Three Secrets to Transforming in 2019

OK. So you’re looking to lose the belly. Improve your energy and your body confidence. And you’re tired of reading conflicting information on the internet.

I’m here to set the record straight.

I remember back in early 2016 when I was struggling to lose the belly and had lost all motivation to change. I knew what I “should” be doing but wasn’t taking action. Too many excuses, too little time.

Little did I know that the three keys to success would form the foundation of my life-changing 12-week transformation.

So without further ado, this is what you’ll need to implement to really see progress each and every week.

1. Ditch The Boring Cardio

As we get older, we naturally produce less testosterone and lose muscle mass: this could be looked at as the ‘natural ageing process’.

But yet so many training approaches and diets reduce testosterone and muscle mass, which doesn’t make sense!

The main culprit is mainly endurance-based training such as cardio due to the excess cortisol it produces; this creates fat storage and the wastage of muscle mass which is essential for a healthy metabolic rate.

A good metabolism is going to outperform regular physical activity because it accounts for most of the energy you’ll expend daily over the 10 per cent you’ll burn from training.

Did you know that in one study, thousands of runners and walkers were monitored over six years, and the study showed that the runners and walkers experienced similar benefits?

So why spend all that time on the treadmill? It’s in the name: cardio is for your heart and lungs.

Switching over to bodyweight HIT or even resistance-based circuit training will focus on fat loss and produce a much better body composition.

2. Focus On Habits, Not Diets

You may think “but I need to lose weight fast” but if you’ve tried these types of diets, if it comes off fast it comes back faster!

Eating less processed food, pre-packaged food and convenience food is going to automatically improve your health without any FADS or starvation.

But it’s not just about the calories or the approach you take, it’s more about the regular actions you take on a day-to-day basis that are going to produce a long-term, sustainable result.

There is no point restricting yourself like crazy in the week only to self-sabotage on the weekend; it’s a pointless exercise, wouldn’t you agree?

But what if you ate just a little healthier seven days a week? Over a few weeks or a month you would have lost weight and actually feel good, without too much restriction and going hungry.

Habits over calories, good choices over quick fixes, long-term thinking over instant gratification.

That is the real key to your success; of course, once you have a good baseline to work from then you can start to look at more advanced strategies such as macronutrient cycling and fasting.

There is no point restricting yourself like crazy in the week only to self-sabotage on the weekend…

3. Change Your Mind

I spoke to a client the other day and he felt so bad about his weight and appearance that he ate more: this is commonly known as comfort eating.

You see, if you want your body to be healthy, you have to have a healthy mind and a healthy relationship with it.

Look at the actions you take, maybe you self-sabotage or eat late at night – is that the actions of someone who is lean and confident?

Ask yourself: what attitudes or ideas do you need to adopt to be where you want to be?

What does someone who looks like you want to look like think on a daily basis?

Answer these questions and create statements such as “I am willing to do whatever it takes to be successful” or “I enjoy eating healthy food and it makes me feel good” and repeat them daily with passion, to keep your mind focused on the daily actions.

Whatever you focus on grows, so instead of focusing on “I am fat” or “I can’t lose weight”, start thinking more positive thoughts using statements and recondition that mind for success.

Stefano Chiriaco is a regular contributor to The Dad Website. He is a health and fitness coach from Hertfordshire, UK, and blogs at Ultimate Dad Transformation.  

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