My Fat Loss Clients and “Everything Works”

September 8, 2011 in BLOG 7 Comments

I’m convinced that everything works. And, if you read my work, I think everything works for about six weeks. So, I really embrace and love things that get me outside of this marvelous six week zone. I am currently helping several fat loss clients over the internet and a stumbling block in our conversations has arisen several times:

“Um, Dan, I want results NOW.” My response: “Did you eat breakfast?”
“Dan, this is crazy, there are no workouts here/these workouts are too easy!” My response: “Are you keeping a food journal?”
“My friends at work are doing this thing where they (insert insane idea that makes me shake my head). Why aren’t we doing this?” My response: “Did you take your multi-vitamin?”

You see, all fat loss diets and programs “work.” They just don’t work very long. With Tim Ferris’s new book, The Four Hour Body, coming out, I had to recently have this conversation:

“So what can I eat?”
What?
“Yeah, the lady on the plane said fruit makes you fat and showed me this big orange book (Four Hour Body). So, what can I eat?

You see the issue! I know this: if you are on Atkins but eat bagels, your Atkins diet experience won’t be as good as mine was when I got to 209 for a lifting meet. I’m not a jerk, I’m just staying the obvious.

So, here is my problem: my clients want quick fixes. The funny thing is this: there ARE quick fixes, it just takes longer than you think! My approach to fat loss, unless we have a pressing time commitment, is to reestablish simple habits. Here is Week One’s “work:”

Week One MUSTS!
1. Buy and take a no Iron Multi-vitamin daily.
2. Arrange to take Before Photos and Measurements.

SHOULDS:
*Get an idea of whether or not you can do Push Ups.
*Be sure to walk EVERY day somehow and somewhere.
*Especially after waking, flying, driving, breathing: drink a lot of extra water.

Habit: Multi-Vitamin daily, understanding what is a “Must.”
Compliance: Take the pill!

Note: The “iron” issue has to do with constipation for many. Of all the problems with starting a new way of life, I like to avoid that one.

You know what? I am not asking for much here. All I want the first few days is to get the pill and take it. It’s like my floss idea…if you can’t have the discipline to floss twice a day, why should I waste my time outlining an eight year attack on the Olympic Games?

There are other habits I want you to follow…over time. A few “fun” ones:

1. Buy two 2000ml bottles. Or, just use two empty two liter bottles that had soda in them. Fill with water and put some tea bags in there. I suggest green tea, some herbal tea and maybe some “magic” ones that cure this or that. The one I am drinking right now has green tea and “detox.” Place in the sun and turn this into Sun Tea. It’s easy, God does all the work. Put in the fridge. Now, each day, before noon, drink one of the bottles. I recommend two so one can be consumed and the other is becoming magic Sun Tea.

This “kills” several birds with one stone. You drink a fair amount of chilled beverages which will freeze fat off! (Hyperbole, Thy name is Dan!) Also, water is going to help you with your fat loss goals. It does and every good fat loss program mentions it…the bad ones, too! Also, maybe there are micronutrients or herbal helps (pronounced “erbal elps”) that may come from the Sun Tea. But, the best thing? It makes you think about fat loss while switching the bottles out and every time you open the fridge.

2. Make and eat more veggie soup. If I ever get picked as the coach of the “World’s Next Greatest Fattest Big Loser,” my group is going to eat probably 25 different veggies a day. Most of it will be in soups. Soup is always under valued in its ability to support goals. I started making veggie soups years ago and you can honestly stick in anything in the pot and the magic of “soupness” will make it better. Veggies you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole are pretty good in a soup. Also, a bowl of soup, or as much as you want to be honest, tends to fill you up.

3. You want a miracle training program? Do either Swings and Push Ups or Goblet Squats and Push Ups. Getting up off the ground after the Push Ups will do more magic for fat loss than 99% of the crap I see out there today. Yep, it’s simple. Simple works.

4. Does “cold” really burn fat? It sure seems to! If you can’t stomach the ice baths, buy one of those inexpensive cold wraps that goes around your neck. As you type or watch TV, keep it on there. If Tim Ferris is right, you will be effortlessly, save some cold, be attacking your fat loss goals.

5. You can’t outrun bad food choices. Always prime the pump with protein. I recommend a lot with breakfast and hope my clients have the courage to always have protein as part of any “error in judgement.” If you are at a bar, order wings and devour them. If you start stuffing cheap carbs down your throat, it is going to be tough to turn off that switch.

Of course, there are more and…of course, everything I say is so simple. Simple works in the fat loss game.