Are You Giving Your Very Best Effort Toward Achieving Your Fat Loss Goals?
by Scott Tousignant · Filed Under: Motivation
“I’ve tried everything!” If only I had a penny for every time that I’ve heard that statement made by a frustrated dieter. I’d be writing this post from my very own private tropical island 
You may have started several different diets. You may have followed several different workout programs. But did you honestly give your very best effort to all of them? Honestly? If not, then can you honestly say that you’ve tried each of those programs?
Have you really tried everything? Seriously. Every diet and workout program out there?
Are you aware of these lies that you tell yourself every day?
I’m confident in saying that what you believe you can achieve in regards to your fat loss goals is nowhere near what you can actually achieve. I believe that you can accomplish much more!
Allow me to use just a few of the many examples of amazing transformation success stories from Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat Inner Circle to prove this point…
If you are around 40% body fat right now, I bet the thought that you could release fat and sculpt your body to the point of winning a medal in a figure competition and being featured in fitness magazines seems impossible and ‘unrealistic’…
…Yet that’s exactly what 40 year old Eka Ukaobasi did!
I bet that the thought of losing 254.6 pounds in just two years sounds impossible, especially when you’ve tried to lose weight in the past and it ended in frustration and disappointment…
…Yet that’s exactly what Michael Boyd did. Think about that for a moment. That’s like going through life carrying around two lean women around everywhere that you go. Then over the course of two years doing what’s necessary to get them off your shoulders and ease the burden of that excess load.
Take a look at his photo collage. His before and after pictures could be mistaken for two completely different people. At the beginning of your journey it may be difficult to believe that you can look that great. But over time anything is possible.
Eka wasn’t the only woman in Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat Inner Circle who surprised themselves and decided to take their fitness to the next level and compete in a women’s physique competition. There’s actually been several women who took that big leap, including Bonnie Van Niekerk who released 51 pounds and 12% body fat and entered into a competition. Bonnie actually shared her entire journey in the Burn The Fat Inner Circle to inspire other women about what’s possible even when faced with challenges.
Bonnie mentioned something very inspiring during one of her interviews in the Burn The Fat Inner Circle. She said, “To be lean and fit is within everyone’s reach no matter what your current weight or genetic type. You can be a better version of YOU. It takes desire and the right motivation. Don’t get discouraged, and put yourself first for a change.”
I love that advice!
Have any of these examples helped you realize that you are capable of much greater results that you previously thought possible?
This is one of my favorite motivational clips from a movie. It still gives me chills every time that I watch it…
Your Very Best Effort
It’s up to you to put the blindfold on. If you get to a point where you feel you are giving your very best, you may just decide to stop even though you are capable of so much more.
So how do you give your VERY BEST EFFORT toward your fat loss goals?
1) Harness The Power Of “Personal Bests”
I live by a goal of becoming better today than I was yesterday and better tomorrow than I am today. My life is basically a series of breaking my previous personal bests. Does that happen every day… No, but it’s always my goal.
When it comes to your workouts you can improve upon your personal best by either pushing out one more rep beyond your previous workout, lifting 1 pound heavier than your previous workout, reducing your rest period between sets by 5 seconds, or a variety of other means to push just a little bit harder.
When it comes to cardio if you can run 5k in 40 minutes you can try to run it in a shorter period of time this week. You can run a little longer distance in that 40 minute time frame, you can run that 5k on an incline through a hilly terrain, or a variety of other methods to push harder.
When it comes to eating healthier you can reduce the amount of man made food in your diet by just a little bit each week.
You can try to stretch your muscles a little bit more each week, drink a little more water each week, devote an extra minute per day to reading your goals and re-writing them, and so many other healthy habits that you can improve just a teeny weeny bit each week.
I’ve spent my adult life studying Olympic athletes. They are always focused on achieving their personal bests. Not every athlete wins an Olympic gold, silver, or bronze medal, but if they achieve a personal best during the Olympics you may just mistake them for the person who won the gold because they are so ecstatic and overjoyed by their accomplishments.
