Define what your goals are and break them down into smaller goals
You have already established the desire to achieve a body transformation, but let’s go a little further. Do you have any upcoming events? A holiday you want to trim down for? Everyone's goal is different. It doesn't matter what it is but it should be something that provides you with the inspiration to not give up.
The average transformation process usually lasts between 8 to 15 weeks depending on the start point of the client. Although committing 15 weeks to your health shouldn't be an issue, it can sometimes feel like a long slog and morale will almost certainly start to dwindle at some stage.
In order to keep focused and inspired, we recommend chopping this long-term goal into smaller chunks. Whether the smaller goal is to lose 2 kgs in 2 weeks or being able to run 2k further on your next run, these small wins will keep you ticking along until you reach that overall big win.
Set a time frame and put pressure on yourself
Some of the greatest results we have seen are from those who put themselves in an environment where they have to achieve success. Setting a timeframe on your goals will also help apply pressure to get moving and to stay focused on what you set out to achieve.
Perhaps join a gym with a friend, and start betting on who can lose the most weight or body fat in a certain timeframe. Pressure like this brings out the competitive streak in us and helps keep the focus on our goal..... no one wants to lose to a competition with their friends.
Set a realistic target, then believe you can achieve it
Being ambitious is great, but being overly ambitious may just set you up for failure. We know 99% of people would like to have a cover model body, but in most cases, this isn't achievable within an 8-15 week window. If you are employed full time, sitting at 30% body fat and time poor, this more than likely means your goal physique should be less dramatic. Be sensible, set an achievable target and go for it.
We have worked with thousands of clients since we started Nutrition Kitchen and the best feeling is when clients write to us informing us of their success. The majority of these clients didn't initially think such significant changes were possible. With commitment, a sensible structured diet plan and training regiment, achieving amazing results is inevitable.
Adapt your programme to your goals
This may seem obvious, but for optimal fat loss and muscle building, you should prioritize resistance training over cardiovascular training. If your goal is purely aesthetic then you would ideally spend twice as long lifting weights per week as you do on cardio. So 3 hours of weights would mean that you should keep cardio to approximately 90 minutes. Lifting weights will ensure that you build and retain lean body mass during your diet. Your body is an incredibly adaptive organism, we want to ensure that we are sending it the right combination of signals to help build and retain muscle during the diet.
Improve hydration
You know that you should drink more water but often you struggle to take in the necessary 2-3 litres of water each day as you run around from task to task.
Consuming adequate water is important for a number of reasons:
- Cognitive function - your brain works better when hydrated.
- Enhanced detoxification – staying hydrated allows your liver and kidneys to function optimally.
- Joint health – your joints are improved by maintaining adequate hydration levels throughout the day.
Sleep your way to optimal health
The most important factor that we neglect most consistently.
A lack of sleep causes chaos within the body’s hormonal system:
Sleeping for 4-5 hours versus 8-9 has been shown to have a whole host of negative consequences that will indirectly impact on body composition, including:
- Impaired glucose tolerance - you’ll handle carbohydrates less well if you haven’t slept well meaning your body will need to release more insulin after eating.
- Lowered Leptin levels, Increased Ghrelin levels - these hormones regulate hunger and if they’re out of sync you will be far hungrier than your well-rested colleagues.