As I learned in my interview with Jerzy and Aniela Gregorek last week, making progress is a matter of “making the uncomfortable, comfortable.” Whether applied to weight loss, rehabilitation or high level sports competition, they have written extensively on the subject and my clients and I have experienced first hand the benefits of this approach.
According to Jerzy and Aniela the six qualities of youthfulness are:
- Flexibility
- Strength
- Speed
- Leanness
- Ideal Body Weight
- Good Posture
To achieve the Happy Body Standard in any one of these areas, one must become comfortable being uncomfortable. Let’s use leanness as an example.
By observing the progress of personal training clients over 30+ years Jerzy and Aniela have developed a very sophisticated way of estimating Ideal Body Weight as well as Ideal Body Weight Proportions, meaning the proper muscle and fat ratios relative to your height. According to their chart, based on my height, my Ideal Body Weight is 160-165lbs. Shockingly accurate, considering I have 16% body fat, which means that at my current body weight of 174lbs, I have 28lbs of fat and if my goal is to get down to 10% body fat, then I will have to lose 16lbs of fat, leaving me with 12lbs for a total of 10% body fat.
To achieve these standards, I’ve been implementing every technique in the book to stay positive, focused, in the moment and keep stress at bay while on a strict caloric restriction. Classical music, warm baths, cold showers, micro-meditation, more water, less caffeine, breathing techniques, timing my meals, journaling, anything and everything. Most of these things I do even when I’m on the road since these techniques are not limited to fitness trainers who have a bunch of time on their hands. I have a 6 month old baby, a wife, private clients, a corporate client, I’m a volunteer high school strength coach, and I have friends and family that need my attention.
I know it will take me time to learn to enjoy the process of achieving my goal because right now, doing so means that I will have to change the way I view holiday parties and eating dinner out with my wife. Not only that, but my current nutritional plan is taking my full concentration to adhere to. It looks like this:
3 snacks a day consisting of (160 cal per snack)
- Yogurt
- Bread
- Food Bars
Two meals a day consisting of
- One hand of protein (from meat or eggs, rice and beans also accepted)
- Two hands of veggies
As you can see, this type of food restriction can require quite a bit of discipline. Fortunately, advice from The Happy Body has helped me keep my mind clear from feelings of deprivation which reduces stress hormones and hunger.
Knowing specifically what to eat and how long it will take to achieve my goal has also put my mind at ease. The Gregorek’s have come up with a way to estimate how much time it will take to lose or gain weight. This is very rare and I haven’t seen this done in any other system. They realized that people can:
- Lose fat at 1% of Ideal Body Weight per week
- Gain fat at 1% of Ideal Body Weight per week
- Lose Muscle at 2% of Ideal Body Weight per week
- Gain muscle at 0.2% of Ideal Body Weight per week
By using this information as a guide you can know almost exactly how long it will take you to reach your goal. For example, if I lose 12lbs at 1.6% (1% of 160lbs) per week, it will take me 7.5 weeks.
Jerzy and Aniela are master coaches because of their ability to help their clients become accepting and comfortable while completely changing their habits; the way they train, eat, and even the way they carry themselves. They do this by providing the specifics and delivering on the promises they make. Jerzy says, “deliverance justifies the road. If we have to read poetry we read poetry, if we have to meditate we meditate.”