As much as we can become scale obsessed, wanting to see that number go down, what we TRULY want is fat loss.

I mean would you honestly care what that scale said if you loved how your arms looked in that tank top or fit back into your “skinny jeans?”

NOPE! 

You wouldn’t.

And I can tell you from personal experience, fat loss doesn’t always mean losing weight on that scale. It can actually mean your weight doesn’t change at all as you lose fat but gain and retain lean muscle.

So in the end?

You look leaner but you haven’t lost any weight.

I mention all of this because I think so often we strive for faster results on the scale or greater weight loss and ultimately hold ourselves back from true body recomposition.

We do these extremes that don’t help us retain lean muscle and even cause us to lose it. 

And then after maybe seeing some fast weight loss results from extreme deprivation that depletes our muscles of glycogen, causes us to lose water weight and maybe some fat but also muscle, we just end up regaining the weight.

And the worst part is…none of the weight we regain is necessarily muscle! So we ultimately end up worse off than where we started.

So if you actually want to lose fat? You need to stop seeking quick and dramatic scale changes.

You need to be a bit more ready to trust the process and implement these 3 key tips!

#1: Focus on protein!

Sorry but if you want the best body recomposition results? You can’t simply focus on calories in vs calories out.

While there is flexibility to how you dial in your carbs and fats, PROTEIN IS KEY.

If you want to build and retain lean muscle while in a calorie deficit, you need to get more protein.

It’s why calories are not created equal. The type matters. And a deficit can be dramatically impacted by how you’re adjusting those macros.

#2: Don’t go extreme on that calorie deficit

I know we think that if we eat less, we will lose more, but dramatic calorie deficits are the biggest reason honestly why we can’t stay consistent with our diets.

We get too hungry.

We cut our calories so low we interrupt proper hormonal functioning. We cause metabolic adaptations.

And we end up losing just as much muscle as fat.

Not to mention our workouts suffer.

Basically, trying to do more, ends up making us feel miserable while we not only achieve less but sometimes even suffer some nasty consequences.

It is much better to create a smaller calorie deficit or even just start with the current calories we are consuming while adjusting our macro breakdown.

Especially the older we get. Previous extreme dieting practices often make it harder to lose weight as we get older. And by slashing calories to the extreme, we can also hinder ourselves from building and retaining lean muscle – which does become harder as we get older!

And then don’t try to out exercise your diet to burn more calories. This not only leads to overtraining but often muscle catabolism as well.

#3: Strength Training

You’ll notice the first two of these are diet related, but that doesn’t mean workouts don’t play there part. 

Especially when it comes to helping you build the lean muscle mass that not only promotes better fat loss but also makes you look leaner!

So often we turn to cardio for weight loss because of the higher calorie burn in our workouts, but we need to stop seeing our workouts as purely a way to burn more calories.

That’s shortsighted not to mention, as we get stronger and fitter, we adjust.

So unless you’re running or cycling constantly for longer or further or faster, your body is going to adjust. So while your watch may tell you that you’re still burning a ton of calories, you’re most likely not still burning the same amount as when you started.

Your body becomes more efficient. That’s why it can do more more easily.

That’s why strength training is key. It helps you build lean muscle to even burn more calories at rest. It helps keep your metabolic rate higher. And it also fuels your other cardio activities you may enjoy.

It can also fight against the catabolic affect of those more steady-state cardio activities.

And as we get older? 

Strength training becomes even more important as it becomes harder to gain and retain lean muscle! Building muscle helps us avoid some of the metabolic slowdown we associate with getting older!

SUMMARY:

So if you want to lose fat?

Stop trying to rush the process. Focus on these 3 key things and you’ll see those long term results actually adding up!

Want some delicious, macro-friendly recipes to help you hit your ratios and get results?

Check out my Cookbook Collection!

I don’t care who you are or how much you know…

Results never happen fast enough.

And the even worse part?

Often not only do results not happen fast enough but progress is NEVER linear.

