If you have a problem, you have got to address it. We all know that is the way to solve problems. But what if you got the problem wrong in the first place? As far as fat loss is concerned, this seems to be the most common trend. A lot of people focus too much on what appears to be the problem but it is mostly a mere symptom. Let me explain.
When you fall sick and develop a fever, the fever appears to be the issue. But in reality, it is merely a symptom of the real problem. Something is off in your body, and in an effort to fix that, your body has increased its core temperature, among other things. And how did something go off in the first place? Chances are because you didn’t take care of yourself well enough — high stress, infection and low immunity, sedentary lifestyle, bad nutrition etc. In such a situation, treating the fever is not the solution, as it is just a symptom of the real problem. Even if you successfully treat the fever and bring your body temperature back to normal, what is off in your body is still off, and it is only a matter of time before the fever and other symptoms return.
Things aren’t too different with regard to health and fat loss too. When you notice that you have gained X kilos in the last couple of years, you tend to resolve to lose the X kilos. You find diets or training programmes that can help you do this, work with trainers who can help you push hard, and even take supplements that help you lose the extra fat. But, honestly, are you addressing the problem or are you just treating the fever?
You see, you did not gain the X kilos of fat for no reason. Your body likes to maintain homeostasis and it won’t change (gain or lose weight) unless you force it to. So, if you have gained some weight over a few years, that just means that you have, intentionally or unintentionally, made changes to your life in these years that have resulted in fat gain.
So if your approach is just to find some way, any way to lose the excess fat, you won’t really go too far. Why? Because once you lose those X kilos, you will go back to living normally and that will result in those X kilos slowly creeping back in. Yes, like the fever.
So you see, the fat gained is not really the problem. The real problem is the actions that caused the fat gain. This realisation is the most important step. Once you understand this, the fix is simple, strong and sustainable. Here is what you need to do:
1 Compare your life now to a time when your health and fitness were in better shape. What has changed? Have you become less active? Have you started sleeping fewer hours? Do you now stress more? Have you started eating tastier foods in larger quantities?
2 Make an effort to modify those lifestyle factors back to where they were or at least start moving them in a positive direction. For example, if you were sleeping 7 to 8 hours a day when you were younger and healthier, that may not be possible today. But you can try and increase sleep from 5 to 6 and then to 7 hours. Similarly, make changes with food, activity and stress.
Always remember, the fat gained is not the problem. Your actions that led to it are the real problem. And so, a crash diet with temporary exercise is not the solution. Making changes to your lifestyle and habits is the solution.
