How Ludo Lost 30 lbs, Dropped 5-Inches Off His Waist, And Went From Stuck, Frustrated, and Powerless to In-Control, Confident, and Fulfilled Without Strict Dieting Or Radically Changing His Lifestyle
Let me introduce you to my client Ludo…
He was “trying” to lose weight for 3-years, but nothing seemed to work.
He tried diet after diet and one exercise program after another…
He’d stick with it for a few weeks, lose a few pounds then a vacation would come along or some other bump in the road… and he’d fall off the wagon again.
Discipline and self-motivation were his two biggest enemies and they managed to crush his progress time and time again…
With each failed attempt he’d gain back even more weight. And his levels of unhappiness and frustration grew bigger than ever along with his belt size.
At 210 lbs. he was the heaviest he’s ever been and he just couldn’t take it any longer. He refused to continue down this destructive path of frustration, anger, and unhappiness any longer.
Does any of this sound familiar?
If so, keep reading…
After 3-years of talking about losing weight, “trying harder”, and falling for every quick-fix and supplement scam on the market… Ludo finally contacted me and we got to work.
Fast forward a few months… he’s lost 30 lbs, dropped 5-inches off his waist, and he can finally fit into his college clothes again for the first time in 10-years!
More importantly… he’s happier than ever, his confidence is through the roof, and he can actually keep up with his 4-year old on the playground.
In his own words:
“Since I started working with Jackson I lost 30 lbs and dropped 5 inches of my waist. I never thought that’d be possible. I’m excited that I can now keep up with my 4 year old on the playground and fit in my college clothes. It makes me smile every day.”
You might be thinking… yeah that worked for him but I have a demanding job, I have a few kids, I don’t have time, I hate diets, I don’t have the right genetics, etc.
You’d be wrong. Those are just excuses and here’s why:
- Ludo has a wife and a kid.
- He doesn’t have the “right” genetics and he’s struggled with his weight for many years.
- He only spent about 2 hours per week in the gym.
- He has an incredibly demanding job in management at one of Silicon Valley’s top technology companies.
- And he even got one “cheat day” per week where he got to eat all his favorite foods.
In his own words:
“What’s even more exciting is that I didn’t have to radically shift my busy schedule (I have a kid and a demanding job). I trained 2-3 times per week. I even got to spend one day per week eating all my favorite cheat foods.”
What can you learn from Ludo and his amazing transformation?
1. Trying harder is a trap.
If you’re failing to lose the last few pounds of body fat, get to the gym more frequently, or simply stick to a diet and exercise program… it’s not because of a lack of effort.
The trap of “trying harder” is a real thing and it can be EXHAUSTING. Trust me, I’ve been there before, Ludo was there, and all my other clients have been there too.
Systems will help you build and enforce the habits you need to build the Superhero body of your dreams.
Systems can be very easy and simple to setup. Here are two simple system that will help you be more successful with your health and fitness goals:
1. Skip Breakfast
Skipping breakfast, better known as intermittent fasting, is is the same system that my client Chris used to lose 14 lbs. in 14-days. Even better, my client Chris gained 5.4 lbs. of lean muscle mass in less than 2-months.
This is a simple system that will keep your body in the “fat burning” zone for a longer period of time. This allows you to actually burn body fat every single day instead of just burning the food you eat.
2. Schedule Workouts
Ever seen this video of the guy that tries to fit big rocks, small rocks, and sand into a jar?
It’s a cool video and a great metaphor for life. He starts by pouring the sand into the jar, then the small rocks, then the big rocks… but they don’t fit. Not even close.
So, instead he puts the big rocks in first, then the small rocks, then the sand and like magic… everything fits.
Your calendar needs to work the same way. Put the big rocks on the calendar first, then the small rocks, then the trivial stuff. For example, work meetings, family events, date night, AND YOUR WORKOUTS are the big things.
The majority of people do not schedule time for their workouts or even add an event to their calendar. No wonder you skip so many workouts…
If you want to make your health and fitness a priority, YOU MUST protect that time like you would for a work meeting or social event.
All you have to do is schedule your workouts on your calendar, mark the time as busy, and stick to your schedule.
Going one step further, be sure to include travel time to the gym, warm-up time, and any time you spend showering, changing in the locker room, or jaw-jacking to your friends…
Failure to include this time on your calendar and plan ahead is delusional and will result in frustration. Trust me, a 45-min workout requires at least a 60-75 minute allocation on your calendar.
There you have it… two super-simple yet effective systems that will ensure success with your next exercise program.
