Losing weight has to be one of the biggest issues in our day-to-day lives. For most we immediately put it in the ‘too hard basket’, some of us give it a go and it lasts a short time. Maybe we give up or our busy lives get in the way. Others will manage to lose weight and achieve their goal, but only for a short time before gaining it all back.
So how do some people manage to lose weight and keep it off?
Start Small
I’m going to share with you a story of a good friend of mine who went through the journey and is still winning. And it's not as difficult as you might think!
Three years ago, I joined the gym. I was pumped. I was ready. I was unfit!
I was 27, I was living a sedentary lifestyle - Monday to Friday stuck in an office in front of the computer. I would get out on the weekend for a walk but that was about it. I let my busy work life get in the way of my overall health. My weight was increasing, my motivation decreasing.
I made the decision to join the gym. I started with a workout here and there. I didn’t have any real direction. I would come in and do a big workout and that would be it for the week. This coupled with me thinking I could now have that extra cookie did not help.
After a few months of not getting anywhere, I sucked it up and talked to the staff at Central Fitness. I guess with anything, asking for help can seem like a daunting task even for a little thing like “So how do I do this gym thing…” and “what about my diet?”
I learned very quickly that I should have asked for help much sooner. The team at @CentralFitness was pumped to help.
We sat down and talked through what I wanted to achieve and I went away with a positive outlook knowing what I needed to do next.
I started a food journal.
This was easy. I created a private Instagram page. I took a photo of every single thing I consumed. The team @CentralFitness looked at what I was eating and immediately could see areas for improvement.
I started with a simple goal - to remove processed sugar. This was a challenge in itself, however, after the initial two weeks of cravings, it became sustainable.
Next, I needed some consistency in the gym.
How did I achieve this? Programming.
Working with the team they developed a program for me to follow. Three training sessions a week. Simple as that.
They held me accountable.
They kept me consistent.
Habits started to form.
After 4-weeks of watching my sugar intake and keeping to my exercise program, I discovered my weight was dropping, clothes were fitting better. This pushed me, I started craving the feeling more.
I was checking in with the team @CentralFitness less and less but at the same time, my training and nutrition were becoming like second nature.
The best thing is. It is sustainable.
Quinton.
There are two key elements to starting your weight loss journey. Food and Exercise.
Firstly is food.
A lot of us struggle here. How do I start? What should I be eating? How much? When?
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Just kidding.
But the best place to start is sugar. Watching your sugar intake is a sure-fire way to getting control of your nutrition. Start looking at labels on the food you are eating. Almost all processed food products are choca full of added sugar.
It is recommended we eat 50g or less of sugar per day. For reference, one can of coke has about 33g. That leaves you with enough room in your day for a big banana. So if you drink fizzy, ...I bet you can guess what I'm going to say.
Reducing your sugar intake and becoming more aware of what you are eating will help you to maintain a nutritional and sustainable calorie deficit ... until you are ready for the maintenance stage of course.
Secondly, Exercise.
A simple way to look at this is, we need to spend more energy by moving - than we take in by eating.
The fact is, most of the western world is not doing this.
How do I do this?
Easy.
Move more: Evening walks, playing with the kids, going for a bike ride, social sports or going to the gym.
Personally, I play sport once or twice a week and go to the gym two or three times per week. This might seem like a lot but it's really not. I love sport, any excuse to run around with some mates, and I also really enjoy the gym. I really like the feeling I get after a workout. I have learned to associate feeling physically exhausted or having muscle soreness with improvement (which is true), with the big boost of endorphins after a session, it’s the best I feel all day. I'm constantly looking for that feeling because I know I'm improving!
So, to be more like Quinton
Start with one simple food goal. Watch your sugar intake, cut back where you can, instead of Coke, drink water. Don’t put sugar in your coffee or tea. Simple.
And one simple exercise goal. Move more. Evening walks twice a week with a friend. Give an hour, two times a week to get outside with the kids. Simple.
It starts small but it has to start.
At the time of writing this article, Quinton had been doing this for about 3 months and had dropped over 10kg, created sustainable habits, and was craving further improvement.
Assessing his goals and altering them as needed, Quinton, with guidance, gathered the tools he needed to keep the weight off.
It has been two years and he has kept it off! His new habits have been sustainable. This has allowed him to lose weight gradually. These habits have become a part of life for Quinton and we can't imagine it any other way now.
At Central Fitness we know everybody can make this change. We just have to start small.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch, we are here to help, no matter what stage you are at in life.
www.central-fitnessgym.com Find us on Facebook or Instagram and just ask for help! It’s that simple.
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