I'm into the second month of my body transformation and I'm pleased to say that I've noticed some decent changes.  My strength and muscle mass have increased and I'm leaner than when I started.  These are subjective results, they're based on how I look and feel rather than specific measurements, but I'm actually happy with that.  I come across people regularly who are making good progress but haven't noticed much change in the weight on the scales.  However, when I point out that their clothes are fitting better, they're visibly leaner and they feel better in themselves, then what the scales say doesn't matter as much (or at all, really).

The only number I'm concerned with is my double body-weight deadlift (something I've been close to, but not quite hit before), rather than pounds, kilograms or percentages.   That said, for some people measurement scan be a useful means of tracking progress, but make sure that you focus on doing the right things, carrying out the right actions and your health and body composition will take care of itself.

In addition to the food I've been eating, I've been taking a protein shake pre-workout (shortly before my training sessions), along with a fish oil supplement, zinc and magnesium supplements before sleep and a probiotic supplement with meals.  The latter is to aid digestion - something that is a really important consideration, yet often gets overlooked.  No matter what you're eating, it won't do you any good unless you can actually digest and absorb it so that it can be turned into useful body tissue!

The beginning of month two sees a step up in my efforts.  Before, my aim was to eat as well as I possibly could - now I'm becoming a lot tighter.  I haven't been as disciplined as when I set out.  I have let slip a few times, particularly nutrition wise.  For me, the difference between when I eat well and when I don't is the extra 'stuff' that sneaks into my diet.  You see, I've managed to ingrain certain habits which I stick to all the time.  Some of these are;

Eating protein (meat or fish or eggs) with each and every meal along with some form of vegetables along with it (regardless of what else is also eaten, this is always present). Ensuring I'm prepared so I don't go hungry during the day (when we're hungry it rarely ends all that well). Taking my supplements each day. Varying my sources of food to avoid eating the same thing all the time. Making sure that I select the highest quality food I can each and every time.

I'm convinced that these habits form the basis of any successful eating plan.  Like I mentioned, the problem comes for me when I add all the extra 'stuff' that tends to sneak in.  However, month 2 sees an increase in focus.  That is both training intensity (I sat down in the sun yesterday and planned out my sessions for the next few weeks - some hard work coming up) as well as nutrition practices.  Writing down what I'm going to do brings a much higher level of clarity for me, and that combined with telling people my plans means my level of accountability is high!

If you're struggling with any aspect of your training then I suggest these things will help considerably.

What I've noticed with myself and others is that enthusiasm can be high at the beginning.  Then when this initial burst fades we often give up somewhat, and revert back to our old habits, which is a shame because it can result in losing a lot of the good work completed so far.

However, our habits are a very powerful thing.  The brain is very non-discerning - if you repeat a behaviour enough times it becomes second-nature and any effort to change it removes us out of our comfort zones.  Even something such as cooking eggs instead of toast in the morning, despite the fact it contributes to better results, is sometimes met with resistance.  It overrides our automatic behaviours and the key to breaking this is to form new patterns of thinking and acting.  Successfully managing this means your fitness efforts won't feel like a chore, or a burden and enhances your adherence (and your results) long term.

I'm going to share one or two strategies you can use in a few days, along with how the next phase of training is going.

Leighton