Caught in the endless loop of diets that don’t work?
You're not alone: 95% of dieters regain their weight.
In today's digital age, a quick scroll through social media introduces you to the latest fitness trend:
- Fad diets
- Magic Pills
- “Superfoods”
- Juice cleanses
- 30-day challenges
... there's always a "revolutionary" method promising quick results.
But if all these methods were so effective, why is the majority still struggling with yo-yo dieting?
The truth is, none of those target the root cause. The key isn't the latest trend but understanding the principles behind sustainable fitness.
In this newsletter, we're going to cover the 5 most important ones and how to embody them.
Keep reading if you want to learn how to achieve sustainable weight-loss, without getting stuck in the Diet Hamster-wheel.
1) Energy balance
"As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble." — Harrington Emerson
Diets are methods. All diets (that work) have one thing in common: They consider the principle of energy balance.
Simplified, it's the difference between the amount of calories you eat (calories is a unit to measure energy) and the amount of calories your body expends:
Ignoring it is like trying to build a business, without considering cash flow: You could have the best product, marketing, and team, but if your cash flow is negative, the business won’t sustain.
Fun fact: 60% of your calories are used at rest! Organ, muscle, bone mass and other tissue require a lot of energy to function.
The main way to influence this chunk? Build more muscle. That's why long-term, strength-training beats cardio for weight-loss: You'll use more energy, even while you're sleeping.
2) Progressive Overload
In the 6th century BC, Greek wrestler Milo of Croton won six Olympic games. He built his strength by daily carrying a calf up a hill. As the calf grew into a bull, Milo's strength increased. This legend exemplifies the crucial concept for results in the gym: Progressive Overload.
Here's some news for you: Exhaustion does NOT guarantee success in the gym. If you think that way, I get you: It can seem logical and is heavily promoted by fitness influencers and gyms. That's why you see thousands of people struggling on treadmills, group fitness courses and workouts like that. But most of them never reach sustainable transformation in the mirror.
Those who get the best results focus on progressive overload:
- More weight with the same amount of reps
- More reps you can do with a certain weight
- Less effort to move a certain weight for a certain amount of reps
If you see consistent improvement in these variables, you will see improvements in the mirror.
To do so, you need:
- A clear training program
- Consistent effort
- Patience
HERE to read a full article dedicated to Progressive Overload.
3) Mindful enjoyment
An effective diet is one you can stick to. Getting in shape through a diet that makes you resentful due to its restrictions is like trying to get rich through a job you hate: You'll quickly burn out.
Let's take the carnivore diet as an example, which has been popularized like crazy: This diet focuses solely on eating meat. Even if it was the healthiest diet, it wouldn't work if the mere thought of eating just meat forever turns your stomach.
True enjoyment is the crucial puzzle piece nearly all diets miss - and it’ll hurt you big time.
Here's the misconception about enjoyment: It doesn't mean that you stuff yourself, just like you wouldn’t binge-drink at a wine tasting. Overindulgence is an unhealthy coping mechanism, usually as a reaction towards stress. It means that you consume foods you like, in a healthy, mindful and sustainable way.
Read HERE for a deep-dive into the difference between healthy enjoyment and unhealthy coping.
4) Aligned Identity
"We all have great inner power. The power is self-faith. There's really an attitude to winning. You have to see yourself winning before you win." - Arnold Schwarzenegger
Over the last 12 years, I never took longer off training than 4 weeks. And those weeks were the first ones during my stay in the army, when we weren't allowed to go to the gym. Other than that, I went - regardless of what:
- Exams
- Family vacations
- Hard weeks in business
And no, this is not because I've got some crazy amount of willpower. There's many days I don't want to work out. So how can I do it? Because in my identity, I'm a fit and athletic person. And that's what keeps me going no matter what.
In the end, all the "mindset work" comes down to one thing: Being the person who can have what you want. Start imagining yourself as the person, who is already fit: How would that person think, feel and act? Embody it, and showing up for yourself will start to get natural.
If you want to learn more about it, read THIS ARTICLE here.
5) Lifestyle integration
Here's something I strongly believe in: Fitness is supposed to make your life better. If it's making it worse, you're doing it wrong.
Lifestyle alignment is key for that: Unless you're a competitive athlete, have your training (and diet) revolve around your lifestyle - not the other way around.
If you're an entrepreneur who works 80 hours per week, don’t try to copy a fitness model who can adjust their entire life around the gym. Neither would you want to copy my routines, if you’re a beginner. I've been working out for 12 years, know my body very well, how much I can handle and I highly value physical performance.
Here’s how to spot a good trainer: They adjust the program towards you - not the other way round.
Summary:
For lasting results, follow these key principles:
- Caloric balance
- Progressive overload
- Enjoy what you eat and do
- Make it part of who you are
- Fit it into your lifestyle
Don't get stuck in the cycle of fads and quick fixes. Understand these principles to achieve your fitness goals the natural way.
If you're tired of all the fad-diets, weight-loss challenges and want to finally solve it for good, click the link below for a free 30-minute strategy call.