Q & A

Q:  Every time I begin a fat loss phase, I wind up starting out too hard and I'm burnt out within a couple of weeks. In hindsight, I recognize that my I cut my calories too drastically and my workouts were too hard for what I was able to keep up with at the time. How do I avoid this and how do you know the best place to start and still reach your goals?

A:  The "start fast, finish slow (if at all)" problem is directly related to motivation, and it is not an uncommon one.  When you begin a fat loss phase, you're no doubt feeling disgusted with yourself, and you're supremely motivated to make some serious changes.  You are emotionally motivated to begin by your feelings about yourself. 

At this point, the motivation to start the phase is much greater than the motivation to continue with the status quo.  So you set out to beat the world with 10 hours of scheduled exercise a week, an 800 calorie deficit in your diet, and enough enthusiasm to power Richard Simmons for a month.

As the phase wears on, you start to see some results, and feel less disgusted with yourself, so the emotional motivation to continue decreases.  At the same time, you're in a calorie-deprived state, and the training sessions are probably increasing in duration and frequency.  You feel hungry, tired, and probably a little irritable.  So the motivation to quit increases.

At some point, your desire to quit will overcome your desire to continue.  This is where compliance becomes an issue, and the phase comes to a screeching halt.  This "phenomenon" can be seen every year right around the first week in January, when all the New Years Resolutioners flock to gyms like hippies to a Grateful Dead tour.  By February, there aren't many of them left.  In March, 95% of them are back on the couch regaining the few pounds they managed to lose, and then some.

This is why your goals need to be concrete, instead of vague and subject to emotional sway.  Your approach has to be rational and realistic, instead of being based on your current motivation level.  Here are some helpful tips:

• ALWAYS start TOO EASY.  If you're counting calories, aim for 300-500 calories (300 for a woman, 400 for a small or average guy, 500 for a big guy) below maintenance for the first two weeks.  The calorie reduction should come exclusively in the form of reduced carbohydrates.  If you're not counting calories, just cut out junk and follow the 5 rules to the letter.  Add 1-2 HIMC training sessions to your weekly exercise program.  You want to leave yourself room to increase the workload if and when progress slows.
• Pick 1-2 ways to track your progress.  This could be your weight, a tape measurement, or a body fat reading.  Get a base reading before you start, and repeat twice a week at the same time of day every time.  Ladies, keep in mind that your weight can fluctuate depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle, so be aware of that.
• Know EXACTLY what kind of progress you want to make, but BE REALISTIC!  A person can realistically expect to lose around 1% of their bodyweight per week unless they are living in the gym all the time.  The first week is the exception, because you will lose a good deal of water weight when you first begin the diet.
• When your progress doesn't match your goal, know what adjustments to make.  I prefer to add HIMC before reducing calories further, because I feel that this helps maintain muscle mass more effectively.  When you have maxed out your HIMC work for the week (4 sessions), then it is time to either add low intensity cardio or reduce calories further.  Start with either an hour of cardio or 300-500 calories, depending on your size.
• Leave some room for error.  Allow yourself to mess up and not feel like you ruined all of your previous hard work.  If you fall off the wagon and eat a dozen donuts in the morning, get right back up and start back at it immediately.  Don't give up completely just because you yielded to temptation once.  This is not a license to cheat, but it is a license to forgive yourself and keep going if you screw up occasionally.
• Track your compliance.  Every day you follow your diet to the letter, put a slash on the calendar.  Every day that you follow your training program, put a slash in the other direction.  If you don't have a lot of Xs at the end of the week, don't be surprised if your results don't match up with your expectations.
• SUCK IT UP AND STAY FOCUSED ON THE GOAL!  Dieting is not easy.  You will be hungry, you will feel like quitting, and you will start to talk yourself into quitting.  No matter how rational you think you are when this happens, you need to stay strong and realize that you're merely rationalizing an excuse for failure.  Don't quit until you hit your goal.

These tips should help you become a better finisher when it comes to reaching your fat loss goals.