Ask yourself, “Are you falling into the trap of ‘trying harder’ or are you building effective systems to build good habits and ensure success?”
2. Going alone guarantees failure.
When most people begin a new diet or exercise program… they kind of keep it to themselves. At least, they don’t tell many people outside their significant other.
Why is that?
Brace yourself, this might sting a bit:
The reason you keep your health and fitness goals to yourself is because you don’t want other people to judge you, laugh, or poke fun when you fail.
You are giving yourself an easy out. If you fail, it’s okay. Your significant other will still love you and the only person judging you… is you.
It’s not your fault…
Work got crazy, things were super stressful, and then there was that wedding you had to go to, and I mean — you planned that vacation months ago…
Plus, the gym is so damn far away and inconvenient, you had that birthday party to go to and it would have been rude not to eat cake, and you simply didn’t have time to meal prep with the new season of House of Cards being released…
I mean, you had to watch it otherwise everyone at work would have been talking about it and…
You see how easy it is to make excuses? And how good it makes us feel?
It’s much better than having people at work say, “I thought you were on a diet?” Or admitting to ourselves that we failed. We’re too easy on ourselves and we let ourselves off the hook. All. The. Time.
Sure, we may mentally beat ourselves up a bit. Everyone does that from time-to-time. But then your brain goes into overdrive coming up with all the reasons why it’s not your fault… and instantly — you feel better again.
This is why you must not go alone this time…
From Batman and Robin to the Avengers and The Justice League… every Superhero has a sidekick or group of other heros they partner with to ensure success.
It’s why Bill Gates has Steve Ballmer, Steve Jobs had Jonathan Ive, and Warren Buffett has Charlie Munger. And in the animal kingdom it’s why male lions create a coalition to takeover a pride.
The most badass Superheros, smartest CEOs, and the fiercest beast in the jungle all understand this…
If you’re going to be Superhero successful, you NEED quality people around you to provide accountability and support.
These people will push you to higher highs when you’re at your best and support you when you’re at your worst. They will inspire, motivate, and hold you accountable.
If you’re like Ludo used to be and you’re trying to do this on your own… you’re setting yourself for failure, frustration, and pain.
It wasn’t until Ludo began working with me, a quality accountability, and upgraded his environment (the people around him) that he began to change. In his own words:
“There is a lot to be said about Jackson and his character. It’s super rare to find somebody that is really good at what they do and genuinely really cares in a very selfless kind of way for the success of their clients. That’s Jackson in a nutshell.”
It doesn’t have to be me, but get yourself a quality accountability partner. And make sure the people around you are supporting your weight loss goals.
3. Mindset is everything.
“Whatever you hold in your mind on a consistent basis is exactly what you will experience in your life.” – Tony Robbins
Like you and many of my other clients, Ludo didn’t think of his body as a high-performing million dollar machine…
Instead, he treated his body poorly. He thought his body was weak. And he didn’t think he had the right “genetics.” He even began to believe this is just how his body is and there wasn’t anything he could do to change it.
This is a dangerous trap that can sabotage your results and prevent you from ever getting the body you want… for the rest of your life.
Instead, I got Ludo to believe his body is a high-performance million dollar machine.
This is a highly underrated strategy for changing your behavior… think about it: what if I could convince you that your body was a million dollar machine like a Ferrari F60 America?
Would you treat it better?
Do you think you would be as quick to put sugary sodas, In-n-Out french fries, and processed garbage in it on a daily basis?
Definitely not. You’d want to put the highest quality fuel possible in your million dollar car… like kale, spinach, salmon, chicken breast, and avocado.
So even though Ludo is exposed to terrible “office food” on a daily basis — he’s still losing POUNDS of body fat because of his mindset.
Action Item: What limiting beliefs do you have that are sabotaging your progress and keeping you from getting the body of your dreams?
Write them down. And spend time every single day working on changing them to something more positive and empowering.
Final Thoughts
What can you learn from Ludo and his amazing transformation?
How can you…
- Avoid the trap of trying harder and instead create systems to build positive habits?
- Get a quality accountability partner and find an environment of like-minded, positive, and supportive people that will champion your success?
- Replace the negative, limiting beliefs that are sabotaging your success with new, empowering beliefs that will help you succeed?
What action steps can you take today to move toward your goal of transforming your body and your life for the better?
According to Ludo,
“If you take one thing from this case study, it should be this – shoot Jackson a quick message. It’s the best thing you can do for your body and lifestyle, regardless of where on the spectrum of fitness you are.”
If you’re ready to take action like Ludo and you’d like to work with me to transform your body and your life…