Are You Sure You Want to Lose Weight?

On the face of things, that might seem like a stupid question, but think about it. Are you sure you want to lose weight?

The reason I’m asking is because superficially, it seems obvious. Lots of people are unhappy with their weight and want to lose some. I’m in the exact same position right now, sitting at my heaviest weight ever. I want to lose weight.

But what are the realities of weight loss?

Losing Weight is Simple, but Not Easy

To lose weight you have to create a calorie deficit. This means you have to burn more energy than you consume.

The shortfall in your energy requirements is made up from your stored fat, which is basically your body’s savings account for energy. The longer or more aggressively you diet, the more of the stored fat you’ll use up, and the leaner you become.

You can create a calorie deficit by reducing calorie intake by eating less, or by exercising more. If you combine the two, you’ll create a bigger deficit and lose weight faster. You’ll also help to preserve muscle mass and physical fitness, which is a huge benefit.

Sounds simple. And it is.

Realities of Weight Loss

This is where the ‘not easy’ bit kicks in.

Losing weight can be hard. I mean really hard. You’re putting your body into a state it doesn’t really like. You’re forcing it to give up on its stored energy, and it’s not hugely keen on that.

You’re depriving yourself of a certain amount of gastronomic pleasure.

Sure, you can try to convince yourself that your salad tastes great (and it probably does), but does it taste as good as a curry? Of course not. You just have to make your peace with that fact.

You’ve then got the exercise element.

I like training. I like how being fit feels. But I’d be lying to you if I said I was always motivated to train. Often I’m not – I just do it anyway. Sometimes those workouts end up being great ones. Other times they’re crap.

Still, a crap workout is better than no workout.

But there’s also plenty of times when you’re tired, your muscles ache, the last thing in the world you want to do is exercise, and you’d much prefer to lie on the sofa watching TV. You’ll have the psychological war with yourself.

You’ll tread the line between feeling like you deserve the rest, and also thinking you’re a lazy failure because you can’t face the exercise.

Personally, I find the nutritional aspect harder.

There’s days when I just want to eat burgers, pizzas, chocolate etc. There are days when I’m tired and ruin a day’s eating completely with an unhealthy meal, followed by an unhealthy dessert. I never feel ‘better’ for this either by the way, I’m just pointing out the realities.

It Takes Time to Lose Weight

Right now, I’m sitting at 100.3kg – the heaviest I’ve EVER been in my entire life. I’d like to get down to 84kg, which geniuses amongst us will work out is a 16kg loss.

If we assume a rate of 1kg per week (2.2lbs), that’s a 16 week, or 4 month commitment to a lifestyle of monitored eating. Four months is a long time… especially when we consider it’s going to get harder the closer to the goal weight I get.

In the early days, some quick wins will see the first 5kg or so come off. Tidying up eating patterns by not snacking as much. Making better choices, and reducing portion sizes will take care of the start.

But the next step is when that momentum runs out, and I have to dial in the calorie control more. I’ll have to be stricter with the food logging, more disciplined with snacks and the like. I’ll have to make a point of basing more of my time around food prep.

All the while, I’ll still have those same issues we all face. There’ll be days I’ll tired and want to not train. There’ll be days I’d prefer a pizza to a soup.

And the reality is if I want to achieve the goal, then it’s tough shit. I have to stick to the plan.

In Reality, Weight Loss is Hard

Let’s go back to my original question – are you sure you want to lose weight?

I ask this because as I’ve pointed out in the article so far, weight loss is hard. You face difficult choices daily. You have to do hard things often. You have to sacrifice, and you have to do so for weeks and months at a time. Often against the will of others. The deck is stacked against you, which is why most people fail.

So if you’re sure you want to lose weight, you’ve got to understand the challenge you’re taking on. Weight loss isn’t easy. The good news is, it’s not impossible.

You’ve just got to really want it. The challenges and hurdles along the way are plentiful.

The physiology of weight loss is straightforward, it’s the implementation of weight-reducing behaviours over the long term that’s the hard bit. I think we as the fitness professionals don’t do a good enough job of explaining this bit, and it’s probably a disservice to our clients.

Our job isn’t the teaching how to lose weight – it’s in keeping the client on the right path, like the steady weight loss numbers below show…

I’m Now on That Path

As I sit here, typing this blog post as a 100.3kg, 41 year old personal trainer, I endeavour to stay on the weight loss path until I hit 84kg.

That number isn’t arbitrary either. It’s the weight I was at 25, when I felt I was in my best shape ever.

I think there’s something quite cool about returning to my physical best, when I’m at an age when theoretically my best physical condition is behind me. It’ll also be an interesting experiment to see how long it takes, how I respond and what kind of condition I’m in at the end of it.

There’s more to it than simply losing weight as well…

Fuck Body Positivity

I understand we’re supposed to be accepting and proud of ourselves, regardless of shape and size, but frankly… fuck that.

Right now, I’m not positive about my body, I’m not proud of it.

My clothes don’t fit like they should. I’m not as fit as I was. My lower back aches. My elbow issue isn’t getting any better. My calf muscle is on a constant knife edge of injury. My sleep is inconsistent. I’m getting food cravings. I look like shit on a fairly regular basis.

I don’t like any of these points. I can’t spin this as a positive in any fashion.

This desire to lose weight isn’t forced on me by anyone else, it’s down to me. I’m the one who wants to do it, for my own benefit. Not for society’s sake, or purely for vanity.

So, let the journey begin. I’ll keep you all updated on here and my Instagram account. The road to 84kg starts here…