Getting in shape can so feel fucking hard when you’re first getting started.

Especially if you have a significant amount of weight to lose.

You put in all this work and it takes weeks if not months to see any noticeable progress and you start to wonder…

Is this even worth it?

It feels like a never ending uphill battle.

Losing a significant amount of fat - it’s no easy task - so if you’re out there trying your best to make it happen, then my hats off to you.

I see you and I’m proud of you.

But getting in shape and losing the weight literally makes gravity have less of an effect of you.

If you are 50 pounds overweight, you’re constantly carrying around 50 extra pounds, pulling you down - DRAGGING you down.

When you can get rid of that, not only are you lighter but if you did it the right way then you have also built muscle as well making you stronger while also having less to carry around.

It’s a beautiful thing, really.

But very difficult to get the ball rolling.

It’s like a plane taking off.

Both fat loss and a jet taking off from the runway requires a ton of initial effort to lift off, but once they reach a certain point, the journey becomes smoother and more efficient.

Your goal is to just focus on making it to that cruising altitude - not the end destination.

Picture an airplane, like a Boeing 747, on the runway preparing for take off.

It's massive, filled with fuel, passengers, and cargo.

The engines roar to life, and a tremendous amount of fuel is burned.

In these critical moments of takeoff, every gallon of fuel consumed propels the plane only a short distance and the plane is working extremely hard to get going.

The fuel-to-distance ratio is staggeringly high, but it’s a necessary sacrifice to combat gravity and inertia and to actually get anywhere other than the runway.

Similarly, when you begin a fat loss journey, you're at a standstill, weighed down not by physical cargo, but by the bad habits, the comfortable lifestyle, and the mountain ahead of you.

Getting the ball rolling is a tough task, but a necessary one. Each step towards change – be it the first workout, the initial changes to your diet, or learning to track macros – is heavy with effort.

The 'fuel' you burn here, in the form of energy, willpower, and determination, seems disproportionately large compared to the visible progress you see.

Yet, just like the airplane, this intense initial effort is necessary for what comes next.

Now, envision the airplane reaching cruising altitude.

It's high above the clouds, and the ground is a distant memory.

Here, the air is thinner, and drag is significantly reduced.

The engines, designed for these heights, now work efficiently, consuming far less fuel per mile than during takeoff.

The plane glides almost effortlessly, covering vast distances with ease.

This is the phase of your fitness journey we can call 'cruising altitude’.

After the initial, grueling phase pf getting started, you find your rhythm.

This fitness thing is becoming a habit. The workouts that once left you gasping for breath are now part of your routine.

Healthy eating becomes second nature, and tracking macros is no longer the chore it once was.

Muscle soreness is replaced by strength, and cravings are manageable.

And the best part, you’re finally getting somewhere and seeing results.

Like the plane, you're now moving forward with less effort, but with greater efficiency and momentum.

This transition doesn't happen overnight.

Your fat loss journey is marked by small, consistent efforts that accumulate over time.

In both scenarios, the initial phase is challenging but necessary.

Without the intense effort of takeoff, the plane cannot reach the efficiency of cruising altitude.

Likewise, without the initial discipline and struggle in your fat loss journey, you cannot achieve the ease and efficiency of a healthier lifestyle.

So, as you embark on or continue your fitness journey, remember the airplane analogy.

Embrace the challenges of 'takeoff,' knowing that each effort brings you closer to your 'cruising altitude' where maintaining your health and fitness will feel more natural and less daunting.

-Eric