Manage Your Expectations

Fat Loss Expectations

Is this what your expectations are for fat loss? 

You think you will lose at least 3 pounds a week. 

You think you need to hamster wheel your cardio.

You think you need to give up your favorite foods.

You think you need to eat 1200 calories. 

None of these are true. They are just more expectations of fat loss. 

Reality of fat loss:

If you lose half a pound a week, that is a good rate of fat loss. Up to two pounds is great. I like half to 1 myself.

If you walk every day, you will be fine.

You can still eat your favorite foods while in a fat loss phase. You do not have to deprive yourself. 

Eat as much as you can while still being in a deficit, instead of as little as possible and being hungry and annoyed all the time. 

Expectations need to be managed. Here are more fat loss expectations. 

You want it to happen fast. You think it will be easy. Those are the expectations. The easy. Why can’t it be? We start a fat loss program and get mad when our new body hasn’t shown up in two weeks. I mean, WTF, I’m doing everything right and nothing is happening. 

So why are those the typical expectations when it comes to dieting? I’m really asking. Why?

The definition of expectation is a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future. A belief that someone will or should achieve something. 

To manage expectations is to seek to prevent disappointment by establishing in advance what can realistically be achieved or delivered by a course of actions. 

How fast did you gain weight? It took a while, didn’t it? It’s usually gradual. But, we think the weight loss should be quick. It doesn’t work that way. Even if, as stated above, you are doing everything right, it is still going to take time to see results. 

Manage your expectations when it comes to fat loss. It’s going to take way longer than you think or what you want. It just is. You are going to have to be patient. Way easier said than done. I know. 

It’s a process and you are going to have to take actions every single day that are going to push you towards that goal. Nobody is perfect and I would never expect any of my clients to think they need to be. Life always happens. But when we can manage the expectations of how it’s going to go, it’s much easier to push through the process. It helps to know that it is going to take time. 

Start focusing on daily actions. Pick one. Do it for a while. Get used to it. Then pick another one to add to it and then keep going. Pretty soon you have this great foundation of habits stacked up, which is going to help you in the long run. 

So what should your daily actions be? It’s up to you where you want to start. It’s up to you to gauge where you feel the action is doable for you. It might not be. If that happens, keep that one for later. Instead start really small. More water. More protein at every meal. Manage your stress. Manage your sleep. Those are the kinds of things to work on. 

Those habits compound over time and will come back to you in spades. Most people give up way too soon when it comes to their fat loss program. Again, when you know what to expect and how long it could take, it makes those expectations and your program way more manageable. You become more positive. You become more motivated. You become a cheerleader. A cheerleader for yourself. You become more confident! 

If you get honest with yourself and get consistent, quit quitting and you will see results. By consistent, I mean consistently in a calorie deficit. Not Monday through Thursday and then a free for all on the weekends. 

Stop selling yourself short. Stick up for yourself. Nutrition is a choice. You are a choice. Choose yourself every time.