Guys, one of the things I've learned in the past 2 years is that literally anyone can get in shape. This is what I used to look like:
I wanted to show you so that you could have some proof that I actually did a transformation and, by God's grace, was able to change my body. You can see that I had a good amount of body fat and didn't have a lot of muscle. I just remember waking up every morning and looking in the mirror and I wasn't super happy with what I saw. I remember thinking that my physique was predetermined and that I was just going to have an average to below average physique for the rest of my life. Thankfully, I was able to completely change my look through just a few basic steps that anyone can do. As a result, I lost a lot of body fat, gained a bit of muscle, and just overall lived a much healthier and better lifestyle. As I said, literally anybody can get into good shape and be healthier.
When I started my weight loss journey, the biggest challenge I ran into was avoiding an all-or-nothing mindset. I would make progress and then fall back into my old eating patterns. I would be filled with anxiety and regret about it and it was all very discouraging. I had to learn that it's okay to eat in a moderate (not gigantic) calorie deficit and have cheat meals occasionally. As the old Greek proverb says, "Moderation is a good thing." Progress isn't a day-to-day type thing. It simply needs to be an overall pattern. How am I trending? Am I making progress in a gradual and a realistic and sustainable way? My point here is that you can't expect to get into shape in a couple of months. It's going to take longer than that. In addition, all progress should be fun and exciting. If you lose a pound of weight in a month, that's a good thing. It's something to be celebrated. And if you can increase your calorie deficit up to 500 calories each day, you can even expect one pound of body weight loss per week (which is what I ended up doing over a 10-month period).
The other thing I struggled with was the number on the scale. Scale weight is influenced by many different factors including water weight, sodium retention, a high carb meal the night before you go to bed, and even your hormones. All of these factors will show up on the scale. You need to look for trends over time. So again, going back to what I was saying earlier, you need to be super patient with yourself. I like to compare weight loss to a sport you love doing, like basketball or surfing. It's something you're going to look forward to doing and sustaining throughout your life. I think this mindset is totally worth developing when you're getting into shape. Learn how to get back on track the day after you've messed up because we're all human and will makes mistakes. There's always going to be bumps in the road no matter what we're trying to accomplish in life. Don't think that making a mistake is abnormal. It's actually extremely normal. Just learn the skill of getting back on track.
Everyone wants fat loss yesterday. But fat loss isn't quick or easy. Here's the brutal truth. You're going to have to cut way back on your junk food for a few years. You will probably need to be in the gym 3 times a week. And when you're there you're going to have to push yourself harder than last time. And if you go over your calories, you're going to have to get back on schedule straightaway. You're going to do all this for a very, very long time. No one wants to hear this. But it's the reality. Even if you just take that one truth away from this blog post, you're 80 percent of the way there. The key is to stay consistent over time and win every day, day by day.
Well, guys, just some thoughts about how to lose fat and build muscle. Thanks so much for reading.