by Patrick Gustowski
The Battle of Expectations in Weight Loss
If there was a list for the most common goals that people tend to set themselves going into the new year, at the top of that list it would be weight loss. Being one of the most popular and common reasons people start living a more active lifestyle in the first place, youâd think people would be more understanding of what it takes to take on such a goal. In fact close to 80% of people end up failing their new yearâs resolutions by mid-February, a big portion of that being people with a weight loss goal. Maybe itâs time to start being more realistic when it comes to weight loss. The Social Media Echo Chamber There are thousands of accounts across social media platforms that are fitness and health focused, accounts that promote healthy lifestyles and boast amazing physiques. With large followings these accounts can hold a lot of influence in and around the health & fitness world, and with influence itâs very easy to reach and convince a consumer that to achieve a physique similar to theirs itâs as easy as following a crafted workout and meal plan. When your goal is weight loss, and youâve tried every method in the book, and constantly see people who achieved incredible results, how could you not buy into another product? Maybe weight loss and specifically fat loss, isnât about spending the most money on a plan, or comparisons online, or even following fad diets that go viral, maybe fat loss is about understanding what it truly takes to become the best version of yourself. To let go of the unattainable physique you see online that may be presented like it was as easy as following a specific gym split, and to understand that this person has most likely spent many years perfecting their craft, understanding the ins and outs of the human body, and overcoming multiple setbacks. Thatâs what itâs all about. You vs. You Weight loss for a lot of people involves cutting back and living a more balanced lifestyle, an opportunity to balance the foods you crave and the foods you need, and understanding how your body reacts to a caloric deficit. Every single person on the planet is going to be different in the way they react to a deficit where the goal is fat loss. People get hungry, people get impulsive, and people can struggle a lot. Itâs important to remember that all of the work you do for yourself in this phase, will mostly be in the background, by yourself and with yourself. This is why comparisons to others and non-specific plans are useless when it comes to the battle of you versus yourself. Your best chance at winning the battle is by knowing what you need to succeed, and the only way to find that out is by messing up time and time again. By messing up, you gain the experience and knowledge of what you did wrong and the feeling that comes with that, and in-turn an opportunity to to know how to deal with it in the future, and to use it as a tool to better yourself. When we talk about fat loss, we talk about staying in a caloric deficit, eating nutrient-dense foods and focusing on protein and other factors that keep you feeling fuller for longer. You will mess up, time and time again, but itâs time to look at that as a positive, because a goal like fat loss is a jog, rather than a sprint. You can choose to go too quick at the start and fall flat straight away, or take the challenges and lock in for the long run. Wrapping Up There is no secret to weight loss, there is no over-complication of the science and it is as simple as this; You will lose weight, as long as you eat less than what you burn. The most important part of that though, is to remind yourself always that it is a process, a journey, and a hard one at that. So take the time to work out a rough estimate of your daily macros using an online calculator, make a plan to eat more wholefoods, remember to be balanced, not restrictive and be kind to yourself. In the battle for sustained weight loss, itâs a battle against yourself. You have the power and the tools, and you will learn how to use them. Â
