Mindset
Last updated
Last updated
Losing weight is not a perfection game.
If you cut on 70% of days but overeat on 30% of days you'll still lose weight.
If you eat at maintenance/overeat for a week it'll push you back a week. It's not a big deal.
e.g.: I overate for three weeks while traveling Europe.
Here's how my stats looked:
My average weekly weight (AWW) was 172.8 lbs when I left on 8/10.
When I came back on 8/31 my AWW was 178.1 lbs.
I gained 5.3 lbs.
It took me 2 weeks to get back into my routine. (9/4: 178.1; 9/11: 178.0)
Then it was a matter of 3 weeks to get back to pre-Europe weight.
Think of these first 2-3 weeks as an investment for life.
In the beginning tracking what you eat, fighting impulses & cravings due to your microbiome adjusting, and learning strategies that don't involve eating for dealing with boredom and stress will be hard.
If you struggle avoiding boredom or stress and use food as a means of escape then you'll need to discover new habits and avenues of entertainment.
This is arguably the hardest part and differs the most for different people.
Enlist your friends, therapist, and coach to help you here if you can.
You have the equation for the maximum amount of fat you can cut in a day. Try to get as close to that amount every day as you can. (Covered in Mechanics section.)
If you go as close to 100% speed as you can it'll feel like the same amount of work but take less overall time.
We're instant gratification creatures. If you go close to 100% speed you'll see a noticeable difference every week. That's rewarding and will encourage you to keep going.
Keep in mind, the leaner you get, the more you'll need to eat and the less you'll need to exercise.
e.g.: It took me 6 days to lose 1% when going from 26% to 25%. But it takes me 14 days to cut from 12% to 11% currently. This was explained in the Mechanics section.
Avoid binges, sugar, carbs, and sauces when dining out. Always go for protein.
If you're craving sweets, there's a smoothie recipe that tastes like ice cream but is actually protein, chocolate protein bars that taste like chocolate, and 0 calorie foods and drinks.
You will have days you dine out and you'll have no idea how much you ate. That's okay. Your AWW will still capture the change and you can build an intuition. Try to get the protein dish.
Traveling tends to be short so it's okay to relax. Just make sure to not have massive binges.
Unlimited cheese cakes at the buffet or snickers at the airport might be tempting but remember, you can always buy those once you hit your goals. Sugar is cheap.
Once you get back you have your AWW to see how you did.
Once you're done cutting you'll be eating a whole another meal a day!
It's a common misconception that it's harder to maintain weight when you're really lean.
The truth is maintenance will be some X amount of calories.
For me it's 2400 calories to maintain at 8% body fat or 17% body fat.
After prolonged periods of cutting, aka once your "debt" is paid off, you'll feel like what you eat daily is a lot.
Psychologically your mind can tell when you're maintaining so any sort of hunger feeling disappears.
