Most people that walk into my gym are on a mission to lose weight. They’ve tried the diets, juice cleanses, and 30-day challenges. For the most part, any weight they lost came right back. I call it the “diet cycle”.
Here’s the deal, diets don’t work!
The frustrating truth is there is no “easy button” or “magic pill”. Yes, you can lose weight at a rapid pace starting out on a diet or challenge, but the problem is that these things aren’t sustainable and neither are the results they produce. Instead, diets produce a mindset of defeat. You do your best to stick to a diet, you lose a little weight, the diet ends, and the numbers on the scale go back on the rise. Time and again this happens, and you begin to believe that the goals you have are unrealistic, that they aren’t possible.
Trust me, I hear it all the time, “I want to lose 50lbs but that’s not realistic, so let’s shoot for 20lbs.” This is the self-defeating mindset that stems from the “diet cycle”.
Again, the bad news is that diets don’t work, but the good news is that there’s a way to lose weight and keep it off.
How successful people view diets
The most successful people don’t use diets, instead they approach their nutrition like a relationship. We all have a relationship with food and for most of us that relationship isn’t very healthy. For some of us, our relationship with food resembles the relationship we have with that friend that always gets us in trouble. Or that friend that we always run to when we’ve had a bad day. We use food as a means for comfort and satisfaction instead of its intended use, which is to fuel our bodies. Simply put, when you have an unhealthy relationship with food, you tend to eat more unhealthy foods. Your mind craves the feeling of comfort and satisfaction and it’s willing to sacrifice what’s good for your body for what feels good emotionally.
What We Know
So here’s what we know… Our relationship with food is like any other relationship. In order for it to be healthy, we need to be honest about how we feel and be willing to spend the time needed to make the necessary changes.
As we’ve coached people into having a better relationship with food, we’ve found that when we start with a small change, it leads to big results. This is good news for those of us that want to lose weight but hate the idea of being on a strict diet of chicken and broccoli. Our nutrition coaches often start by helping you identify one area you need to improve. From there, we help you set one small goal that will take you one step closer to your primary goal.
For example, we may have you simply add a vegetable at every meal or increase your water intake. As you begin to consistently take action, we will help you identify your next step. Over time, your relationship with food begins to change as your habits begin to change. In short, when you’re trying to make a big change, like losing 50lbs, you’ll find the most success in taking small steps.
Think of it like pushing a care that’s ran out of gas. At first the car feels heavy and difficult to move. But as it begins to roll the moment keeps it moving and each step becomes easier to take. It’s also worth noting that a car is much more difficult to push by yourself.
Kickstarts > Challenges
We want to help you get your progress rolling. Our next nutrition kickstart begins in April. I know what you’re thinking, “You just said challenges don’t work!”. Thats true and heres the difference. The difference between a challenge and a kickstart is that challenges have an end date, but kickstarts are just the beginning. In our kickstart we give you an opportunity to change your relationship with food and see the results for yourself.
You’ll receive 1 new task each week of the kickstart. As your tasks begin to compound you’ll see how simple yet effective making small changes can really be. WARNING: SIMPLE DOES NOT MEAN EASY. Remember, we’re talking about a relationship and relationships don’t make a 180 degree turn over night. Stick to the plan and take baby steps to big things!
Your Next Step
If you’re ready to take the first step to losing weight and keeping it off, you can book a time to meet with one of our coaches HERE. We’d love to help you live your dream life. I hope to see you soon!
