You’ll notice that these tips aren’t about how many grams of protein you’ll need to eat per day or how many gym sessions you’ll need per week. That’s because after years of training clients towards their weight loss goals, I know that the people who succeed are the ones who sit down and evaluate what’s really important to them, and then make changes to the way they live their lives, how they manage their days and who they spend their time with. Goals and values come before calories and kilos.
1 Stop trying to lose weight.
Stop trying, stop stressing, stop being your own barrier.
The more you think about trying to lose weight the more you are likely to stress about it. (Have you ever given up chocolate only to constantly think about chocolate?!)
A study in the UK found that 70% of women think about their weight 3 times a day and 80% say they’re depressed by their body’s appearance.
Chronic stress is known to contribute to weight gain due to the release of a number of hormones like cortisol or the ‘stress hormone’. Without getting too sciency, this is bad news, it can cause you to consume more junk food, and eventually lead to high blood pressure, increased blood sugar, lack of sleep, anxiety, poor thyroid function and of course, weight gain.
Focus instead on what you’ll gain and set out with a goal to improve your health. How about more energy? Being able to keep up with the kids? Not feeling embarrassed trying on clothes? All of those things are great goals.
2 Routine.
I know! Easier said than done but routine builds habits and minimises choices. Less requirement of choice means less stress!
Aim to start your day off with a fixed routine and I don’t mean checking your phone! Personally I walk straight into the kitchen and start my breakfast. The first 30 mins of my morning before I leave for work are almost identical to the minute, every single day.
Another tip to improve your morning routine is to have a short evening routine. For example I spend about 2 minutes getting my clothes and bag ready. This means my morning runs as smooth as clock work.
3 Surround yourself with like-minded people.
It has been proven time and time again that you are the result of the people you spend the most time with.
If you wish your personal focus to be on health, then spending time with those that have that same focus will hugely increase your chances of success.
If you spend time with people that would rather figure out when happy hour starts than go to a gym class then guess what, that’s your tribe, that’s who you’re travelling with. You will not be successful.
If you’re one of those people that ‘want to work out but just can’t get motivated’ have a think about why. Are the people around you having a direct impact on the choices you make?
If that’s the case you need to change the people around you (blunt I know), or better yet, get them on board. Be in it together. If you want to exercise, be around people that want to exercise, go to the gym, go with friends, create your tribe that way.
If you always have an excuse as to why you can’t commit to healthy lifestyle change, think about the time and money you spend on all the non-essential stuff – a few drinks out, daily coffees, hair and nails, new tech or gadgets, music festivals and concerts… having the right people around you will help give you the perspective you need to make even these choices align with your new healthy lifestyle.
When it comes to actually exercising, the hardest part for most people is simply walking into the gym for the first time.
The anxiety, the pressure, the world of not knowing what you’re doing and everyone looking at you. We live in a society of self comparison. However, everyone has stepped into the gym for their first time. Anyone that has trained has experienced that first day and actually knows how you feel, and they also know that it’s easier than you think.
4 Cut out distractions.
This relates especially to food.
When eating, think about what you’re eating, pay attention, be present and chew your food!
Most people (not all), watch TV or are on their phones when they eat. This actually inhibits your ability to consciously know what you’re eating, recognise, chew and digest.
If you don’t chew your food properly, your body has to actually work harder to process it and your digestion is less efficient. You should chew your food up to 30 times before swallowing!
Take nuts for example, lots of people eat them. They are dense and contain nutrients but if you don’t chew them properly you will get very little nutritional value, as they are hard for the body to break down, and simply pass through our system.
So sometimes when you’re not paying attention you will literally eat more than you need to, as you’re not receiving the nutritional potential of what you’re consuming. If you pay attention, you will feel fuller, you’ll chew properly and get the full benefits of a meal.
The worst part is that televisions and phones are now used as a distraction on purpose, even if you don’t realise it. They constantly divert your attention away to a different reality, something else to think about, or maybe just numb your mind.
Unfortunately we are constantly exposed to things that actually lead to stress. Images of ‘perfect’ bodies, people looking in shape, talking about how they lost 5kg in a week on facebook, while you feel guilty and start consuming more to numb the feelings of shame and guilt. All the while a far deeper chemical reaction is going on in your body, a stress response that’s encouraging you to consume the extra food.
5 Sleep.
The average adult needs 6-8 hours of sleep per night. If you are sleep deprived your metabolism will not work as efficiently. You’re also more likely to reach for junk food to try to pick up your energy during the day.
If you’re sleeping less than 6 hours per night, even some forms of exercise can be detrimental to weight loss as you may be triggering more stress hormones to be released into your system. Are you starting to see a pattern here?!
Furthermore do you wake up at night and look at your phone?
It’s the worst thing you could do when trying to sleep!
The light is bright, it sparks an area of your brain to switch on and thought processes to begin. Even worse if you go onto social media – you start looking, you start thinking, you start comparing… you don’t sleep.
I haven’t mentioned nutrition or exercise on purpose, as the most important part of weight loss is to create good habits, which can then be transferred into a healthy lifestyle.
I hear a lot of people tell me that they don’t have time to exercise. However as a trainer and gym owner, I have trained many people from many different backgrounds and the majority of clients I have trained are very busy. The busiest people I have met in some instances.
Their days would fall apart without some serious planning but that’s why they’re busy – they organise themselves, starting in the morning, and follow through with their habits to make it work.
Approximately 5% of the Australian population take part in regular activity in a gym (a small percentage also exercise outside of a gym year round). However the average person logs on to Facebook 14 times per day, and can spend up to 22 minutes per visit scrolling! That’s only one social media platform, the majority then go onto another.
So I’m afraid when people tell me they don’t have time to exercise, there are a lot of reasons not to believe them.
To round up, my number one piece of advice is that there are many things in life you can’t control – why not control the things you can? There is no magic pill. It’s up to you to increase your chances of success by creating habits that enable you to truly go the distance.
Andy Moriarty
In Newcastle, NSW? Check out our popular 28 day program here.
This no-fail quick start package for new members is a 28 day program including goal setting with a coach, an intro session to the gym, unlimited small group personal training and a full nutrition guide with a complete recipe manual for fat loss or muscle gain. This proven program gets result fast!
a very good read! thanks for the encouragement and support, Andy and Kelly. I was trying to get fit and have a healthy lifestyle after my injury. I feel a lot better since I started doing yoga at your gym. I am getting more organised, calmer, and full of energy as well as choosing to eat healthy (most times!). I also have started prioritizing my mind and body, that means more yoga and exercises, meditation and quiet time, walks in the beach and aim to have a productive day doing the things that I love, rather than being lazy and on social media all the time. You guys are amazing. Thank you!
Oh Dee, that’s a lovely message and we’re glad to hear of all those positive changes in your life – good for you! You are the reason we love what we do 🙂