TAKE ACTION! I swear, it seems as if there are more opinions regarding fat loss than there are people. It's amazing. What's even more amazing (and frustrating), is that most of them are wrong, if not downright dangerous. There is just way too much information for you to even get started with a successful program, sometimes known as "information overload". There is so much information and so many differing opinions that you never even get yourself started. Or, you get started, but never give any particular program a chance, instead going from one to the other, in a "shot gun" approach, never giving anything a chance to make progress. You need to pick a sensible program and decide to stick with it for a long enough period of time that you can measure your results, or lack thereof. If you're like most people, fear, doubt and confusion are preventing you from moving forward and tackling your fat loss goals. This prevents too many people from achieving their goals in life, whether it be a successful career, or building their body. Everyone feels the fear and doubt. The difference is that successful people move forward anyway and use these things as motivators to help them achieve their goals. Do something! Hit the gym. Eat that nutritious meal. You don't have to know everything to get started. Do a few weight exercises a couple of days a week, drop one thing in your diet that you know you shouldn't have. You can fine tune your program as you go, doing more and more of the things you need to do. Forget about whether supplement a is better than supplement b or if turkey is better than chicken or should you have whey protein with casein or take them separately. If you aren't doing the fundamentals correctly, these things just don't matter. This goes back to a previous article I wrote where I stated that things such as narrow grip, wide grip, etc. won't mean a thing if there are major flaws in the fundamentals of your training program. Forget about which supplement is better for what, whether you should be riding the bike or hitting the treadmill, if turkey has less fat than chicken. Master the fundamentals first! The fundamentals of fat loss include: Perform high intensity weight training, Burn more calories than you consume Eat 5-6 small, frequent meals and never skip meals, Taken in a few tablespoons of good fats such as flax seed or sunflower Eat natural foods; avoid processed & refined foods Drink a lot of water Eat more fibrous carbs, fruits & vegetables, Consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass Perform high intensity cardio If you're not doing all these things, and you're looking for the perfect supplement stack or the optimum periodization plan, then you are just setting yourself up for failure from the beginning. Fitness Is A Lifestyle, Not A Diet Do you know what is the biggest fat loss mistake made by beginners? As many of you are aware, gym memberships always shoot up in January and February. All of the sudden, you can't get the equipment you want without a long wait. Don't worry, as you move into March, most of the newcomers will be gone because they've quit. Results may come slowly for most of you, unless you are genetically blessed. But if you stick with it long enough, if you resolve to make it a lifestyle and not a quick fix, you will get the results that you want. Gregg Gillies |
