The following Ten "Commandments" of Effective Fat Loss are absolutes when one is attempting to drop body fat. There is no room for compromise, no exceptions and certainly no substitutions. If you will follow these commandments then there is little doubt that you will reach your fat loss potential.
There is no room for “yeah but” or “I have no time for this” or even, “I’m afraid this won’t work for me”. They are weakness displayed as lame excuses because I personally know quite many extremely busy people who’ve made the time and have been enormously successful.
I have trained individuals with slow metabolisms and a sluggish thyroid; I’ve worked with clients over 60, both male and female, and have seen them achieve massive, measurable and positive results when these Commandments were properly adhered to. Time and again, over a huge spectrum of people, these 10 “laws” have held strong and worked in every instance they were properly applied. Consequently they will work for you.
Therefore, if you are truly serious about fat loss…here are the ten commandments to live by.
Commandment #1 – You shall eat a fruit or veggie with a lean protein each and every time you eat. That is five to six small meals throughout the day. By doing this you will ensure that you to get enough protein AND enough fruits and veggies to satisfy your muscles and your body’s need for quality nutrients. Proteins and vegetables have the highest thermogenic effect and fruits add much needed vitamins and minerals helping your body recover adequately.
Calories counting becomes a thing of the past when you follow this commandment as you will feel full longer and more satisfied with each meal, but this isn’t a green light to go hog wild, there is a measure of self control involved here.
Commandment #2 – You shall exercise supportively 4 to 5 times per week. Exercising supportively means performing weight training three to four times per week and performing interval based cardio training two to three times per week. Weight training for fat loss involves short rests and medium repetitions and moderate weight which will translate to high intensity. Circuit based training works well in this format (one set of one exercise then to another after minimal rest, etc).
Interval based cardio training will burn 9 times more fat than steady state cardio AND is time efficient. Interval cardio is alternating high intensity work periods with low intensity recovery periods. A typical work to rest time would be 30 to 45 seconds of work and 60 to 90 second recovery. Think of sprinting and walking as a good method of interval cardio (but this can be done over a broad spectrum and modes of exercise)
Commandment #3 – You shall create a support system with friends, neighbors, family, co-workers and others that will REALLY support your effort. Surround yourself with people that will participate with your or at very least support your efforts entirely. Lean on these people often for help and guidance through the mentally difficult times. Surrounding yourself with unsupportive people is a recipe for disaster and you will eventually give up. Accountability is a tool for success, so use it.
Commandment #4 – You shall plan your exercise and meals ahead of time. Planning and preparation are two very important components of success. I won’t lie, it takes work and it isn’t easy. As one of my colleague’s states, “Fat loss is easy once you realize how difficult it is.” When you shop, chop, and cook your meals in advance you set yourself up for success by eating supportively…especially when life gets hectic. Set aside two hours on Sunday (or your day of choice) to shop, and then prepare your meals for the week. This also means setting a menu for the week and keeping it on your refrigerator so you can easily follow it. This also provides clarity as it gives you one less thing you have to think about during the chaos that is your typical week.
Exercise is no different. Schedule your time for exercise and keep that schedule like you would a doctor’s appointment or any other appointment. Don’t let anything else get crowded into that spot. Prioritize your time and stick to it. The old cliché’s are true for a reason; “Failure to plan is planning to fail.”
Commandment #5 – You shall remain consistent 90% of the time. You should be eating at least 35 meals per week (5 meals a day for 7 days). Of those 35 meals you must eat supportively 32 out of those 35. That means only three times can you eat an unsupportive meal, cheat, or miss a meal (yes missing a meal counts against you). If you are 90% compliant you WILL get results. The key here is to remain CONSISTENT.
Commandment #6 – You shall take in at least ½ your bodyweight in ounces of water per day. But since you are exercising for fat loss you may need to drink a bit more, so think .6 to .7 ounces per pound of bodyweight of water per day. Dehydration shuts the body down, which includes the metabolism, and will prevent your full effort in your workouts. This is because your muscles consist of mainly water. Consider carrying a stainless water bottle (not plastic) with you and drinking from it consistently throughout the day.
Commandment #7 – You shall take in a quality multivitamin and Omega 3 every single day. Even if you are not on a fat loss program this is a must. Multivitamins fill the gaps to any discrepancies in your nutrition plan. And even though you are eating at least five fruits or veggies a day on your fat loss program, you need 7-10 servings of fruit AND veggies per day to satisfy all the vitamins and minerals you need.
Select a quality multivitamin based in whole foods. Prograde VGF25+ for men and for women is a high quality multivitamin that will give you what you are looking for. I also take and personally recommend Prograde EFA Icon as a great source of Omega 3’s.
Commandment #8 – You shall have a strong powerful goal or reason for taking on this project. If you just want to get in shape then stop reading because this isn’t for you. Your goal has to be much broader and far reaching than just getting into shape. Your goal, when you read it should get you fired up and excited. Write down your goal and read it every single day so that your subconscious mind will take over and help you.
Spend a lot of time on this commandment because this will ultimately determine your success. Start with the end goal and work backward so you can set up some midrange goals and several short term goals. Once you have this mapped out and read it every day you have essentially set up a roadmap for your success and all you have to do is hit those mini milestones to keep the motivation burning hot. If you need a map for goal setting, this is a good start.
Commandment #9 – You shall have a realistic approach. Let’s get clarity: You will not succeed with your goals in one day. You will also not succeed by taking some pill or by exercising extra in one week. You will not succeed long term by eating perfect one week and eating great half the time the next. You must be realistic with your approach and understand that this is a journey, not a destination. Achieving your ultimate fat loss goal is your destination but the journey is making it a lifestyle and incorporating new habits that will stay with you forever. Results are only as good as long as they stay results. If you revert back to old habits after reaching your goal, you haven’t achieved anything. Implement strategies that are realistic and that will allow you to KEEP off the fat you are working so hard at losing.
Commandment #10 – You shall not give up if you fall down. Mistakes are going to happen, especially when you are trying to make changes to long established habits. Understand that it may take several attempts before you succeed at just one of these commandments, but when you do others will get easier. It is quite acceptable to be less than perfect, and console yourself in the knowledge that you are working on it and will do better the next time. The more perseverance you have the much more likely you will be to succeed.
There you have it. If you will make a decision to follow these commandments I am positive that you will absolutely be successful in your fat loss goals.
Steve
