⏱️ Read Time: 3 mins
📹 Watch Time: 6.5 mins — Seasons of Training Goals →

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Let’s Be Honest

Most people start working out because they don’t like how they look or feel.
They cut carbs.
They train hard.
They go all in.

And at first — it works.
The scale drops.
Clothes fit better.
Confidence comes back.

Then, it happens:
They celebrate.
They relax.
They slide back into “normal.”

A few months later, they’re right back where they started — or heavier.

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The Hard Numbers

More than 80 % of people regain the weight they lose within five years.
(📚 Source: Hall & Kahan, 2018)

Not because they’re lazy or weak…

But because they treated the process like a sprint, not a marathon —
and because the race itself is rigged.

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The System Is Rigged Against You

You live in a world built to make you tired, distracted, and overweight.
Food is engineered to keep you hooked.
Work keeps you sitting.
Stress never turns off.
You’re running uphill on a tilted track.

In 1971, about 15% of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam were addicted to heroin.
Most addicts relapse — about two-thirds within a year.
But when those soldiers came home, only 5% relapsed.
Why? Their environment changed — and so did their behavior.
(Study by Dr. Lee Robins, 1971 — PubMed)

Your environment works the same way.
Ultra-processed food is everywhere.
Your job means constant meetings, business lunches, travel, late nights, and stress.
You’re surrounded by triggers every day.

You’re not failing because you lack willpower —
you’re trying to win a rigged game.
If you want different results, you need a different environment.
Otherwise, you’ll become the statistic.

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The Fix — Train in Seasons

Getting healthy or lean isn’t one big push.
It happens in phases — just like sport seasons.

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1️⃣ Pre-Season — Get Ready

Learn before you try to lose.

• Track what you eat (just long enough to learn).
• Measure your waist, weight, and photos.
• If possible, get a DEXA scan to see fat vs. muscle.

This is your warm-up — awareness before effort.

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2️⃣ In-Season — Do the Work

Now it’s time to execute:

• Eat enough protein.
• Control calories.
• Lift 3× per week.
• Walk 7–10 k steps per day.
• Sleep like it matters.

This is where you change — body fat drops, strength rises, confidence builds.
But most people stop here.
They hit their goal and lose their structure.
Then the slide starts.

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3️⃣ Off-Season — Keep the Win

This is where almost no one plays.

• Bring calories up a bit.
• Keep lifting.
• Keep tracking (less, not never).
• Hold the line.

If you don’t, old habits return — and they win. You become a statistic and part of the 80%…

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The Truth You Need to Hear

You don’t need perfection.
You don’t need to track forever.
But you do need this truth:

If you go back to the lifestyle that made you overweight,
your body will go back too.

That’s not failure — that’s physics.

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How to Play the Long Game

If you want to look better naked and stay that way:

• Get the data (track, measure, DEXA).
• Commit to one season of work.
• Plan your next phase before you finish this one.
• Remember: “Done” never means forever.

The body you want is built in cycles — not crash plans.
Do it right once, and you’ll never need to “start over.”

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🎥 Watch the Full Video → Seasons of Training Goals (6:37)

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Want Help Doing It Right?

If you’re in Calgary, I’m accepting new personal-training clients at the Eau Claire Athletic Club for Fall 2025.
You’ll get a clear playbook — not guesswork.
A plan that fits your life, not fights it.

👉 Book Your Assessment

If you’re not in Calgary, start with my free content.
Watch the videos. Apply the lessons.
When you’re ready, you’ll know.

🎥 @McVarnock on YouTube

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Liam McVarnock
Founder & Head Coach, Ludus Wellness
Helping Busy Professionals Look, Feel & Perform Better