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5 Proven Strategies to Lose Weight and Keep It Off for Good · FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast

• 1:09
  Turo Virta: Hey and welcome to this fit me Turo fitness podcast today's episode, I'm talking about five strategies that most successful dieters, or people who are able to maintain their lost weight, are going to have and are going to keep so this is a topic at this time of the year, as I'm recording this, it's Christmas Day, 24th of December. Episode is coming out on 26th so from my experience, so many people are looking for something after holidays, but also, not only to find the fastest way to lose weight, but also how to maintain it. And successful clients are having and maybe some of them are going to stick with you that you are not going to make same repeat, same mistakes, what you have probably done in the past so you can finally lose weight, keep it off without taking all enjoyment away from your life. So let's get right into that episode and those strategies, and number one is habit is becoming aware what you are currently doing. So this is a point what I always love to start with all of my clients. So it's not about having, like, obviously, if you think that you would have, you would get the meal plan or some kind of plan to follow, and then when you are doing it, you are, of course, you are seeing very, very likely results. But what is the point?
• 2:47
  Turo Virta: My question, after so if you are able to follow a plan, meal plan, with the ingredients they have given to you, meals that have given to you, it tells that you have a lot of discipline. But the question is always that, how long that will last? So how long you are able to do those meals?
• 3:17
  Turo Virta: What you are going to how you are going to react for situations that will happen in a life like even if you don't want to do it, maybe, maybe at some point you are going to get you, you are going to have busy period in in work, maybe in your family is going to be some emergency, maybe somebody, maybe you yourself, or your family member, is getting sick. So there's always something, what is going to cause that?
• 3:44
  Turo Virta: Something is happening in life, and if you are not prepared for these situations, if you don't know what you are exactly going to do, what is for most people, what is happening is that they are getting off track. Then they think that point, I have lost all my progress, and then you are waiting that when situation is getting better, you are starting over, and that is the best way to feel only frustrated thinking like that, why I'm not going to see any results even I'm trying so hard. So first step is always to becoming aware, and there are a few options how to actually do it, like the first step, if you obviously the most accurate way, is to track your nutrition for, let's say for a week, three, four days, just something. But if you don't want to use some tracking app or weight your food even writing it down, writing it down, what you are eating like, let's say that in Friday, you had your breakfast, what you were eating in a breakfast, what you were having lunch, what snacks you had, and just that itself helps you to give freedom that oh to and understanding that what you are probably okay after work, I had my five cookies. There was a after work, there was a two glasses of wine.
• 5:09
  Turo Virta: So just becoming aware this your habits, what you are currently doing. And then it's so much easier to starting to look that, that even you know most, most of us, we know what we are doing wrong. But then if you look that, there is like you have maybe 10 points what you would like to change, and the key is then to not start to change everything at the same time, because that is again, all in or nothing mindset, which we will talk about it a bit later, but just focusing on one to two things and just Becoming aware what you are currently doing, and then thinking it like that, because these are, these are examples like I recently worked with with two clients, Sana and Don and both of them, they were Like initially, they said that they had, and that was not for them. And then I encouraged them to say that let's do it for three four days. And they trusted me, and they started to track their food for three four days. And it ended up like that for both of them. Were like that holy city.
• 6:26
  Turo Virta: This was so helpful to recognize that one of them were eating too little in on a lunch time, snacking way too much. Other one understood that breakfast was not what it should be, and then changing those small habits, which didn't even feel that hard at the time, and they lead then amazing results in two three months Sana fitting better in the clothes, lost a couple kilos already within the first two months. Don't have been tracking now, three months lost 20 pounds, I think at this point so amazing, amazing results. And it all started with one decision, to try it for a couple days. And then, you know, when you realize you understand that this, actually, this habit, is helping so much, becoming aware and making automatically, some kind of adjustments that is going to be a game changer. So that is Habit number one. Habit number two is prioritizing protein. So protein is something what I think all people are talking about, but it's still such an unrated thing, and as many people are thinking like that, I'm probably I'm not eating enough protein, or I try to eat protein. But there is a huge difference to know actually, what are your protein goals, how much you are currently eating and how much you should be eating and aiming to closer not be tip, number of protein, but aiming to get closer to your protein goals. And first step like is together with the step number one is to becoming aware what you are currently doing.
