You Are Not Fat (How A Shift In Your Mindset Can Accelerate Results)

If all that was required was information to drop body fat and build muscle, then everyone would be walking around with their dream physique, absentmindedly bumping into each other as we hurriedly scan from shiny object to shiny object in a never-ending quest to catch a glimpse of our own reflection 

However despite the fact there’s more practical advice on getting movie-star jacked at our fingertips than ever before?

More and more people are struggling with their weight, fitness, and confidence levels

Because practically speaking? You could summarise the steps for a lean physique in a single sentence:

“Consume slightly fewer calories than you expend to drop body fat, eat around 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight to retain muscle mass, lift weights two or more times a week, try and have veggies/fruit at most meals, drink over 2 litres of water a day, and sleep over 7 hours a night”

Boom, done- you probably won’t ever need more guidance than that

Except it’s not that easy, is it?

Despite having access to more information than we’ll ever need, more and more people struggle every year with feeling confident with their health and physique

and it’s frustrating

really, really frustrating

You see oftentimes- it’s not the lack of knowledge that’s the issue (although there is an issue with shifting through unreliable information we covered in THIS BLOG POST)

Oftentimes it’s an case of self-sabotage, prompted by an outlook on your current situation and future goals, that causes you to throw up obstacles and barriers in the way of you hitting the targets you set yourselves 

I’m not saying you’ll be able to magically repeat your inner mantra every day and wake up one day looking like a Hollywood actor 6 months after they find out they've got a starting role in the latest Marvel Flick

But I am saying, if you don’t accept this one, fundamental truth when trying to lose weight?

You’ll be setting yourself up for failure and bouncing back over, and over again:

You Are Not Fat

Body fat is the storage of excess calories for later use

It can come and go dependant upon your activity levels and lifestyle

It is some you HAVE, not something you ARE

If you’re carrying a handbag, do you then refer to yourself as a handbag? 

Of course not, that would be ridiculous (although if you’re reading this and do identify as a handbag, please accept my preemptive apology, I see your struggle)

Why is it then, that when carrying a little excess body fat- we suddenly label ourselves as being fat?

Body fat is needed for survival, and our bodies method of storing fuel for later use in times of famine. Now most of us are very lucky to no-longer require that function,  but we haven’t quite caught up with our new "need" of perfect instagram selfies and tinder profile pics

Damn you physiology

Here’s where the mindset shift comes in- you will always struggle with actions that directly oppose your self-image

If you see yourself as an honest person, then fleecing someone out of their hard-earned money on Facebook Marketplace for a counterfeit Pokemon card won’t sit well with you (if you view yourself more as a “hustler”, and value your resourcefulness above honesty however, it might feel like a perfectly reasonable thing to do)

If you have an image of yourself as being “bad with the *insert sex you’re attracted to*”, then you might find you stumble over simple sentences and generally lose all decorum whilst in the company of someone you find attractive  

And if you view yourself as “fat”, then you’ll often discover yourself battling against behaviours that are effectively allowing you to get leaner

Change is hard- even when it’s something you think you want

we create an image of ourselves, then protect it- either consciously or otherwise

and struggling with that change isn't a purely internal thing- you'll find other people often want you to stay as you are too:

If you’re a "party animal", and then make a shift to focus more on self-education, work and your fitness? Some people will struggle with that, and attempt to tempt you back into weekend-long MDMA trips at dodgy festivals with those portable toilets that you can smell for weeks after you've done your business

And if someone sees you as their friend that mocks people heading to the gym at 6am in their lycra, and their go-to takeaway buddy? Don’t be surprised if they also resist the changes you’re making to better your health

and despite your best efforts, if you don’t make a choice to change the image you have of yourself in your head?

you’ll do the exact same thing to yourself

you'll drop a little weight, feel uncomfortable with the change, and return to old habits (and the clothing size you’re used to)

so if you want to get leaner, build muscle and improve your health & fitness?

Acknowledge not that that’s the person you will become- instead, insist that’s the person you already are

You’re the type of person that goes to the gym

You’re the type of person that cares about their health and fitness- and makes dietary choices to reflect that

You’re the type of person that cultivates a balanced approach to life (so takeaways aren’t banned- but they aren’t every day either)

You’re the type of person that can separate the body fat you’re storing for energy, from who you are as a human being

because if you don’t take the time to address how you view yourself, and switch that view to better suit who you want to become?

You’ll most-likely trip yourself up on the way to the new you, and once again fall back to the role you’re comfortable in

WANT TO MAKE THE JOURNEY TO THE NEW YOU EVEN EASIER?

Whilst we just went through the issue with information without the correct mindset shift- the fact remains: even with the correct mental approach, it can be a minefield of misinformation out there when it comes to dietary choices

​that's why we created you guide to Never Diet Again, to take all of the guesswork away from building your ideal physique

want your FREE COPY? Click Here