2) The Power Of Support
Having a support group and some very key supportive people in your life can make all the difference in putting your very best effort forward.
This is a picture of my two friends Tishia Lee and Mary Lutz as they compete in their very first 5k run. Tishia mentioned that there were times during the race that she felt like quitting. She had shin splints and a side cramp. But Mary kept motivating her to push through to the end. It would have been easy for Tishia to give up, but Mary helped her put her very best effort toward completing the run.
Now that they have competed in their first 5k race they have a base point and their very first personal best, which they can set a goal of breaking in the near future.
3) Why Should You Give Your Very Best Effort?
You have probably heard that you should find your powerful reason why, when it comes to achieving your fat loss goals. I shared how to take this advice to the next level in a post called “Having a Powerful Why Is Not Enough”
One of the reasons why a Powerful Why is not enough is because of what many people do after they have discovered it… Nothing!
Once you have your powerful reason why, you must repeat it to yourself as frequently as possible, especially before a workout, cardio session, or meal.
My powerful reason why I MUST continue to improve my health is because I believe that my family’s freedom and happiness depends upon it and their happiness and freedom means more to me than anything in this world.
When I begin to think that I can’t push out one more rep I repeat to myself, “My family’s freedom and happiness depends upon this one last rep.”
When I feel like slowing down the intensity of my cardio or stopping short of my destination I think, “My family’s freedom and happiness depends on me putting forth my very best effort.”
There is absolutely no obstacle that can prevent me from achieving my desired outcome when I am repeating that phrase in my head. Find your powerful reason why, write it down frequently, and read it every chance you get.
4) Commit To The Plan and Deadline
When you purchase a workout or diet program decide how much time you are going to devote to ‘working the program’ and mark it down on your calender.
Suppress the desire to program hop or try the latest and greatest program until you’ve completed the current program that you are following. I discussed this during an information packed interview here with John Romaniello.
Have a plan of action for the time after you achieve your goal and complete the current program.
Here’s what my current plan looks like…
May 10th 2010 – June 3rd 2010:
Follow Joel Marion’s Xtreme Fat Loss Diet
Goal: Eliminate my lower belly fat
June 4th 2010 – July 2nd 2010: Follow John Romaniello’s Final Phase Fat Loss
Goal: Look better than I’ve ever looked in my entire life.
July 3rd 2010 – July 11th 2010: Celebrate my victories on the beaches of Turks and Caicos
Goal: Rest, relax, recover.
July 12th 2010 – August 8th 2010: Follow Nick Nilsson’s Muscle Explosion
Goal: Gain 6 pounds of muscle in 28 days.
August 9th 2010 – December 23rd 2010: Follow my Fat Loss Quickie Program.
5) I AM UNSTOPPABLE!
Adopt the belief and attitude that “I am Unstoppable!” No matter what obstacle or challenge you are faced with I want you to know with absolute certainty that you will overcome that challenge.
Walk around tall and proud while showing off your “Unstoppable Attitude”. Exude confidence and absolutely 100% EXPECT SUCCESS! You’re not just hoping that this program will work for you… you know that this program will work for you because you are going to work the program to the very best of your abilities.
6) There’s Always Someone Worse Off Than You
I thrive off of reading and listening to success stories and I’ve been inspired by countless people who have had a much tougher time sculpting their body and improving their health than I ever will… and when I feel like giving up I think of them.
No matter what your challenge is, I guarantee that there is at least a thousand people out there who have gone through a similar challenge and have faced even greater challenges than you are currently facing, yet they were able to blast through those obstacles to achieve great success. If they can do it… So Can YOU!
Be a role model. Face your challenges! Achieve success in spite of those challenges. Prove that you are capable of greatness and that if you can do it… anyone can do it.
This is your life and your body. Make the most of it. Life the best quality of life possible in the best body that you can possibly sculpt. You deserve this.
You are faced with dozens of choices throughout your day. The most important choice that you can make is to become the best that you can be by choosing to live to your full potential.
