Getting In The Mind-Set For Fat Loss
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BA Hon. Kin.
If you’re reading this expecting to hear anything but “fat loss is a marathon, not a sprint,” please do us both a favour and turn the page. Because if you don’t believe that the tortoise beat the hare fair and square, this 
probably isn’t the column for you. As we approach the summer months, the only thing on everyone’s mind other than the Toronto Pro Show is “abs”—how to diet to get them to show, and how to train to get them to pop. We’ll answer all of your technical questions in our myriad columns specifically dedicated to summer fat loss in this issue, but here, specifically, I’m going to address the mind-set you need to have before you start dieting.
“Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity.”—Bruce Lee
Talk to any IFBB pro about what mental shifts occur when they’re about to start their 12, 16 or 20-week prep, and you’ll get the same answer: “A switch just turns on. It’s go-time.” This sounds easy and simple in theory, but remember that these athletes are professionals, and competing is what they do for a living. Their job, which is their livelihood, depends on that switch going on. No switch, no glory, no payout. For us mere mortals, dieting is a slightly less formidable process, but it’s also harder to get going. Personally, I find that I work more like a dimmer switch: I don’t go “on” the second it’s time to start; rather, I gradually transition into my caloric deficit so that I don’t feel like I’m going cold turkey. One thing, the primary thing, that must be considered before we start this fat-loss phase is this: What driving force is persuasive enough to make you want to get lean? What will motivate you enough to want to lose fat, when you’ve just spent the last four to six months hibernating in your off-seasons and enjoying Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s without giving a thought to what the result will be in the summer months? What will get you going and, more importantly, keep you going when times get tough?
Finding Your Motivation
Your why is your motive. When you find your why, you find a way to make it happen. What is the reason or explanation you have for wanting to see your abs, for being lean, for losing fat? Why are you doing this? Why is this goal important to you? If you don’t have answers to these questions, then don’t start, because your why is going to be what propels you forward when there are speed bumps in the road. It’s like that angel on your shoulder reminding you of your purpose. There are so many issues and problems you want to troubleshoot in advance, before the tempting offers of barbecues, birthdays, and date nights pop up. To use an analogy, think back to when you had a test to study for; there are a million and one things that could derail your focus. But if it was a spring semester final, and your why (consciously or subconsciously) was “not going to summer school,” then you did what you needed to do so that you could graduate on time in order to be able to start the rest of your life. You knew you were going to study the shit out of that test because your why was bigger than a test—it was about your future.
It may sound silly in comparison, but fat loss is the same. Dieting/contest prep is hard, tedious, and frustrating, which is why you need to know the reason you’re doing it; because just like that final, it’s so easy to get derailed from your goals and your plan. But as I said before, when you find your why, you find a way to make it happen. So it could be keeping yourself healthy and fit for your kids, or staying sexy so that your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife never develops a wandering eye, or because you have a competition in 12 weeks and you have every intention of getting your pro card. Whatever your reason or your goal is, keep it close to your heart and mind.
“Success is always possible. You just have to be willing to do what’s necessary.”
You know the cliché expression that involves something about shooting for the moon but ending up among the stars? We’ve all heard it a million times, but get it in your head about fat loss too. Set up some big expectations for yourself. If summer starts in 12 weeks, then set a goal to lose anywhere from 12 to 24 pounds, because guess what? Even if you only lose 6 to 10, you will still be 6 to 10 further ahead than if you hadn’t set any goals whatsoever, and had just decided to start a diet. When it comes to fat loss, doing what’s necessary for the mind (i.e., mentally prepping yourself to begin your diet) is just as important as doing what’s necessary for your body (i.e., training and eating).
Mind-Set Tips:
- Know your strengths and your weaknesses.
- Know whether you’re the light switch or the dimmer switch type.
- Know what could potentially be a trigger or pitfall for you when you start your diet.
- Most importantly, know your why.
To read another inspirational article, check our Dan Kennedy's thoughts on the Mind-Muscle connection.