It really depends on the individual how you get it done, but the first step is to just make the decision. Your life is immediately simpler once you do this because you have eliminated the mental ping-pong match that has been draining your willpower.
“Should I put on size? Should I lose fat?” (going back and forth in head)
“I’ll lose fat.” (decisively determined in same head)
"Ok" (next decision)
Different Approaches
If possible, give yourself extra time so your daily calorie deficit can be more modest. You don’t want to crash diet. They just don’t work in the long run and they are unhealthy. Give your body what it needs and it will be kind to you in return.
Your first week can either be more aggressive to kick-start the process, or you can ease into the diet by progressively eating less. I like going aggressive initially because you see those immediate results, and you can get rid of a decent amount of water weight that you have been retaining. This will make your body feel more comfortable. In terms of aggressive, I'm talking about a 20% caloric deficit under your maintenance requirements.
If you’re psychologically struggling with getting the ball rolling on your diet, a more gradual approach can also be a good way to do it. This gives you a chance to work out the kinks and slowly start to make daily improvements. I usually mess up the first few days of a cut, so this helps to take the pressure off the diet. You should see some immediate progress as long as you don’t overeat and you have been somewhat active.
"Think long term and what is sustainable for you.
Adherence is so much more important than perfection."
Changing your mindset from ‘weight loss’ to ‘fat loss’ is also very helpful. If you are new to the ‘fat loss specific game’ – you should learn the distinction. Anyone can lose weight, but losing fat and retaining/gaining muscle in the process is the way to go. Muscle takes a long time to earn, so just carelessly losing weight without being mindful of what you are actually doing to your body can potentially make you unhealthier.
2) Be realistic
Be realistic on how long it will take you to get "ripped". It is great that you are motivated to get in your best shape, but if you set unrealistic expectations for yourself, then you might get discouraged and quit too early. Motivation is fleeting.
In terms of how long it will take, you are better off erring on the safe side, and giving yourself more time than needed. If you have 2-3 months to get ready for an event (i.e. wedding, photoshoot, beach season), and you have 40-50lbs to lose, then the only way for you to get to your goal will be a completely miserable undertaking. You will have very little margin of error, and if you're new to this, that might be too much for you to handle.
Nobody is perfect, and the occasional slip-up is going to happen. If you recognize that you struggle with binge eating sometimes, you will likely need to give yourself even more time to allow for those slip-ups. You're better off starting the process and factoring in those mistakes - rather than not starting because you don't think you can be perfect. Nobody's diet is perfect - and yes, that even means the leanest people out there.
Don't let those guys and gals with shredded abs fool you. It is highly unlikely they eat perfectly year 'round.
Give yourself a good time frame to get it done. The sooner you start, the less miserable the process has to be.
It’s better to start in February than March, but March is still better than April, and now is better than never.
How Fast Can I Lose Fat
True fat loss generally can occur at 1 to 1.5 lbs per week. If you have more fat to lose, it can go faster. The simple rule of thumb is 3500 calories for a pound of fat. Dieting is simply math. If you haven't figured that out yet, then figure it out soon.
So find a way to decrease your weekly consumption of calories by 3500, and you should see about a pound of fat loss per week. You can either subtract 500 calories each day, or use whatever math as long as you reach your weekly goal. Simple, right?
First you will need to determine your maintenance calories. If you are not sure what calculation to use, here is a good starting point.
Once you have figured out your calorie goal, just have one simple rule to follow. Don’t go over that calorie number. Don’t complicate it any more than that in the beginning phases.
3) Take the time to develop your own system
If your daily dietary practices are not developed, you will need to start with the basics. I think starting each “cutting” phase should start with this anyway.
If you don’t drink enough WATER, that is your first problem.
If your lifestyle is erratic and you don’t SLEEP enough, that should be your next focus.
If you don’t eat enough PROTEIN, try increasing your protein levels to stay full and maintain your muscle. Higher protein diets have much better success rates than lower protein diets because they keep you full and help to preserve muscle.
That being said, carbohydrates and dietary fats are not evil. You don’t have to avoid them as they both serve the body’s energy and hormonal needs. Just be conscious of how much you are consuming.
Next on the list is being MINDFUL when you are eating. Every bite of food counts, despite whether you are counting those calories or not. This is why I don’t advocate snacking in between meals as it rarely does anything to actually satiate your hunger, and just packs on unnecessary calories. Eat what you need and then call it a day.
People are way too concerned about having their metabolism “slow down”. For those people, I do have bad news for you. Your metabolism is going to slow down when you lose weight. If you weigh less, your body’s energy needs will naturally be less as it will not need to work as hard to maintain its current state. You cannot continue to eat the same amount of food and lose fat unless you are moving A LOT more. Thermodynamics is real whether you like it or not.
This is where your exercise comes in, and why it’s generally a good idea to stay more active than being sedentary. Just don’t overestimate how many calories you are burning and then try to eat back those calories because you will constantly be beating your head against the wall. This is why intense exercise for fat loss can backfire, and why taking a more moderate approach can make things much easier.
If you go on long walks and burn a decent amount of calories, it almost doesn’t even seem like exercise. But your body still would’ve been burning calories if you were otherwise moving, fidgeting, cleaning or walking around your house – so take those calories burnt walking with a grain of salt. Being more active is generally the better route.
How Hungry Will I Get
You also have to factor in how your exercise is going to affect your hunger levels. I’ve found that the more intense exercise make my hunger levels go through the roof, so I have an easier time staying lean by just walking than going balls to the wall all of the time. I like to look at the long term as well, and being in my mid-30’s – I have to do something I can keep up with inevitably. It’s way harder to get injured walking than running. In the end, do what you enjoy and be consistent with it.
Avoid mindless snacking
Any snack foods that you eat should be consumed in controlled amounts, and eaten at the same time every day to establish structure. Develop your structure and nail that down first. Eventually you can be more flexible, but you will need to earn that flexibility with better practices.
10 things you can do to crush your goal of getting ripped for Summer
1) You don’t need a complete diet overhaul if you generally make good food choices. Just eat a bit less.
2) If you generally don’t make good food choices, just start to pile up the good food choices and make those the norm.
3) Go for daily walks OR do some shorter interval training for 20 minutes 1-2 times per week. Running, biking, swimming, and rowing are all good options. 30 second all out bursts with 60-90 seconds of rest in between each interval will be plenty challenging. This will also shred fat as long as you don't overeat later.
4) Buy less processed “junk” food. The less nonsense you have around to eat, the easier it will be to avoid temptation. Don’t make things harder than they need to be.
5) Buy snack options in single servings if you need to satisfy cravings.
6) Try saving up most of your calories for later in the day and then eat a more satisfying meal for dinner. Intermittent Fasting can be an easier way to do this. (check out my previous post on this topic - Basics of Intermittent Fasting )
7) Don’t snack in between meals. Drink a tall glass of water when you want a snack, and then wait 20 minutes.
8) Eat more fiber if you don’t already eat enough. That’ll keep you full and regular.
9) Heavy compound weight lifting kicks cardio’s ass in terms of faster fat loss. Don’t be a cardio bunny. There’s a reason why people who do a lot of cardio are rarely ripped, often hold higher levels of body fat percentage and have less muscle tone. Too much work for little reward.
10) Track your progress in some way. Log your food, track your waist measurements, and focus on getting stronger each week. Your visual progress will keep you wanting more!
