How Should I Shed My Extra Weight?

“Go big or go home!”
“No pain, no gain!”
“You’re either IN or you’re OUT!”

When it comes to exercise and nutrition, an all or nothing attitude can be problematic.

We’ve all heard these sayings, especially when it comes to health and fitness. But are these the strategies we should be following in the gym and kitchen to lose weight and change our bodies? Through an all or nothing, painful approach?

Not in my studio and not in my life. Real, long lasting changes take time. The steps you work through have to build on one another. When you push yourself to the max quickly and don’t take the time for the recovery your body needs, injury, disordered eating and depression are likely outcomes. A “100% maximum” mindset isn’t sustainable. It will often cause you to give up at the slightest setback.

What’s the Best Way to Make Progress on the Scale?

I’m a firm believer that it’s much better to perform B level activity daily, versus A+ behaviour once a week. Try being 1% better than you were the day before.

Here’s what 1% better looks like:

Always pack a healthy lunch in your fridge to better tackle the day.

• Exercising for 10 more minutes versus the previous week.
• Performing 1 more push-up, squat or crunch at the gym.
• Eating breakfast everyday.
• Consuming 1 more serving (a big handful) of veggies each day.
• Bringing a packed lunch to work one more day each week.
• Drinking 1 more cup of water daily.
• Sleeping for 30 minutes more each week until you hit the recommended 7-8 hours.

The goal will be different for everyone. Figure out where you are at, and improve it by 1%. This approach will help you reach your goals by building healthy habits into your daily life for the long term. Over time, you’ll become so consistent with performing each healthy task you work on, that each one will become automatic.

To Sum it Up…

Figure out where your fitness and eating habits are at and improve them by 1%. I believe that working on improving one small step at a time consistently, will bring you great, long lasting results. How will you improve your healthy habits by 1% today?