This relatively short weight loss report will probably not be like any other weight loss guide you may have read before. This report is different.
You’re probably wondering, “How is it different?”
For starters, there is barely any sugar coating in this report. You will not find any ridiculously bold statements such as “Lose 10 pounds in 7 days!” or “Shed your fat in 5 easy minutes a day!”
Nope… It’s not going to happen. The weight loss pills sold on infomercials and sitting comfortably on the health store shelves are not going to work either.
Weight loss is not easy. Whatever you may have heard, rest assured that it is not easy. If losing weight was easy and came in a bottle, obesity would not have reached epidemic proportions.
The concepts of weight loss are very simple. Everybody knows that you just need to eat less and exercise more. We all know the foods that are best avoided. We also know the wholesome foods that we’re supposed to eat.
We know all that but we don’t do it. The spirit is willing but the flesh is often weak. The sacrifices, the effort, the waiting for slow results… it all seems too much. Finally, the towel is thrown in and we accept our fate that we were born to be fat.
This is a very common scenario that millions of people experience.
Despite the fact that millions give up on their weight loss quest, it’s not all gloom and doom. There is a sliver of hope. If you digest the pointers in this report, you will be well-prepared for the weight loss journey that lies ahead.
It is also worth noting that this report is just a primer to give you a head start and make you aware of what mistakes most people make in regards to weight loss.
Ideally, you will want to get solid, in-depth information and guidance to help you shed the pounds quickly. There are several bestselling weight loss guides sold online such as the 3 Week Diet program which have helped thousands in their journey. You might want to give these programs a try.
Are you ready for a wake-up call? You are? Excellent! Read on.
The Hard Truths You MUST Know!
Truth #1
It’s NOT easy. Once you understand this truth, the rest of the journey will be more bearable. Many people quit because they do not see results fast enough. They work their butts off for two weeks and expect all their flab to miraculously vaporize.
When it doesn’t happen, they get depressed and feel like their efforts have been in vain.
It is difficult. Sticking to a diet and eating right when your body craves junk food is a torture. Training on days when you’re totally not in the mood for exercise, requires herculean will-power. It’s tough.
Yet, it’s par for the course.
The number one New Year resolution is to lose weight and get in shape. Most people feel excited and actually believe that this time they can do it. By January 20, more than 90% have given up on this resolution.
Why?
They quit because they thought it would be easy. Once the diet and training start becoming mundane and the initial excitement wanes, reality sets in. They realize it is no fun at all. So, they quit.
Tip: If you’re about to embark on a weight loss quest, tell yourself that it’s going to be tough as hell. Lose any unrealistic expectations that you may have. Always remember, it’s going to be hard… but you’re going to do it hard and succeed!
Truth #2
Losing weight takes time. Nowadays, we live in a world of instant updates, text messaging, Instagram, etc. Everything is fast and people expect no less.
Your body however, does not follow society’s pace of life. Your body follows its own internal schedule and can’t give two hoots about how desperate you are to see results fast.
It will take its time and burn off the fat. Forget what the magazines say about getting a beach body in 2 months. If you look like a beached whale, it’s going to take you much longer. It could even be 9 months before you reach the body you desire.
You have to be in this for the long haul.
The average person is able to lose about 1% of their bodyweight per week. This is a reasonable goal to aim for. If this 1% equates to about 2 pounds, then you can expect to lose 2 pounds a week.
If you’re 40 pounds overweight, you’re looking at a 20 week stretch. Are you ready for that?
Or were you expecting to be ripped in 3 weeks?
Tempering your expectations and actually getting an idea of how long it will take is imperative to succeeding in your weight loss journey. Most people give up too soon because they expect fast results.
If you know that it will take you about 5 months to get to your desired bodyweight, you will be less likely to short-change yourself and give up in week 3.
Sometimes it can be demoralising to see how long it takes. If you’ve calculated how long it will take and see that it may take you 7 months to reach your goal, you may think that it’s just too long.
Here’s a question you should ask yourself… “Why does it matter how long it takes?”
Earl Nightingale, once said, “Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.
These are wise words to remember.
Tip: Multiply your bodyweight by 0.01. That’s how much weight you can expect to lose a week. Some weeks you may lose more, some weeks less. On average, it will even out at 1%.
Then calculate how long it will take to reach your ideal body weight. Now that you know, tell yourself that you’ll be in this for the full stretch. Finish what you start and do something today that your future self will thank you for.
Truth #3
You can’t exercise away a bad diet.
Exercise is difficult. Eating is easy.
All that running, lifting, skipping, gasping and panting is tiring. It’s hard work. Most people assume that since it’s such hard work, the benefits will be immense. That means they can be lax with their diet.
The truth is that a 10 minute meal can undo an hour long workout. This is a fact that you must wrap your head around.
However, if you eat 2 slices of pizza, you would have consumed about 500 calories. You have actually consumed more calories than you burned and you did it in 10 minutes without any effort.
That essentially means that you have negated the efforts of an entire workout. So many people don’t realize this. They keep exercising and wonder why the fat is not coming off. Now you know why.
Tip: Always be aware of the calories you’re consuming. You do not have to obsess over it but you must know if you are at a daily caloric deficit. This is the cornerstone of successful weight loss.
Truth #4
Most people have no idea what they are doing. When they decide to lose weight, they either join a gym or just put on a pair of running shoes and go running.
