The Secret to Weight Loss

Buried in the thousands of articles in the health and fitness industry is the truth about losing weight and keeping it off. Why, you might be asking, would they want to bury the plain and simple truth about weight loss? Well that's easy, diet pills, fat burners, and other gimmicky weight loss products are a billion dollar a year industry. If you knew the truth about these products, then you would not spend your hard-earned money on these by and large wastes of money.

Now, I'm not going to prattle on and on and make you read to the end before letting the cat out of the bag. The big secret to real and lasting weight loss is....HARD WORK and CONSISTENCY through weight training and proper nutrition! Now I realize, that probably wasn't what you wanted to hear, but it's the truth and somebody had to say it. There are no shortcuts to a better you, just hard work and dedication.

He is what I recommend if you are wanting to lose weight and be a better version of yourself: find yourself a knowledgeable personal trainer that can help you reach your goal in the gym, a dietitian, nutritionist, or nutrition coach to help with your diet (way of eating), and someone or something that can help keep you accountable. If you are lucky, you might find a single person in your area that fits the bill. What I'm getting at here is, find a knowledgeable professional in your area and hire them. I know that it can be expensive, but this is an investment in your health and future. Even if you are only able to work with them once a month, their guidance and accountability can be all the difference needed to reach your health goals.

Once you decide to embark on this journey to a newer, healthier and better you, don't look back. It is time to break old habits and create some new ones. As we know, it takes four to six weeks to create a new habit, so if you can hang in there that long, you are doing good. So, create that new habit of working out three to five time each week, meal prepping for the week, getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night, drinking plenty of water throughout the day, and so on. Incorporating one, some, or all these and more into your new healthy lifestyle will definitely benefit you in the long run.

As I tell all of my clients to do, take some before pictures, weigh yourself at the start, and take measurements of your upper arms, neck, chest waist and thighs. After the initial weigh-in, refrain from using the scale, as constant small weight fluctuations can drive you crazy and lead to frustration. Instead, rely on how your clothes are fitting and how you look in the mirror, which means update photos monthly. Don't expect dramatic changes; the real, lasting changes that you are aiming for are gradual and take time.

If there is anything that you take away from this article, I hope it is this: There are no shortcuts or magic pills to getting healthy. It is often said that losing weight and getting in shape is accomplished with 80 percent nutrition (diet) and 20 percent exercise (weight training); while this doesn't fit everyone, it's a decent approximation that is in the ball park for most people. If you are having a difficult time reaching your goals by yourself, reach out to a local professional or even an online coach (there are several of good quality, easily found through an online search). Making these life changes are not easy, but once you do, you will be glad you did.