I bring this up because I know we are all guilty of wanting more.

Of considering going to more extremes or doing more to try to get things to happen faster.

Or on the flip side…of getting so frustrated we give up.

Which really if you think about it is super stupid considering giving up for sure isn’t going to get us results faster.

But well, it’s still tempting none the less out of frustration.

Honestly, often really the issue is we simply haven’t given our results enough time to build.

While I know we become afraid that we’re repeating the same thing hoping for a different result, or sticking with something that won’t work?

Often it’s really just that we haven’t done it long enough. 

We can’t out exercise or out diet time.

So what can you do to help yourself trust the process a bit more? Be willing to give things time to add up?

1. Create a clear plan with a set end date – I know in theory we want to make changes a lifestyle, but we do better with an end date. A set time at which we can assess and adjust. Also, even with a lifestyle? You won’t be repeating the exact same habits forever. Our needs and goals are constantly evolving. What you do to lose weight or gain muscle? Won’t be what you do to maintain. Especially if you even change workouts or fitness goals or activity level….

2. Track – If you can see you’re doing the habits you need to be doing to get results? You know you’re doing the right stuff. I think often we are more worried about whether or not something is working when we don’t have that accountability. When we can’t see if we are actually doing what we are supposed to be doing. And often when we don’t want to track? It’s because we do want to give ourselves an excuse. We don’t want to take that honest look at what we are doing. Because all too often that honest look DOES show it is our fault and is something we can change. If you want results though? As hard as it is? You want to know there is something within your power to accurately adjust!

3 – Measure in multiple different ways. Body recomposition won’t often show on the scale. But do you really care what the scale says if you LOOK amazing? If you have the aesthetic visual you want? Not to mention if you’re able to move better, lift more, run faster, cycle further? Guess what? Those habit changes will build toward other aesthetic changes that may take longer. So taking PRIDE in those other achievements will help you build momentum and stay motivated. Success breeds more success so finding ways to celebrate wins to keep us moving forward toward long term goals is key!

I mention all of this because around this time of year, we start to get frustrated. We’ve been putting in weeks of work towards new goals and no matter how amazing our results have been? We always want more.

The key is realizing that results mean being in it for the long haul and finding pleasure in the changes themselves.

And even recognizing that impatience is…well….part of it. It means you’re doing what you should be!

EVERYONE has doubts, fears, times of insecurity. We all need reassurance at points. Feel down about our progress. 

We all have a better and worse.

I know it can seem like someone else has all of the answers, never has a moment’s doubt about themselves. But I’m sorry. 

We’re human.

Pobody’s Nerfect.

I was musing over this the other day when one of my coaching clients was talking about feeling down about her recent progress. Talking about how she still sees the areas she really wants to change.

And I said I totally get it.

Cause we were on a zoom call I could see her fascial expression of, “Uh huh.”

You will always want to improve something. It’s human nature.

Even if you reach the goal you think will make all the difference, even if you really like your results, you’re still going to have better and worse days. You’re still going to have times you wish you could change or improve something.

You’re still emotionally human and have those insecurities.

Being happy all of the time. Feeling perfect? It just doesn’t exist.

I mean we have flaws, some of which make us both amazing and really difficult human beings at the same time. You can just ask Ryan!

I think we just have to remember that when we get a bit down about how things are going and start the comparing game.

The grass is always greener on the other side.

Social media only shows one angle. It’s the scrapbook often.

There is always hard work and struggles going on behind the scenes. 

Here are 3 tips to help you embrace the process of change, loving your journey but always wanting more:

# 1. Just being AWARE. I think admitting to our fears and doubts is key. Recognizing that they are THERE and real. We also need to recognize that with any positive quality comes a dark side. The more you want to strive to improve? The more you’ll get out of life BUT also the more you’ll have to quiet the internal doubts. The internal hater so to speak. 

#2: Results will never happen fast enough nor be linear. You’re always going to be tempted to focus on the things that “still aren’t there yet.” You’re always going to feel like someone else got there faster. 

