In the latest podcast episode (click here to listen!), I interview One Percent Club member Fatima about dropping 22KG in body fat taking her from 104 to 82KG so far!
She discussed with me a few surprises and realisations she had about the journey which has inspired todays article where I’ve put together the top 5 myths that people have been fooled by and get wrong about fat loss. Belief in these actually stop their progress, making them feel like its not possible.
Let’s set the record straight and see how many you thought were true?!
1.You have to count calories - Not true! Yes you need to track food but there are many other methods outside of calorie counting that are effective! Fatima is a great example of this having lost 22 KG from using a hand portion control method for every meal. Other options include food diaries, macro plans and photo food diaries. All viable options, its just working out the best option for you and what fits with your lifestyle that you can maintain.
2.You have to stop going out for food/drinks - False!You can and should still go out. Especially if there’s a 18 month fat loss journey ahead, that’s a long time without eating out and doing something you enjoy! All you need are a few boundaries and leaning how to navigate a menu or pick a restaurant to find options that work alongside your goals.
3.The best thing about losing weight is seeing the numbers go down- I’ve been doing this a long time now and I can tell you that clients get motivated more by the change in how they FEEL! More energy, more confident, stronger, fitter, and healthier! Yes of course seeing the scale weight drop is a motivator but successful dieters soon realise the number doesn't really matter as much as starting to feel light on your feet, moving pain free, being confident in the gym, seeing your blood pressure drop and having energy for life again! Focusing on this instead is a game changer.
4.You’ll be hungry and miserable- Wrong again! Well not if you do sustainable fat loss well (like with me or another One Percent Club Coach!) Successful fat loss is about being smart with your food choices and finding something sustainable. This therefore deosn’t mean super low calories and cutting out all your favourite foods. It’s about creating a slight deficit and being sensible with the foods you eat to make sure you stay as full as possible with the calories you’ve got to play with. Of course you might experience slight hunger at times, but not to the extent where you feel miserable, cold and tired 24/7! Many clients actually feel good for the foods they are eating which might actually boost mood and energy. And if you feel good doing something, you are far more likely to maintain it.
5.It’s all about cardio! - It’s actually all about good nutrition and weight training, with a side of cardio for overall health (For most people anyway). Despite what social media might tell you, we are not going to burn off all are fat through 2 spin classes a day or running for hours each week. Fat loss come through creating a calorie deficit with our nutrition. We do weight training alongside this to help the body hold on to as much muscle as possible as we lose weight, keep our metabolism high and help keep our bodies strong. We may use cardio to increase output slightly, particularly as we begin to have less weight to lose or if we are very sedentary. Its also great to keep a level of cardio vascular fitness but it is not the main mechanism in how we create a lean and strong body!
I hope that’s helped point out and clear up a few things that people get wrong in their approach and beliefs surrounding fat loss and maybe made you feel that the road ahead isn’t so bad and actually quite possible!
Maybe a few surprised you too?! If you want to discuss this further or have any questions please drop me an email lizzie@onepercentclub.info
Have a great week!
Lizzie
The One Percent Club