Get a bigger size? 👗

I think the biggest block to long term fat loss, is the pursuit of short term fat loss.

It’s May now. If you are going into the summer thinking “I need to lose weight asap”, I hate to tell you - it probably won’t happen. And if it does, it probably won’t last.

Of course, this depends on your environment and habits, but if the trends are anything to go by - it seems a lot of people are going on a lot of holidays this year.

When I’m in Bali, with excellent training, less drinking and access to fresh tasty food, I tend to lean out a bit.

When I am looking ahead at lots of travel, or weddings, or festivals, I know that I am going to gain body fat.

So what do I do?

I buy bigger clothes for summer.

I like to have a couple of denim shorts that fit my body well - no matter what size I am.

For years I had a pair that I would squeeze into and feel so uncomfortable.

Eventually I bought a bigger pair that fit my body perfectly and I felt so much more confident.

Then what happened? By taking the pressure off myself to be constantly losing weight, I naturally dropped a bit of body fat and found those shorts too big.

I’ve learnt, over the years, that the less I focus on fat loss, the easier I find fat loss.

It’s the mindset I bring into my coaching in The Furnace.

If all you are thinking about is fat loss, and resisting the extra layer of fat you might put on in the summer, you might actually be more likely to end up in a surplus. 

For the most part, our bodies are very capable to manage energy levels by themselves. Now, if I eat too much at a dinner with my family, I might find that I’m not that hungry in the morning and eat a little less.

Previously, I would have skipped breakfast altogether and tried to ‘fast’ until lunch, when I would eat way more than I had planned because I was hungry again.

I’m not saying you are guaranteed to gain body fat this summer. Remember that you have to eat 3500 calories above your maintenance level of weekly calories to gain a pound of body fat.

This means that if you have a big day of food and drink, and see the scales jump a few kg, it is very unlikely to be body fat.

And remember, even if you go on holidays and eat 5000 calories every day, and you do gain a few pounds of body fat, nobody will notice.

How many people have you seen come back from holidays noticeably bigger?

It’s also helpful to look at it the other way around:

If you go into a huge calorie deficit over the next couple of weeks and drop a few pounds of body fat - people probably won’t notice!

So why restrict yourself that much?

Here’s my advice:

Do your best.

Make good decisions where you can.

Aim to keep protein and veg high.

Move more.

Drink loads of water around your alcohol.

And buy clothes that fit you.

Remember, confidence is not in a size - it is in how you feel about yourself. If you are squeezed into clothes that make you uncomfortable, you won’t feel confident.

If you need help with your mindset, training or nutrition coming into the summer, you can join The Furnace today by clicking here.

Feel free to reply if you have any questions!

Have a great day!

Siobhan “I’m a size S-XL in Zara” O’Hagan