Why You're Not Losing Weight -- Part Two

We have completed our third week into 2018; how is your progress towards better health going? As mentioned in the first part of this article series, if your progress is less than you had anticipated, there is no need to freak out. View fitness as a journey that is comprised of multiple mini goals that come together to create the macro goal of optimal fitness. Maintain your focus and stay the course, and do not allow yourself to lose hope.

In the first part (Why You're Not Losing Weight -- Part One), I approached the psychological aspect of the way healthy living and exercise are perceived. Choosing the form of exercise that most appeals to the individual’s liking plays a major role in whether or not that person finds success or not.

In this entry, I will focus on planning. There’s an old saying that is well-known by leading strength & conditioning coaches across the country-- “A failure to plan is a plan to fail”. I want you to picture Chicago O’Hare Airport, LAX or any other major airport you may have visited for a connecting flight-- there’s a lot of craziness, right? Now, imagine if arrival and departure flights did not go by a schedule, or airplanes were not designated to their terminals-- it would be a mess beyond our wildest imaginations! While those airports may look like scenes of concentrated chaos, they are actually marvels of efficiency, which is all made possible with proper planning.

Much like a busy airport, life is a crazy adventure, itself, and things can change on a dime-- many times, these changes are completely out of our own control. This is where the beauty of having a plan can shine. For example, on most days, a given nine-to-fiver is out of work by 5pm, but what happens if the boss handed this person a last minute project at 4:50pm where staying late in unavoidable? The person that has a plan would have a “for emergencies only” bag of almonds or granola bar in the desk drawer; meanwhile, the non-planner may have to work through hunger pains, possibly having to resort to taking a trip to the candy machine. By making a plan, one is giving him/herself the greatest opportunity to stick to a healthy lifestyle because there exists preparation for things to come and unexpected things that pop up.

Making a plan does not require much work and it can even be done while watching TV. Simply follow these 7 steps:

1. Start with the times that you plan on waking up and going to sleep -- *Very Important* Make sure you’re getting enough sleep! For adults, that is approximately 7-9 hours of sleep.

2. Next, jot down your activities for the day (the time you plan on going to work and finish, errands, when you plan on working out, etc.).

3. Write down when you will be eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, and your snacks between the meals (the rule of thumb is to eat every 2-4 hours, based on what you have done and what you are planning to do).

4. Now that the times for your meals are established, figure out what you will be eating for each meal and snack.

5. Write down what workout you will be doing and include any exercises you want to do while at work, such as a short walk during your lunch break.

6. In preparation for sudden changes, such as that last minute project from your boss, leave a snack with a good shelf life in your desk, purse and/or car’s glove compartment.

7. Finally, and I am not saying this lightly, stick to the plan!

Stay tuned, next week, for the third and final part of the Why You're Not Losing Weight series. In the meantime, if you have any questions or additional tips, feel free to send me an email at jlopez@juliocscs.com or talk to me in person at Revolution Fitness.