#3: Don’t be afraid to admit your own insecurities. Too often we try to hide or bury negative emotions instead of dealing with them. I think sometimes admitting to the doubts and fears helps you face them and work through them. It even helps you change your thought processes behind them.

And then remember that sometimes you need to ACT AS IF.

Confidence comes from knowing you’re doing what you can. Taking the right actions. Not from being perfect. 

And the more you start doing the habits of the person you want to be? The more you FEEL like that person and become that person!

Movement is medicine.

Now I’m not saying that if you have an injury to just keep pushing through, but too often we simply do NOTHING.

Then after some time off, we jump right back into what we were doing and wonder why we end up injured again. Why nothing changed.

And it’s because we never addressed what lead to the injury in the first place. We never addressed postural distortions, compensations and imbalances that lead to overload. We never addressed the mobility restrictions and muscle weakness.

If we want to move and feel better? We need to train our bodies to know how to move well. And that means returning to basics and focusing on that prehab work.

If we want to see a change? We have to make a change.

And simply resting changes nothing.
So if you’re injured what can you do to help prevent future issues and even get to still train?

1. Address the rehab work you need. Seeing someone is good if this isn’t just a minor ache or pain. But even with those, you need to include the proper prehab work. Like if your wrists hurt with push ups. Do the mobility work needed so you don’t just have to deal with that annoying pain any time you have floor work. You need to foam roll to relax overactive muscles, stretch to lengthen shortened muscles and mobilize your joints and then activate those underactive muscles so that weaker muscles not meant to handle the load don’t have to. We do this work to establish proper recruitment patterns to help make them automatic during compound, faster paced movements. 

2. And as you address the underlying causes? Modify around the pain. While we don’t want to avoid moves forever if possible, we do often need to work around as we correct the problem.

3. And then we need to REBUILD. We need to retrain those movements with tweaks to help us load the correct muscles. It may be using different cues, or slightly different variations. Or even just adjustments to form. Slow things down and focus first on what you feel working over just mimicking proper form. We want to learn how to control as many movement patterns as possible so we then don’t get injured twisting or turning in everyday life!

While we want to work toward a new and improved version of ourselves, we have to remember…

IT’S STILL US.

Same flaws. Same struggles. Same reactions to things like restriction.

So we need to remember who and want we are to address our needs and goals as we work to create changes. 

We can’t go in thinking all of the sudden everything is just going to change because it is a new year.

I actually think this is often why our resolutions fail.

We aren’t basing how we do things off our “old” self.

So I wanted to share some tips to help you create a realistic program for yourself to start moving forward toward that new and improved you.

1. Assess thy self. Are you really an all or nothing person or does the slightest sign of restriction send you running for that food you now can’t have. If you KNOW YOURSELF, you can design a plan around this. You may be that person that cuts out everything at once. Or you may be that person that needs to make changes slowly. Don’t force a plan that doesn’t fit who you are.

2. Celebrate habit changes. You want a new you? You have to create a new mindset. One of VICTORY. You have to try to ACT AS IF you are the thing you want to be. And that means ingraining those habits. To build that momentum, it means seeing each habit you complete as a win vs just focusing only on those long terms goals. So if you set a goal of 10lbs to lose this year? Also really break down those action steps you need to take to get there and make those habit goals something you celebrate.

3. LEARN about what you’re implementing. When we understand the WHY behind things? We are more likely to trust the process, especially when results don’t add up as quickly as we’d like…because, let’s face it, they never do.

4. Don’t expect perfection. Focus on doing something. I know it can feel stupid to do something that’s half-assed or just 5 minutes. But often it is more the fact that we stayed in the routine, that we actually took action that matters more than exactly what we did. It just keeps us in the habit. It mentally makes you feel more successful. And 5 minutes is still more than no minutes. It’s what honestly keeps the ball rolling and gaining momentum even though you won’t see or feel instant dramatic results!