So what if you started trying to get healthier and didn't focus on losing "weight"

I've worked in gyms for nearly 10 years and I have noticed something interesting.  People who are focused on losing weight do not stick with their program, but people who are there because they like the way they feel and also have found workouts that they enjoy are much more likely to stick with it.

As a fitness professional, I have observed clients who complained, nitpicked, and tried to direct their training programs and every single time I have run into them later on down the line these people are in worse shape than they were when they were complaining about the training program.

I also have watched as fitness businesses attempt to sell people on the idea that their facility and trainers can help you lose 50 pounds in 2 weeks and that's why you should join their businesses and buy their training packages.

So we have customers who don't want to face reality and businesses that are trying to sell dreams.  What's someone who is looking to get healthier to do?

Focus on Well being and Not cosmetics

I think people should stop focusing on losing weight and instead focus on improving their nutrition, physical fitness, reducing their stress levels, and overall wellbeing.

If you do all of these things, then you may see some cosmetic change.  I'm going to tell you now as someone who is training purely for an aesthetic goal that rigorous diet and exercise programs are not something you can do long term. 

 That is why as bodybuilders/fitness competitors we have an offseason where we allow our bodies to rest, recover, improve our strength levels, increase lean body mass, and get all of our nutrients.  The offseason includes gaining weight because you can't maintain a caloric deficit for the rest of your life.  

I had an A-ha moment recently and wondered why as fitness professionals we don't apply similar logic to clients.

Life is messy:  Focus on 4 steps to well being instead of losing "weight"

Let's say we have a 35 year old female client with a busy career and she is also the mother of school aged children.  She has 10-15 lbs she would like to lose, but right now life is so hectic that it's all she can do to keep everything straight.  I would tell this woman to not worry about  losing weight right now and instead concentrate on

1. Eating and preparing nutrient dense and fresh foods

2. Getting physical activity at least 3-5 days per week

3. Avoiding processed foods, excessive sugar and alcohol consumpton

4. Getting enough sleep

These 4 things are enough to have this client begin the process of lifestyle change.  I would also venture to guess that if she began to do these things, then she would feel better.  If she felt better. then perhaps she could begin to take these 4 action steps further.

The road to health and wellness does not need to be focused purely on cosmetic goals.  I am about to go on a tangent here and I will follow this up with it's own blog post at a later date, but I am sick to death of people working towards some physical ideal that the mainstream media has conjured up that does not reflect reality.

Your Life will not magically change if you have the "perfect body"

You will not suddenly find riches if you have a six pack. Mr. or Ms. Right will not magically appear if you lose 20 pounds.  (If they do and all they can talk about is your body, then they aren't here for you so stay away)

I see so many women talking badly about their bodies and  i have yet to hear a man or woman say I really love women that have no curves and are skinny and perfect.  In fact most men I see with women, the women have far from perfect bodies and they love them!

My point is that to purely focus on weight loss is short sighted and not good for long term success.  As I told a client recently, I don't care if you lose another pound, but I want you to keep coming so that you can keep getting more mobile, stronger, and have the endurance to LIVE YOUR LIFE!

You're a lot better off doing this 3x per week than being so frustrated about not losing weight that you just give up and wallow in the mire eating chocolate in front of the television.

Focus on performance and progressions

As a fitness professional, I focus on more than just weight loss and numbers.  I keep a log book to document how much people have progressed in their workouts strength wise and people are often surprised at how far they've progressed in a short amount of time.  I also keep people on track by having a goal each week...a nutirtion goal and a training goal.

There's a point and purpose to what we are doing

My other favorite thing to do is to teach clients WHY we are doing what we are doing.  Right now I have clients doing high volume circuits/super set training.  Why?  I want to push them out of their comfort zones and we have been working very hard.  I've had people doing between 15-20 exercises per session!  Talk about getting your sweat on!

I also educate them about hip mobility, glute activiation, and strengthening the back sides of their bodies (posterior chain).   When Clients understand WHY and that there is purpose behind their training other than simply losing weight, they are more likely to stick with it!

My advice?  Step off the scale, quit worrying about losing weight, and start making lifestyle improvements.  The 4 I listed above are a great place to start!

The Big 4:  Put them into Practice

1. Eating nutrient dense and fresh foods

2. Getting physical activity at least 3-5 days per week

3. Avoiding processed foods, excessive sugar (check the labels for 10g of sugar or less) and reducing alcohol consumpton (yes wine counts)

4. Getting enough sleep

Happy Training!