I made it a month to my birthday trip and lost 5 lbs. Post-trip I found it very hard to stay on track. I went from 95% consistency to 75%.
The hardest part about inconsistency is that progress is slower and it’s easy to go down the mental path that “it’s not working.”
You’re right, Aurora. It doesn’t work if you have multiple meals out and extra sweet treats. It’s not because you’re not at a caloric deficit but because you’re only at a deficit 5 days out of the week.
The data shows that body fat is dropping and lean mass is increasing so it is working but it’s slower than you’d like because YOU AREN’T FOLLOWING THE PLAN.
Greater flexibility adds time to the process. It’s your journey and the timeline is up to you however this is something that should be front of mind if you are doubting why it’s not working. Everyone wants results immediately but even with 100% consistency, it still takes time. Do not devalue the process. The process is what changes our bad long term habits. The progress is what validates we can do hard things. The process is what reminds us that honoring our commitments to ourself is critical to confidence. Losing weight is great but the process is what builds our resilience physically and mentally. The process is what changes our life; not the final number on the scale.
Starting Point INBODY
60 Day Results INBODY
At 60 days, I input my InBody results into ChatGPT. This is when I realized I had made significant progress even though the scale hadn’t moved as much as I liked. I had lost almost 7 lbs of fat and gained over 1 lb of muscle. This is why we say the scale doesn’t tell the whole story.
To monitor progress you need to use several of the following:
- Photos
- Scale
- Measurements
- How clothes fit
- Inbody scan
- Dexa scan
I haven’t taken any progress photos but I can confirm that my measurements barely changed in 60 days and the scale only decreased by 6 lbs.
The InBody data summary by ChatGPT is what finally made me realize it was working. I was successfully losing body fat and increasing muscle however when I would compare week over week, the progress seemed insignificant. The summary was the moment it clicked - my efforts were working.
The first time I transformed my body, I followed the plan 100%. I know this is hard to believe because it is so hard but I was extremely motivated by my divorce. My why was very strong and I had a concrete goal of competing.
Today, I have no official goal. No event; no show and for whatever reason this makes it harder for me to operate “black and white.” Without much fight, I will give myself flexibility with an additional refeed or desserts. Craving something? I still give in versus assuring myself I can have it another time.
Our daily decisions make up our habits which ultimately define our lifestyle. Because I truly believe this, I am balancing a calorie deficit and living life. I will openly admit that having a very specific goal significantly increased my ability to follow the plan but I also think it’s important to build the habits that support the life you desire to live.
It takes time but our decisions compound good or bad. Losing weight requires changing habits and letting them compound. The process is long but the goal is that the changes are permanent.
Stay tuned for the next update! We got this 💪