• 8:24
  Turo Virta: Because it's, you know, if you think that my breakfast is I eat an egg is source of protein, and that is my breakfast. I have one egg. But then when you looked at how much actually your protein goal is, and I, for most people, like it's 1.5 to two grams per kilo body weight. So let's say that you use 1.5 you make 60 kilos, you should get at least 90 grams of protein. If your weight is 70 kilos, it should be over 100 grams. And if you get your breakfast has one egg, that's the only social source of protein, you are having six grams of protein, maybe seven.
• 9:04
  Turo Virta: So there is missing a lot of protein for your your dinner, for your snacks. So first step is what I probably would do, is trying to add some protein for your breakfast so it becomes lot easier to reach that actually called what you're having. And then then that, again, is leading that you are going to feel fuller. What clients like Sana said that she had a huge problems with that kind of cheap days, snacking, drinking Coke, eating chips, candies, and suddenly all those kind of cravings, they disappear when you add more protein. So or not, disappear totally, but you don't need them as much as before. So there, because there is a there is a science behind with protein and fiber. So those are most satiating foods. They reduce your sweet gradings. And this is kind of easiest way for me and for most people, is to focus on adding things like protein so that you are automatically eating something else less and all together that leads that you are eating less calories without feeling that you are starving, you have to restrict, reduce something, which obviously might be the case too, but when you focus on adding things it in the end, it have the same effort, same effect than trying to focus on restrictions. So that is Habit number two, happy. Number three is incorporating regular exercise so, and this is, this might sound that I don't have time for exercising, but it's not. It's not that you have to do certain amount of exercise, or it's not worth of anything, because that is like, you know, it's all in or nothing mindset, and it could be starting just simply adding more steps, getting that non exercise activity, higher steps, aiming for 6000 steps, or if you are getting 5000 now, aiming For six, 7000 so those are kind of sustainable additions. And then thinking like that, what kind of, what is the most beneficial way of exercise? And for most people, that is kind of some form of resistance training, strength training, and it has such many benefits. First of all is that the feeling of you are getting stronger. I recently, actually, yesterday, talked with one of my clients, Samia, and her mindset have changed. Like she used to have, like, lot of body, same fat, same feeling like, didn't like what she's looking and everything started to change when she changed her mindset of trying to focus on how fast, how much that she can lose, when she started to focus on how strong she can get, and that is kind of what changed everything. It's it's a such a big change with your mindset when you focus on how strong you can get, and that is giving you the feeling that you are actually strong. You are able to do things what you were maybe not able to do before, like for Samia was going into a plane, lifting her luggage to the upper self by herself, which is like 1015, kilos might sound for someone that this is a simple thing. I can do it already, but for her, she could never do it herself. She always had to ask help earlier, or opening some sharp box or or glass with her own hands and not asking help for doing it then, or carrying heavy groceries.
• 13:04
  Turo Virta: What earlier she could have to she would have to take a trolley or something to carry her stuff.
• 13:13
  Turo Virta: And now she's like, holy shit, I'm able to do these things. So there are so many benefits. And obviously, as a side effect, when you are doing it, you your muscles are more defined. They feel better. You have more energy. And there are such some so many other benefits of strength training, why you should be doing it, and and this kind of mindset shift from focusing on weight loss, fat loss to how strong you can get, is such a big game changer. And other things with the exercising is not that not aiming for perfection. So the best stories, what I have from, from my clients, and the most successful is that was the that is the My favorite story, what I used to do as a mistake, also when I was a younger coach, is to aiming for perfect number from the beginning, like with one woman, when I was in the beginning of my career, she came to me, she was very, very motivated, and said that she's at the moment, she's not exercise. Now, time has come and she want to exercise five times a week. And I was like that, selfishly, seeing already before after pictures that I could post some testimonials in my social media, how fast results we got, and made her program five times a week, and what happened after two weeks, I never heard from her anymore, because everything was sore and she just couldn't take it so and obviously at the time, I was blaming her that she just didn't have a motivation or whatever. And now I understand that that was only 100% my mistake, my responsibility as a coach, as someone who is coming from background without exercising five times a week is way too much of exercising. So
• 15:14
  Unknown: now what I think that what I do now is a
• 15:18
  Turo Virta: little bit different, or a total in first step is always before the first 30 days is to take as little as possible that you feel confident what you are able to do. And then if, after one month, you still feel like that, it could be more. Then it's time to start adding things at longer workouts, at one more workout system, and then adjusting it all the time, what feels sustainable? Because ultimately, what is the point of doing more if you are getting enough results to keep going with by working smarter and not necessarily harder? And this is one of, or couple of my most successful clients, Florian Christine, those couple names come up right away from my head.
