The 7 Key Steps to Better Fat Loss

This article is going to share with you what I consider to be the seven most important, yet undervalued aspects of losing body fat and building a better-looking body.

The information you're about to read is grounded on my personal experience as a nutritionist and personal trainer who has worked with thousands of fat loss clients over the years. I also get the opportunity to educate and listen to thousands of personal trainers every year and get to hear first-hand, their misconceptions when it comes to achieving client fat loss.

1. Give Yourself Enough Time To Get In Shape… 

One of the biggest problems I've seen as a personal trainer and nutritionist is clients wanting to make years of progress in a matter of weeks. 

I don't blame them. With the growing trend of social media and #fitspiration on Instagram - The concept of owning a ripped and beautiful body is a daily pressure that often leads people to drastic measures such as crash diets and taking overly priced poor quality supplements that promise you the earth but fail to deliver. 

Years of hard work and sweat don’t sell. Building a great looking body takes time. 

A patient and tactful approach will encourage results. Whereas an extreme approach forces results. 

While there is a time and place for forced results in certain scenarios like sport. For the general lay person, forced results aren't easy to achieve or maintain and put you at massive risk of burning out physically and mentally.

Always give yourself enough time when it comes to getting in shape. Set aside an extra two to three weeks from your target date to account for any personal drama that may need attending to.

2. Hire a Coach…

One of the most time-efficient ways to get in shape is to hire a professional. When it comes to hiring a fitness professional or personal coach consider the following…

1. Do they practice what they preach? 

2. Are they committed to continuous personal development? 

3. When was the last time they went on a course? What books do they read? Do they have a mentor?

4. Do they get results? Where are they to see?

5. What do others say about them? 

7. Do you like their personality?

8. Do they care about you and provide strong accountability?

A great personal trainer is not a cost, it's an investment.

3. Follow Principles Rather Than a Plan.. 

Following a diet and training plan can be a great idea for some. It provides you with a clear sense of direction on how to eat and train for a set period of time. 

However, diet and training plans are never definitive. 

What happens when things don't quite go to plan?

- You get ill
- You miss a meal
- The leg press is broken.
- Or worse, your partner books a surprise holiday and you can’t go to your local gym for two weeks

Following principles always trumps following a plan. 

Principles allow you to create a highly flexible diet and training regime that morphs in line with your ever-changing life circumstances

The Most important principles you need to consider when developing a diet and training program are;

1. Calorie Intake

Once you have established a maintenance level of calories, you need to drop them slightly to achieve weight loss. Don't drop them too much, make small fine-tuned decrements over time.

Use a combination of visual appearance and performance along with key measures to determine progress. Things like skin fold and body composition assessments which confirm whether or not your calorie intake is working effectively for the goal of fat loss.

2. Progressive overload in the gym

You must strive to get stronger on a regular trackable basis. This will require gradually increasing the weight you use on exercises over time. Do your best to beat previous workouts by keeping a dedicated log book.

3. Rest

It’s important to rest and recharge your body. 

Rest is an essential prerequisite for high-performance and health.

Opt for a minimum of 6-8 hours each day, inclusive of naps.

4. Learn to fail… 

There will be times during your fat loss that you will cheat on your diet and skip training sessions.

Instead of throwing the towel in and feeling like a loser.  Focus on the present. Focus on your next meal or next training session and always ask yourself what did I learn from my mistakes? What environment or state of mind was I in for them to happen?

5. Eat in Peace… 

In today's modern lifestyle, it's easy to grab food on the go and eat while stressed.

Stress activates the sympathetic (fight or flight) part of our central nervous system. This is the complete opposite to the parasympathetic part, which is known for resting, digesting and breeding. 

You could be eating the healthiest diet in the world, but if you're eating in a stressed state you will never get the most out of your food. 

Strive to eat in a well rested and relaxed state.

6. Self-Adjust Your Training… 

It's very important to ask yourself on a regular basis,

How am I feeling?

Am I recovered?

No one is going to thank you for training through, extreme fatigue and illness. Don't walk on thin ice.

If you're not feeling up to it, training can wait for a few hours. 

7. The Boring Stuff Matters Most… 

When it comes to fitness and building the body of your dreams realise the boring stuff matters most. 

The newest training regime, diet books and supplements are all grounded on the boring stuff no one likes to talk about.

This includes calories, progressive overload, sleep, and evidence based supplements that are proven to work. Discover the science behind Genetic Supplements! 

Everything new on the market is simply a spin-off of all the above.

Take Home

So there you have it seven of the most important aspects for building a highly effective and sustainable fat loss plan. 

One thing I've come to learn. It Is very hard to be truly satisfied. You will never be as big, strong, or lean as you want to be. That's okay, because striving for perfection is what gives you the drive to wake up in the morning and focus on improving yourself every single day.

Phil Graham - www.phil-graham.com