It was 2008 when Dom Matteo stepped on the dimensions and noticed the quantity 300.
That’s when he stopped weighing himself.
In 2009, Stephen Field determined, ‘I’m simply going to be fats ceaselessly. No matter.’
After diligently attempting to lose fats for thirty years, Katey Caswell was nonetheless morbidly overweight. She puzzled, ‘Is something ever going to work?’
This isn’t a narrative about three individuals who gave up.
Somewhat, it’s about three individuals who stored going—overcoming the practically common setbacks and challenges throughout main physique transformations.
Not solely did all three ultimately lose 80-plus kilos apiece, however in addition they modified in different methods: Dom, Stephen, and Katey have all grow to be licensed well being and vitamin coaches who now assist others eat, transfer, and reside higher.
On this story, you’ll uncover their prime mindset methods for persevering when fats loss feels unattainable (or at the very least simply very irritating).
Caveat: Not each technique will really feel best for you.
Our suggestion: Learn this story via the lens of your private expertise. Strive what seems like a great match and put aside something that doesn’t.
 Dominic Matteo, PN2-MHC, has been a vitamin and well being coach for 12 years. He mentors Precision Vitamin’s masterclass college students. A former IT skilled, he misplaced greater than 100 kilos. |
 Katey Caswell, PN2-MHC, NBC-HWC, is an unbiased vitamin, well being, and life coach who makes a speciality of serving to ladies attain their well being and health targets. She misplaced greater than 120 kilos. Be taught extra about her at KateyCaswell.com |
 Stephen Field, PN2-MHC, turned a vitamin and energy coach throughout his journey to dropping 80 kilos. Along with serving as neighborhood engagement specialist for Precision Vitamin, he hosts the Unshakable Habits podcast in addition to coaches shoppers. Be taught extra about him at UnshakableHabits. |
1. Get to know the longer term you.
Earlier than altering what you eat or how you progress, take into account this query:
What do you ACTUALLY need?
That factor you’re actually after in all probability isn’t only a objective (for instance, a smaller physique), says Coach Stephen Field.
Probably, your objective simply represents what you’re actually after.
For instance, you would possibly affiliate being in a smaller physique with extra confidence, and being the kind of one who takes on challenges and welcomes new experiences.
Spend time envisioning that complete individual. (Not simply the physique.)
Take Coach Stephen. His imaginative and prescient took him again in time, to when he was athletic, energized, assured, and blissful.
He needed the leaner physique he had again then, positive. However principally, he needed to return to that feeling of vitality.
For Coach Dom, the imaginative and prescient was about who he didn’t need to be.
He’d not too long ago grow to be a father, and a detailed buddy had additionally died unexpectedly of a blood clot. Coach Dom needed his son to develop up with his father in his life.
“I by no means needed my son to see me in an unhealthy state,” he says.
These visions allowed Coaches Dom and Stephen to be extra resolute as they made choices like, “Ought to I skip my exercise?” and “Ought to I supersize this?”
They requested themselves, “What would the longer term me determine?”
Now, greater than a decade after dropping over 100 kilos, Coach Dom nonetheless retains a quote from Trevor Kashey, PhD, on his whiteboard:
“Having what you need is a facet impact of being the individual it takes to get it.”
How one can envision the Future You
Think about your self a yr or two into the longer term. You’re within the physique you need.
- What’s completely different about your life?
- What are you doing that you may’t do now?
- How do you are feeling?
- What are you carrying?
- The place are you working?
- Who’re your folks?
- How do you spend your time?
- What are different individuals saying about you?
Think about each element.
Seize that imaginative and prescient in phrases (corresponding to a vacation spot postcard), photos (corresponding to a imaginative and prescient board), or in a video or audio message.
As your fats loss journey unfolds, periodically ask your self:
▶ What can I do immediately in an effort to grow to be the individual I need to be tomorrow?
Perhaps it’s consuming breakfast as a substitute of skipping it, consuming an additional glass of water, or taking two gradual breaths earlier than your first chunk of dinner.
“Choose one factor that’ll make you are feeling like successful, on a regular basis,” says Coach Katey. “When you’ve executed that factor, you’re good.”
▶ Has my imaginative and prescient shifted?