• 16:12
  Turo Virta: They started with the two times a week 10 minutes workout sessions. And it might sound does this even make sense?
• 16:26
  Turo Virta: Program for 10 minutes. But it's not the ultimate goal to work out two times 10 minutes.
• 16:30
  Turo Virta: Obviously, that is also better than nothing, but it's it's a start. And then, for example, Christina, we I just looked at her stats. We have been working now over one and a half years together. She started three times a week, and now she's in in a in a routine, three times a week, 30 minutes, which is more than enough to see sustainable results and that she has been able to do it. But if she would start in the beginning three times a week, 30 minutes, that would be way too much. She would quit. So just don't aim for perfection. Aim for what you are able to do, and then first step is always to learning to keep promises, what you make to yourself as other. Just an example for me this podcast episode I was so long as it's Christmas time. I want to take it this year, but thought that I promised for myself to record one podcast episode per week.
• 17:31
  Turo Virta: And maybe this is not the perfect episode, but, and I'm recording it. It's 24th of December, early morning, because I know that it's Thursday when I'm always publishing it's 26th I want to take it easier on next days so and I want to keep promises I make to myself. And this is the same thing with my strength training. I'm ashamed to commit that recently I have been struggling, especially with the strength training. It's to be honest at this point it's 30 to 60 minutes per week, when ideally it would be two, three hours per week, but, and at this point I feel ashamed that it's, it's it's nowhere near where I want it won't want it to be, but it's the same thing. What I learned that I I was for a week. I said that there was I used to talk myself out of doing it, myself, that there is no point of doing 10 minute exercises. I start next week again. And this, I always ended up doing, like one week, then it's next week. It's easier to skip. And now what I learned that consistency beats perfection every single time and and just making keeping promises I make to myself, and I never promised myself anymore to finish my workout, I promise to start it. And that is that has been such, such a big game changer, because strength training is something for me that I naturally don't enjoy.
• 19:13
  Turo Virta: Actually, I gotta say that, that this time i I almost hate it. I know that when I I just need to get there, and then it's okay, but it's it's not about getting perfect workout in. It's all about getting started, keeping promises I make to myself, and this is my way to show it, show up and do the work. What I know, which I know that at some point time will get easier. I have more time again. I have maybe more motivation. But even through difficult and busy season of life, I stick with the plan. I stick with the keeping promises I make to myself, and this is one of the key habits of most successful people, is that they learn to keep their promises. And if you are someone that I can't keep promises I make to myself, then it's time to adjust promises you make to yourself and do not promise that much, and adjusting those promises you make to yourself.
• 20:13
  Turo Virta: So if some weeks it's going to be 10 minute workout, next week it's going to be 20 minutes, that's totally fine, but until you keep promises you make to yourself and at least get started, that is going to be a game changer. Then Habit number four, planning and preparation. So this is something like I recently, I was with the women's ice hockey national team in Canada, and so that how different nutritional habits are there, and as most people, they are just go, go, go, and then you know you don't have necessarily time to eat and and talk with one of my good friends yesterday about it, and he said also that he's struggling with the especially with the Lance, because he doesn't have time To go to or it feels he would maybe have time, but he said he's rather deciding to eat something quickly as going to somewhere to restaurant and wasting one hour goes this way. He's one hour faster at home. And okay, that would be an easy fix, if he would plan and prepare things already at home, taking with him, he would save time. He would know what he's getting.
• 21:29
  Turo Virta: Those all these quick choices.
• 21:33
  Turo Virta: If you go, like in Canada, there's so much food is everywhere, but finding grocery store that was huge challenge.
• 21:44
  Turo Virta: And if I think that, if I wouldn't plan their things ahead and like, you know, if it's for a week, that's totally fine.
• 21:51
  Turo Virta: That doesn't make big difference. But if I would live there and every time just grab something to go eating while you are going, that is such a big difference compared to Italy, like here, you know, we are planning things ahead, at least what I do and trying to eat whole foods, nutrition, nutritious food. Whole foods as much as possible, eating at home as like most of the meals. But if you don't have chance for that, if you are just able to plan and prepare things ahead, that is going to be a game changer, because it's not about one meal. But if that is something, what happens several times per week that in the long, long run, that is going to make huge, huge difference. So planning things like about your protein sources? What you are going to have as only as a protein if you can plan your whole meals, but what is going to be your protein sources?
