Why You Aren’t Losing Body Fat (Part 2)

In last week’s article –which can be read HERE – we discussed fat loss, questioned why it’s such a challenging endeavor for our society, and then came up with 11 potential reasons why you may not be losing body fat.

Part one covered reasons 1-6.

Today, we’ll finish up with reasons 7-11.

 

7. Your Goals Aren’t Written Down

This is something I learned while reading Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto.

In the book, Tom mentions that only 3% of people write their goals down, and – shocker here – only 3% of people actually achieve them.

Honestly, I’ve never written my goals down.  Ever.

I’ve always had them floating around in my head, and although I’ve achieved some of my goals, many of them – fat loss being the big one here – gets kicked to the curb every time something else comes along that sparks my interest.

So, I tried this goal setting thing, and I have to say, the results have been dramatic.

My motivation is higher, I’m starting to get a lot more consistent with my nutrition, and there’s not even a doubt in my mind that I WILL reach my fat loss goals.

My challenge to you is to do the same:

To write your goals down on paper.

There’s a 7 part goal setting guide that can be found HERE, and I highly recommend following it.

Do you HAVE to write your goals down?

No you don’t, but I can guarantee that following the before-mentioned steps will take your motivation and drive to succeed to a whole new level.

 

8. You Have a Negative Outlook Towards Dieting.

This is something else I got from Tom Venuto (who got it from a lot of other psychologists and life coaches), but there are two parts of your brain, the conscious and subconscious.

The conscious part of your brain is logical, realistic, governs your thoughts, and is 100% in your control.  The subconscious part of your brain governs habits and emotions, and –although it’s out of your control – is directly governed by your conscious mind (i.e what you think about).

What this means is that every thought that pops in to your head –whether it be positive or negative – has a direct impact on your subconscious mind (and therefore the habits you create).

If you’re always thinking negative thoughts about dieting (like me), your subconscious mind will be constantly programmed to resist creating good habits that allow you to lose body fat.

In contrast, if you think positive thoughts, you’re much more likely to create –and stick to – healthier and more positive habits.

So, start thinking positive thoughts about fat loss (which I know, is MUCH easier said than done).

Instead of “I hate tracking macros,” switch to “tracking macros isn’t that difficult, and is making the act of losing body fat a thousand times easier.”

Instead of thinking “I freakin hate dieting,” think “I’m enjoying the process, and I’m gonna wind up healthier, faster, and more aesthetic than I was before.”

Whatever it takes, just make sure to switch the negative to something positive.

Remember, you are what you think about, and your thoughts – and therefore the habits you create – are completely under YOUR control.

 

9. You’re Not Eating Enough Protein

Protein rules.

It regulates the enzymes that are responsible for carrying out almost every metabolic and chemical reaction in the body, enhances immune function, and is the building block for muscles, tendons, organs, and just about every other structure that keeps your body running smoothly.

Plus, it’s extremely satiating (which is crucial to your overall dieting success) and has a very high thermic effect of food (which means it burns a crap-ton of calories just to digest it).

It’s kind of like a wonder food, and unless you have a pre-existing kidney problem and have been told (by a medical professional) not to eat a lot of protein, I recommend aiming for between .8-1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight (aim more on the high side when dieting).

Can you lose fat without a lot of protein?

Yes you can.

But consuming more protein will not only will help you retain more muscle and be less hangry (yes that’s a word.  Hungry + angry = hangry), but the impact on fat loss should be dramatic.

 

10. You’re Focusing Too Much On Other People.

This is big – NEVER compare yourself to other people.

I know this is a lot easier said than done, but your success in any performance or physique related endeavor depends heavily on your ability to resist comparing yourself to others.

Working your butt off to lose body fat- by sticking to your macros and training extremely hard in the gym – and barely making any progress while your friend’s body fat plummets eating pizza, ice cream, and rarely working out?

Spending three years trying to hit a 405lb squat and a 500lb deadlift while your friend -who’s extremely inconsistent with his training – comes in and hits it in one?

That can be a little discouraging.

Actually, it can be VERY discouraging, and not only make you feel like you weren’t dealt the ideal genetic cards for your goals, but make resisting the urge to throw in the towel and give up extremely difficult.

So, focus on YOU, and don’t worry about what your friends, colleagues, or the airbrushed/photo-shopped model on the cover of Shape magazine is doing.

At the end of the day there will always be someone stronger, faster, and leaner than you, but YOU will always be stronger, faster, and leaner than someone else.

And when you understand this, and learn to place all of your focus on being the best that YOU can be, you’ll achieve more than you ever thought possible.

 

11. You Weren’t Motivated to Lose Fat to Begin With

This is something that took me a long time to figure out, but motivation is the framework that holds any training or nutrition plan together.

You’d be surprised at the number of people that start trying to lose body fat simply because someone told them to, or because they saw a picture in a magazine that’s been marketed as the “ideal body” – which DOES NOT EXIST by the way- for them to aspire to.

The problem with that is twofold:

 

1. The motivation isn’t strong (seriously, I like food way more than I like having abs)
2. The motivation isn’t intrinsic, or coming from within yourself

 

This is important to understand because if the motivating factor for a specific goal isn’t strong, you’re not going to be consistent with the action steps needed to reach it.

And if you’re not consistent with the action steps, you’re not going to make any progress.

Before you embark on a fat loss journey, sit down and determine what’s really motivating you to do it.

Is it improved health, increased performance in a specific sport, the ability to be an inspiration to others?

If so, fat loss should be a piece of cake.

If it’s simply because you want to look better, you may be better off waiting until a new motivating factor kicks in.

Remember, no one can make you do something that you’re not ready to do, and the motivation to achieve a specific goal has to come from within YOU.

If it doesn’t, things will fall apart when times get tough.

If it does, there’s almost no way that you WON’T be successful.

 

Wrapping Up

So there you have it guys – my top 11 reasons why you may not be losing body.

Honestly, most people tend to have only one or two limiting factors holding them back from their fat loss goals, and once they identify them, fat loss absolutely skyrockets.

Why?

Because you’re only as strong as your weakest link.

And once you identify – and consequently eliminate – that weak link, your results will go through the roof!