If finding time to get in shape for summer is an issue for you, this will help open that door of hope to attaining that beach body!

When it comes to losing weight…

…how many people primarily focus on the goal than the nutrition and exercise that will eventually get them there?

How often do you hear people start with a specific number on how much weight they want to lose instead of what training or diet program they have to go on?

Almost always right?

They very rarely start out with the objective of eating healthy

Or

Building a healthier body.

Older individuals do in time as they come to the realisation of mortality but for younger people,

The number tends to be what counts.

This is where I believe most people get their weight loss journey wrong.

Focusing on the numbers can give you motivation yes,

But when push comes to shove, the numbers over time are never enough

Here’s 3 reasons why I believe this

And 3 ways I believe you can overcome them.

The first is ‘setting expectations’ and the attention to detail.

The second is the effects of comparison and self accountability

And lastly it’s halting the evolution of you and creating your own path.

A lot to unpack so let’s get into it.

So for our first reason why trusting in the numbers is the WRONG way to go about weight loss.

Setting unrealistic expectations can ultimately and quite easily set you up for failure right from the get go.

We’re encouraged in today’s society to set huge and boisterous expectations.

“Reach for the heavens and if you don’t get there you’ll end up amongst the stars”

The problem with that is, if we don’t reach these expectations we set for ourselves, we still feel like we’ve failed in one way or another.

We don’t care to admit it but deep down we know we came up short and that in a sense is failure. 

We get really down on ourselves and our thought process completely changes from a can do attitude to a I’ll do what I can one.

I see it everyday!

People at times fall short of where they want to be by a certain point in their fitness journey and they start thinking and saying to themselves, “I’ve done all this work and sacrificed so much, what do I have to do to get to my target?”

Doubt creeps in and then the second guessing starts flooding the brain waves.

Others have been so bold as to say to me, what’s the point? I get more fun out of other things. 

However the most common thing I’ve found that occurs, is the gradual decline in commitment and sudden attraction to distraction from the individual.

What I mean by this is, we go from being so enthusiastic about our goal and the number we want to get...

…that when things start becoming hard, we start leaning back to things that make us happy and these can distract us from our ultimate goal.

It happens little by little and before you know it, you’re back to where you started and nothing has really worked for you so you end up giving up.

It’s these things that derail your focus from your goal and when the numbers are the only thing driving you, it’s easy to lose sight of it and give up.

As the saying goes, where focus goes, energy flows and this is so important when it comes to weight loss. 

This is why paying attention to the details is so important. 

If you take time to plan out your meals for the week, 

(you don’t have to cook them, just plan them)

Research a good training program that helps you get to your goals 

And take the time to set mini goals from now until you ideally want to reach your goal

It will help you create a positive routine and set realistic expectations that give you continual motivation everytime you hit a small goal.

This not only encourages dedication but it gives you regular feedback on how well you are doing so you can adjust if you have to. 

Bricks are laid one at a time and in time, we build a wall.

Learn to lay your bricks as best as possible with the finest of details and watch how strong and big your wall becomes.

My second belief in why trusting the numbers is the wrong way to start your weight loss journey is... 

The effects of comparison.

Today our culture lives off comparison!

Be it through Instagram, Facebook, Youtube the news or even in our own conversations.

Everything is always compared to something else.

This can be extremely toxic for people starting out on their weight loss journey.

Seeing pictures of other athletes or models can make you feel down on yourself, not enough and not what society considers beautiful.

It can also make you confused. What’s the difference between a vegan and vegetarian? Is this protein better than this one?

For those starting out, this can be very overwhelming.

This is where sweeping the sheds comes in,

The mantra of the All Blacks where no one is bigger than the team and noone picks up after us.

An expression known around the world now and adopted by many other sports teams.

I however look at it as a sense of accountability to oneself.

“I have standards I have set for myself and it’s up to me to maintain these standards.”

It’s a belief of self confidence that if I hold a certain level of excellence for myself, it doesn’t really matter what others do because I’m being true to myself and who I am as a person.

This is a powerful place to come from and one very few can talk from.

If you understand this concept of sweeping the sheds, then comparison will never be an issue again.

You’ll admire other things and be open to try new things,

But in terms of validating yourself or being confused on what to do, you’ll never have that again because you know who you are and the person you want to be.

Decisions become clearer as you know where you’re heading and what sort of person you need to become in order to do that.

“How can anyone see how great you are without first seeing it yourself”

The final reason why I believe that trusting in the numbers is not the ideal way to start your weight loss journey is…

It doesn’t help the evolution of me.

What I mean by this is that in order to lose the number or goal you have in mind, you need to become a new person in the process

The things and the habits you have now is why you are where you are so in order to lose weight, you need to become a new you thats (goal weight) kgs lighter.

That means adopting new habits, making lifestyle changes and even distancing yourself from things and people that will make you slip into bad habits.

We all know this process as the initial part of your weight loss journey.

But if you have a number goal in mind, as soon as you get to your goal, there’s no need to maintain that sort of lifestyle

So you unconsciously, start going back to what the body knows as it’s normal

And what it’s normal is… 

Is you (current weight) amount of KG’s heavier.

This is why so many people lose weight and put it back on.

It’s not that they try not to keep it off (because most people do.)

It’s that our body and mind, haven’t subconsciously made the decision that (goal weight) amount of kgs lighter is the new me. 

This is why paving your own path is such an amazing part of anyones weight loss journey

It’s the opportunity to build a lifestyle that you know and love.

Something that you believe in because you yourself have built it.

By paying attention to the small details

Making yourself accountable and setting standards

You’ll find joy and passion in creating your own path and learn continuously on what works for you and what makes you better every day.

Make your weight loss about the process and learn how to not only lose the weight you want to

But grow into a whole new person that loves who they’ve become along the way!