Imagine If Fitness Studio Newport Beach

One of the biggest reasons many people fail to achieve success is that they try to accomplish too much too quickly.  Rome wasn’t built in a day!  Whatever your goals are I suggest starting off slowly.  No I’m not giving you an excuse to procrastinate but I am recommending that you first formulate a plan, start off slowly and then follow it making adjustments if needed.  For this article, let’s discuss success in weight loss and how small baby steps are much often much more effective than trying to sprint to the finish line.

During this year’s biggest loser TV show there was a contest where the participants had to complete as many step-ups as they could in an allotted period of time.  Basically, all the contestants took one of two approaches to yield victory. They either started out as fast as possible or they went for the slow and steady approach.  Guess you won?  Well if you guessed the slow and steady group, then you are right!  It looks like the old tortoise and hare fable holds true.

In the world of weight loss I have found the same two scenarios to be true.  People either choose to start off slow and steady or they dash for the finish line.  99.9% of the time I find that the slow and steady group will beat out the sprinters.  I might be the bearer of bad news, but there really is no quick and permanent fix for weight loss.  I find it fascinating that people want to lose 30 lbs within a week, but yet fail to realize that it took them 2 years to put all the fat on their body in the first place.

Here are a few of my secret tips for baby steps to permanent success with weight loss:

1. Figure out how much weight you want to lose.

1. Take into account the last time you weighed that amount, or were that clothing size.  Were you 17 and now you are nearly 53?  Yes, this is possible, but be realistic: this is a LONG term goal.  Probably going to take 1 year or more of serious focus and effort.

1. Take circumference measurements and retest yourself every 4-8 weeks.  Don’t jump on the scale every day and get mad if it didn’t go down one day or it stayed the same from one week to the next.  If you are losing inches, especially from your stomach then you are losing body fat!  As I’ve said before, the scale is not your best friend when it comes to measuring fat loss.

1. Avoid doing too much too soon.  If you are 100 lbs overweight and haven’t worked out since people thought Elton John was straight; don’t hire a fitness coach, sign up for the LA marathon, attempt to learn the newest yoga style and get a colonic all within the first day.  Remember slow and steady.

1. Stay focused – Put your goals on the fridge.  Use your cell phone or PDA to set alarms to remind you.  Put pictures around your office, fridge and mirror of what you once looked like or will look like.  Do something daily to keep yourself focused and on the right track…like checking back at this website and reading the latest blog post. 

1. Ask for help.  That’s right talk to your friends, family members and co workers.  Tell them all, you’ve finally made up your mind to lose that last X number of lbs. and you would really appreciate their help and support in the matter.  If you tell any good friend your goal they will be more than happy to support you and therefore less likely to give you a hard time for not “having that bite of cake”, or that “drink” or pushing you to miss your workout and hang out with them instead.

All in all remember this:  Rome wasn’t built in a day and you didn’t gain that extra 20 lbs overnight.  So give yourself a break, remember the tortoise and the hare story and continue onward toward your goals.  Even if you hit a bump or two in the road (and It’s possible you might) continue forward until you have reached your destination.