Is Fat Loss Really Easy?

Do you remember learning to ride a bike?

Probably not.

OK, bad example. Do you remember teaching your kids how to ride their bike? Or maybe you just remember the gist of learning to ride a bike.

Was it easy? Of course it wasn't. You probably fell off numerous times until you got your balance in check and confidence in line to help keep you upright and going down the block. Until you had to stop and freaked out and then fell in your neighbor's yard.

But it was simple, wasn't it? When it came down to it, all riding a bike entailed was balance, confidence and some coordination and you were on your way.

Simple, but not easy.

There's a big difference between simple and easy.

The same correlation can be made when it comes to losing fat.

Losing fat is very simple, but it's not easy.

When it comes down to it, losing fat entails consuming fewer calories than you expend through your daily activities and metabolism.

Sounds simple, right? But as you know it's not very easy.

It takes willpower.

It takes confidence in yourself.

It takes social support.

It takes having the right exercise program in place, and actually doing it on a consistent basis.

It takes the knowledge of knowing what to eat and when and knowing what foods and drinks to stay away from.

Simple. But not easy.

However, it can be done. All you need to do is understand that it's a simple equation and have the confidence in yourself that you can achieve your goals and will stick to it when the times get tough and move on when you mess up.

Plus you need to do resistance training 3-4 times per week, while training your entire body in each session, for 15 minutes, along with some form of cardio work (preferably interval training because it delivers the most bang for the buck and gets you done quicker).

You also need to eat fruits and vegetables and get quality protein from sources like turkey and chicken breast, lean sources of beef, beans, and nuts. In addition to eating breakfast everyday and limiting your alcohol intake.

Simple right? You should be nodding your head.

Losing fat doesn't take any fancy gizmo you see on television, nor does it take some over-hyped fat loss supplement that's really just loaded with some form of caffeine which jacks up your nervous system and makes you pee (thus losing water weight and not fat).

Simple, but not easy.

That's the theory behind all my training programs, including my e-book Fat Loss To Go, and always will be. The workouts and nutrition information, when used properly, aren't easy, but is very simple.

Have a good day!

Ed

P.S. - If you ever have any questions about anything I write in these newsletters or anything else related to fat loss or exercise, don't hesitate to ask. I'm here for you.

The Key To The Show "The Biggest Loser"

Have you ever seen the show "The Biggest Loser"?

I don't think I've ever watched an entire episode, but I'll tune in for a few minutes every now and again.

It's kind of intriguing. These severely overweight individuals putting themselves through hell to lose weight. I think it's awesome that they put themselves out there like that, in front of millions of people, and get healthy.

But do you know the real reason they lose a ton of weight on that show?

Yes they spend a lot of time working out (hours upon hours per day) and, yes, they have the food spoon fed to them which makes it kind of tough to fail, but there's something else that really makes them succeed.

Something else that many people are missing in their own health and fitness goals, no matter what they may be.

That something else is social support.

The people on "The Biggest Loser" don't just rely on themselves in this fat loss adventure, they have the other people on the show who are in the same boat. Plus they've got personal trainers there walking them through every step of the way.

If they are having trouble with something, they have someone to talk to.

If they don't know how to do an exercise or are using horrible form, their trainer is there to correct and motivate them.

When they're doing really hard workouts, they motivate one another.

Social support is the REAL reason the people on that show succeed.

I'm not saying that you need a big cheerleading section behind you, patting you on the back and telling you "You can do it!", but you need someone.

You need someone to tell you "no" when you want to eat that piece of cheesecake.

Someone to tell you to get your butt out of bed to do your workout when you don't really feel like getting up.

You need someone to remind you why you decided to do what you're doing.

What you don't need is someone telling you that your butt is too big, that you have developed a nice "muffin top", or that your belly has started oozing over your pants. That's not helpful. If you have someone telling you that, you have my permission to smack them upside the head...hard.

The best thing to do is to find someone (friend, spouse, family member, or co-worker), who wants to fulfill the same goal you are looking to accomplish. So, if you want to lose 20 pounds of belly fat, find someone else that you can rely on throughout the journey.

Like I said, it doesn't have to be a cheerleading section, because nobody wants to be a cheerleader and you can't rely on someone to constantly cheer you on, it just has to be someone that you can trust and who is honest and won't back down when you glare at them with those evil eyes when they tell you that you should put down that box of girl scout cookies because you already filled your quota of cheat meals for the week.

So who's going to fill that role with you? Think about it and ask them.

Ed