By Adam Son
The formula for losing weight is simple:
Calories In – Calories Used = Weight Movement.
Eat more than you use, gain weight. Eat less, lose weight.
The formula is easy, but the application of that formula is the difficult part.
Most people see the subtraction sign and think that’s where focus needs to be, but the reality is if you want to lose weight and improve your health, focus on addition instead.
I had a client who came to me one day after seeing a dietician. They had gone in to get some assistance with their diet and wanted to share what they learned and were told. She explained how the meeting went, and finished with her guidelines:
- Cut out all dairy
- No meat
- Limit carbs
- Absolutely no bread
- Limit fish
And so on.
The list was long, surprisingly long, and once they finally got through telling me about it they asked my thoughts.
In my usual approach, instead of giving an answer, I asked a question:
“Did they tell you what you can and should do?”
No.
Nothing.
Not a single actionable item.
Not eat more vegetables.
Or have this superfood (despite superfood being a BS term, this would be more acceptable than nothing).
Or even to exercise.
Just to get rid of basically everything that makes up an average person’s diet, and certainly any and all that could be considered a treat or something simply for taste, and then hope that the rest magically falls into place.
The sad thing is this is a typical approach to coaching people, especially for weight loss. Tell them what to restrict, what to avoid, and what to remove, but say little to nothing about what to do.
This leaves people like you feeling anxious, becoming food focused and obsessed, and unable to do anything but use sheer willpower to get through each day. You end up exhausted, feeling almost no motivation to stay on track and can’t, despite your best efforts, find success for very long because that level of “grin and bear it” just isn’t sustainable for anyone.
The problem isn’t you and it’s not the program. It’s your mindset and approach to the way you diet that leaves you unable to make any real progress, whether it be in weight loss, strength training, or even outside the realm of health and fitness and into other areas of your life.
You focus on what not to do. And that sets you up for disaster before you ever get started.
Anytime you tell yourself what not to do, your entire focus is then turned onto exactly what you asked yourself not to.
Think of a purple cow. A big, spotted, purple cow.
Now stop thinking about that spotted cow. Turn that off. Do NOT even think about it for a second.
It’s nearly impossible isn’t it?
You may have been able to push that thought out of your head for a short time, but eventually that cow came popping back through and your willpower to resist was defeated.
Doesn’t feel very good, does it? Maybe makes you feel like “what’s the point” of trying?
Food, health, and life all operate in the same way.
When you tell yourself to avoid something, you take a massive spotlight and shine it directly at that something and then tell yourself to resist. It’s a great challenge to your willpower and ability to resist, but it’s an absolutely terrible way to make any tangible or sustainable progress.
Instead of focusing on subtraction, what not to eat, not to do, etc., you should turn your attention to addition. Your health, both that of your mind and waistline, will improve and you’ll reach your goals and never fall off the wagon (for long) again.
By focusing on what to add into your diet and life, things like daily walks, healthy snacks and lots of water, instead of what to remove, like watching tv, eating junk food, or drinking soda, you take action and feel empowered in your own journey to change. You feel like you are doing something to create change, rather than just trying to anxiously avoid “messing it up”.
That small switch, from a negative to positive way of approaching change, is the key that unlocks dramatic transformation and growth in your body, mind and life. You can make all the changes you need coming from a place of adding beneficial things in and avoid all the negatives that coming with trying to remove or restrict that things that may limit your progress. You’ll focus on actionable items, and usually remove the limiters as a natural result.
If you need to reduce the amount of junk food you eat, focus instead on increasing your protein, fruit and vegetable intake. In doing so you’ll likely feel more full throughout the day and have less cravings for junk food.
If you want stop stress eating, it’s far more beneficial to add in a short walk or some meditation, than it is to try and tell yourself to just not eat when stressed.
You don’t have to burn out your willpower, and drain your energy avoiding all of the “bad” to reach your goals. You can, despite it feeling counterintuitive and against the popular approach, reach your goals by focusing on what you should do and continuously taking action on that. The former might work for a bit, while the latter empowers you and works forever. Take your pick.
If you’re tired of restrictive diets that rob you of any joy and leave you hating your fitness journey, I’m here to help. I show people how to make fitness, nutrition and the pursuit of a happier, healthier life enjoyable, sustainable and successful. When you’re ready, schedule your free consultation here. No obligations, no sales, just a chance for you to share your goals and learn about a different approach to achieving them.
Talk soon.
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