The activities may vary but the practice of starting a weight loss journey without a plan is constant with the masses of people who decide to lose weight.
You absolutely must have a plan for your weight loss quest. You must know details about your daily caloric requirement. You must know what your caloric deficit should be.
You can find both out at http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
You’ll also need to have a training regimen that incorporates both cardio and resistance training. This will apply for both men and women.
Depending on your stamina and fitness level, you will need to know if you should be doing steady state cardio or engaging in high intensity interval training (HIIT).
This is a lot of info to know and it varies from individual to individual. That is why programs such as 3 Week Diet are so essential in tailoring a fitness and diet program that will be best suited to your specific needs.
Truth #5
You will make mistakes. This is inevitable.
Everybody who embarks on a weight loss journey will slip up on their diet or workouts. You might eat a slice of cake that you knew you were not supposed to. Or you may go watch a movie even though you had a gym session scheduled at that time.
It happens. We all slip up. Success is not linear. Nobody ever progresses in a straight line without falling back.
True success often is littered with many failures, missteps and errors. That’s the way it will always be.
Tip: Aim to be as compliant with your plan as possible but do NOT expect to be perfect. Many folks make the mistake of trying to be perfect. The moment they make a mistake, they lose all hope and just give up.
This is crazy. That’s almost like accidentally dropping your mobile phone and instead of picking it up and dusting it off, you repeatedly smash it on the floor just because you dropped it once.
It just doesn’t make sense. Expect to make a few mistakes here and there. Acknowledge your mistakes and tell yourself to improve… and most importantly, keep moving forward without giving up!
Truth #6
You will lose motivation. This too is inevitable.
Like Zig Ziglar once said, “People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.”
After some time, you may wonder if the dieting and exercise is really necessary. It would be much easier to just quit. This happens to most of us.
Tip: Before you start your weight loss journey, write down why you’re doing it. It’s always an emotional reason.
Do you want to be healthy so that you can be around for your family? Maybe you are interested in someone and want to look better in order to catch their eye? Or you got dumped by your lover and you want to become so hot that they regret their decision?
Whatever the case may be, always remember why you started. Your “why” will keep you going when you have lost the motivation.
Also, do spend some time on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, etc. and look for pictures of fit people such as Frank Medrano, Emily Skye, Jen Selter, etc. or like fitness pages on Facebook that have daily posts to motivate their followers. Every bit helps.
Truth #7
Comparing yourself with others hurts your progress.
Many people compare themselves with actors they see in the movies, models they see on magazine covers or people they know in real life.
Do not compare yourself with others. There will always be people who seem better off and people who seem worse off than you. Envying someone else’s body does nothing for your own.
Tip: Be the best you that you can be. You’re on your own path. Stay on it and work towards your goal. All you can do is all you can do… and all you can do is enough.
Truth #8
You MUST drink enough water. Many people hamper their weight loss efforts by not staying hydrated.
Your body needs water to metabolize the fat.
Tip: Keep a bottle of water with you at all times and drink some at regular intervals. You don’t need to overdo it but you must at least get the minimum 8 glasses of water a day.
Truth #9
The scales are an inaccurate measurement of your progress.
The first point to note is the difference between weight loss and fat loss. You can lose fat but not see a weight change.
You could have gained lean muscle during your training. The new muscle weight may have offset the actual fat loss. So, the numbers on the scale don’t change.
In reality, your body’s lean muscle mass has increased. That’s excellent.
Another point is that your body could be retaining water. Your body’s water weight fluctuates daily.
Tip: The best way is to track your progress with body composition tests over a period of time. You’re concerned with fat loss not weight loss.
You may also use photos to track your progress. Take photos of yourself every Monday and compare these photos as time progresses. It’s an excellent way to stay motivated.
Truth #10
The majority of people can definitely lose weight if they apply themselves and stay the course.
There is a very small minority of people who can’t lose weight due to certain health problems. However, these are a rare few. The majority of people are definitely more than capable of losing the excess flab.
It doesn’t matter if you’re an endomorph and gain weight more easily than other body types. It doesn’t matter if everyone in your family is fat. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been fat ever since you were a kid. It doesn’t even matter if you’re above 50 years old and think it’s too late. It’s never too late.
Tip: As long as your body is at a caloric deficit and you exercise, you will shed the pounds. They may come off slowly, but come off they will.
You’re not condemned to a life-sentence of being overweight or obese. Make small, incremental goals and progress slowly. Do not try to do too much too soon.
Small changes in your diet and training program will have a cumulative effect and create staggering results. Over time, you will shed the ugly fat and become fitter and healthier.
To conclude, the 10 truths mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg. However, these 10 truths are the most common reasons why people quit.
You may know people who try their best to lose weight and don’t achieve their goal. You may know others who have given up and started over, only to give up again. You may even have been one of these people.
Now that you know these 10 truths, you’ll probably know why most people fail to reach their goals. The path to successful weight loss is littered with the carcasses of the many who tried and failed.
You do not have to be one of them. Observe the truths mentioned above, glean tips and advice from the 3 Week Diet program and keep moving forward.
Patience, persistence and perseverance will be your travel buddies in this weight loss quest and as long as you keep them close to you, success is inevitable.
"It Takes 4 Weeks for You to Notice Your Body Changing, 8 Weeks for Your Friends to Notice, and 12 Weeks for the Rest of the World to Notice. Give It 12 Weeks. Don’t QUIT!"
