3 Mistakes That Will Prevent Weight Loss Before You Even Start Exercising

Posted by Brad Campbell

30
Jul, 2009

4 comments

If you’ve been working out for some time now and you’re not seeing the results you hoped for…chances are you’re one of the many “self-sabotaging” individuals who fell victim to this weight loss game, without even knowing it.

In fact, you were probably doomed from the start.

What I mean by that is this- it’s nearly impossible to be successful at anything in life…let alone the difficult task of weight loss…when you fail to prepare.

You wouldn’t jump into your car and drive around all day long just hoping to find a store you had never been to before…that’s loco, right?

But for some reason, when it comes to losing weight and getting into shape…people tend to just dive right in, without planning, thinking, visualizing, consulting a professional, or doing anything else that would normally be carried out to ensure success in other common tasks.

dumb fat loss

Kinda DUMB…but easy to do nonetheless.

Here are 3 mistakes most people make before they even start working out….that totally throw a wrench in the ole quest for hotness:

- No clear, complete and hand-written goal. “I want to lose weight,” isn’t going to cut it. How much weight? What type of weight (fat, muscle, water, etc)? What size do you want to be? Do you want to be pear-shaped or hour-glassed? Who do you want to look like and why? How will this affect your life? What is your main motivation? What are you sick and tired of?

The more clear, specific and detailed you can be, the better. You can only achieve something that is predefined…you’ll never get to that store if you can’t remember the name and you don’t have directions. Also, be sure to commit this to writing, set a date and tell as many people as possible.

Trust me, these small steps make all the difference in the world because of the added accountability you’ve created.

- Failure to break free from the excuses and labels. It’s ironic that most people are actually going through the troubles of working out, attempting to diet, spending thousands of dollars on fitness products, gym memberships and supplements…yet, they still want to throw a pity party, play the “BAD GENES” card and insist that they’re just stuck being overweight and unhappy no matter how hard they try.

bad genes weight loss

Why even bother?

You need to realize that your beliefs become your reality. Most people never get rich because they don’t believe it’s possible…and because they don’t believe it’s possible, they don’t take any action steps that would be necessary to become wealthy…and without action steps, how the hell would anyone become filthy rich?

Not possible, unless you win the lottery.  Wait, even then you’d have to believe you can win and take the action step of going and buying the lottery ticket.

Same reasoning holds true with weight loss or any other want or desire in life.

The first and most important step (after clearly defining what you want) is to condition your brain to truly believe that your fitness goal is possible and that you’re willing to kick mad butt and do whatever it takes to accomplish this goal.

If you can’t get past the “poor me” mindset and do away with the excuses…I’d learn to love what you currently see in the mirror, because that body is the reality you’ve validated.

- Failing to prepare. Going back to the car example…when you print out detailed directions that take you turn by turn exactly to that store’s parking lot…then all that’s left to do is follow and execute. There’s no guesswork and no hoping things will work out.

However, most of the people trying to lose fat, tone up and look better…are the people who hop in the car and just start driving. Sure, they’ll spend some time in the car, waste some gas and go through the motions…but they’re never going to arrive where they were wanting to be.

Don’t be that person…your body and health are too important to leave it to chance.

You need to develop a comprehensive game plan that addresses workout, nutrition and lifestyle. After this is done…there’s only one thing left to do…EXECUTE.

Get your mind right BEFORE you get your grind right…ya dig?

Your Fitness Coach,

Dr. Brad Campbell, CFT, PharmD

Posted in Fat Loss | Burn Fat Fast, Motivation | Mindset | Goals by Brad Campbell | 4 Comments

