So you didn't lose any weight in 2018
I’m referring specifically to people who may have designated 2018 as THE YEAR to lose weight and get back in shape. Some of you may have had great success while others not so much. Before you embark on 2019 resolutions, let’s think about why you may not have been able to meet your 2018 weightloss goals.
2018 means nothing
Is there something special about the year 2018? Why one year? Why 365 days? Why start on January 1? Why is December 31st the deadline? It’s all arbitrary and there’s nothing really nothing special about 2018 or any other year. People have more success when they work towards an event like a wedding, birthday milestone or my favorite, high school reunion. But even those are transient. When you have something serious on the line, I guarantee you’ll put more skin in the game. Watching my dad struggle with his stroke 10 years ago was a major wake-up call for me. I knew in that moment that I was going to do my best to extend my longevity and improve my health for the sake of my children.
You thought abs were made in the gym
Many start by taking a fitness approach. #crossfit #orangetheoryfitness #peloton #soulcycle #gymrat #personaltrainer #30daychallenge #applewatchchallenge #fitbit #firstmarathon #climbhalfdome #firsttriathalon #treadmill #dreadmill #elliptical
It is in theory easy to find an activity you enjoy and stick to it. The reason why it’s not a great primary offensive weightloss tool is because most people can’t out exercise a bad diet. Think about it - it is SO HARD to burn 500 calories in the gym but SO EASY to accidentally eat 500 calories walking by a break room on the way to the bathroom. If this is you, I would venture so much as to say, put exercise on pause, and focus on nutrition first. That’s the primary offensive tool in weight loss.
#toomanyoptions
But if you know that the problem is you can’t be trusted around food, you’ll tackle it head-on with nutrition and diets. The problem with weight loss is that there is no shortage of ways to lose weight. Google it, ask your friends, ask your coworker #toomanyoptions. #keto #whole30 #paleo #nutrisystem #weightwatchers #itworks #plexus #waisttrainer #igtrainer #isagenix #juicecleanse #jennycraig #shakealogy #hmr #iifym #myfitnesspal #leancuisine
Turns out they’re all trying to do the same thing - create a calorie deficit so you lose weight. And diets aren’t like jeans. You can’t just try on a new pair and know right away if it works. So how do you know which to choose if they’re “all the same”? It depends on the game you’re playing.
You played the 1-year game, not the forever game
Anyone can eat like a rabbit for 12 weeks and lose quite a bit of weight. You can decide to go paleo and give up 30% of the type of foods you typically eat. Some people can make that change permanent, others crash and burn 12 weeks later. You’ll hear this a lot with diets…
It just wasn’t sustainable for me. - said most people
I’m an expert at losing weight - I’ve gained and lost the same 50-70 lbs over a decade. It was only this year that I realized I was approaching it all wrong. Weight loss/maintenance is a forever game.
The trick, to me at least, is to find something you actually enjoy that fits with YOU. For me, a two-prong approach of Peloton and macro-tracking (with StrongerU.com) turned out to be a deadly combo. The more research I discovered about macro-counting, the more I realized that is most likely to work in the long term. Because, you can eat whatever you want, as long as it fits with your macros. Now that behavior is not intuitive to most of us because (if we’re in this position), we’ve probably already been conditioned to overeat so that means it takes work. There are no shortcuts. It’s hard at first and then it gets easier. I knew I would have a hard time doing this myself, so I signed up for StrongerU.com.
12 weeks progress photos. Down 15lbs and back to size M!
Two sessions later, I feel (and look) like a completely different person. (I’m not an outlier, if anything I might be their worst performer. Check out all the amazing transformations here) My body has changed, and so have my mindset and behaviors. I’m far from perfect, and I’ll have setbacks I’m sure, but so thankful for this community I can now rely on for support and problem-solving.
We get farther together
Many people ask - wait, why can’t I do this on my own and save the money? It’s just counting macros right? You can do this alone but can you?
I like the idea of surrounding myself with experts. joining an incredible tribe of supportive members and getting access to the tools and resources to help me.
I’ve found it incredibly lonely to be on this journey alone and I wanted my experience to be different this time. There’s nothing like being able to tell someone “I want to eat that cookie in the trash” and to hear this back “Me too so I spray windex on my food once it’s in the trash” (Thank you Jackie Murrant!)
For many of us, this also isn’t our first rodeo. What has caused us to fail in the past, can continue to cause us to fail in the future. Your coach and community can help you work through those things.
Start with “Day 1”, not “One Day”
If you’re serious, make a plan and start now. Screw January 1st.
