But what happens when the stress
becomes too much and your body
becomes overwhelmed with anxiety,
stress, and worry about things outside
the gym and kitchen? The stress we
voluntarily subject ourselves to –
restricted calories, weight training,
and cardio – will produce the results
we want when our body has the
resources to do so. But what if those
resources are also being diverted to
worry, dwell, and focus on the wrong
things? Progress stalls and your body
goes into survival mode and its
primal response will be to do
anything to protect itself. And if this
heightened state becomes chronic,
this is when things like adrenal
fatigue, insomnia, metabolic damage,
anxiety attacks, and a long list of
other ailments can manifest.
Seeing that survival mode is
something clearly you want to avoid,
I’m going to provide you with 7 ways
to help you have a stress-less prep.
Start Prep With Enough Time
Assess where your body composition
is at the time. With an aim to lose
0.5% to 1% of your bodyweight per
week, calculate how many weeks you
will need to get in stage condition.
This will ensure the maximum
amount of weight lost is stored body
fat and not from muscle atrophy.
This also provides some “wiggle room”
in case something happens that
could impede your progress like
getting sick, injured, or you have to
deal with a family matter. It’s much
better to be ahead than behind.