Fat Loss Fiction, Facts and Fixes

Before we go any further together, I should make my case for why what I have to say on this matter has merit.

As a fitness studio owner, former American Council on Exercise (ACE) and National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) faculty member and personal trainer since 1998, I’ve studied this topic extensively. I’ve helped hundreds of people reach and exceed their fitness and body composition goals and my only purpose is to make your life better in the areas of my expertise. I’m not in this to get rich (and I won’t – ever). But I can guide you successfully in your efforts to drop unnecessary fat, guaranteed.

Here’s the only rub – you have to actually put my guidance into practice. And you have to be consistent, patient, and resolute.

The scope of this article is not to be your comprehensive blueprint for life-long fat loss. Programs like mine that are more detailed, personalized and guide you over a span of at least one month can do that if they are based on sound, reliable information and provide constant course-correction, encouragement and support.

What I do intend to accomplish in this article is to present some truths that you may be reluctant to consider or believe (or admit that contribute to your current body composition) so that when you are ready to correct this problem once and for all, you’ve removed some of the most pernicious and persistent obstacles that commonly foil those efforts. So let’s get started:

Fiction: You truly want to be leaner.

Fact: If you haven’t put the time, effort and interest into getting a clear, rational plan together and stuck with it for at least six weeks (three months is better), then the truth is that you’re not truly motivated enough yet to slay this dragon. That’s ok, but then don’t kid yourself or judge yourself as a failure using flawed expectations. Once a well-designed program is in place, you have to actually stay with it, fall down and get back up, fine-tune and refine until it becomes a habit with which you are actually identified. You have to think: “this is what I do - this is part of who I am now” before the magic can happen.

Fix: Admit to yourself, with humor and compassion, that you have not yet made and stuck to the commitment of applying a sound program over a long-term period and decide whether you’re ready to do so now. Then, once you do, pretend you were managing the health habits or finances of your parent, your child or your best friend. Think you would lose interest or drop the ball? Of course you wouldn’t. Aren’t you just as important?

Fiction: The needs of everyone else in your life are more important to serve than your own best interests.

Fact: The idea stated above is well-intentioned, but misguided. The truth is that you’re teaching your spouse that he/she is always more important than you and encouraging him/her to act accordingly. You’re teaching your kids the same thing and adding more work for yourself, as well as delaying their lessons to fend for themselves when their level of maturity will accommodate that. And finally, you’re setting an example for all those in your circle of influence to subordinate themselves as a first response to challenges. Is that really the life you want to live and the message you want to send to the world with your choices (the only truly effective means of teaching others).

Fix: Take care of yourself because you are the only one who can and should make that a priority. You will indirectly empower those around you to do the same, be more attractive (because people want to be around positive, self-motivated folks) and less resentful when you inevitably feel underappreciated following the “them first” model.

Fiction: Exercise makes you lean.

Fact: No matter how many push-ups you do, miles you run or Zumbas you.. Zumba(?), you can always eat (and usually will) the corresponding calories you burned in your workouts if you keep your eating habits the same. Why? Because the problem is not how much you move but the way you eat. Most people eat erratically – in terms of what, when and how much they eat. And few make a specific effort to keep their blood sugar stable, stay properly hydrated, load their diets with vegetables and taper their calories in the evening. In fact, for most, it’s just the opposite. You won’t outrun bad eating habits. The key is in the kitchen.

Fix: What most people need is not a five hundred page book packed with pseudo-science they can argue with people about at work or cocktail parties with 100+ recipes they’ll never make. They (you) need a simple set of principles that can be easily and consistently practiced and tailored to their individual lifestyles and schedules. There are several excellent programs like this available. Ours is one, but there are other good ones too.

If any of this rings true for you and you are ready to make a permanent, positive and, perhaps life-changing move, look honestly at the issues I’ve raised in this article before moving forward with a potential solution. If you have and are ready to successfully achieve your best weight and your best physical condition, please consider this program.

That decision could simplify and enhance your life more than you can imagine.

Dan Taylor, ACE, NASM-CPT, is owner and head trainer at Pleasanton-based Tri Valley Trainer. They offer private and group fitness solutions and an innovative, medically endorsed web-based group fat loss coaching program.