Being a health coach and personal trainer, I talk to a lot of people who are struggling with the battle of the bulge. You would think that with Google, Facebook, and YouTube making weight loss information so abundant and accessible that this would not be a problem. Yet, according to the CDC, over 36% of Americans are obese with another 32.5% overweight. That’s a staggering 2/3 of the American population that is either Overweight or Obese.
With information so easily obtained why are so many Americans struggling with their weight?
The answer is that they are missing three key components that, when used in conjunction, will ensure that you achieve your goals. When you start to make plans on getting in shape or losing weight, you typically think in terms of diet and meal plans, or exercise programs. But those things are not nearly as important as the components I’ll be laying out in this article.
The River
First of all, I want you to imagine that you could wave a magic wand and get everything you wanted in 90 days. What would that look like? What goals would you set for yourself?
Maybe you want to lose weight and be slimmer. Is low energy a problem? If it is, then maybe you would want to focus on solving that problem as well. Maybe you feel like there is not enough time for yourself, and that self care seems more like a luxury than a necessity. How would it look different if you could sort that problem out?
Now, I want you to imagine that you are standing on the bank of a vast river. On the other side of that river is everything in you want. All of your goals are met over there, but the river is filled with all manner of disaster and peril you can think of. Currents, snakes, piranha, and other nasties reside in the water, and they represent everything that holds you back from reaching your goals.
What I’m about to share with you is a way for you to get across that river that’s easy and fun.
Three Legs of the Stool
There is a reason why some programs get results when others fail. Programs that get the best results, in the shortest time possible include 3 things. These three things are what I like to refer to as the legs of a stool. If you take one of the legs away, you’ll topple over where you stand.
The 3 Legs of the Stool
- The Right System
- The Right Support
- The Right Accountability
The Right System means that you have the right steps in the right order. I’ll share more about the system in a minute.
The Right Support means that you need to have someone who is in your corner that can help you when you get stuck or don’t know where to go next. This person needs to be invested in your success as much as you are, and they need to be able to deliver the tools necessary for you to reach your goals.
The Right Accountability means that you have the right person in place to give you a kick in the ass when you need it. Most of us know what to do to reach our goals, but we fall short. And, we fall short because we don’t have that accountability in place.
I bet if you think about it, that there is something that you know you could be doing to reach your goals…but you aren’t. That’s where an accountability coach comes in.
The System
Earlier I said that the Right System is the right steps in the right order. They are like Stepping Stones to help you get across that river we were standing on the bank of. Remember all of those piranha? Well, we are going to use these stepping stones to get to the other bank without disaster.
Step #1
Step 1 is “Set Up the Conditions for Inevitable Success”. When you are set up for inevitable success, follow through becomes easy. Everything is laid out for you, and there is no questioning where you are headed. Without this step, most people fall back into previous patterns and habit that get them more of what they don’t want.
It’s so critical to learn how to make time for yourself a priority, while still maintaining a lifestyle that incorporates work, family, friends, and all the other busy aspects of your daily life. Many people feel like they are trapped by their jobs, families, and lives. It’s empowering to take charge of your health and your life without compromising anything else.
If your lifestyle changes are not sustainable or fun, you will start to feel like you have to choose between your health and schedule. That is just not going to last.
Step #2
Step 2 is “Finding Out What Foods are Right For Your Body”. Without this step, you may be eating foods that are commonly deemed “healthy” but aren’t giving you the desired results you are looking for.
Your body is completely unique to you. So, how can you grab a diet book off the shelf and expect it to work without fail? What works for the author might not work for you. Some people function better with more fats in their diet. Some do better with low carbs, some with high carbs. Some people need extra protein or they feel lethargic and weak.
People often wonder why they can no longer lose weight or why they have low energy no matter how many salads they eat. In this step, you want to find out as quickly as possible which foods are optimal for your body and lifestyle.
Step #3
Step 3 is where it all comes together, and you “Turn Your New Healthy Habits into Lasting Lifestyle Changes”.
Did you know that around 98% of all people who lose weight, tend to put it back on within 6 months? What’s more discouraging is that they tend to put all of the weight back on PLUS More!
Why? Because they are missing this crucial step across that river!
If you think about it, dieting is basically Deprivation. You get a quick fix because you are depriving yourself for a temporary period of time. What usually happens is that you get really tired of living that way, and say “Screw It!” This inevitably leads back to binging all the weight back on.
You must learn how to make reasonable and achievable healthy habits into your new behavior. This is what the 2% does. The new healthy lifestyle doesn’t go away at the end of the 12 week program for them…it simply becomes what they do and who they are.
There you have it. The 3 stepping stones across the river to your goals.
- Set up the conditions for inevitable success
- Find what foods are right for your body
- Turn healthy habits into lasting lifestyle changes
If your program does not include these three key steps, there is a good chance that you will revert back to old habits as soon as you finish.
-Keith Miller
Keith Miller is a certified Health Coach and Personal Trainer in La Grange, KY. He is the owner of Up For It Coaching, and helps people all over the world achieve their goals of losing weight, feeling better, and creating healthy lifestyle changes. He teaches local fitness and martial arts classes in La Grange, KY, and also provides online fitness training and consulting.
Schedule a FREE Success Strategy Session with Keith by clicking below!