I'm a quote nerd.  I love quotes. I don't pretend to originate them but I will always try to make my point with a quote.  This one in particular could not be more true for my local client who vowed to take back her fitness and put herself first so she can take care of others around her.

Four weeks ago she started a 12 week plan to get it right.  But what does 'RIGHT' look like?  We did not set a weight loss goal.  We did not set a goal to lose a certain amount of body fat or inches.  We set a goal to make changes- changes that will last a lifetime, not just for 12 weeks.

Drum Roll Please....

At the end of 4 weeks, she has lost 5.5 lbs and 2.5 inches in her waist.  Her body fat has dropped by almost 3% !  Clothes that used to be snug are now fitting loose and comfortable.

As someone who has their own "before and after" story, my philosophy is simple....you put in the effort, you provide the consistency and you will see results.  It's better than any gambling odds in Vegas.

Effort + Consistency = Success

This is not the 'Biggest Loser'.  We are not trying to lose a ridiculous amount of weight in the least amount of time.  We are setting up long term ideals for long term success.  Long term success is dependent upon realistic goals.  If you lose the weight too quickly, you are setting yourself up for a big gain in return.  Slow and steady wins the race.

Average weight loss is .5 -2 lbs/week.  If you are losing weight at a more rapid loss, make sure your meal plan/exercise plan is realistic and can be achieved on a weekly basis.  

For my client, we focused on a balanced diet of 1450 calories.  Her starting weight was 156 and she's down to 150.5 lbs. (See previous blog for macro nutrients and exercise plan)

CHOICES (CHANGES) TO HER DAILY LIFE:

1) PLAN AHEAD:  My client realized that there was no such thing as a 'Food Prep Fairy' so she was going to have to plan ahead...she made sure she left 30 minutes every night to organize her food, supplements and get things ready for the next day.  She realized that this has been the biggest reason for failure in the past- thinking there will be enough time in the morning to get organized but it just never happened for her.

I'm here to tell you- failure to plan is a plan to fail.  This has to be Number One on your goal list. 

2) ORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN:  Do you know where your food is?  Do you have your food accessible?  My client organized her kitchen to make sure she could get to her food as needed- she even organized her refrigerator to include proteins, carbs and fats as well as food for her family.

3) PACK FOOD FOR "ON THE GO" :  How many times have you caught yourself at a meal time, on the go yet nothing there to eat? Again, the key to success is to plan ahead so look at your calendar and plan ahead for meals/snacks.  Don't let a whole day of hard work go out the window due to lack of planning or accessible food!  HINT- everywhere you go there is a grocery store close by...don't waste calories at a fast food drive-thru...use the produce and deli section to put together fresh meals on the go.


4) INCLUDE FAMILY IN MENUS:  One thing she wanted to do when she started was to make sure her family was eating healthy along with her meal plan.   This is smart.  Instead of eating a meal plan that only worked for her, she planned out her family dinners to include healthy food for everyone as she watched her own portions to fit her calorie requirements.  I've seen too many people fall off the wagon because they put themselves on ridiculous food requirements and leave the rest of the family out of the picture.


These things may sound like a pain in the rear  but this is how it gets done. You cannot expect to see results without putting some mental power into the process.  Some of you may have already realized the obvious- putting the mental power into your meal plan with planning, shopping and execution  is much more difficult than the physical power you put into your workouts.  






YOU MAKE THE CHOICE. 

Thanks for reading!  Next week I will share the 10 things I learned through my own fitness journey - Hint Hint....It's never ever too late!