How Long Do I Have To Do This For?
T
his question often comes up when people are trying to lose weight and get in shape. How long will it take? How long will I have to keep up with all the nutrition, sleep and exercise programs, not to mention the continued deprivation from sugar, alcohol, processed foods?
The truth is there isn’t a simple answer. A few factors come in to play. The first is what’s your starting point:
Do you have a lot to lose? Do you have a busy and stressful life? Have you exercised before?
The next factor to consider is how strict will you be with the nutrition and exercise? Can you been consistent or will there be too many cheats in terms of nutrition or missed exercise sessions? This is why food and exercise diaries are essential; we cheat more than we think.
Does that mean you need to be strict forever? No. A good strategy is to strictly follow nutrition, exercise and lifestyle protocols for 3 weeks. Be strict for 3 weeks before letting yourself relax….a bit.
Here’s why 3 weeks is a magic number
Week 1 – You’re excited about the changes and motivated
Week 2 – Things start to get tough but you know you only have one week left
Week 3 – It’s the last week, there’s no better motivation than that!
It’s important to note that having the right information about nutrition, what to eat and most importantly when to eat is crucial. Same goes for exercise, following a progressive resistance program is essential. If you don’t have the right information all the will power and determination won’t get you very far.
Three week blocks is a great way to plan your goals. Set yourself short and long term goals. For some people the final goal can take as long as a year to achieve…that’s overwhelming! Breaking it down in to smaller goals with built in breaks is a great way to stay motivated. Think of how amazing you’ll feel at the end of that year.
If your long term goal goes beyond 3 weeks (most people’s do), don’t use your break to binge and go completely off track. Simply relax a little, allow yourself a few extra treats or a couple of sessions off training. The important thing is not to start from the beginning every 3 weeks!
Finally if you really want to see results, apart from exercise and nutrition you must for the 3 weeks:
Give up alcohol
Sleep 7-9 hours (going to bed about 10:30)
Reduce stress (find time for yourself)
Don’t under estimate these last tips simply because they’re at the end of this article.
Stay focussed!
