Weight Loss… Sprint or Marathon?

You have probably heard the quote, “Losing weight is a marathon- not a sprint” but has that really worked for you…EVER?

Do you find yourself making small changes and being frustrated by the lack of big results?

Is your resolve wearing down because of disappointment in the small changes you have taken months to achieve?

Do you feel completely overwhelmed by how long it will take you to achieve your goal?

If you answered yes to at least one of the questions, maybe it is time you ditched the idea of the “weight loss marathon” for a more effective method that will excite you rather than drain you.

The problem with the “weight loss marathon” approach

• You want to get rid of the pain of being uncomfortable in your clothes and your skin NOW.
•  Whether your changes are big or small, it takes effort and you want a payoff.
•  You like to succeed so when you don’t see results, you apply your efforts to projects with more immediate payoff.
•   It is easy to doubt your daily actions when your body is not changing to validate your approach.
•   No matter how logical it is to build on small change, this weight loss thing is EMOTIONAL and you want what you want… NOW!

I could go on and on listing the reasons why the marathon approach has failed you but I think you get the point already.  The catch 22 is that you also know how miserably the sprint approach of crash dieting and extreme exercise fails you.  You quickly burn out on the unreasonable plan and when you run out of energy and willpower, those pounds come back and bring friends (no fair right).  The shortcomings of the sprint approach are the lack of a short, defined time to implement the plan and a plan for maintaining your results after the sprint is over.

So how can you see significant, motivating results without burning yourself out or subjecting yourself to the weight change roller coaster?

Approach your weight loss journey like an interval workout!

Commit to interchanging periods of intense compliance with your nutrition and workouts (something you probably wouldn’t want to maintain FOREVER) with periods of base level nutrition and workout habits that you could sustain for life.  During your “sprint,  or intense compliance period,  you will see great results pretty consistently and be extremely motivated to keep going to the defined just weeks ahead.  When the sprint is over, you will return to base level effort rather than totally abandoning your commitment to fitness.  When you feel ready again and you want to see more loss or an accelerated rate of loss, time to sprint.  This approach can keep your interest, be amazingly rewarding, and keep you off of the weight change roller coaster.

Just like any good interval workout, it is important to get your weight loss interval journey work to rest ratio just right for you.

How long should your sprint be?  For most people,4-8 weeks is ideal.  There are some who can maintain strict compliance for 12-16 weeks but usually these people have a very strong motivator such as a competition or photo shoot to keep them focused that long and many of them have built healthy base habits over time.  If you usually quit before you hit your goal, start with a short sprint of 4-6 weeks. It is better to be surprised with how easily you stuck to the plan than to fizzle out halfway through.

How long should your maintenance phase be? You should wait as long as it takes to be ready to focus and go hard again.  If you are struggling to maintain your base habits, it is not time for another sprint yet.  A maintenance of 2-4 weeks works for some people who are really committed to getting to the end goal by a defined time but other can wait as long as 8-12 weeks between sprints.

Over time you may find that you can go on longer “sprints” and that your base habits move a little closer to your sprint or transformation habits because you actually enjoy the taste of healthy food and regular movement.  Transformation of your preferences is a benefit to the weight loss interval journey approach much like increased fitness is a benefit of interval workouts.  Most importantly, take ownership of your journey and have fun!