5 ways to improve your fat loss journey (expectations vs. reality)

Sustainable, long-term fat loss done the right way can be extremely rewarding! But it takes time, patience and will involve some lifestyle changes. The alternative? The alternative equals quick fix, yo- yo dieting tactics and most likely weight gain.

The reality is, that if you want to lose weight and keep that weight off, your lifestyle will need to adjust and potentially even change for good. If you can accept that, your journey will be a lot easier and much more rewarding! Here are 5 ways to improve your fat loss path:

1. You can’t expect to lose weight and dine at restaurants 4 times a week. For the most part, restaurant meals are loaded with sodium and cooked in oil and these hidden calories can be hard to track and usually result in miscalculation of calories. If you’re trying to lose weight and you’re eating at restaurants more than once a week (or take out!) chances are it’s going to get harder to see results over time.

However, YOU CAN limit your restaurant visits (and save a ton of money and probably a lot of calories) by eating at home! 2. You can’t hire a nutrition coach and expect them to do all the work for you! Just because you hired a coach, doesn't mean the weight will come off automatically! You’re going to have to focus on the plan that you’re given and learn some new ways to do things- because let’s face it, what you were doing before wasn’t working and that’s why you’re here!

However, YOU CAN be accountable to the habit and lifestyle changes that your coach implements into your program. You hired a coach, it’s time for you to do the work. Saying that you have a nutrition coach is cool and all, but you actually need to do your homework for this to work.

3. You can’t ‘loosely’ track your macros (or portions) and expect there to be any change to your body composition.

However, YOU CAN track 80% (minimum) of your macros and see real change! This takes effort and awareness to your tracking habits and willingness to try!! If you track 80%, you will have 80% results. If you track 20%, you will have 20% results- which is basically 0% results! 4. You can’t go out on weekends and systematically drink alcohol and eat fast foods and expect to see results. Your diet doesn’t stop on Friday night and begin again on Monday morning.

However, YOU CAN scale back on your social obligations! Remember, if you’re here for fat loss that will take some lifestyle changes. And yes, you can still be social and be adherent! By hiring a nutrition coach, you will learn how to manage your weekends and social events so you can YOLO and FOMO all you want- but with some parameters. 5. You can’t ‘wing it’ daily with your nutrition tracking. And by winging it, I mean track what you ate yesterday and expect to be successful with your fat loss.

However, YOU CAN pre-plan your meals, prepare some staple foods (I suggest you prepare proteins to have available at all times) and log them the night before or at the beginning of your day. A nutrition coach can help guide you with all 5 of these lifestyle changes so that you can enjoy your journey with success and confidence! The truth is, “lifestyle” changes can simply become “life” if you practice the changes for long enough.

Written with encouraging support from Nutrition Coach, Michelle

To see how our coaches can help you with these 5 lifestyle changes (and more!) through customized programming, visit courtneyforlife.com/coaching and complete the inquiry form at the bottom of the page. You can learn more about each of our team coaches at courtneyforlife.com/coaches