When I tell people I am a personal trainer they usually respond by telling me their current workout regimen, or lack of one, or their current diet, or lack of one. I hear way too often “I need to workout” or “I really need to get my diet together.” My response is always “you should.” This response might be blunt or not what people want to hear but it is 100% what I believe. After I say this I am ALWAYS met with excuses. People are too busy to meal prep or don’t know how or don’t like the gym they used to go to and have not been back. I also hear from people who have tried diets like paleo, Whole30 and keto and now never want to diet again. Those responses make me the most sad. At one point this person had the motivation and drive to go all in and try to make huge changes and along the way something didn’t work for them so they gave up. The most cliche truth about dieting and progress is and always will be, consistency is key.
Calories are King and Consistency is key. When it comes to weight loss or gain it is really a simple equation:
Calories in<calories expended=weight loss
Calories in> calories expended=weight gain
If someone eats more calories than they burn in a day they will gain weight. If a person burns more calories than they eat it will result in weight loss. Most of the time it’s that simple. But it’s not, weight loss is hard. Finding what works specifically for each individual is even harder. Trying fad diets can be great but it can also be detrimental to someone’s progress. So while the general rules for bodyweight manipulation are pretty much the same for everyone weight loss must be an extremely individual thing.
While calories are king and consistency is key individualization is paramount. Individualization is the means to find consistency. When a client first comes to me we don’t make any diet changes initially. After a week or two of consistent work with me then we can begin to make small changes. I usually start with breakfast and we have a conversation about what is something they will be able to switch. For example if a person has juice every day with breakfast I ask if that is something they are willing to give up, or sugar in coffee, eggs instead of toast etc. By having the person choose what they are willing to change they are more likely to stick to the change. The next week I check in and see if that change has been made. If it has we find something else we can switch, if it hasn’t we reevaluate. We figure out why the change has not been made and see if there is something we can do better.
As weeks go on more changes have been made and progress can be seen and felt. The first change is the hardest, but once the tiny habits are made the rest isn’t so bad. Tiny habits over the course of a year result in huge changes that are sustainable which lead to impactful and lasting results. In no way do I mean to bash any of the aforementioned diets, in fact I have tried most of them and have had great success. But, like most people I have found that they are not sustainable for long term results.
So to the person who tried and gave up, try again. Try something different. Get a coach, a nutritionist or a professional in the field to help you form tiny habits that are sustainable long term. There are so many different ways to approach diet and weight loss and it is so important to find the way that works for you. You do have the time to make these changes. There is no such thing as a diet not working, the fact is it just didn’t work for you. And that is okay, I understand. But the matter of fact is nothing will work for you unless you actively seek what does and stick to it. All of the tools are in your hands, you just have to figure out how to use them.
WHEN Fitness 