Like many coaches and trainers that have come before me, I haven’t always been as attentive to my own training and nutrition as I should’ve been. I’ve dealt with issues relating to my weight for most of my life, so this was not a shocking turn of events. I’m not going to make excuses, because excuses don’t matter and no one gives a shit. The bottom line was that I needed to do something about it. I’d been building a house on Jacked Street for a few months and was happy with the results I was seeing, so I decided to take the next step and combine that with the Power Athlete Leaning Protocol.

Over the course of the next 16 weeks, I was able to lose roughly 19 pounds, with a 2:1 ratio of fat mass to lean mass reduction. I started to feel and perform better, and saw some pretty noticeable changes in my physique. Looking back, there were three key elements that were crucial to my weight loss: setting the right goal, identifying potential pitfalls, and getting into the right mindset.

Step 1 – Setting my goal

There are a few things you should know about me that factored into my goal-setting. First off, I’m the co-owner of a small personal training studio in Denver,  and secondly, I’m a pretty big nerd. Part of my long term motivation for leaning out is that I believe to be my best as a trainer and get the best results for my clients, I needed to walk the walk. However, I’d had this in my head for a while and nothing much was changing, so I realized I also needed a near-term goal to kick start this process; this is where my nerdiness comes into play.

Last year, some friends and I decided to attend the Denver Comic Convention and dress up as the Guardians of the Galaxy (I warned you this was going to get nerdy). I would be going as the character Drax, who is shirtless at all times; this meant I would doing my impression of a convertible for the duration of the convention. Knowing that I would be walking shirtless for hours, surrounded by thousands of people, gave me the motivation to stay on track. When it came down to it, my desire to achieve my goal was far greater than any excuses I could make.

Step 2 – Identifying potential roadblocks

When I started following the Leaning Protocol, I already knew that there was no way I was going to be able to stick to it perfectly. During those 16 weeks, I had a snowboarding trip on the books, and a planned vacation in California for my wife’s birthday. These weren’t going away, so I’d have to do the best I could during those weekends. Add into that date nights I wasn’t willing to give up, as well as other pop-up social situations, and there were plenty of opportunities for me to get off track. Looking back, this was my make-or-break point, and it all came down to planning ahead.

If you haven’t done so already, I’d highly recommend listening to Power Athlete Radio Episode 286, with Stan Efferding, as this episode helped set me up for success during those planned getaways.Knowing that my trips were on the weekends, and that calorie intake over the course of a week is critical, I planned those weeks out to allow for more flexibility when I wasn’t in my normal routine. This meant cutting back on carbs and fat a little during the week, so that when I had that burger from In-N-Out it wouldn’t have too much of a negative effect on my weight loss. I also made sure to continue hitting my Jacked Street sessions regularly, as getting my training in helped to provide a sense of normalcy that made it easier to stay on track.

Step 3 – Get your mind right

I mentioned earlier that I’ve dealt with weight issues most of my life, which has left me with a pretty good case of body dysmorphia. Being aware of this when I started the Leaning Protocol was very important, since I knew it would take a while before I would start to see changes in my physique. Even after I had lost 10-15 pounds, I was having a hard time seeing the difference. However, the number on the scale was going down, my skin fold measurements were improving, and I was receiving positive feedback from family and friends, so I knew I was on the right track.

Whether you’re attempting to lose or gain weight, it’s crucial that your expectations match the reality of your situation. It’s going to take time; nothing worth having comes easy. But, if you have the right plan and support system in place, you’ll have a huge crew in your corner helping you to achieve your goal.

If you started reading this hoping for some secret strategy to lose weight, unfortunately you’re shit out of luck. At the end of the day, nothing beats consistent hard work. Combine that with the right Power Athlete program and nutrition protocol that fits your goals, and get ready enjoy the fruits of your labor!

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