Shhhh. It’s okay. I know.
I know what you’re really thinking.
Spring has sprung, weather is getting warmer, summer is coming.
Shit.
Bathing suits. Tank tops. Shorts. Less clothes. Can’t hide under those bulky sweaters, baggy pants, and other body concealing winter wear.
We’re not supposed to talk about though. That’s fat shaming. That isn’t body positive. Oh coach, you can’t say these things anymore.
Fuck. That. Shit.
Let’s talk about the absolute fucking truth.
Within the last 24 hours YOU have thought about losing weight. YOU have looked in a mirror (or avoided mirrors altogether) and felt unhappy. You have avoided the scale because you’re scared. You have thought about getting rid of those smaller clothes you’ve been hanging onto because they just keep making you feel bad. Those 5 outfits you rotate through, despite having 8,000 clothing items, are getting worn out because you think you look fat in anything else.
That’s the truth.
I have never been accused of being too politically correct.
You want to change what your body looks like. You want people to look at you and think you look sexy. YOU want to look in the mirror and think YOU look sexy.
The spring weather is often a kickstart for many to ‘get in shape,’ or what they really mean is, ‘lose some of this damn fat and look better.’
For over 20 years I have coached people in fitness. THOUSANDS of clients from professional athletes, to rockstars, to your grandma. Guess what? Every. Single. Fucking. Client. I. Have. Ever. Coached. Wants. To. Lose. Weight. And. Look. Better.
Period.
I am a sociologist at heart and could dive deep into the ‘why do people want to lose weight’ rhetoric. But as a fitness and health coach I don’t give a shit. I don’t care WHY you want to look different. I know about societal pressures and bullshit tormenting from your mom when you were a teenager.
Who cares.
I don’t.
Why?
Because for the vast majority of our population, losing some weight, adding in exercise, and eating healthier is a really, really, fucking good idea. Most of us are unfit, overfat, and unhealthy. I don’t care WHY you want to make changes, I just care that you are ready and willing to make changes.
Plus. It’s okay that you want to take some pride in your appearance. There IS a reason we celebrate fit bodies. They represent far more than a version of beauty. Fit bodies are outward displays of commitment, hard work, and pride in oneself.
Where is all of this going besides another long winded Coach Taylor rant?
Spring is here. You want to be less Pillsbury Doughboy and more ‘who’s that sexy beast?’
How are you going to get there.
8 Weeks to Hotter Body
(or read heading: to more confidence; to higher self esteem; to better health etc.)
This isn’t going to be easy. If you want some QUICK TIPS AND TRICKS!!!! that are supposed to somehow counteract all the bullshit that got you where you are, wrong blog, wrong coach.
You want something to be proud of? You’re going to have to put in some work.
Yeah, you are going to have to make sacrifices. You’re going to have to say no to some things you want.
#1
Morning! You’re an adult.
You have to train in the morning. If you don’t do any regular exercise, no problem, that is coming in the next few points. For now, we are going to focus on the importance of the morning.
I am not going to hold back here. I am going to deliver you some really hard truth. You have to get up and get shit done. Period. THE most successful people in the world leverage the power of the morning. If you don’t believe me, reach out and I will share some resources.
Life is busy. Every single day brings something new to it. There are ALWAYS unpredictable events. You can have the best of intentions to get in some fitness after work or when the kids go to bed but we both know that is not going to last. By the afternoon, or even worse, the evening, you’re exhausted, tired, and needing some relaxation after a day of dealing with life.
Bedtime would be idyllic as a set time. Our culture won’t allow that and you know it.
The only way you can 100% for sure commit to anything is the morning. Because the rest of the world hasn’t woken up yet, you don’t have to check your email, the kids are asleep, and you wisely haven’t scrolled the internet.
You can always set the alarm a half hour early. You can always be sure of dedicating some time to yourself in the morning.
Yeah. Sometimes it just fucking sucks and you don’t want to.
Cool.
It’s up to you. Like I mentioned above, you’re a grown ass adult. Totally up to you what you want your life to look like.
All I can tell you is that after coaching thousands of clients over 20 years the people who are the most successful get their fitness done in the morning.
#2
Sleep
You need sleep.
But coach! You JUST said I need to get up earlier.
Yeah. Another quick note: life isn’t fair.
The truth is that you need 7-8 hours of sleep for your body to function optimally. If you want to shed some fat, you need your body to be functioning optimally. If you aren’t getting enough sleep you are not going to hit your goals.
Sorry.
There are a million strategies out there for getting better sleep and would require a full book to share here. If you have difficulty sleeping you need to figure out why. If you simply are watching TV or scrolling social apps, you know what to do.
Eat
You will look like how you eat.
Period.
I am not a subscriber to any particular diet plan. Vegan, keto, carnivore, mediterranean, whatever. All of these diets have pros and cons and all of them. You do you.
What I am going to share here is the guaranteed way to lose a bunch of body fat in 8 weeks. Do these things and you will reshape your body in a noticeable way.
Are these all sustainable for life? Some are. Some people can. You can for 8 weeks of your life. What about after that? Why don’t you stop worrying about what to do AFTER and put all of your focus on to doing things as best you can now?
Here we go.
There you go.
Do those 8 things, for 8 weeks, watch what happens.
You’re welcome.
Train
Yeah, you’re going to have to exercise. Guess what? Your body was LITERALLY built to move. If you don’t move it, move it well, and move it often, you will keep losing muscle and piling on fat.
That is just how it works. Love it or hate it, it is the way it is.
WHAT is the best thing to do if you are looking to make changes in 8 weeks?
HIIT. High intensity interval training. 30 minutes of intervals working at the highest intensity you can, alternated with intervals of rest to prep for the next high intensity set. These high intensity sets should be no longer than a minute and a half with rest not exceeding the length of the working set.
You then also need to add in some specific heavy strength training work AND some lower intensity cardio activity. Uh-huh. All three things.
What exercise to do?
Kettlebells. Jump Rope. Calisthenics. Sprinting, honestly I can think of one million things to add here.
Those are the best for this purpose.
Here is the necessary schedule
3 times a week, 30 minutes of HIIT.
3 times a week, get your cardio.
2 times a week, do some heavy shit.
What if you are woefully out of shape? You’re going to have to go a bit easier to get started. But don’t worry; dropping body fat is WAY more about diet than it is about exercise!!!!! So you can still crush it.
The End.
Summary:
You want to lose weight and change what your body looks like. That’s okay, so does everyone else. And most likely, this will also improve your health. Win-win.
It won’t be easy. It isn’t easy. That’s why you’re not currently happy getting in swimsuit at your friend’s backyard pool party.
If you do not do everything I listed above…you will be exactly the same 8 weeks from now as you are right now. PERIOD.
The path to get there is simple.
The work to get there is hard.
-Coach Taylor