“I’m starting my weight loss program today”

“I’m back on track…starting today”

Eventuall you have to leave the starting box...

Being in a perpetual starting position is just another way of saying that you’re standing still. You may recognize what I’m saying about those people around you who are always ‘just starting’ something.

But those same people never come back 3-4 months later when they’re ‘finished’ the program.

Sadly for most people they’re forever stuck in the starting blocks. They desperately want to do something, but somehow are frozen in place and can’t get going.

This inability to follow through is not because of a lack of discipline, or a physical inability to get things done…it’s rooted in a belief system.

All of our actions are preceded by a belief. In the case of weight loss or getting in shape many people are stuck with a belief that they simply do not deserve to lose weight or get in shape. As bizarre and contradictory as that sounds this is something people learn and it becomes ingrained into their subconscious over time.

Changing this belief system is the key to getting out of the starting blocks and actually getting into and finishing the weight loss and exercise race.

Changing beliefs like this is what you might call a paradigm shift, and it’s at base of both the Adonis Effect and Eat Stop Eat.

If you haven’t read them I suggest you do, if you already have them, re-read them to remind yourself why you workout and why you at least think twice about how you eat and look.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m going to be offering a coaching program to help get you out of the starting blocks and into the race for both weight loss and muscle building. I’ll be posting more details in the next few weeks, but if you’re interested in getting a gentle nudge (or maybe a good old fashioned kick in the ass) to make your weight loss and fitness dreams a reality I might just have the foot your looking for!

Email me at john(at)adoniseffect.com and we can discuss further.

John

He could stand to lose some weight regardless if its fat or water.

“Weight Loss” is the term most people use to describe their dieting efforts. It’s not uncommon to hear people refer to ‘wanting to lose weight’ or needing to ‘drop a few pounds’. Regardless of what the exact words are, the point is always some sort of reduction in ‘weight’.

Fitness competitors and bodybuilders tend to speak more of ‘fat loss’ or reducing ‘bodyfat’ levels.

Reducing body fat levels will also result in weight loss, but to a bodybuilder there is a distinct difference, and that is the understanding that there is also a certain amount of ‘water weight’ that also must be dropped to get ready for a show.

In both cases overall body weight will be reduced (either from a reduction in body fat or body water).

When you embark on a weight loss program you will likely lose both body water and body fat. There is no need to make a distinction between the two as it is advantageous to both your health and your overall look to reduce both.

It’s not possible or practical to try and divide fat loss from weight loss, and it’s not worth your effort or attention.

Focusing on a reduced calorie diet will take care of both and get you to where you want to go.

John

Who should be eating more and who should be eating less?

I went out for a steak dinner this weekend and like I normally do, I split an entree with my date. We ordered a 10 oz striploin steak with vegetables and a baked potato on the side and started with a soup and some of that awesome house bread that any good steak house always serves.

This one entree split between two people is more than enough food. So we always just order one entree and share it.

The interesting part is when the food actually gets served to us.

The waitress told the kitchen to split the entree in half on two plates…think about that for a second.

They served a 180lbs man the same amount of food as a 120lbs woman. Doesn’t really make sense does it?

This is one of the fundamental problems women face when eating with men…they typically get served the exact same amount of food as the man and may feel some pressure to eat more than they want (or perhaps are tempted to overeat)

This is just another example of the assumption that all people can/should eat the same amount of food as each other (which of course is false)

No matter where you are or who serves you, it’s up to you to decide how much food you will or won’t eat. If you’re the type who will eat all that is served to you, then the easiest thing to do is ask to have less food served. That way you can eat till your plate is clean and still be satisfied that you kept your calories under control.

John

In this episode Meatwad is trying to ‘exercise the fat away’ by power walking. What you don’t see in this clip is the pile of gummy bears he sets out for himself as his target to walk to. Once he arrives at the pile of gummy bears he eats them as a reward for his exercise. (Once again Carl is right on the money with his criticism of meatwads strategy)

As ridiculous as this sounds, this is exactly what many people do who start working out…they reward themselves with food after they complete a workout. This totally defeats the purpose of working out in the first place. (the other day I saw a large woman with a personal trainer, and she was eating a granola bar between her sets in the gym…I can only imagine how absurd the conversation between her and the trainer must have been that allowed a granola bar to become part of the workout)

Back to reality:

The so called ‘health benefits’ of physical activity and exercise are very similar to the health benefits of caloric restriction and the subsequent weight loss that follows.

If you think you can be ‘healthy’ without losing weight you’re missing half or most of the picture. The extra fat mass and added weight itself is a risk factor for many lifestyle diseases and therefore simply being active while eating more food (such that you don’t lose any weight) still does not address the issue of losing body fat (if you have excess bodyfat to lose).

There are many ‘meatwads’ out there who would rather tell themselves the lie that they can eat as much as they want and overcome any ill effects simply by exercising more, but those people will never get the body changing results they really want and likely wont be much ‘healthier’ either.

John

Brunch Buffet's are the BEST

It’s a long weekend here in Canada and I’m on my way to a brunch buffet this morning. What a great way to kick off the week. If I could start every week with a brunch buffet I wouldn’t complain at all.

I’ll probably eat most of my calories for today at the buffet, and that’s fine, I’ll simply scale back the rest of the day to just a coffee and a small snack or perhaps nothing at all until tomorrow. Having flexibility in your diet is the key to achieving a balance between your appetite and desire for food and your long term health and body weight goals.

You can maintain or even lose weight while eating whatever foods you like, you’ve just got to strike a balance between your desire for food and your weight loss goals.

Many people feel that a diet has to be an all or nothing affair but that isn’t the case. You can enjoy food while losing weight, you just have to learn to know when to stop. Once you refine this skill you will be able to manipulate your body weight as you wish without it feeling like a monumental effort.

But once you start to lose weight you’ll see how your effort pays off and realize that weight loss feels better than any meal tastes.

John