Clearing Mental Hurdles When It Comes To Fat Loss

Many times, our own minds can be the largest hurdles in reaching a goal. The same idea applies to fat loss. You’d be surprised to hear how many different excuses I’ve heard about why someone can’t shed fat. Successful fat loss is a mental game as much as a physical one, so I will try to dispel some common mental diversions in hopes that it will help some of you who find yourself struggling to eliminate fat.

First and foremost, not having any time to exercise is not only the most common excuse, it’s a blatant lie. Everyone, no matter how busy of a lifestyle you lead, can find time to exercise. Time isn’t something we find, it’s something we make. Not everyone can commit one hour a day, six days a week to physical fitness, but everyone can find at least an hour a week, if not an hour a day, to perform some sort of exercise. Pick a time of day that works best for you, any day at any point in the week, and dedicate one hour to vigorous exercise. This is a good starting point. Once you dedicate one hour per week, and stick to that plan religiously, you’ll begin to find a second hour on another day of the week, and maybe even a third hour on a different day. The snowball effect has begun with your first hour.

Next on the list of mental hurdles is the idea that you are over-training. People who believe that they are over-training start skipping workouts, thus giving up on any progress they already made and squashing any possibility for furthering that progress. Don’t confuse being under-conditioned for over-trained. This is a common misunderstanding. If you’re exercising 5-10 hours a week, you will never be over-training yourself. If you’re feeling over-trained, you may be using a defense mechanism for being tired and/or lazy.

People also tend to become sedentary after a tough workout. The urge to rest must be resisted. Continue on with your day as usual, and you will keep your metabolism at a calorie-burning level. Burning calories while you’re not in the gym is the key to fat loss. Resting or becoming sedentary post-workout directly negates the ideas associated with effective fat-loss. Of course, if you’re tired after the gym and need a nap, take one! Just don’t pack it in for the day.

The last mental hurdle concerns dieting, nutrition, and food. Many people trick themselves into believing that they must eat every few hours to maintain a high metabolism. Meal frequency is irrelevant, what’s relevant in fat-loss is caloric intake. If you like big meals, eat those meals but lower the frequency at which you eat. If you prefer smaller meals, increase your eating frequency accordingly. Either way, you’ll maintain a boosted metabolism.

If you’re on a diet, and you think something has gone awry because you feel hungry some times, you’re wrong. If you are intent and focused on being lean, you will find yourself hungry every now and then. Hunger is inherent to dieting, but starvation isn’t. You should be able to handle the hunger pangs that come with dieting, but if the discomfort becomes severe, eat something that fits your diet. Keep in mind that, regardless of your chosen diet, overeating is never permitted. Even if you eat six pounds of lettuce with grilled chicken and no dressing, you will be stuffed and therefore mentally and physically lethargic. Stop eating before you feel full, and don’t pile food on your plate. The less that’s in front of you, the less you’ll need to eat to be full.

In summation, remember to keep your head in the game, as well as your body. One without the other will prevent you from reaching your goals.