Have you found yourself thinking you constantly need to burn fat?

You get the New Year’s bug, or join a new gym, or go on the new diet.  

Then months later…if I asked you your goal,  you’d still say you’re trying to burn fat!

There’s something wrong with perpetually trying to lose weight.  It’s exhausting.  

Frankly, I don’t even think it’s possible for you to constantly burn fat without taking time away from that goal. 

Even if you have a lot to lose!

Weight loss is something that takes a lot of focus.  There really isn’t a half-assed way to burn fat without taking a drug.  It’s an all-out effort.

Food tracking.  Workouts.  Controlling cravings.  Staying consistent with workouts.

Then you need to do that until the scale moves, and you don’t stop until the scale starts to stall.

But I find women often get into this mode of wanting to burn fat without realizing they need to back off too!

Fat loss is equal parts fitness + Calorie deficit + Emotional health

If you put all your effort into the first two and neglect the latter, you will burn out.

Believing you have to constantly burn fat will absolutely lead to mental exhaustion, self-loathing, feelings of inadequacy and more.

So if you’re reading this, let me be your coach.

I’m giving you permission to make other goals and focus on them!  If you have fat to burn, by all means, do it.

Get on a plan and focus for 2-3 months.  Then go back to a maintenance mode of calories and keep focusing on the other stuff.

Put more effort into increasing strength (adding calories and getting out of a cut will help you gain more lean muscle).

Put more attention into your cardiovascular health!  Having more calories will mean more ability to push your cardio and build a strong heart and lungs.  

Allow yourself to focus on the other side of fitness- looking and feeling strong, building strong bones, looking toned and fit.

When done correctly, this is an ever changing process that can be fun!

You can change your focus throughout the year and actually be EXCITED for the next chapter.

If all you ever do is focus on burning fat, you will feel like a failure, you’ll be exhausted, and you likely won’t even be burning fat effectively.  

And think of how much emotional energy you’ll get back when you stop “fighting” for fat loss at every step.

I’ll leave you with a question: what fitness/health/scale goal most excites you now in early summer?  And what are you doing to accomplish this?  

Dedicated to your health,
David Beares