The number #1 reason most people give up on their weight loss goals is because they lose motivation. Losing weight is not an easy process. It requires sacrifice and hard work.
You'll need to give up your favorite foods and eat right. To make things tougher, you'll also have to engage in cardio and resistance training to burn off the fat. Now, it's not the diet or exercise that makes people quit. It is the failure to see results fast enough.
This could be due to a lack of knowledge, improper training or not following a proper diet. However, this article concerns itself with something more unique. It's about people who are getting results but think they're not... and they quit! That's a real pity because they were doing well.
So why did they quit?
They misjudged their results. Many people, who are trying to lose weight, obsess over the numbers on the scale. This is the biggest mistake. Numbers on a scale mean nothing and are a very poor indicator of actual fat loss.
The whole idea of losing weight and getting fit is about looking better and feeling better. Not changing the numbers on a weighing scale. The first thing anyone should do when trying to lose weight is to toss their scale away.
So why are the numbers on a scale unreliable?
The weight on the scale does not take into account body composition. Let's look at an example. Bob trains and eats right for 4 weeks; he lost 5lbs of fat. During this same period, due to the resistance training he gained 3lbs of lean muscle.
However when Bob weighs himself on a scale all he sees is a loss of 2 measly lbs. Bob thinks to himself, "After all this training and dieting, only 2lbs!"... "To hell with this, I'm quitting." That's it. What Bob did not realize as that he lost 5 lbs. of fat and gained muscle. If Bob knew, he'd be totally motivated!
Another reason people lose motivation is gaining weight while on a diet and training regimen. Once again they base their results on the scale.
This usually happens on a cheat day. If you're carb cycling on your cheat day, you'll consume more carbs than usual. When you do this, your body will retain more water. Does that mean you gained fat?
No. Your increased weight on the scale is water weight. If you just consume more water on that and the following day, your weight will drop and go back to normal. No big deal at all. Yet, people mistake the gain in weight as a negative result. They quit their training, diet and just throw in the towel.
So how should you track your progress?
That's an excellent question. Shaun Hadsall, the creator of the wildly popular fat loss guide, The 4 Cycle Solution stated that the best way to track your progress was to take 1 photo of yourself in revealing clothes every week.
Since losing weight is about looking good, this is the best way to see your body change before your eyes. One photo on the same day every week will show you how much your body is changing.
This is an excellent tip. In fact, it is recommended that you visit Shaun's website, The 4 Cycle Solution to learn more tips about fat loss. The information is really good and thousands of people have benefitted from it.
