How to Lose 100 Pounds of Body Fat
Quick note:
If you clicked on this article because you are someone who needs to lose a substantial amount of weight–and by substantial I mean 50-100+ pounds of body fat–then PLEASE read this to the end.
You might finish this article and say, "well that was a wasted 8 minutes of my life"...
But on the other hand, this article might be what jump starts your journey towards losing weight and achieving the health and fitness you've always desired.
Maybe, just maybe :).
(and if it does help you, be sure to follow the instructions and the end)
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Generally speaking, there are two categories of dieters:
1. Those who are carrying around a manageable 10-40 extra pounds of fat
People in this situation typically gained weight as a result of lifestyle changes (less active with job, more fast food & processed foods)
2. Those who are 40+ pounds overweight (or obese).
People in this situation have likely been dealing with weight problems for a long time. Their weight problem is more than a simple equation of eating too much and not moving enough.
Whether you have 10 or 100+ pounds to lose, dropping fat and getting fit isn't going to be easy.
It requires commitment and hard work no matter what your goals are.
But for many people, losing weight isn't as simple as following a 3-month weight loss plan to drop 20ish pounds.
If you need to lose 50, 75, or even 100+ pounds, losing fat is going to require many months (or even a couple of years) of daily dedication and commitment to your goal.
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I know what it's like to be severely overweight.
I can tell you from personal experience that eating less "bad" foods, eating more "good" foods, getting more exercise, and wishing away fat provides little to no long-term weight loss benefit.
(and you probably know this already, too)
But I found success, and I believe that you can achieve your goal of leaning down and achieving a healthy body...
And while everyone has different obstacles to overcome, there are mindsets that every single person who is needing to lose a substantial amount of weight must have to have lifelong success.
...more on those mindsets momentarily
A Little Bit of Motivational Mumbo-Jumbo
I'm sure you are familiar with the show The Biggest Loser.
There are hundreds of flaws with this show (and the media is starting to point a few of them out), but perhaps the biggest is how much they play up the difficulty of losing weight.
They make it seem as is weight loss success is only found through hours of cardio under the watchful eye of a screaming fitness coach along with eating rabbit-sized meals all day.
I can remember watching shows like this growing up as a chubby kid and thinking that there was no way in heck I could lose weight.
I got chest pain just watching the contestants on TV!
The truth, though, is that losing weight (even 100+ pounds) doesn't require Navy Seal level training and outrageously strict dieting protocols.
It simply requires a basic understanding of calorie balance, exercise, and consistency.
Plus, with the amount of fitness information, healthy food recipes, and online support groups out there, the actual process of losing weight has become clearer than ever before.
You no longer need a nutritionist or fitness expert to tell you what to do. You can learn everything you need to know about proper weight loss nutrition and exercise for free!
But it's not finding the information to lose weight that's hard. What's hard is following and sticking to it.
It's not a physically challenging, it's a mental one.
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Like I said, I know what it's like to be overweight.
But I wasn't just overweight - I was Morbidly Obese!
I know all about the daily difficulties that being obese can cause both physically and mentally...
- Not being able to fit into car seats and restaurant booths (at least not comfortably)
- Feeling embarrassed to eat in public
- Irrational fear of clothes shopping
- Regularly "breaking a sweat"
- Having those moments when you play Houdini to magically squeeze yourself through people seated at movie theaters or at a sporting event. (If you're obese, you know what I am talking about here)
And while I was able to lose over 140 pounds, I didn't do it through simply eating less and moving more.
It took years of trial and error until I finally figured it all out.
Even when I did "figure it out", I still had plenty of screw-ups...
I still struggled with late-night binge sessions...
I fell off the wagon for weeks at a time...
I had feelings of hopelessness...
I hated where I had taken myself...
And I thought there was no way I could succeed.
But, through all of that, I did it.
And it wasn't from some special diet or exercise protocol (all I did was track my calories, do some cardio, and eventually lift weights).
Based on everything I have learned from losing over 130 pounds of fat, I believe that I found weight loss success through consistency, self-motivation, and obsession to reach my goal.
Consistency
Consistency is kind of an understatement...
You don't just have to be consistent, you have to be all-in, every day, totally-game, unstoppably consistent.
It'll be hard, too...
People will think your dedication is "unhealthy".
They'll say:
"You should practice Moderation." -
Screw that.
Moderation with health and fitness is always the end goal, but people like you and I who have struggled our entire lives to lose weight, moderation doesn't exist.
We don't just want a slice - we want the whole freakin' pie!
While some people can allow for small indulgences in moderation– we can't.
We can't trust our willpower or intuition to help us make the right decisions in the moment.
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You'll need to be real with yourself from the start.
Tempting foods in the house? Get rid of them.
