Just eat the cookie.
One of my first ever attempts at weight loss was a meal plan that I found in the back of cardio machine manual.
Pro tip: don’t get your weight loss advice there.
Anyway, I was a man on a mission and decided that I could follow this ridiculous diet and accomplish my goals.
The meal plan was probably around 1200 calories and also explicitly stated to only drink “freezing cold water” because it boosts your metabolism.
So, now you have an idea what I was working with lol.
It started out just fine and the weight was flying off.
At the time, I was working in HR and on a weekly basis there would be all kinds of treats in the break room.
Everyone at work knew I was on a diet because I went from the guy who would grab a treat, order lunch with my coworkers, etc. …
To the guy who said no to everything and packed a lunch that resembled what a bird might eat.
I was dying to just eat the cookie.
Anyway, I would go to the freezer to get my ice cold water and I’d pass the box of cookies.
I’d do my best to ignore them. I didn’t even want to know what kind.
I’d imagine they were something gross like coconut.
Every single day it was the same thing.
The meal plan I followed got me below my goal weight. I wanted to get down below 200 lbs. and I vividly remember that day.
I had an extra pep in my step.
You know what else I had?
The cookie. And then, lunch with my coworkers. And then, went out for drinks after work.
I was proud of myself. I deserved it.
The next day, I didn’t weigh myself. I got right back on the meal plan.
Only this time, my willpower was shot.
I couldn’t NOT eat the cookie. My decisions started to suffer. I was easily talked into more lunches and after work drinks.
It wasn’t long until a full-on spiral ensued and I gained back every single pound.
This actually isn’t a story about following restrictive meal plans. It’s about avoiding the cookie.
The cookie is a symbol.
When you avoid the cookie (or whatever the cookie is to you), it comes at a cost.
You’re draining your mental energy.
Your willpower battery is getting lower.
Every time you see or think about the cookie, it happens even more.
If you’re a woman, this is even more damaging because your body is very sensitive to stress.
Ya know, having the role of baby carrier is kind of a big deal. And, your body isn’t going to take any chances.
So, stress is a major disrupter when you’ve got goals.
And, guess what causes stress? Using willpower to not eat the cookie over and over again.
Once that stress accumulates, your body starts sending some powerful signals to create a safer environment …
It wants to preserve the energy you have and get some energy coming in.
You know what packs an energetic punch?
The cookie.
That damn cookie. Why won’t it leave you alone?
Because you’re giving it control. You’re allowing it to create stress on an already stressed out system.
You’re fighting an uphill battle.
The cookie ends up being the straw that broke the camel’s back.
You’ve got work, kids, relationships, and a whole bunch of other shit to do in your life.
At some point, the cookie is just sitting in the right spot at the right time and you pounce.
Then, you pounce some more.
It’s not the cookie’s fault.
It’s your fault.
You’re giving the cookie control that it doesn’t have.
Remove the rules.
The cookie is always fair play. It’s always available. You can eat it whenever you want and however many you want.
The minute you stop wasting valuable willpower and mental energy on the cookie … that’s the minute you gain control back.
Next time you want the cookie … just eat the cookie!
When food creates mental stress, you will always be swimming upstream.
Once we remove the mental stress around food, your body responds the way we want it to.
We’ve seen this happen over and over again with our clients.
Creating food freedom is the gift that keeps on giving.
We do that by making sure that no foods are off limits. You have unconditional permission to eat anything and everything in any quantity.
That doesn’t mean you will. If that scares you, then you probably need to lean into this concept.
We also remove the restrictive mindset by giving you enough calories to fuel your body properly and reduce the total stress on your system.
Which means your body will be able to lose fat more efficiently.
We also allow for the maximum amount of freedom/flexibility. We can give you a really good idea of how often you can indulge and eat freely without it impacting your results.
Knowing you don’t have to use willpower to succeed removes the obsession and anxiety around food.
We also create a plan that is build around your personality type. This goes for plan structure, food recommendations, and macro ratios. All of which will help you feel more like yourself and actually enjoy the process, which leads to better results.
Then, we provide the macro ratios and amount of tracking that will suit you the best in order to achieve your body composition goals and to support your training and recovery.
Lastly, we monitor the overall daily stressors in your life (as well as daily habits) so we can set you up for long term success and bust through any plateaus more effectively.
We do all of this in 6 months in a highly integrated 1:1 coaching program. It’s the most effective way to transform your mind and body with the confidence that those results will be permanent.
If you’re tired of failed diet attempts and want something that is guaranteed to work for you, then shoot me a PM on Facebook by clicking here.
