When it comes to getting in shape, it can be pretty daunting knowing that you’ve got a long way to go.

Looking at the top of the mountain where your dream body, health and energy lives seems so far away that it’s a journey very few are willing to take.

Sometimes inspiration comes by for a fleeting moment and you take a little action, dieting for a week to only lose a few pounds knowing that there are another 20, 30 or more to lose to get anywhere close to your goal quickly leads to a lack of motivation.

Seeing the man in the mirror after all the hard work thinking ‘I still have a belly’ and that little self sabotaging voice kicks in telling you ‘you can’t do it, you are still overweight’ and comfort comes by in the form of more food, leading to further frustration and pain.

The truth is most Dads lose the same 5 kilos and over again never really moving towards their ultimate goal of being a leaner, energetic role model and leader.

Here are some of the common mistakes most Dads make and how to overcome them.

 

LONG TERM MINDSET

 

Most Dads start with one goal in mind, how to lose the weight as quickly as possible by any means necessary.

This already sets you up for failure because this approach will never last, result take time and weekly progress is far better than quick, fast results at the start followed by a frustrating plateau or big blowout weekend of eating.

Change your mindset to be in the game for the rest of your life, not for the next month.

This shift gives you the patience that is required to invest the time, energy and effort to get a long lasting, attainable result.

How long did it take you to gain the weight? 6 months? 1 year or more? If it’s a long time, it will take a while to get back to a better position again.

 

FOCUS ON PROGRESS

 

You may lose 5 or 10 pounds but still feel a long way off your ultimate goal, but that’s ok.

Whenever you allow yourself to get dissatisfied with your outcomes, you open the door to comfort eating, self sabotage and excuses.

Never allow yourself to be upset ‘because I only lost 1 pound this week’.

Even if you lose 1 pound that week, that’s 1 pound closer to your goal and by allowing yourself to feel good and proud about your achievement, you’ll increase your optimism about the whole situation which will take you to your next win.

 

KNOW YOUR REASONS

 

We all act for our own reasons, nobody loses weight for the sake of losing weight.

For example, you go to work even when you don’t feel like it because you need to provide for your family which is a strong reason.

Excuses and not showing up to work could mean losing your job or not being able to provide, so it’s about getting it done.

When it comes to weight loss, reasons will give you purpose to keep going and allow you to remember why you are doing this when you feel like it’s all too much.

A good exercise is to write down 10 reasons why you MUST (not should) lose weight and read them every single day to help stay focused on your goal.

Whatever you focus on grows, so focus on your reasons and you’ll stay more motivated and naturally prioritise this area of your life.

 

IMPROVE YOUR DIET QUALITY

 

Instead of starving yourself, taking meal replacements or using fad diets, focus on diet quality as this will solve a lot of problems for you.

A high quality diet rich in fibre, fats, water and protein will leave you feeling more satisfied and satiate you a lot more than simply cutting back on an already average diet.

An easy way to do this is to eat real food in an unprocessed state.

For example, an orange is real whilst orange juice is processed with more sugar as it takes many oranges to make, plus it lacks fibre for hunger control.

Ready made meals are processed with many added ingredients (preservatives, sugars, salt, e-numbers) whilst freshly made food is far cleaner and more nutritious.

Plus less processed foods (especially low sugar options) will trigger less insulin which accelerates the fat burning process.

Simply committing to healthier food 7 days a week without eating too restrictively is a good place to start because you’ll be less likely to self-sabotage.

Once you can be consistent with it all, then start looking at portion control to increase fat loss if you feel like things have slowed down.

 

CUT DOWN ON THE EXERCISE

 

Over exercising whilst trying to lose weight is a big mistake because you’ll be hungry all of the time.

Think about it, if you aren’t consuming enough energy to maintain your current weight then adding in more physical activity is going to leave you empty.

It’s far easier (and less time consuming) to eat 500 calories less than it is to burn 500 calories through exercise.

Also, many studies show that if you are already in a dietary deficit and you over exercise making the energy reduction too big, the body makes compensations through your energy, metabolism and hormonal secretion to slow down weight loss for survival reasons meaning you’ll plateau out faster.

The goal of exercise should not be to burn more energy, but to maintain muscle mass because muscle burns energy, so a loss of muscle will slow down your metabolism and make weight regain easier.

I recommend 3 days a week maximum for 30 minutes to help retain muscle and stimulate the metabolism.

 

REDUCE YOUR STRESS LEVELS

 

Stress produces cortisol which makes the body hold onto body fat around your internal organs which is a health hazard.

Because visceral fat is around the stomach and many vital organs, it makes you more at risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Stress reduction comes from getting more sleep, creating a better work/life balance and of course the daily practise of meditation.

Another benefit of reducing stress levels is a reduction in instances of comfort eating which can massively reduce self-sabotage and help you be more consistent with your nutrition.

By following the above steps, you’ll inevitably see positive changes in your mindset, body and health to create the life and results you are after.

If you’d like some help to lose 10+ KG, increase your energy, improve your health and have more body confidence again without having to spend your life in the gym or using any supplements, we have a 90 day coaching programme that shows you everything you need to know!

 

For example, see Scott’s recent post below.

 

To apply for coaching, PRESS HERE to get started.