“I’ve done well but I feel like if I can just get this last five pounds off I’ll look how I’ve wanted to look, you know?”
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“If I could lose just 10 more pounds that would be great!”
For health professionals and fitness/strength coaches alike this is probably the single most common goal/need that comes out for every aspiring fitness client/patient’s mouth. And it makes sense. We want to be goal-oriented, And if we are not pursuing a goal it could be difficult to stay motivated for the long term. The long term being your whole life, because as crazy as it seems, we really are supposed to be working out our whole lives! Especially since we do not work manual labor jobs!
Fat Loss Is Great Until It Isn’t!
Fat loss for people who need to lose 50+ pounds of body fat should most likely pay close attention to this metric . But the issue for many is we spend FAR TOO MUCH TIME worrying about losing body fat/weight that we miss the big picture to fitness/strength as a whole. Fat loss for some is the furthest thing from healthy. Once you hit a certain threshold (which is unique to everyone really) it can become unhealthy soon enough!
Familiarity Breeds Contempt
If you watch TV for maybe 5 minutes you’ll see these awful news stations and infomercials flooding your mind with “losing 10 pounds” or “eating this and losing 10 pounds in just 30 days!” So basically everyone thinks of fitness as weight loss. And charlatan fitness gurus know how to push your buttons to get you to buy their products. When someone decides to get themselves in shape they tend to only care about their weight. I get it, we recognize it, it’s easy to relate to. 150 lbs is something two people can recognize even if they lack fundamental concepts. Regardless if one is 150 lbs solid and the other is 150 lbs and cannot perform a push up. They don’t care what type of exercise they’re doing nor do they care about the dietary plan they are on, as long as weight comes off.
Worrying about weight loss when trying to be fit is like worrying about how much money is in your savings account when you’re trying to be rich. It’s valuable and it is helpful, but it only fuels short term gratification goals and worrying too much about it will leave you behind down the road!
As a goal-oriented person you’re not leaving yourself too many options when you’re trying to adhere to a program. So once you hit your weight loss goal… whats next? Another 10 pounds? Is it this perpetual cycle of continuing to obsess over your body? Because one thing is for sure..
You can only be so lean!
And the leaner you get, the harder it is to maintain. And the more weight you lose the further you delve into possibly becoming unhealthy physically and even worse, psychologically. The less body fat you have you body will soon start to fight back.
Competitions like bikini class women bring many many to the pinnacle of lean. Many of these women sacrifice a great deal in order to obtain this physique. This type of lean is not what one may call “healthy” and getting there takes a substantial amount of hard work, beyond what many would and SHOULD deem “reasonable.”
Homeostasis Be Damned!
Your metabolic rate slows so your body can run while using less fuel. Much like if a company is losing money at will it must make a change in order to prevent from going broke, right? Your body works the same way even if you do not want it to. Consider your body’s metabolism much like that stingy boss that makes cold, calculated decisions in order to preserve the company’s existence!
Your body gets better at using muscle for fuel because it does not want to spare anymore body fat. Body fat is useful in case of famine or lack of food. So the less we have, the less likely it is to give it up when you try get rid of it. So what does our body do when it needs fuel in a deplated state? Muscle! And muscle is needed for strength and the “shape” that we have from an appearance standpoint.
So basically, fat/weight loss is great until it’s not. And if you’re not planning to compete in a physique competition…we’re going to need a new goal. Because weight loss may fuel a short term need to be lighter on the scale, but your body needs better balance than a lifestyle that is obsessed over a number that really does not mean all that much long term!
Note
If you struggle to shift gears from fat loss due to body dysmorphia issues I strongly suggest seeking the appropriate professional to assist you with this. This blog is far beyond the scope of diagnosed disordered eating patterns such as but not limited to anorexia nervosa or bulimia.
What Is Your New Goal?
Since you hit your weightloss goal and your trusted friends or coach inform you on the dangers that lie ahead by delving any further with this… you need a new goal.
Strength Has Few Limits
A metric that so many people breeze over is strength. Strength is still looked at as something only “those muscley” people do. Strength training is still thought of in people’s heads as if they’re delving into Westside Barbell, sniffing ammonia, and tearing their quads under 800lbs of weight on their back. Or they think of Ronnie Coleman bench pressing 200lb dumbbells and say “woah I don’t ever want to be like that!” Not to worry, chances are slim to nonexistent that anyone will go as far as these people do. They’re extremes and should be looked at as such. But what is funny when we look at these people is it should highlight an important point.
There really is only so lean you can get!
But, there’s very few limits to what strength training can bring you. If you’re trying to get leaner, the only way to do it would be cut MORE calories and/or do MORE cardio, Which of course, if you increase your activity level without calories to match it, extreme lethargic behavior may set in. Is that really a healthy long term solution? Strength training on a regular basis comes with a glowing set of benefits that make us better at everything.
- Improves bone density so you know, you don’t break bones!
- You build more muscle, so you’re stronger and can do everyday activities with ease.
- Muscle burns more fat so you can eat more without a risk of putting on body fat! If 2200 calories used to be a tipping point for you, building muscle mass MAY allow you to utilize these calories for fuel instead of storing them as body fat!
- Strength training and building muscle improves strength of tendons and ligaments so you are less at risk of sprains and tears. So try losing bodyfat if you’re in a cast or on crutches! Or try losing weight while being bed bound watching the Price Is Right!
Still Want To Run The Path To Nowhere?
Despite the benefits I just gave, are you still in the boat of wanting to lose weight? Want to lose that stubborn fat that sits around your mid section like an old boyfriend that you just want to kick to the curb? Increased strength and muscle mass will allow those stubborn areas to come off. It may not be the “quick fix” you’re looking for neccessarily. But you cannot be in a perpetual state of loss all the time,, There must be stages in your programming that has times of fat loss, muscle gain, and maybe even perhaps maintainance depending on what your goal is.
Don’t Know Where To Start?
Hiring a coach to monitor and manipulate variables in your training is an amazing tool to keep you accountable. Its easy to get side tracked by our own head. Often times our immediate short term needs override our long term initiative. So having a coach to help guide you is the smart decision. Whether that be in person or online!
Summary
Fat loss is a great way to improve your appearance, endurance, and activity levels overall, but it is something you can only do for a limited period of time. Create a strong strength training routine and you will be able to change your body composition overtime to allow for more musle mass and an increased rate of fat burning!
Online coaching is an amazing tool for the on-the-go person who wants to work out when they want to! For a fraction of the price of in-person you can get all the benefits of a coach without needing to physically be there to see the coach. I’m currently accepting 4 new clients per month! Email me at Mike@damicofitness.com if you’re looking to become a stronger version of yourself inside and out!
-Mike