Most Common Mistakes - Unrealistic Expectations

When starting out on a fitness journey, it’s very common to look at what others have done and try to replicate it.

That’s fine, but you have to be wary of who you listen to.

A LOT of what you see is fake. Yes, some people do get great results quite quickly, but the reality is that it’s going to take a lot longer than you’d like.

We all want to skip a meal and wake up tomorrow at 8% bodyfat, but you just can’t burn fat that quickly. Sorry.

I’ve written before about what’s a reasonable timeframe for weight loss and it’s all dependent on how well you eat now and how far you’re willing to push yourself. You can use the weight loss calculator on my website www.MBonlinePT.com to get an idea of how long it could take you.

Obviously, the more effort you put in (both exercise-wise and nutritionally), the faster things happen. The less you’re willing to sacrifice, the slower things will happen (if at all).

Expect it to be harder than you’d like.

Expect to be a little bit hungry (there are methods you can use to reduce the hunger, but when in a calorie deficit, chances are, you’re going to feel hungry at least some of the time).

Expect to do more and work harder than you’d like (we can’t just skip a meal and lay around on the sofa all day - you have to MOVE… a lot!).

Expect it to take longer than you’d like.

Don’t expect to lose all your excess weight in a week.

Don’t expect to lose weight if your diet is only 5 days a week and you “treat” yourself or have a blowout every weekend.

Don’t expect to follow a diet for 2 weeks, then revert back to your old ways and continue to lose weight.

Don’t expect to revert back to your old ways once you’ve reached your target weight (or it’ll all pile back on again!).

It’s also wise to get the right guidance on these things.

Following an unrealistic and unsustainable diet plan may work for a week or two, but since you can’t keep it up, it’ll all come crashing down soon enough.

Slow and steady progress is better than fast results that don’t last. The weeks and months will pass quicker than you think, don’t rush things or you’ll just be setting yourself back every time you have to re-start.

Progress in the gym may actually come a little quicker than you expect if you’re training correctly and resting enough. Especially for beginners - you can add weight or reps almost every session for weeks or even months before you plateau. It’s actually quite likely that boredom will set in before you’ve really milked your program for all it’s worth. Again, the right guidance and a good Coach will help with this by either reassuring you and reminding you why you’re training (for results, not entertainment) so you can suck it up and crack on with your program, or if absolutely necessary, they can adjust your program to freshen things up a bit and keep you interested AND making progress.

The best advice I can give with regards to unrealistic expectations is this:

Expect it to be harder, and take longer than you’d like. Perseverance and consistency are key; not short-lived extreme efforts sporadically.

Aim for PROGRESS, not the end result.

If you’re training consistently, your numbers in the gym are going up consistently, you’re following a sensible diet 7 days a week (no less), and you’re sleeping 7-9 hours EVERY night, you’re making progress and moving towards your end goal.

Calories and training can be manipulated slightly if you’re not progressing in any way, but if you’re getting fitter, stronger and healthier, you’re making good progress.

As always, if you’d like my help figuring out what YOU need to be doing, get in touch and let’s talk.

Mark