MY 2 most hated terms I hear on a daily basis, but here is why…. (Don’t get upset!)
Before I start this blog, let me just say, at DMF we don’t judge people for their eating habits, their lifestyles or personal choices – unless you’re a grown man who wears Minion socks for example – then prepare for all out war.
We are here to help people improve their physical and mental health, plus educate them on how to eat as well as they possibly can and get the absolute most out of their bodies, depending on what they are trying to achieve.
I will say we do a really bloody good job too.
SAME CONVERSATIONS!
We often have identical conversations with new people and sometimes people who go round in circles for many reasons – regarding their relationship with food.
“I’m on it!” – this is when someone really feels focused and their nutrition is going well, no “slips”. They’ve restricted themselves, either stopping drinking, or not eating chocolate, or perhaps they felt for some reason they needed to cut out bread.
So right now, they are “on it” – making progress and things going well.
In fact, its so common, I do regular seminars/webinars for the members, many reviews and discussions often revolve around this very topic.
WHY?
Simply, people think they have to do it all, or none of it is worth doing at all.
What do we mean by “all”?
Well, people/members/clients think you have to:
- Train eleventy five times a week
- Up your steps
- Stop drinking alcohol
- “Eat Clean”
- Give up chocolate/takeaways/meals out/foods they enjoy
- Food prep for 6 hours on a Sunday
- Got to eat salads all the time
- Go to bed early
- Stop socialising
- Enjoy other elements of life
Etc etc
It’s either do ALL of the above, or “I’m shit and can’t do it so I’ll not bother worrying about nutrition at all.”
DON’T DO THAT
I have worked with 1000’s of people (yes Dan, you keep telling us that, you’re getting a bit repetitive now mate), over the years I’ve been coaching and owned a gym and I can probably count on just all my fingers and toes, all 25 of them, how many people can do that complete overhaul and stick to it.
Is it necessary to see awesome results?
Nope.
“Will I see better results if I did that?” – initially yes, if you can maintain that.
However, I can assure from my experience that most cannot and will not sustain this approach long term, and will often “fall off” the wagon and go right back to square one.
HERE WE ARE THEN, SO WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST APPROACH?
Ultimately, any idiot can give you a meal plan, train you 5 x a week and make you move loads. As long as you’re in a caloric deficit over the course of the week you’ll lose fat, with the above approach it will be fast if the deficit is big enough.
Yes, they will also definitely FEEL completely different.
More energy, significantly increased strength and performance, higher sex drive, better sleep quality, increased muscle, decreased fat, improved organ health, decrease in chance of disease and so many many more benefits.
Yet, 99% of people just simply haven’t built up the habit profile to sustain this not even short term, let alone forever, and its also not necessary.
WHY IS IT NOT NECESSARY?
Well, if someone was dying because of obesity (this has been a few clients in the past) – then I will say yes, you need to be focusing on these things as much as possible.
If they are not, then why WOULDN’T you still want to enjoy so many of the things you enjoy, WHILST getting in awesome shape and improving your health?
If I change 1 seemingly small habit out of all of the above, that I deem achievable and sustainable, that I KNOW will help them achieve a calorie deficit in the easiest way possible – then they will get AWESOME results whilst it feeling relatively challenge free.
It could be a 10% increase in their weekly step count = quite easy to achieve for most
Or perhaps focus on filling themselves up with a hefty breakfast, thus removing the desire to snack on hypercaloric “junk” calories later in the day – removing energy from the diet, increasing the deficit.
Or something to that effect.
Once they’ve nailed this, then its time to put another brick in the foundations.
THIS APPROACH IS LOWER BARRIER TO ENTRY
Which means the individual will likely be more engaged and able to stick with it, 1 change is far easier to sustain than 10 in one go, plus it helps with my MASSIVELY cheesy saying
“A house built fast and without care on a foundation of mud will eventually fall down, whereas if you put solid foundations in, build the house gradually with strong foundations, taking care over which brick goes in next – will last a lifetime” – I should have been a Greek Philosopher. Danoneus (if you get that, you can be my forever friend).
Each phase of someones progress should be a low barrier to entry, easy to engage with and easy to stick with.
5 habits later and you’re talking a total transformation.
THE WAGON DOESN’T EXIST
I have a bar in my garden, we go out to eat, I’m a 41 year old bloke who watches football, socialises (yes I have friends still bizarrely) and yet I can stay in relatively good shape all year round. Fit and strong, but enjoy what I want.
I am not special, my body is no different to the next man, I just practise good habits I’ve built over time.
Everyone at DMF and in and around the area can have this too, we can teach you how to do it.
There’s no special pill.
There’s no 5 quick tricks.
It’s just knowledge, consistency, accountability, structure and progression over time.
The wagon, can get in the ‘kin bin.
