Its been a great week – the first one so far where every single person assessed has managed to drop bodyfat (some more than others – you know who you are!)
Massive well done to:
Laura – 3.6% bodyfat in 4 weeks and now buying size 8 dresses
Lisa – 4% in 6 weeks
Helen – 2% and 4kg in the past two weeks!
I often get asked how some people seem to do so well right from the start and why others struggle. It call comes down to consistency. We all (me included) have to do the same things to get and stay lean – namely eat better and train hard. There are no shortcuts.
On that note, there have been some great articles flying between the coaches I network with over face-book and the net, and all touch on the same areas as we are now well and truly into the festive season.
The key is keep balance between enjoying yourself and not going so overboard you ruin your results.
One of those articles has given me the idea to put together a check-list that you can use to help you get on track for better results.
The success list…For the the best results I must:
1. Realise that diet is 80% of my results…
Whether you are trying lose fat or gain muscle, eating the correct foods at the correct times will account for 80% of your results.
The old adage “you are what you eat” really is true. So if you eat good quality, healthy foods, you will be healthy.
It does not matter how hard you train, or if you had one really good day with your diet before it went wrong. Your results reflect how consistent you have been with your diet. If you’re not getting the results, your diet has not been consistently right.
My recommendation is to follow a Paleo style eating plan – as most people simply do not need vast amounts of carbohydrates in their diet and their bodies do not handle them well.
2. Keep a diet diary…
Keeping a diet diary makes you completely aware of where your diet needs work and what is holding you back on your results.
It also makes you accountable for any mistakes you make and the connection between being consistent and getting results. Whether you keep a diet diary or not, if you’re not the getting the results you want, then the diet has gone wrong somewhere.
3. Train at least 4 times per week.
The difference in the results you get from 3 sessions a week to 4 is massive, trust me.
As a perspective, its not uncommon for people who really want amazing results to train 8-12 times a week (think of those film stars who achieve great physiques in record time).
If you are training hard 4 times a week you will get good results, but those sessions have to be productive and focused.
4. Have a clear picture in my head of what my results will look like.
You can set goals like “get to 16% bodyfat in 4 weeks” or “lose 10kg in 12 weeks” – but unless you can put those numbers into a mental picture, you’ll find it very hard to connect with them.
As an example, take a look at Ritchie, he was my very first 12 week transformation client and he managed to drop 10% bodyfat in that time
We even did a video for him:
If you can picture how you will look and feel once you’ve achieved your results, you’ll have a stronger emotional connection to them. This help you to make better choices when it comes to your food and staying focused.
As you can see from Ritchie, a 10% drop in bodyfat will give you a massive change in physical appearance. For you girls, a 5% decrease in bodyfat will mean a drop in dress size.
5. Keep my liver and my kidneys happy…
One of the secondary functions of fat is to act as a store for toxins, so that if your kidneys and liver are overwhelmed, said toxins can be stored in a fat cell until a time when the body can deal with it.
Keep your liver and kidneys happy and you’ll store less fat.
You liver utilises amino acids (from protein) to bind or chelate to toxins so that they can be excreted from your body. So eat plenty of good quality, organic animal protein and your liver will have the tools to excrete toxins.
Your kidneys are responsible for phase 3 detoxification and require your urine to be alkaline to be to transport toxins outside of the body. Green vegetables are great for alkalising and if you struggle to get enough in you can supplement with a powdered greens drink such as vital greens.
So Eat more quality protein and green veg and you’ll store less fat and toxins.
6. Ditch the alcohol…
Alcohol will stand between you and your goals like a massive unconquerable mountain. IT MAKES THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE.
But why?
There are many ways alcohols effects will hinder your progress. But a a simple take home point is that alcohol behaves like a sugar once it is inside the body, the only difference is that while pure sugar has 4 calories per gram, alcohol has
Your body will not burn any other fuel (glucose or fat) until it has burnt up the alcohol in your system.
Add to that the disruption to your hydration levels for the next 5 days, the effect on your kidneys and liver (remember you want to keep them happy if you want to lose fat).
If you want great results, ditch the alcohol. If you are happy to chose slower results, then at least keep the rest of your diet 100% clean and limit your intake to either a single night of 5 drinks or 1 glass of a good quality red if its more frequent. That way you can still have your fun and not hamper your results.
7. Supplement to aid my results…
Supplements, for the most part, will help you body to overcome years of nutritional deficiencies in quick time.
Other supplements, such as the specific protocols used in BioSignature, will help your body excrete certain toxins such as excess estrogen.
8. Realise the healthier I am, the easier it gets…
The key to successful fat loss is to build health. The healthier you become and in turn the more balanced your hormones are, the easier you will find it to get great results and keep them.
As an added benefit, the leaner and healthier you get, the more you can cheat on your nutrition and get away with it.
8 week challenge in the new year…
I’ll be taking people on board for the Function Well 8 week new year transformation challenge in February, so if you are passionate about achieving some remarkable results get in contact with me over the next two weeks.
But be aware that you will be following the check list above, but the rewards will be worth it.
Brian.