Temporarily step into the realm of discomfort in order to create a new level of comfort that you’ve never experienced before. What may seem challenging for you today will not be challenging in the slightest during the months to come.
Expand your world. Experience this life to the fullest. Cherish every second.
To achieving your limitless potential,
Scott Tousignant
PS Are you ready to give your very best effort? Let me know by sharing your comments in the box below…
Scott you’re making me feel like a celebrity with all these mentions of me
Yep I totally could have given up and if Mary had not been there with me I honestly think I wouldn’t have pushed through to the end! I can’t even begin to express how much support has played a role in me getting as far as I have with my weight loss and exercise goals!
I like what you said about how we have our very first personal best, which we can set a goal of breaking in the near future. I’m already moving forward with that – checking out the next local 5k I can do
You deserve the recognition Tishia. I’m so proud of what you’ve accomplished and what you are about to accomplish.
I love the concept of personal bests. It’s what keeps me moving forward each day.
Alright! This is totally making me want to get up and do my workout right now
Thanks Scott for the support and motivation!!!! You ROCK!!!
Yay! My job is complete
I love that my posts can inspire people to get up and take immediate action. You ROCK Mary!
Thanks, Scott, that was truly moving! It brought up for me some important thoughts about finding the balance between giving our absolute best to go beyond what we think we are capable of, and listening to our bodies when they give us signals that we need to stop or we will injure ourselves. It really is a delicate balance, and for years after injuring my lower back I did not attend yoga or dance classes, because it was so easy for me to get caught up in the group energy or the teacher’s urgings to go further. I would lose track of my inner listening and go beyond what my body was capable of, beyond the subtle signals that I’d gone far enough. Often, I wouldn’t find out until after the class, or the next day, that I had hurt myself again, and back I would be at the chiropractor’s office, icing and resting and waiting until I had healed enough to get back to my dance and yoga practice.
When I practiced by myself, I could tune in and hear the subtle signals, and was much less likely to do damage. And yet, I want to push myself, I want to give my best effort. These days, my back is much stronger. Enough years of strengthening have gone by that I can handle a lot more, and I appreciate the group energy of a class that helps me to push myself. But I still have to listen to my own body, be able to sense when I’ve gone as far as I really should.
Watching this video, I think the tears were about the beauty of the young man pushing beyond what he thought he could do, and my own fears of going that far, fears of being sidelined by injury again. It really is a delicate balance, one I want to be conscious of as I train, because I DO want to go beyond what I think I can do – and I also want to stay tuned in to my body’s wisdom of what is happening in each moment, so that I can continue to progress without injury.
Hi
When injured one have to be especially carefully in chooseing when to push oneself.
Your usuall favorit training isn’t it, in opinion my opinion. But i bet there are other areas where you can push, say strength-training, swimming and so on (still just in the realm of fitness).
It’s soo easy to become “home-blind” as we say in swedish, e.i. we are so used with a situation that we don’t really see it and therefor don’t see neither the options/alternatives nor what could be changed or improved.
I think we all can push ourselfs harder but we have to choose when and how. This links into “the big why” because we always have to choose our tools once we know the goal.
I confess, i currently don’t give my very best when it comes to weight-loss and fitness cause it’s not there my biggest why is just now. But i’ll get there-soon so: fat-cells and flab watch out cause i’m about to get to you and when i do you will perish!
Thank you for your outstanding comments Selene!
Awareness is absolutely key and we must absolutely become more in-tune with our bodies and listen to the signals that it feeds us. It’s important to temporarily push ourselves to the point of discomfort, but never to the point of pain or injury.
As mentioned, this is about personal bests and pushing our own limits, not trying to achieve someone esle’s personal limits. Like you said, it becomes a bit more difficult in group settings, but you know your body better than anyone else.
It’ also about progression. You only need to push slightly into discomfort and gradually improve. It can be very appealing to try and achieve a huge goal in a single day by giving extreme efforts that may actually set you back rather than push ahead.
It is a delicate balance, which makes it oh so important to set aside some quite time and become more in-tune with our body and the signals it sends us.
