Most people have weight loss backwards.

It's not about losing weight.

It's about keeping it off.

Yet, countless times when I've hit a weight loss plateau in my health, I've struggled to remember the core principles of fitness.

As humans, we're emotional, not logical beings.

Which means having an OBJECTIVE perspective is vital when it comes to creating permanent and sustainable results in your body.

Especially as a busy plant-based or vegan leader, being objective is how you learn how to detach from your emotional attachments and see things clearly.

So let's be clear:

Weight loss plateaus suck.

Staying stuck at a particular 'weight' or rather level of body composition can be frustrating.

So here's a quick checklist you can use to troubleshoot your results:

#1 How adherent have you been with your program?

For most of us - sticking to the plan is the first level. If you're stuck at your current level of body fat or composition, then sticking to your program/plan/process within 80-90% adherence is a prerequisite.

Most people change their plans not due to a poor strategy...but rather not STICKING to the strategy.

Be honest with yourself.

Have you committed to your health & fitness - or have you been half-assing it?

There's no right or wrong here.

Just be honest with yourself.

#2 How consistently have you been tracking?

This lines up as a close second.

Consistency and adherence go hand in hand.

Consistent results are a side benefit of consistent behaviors.

Are you tracking your nutrition (calories & macros) at least 5 days a week?

Have you been more conscious of creating a nutrition environment that supports your choices?

Are you hitting your targets at least 80% of the time?

Dropping body fat is simple.

Eat fewer calories than your body needs (while lifting weights), and your body will prioritize dropping body fat (and weight) while retaining lean muscle.

But...

We're emotional creatures.

And food is an emotional process.

So, how consistently have you been tracking? (no right or wrong here)

#3 Are you being reasonable with the rate of progress?

Most of us are too impatient.

We're patient enough to live years or decades with unhealthy habits that cause us to gain weight, lose confidence, and treat ourselves poorly...

Yet, after 2 months of not seeing results with positive habits, we're so impatient we want to quit.

Be patient and reasonable.

The golden standard for fat loss (and industry standard) is ~1 lb per week of body fat.

Can you lose faster or more than this?

Of course.

However, higher than ~2 lbs a week, you're putting yourself in a tight spot.

A body that's HIGHER in body fat percentage will be more INCLINED to return to that level of body fat percentage the FASTER you push your results.

Aka - if you're trying to drop 30 lbs and want to drop 2+ lbs a week (3, 4, 5 lbs), you'll most likely hit your goal of dropping the lbs, BUT there's a HIGH chance that after a few months or so, you'll rebound and regain all the weight.

Shortcuts require little time.

Permanent change takes a bit longer.

#4 How consistent are you with your exercise or workout plan?

Workouts also play an important role.

Studies have been done on weight loss participants who did NOT eat in a caloric deficit (they stayed at maintenance calories) and lifted weights 3-4x a week for 6 months.

The surprising results?

Without having a caloric deficit and ONLY working out with weights consistently over 6 months, participants still dropped body fat significantly, gained lean muscle, and dropped weight.

Turns out that moving your body IS a good thing.

Who would have ever guessed?

So, how consistent are you with your workouts?

A good rule of thumb is hitting a minimum of 3 strength workouts per week.

1-2 cardio sessions for heart health and daily steps puts you in the top 10% of humans who take ownership of their health.

Total time investment:

3 strength workouts = 3 hrs

2 cardio workouts = 40 minutes (20 minutes each)

8,000 steps = 2 x 20-minute walks (40 minutes total)

Total weekly = 4 hrs 20 minutes

Total hours in a week = 168 hrs

Invested % time = 3% of your week (I rounded up to 5 hrs to simplify).

Is 3% of your week worth a MUCH higher quality of life, more energy, better health, longer life with your family, kids, and friends, and being a more effective and powerful leader?

It only takes 3%.

#5 When was the last time you had a deload or refeed? (*advanced strategy)

These are more advanced tactics.

Don't use these if you haven't followed the 4 principles above.

However, to give you a bit more context:

• Deloads refer to reducing your workout intensity and total work.
• Refeeds refer to increasing your calories.

Both are used strategically by experts to overcome plateaus.

When it comes to weight loss plateaus, there will be plenty.

However, some of these more advanced tactics can be pivotal when dropping body fat.

Typically, I recommend the 4:1 ratio for fat loss goals.

This means 4ish months consistently in a fat loss phase with 2-4 weeks in maintenance calories.

What this does is it helps to stabilize the new weight without rebounding and regaining it all back a few months later.

Deloads happen more cyclically.

Since stress accumulates over time as you train and work out, reducing the stress can help the body resensitive and prepare for a new workout cycle.

This can happen every 8-12 weeks, but again depends on your consistency and how well you're working out.

Use these principles to stay armed going into future weight loss plateaus and navigate your health more confidently.

Let me know if you have any questions, and reply below. :)

- Gabriel

Whenever you're ready, here's one way I can help:

Every week until the end of the year, you'll see our End of Year VFR Special.

If you ​apply for a coaching spot​ and qualify this week, we'll coach you for FREE until the end of this year.

(e.g., if you apply and are accepted this week, that would equal 4 weeks of free coaching with your start date for your 4-month Accelerator Program starting on Jan 1st, 2024.

We'll deduct a week from this special every week until the end of this year.

So this week is the maximum bonus week you could qualify for (4 extra WEEKS) each week after deducting one week less.

You’ll also be able to lock in our 2023 tuition before tuition rises in 2024 (due to all the incredible upgrades we’ve made over the past 12 months inside of VFR).

Spots fill up fast due to a 2-week waiting list, so your application is not guaranteed to be viewed so I’d recommend applying now even if you’re unsure when to start.

Happy holidays! :)