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Look, I'm almost too embarrassed to admit it...
...but over the past few months, I've had first-hand experience of how weight creeps up.
Yep, I'm looking at 15-20 pounds of weight gain since last summer.
Now, this was very different to my insane weight-gain experiment back in 2014.
(That's when I piled on 55 lbs in just over a year, then lost 61 lbs in only 27 weeks)
Why different?
Because with that massive weight gain, it was easy to identify cause and effect.
Regularly chowing down on a bowl of "mega ramen" noodles?
(look carefully, and you'll see the M E G of "mega" written on the bowl)
Dude, your weight is only headed in one direction.
But weight creeping up?
Well, that seemed just plain unfair...
...because I felt like I really didn't do anything WRONG.
There were no mega-ramen binges.
I didn't let my pizza habit spiral out of control.
(Man, I just love a good Margherita with fresh basil)
I merely stopped doing what was RIGHT.
So, while I weighed myself first thing every morning...
...I didn't actually do anything with that information other than record it.
I was like a passive observer:
"Hey, Tim - weight's still creeping up, huh?"
"Yup, Tim - sure is!"
And I kept repeating the same handful of new habits that I knew were the cause.
(Seriously, these were the only things I changed from when I was 180 lbs)
- Finishing off my sons' uneaten food at dinner, instead of keeping it for lunch next day
- Eating bread with meals (not that bread's evil - I just find it hard to throttle back)
- Enjoying a few more squares of dark chocolate every night
Go easy on me - my wife makes chocolate and I help to keep inventory under control :)
Now, that doesn't sound like much, right?
Almost like those calories might magically disappear or somehow get lost in the background noise of the real world.
But just like a paltry $1.99 charge on your credit card, calories always make it through.
And a 15-pound weight gain over 6 months...
...can ultimately come down to eating only an additional 350 Calories per day.
(Incidentally, that's how many calories the handful of "healthy" nuts in the lead image contains)
So things like:
- Choosing a large latte instead of a regular,
- Plus polishing off your kids' leftover pizza crust, and
- That extra teaspoon of dressing on your salad
Yep, they REALLY add up.
And the worst part?
Consuming them leaves you no more satisfied than if you hadn't!
End result:
You're heavier, you're unhappy, and you don't know how it all happened.
Because you didn't do anything wrong.
You just stopped doing what was right.
And you're not alone.
Why?
Because only around 20% of folks who lose a significant amount of weight manage to keep it off a year down the track.
So, here's the bottom line:
You wouldn't expect to mow your lawn one time, then sit back and think "job's done!"
Nope.
You've got to keep on top of it, right?
Because weeds grow automatically and weight creeps up.
That's just the reality.
And I've experienced just how easily it happens.
Which means I can better understand the challenges that my weight-loss clients are facing.
So it's been valuable for me and valuable for them.
After all, you can only coach something effectively if you've been through it yourself.
Whether that's losing weight, getting strong, or hitting a crushing drive off the first tee.
So, here's what it boils down to:
• Weigh yourself daily and ACT on what the scale is telling you
• Don't merely be a passive observer of what's happening to you...
...be an active participant and draw a line in the sand
• Don't allow yourself to drift because the more you do, the harder it'll be to get back on track
Look, everything we consume counts - so next time you start thinking "it's only...", catch yourself.
And remember that weight doesn't leap on pounds at a time.
It's stealthy, like a ninja.
And it creeps up without you even realizing.
So be on your guard at all times.
– Tim
P.S. I'm now ready to lose the 15 pounds or so I put on, and I thought it would be awesome to do it together.
So, I'll be following the exact strategies contained in the upcoming How To Get Lean, Strong & Bulletproof course.
And I'll be detailing everything I do on a daily basis and sharing it with the HTGLS&B group.
It's going to be a really cool example of how to apply the method and how effective it is.
Be sure to subscribe so you're first to know when it's going live :)
Images: Bigstock, Flickr - go.biwako