Follow These 7 Quick Steps
Behold! It’s that time of the year again when people start making their New Year’s resolutions and swear to themselves that this will finally be the year when they Lose Weight, Get Fit, and carve a body that turns heads.
A very noble ambition indeed. In fact, weight loss is the number #1 New Year’s resolution of all people around the world – followed closely by ‘Saving More Money’.
This explains why gyms around the world are packed in January… but by late-February, these same gyms look so desolate you almost expect to see tumbleweeds rolling by.
Most people who promise to exercise more and get in shape on New Year’s Day quit by the third week of January. This scene plays out EVERY year without fail.
So, what happened?
Where did all the motivation go?
Why did they quit on their weight loss / fitness journey?
The answer is quite simple. They tried to do too much too soon, and often attempt to do the wrong things. They expected fast results, and when the results were slow to come, they lost motivation, got discouraged… and quit.
In this article, you’ll discover 7 steps you can follow that will give you faster results, that will help you stay motivated. Let’s get started:
#1. Cut Out the White Foods
This one step will have a PROFOUND impact on your weight loss. It’s also the most difficult step of the lot – and something which you’ll need to approach gradually.
White foods refer to white flour foods such as pastries, doughnuts, pasta, bread, etc. It also refers to white rice, sugar, white potatoes and so on.
These foods tend to be starchy and/or elevate your blood sugar levels, which will lead to fat storage.
Keep a food journal to track your meals and slowly eliminate these foods until you’re barely consuming any of them. You’ll be amazed at how fast your weight falls off when your insulin levels are stabilized.
#2. Clean Up Your Diet
Besides cutting out the white foods, you’ll also want to clean up your diet. In this case, it’ll mean cutting out processed foods, hydrogenated vegetable oils and so on. Generally, once you cut out the white foods, you’ll also be eliminating most unhealthy processed foods.
90% of your success with Weight Loss comes down to your diet. It goes without saying that you should be at a caloric deficit of about 400-500 calories daily.
You can check your calorie numbers here: https://www.freedieting.com/calorie-calculator
#3. Watch Your Blood Sugar Levels
It’s imperative that you understand that not all calories are made equal. For example, a slice of chicken breast may be around 280 calories whereas a packet of M&Ms has about 240 calories.
Now on paper, it may seem that the M&Ms have fewer calories… but that doesn’t take into account the impact the food has on your blood sugar levels.
The key to losing weight fast is to ensure that your blood sugar levels remain stable. Avoid foods that spike your insulin levels.
Insulin sensitivity must be improved for you to arrest fast weight gain. The best way to do that is to avoid white foods, and if possible, adopt an intermittent fasting protocol where you have a six to eight hour eating window.
If you can maintain your blood sugar level and eliminate white foods, you’ll Lose Weight faster than you ever thought possible. This is what you need to FOCUS on.
#4. Walk 5-Times a Week
The best time to walk will be in the morning, on an empty stomach. Your glycogen levels will be low, and your body will tap into its fat stores for fuel.
Ideally, you’ll want to walk briskly for around 45 to 60 minutes. You should elevate your heart rate, but the pace at which you walk should easily allow you to hold a conversation while walking.
While doing this, you’ll be burning fat throughout the activity. Walking is low impact, and since it’s not taxing on your body, you won’t have sugar/carb cravings.
One mistake many beginners make is to train so hard at the gym that it leaves them feeling extremely hungry later, because their blood sugar levels are low or depleted – then they end up overeating.
This only slows down their progress, or even sabotages their efforts, because you can’t out-exercise a bad diet or a caloric surplus.
You will be better off taking things more slowly, with less intensity, which will result in you making more progress over time. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
#5. Mix in Some Resistance Training and Cardio
Adding some resistance training 2 or 3 times a week into your training regimen will help to preserve your lean muscle mass. It’ll also boost your metabolism, so you will burn more calories while at rest.
As for cardio, since you’re already walking 5-times a week, you’re getting sufficient cardio… BUT… if you could do just one high intensity cardio session (HIIT) for about 10-20 minutes a day, it would benefit you greatly.
This could be running, cycling, boxing, or any activity that leaves you panting for breath. This will elevate your heart rate and put you into fat burning mode for hours.
There’s a point to note here: If you’re obese or have led a sedentary life for years, engaging in high intensity training can be torturous – and is best avoided.
Allow yourself to lose several pounds first, by following the earlier tips. Then, when you’re lighter and able to move more easily, you can try HIIT. You need to take a strategic approach here.
#6. Get 7 to 8 Hours of Sleep
Getting sufficient sleep is a must! While some people may claim they can get by with 4-6 hours of sleep a night, most people need about 7-8 hours.
When you’re sleeping, you’re in a fasted state. Your body will be resting and repairing itself while burning calories too. You need time to recover so that you have the energy for the next day’s diet and workout.
#7. Think ‘Lifestyle’, Not ‘Weight Loss’
Very often, when people make a New Year’s Day resolution to get fit or lose weight, they look at it as a one-off event – a goal or target that they need to hit.
Because of this mindset, they’re often in a race against time. They exercise too much or cut their calories too drastically. They want to achieve their goal fast – and this approach works against them.
Firstly, it’s extremely difficult to overhaul your diet overnight. Secondly, reducing your calories drastically will cause severe food cravings, making food all you can think about.
Thirdly, if you train too hard at the gym, hoping to see fast results, you’ll end up wearing yourself out too soon. Workouts will become something you dread because you’re training to the point of exhaustion.
This approach is the WRONG approach.
Instead, you need to view your fitness as a Lifestyle. This means that smart Eating and regular Exercising will quickly become routines that you continue doing well into your golden years. These are lifetime habits.
When you adopt this long-term mindset, you’ll realize that time is not your enemy. It’s actually your ally. One of the cornerstones of successful weight loss and physical transformation is TIME.
You need time… not speed. There are no fast results here. The slow and steady approach will ensure that you progressively march towards your goal without losing steam or quitting within a month. Be the Tortoise, not the Hare.
So, in 2024, however unfit or overweight you may be, promise yourself that you’ll adopt the slower approach and make it last until 2025. In 6 months, you’ll be amazed at how much weight you’ve lost and how much better you feel.
From month 6 to 12, you’ll be motivated to push yourself just that little bit harder. You’ll run faster, lift more weight, eat cleaner and by 2025, you’ll be a Brand-New You.
Then, you’ll realize that you won’t need a weight loss resolution for the next year, because fitness and clean eating have become your Lifestyle. That’s how it’s done… and now you can do it too!
“It’s not just about losing the weight. It’s about losing the lifestyle and mindset that got you there.” – Steve Maraboli