You'll be able to eat those foods again one day if you want, but for now, you need to forget they even exist.
You can't risk being tempted.
Weekend wings and drinking? It's gotta be put on the back burner
You don't have to avoid going out forever, but the early stages of building healthy habits and a strong mentality around your weight loss goals won't happen if you're constantly going out.
Nutrition and exercise? You'll need to meal prep and plan your workouts ahead of time.
When I say meal prep, I don't necessarily mean prepping 40 identical meals for an entire week (but if you like doing that, then you can do it).
But you should have 2-3 go-to meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner so that you don't have to think about calculating your calories and macronutrients for each individual meal.
Trust me–It'll help put your brain on autopilot.
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There is truth in the Tortoise and the Hair story...
Slow-and-steady WILL win the race when it comes to losing weight and building a mental foundation for maintaining a healthy body.
Self-Motivation
In psychology, self-motivation (or intrinsic motivation) refers to a behavior that is driven by internal rewards.
The motivation to accomplish something comes from within.
This is incredibly important for losing weight–especially if you have 50-100+ pounds to lose.
It's nice when people notice the physical changes we achieve from eating correctly and working out in the gym...
But that type of external motivation is temporary.
What really matters is the inner motivation you turn to when no one is looking.
Those times when you are tempted to return to your old eating habits, skip a workout, or binge on junk food.
In those moments, having a strong intrinsic drive for losing weight will be invaluable.
How can you find intrinsic motivation?
The truth is that it all comes down to loving yourself.
You have to genuinely care about your health and wellbeing to stay committed to your weight loss goals.
And it can be hard to reach this mentality.
Society tells us that being overweight and obese is a result of laziness, a lack of discipline, and not caring.
"I'm fat and worthless... it's all my fault."
Stop it.
Yeah, you made some mistakes in the past, but the past is the past.
You ARE worth it, and you know it–so stop pretending otherwise.
And although we don't have to be physically fit to love ourselves, taking care of our bodies is definitely a way of showing it.
Obsession
I want to talk about moderation again because it's important for your success.
Moderation is a popular term used in the fitness industry.
(Though, the funny thing is that most fit people are anything but moderate with their health and bodies)
We weren't using moderation when we became severely overweight or obese, so how can we expect to drop fat through moderate approaches like "mindful" or "intuitive" eating?
It's just not going to happen.
You need to be 110% committed to your diet, workouts, and healthier lifestyle.
Later down the road–once you feel more comfortable with your new diet and exercise habits–you can begin practicing more moderation and mindfulness.
But in the beginning, you need to be obsessed... at least temporarily
Losing fat has to be a top priority or it's not going to get done.
What Is Life Like After Losing 130 Pounds?
The popular answer here is to say that nothing changed and that I am still the same person that I always was....
But that wouldn't be honest.
Losing weight did change me–both physically and mentally.
Physically, the change I underwent is pretty obvious:
But the mental changes are something I value even more...
I'm more confident
Shopping used to be a terrifying and embarrassing experience–now it's fun and rewarding.
I'm more motivated
Losing weight taught me discipline which has branched out into all other areas of my life.
My grades improved, my work ethic improved, and my desire to better myself improved.
I'm more in control
There is power in knowing that I will never go back to my old ways again.
I believe it is, in part, due to the approach I took for losing weight, but the amount of effort and dedication losing 140 pounds required also serves as a constant reminder to me.
Anytime I think about returning to my old eating habits, I remind myself of the effort it took to reverse the damage I had done to myself from being obese.
I have too much respect for my efforts to erase what I have accomplished.
Plus, the benefits of being healthy, lean, and energetic make the decision to stay committed a no-brainer.
Final Thoughts (a message to YOU)
Losing weight is hard...
But at the same time, it can actually be fun.
You may think I am crazy (and, honestly, I am a little kooky), but ask anyone who has lost over 100 pounds naturally and I bet they would agree with me on this.
It's fun watching the number on the scale drop, your waist shrink, and your face lean out.
It's fun to be in better shape and get stronger in the gym.
It's fun to comfortably say, "Hey, let's take the stairs!"
It's fun to create healthy recipes that are delicious AND help you reach your weight loss goals.
It's fun spending money on a new wardrobe every 3 months because you keep losing weight...
Okay, the money part isn't fun, but I don't think anyone would complain in that situation. 😉
So where do you go from here?
I recommend you pick up a free copy of my Beginner's Fitness Plan.
While It doesn't provide specific strategies, it doesn't give you a basic understanding of proper weight loss nutrition and exercise.
If you still need help after reading it, please....PLEASE email me.
Use the subject line: "Help me get started!", and I will support you in any way I can.
If you liked this article, please share. 🙂
