Fat Loss Lifestyle Blog

In working with well over 500 clients that have graduated from the Fatloss LifeStyle 12 Week Body Transformation System I have learned a lot about what motivates people to make lasting change.

One facet of most people’s fitness and fat loss programs that usually gets over looked is goal setting.  It is a fact that only 3% of the population has a goal that last past the second week in January. 

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that in order to really change your body the way you want to change it;  you must have a precise deadline.  It is like cramming for the exam in school.  You are never going to study (at least if you are like me and most the people that I knew) the way you studied the night before the big test.

Fact is, we just are not going to do what we need to do if we do not have the pressure on us.  At forty four years old I have gotten in fantastic condition about 20 times.  I am always in good condition.  But around 20 times in the past, I have taken my body fat % down to under 6% while maintaining my lean muscle.  And I got to tell you, it is definately a high.  And every time I did it,  it was because I committed to standing on a stage in posing trucks, or I had a speaking engagement, or a vacation, or a photo shoot.  YOU MUST HAVE A PRECISE DEADLINE.

When you peak your fitness you have an unbelievable aura (energy you put out).  And people and things are drawn to you because of it.  You have a sparkle in your eye.  I just got done training a client that has been training 3 one on one sessions per week for 6 years.  His name is Brian Kuzdas and he owns a condo conversion company called www.OwnACondo.com  For the most part, he just maintains a descent level of fitness with my service.  But in the last 3 weeks,  he has lost well over 2 inches off his waistline.  He feels and looks much better because of it.  And today when he left his work out he told me something amazing.

In what some people think is a hard time to raise money because of  “THE ECONOMY”,  he has raised the most money he has ever raised to expand his company.   In just the last month.  His company is exploding nation wide.  Right now as we speak.  And this is a time when a lot of other companies in his niche are crying “hard times” and are going bankrupt.

Two things;  

#1  Brian peaked his fitness, fat loss, energy, focus, length of his work day, creativity,  etc;   because I held a contest with my clients.  I told them that I was going to award a free week of training to who ever changed their body the most in one month.  Brian committed and ate, worked out, got his rest, stretched like never before.  HE HAD A GOAL.  A PRECISE GOAL WITH A DEALINE!

#2 Brian became a better business owner because he peaked his fitness. 

Getting in great shape, putting on those old blue jeans and having them hang on you feels amazing.  But how you become better in all the other areas of your life,  how you have less stress,  how you have the ability to live stronger and longer is even more amazing.

Having a precise goal and deadline is very important.  And you also need a way to track your progress.  Below is a simple, usable goal setting strategy that you can personalize for your self. 

Don’t just work out with weights, do your cardio, and eat better and just occasionally step on the scale.  This technique will not work for you.  You will not get in great shape.

Leverage is Key

What is leverage?   It is something that gives you more strength or power than you would normally have.  In order to have leverage when you set a fitness goal you must have a precise goal, an exact deadline, and you must have emotions attached to the completion of the goal.  The goal is the what, and the emotions are the why.  When you have a what and a why, you have leverage.  You have more power to consistently get your work outs in.  You have more incentive to eat small healthy meals often.

You Must Get Emotional

Plugging in your emotional reasons for wanting to peak your fitness and fat loss is crucial.  It is the why to the what.  It does not matter what they are;  just make sure that they are real for you.  Pick the top 2 or 3 emotional reasons why you must become healthier, leaner, stronger, and more energetic.

Preciseness is Paramount 

Your goal cannot be “I want to lose some weight” or “I want to feel better”.  A better goal would be “I am going to lose 2 inches off my waist by Nov. 5^th (some date six weeks into the future).

The Scale Does Not Work

Most people make the mistake of only using the scale to see if their fat loss program is working.  The scale does not tell you the whole story.  It will not tell you if you are replacing fat with muscle.  It will not tell you if you are losing valuable water, muscle, or fat. 

Ideally you should use a one site skin fold caliper kit.  It is very quick, easy, and consistently accurate.  Within one minute you will know your over all body fat percentage, fat weight, and lean body mass.  Armed with this info you will be able to really tell if your fitness program is working.

If you are reluctant to use a skin fold caliper kit, at least use a tape measure and a scale.

A measurement around the waistline and a scale weight can let you know more than just using the scale.  If the scale stays the same, but the waistline is less, then you know that you have gained muscle and lost fat.  Not a precise as a skin fold caliper kit, but much better than just using the scale.

Commitment Sheet

Below is an example of our goal setting tool that we use with our clients.  It is called a commitment sheet.  It is a commitment that you make to yourself.  It ties everything together.

I _____________ (your name) am very excited about my new, healthy, fat loss lifestyle program that I have committed to.

On __________ ( a date six weeks into the future), when I retest my body comp and take pictures, I will have;

                                                             Goals

1.      Lost 12 lbs. of fat

2.      Gained 4 lbs. of muscle

3.      Lost 3 inches off my waist

                 Emotional Elements

So that;  1.  I can get off my blood pressure medication

2.       I can lead my family by example on how to live a healthy full life

3.      I can feel attractive to the opposite sex

4.      I can have more confidence to start my own business

 ______________________  (your signature)

             _______________   (todays date)

The commitment sheet above can be used by you.  Just put in your own emotional elements.  The goals are very doable by most fat loss clients.

As you can see, the commitment sheet is written in the tense of already having accomplished the goals.  Your home work now is to read the commitment sheet out loud, with a positive tone in your voice three times right before bed.  And right upon wakening in the morning.  There is power in the spoken word.  Stand up tall, with good posture, and say it like you mean it.

These two times of the day you are in an alpha sleep state.  This is prime time for you to be more susceptible to auto suggestion or self hypnosis.  Your mind will go over 12-15 times what you were thinking about at these two times as it “cleans the files” while you sleep. 

If you really want some goal setting power,  you will focus on seeing the goal as it has already been accomplished, and feeling the emotion of accomplishing your emotional elements because of  hitting your goal.  So one key is to see it, and feel it, like you already have accomplished it.  I highly suggest that you cut out the physique of a lean, muscular person out of a magazine or print one off of the computer.  Cut out the silhouette of the body you want and put your head on it.  It is important for you to see this often through out the day.  I did this 15 years ago, and within 2 years I took my physique to a level that I never dreamt of and became a drug free for life competitive bodybuilder in the WNBF.  It works.

What we are doing is working on that faith muscle that you can peak your fitness & health and therefore peak in all the areas of your life at any age.  This is a great mental and emotional exercise.  Because what I have found for myself, my trainers, and my clients is that once we believe something, with a sense of certainty deep down in our core,  it will almost always become true for us.

That is what this commitment sheet can do for you.  It is very powerful.  I have seen well over 100 personal clients radically change their waistline, their lifestyle, and their lives by using this goal setting / visualization tool.  In fact, each of the over 80 testimonials at www.FatlossMasterMind.com  are or were personal clients of mine that used the “committment sheet” during their 12 Body Transformation Program.

A fitness / fat loss lifestyle is the only true fountain of youth that exists.  You DO have the power to change!!

Please comment below and let me know if you thought this was valuable info or tell me a goal setting strategy that has worked well for you.

Your Healthy Lifestyle Coach,

Darin L. Steen