Today, I’m going to share with you the most important factor to keep in mind when losing weight.

But to do that, I’ve got to introduce you to your biggest enemy.

Someone once said, it’s hard to win a fight if you don’t know you’re in one. Well, if you want to lose weight, it can feel like a fight at times and knowing what you are fighting against is an important aid in any weight-loss program.

Is it a lack of willpower?

Is it lack of support from family or friends?

Is it confusion from all the different diets and programs out there?

Or is it that little negative voice in your own brain?

All these can work against you, but that’s not what we’re talking about today. In my 20 years of working with clients, I’ve seen this over and over again. And if you can overcome this ONE thing, you already have weight-loss formula no. 1 and suddenly it becomes so much easier and even kind of fun.

Before I explain the key to success in following any diet plan, I want to start with a quick story.

Recently I ran into a former client. She was doing great and had maintained 100% of her weight loss. Suddenly she blurted out something I think is very important and sets the stage for what I’m about to teach you. She said – 

“I’m never going to be a perfectly clean eater . . . but frankly that’s not my goal.”

Why did she feel the need to share that? I think she shared it because she felt guilty anytime she wasn’t “on her plan.” It’s like her brain was programmed against certain food, constantly saying “eat your veggies, do your squats.” In her mind, there was clearly defined “good” and “bad.” She felt guilty and was confessing to me! And I guarantee it’s not just her.

So which strategy helps individuals to manage their weight over the long term?

If you want to change your body – to lose weight and lose it for life – this is THE most important thing you can learn. It’s the key to sustained weight loss. Without it, you’ll continue signing up for the “best” long-term diet fads or buying the coolest new weight-loss tool over and over again for the rest of your life. 

The most important factor to keep in mind when losing weight is you don’t have to be perfect.

You don’t have to be perfect with your food or exercise.

You don’t have to be consistent.

You do NOT have to be perfect to lose weight and get results. 

I call this the all-or-nothing disease. 

Weight-loss is not linear and it’s not a perfect process.

There’s a good chance you’ve been duped into thinking that when it comes to food there is good and bad, right and wrong – and if you’re not good and right, then you’re bad. If you’re not moving forward and making progress, then you’re moving backward, undoing all you’ve done and ruining all the work you put in. 

NO! This is simply not true – especially when it comes to changing your body.

Not only is it not true … it’s damaging. It’s the “great deceiver” that WILL keep you from getting results and rob you of freedom and peace of mind when it comes to food and your body.  It will absolutely KILL your chances for results and long-term success. 

A person who wants to lose weight should strive to achieve progression over miserable attempts at perfection.

It’s important to stick to the goal and lose your weight, not your mind.

To totally cut certain foods and constantly deny yourself on special occasions is like unplugging from life. It’s not necessary and not mentally or emotionally healthy.

Whenever your brain heads to the “I’m either gonna do this or not do this” mindset, speak up! Because here’s the truth –  you do NOT have to be perfect to achieve or maintain results. You just need to make progress – lose the extra weight one pound at a time.

Demanding perfection either leads to frustration or (even worse) unhealthy obsession, causing us to overthink and ultimately NOT take action. Continuing down the frustration path, you’ll eventually quit and be done with dieting because you can never achieve the goal of perfection. 

In order to lose weight and body fat, the best strategy is to focus on your REAL goal. It is NOT to be perfect, but to lose weight, feel better, and look better – and that IS attainable WITHOUT being perfect. 

An important aid in any weight-loss program is knowing that perfection is impossible, but PROgression is well within anyone’s grasp. So, please for the sake of your sanity and your success – toss perfection out the window. For permanent weight loss a person should begin DEMANDING a realistic goal – progression.

 

 

I’m Corey Little, former champion bodybuilder with 3% body-fat and now your down to Earth, real-life, donut-loving fitness coach. Tune in to my Real Life Weight Loss podcast series to find out what really works for REAL people when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off.

If you enjoyed this blog, you would love episode #1 of Corey’s Real Life Weight Loss Podcast – The #1 Thing You Need To Hear If You Want To Lose Weight. He covers the same topic, but goes into a little more depth and detail. Listen Now >