You could discover that your imaginative and prescient turns into your actuality prior to anticipated.
Lengthy earlier than you shed 50+ kilos, for instance, you’ll seemingly expertise extra power—and also you’ll be capable to do loads of issues that when appeared unattainable.
When this occurs, you will have a pair choices.
Some shoppers select to re-envision their future selves. For instance, if somebody’s preliminary imaginative and prescient concerned enjoying ball with their children, their expanded imaginative and prescient would possibly contain changing into an avid runner, hiker, or CrossFitter.
Others, nevertheless, understand that they’re already the individual they need to be. They’re pleased with that, despite the fact that they haven’t misplaced as a lot weight as they thought they might. That’s okay, too.
2. Focus extra on actions—and fewer on outcomes.
It might probably take a yr or two to lose 50+ kilos.
When your journey lasts that lengthy, it may be tough to maintain your sights on the end line, says Coach Dom.
By emphasizing your every day actions greater than the ultimate vacation spot, nevertheless, you may break that months-long odyssey into a number of shorter, extra attainable day journeys like…
- Going from zero to at least one veggie serving a day
- Switching from massive fries to medium
- Strolling 10 extra minutes than final week
One other profit: Your conduct is extra inside your management than your physique measurement.
“By frequently attempting to take the most effective motion attainable, you improve the probability of the end result you want,” says Coach Dom.
To spotlight your conduct successes, attempt the next.
Discover what small stuff you’re doing proper.
“It’s really easy to deal with the unfavorable,” says Coach Katey.
To remain assured and motivated, nevertheless, you need to shine a highlight on what you’re doing effectively, she says. Likelihood is, you are altering greater than you understand.
(BTW, our inner analysis exhibits: Doing just a few issues persistently is far more vital than attempting to do all the things completely.)
| As an alternative of beating your self up for… | Have fun everytime you… |
| ❌ Indulging in processed meals
❌ Hitting the drive-through on a busy day ❌ Skipping a exercise ❌ Staying up late ❌ Consuming mindlessly ❌ Having chips for dinner ❌ Emotionally spiraling after a triggering occasion |
✅ Eat an entire meals
✅ Plan a meal ✅ Transfer your physique ✅ Prioritize sleep ✅ Tune into starvation and fullness ✅ Strive a brand new veggie ✅ Handle stress |
Downshift as wanted.
Generally, you’ll really feel as for those who’re cruising on autopilot.
Different instances, it may appear as if the complete world is right here to sabotage your efforts to eat minimally-processed meals or hit the fitness center.
On prime of that, some days you’ll really feel tremendous motivated. Different days you’ll crave ice cream for dinner and hours of high quality time in your favourite recliner.
That’s why Coach Dom suggests you consider your effort like a dial. Throughout straightforward stretches, you would possibly hold the dial cranked, at a seven or greater.
Throughout tougher instances, nevertheless, take into consideration turning it right down to one thing that feels extra manageable.
“I made a decision to do the issues that I deemed vital to the most effective of my capability each single day,” says Coach Dom. “Some days, the most effective of my capability was perhaps 50 %. Different days it was 80 %. However I did the most effective I may day by day.”
By scaling your effort up and down primarily based on what’s happening in your life, you’ll be capable to go from an “all or nothing” mindset to an “all the time one thing” mindset, says Coach Dom.
The graphic under exhibits the way you would possibly dial bodily exercise up and down, primarily based on life circumstances. You possibly can customise every notch on the dial, primarily based in your skills and preferences. You too can create related dials for vitamin, sleep, stress administration, and another conduct you’re attempting to vary.
Learn extra: By no means Press Pause on Your Well being and Health Once more
3. Know what you’re not keen to reside with out.
There are going to be some meals and experiences that you simply don’t need to hand over—in addition to others that you simply’re simply not keen to attempt.
That’s okay.
The excellent news:
YOU get to determine what adjustments you’re keen to make and keep.
For instance, firstly of his fats loss journey, Coach Stephen wasn’t keen to surrender quick meals.
He ate it day by day, a pair instances a day.
As a result of he cherished it.
And it was handy.
Somewhat than give it up, he set a really completely different problem for himself:
Discover a option to lose fats whereas nonetheless consuming pizza, tacos, and burgers.
