But I Only Lost 5 Pounds…WTF???

 

Has this ever happened to you? You embark on a new training program, join a gym or new fitness class or maybe even start a new nutrition program. It’s time for your first assessment and you’re totally pumped! You hop on the scale and to your disappointment you ONLY lost five pounds? If you said yes you are not alone.

In fact I hear this statement from clients, friends or even a new acquaintance when discussing their progress and it makes me downright sad!!

Let me say this…five pounds of fat loss is a big deal! Anyone can severely cut calories, drop carbs and add some exercise to the mix and drop five pounds in a matter of days, but is it sustainable and long term? Probably not. I won’t get to sciencey in this post but to lose a pound of fat a calorie deficit must be present of about 3500 calories. That’s nothing to sneeze at. It can be done from diet alone or to me the best combo is from strength training + a solid and sustainable nutrition plan.  

My Rockstar online client Jill

I am so passionate about helping women get the results they are after, feel stronger, confident and more energetic so when I hear statements like-I’ve only lost five pounds!@$#@ even though the person has lost weight, created new ‘good habits’ and have improved their quality of life, that darn blinking number on the scale trumps the non scale victories every single time.  

That’s why I believe it’s crucial to focus on non-scale victories which all boils down to this- practicing habits on a daily basis that make you feel good and get you closer towards your goals, which I believe are way more important than the number on the scale. Regardless if you have 10 or 100 pounds to lose, the fact the anyone loses five pounds is a big deal!!

The majority of my clients, in person and online are looking for fat loss and body composition changes like toning up aka building muscle 🙂 But most have tried the yo-yo diet, diet pills, or more extreme programs for weight loss. They can usually hang in there a bit but eventually the restriction, extreme commitment and deprivation is too great that they end up quitting and rightfully so!!

After working with hundreds of women over the years and having my own personal transformation-which you can read about here if you are interested 🙂 I totally get it!!

To wrap things up here’s some truth talk…

The slower the fat loss the longer it will be kept off and maintained.

If you are seriously looking for fat loss, improved health or body comp changes you have to get in the mindset that this is a lifestyle change, not just a 30 day quick fix.

Strength training is a superior way to boost the metabolism aka increase your RMR (resting metabolic rate) has a positive effect on key hormones regarding fat loss such as improved insulin sensitivity, and is essential for creating a leaner and tighter physique, and increased energy expenditure much longer than traditional steady state cardio. Plus strength training during a caloric deficit during a fat loss phase helps maintain the muscle you already have.

A calorie deficit is required but don’t cut too much. This can cause your metabolic rate to drop to compensate for the lack of calories as this has a negative effective on the hormones, leptin and ghrelin which control hunger and satiation.

The steps that you take towards fat loss should enhance your life! I’m not saying fat loss is a walk in the park, some changes and restriction need to happen but it doesn’t need to feel terrible, and if it does it’s means it time to step back and take a new approach!!

Ps- I have a few spots open in my one-on-one online coaching program. If you are interested in embarking on an effective training+nutrition program that delivers results I would love to work with you and help you reach your goals in a safe, fun and effective manner!! Fill out the contact form for more details and I will get back to you right away!!

XO, Jenn

 

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