Is NOW the right time for you to prioritise losing body fat?\r\n\r\nDieting is a stress on your body. It requires you to establish a calorie deficit in which your body has a negative energy balance – less calories than what the body requires to produce energy. For larger individuals who have more stored energy, this might not pose too much of a problem to begin with, but as body fat is lowered or for someone beginning at a relatively low body fat %, this process can take its toll.\r\n\r\nFor this reason, you have to be aware of whether the time is right! As a coach, this is something I delve into during an initial consultation call; I want to understand whether the person is ready & if a goal cannot only be achieved but sustained. To assess this, I ask the person 3 simple questions:\r\n\r\n1. Are you ready for this (psychologically)?\r\n2. Is your support network ready for this & behind you?\r\n3. Is your body ready for this (physiologically)?\r\n\r\nThese simple questions can be expanded and discussed at greater length.\r\n\r\n1. Are you ready?\r\nThis might sound like a silly question if the person has come wanting to achieve a result; but sometimes, a person might not realise what the process actually entails. It’s my role as a coach to ensure that the goal being set is specific, measurable, attainable & realistic, & with an appropriate timeline suggested.\r\n\r\nIf a client is not ready, it’s my responsibility to be upfront and honest about this so that the individual doesn’t have false hope & unrealistic expectations.\r\n\r\nAn example of this might be someone wishing to lose body fat for a photoshoot. This goal requires a rather aggressive approach to dieting; and if for instance, the individual is experiencing a stressful period in their life, then putting them in a position of additional stress would be unethical from my standpoint.\r\n\r\nAnother example might be that the person doesn’t have the mental fortitude required to achieve their intended outcome. This doesn’t mean that the individual can’t achieve the goal: it simply means that now is not the right time and we might need to nurture and coach that individual’s psyche before making future changes.\r\n\r\n2. Is your support network ready for this & behind you?\r\nThe environment and the network of people who surround you will have an incredible influence on your ability to achieve your intended aim.\r\n\r\nTo make change, it’s important that those who surround us are supporting and not hindering. Therefore, an open and honest approach is always the best policy. It’s essential that you have conversations, about your goals, with your support network so that they can help you & know what to expect.\r\n\r\nThe journey that you are about to embark on will not only affect you, but it will affect every person close by. Your goal is selfish in nature – and this selfishness is needed! It’s essential that we recognise this and assess whether now is the right time or not.\r\n\r\nAt times, you might even run into problems where those close to you do not support your goals – extending away from reason & perhaps born out of fear of your growth as a person. This can sometimes be a tricky situation but know that people’s values change over time. If Those that love you should respect your decision to want more for yourself. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who share the same values as you should never be undervalued in your ability to progress.\r\n\r\n\r\n3. Is your body ready for this?\r\nA person’s past/current choices & habits might influence their ability to begin immediately in moving toward their next goal. This can be frustrating for an individual, but the long-term outcome must always be considered ahead of the short-term gratification.\r\n\r\nWhere might this be applicable?\r\n• Perhaps someone has been consuming a very low-calorie diet for a prolonged time?\r\n• Perhaps they are currently exercising 6-7 times per week & their recovery ability is low?\r\n• Perhaps they’re suffering from an injury?\r\n• Perhaps consideration must be given to a person’s current pathology & the impact of their current medication?\r\n\r\nUnderstand that, occasionally, your body might not be ready & simply needs a ‘break’. Spending time improving your health might be necessary for you to see long-term progressions and sustainability. It might be frustrating but to ignore this will only cause you to reach an unwavering plateau in progress in later time, and perhaps further & more serious health implications.