I know what you are thinking. What does Richard Dean Anderson and his character from the 80s hit TV series MacGyver have to do with getting rid of belly fat. It’s a great question!
You are probably thinking this article was the result of some dreamy employees pie in the sky idea of a catchy title, and was void of any forethought into how the content of the article might be relevant to getting rid of belly fat. And to be honest… you are pretty much spot on!
But as luck would have it, the more we thought about MacGyver (or ‘Mac’ as he was know to his on screen friends) and his character traits, the more we realised we were on to a winner and many of the key skills or traits learnt during the seven seasons of the popular series are actually very relevant to the pursuit of weight loss. Yes… really.
Become a master of improvisation
If you are old enough to remember the show, then improvisation is perhaps the thing you associate the most with MacGyver. Whenever an obstacle comes up that threatens to derail his plans or movements, he always manages to improvise and get out of trouble to achieve his goals. And so it is with fitness or weight loss.
You won’t always be able to exercise when you want, how your want or for how long you desire. You might be busy at work, have an unforeseen change in circumstance or some other troubling change to your routine. Don’t let this get in your way. Improvise. A super hard 10 minute workout might make up for the half hour that you have lost. A light bodyweight workout in the evening might make up for missing your training session at the gym. A healthy option at the lunch bar might make up for failing to create a healthy snack this morning before work.
Develop fantastic subject matter knowledge
MacGyver’s subject matter is focused on getting him out of trouble. For you, developing amazing subject matter when it comes to weight loss and belly fat might just stop you getting into trouble! The more you understand about food and how specific foods either contribute to fat loss or fat gain, or how specific exercise types can really drive your metabolism and burn extra calories, the greater likelihood of you adhering to your weight loss plans. If you don’t know why you are doing it, you are less likely to stick with it.
Break it down into individual components
By individual components, I am referring to the importance of planning. Planning your daily workouts for the week, fortnight or month ahead, as well as planning your nightly meals and completing your shopping before the week ahead. Focus on small steps as you strive to achieve your belly fat goals.
Take what you need with you
Shifting belly fat is far easier if you have to tools you need with you. For you the tools are not a swiss army knife or duct tape, but they are just as important. Your chosen tools may be exercise clothing or equipment, it may be healthy snacks or a healthy lunch alternative. Perhaps it is just the knowledge of where to find the right gym or location to perform your workout while on the road. Whatever the tools, make sure they are close at hand.
Ordinary items will do
You don’t need flash equipment or supplements to get your weight loss job done. Sometimes you might have access to a gym laden with kettle bells, a huge range of barbells and machine weights, alongside a plethora of cardio equipment and the latest and greatest weight loss or muscle building supplements. That’s great if it is there and you want to use it. But in all seriousness, you can get just as effective results using ordinary items for resistance, eating normal healthy meals void of ‘special’ ingredients or performing simple bodyweight or high intensity training programs at home.
Don’t let a little set back stop you
As much as you and MacGyver both try to stay out of trouble, eventually trouble finds you. In your case it relates to set backs in your training or nutrition. Everyone has the odd set back. A missed day, some over indulgence. They key thing is don’t let these small set backs knock your wheels off the skids. Regroup and get yourself out of that sticky situation and back on the straight and narrow. That’s what Richard Dean Anderson would do.
