This isn’t a rant per se, more just “putting it out there”… About eating plans and deprivation…
I was at an appointment the other day and the topic came up about getting into shape – as it often does when you’re in a room full of women. One of the women mentioned that she had started a popular 12 week transformation program (which is supposedly based on making it a lifestyle).
She said she was “starving” all the time, the rules of the program were super strict and based around calorie counting to a “t”. And if you are “gluten free” the only snack options were herbal tea.
As she went on and on about how hungry she constantly was this past few weeks, and the downside of the program (which seemed to be never ending)… she then went on to say how she was struggling with the exercise plan also.
The crazy part was, it was weight loss based, where her goals were to reduce body fat and increase lean muscle.
At first when she started telling me about it I said “good on her” and “well done” because I wanted to encourage her. But after about 2 hours of hearing how this program sounded like hell on earth…
I felt exhausted listening to it.
I turned to her and said:
“That’s the most ridiculous plan I’ve ever heard of”.
(It’s actually not the most ridiculous, but I was so unimpressed with the way the program was set up, I totally “got” why she was struggling with it…)
I’ve heard MANY similar stories about this same transformation program…
Along with once it’s over, you don’t know how to figure stuff out on your own. Often backsliding to your old ways and then having to start from the beginning all over again… etc etc
Sure you have to put in effort, sure there are times when you struggle… but an eating plan based on deprivation and an exercise plan that’s not based on your goals… there’s no need to be doing this when there are more effective realistic options that will get you the results you’re after.
I think it’s good to know about calories, but doing your head in and stressing big time about every calorie you consume, that’s not a lifestyle… that just plain sux.
I can understand strict calorie monitoring if it’s sports specific (elite athlete) or in the weeks leading up to a competition.
…But we’re talking lifestyle here…
We’re talking every day life, being about getting into great shape, reducing body fat, increasing lean muscle and maintaining it. And tweaking it along the way and creating new goals as you reach each one.
I’ve known this lady for years, and she’s asked me for freebie advice many times, and got plenty of it, and when she’s used it and applied it’s worked really well. I’ve even sat there and listened to her preach my advice to others.
But here’s the thing, she’s always looking for quick fixes and short cuts. So rather than just doing what works, she just keeps looking for other options. And often doing things that actually sabotage what works.
Yet she constantly bags other women for wanting magic solutions… when she’s doing the exact same thing. She’s in denial.
Here’s the thing, in life we’re all in denial about various things aren’t we? Fitness goals or otherwise.
Why do we automatically think that getting into shape must be really hard, if not impossible to achieve, when it’s actually a lot closer and within our reach than we realize?
Do we really want to get into shape, or do we just like making it sound harder so it gives us permission to quit before we even start?
Do we get off on feeling like “we’re being a martyr for the cause”… like it’s the hardest thing in the world to do, when actually we just make it that way.
At what point do we stop fooling ourselves and say “enough is enough” and just get on with doing what works?
I love helping clients sift through the BS and showing them how to achieve the body that they’ve always wished for.
I love seeing and hearing them say “holy crap, I could’ve been doing this for years now and getting great results, imagine where I’d be now if I had’ve come to you years ago, Mandy?”
Sometimes we just need to be ready to “get real” with ourselves and say “it’s time to do this properly”…
Rather than make it harder by over-complicating things and trying to do a million different programs at once that are full of crazy strict methods…
If you’re ready today to take things to the next level , do it on your own terms, without the drama, simplify things, get past the mind games, learn how to motivate yourself, have an eating plan and workout that totally rocks, brings home the results and do it for the long term…
Then head on over to my Ultimate YOU Membership and I’ll help you get cracking on this asap!
Luv n hugs
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