The popular view on fitness, why it makes weight rebound the most likely outcome, and how to adjust perceptions to prevent that from occurring.
If we were to stop a member of the general public on the street and ask them, "What should a person trying to lose weight and get healthy do?" their answers will vary to an extent but all have a critical commonality.
On the nutrition side, we will hear about cutting out ingredients, or entire groups of food. We will hear about "detoxes", juicing, or cleanses that take just a few weeks. Perhaps some mention of a celebrity who made a transformation with bare chicken and broccoli.
For exercise, visions of high intensity, grueling, sweat pouring workouts will come to the mind of the layperson. Maybe we'll hear about spin classes, and the local crossfit gym. Or that same celebrity interview where they regaled tales of an extreme 3 hours a day 8 days a week regimen with their personal trainer.
Definitely a variety of paths to go down, but what do these all have in common? Unsustainability.
All Or Nothing
The dominant public perception of what it takes to successfully get healthy is a brutal, near super human, feat of self discipline and punishment to be endured for a set period of time until the goal is reached. More importantly it's a recipe for disaster, sabotaging the initial efforts of those thirsting for change.
When the changes to one's diet are sudden and restrictive it ensures that old ways will return the moment the chosen method becomes intolerable. That could be in a week or a few months. Either way it is a binary that is on or off.
As foolhardy as diving into the deep end of diet changes can be, it pales in comparison to what can happen when a sedentary person thinks the first step in the gym is pushing themselves to the physical limit. The likely outcome will be muscle soreness so extreme going back to that gym or class won't even be possible for the better part of a week. But why the hell would you want to subject yourself to being that uncomfortable again?
When a person inevitably falls off on an attempt at weight loss made in this high stakes manner, they are putting their confidence in their ability to improve themselves at risk. Those voices of self doubt will creep in, "Maybe I am just incapable, or lazy. Maybe there is something wrong with me." Often that turns into shame, which leads to comfort foods, rebounds, and a vicious cycle. But that doubt, it's wrong. The map that many are working off of is just upside down, a century old, and written in the wrong language. Let's start drawing up a current one.
A Better Way
So, now that we've reviewed some popular fitness perceptions along with their pitfalls, what is the mindset needed before starting any diet and fitness routine to stack the odds of success in your favor?
Step Zero: Plan to make changes you can stick with PERMANENTLY.
For the longest time the word "diet" has been associated with it's toxic form as a verb: "restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight." I implore you to look at the word through the more historic and scientific definition as a noun: "the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats." Focus on that word habitually.
The idea of permanent lifestyle shifts can feel overwhelming, and scary. "Never eat pizza again? Go jogging 4 days a week? Hell no!" exclaims the person still looking at an old inflexible map of restriction and punishment.
The most successful fitness journeys start not with extreme effort alongside a laundry list of new rules. They start with the incorporation of a couple healthy habits that are easy to stick with for the long term. That can be as simple as taking a 10 minute walk every day, or switching out a sweetened coffee for one prepared with 0 calorie sweetener. Regardless of the specific habits a person selects, they will serve as cornerstones to build confidence and self efficacy, to be built on from there over time.
Not unlike watering a seed, too much will ensure nothing ever grows, but appropriate amounts will lead to continuous growth, and eventually what would've drown the seed is what is optimal to the plant.
- Coach Kevin
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