The TT Transformation Deadline Approaches.

It’s two weeks and five days until the end of the 17th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest.  I’m not eligible for a prize, as I’ve won the contest before, but I like to join them because they focus my intentions by giving me a clear goal and a deadline.

Ah yes, a deadline can be a powerful tool for change when it comes to fat loss.  The conventional wisdom is that permanent weight loss requires a lifestyle change, and I do agree with that point of view.  However, I believe that it is success that motivates us to stick to a new lifestyle.

In order to achieve exciting, visible, motivating success we need to concentrate our best efforts on our goals, and nothing concentrates effort quite like a deadline.  Believe me, it’s a lot easier to walk away from random snack foods when you know you’ve got to stand in front of a camera in your swimsuit in two weeks.  I can hear the naysayers now claiming that you’ll just go back to your old way of eating after the deadline, but will you?

I have discovered that the opposite is true.  Yes, I admit that I have bounced back up because I have indulged after deadlines, but the tools and strategies that I learned during the transformation contests  always brought me back to my best behavior.

I need to repeat this idea, because it is so essential for your success:  The behaviors, strategies, and tactics that you learn on the way to your fat loss deadline are the very behaviors that will keep you leaner for life!

If you put on weight during a vacation or the holidays, you will know what you have to do to get on track.  How do I know?  It’s been five years since my original transformation, and I’m still following my TT lifestyle.  Even better, I now have clients who have transformed, and who continue to make progress after their contest deadline is over.

Here are some specifics when it comes to what those fat loss behaviors are:

1.  Choose and follow a fitness plan.  I know, I know, plenty of research shows that diet is the more powerful driver of weight loss, but I believe that effective exercise is the foundation of  figure transformation.  The right amount of exercise at the proper intensity will make you feel fantastic, and it will help you manage your appetite, so that you can follow a good eating plan for fat loss.

2.  Choose and follow an eating strategy.  Start with whole, fresh, nourishing food, and be honest about what foods give you energy and satisfaction without triggering overeating.  I continue to be surprised at the variety of strategies that my students have used to succeed.  What they have in common is that they pick a plan that works for them, and they stick to it.  Amazing!  For me, success comes when I eat planned meals sitting down, and those meals are free of sugar, grains, and processed vegetable oils.  You may not need to eliminate sugar, but it’s given me freedom from food obsession, so I can live the life I choose.

3.  Choose your allies.  Get support from people who want vibrant health as well.  I’m so fortunate to have a place to teach and train, because I’m constantly surrounded by people who want to feel- and look- great.

Finally, and it bears repeating, you need to know why you want the energy and vitality that comes from being in your best shape ever.  What is that you want to do in life that is worth training for?

So good luck, whether you’re in the transformation contest or not, and I wish you all of the positive motivation of a deadline.