Well… Scott… you inspired me to get out my jump rope and get my last 30 minutes of cardio in for the week (my weight week goes Weds to Weds – so I have a chance to minimize any cheat meal imbalances…)
I really liked what you said about personal best … and need to add that sometimes you need to recalibrate your “best” for new circumstances. For instance, I used to run a comfortable 12 -13 minute mile the last time I was in shape. I’m not nearly that fast anymore — but I’ll get there (according to my plan sometime in October).
And, I know what you mean about the personal why… Several weeks ago, I was reading Tom Venuto’s Body Fat Solution book and something clicked… the next week, I met with a career coach and something else clicked… Now, I have a big goal that I know I’m going to make (even though it might seem very unlikely looking at me now…) Since I’ve made that decision – the temptations just don’t seem that tempting (and my husband has been going out of his way to test me…) Even when I don’t do as well (yikes a 900 calorie salad – what happened?) – I just drink lots of water the next day and move on
I find myself saying – in November – when I weigh XX pounds… or things like … in a few months – this hike will seem so easy because I won’t have as much weight to carry.
I’m not losing quickly for my weight (about 2 lbs a week so far) – but I am losing because I decided it was important to lose.
You ROCK Meredith!
I am certain that you will achieve your goal. You are incredibly driven and capable of greatness!
It is amazing how what was tempting to us previously is not so tempting when you dig deep and find the real true reasons why you want to improve your body and health…
…In fact, when you find that powerful reason, it is actually more tempting that the ‘tempting’ foods that used to control our minds and cravings. I crave achieving my goals more than I crave sugary treats!
It’s so great to have the support of a spouse and I love the fact that you are an amazing role model for your daughter.
The timing for this post could not have been more perfect for me. It comes on the heels of a conversation with John Romaniello on getting beyond a mental block I have that was limiting my performance…thus preventing me from surpassing my personal best. The video and subsequent text solidified his words to me and reiterated that you can do more than you believe possible if you stop sabotaging yourself by focusing on that fixed finish line/goal or allowing fear to become involved in the activity. I know my goals are attainable and I will make them happen but we all need reminders from time to time…thanks!
Michelle
Thanks for your comments Michelle. John ROCKS!
All of our excuses tend to point at external forces when really the only thing that is holding us back is ourselves and our limiting beliefs.
It’s time to conquer those limiting beliefs and replace them with Empowering Beliefs.
This clip brought tears to my eyes. I have lost 46 lbs. This past week has been a tough one. Someone yesterday told me, as I told them what a tough week it was that I need to have more faith in myself. She’s right. This video was just what I needed to see. I love what you said Scott ” I am unstoppable”. ” My family’s freedom and happiness depends on me putting forth my very best effort.” It really hit home.
Thank you for a wonderful site and all you do to inspire us.
You really are UNSTOPPABLE Pattie! It’s great to hear that my “powerful reasons why” resonated with you. My family means the world to me.
The comments that I read and successes that I see as a result of my teachings inspire the heck out of me. I love what I do and I love the amazing people that I connect with including you. Thank you for allowing me to share in your journey.
Great post Scott!
I heard something sometime ago that stuck in my mind… We are like cars… even when the tank is showing empty, you can still go many more miles that you think is possible!
Scott,
Wow! I can’t believe that I showed up on your website! I love your stuff! I do hope it will spur others to realize that they can lose weight! We just need to stop putting limits on ourselves and just do it! Once you remove the limits – you are unstoppable!
Thanks again!
Eka
It’s great to hear from you Eka. I totally loved your success story interview in Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat Inner Circle.
It was awesome to hear how you took your experiences of transforming your body along with all the educational material that you devoured along your journey and turned it into a very rewarding and fun part time career as a personal fitness trainer.
It’s truly amazing where this fitness journey takes us and the doors of opportunity that it opens up for us!
What area of Canada are you living in? I’m just outside of Windsor Ontario.
Hey Scott!
I live in Mississauga! I am working on trying to make my part time passion as a personal trainer into something full time! Things are really moving in that department!