This was one of the first planned out, daily programs I did for the specific goal of leaning out.
Things I learned while doing it:
Things I learned AFTER:
Things I learned while doing it:
- consistency made me feel in control
- food and training support each other
- I got more out of buckling down with hard work and careful planning and preparation than all the bullshit I ever bought into previously: such as "super foods", raw food diet, 3 hour workouts, fat-loss supplements (EGCG, L-Carnitine, ECA Stacks)
- Seeing myself eat less food (reducing portions) meant I was ACTUALLY eating less calories and burning more fat
- Others who have never done what I was doing seemed never understand what it meant to hold oneself accountable to a goal. Setting a goal is like making a promise to yourself, and you never break promises, especially ones with deep emotional roots.
- When others push food on you, the easy part is saying "No" if you went through the process of setting your goal, making that promise, and going through hours of preparation and contemplation -- The hard part is not telling them to fuck off when they keep pushing, and they show zero regard for why you told them you're saying "No".
- e.g. "I made a goal to lose X pounds, so all my food is planned out. It's important to me (and my health)" "Oh, c'mon just have a little..."
- When you stop and think, this person is knowingly circumventing your personal goals, which to me is a sign of disrespect, and with a topic so emotional for most people, even more egregious a transgression than that. But then you just remind yourself that they are willfully ignorant to your feelings and what it means to be motivated to achieve or improve yourself.
- I was capable of achieving what many implied was impossible. I asked myself what created the gap between goals and results:
- planning, and
- consistency - the 2 skills people still have the hardest time with. Without planning and consistency, the reasons to justify failure are just weak excuses
- strict dieting gets results, but I couldn't maintain it
- I can still train even while brutally sore
- Going from 60-minute sessions to 90-minute sessions out of necessity to fit all the extra work in (rather than because of wasting time) didn't kill me but I'm also not sure it made me stronger
- cardio takes many forms (I would jog down to the overpass and go up and down stairs for 15-45 minutes depending on where I was in the program. Even through the winter, but I'd have to wear antisplip boots and hold the railing when it was snowy and icy)
- I learned to love 30-60-minute steady state cardio sessions because I could either:
- prepare mentally for the workout ahead by watching these and other training videos
- educate myself and reinforce positive psychological traits by listening to Tom Venuto's Body Fat Solution Book
- relax, meditate, and reflect while watching Netflix or other drivel
Things I learned AFTER:
- I've been leaner since then WITHOUT strict dieting and MORE planning & consistency: i.e. I didn't have to cut out milk, sugar, or the occasional treat to keep losing fat
- Even pros have outdated ideas about how to achieve fat loss - thus, people tend to get results often in spite of the things they do or their knowledge of how things work
- I could build muscle and lose fat at the same time (as my BodPod assessment from the start of the program compared to my final assessment indicated)
- Abdominal "twists" are stupid, they don't shrink your waist, and the balance of evidence suggests you'll deteriorate your spine over time if you do them
- Anyone interested in re-compositioning their body should do at least one 8-12 week program and follow it to the letter to really, truly understand what it means to get return on investment, and to know the minimum lengths to which one must go to see the level of result they say they want versus what they are willing to work for
Are you looking for a program to follow? I offer personalized coaching, catered to your goals and needs.
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