I lovingly admired my wife as she stood before me. It becomes difficult at times to do so, since I have to curtail my love for her, and look at her more as a coach rather than her husband. What I noticed however, from either perspective, my wife was getting slimmer, and parts of her anatomy were getting tighter.
I queried about her weight. Not really concerned about the number, but more to see if she was following my suggestion to not weigh herself every day. Perhaps noticing the smile that overspread my face, she quickly told me that nothing had changed.
Surely, my eyes were not deceiving me. She looked slimmer. Her clothes fit better. She had a radiant glow about her, and a spring in her step. I asked again what was her weight. I deduced from what she answered, she lost another pound. Of course, she was not elated by this, but I on the other hand, could not contain my excitement because I knew she was on the right track.
Now that I have provided this background information let me continue, “I Did What You Told Me,” and the innocuous events that led to my wife and daughter’s paradigm shift.
For those who have read the earlier article, the next paragraph will be superfluous. It is included again to give those who have not, some insight of the conversation I was having with my wife.
So, the exuberance you felt when you saw the 168 pounds on the scale quickly fades away when you see that the body fat has increased. If you look at it in terms of recomposition, you would be unfazed since the ratio of lean body mass and fat mass are of inverse proportions.
Recomposition is the better way to look at your fitness goals, I told her. What we are after is adding muscles, while at the same time reducing body fat. One should not be too preoccupied with weight, unless the loss is so drastic, which would indicate that the person is losing muscles as well.
The majority of fitness pundits will claim that there is no way to accomplish both. They would rather you bulk up, which means creating a calorie surplus. Problem with this method is if you’re not discipline, one tends to overeat, disregard their macronutrient numbers, and consume too much fatty foods and carbohydrates in an effort to create the surplus.
When they start shredding, in an effort to create a calorie deficit, most are dismayed to learn that they can’t totally rid themselves of all the accumulated fat. It is a vicious cycle that taxes the body mentally and physically.
What if you could eat foods you like, higher in nutritional value, which helps you achieve your fitness goals, as opposed to depriving yourself with fad diets. Most people associate dieting with being restricted from eating the foods they love, which is why most end up abandoning them.
What I propose is a change in lifestyle, which encompasses every aspect of your fitness journey. You make better selections of the foods you eat. You focus on compound exercises, which requires the use of more muscles to perform them. You become more proficient in the use of cardio. HIIT, and Steady State Cardio all serve a purpose, the secret is knowing when and how much is needed.
My wife looked at me suspiciously. I knew that look all too well. She was pondering the intricacies of my plan to get a leaner physique, if she wanted to do it, and more importantly would it all be worth it.
You would have thought my exhaustive explanation convinced her, but no, it was actually what she saw on my . . .
Bradley Booth
Strength & Vigour 