First, he downsized his meals—ordering fewer slices of pizza, fewer tacos, and smaller burgers and fries.
Finally he made completely different selections altogether, corresponding to getting baked potatoes as a substitute of fries and grilled rooster sandwiches as a substitute of burgers, because the graphic under exhibits.
“I misplaced the primary 40 kilos that approach,” Coach Stephen says.
Over time, Coach Stephen was keen to extend adjustments, like cooking a few of his meals at house.
His quick meals burger was one constructed from decrease fats beef. The refined bun turned an entire grain one.
And he stacked it with numerous veggies.
“Somewhat than aiming for the finest selections, all you really want to do is frequently make barely higher selections,” says Coach Stephen.
To do this, take into account these questions:
- What tiny adjustments are you okay attempting?
- What considerably more healthy meals are you keen to eat?
- What parts are you keen to shrink, only a tad?
4. Count on to plateau.
While you eat much less and shed pounds, you burn fewer energy, due to an annoying phenomenon referred to as “metabolic adaptation.”
(Learn extra: Can consuming too little harm your metabolism?)
Meaning it will possibly grow to be more and more tough to lose every subsequent pound.
For some individuals, which means weight reduction would possibly gradual—perhaps even stall.
Be affected person.
In the event you began your weight reduction journey with a particular scale weight in thoughts, plateaus can really feel like getting caught in standstill visitors.
That frustration, nevertheless, typically comes from placing an excessive amount of emphasis on the end result, says Coach Dom.
“After I was reducing weight, I stored telling myself that the end result would arrive if I did the work,” says Coach Dom.
“Somewhat than hit a particular weight, I attempted to indicate up and do my finest every day for a yr. By shifting my objective to one thing I may completely management, I negated the emotions that used to return up for me when my physique didn’t behave as anticipated.”
Do some accounting.
Keep in mind the Future Me imaginative and prescient we informed you about above? A plateau is a superb time to revisit it.
Are you continue to making selections that align with what the Future You wants?
How persistently are you consuming slowly till happy, exercising, and together with complete meals? Has emotional or stress consuming crept again into your life like an ex-lover? How about senseless energy?
Double down on ability constructing.
Coach Stephen hit a number of plateaus throughout his journey to dropping 80 kilos.
Every time, he shifted his focus away from what was out of his management (the dimensions) to what was inside his management: his conduct.
“I obtained actually centered on making small enhancements and bettering my abilities,” he says. “Even when the dimensions wasn’t transferring, I felt like I used to be bettering in these different areas and that stored me centered and motivated.”
Contemplate: What further abilities would possibly you add or broaden?
For instance, for those who’re strolling persistently, perhaps you add energy coaching to your train routine. Or maybe you lean into consuming slowly and mindfully, seeing for those who can cease consuming whenever you really feel simply happy, even when there’s meals left in your plate.
Query the dimensions.
Sooner or later, you might discover you’ve embraced the entire abilities you’re keen to embrace. Perhaps you’re residing your imaginative and prescient, too.
On the identical time, perhaps you haven’t reached the load you initially thought you needed.
Contemplate:
Is that scale weight actually the best weight—for YOU?
In any case, many individuals’s “objective weights” are, effectively, a little bit arbitrary. Maybe the quantity simply sounded good to you. Or it’s what you weighed throughout a time in your life whenever you felt good (however not essentially due to your weight).
A scale quantity is simply that—a quantity.
It’s not a measure of your price as an individual.
Somewhat than judging your self by a quantity, focus in your every day actions. Are you continue to doing all your finest to make more healthy selections, more often than not? If that’s the case, that’s one thing to really feel GREAT about.
Take a second to have fun your leaner, stronger, more healthy physique—and the way it’s modified your life.
What are you able to accomplish with this physique that you simply couldn’t earlier than?
Likelihood is, it’s loads—and that simply could be sufficient.
In the event you’re a coach, otherwise you need to be…
You possibly can assist individuals construct vitamin and life-style habits that enhance their bodily and psychological well being, bolster their immunity, assist them higher handle stress, and get sustainable outcomes. We’ll present you ways.
In the event you’d prefer to study extra, take into account the PN Stage 1 Vitamin Teaching Certification.