4 Comments "3 Mistakes That Will Prevent Weight Loss Before You Even Start Exercising"

  • Brent Stanphill says:
    July 31, 2009 at 6:44 am
    Reply

    Brad,

    Great blog! I must say having a determined mind set / goal is the most important thing to keep us motivated. It’s interesting how our minds work sometimes, the visualization that we create in our head of seeing yourself performing a sport, exercise, goal, presentation, etc. is what is needed to get out there and try it. I remember when I was a lean and mean Mountain biker living in Michigan, I use to ride one of the hardest trails in Western Michigan called Cannonsberg Ski Resort, they had the most technical single track course around. The first time I ever had tried it, I honestly had to stop more than a half dozen times because I couldn’t handle the steep incline climbs. The friends I would ride with would end up meeting me at the end while they were hanging out waiting for my slow ass to get finished.
    Needless to say, I would go out there by myself and ride this mountain determined to ride it in it’s full entirety without stopping, making every climb, every decent faster & faster to the point that it was fun and became easy. It did take several months of practice, commitment, and agony to get there but I got there. Once reaching the vision I placed in my mind to concur my goal I could ride with the best and look for other riders to hit the trail with and not be embarrassed about bonking out.
    That’s my vision & my goal, to be in shape again, able to regulate my breathing while still outputting hard core energy, being able to hang, exercise and have fun with it. It sucks, not being able to have fun when you know that you can’t go farther, harder, stronger, and still being able to hold a conversation and smiling at the end of your mission.
    Brad, this is why I determined that I needed your help by joining a boot camp or otherwise know as accountability with other’s who possibly share the same goals. The good looks and tone body is just the added benefit from having fun, and keeping the adrenaline pumping.

    Brent.

    • admin says:
      July 31, 2009 at 3:51 pm
      Reply

      Brent- what awesome feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and I think your past experience is a testimony to the great power of the mind.

      You are right too, about the external benefits (a better physique) being just an additional bonus to the high energy, positive outlook, general feeling of well-being and countless other benefits realized every single day from being in great shape.

      Funny thing is, most of us start out on our mission for the slimmer waistline (which is great…and a very strong motivational factor, whether it be superficial or not…), but we end up gaining so much MORE above and beyond that…in the process!

      Keep working hard and never lose focus of what you set out to accomplish…I know you’ll be another great success story!

      Your Fitness Coach,

      Brad

  • Shanele says:
    December 23, 2009 at 6:25 pm
    Reply

    Hi Brad.
    So as I write this to you I am enjoying part of my holiday season with a Trader Joe’s peppermint chocolate dipped Joe’s O’s and a glass of wine…mmmmm. I am, for the most part, on the wagon but am not going to be back in full swing until after the New Year and company have gone. I have been on this “train” that you speak of for years, but am finally in a good place to do it right and for good. That being said, I am curious how to get the ball rolling at that point. Do you suggest a fast? I was told by the Pharmacist at Pharmaca that now (flu season) is not the best time for a cleanse. I understand the difference between the cleanse and the fast, but wonder if you recommend a cleanse. If so, do I do one at a later point or should I do a light one now (beginning of Jan) and a stronger one in the spring? I am also not sure about the fasting time after my “cheat day”. Is there like a “baby fast” or a lesser offensive “cheat day” that I can do until I am sure that I can handle that? Keep in mind that regardless of myself fasting, I still have to make breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for my family. It might be a little torturous and am afraid that I will undo the benefits of a cheat and fast (insulin levels). SO many questions…

    • Brad Campbell says:
      December 23, 2009 at 10:40 pm
      Reply

      Sounds delicious :0) Like the pharmacist said, a total body cleanse is a lil rough on you during flu season. I would recommend doing a “mini cleanse” or using a less aggressive cheat/fast program, if you’re worried about taking one step forward and 2 steps back. Starting out, you can extend it so that you do a cheat day once every 8-10 days. To be safe, you can also over-indulge in lower GI foods (healthier options) like oatmeal, yams, wheat bread, brown rice, etc. You can keep you cheat day to around 8 hrs as well, to ensure you don’t overdo it. These are 3 ways to follow the same plan w/ less aggression. You still have to have a variation in your carb/fat/total cal intake once in a while to prevent your body from trying to hold onto fat stores after it senses your low cal eating. Just remember, a “mini cheat” day or a “cheat meal” here and there will not be effective, b/c it takes at least 8 hrs of higher insulin release to reset leptin levels. You can cheat “milder” if you’d like and also less frequent, but do be sure to use this strategy (for a minimum of 8 hrs every 10 days or so) b/c it will produce great fat loss results for you. The of course, I def recommend a fast day the very next day after your cheat day. Hope this helps clear the air.
      Your Coach,
      Brad Campbell

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