan on the daveynutrition website
Week 2:
Aim to stick to calorie target for 5 days this week
Prepare some healthy snacks for the week ahead
Print my shopping list for my selected meal plan on the daveynutrition website
Hit protein target each day
Week 3:
Aim to stick to calorie target for 6 days this week
Prepare some healthy snacks for the week ahead
Hit protein target each day
Print my shopping list for my selected meal plan on the daveynutrition website
Increase consumption of fruit and vegetables at dinnertime most days
Week 4:
Aim to stick to calorie target for 6 days this week
Make some healthy snacks for the week ahead
Hit protein target each day
Increase consumption of fruit and vegetables at dinnertime most days
Print my shopping list for my selected meal plan on the daveynutrition website
Try to drink at least 1.5 litres of water each day
The key here is to set small SMART weekly targets which add up over time and these will be different for everyone based on your starting point and your goals. For example, you may already drink 2L of water per day but you really struggle to get your training sessions in throughout the week so you may set this as a weekly target, rather than the hydration.
SMART goals are:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Relevant
T – Time – based
Working with an experienced practitioner can provide an enormous amount of support and guidance while on a fat loss journey. The benefit to this is that you are accountable to another person. In addition, the practitioner will have worked with many others who have embarked on a similar journey and have encountered the highs and lows involved. Working with a practitioner may involve a weekly check-in, feedback and goal setting which can help a person stay on track and allows them to ask questions about any element of the process which they have concerns about or are simply interested in.
3. Be accountable, be honest but remove the guilt
Often, during the pursuit of fat loss, people restrict certain foods, may increase their exercise and begin to develop an ‘all or nothing’ mindset. Restriction often leads to guilt and guilt is never helpful when it comes to achieving any goal.
For example, Jane may tell herself that she cannot, under any circumstances, have chocolate whilst on her fat loss journey. One day someone has left a box of chocolates open in the canteen at work and Jane quickly grabs one to have with her cup of tea. Suddenly, she feels an overwhelming sense of guilt and failure as the chocolate had been on Jane’s list of ‘bad foods’. If Jane considers the bigger picture and her long-term goals, one piece of chocolate will not have a detrimental effect on her overall goal. However, the problem occurs when she berates herself for ‘failing’ and one piece of chocolate turns into a box of chocolates, 2 pizzas and she decides that because she has ‘failed’ already she might as well skip her planned workout. The truth is that Jane has not failed at all and a healthier approach to this would be to avoid labelling foods as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and to ensure that you are feeling restricted on your journey. Restriction and guilt can lead to people feeling overwhelmed and are one of the main reasons why so many fat loss journeys fail.
Building momentum
The big changes happen when all of the little daily wins add up over the weeks and the months – this is when change occurs. When you begin to really enjoy your food and provide your body with the correct level of energy and nutrients, you will feel more energised and recover much faster after exercise. Being accountable is different to feeling guilty because you ‘slipped up’. Accountability is about being responsible for your decisions. Removing the guilt around food and exercise means that the entire journey becomes something that you are actually enjoying and benefitting from, rather than a chore where you experience highs and lows from your food choices .
At daveynutrition we are here to help you to achieve your fat loss goal through our Performance Nutrition Calculator, customisable meal plans, blogs video content, social media presence and dedicated team of nutritionists. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can join you and support you on your health, performance or fat loss journey. For information regarding our Group Nutrition Guidance Coaching or our Premier 1:1 nutrition coaching please contact expertsupport@daveynutrition.com.
