Slow Down for Faster Results

Want Faster Results?... Slow Down!

You want to lose fat and see muscle definition and you want it done yesterday right? Well getting faster results requires that you sloooooooow down. This time I'm not talking about the speed at which you lift, press, or do your cardio. I'm talking about slowing down long enough to evaluate what you are doing and to make small, continuous improvements for better results. I have come across many ladies who are frantic for quick results and ready to pull out all of the stops to get them. Maybe you can relate.

Here's the scenario. Suzy sets a fitness goal and deadline and then begins to follow her program - 6 small meals, 3 metabolic strength sessions, 3 cardio interval sessions, daily activity and so on. A few weeks pass and Suzy hops on the scale, pulls out the tape measure, and takes some pictures to assess her progress and..... she doesn't like what she sees. Less weight loss than she had hoped for, only a few fractions of an inch change in measurements and no noticeable difference in the pictures. Suzy is driven and ready to make her goal happen so she starts to wonder what she needs to do to "get this thing going". She contemplates more cardio, lower carbs, two a days and more. No price is too high because she is determined. Does this sound familiar?

I have met many Suzy's in my time. As a matter of fact I was her. If you can relate to Suzy, here's my suggestion for you today....slow down! Track what you are doing in a fitness journal- workouts, meals, sleep, everything. Establish what you consider a reasonable rate of progress and write that down as well (it is a good idea to get your fitness coach to sign off on what is a reaosnable rate of progress for you). Track how your body responds- changes in weight, measurements, body fat pinches, fit of your progress jeans, and visual changes. If your body is not changing at a rate you consider reasonable, look over your journal and identify opportunities to improve your COMPLIANCE WITH YOUR CURRENT PLAN before changing the plan. Each week, improve how well you attack your current plan. If you follow your current plan with 90% compliance or better for 2-4 weeks with slow results, then and only then is it time to tweak your approach. Small, continual changes will produce the best lasting results. Make it a great week!

Things to Look For When You Review Your Fitness Journal

Here are some common opportunites for improvement. There are many more but this list should get you going in the right direction.

1. Meal frequency- Eat every 2-3.5 hours. Don't skip meals.
2. Protein intake- Eat a source of protein every time you eat.
3. Sources of protein- Ensure your protein sources have low to moderate amounts of fat. The general rule is to take the amount of protein per serving and divide it by two. The number you get is the upper limit for the amount of fat per serving that should be in that protein source.
4. Produce intake- Eat a source of produce with each meal.
5. Portion sizes- Ensure you are eating proper portions at each meal (not to small or too large).
6. Water intake- Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces (i.e. 50 ounces or more if you weigh 100 pounds).
7. Sleep Patterns - Get 7-9 hours per night.
8. Workout Frequency - Do 3 strength sessions and 3 interval sessions- no skipped workouts.
9. Starchy Carbohydrate Intake- Ensure you are eating minimally modified sources of carbs at the time of day when you need the most energy and before and after your workouts.