FAT LOSS WITHOUT THE GYM MEMBERSHIP

We can focus on what’s perfect, or we can be realistic and focus on what we can actually do, right now.

Too often, we let motivation set our goals.

“I’ll workout in the gym 4 times per week.”

“I won’t cheat on my diet at all for the whole week”

The list grows, you’ve probably been there. When you set your goals, you are driven, those goals are relative to your values and make a lot of sense.

Until it comes time to actually do them.

Stuck in the office, family commitments, no energy, late night.

The list goes on.

Getting in the gym is unrealistic at times.

So, what can you do? Give up and accept your fate? No way.

The power is in your hands. Finding a schedule and structure that suits you is what we ultimately have to do otherwise there’s no chance you’ll achieve your goals.

Start now, get perfect later.

Ask yourself “What can I do, right now, that will help me lose weight?”

The issue is that weight loss isn’t a Calorie problem, it’s a social and emotional problem.

Think about it, if you just have to eat less, then it should be easy, right? We all know what we have to do but when it comes to applying the Calorie rule, it isn’t so simple.

Peer pressure, availability of foods, social events.

Here’s some solutions to your ever-evolving problem.

1 – Fasting.

It’s growing popularity at the moment and it will probably continue to do so, because it’s easy. All you have to do is not eat for a certain period of time.

Don’t focus on the specifics and be a slave to the clock. Start by eating your first meal later and your last meal earlier. You can gradually extend the length of time you fast for.

A 12:12 (12 hours fasting, 12 hours eating) approach is relatively easy to start. First meal at 08:00 and last meal at 12:00, if you’re sleeping 8 hours per night then it should be even easier as you only have 4 waking hours to manage food cravings for.

General rules are to drink as much water as you like and nothing else. Black coffee is ok.

Just be sure to get enough protein in when you finally do eat and also, be weary of overeating. Fasting won’t help you if you still eat too many Calories in a 24-hour period.

You can gradually extend your fast up to 16-20 hours, only eating 1-2 times per day at times but this isn’t always recommended. Always consult with a healthcare professional before you start.

Benefits include increased metabolic effects as well as being a sustainable method to achieve weight loss.

2 – Eating protein.

This is a simple one. Eating protein can decrease Calories consumed as it helps with satiety, the feeling of feeling full and maintains muscle mass.

By keeping what muscle mass, you do have on a diet, you will have the potential to burn more Calories just by going about your day to day activities. Muscle has a metabolic “cost” meaning, you need Calories to keep it.

By having regular protein feedings throughout the day, you will stimulate muscle protein synthesis and keep the precious muscle you have.

Pick from leaner sources like chicken, turkey, egg whites, whey protein, low fat dairy, white fish and leaner cuts of red meat.

If you want to feel even fuller for longer, go for fattier cuts (but watch out as these have higher Calories in general). Things like whole eggs, salmon and other fatty fish, fatty red meat and full fat dairy.

3 – Get more veg in

It is so obvious, and for that reason, you should stick to what works.

By getting enough veg in your diet, you will make sure you aren’t missing out on key vitamins and minerals.

Adding salads to meals, sides of broccoli or other green veg like beans etc will help keep you on track.

You get a lot of volume for a lot less Calories. Most people on diet won’t eat enough vegetables. If you go for volume, you will get more nutrients for less Calories. This will keep everything working while your body focuses on losing fat.

4 – Move more

If you’re a desk jockey, you need to move more.

You won’t lose fat by sitting on your ass. That’s an obvious observation.

Take the stairs, avoid the lift. Walk up escalators if you don’t have stairs.

Make calls while on the move, the added blood flow in the body will help your energy state and you will be able to use your brain better. Even if you just stand up in the office, that will burn more Calories than sitting down.

You can burn up to an extra 2,000 Calories just by being active throughout the day. That’s an extreme example but there’s no reason you can’t burn an extra 500 Calories without stepping foot inside a gym.

I’ll leave it as those 4 points for now. When you’re ready, you’ll find the gym or you’ll find the activity you can realistically stick to, but for now, focus on the Calorie battle you can win today.

Make things simpler for you to stick to.

Too many people look for the magic pill, the one size fits all solution to their problems. Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist, otherwise someone out there would have the globally recognised product.

If you need more help, then feel free to contact me for advice on how to tackle your situation or leave a comment below.

You can email me on [email protected]