• 22:58
  Turo Virta: Think start from your breakfast.
• 23:02
  Turo Virta: Then if your breakfast, you know what I need to eat. Let's say that your whole is 100 grams of protein, what you would need to get, how much protein you would need to get to hit that 100 grams end of the day. And this is one of the my favorite exercises. I give to my clients, is to plant their perfect day of protein to hit. So you can use tracking app or writing it down and adding it, putting it like breakfast, I need to have 30 grams from I use my examples.
• 23:31
  Turo Virta: It's 250 grams of Greek yogurt.
• 23:36
  Turo Virta: I add scoop of natural protein powder. So I have my 50 grams of protein for breakfast that I do every single day. Then I have some kind
• 23:47
  Unknown: of so I
• 23:53
  Turo Virta: have 70 grams of protein before I go to lunch. So I hit almost half of my protein called already before lunch. So with these habits itself, I'm already halfway through and it's, it's even in the worst days, I'm, I'm getting close to my evening. I don't have always control over what I'm going to eat, lunch, dinner. But with these habits, I'm, I'm still doing okay, and that is such a big game changer. And same thing for you, if you think that what you could have, or at least to add, if you have prepared, I don't know, I have my favorite protein sources or COVID cheese.
• 24:31
  Turo Virta: I might have a protein shake powder with me so I can just add water, shake it and eat it then later on. Or if you you know there is nobody who doesn't say that you could pre cook your chicken, take it with you and to have at those what you are already, at least your protein sources. And then, obviously, if you can plan and prepare everything else, that makes it so much easier. And then last but not least, is community and accountability. So the most successful people, like even most people, they know what they should be doing, but for some reason they are not doing it.
• 25:18
  Turo Virta: Because often there are so many things. Maybe you have your 10 things, what you know you should be doing, and if you can't do all of them, then you end up doing nothing. But if you have some kind of accountability support system that you are thinking those things a little bit more than usually, you are sharing your maybe your wins, maybe your struggles, and you see, you are not alone in this thing, like in my membership coaching, I love the community part where people are sharing ideas, struggles, wins, and this kind of all who are working on one on one with me, I'm their accountability partner. Maybe your spouse or someone is not giving you that support, what you would need, but to have some kind of external accountability part, so that you know that this this week, I focus only on this one or two things. Next week it's going to be something else or or keep focusing on those things. So of course, this is, this is, it's for me too. Like when I started, it was not easy to focus on proteins and something now it has become kind of out of automatization, and I do it without thinking it. So then, after it's kind of automatic, then I have to, I can add something more. And this is with the automatic things like that, if you think that you want or not, but you have some amount of willpower what you are doing, and you are making 1000s of decisions. Every willpower to do everything. So if you think that what clothes you are wearing. Like, it takes a lot of like, if I look my wife, she needs so much willpower thinking what she's going to wear. And, for example, some guys like myself, there are some other guys, you know, they wear everyday, same T shirt, same clothes, because that is just something that they don't want to raise their willpower, and then they have more willpower for something else.
• 27:31
  Turo Virta: And it's it applies for food, for exercising, for everything.
• 27:36
  Turo Virta: So think what kind of decisions, if you don't believe me, take a paper and write down all kind of decisions, and I'm sure you don't, even some of them are automatic that you don't use your willpower. Like for example, if you stop, there is a red light you stop, that is already kind of automatic habit.
• 27:55
  Turo Virta: What you have are thinking that what? What should you What should I bear today? You need a lot of willpower, unless you have it kind of automatic way of doing it, and it's this is the same thing with the food. If you don't know what you are doing, you need a lot of willpower what you should be eating, and that is every time away from something else. When you use your willpower, because amount of willpower. It's more or less every people have the same amount. It's just the way, how you are using it, and where you are using so to minimize these things, just try to out, make those decisions already ahead, and limit your save your willpower, maybe with some other decisions you are making and for food if you have already made decisions ahead, what you are going to do, when you are going to exercise that is going to make things so much easier, and when you can share these ideas, having some kind of accountability support that is crucial and necessary to have success. So thank you for listening. This was a quick episode, like I said. This was just a idea to put something out, and hopefully it was helpful, even it was not perfect. It was recorded on a Christmas day. So I wish you.
• 29:20
  Turo Virta: You had an amazing holidays.
• 29:25
  Turo Virta: Enjoy your holiday season if you are celebrating it. And a Happy, Happy New Year, and talk to you next year.