Want to ditch the “diet starts Monday” trap once and for all?
It’s actually a lot easier than you might think.
Most coaches will simply say … “Just get back on track! You got this!”
Which is only valid if you were on the right track to begin with.
It’s the same idea as “trust the process.”
What if it’s a shitty process?
Let’s put on our parenting hats for a second.
It’s the first day of school today for Mel’s 3 kiddos so I figured it was fitting to use a parenting example.
Imagine your kids love Legos (or maybe you don’t have to imagine because they actually do).
Every single day after school your child spends hours building an epic Lego creation.
Mel and I watched the Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg movie yesterday called “Me Time.”
It was really dumb but we were looking for a mindless comedy and it fit the bill.
Anyway, in the movie, Kevin Hart’s character has a son who is trying to build a Death Star out of Legos and is heartbroken when it gets destroyed.
So, in our hypothetical situation, your kid comes home and spends hours each day trying to build some epic creation.
Then, on Saturday, they get completely burnt out and frustrated and knock down the entire set.
Feeling completely shattered, they come to you for some sage words of wisdom.
‘Get back on track’ only works if you’re on the right rack to start with.
Them: I’ve been working so hard for hours each day trying to build this Lego set and I just got so tired and frustrated that I destroyed the whole thing! I really want to make this Lego set though … What should I do??
You: Just get back on track! You got this!
Ehhh, parenting grade = D-
But let’s play along a bit longer.
The following week the exact same thing happens.
They obsess for hours per day during the week and then the weekend rolls around and BAM … they destroy their work again.
Ok, parent, you’ve got another shot at this.
Are you ready to address the elephant in the room?
I sure hope so.
It’s ok you got a D- on the first test, your grade doesn’t rely solely on one pop quiz (this also applies to one indulgent meal, but I digress).
Time to get on the right track …
Them: Oops, I did it again.
You: Listen, I love how passionate you are about building this Lego set, but I think we need to talk about how you’re going about it. I think you’re setting yourself up each week to get burnt out and frustrated every weekend. Maybe we need to balance things out a bit and come up with a schedule that keeps you fresh and engaged?
Boom. Parenting grade = A+
You ready to parent yourself?
You may be reeling after this weekend.
You may have indulged more than you’d like.
You may have stepped on the scale this morning and held your head in shame.
I’d tell you to get back on track but I have no idea if the track you’re on is appropriate for you.
Only you know that.
You may be doing exactly what your hypothetical child above was doing with the Lego example.
Trying too damn hard all week and burning themselves out by the weekend.
The first step to eliminating the “diet starts Monday” cycle is to stop being so restrictive during the week.
Stop being so obsessive. Stop being so perfect.
It won’t last. It can’t last. It hasn’t lasted.
Give yourself some wiggle room.
Understand the law of averages.
You don’t need to “save” treats for the weekend. You don’t need to lower calories every time you indulge.
You can actually have a balanced approach all week that makes the weekends easier to navigate.
Look, I enjoy letting loose on occasion as well.
In fact, if you follow me on IG and watched my stories from the weekend, you saw me eating some delicious food and performing a perfectly executed sake bomb.
I like to eat. I like to drink.
I also like to be fit.
It’s all possible.
I used to be so obsessive and restrictive every week that my weekends would turn into an uncontrollable binge fest.
I also used to drink way too much every weekend.
I’d try to accommodate by restricting even harder during the week. It never worked. And it took me way too long to learn that lesson.
So yeah.. I had to make some changes if I wanted results.
Here’s what the ‘right track’ looks like …
Here’s the quick and dirty checklist to eliminating the “diet starts Monday” trap:
– Stop being so restrictive – no foods/drinks are off limits during the week (or ever).
– Stop being so extreme – 1200 calories or less is probably causing your weekend binges.
– Stop being so perfect – hitting every macro to the gram can wear you down, mentally.
– Stop waiting until Monday – Sunday is a great day to get your shit together.
– Stop doing it on your own – you know who’s not struggling today? Our clients. Even if they are, they can simply message their coach and get the support and guidance they need to move forward.
Look, it’s not that complicated but if you’ve been trying to figure this out for quite a while with not much to show for it, then change is necessary.
I had to learn the hard way and get over myself and my desire to figure it out on my own.
Once I invested in real coaching, everything changed for me.
The same can be said for our clients.
The reason they don’t struggle with the weekends is because we plan and account for it. We give each individual a strategy that makes sense for them and their life situation.
That’s part of the Lifestyle Integration phase in our coaching program. We can tell how much flexibility and freedom each individual can enjoy while achieving their specific goals and being able to maintain those results forever.
No more guessing game.
Get on the right track with our 1:1 nutrition coaching program.
When combined with our other 2 phases, Neurotyping and Metabolic Priming, you have the most effective process for achieving the body you desire with full confidence in sustaining your results forever.
Not only that but we also help our clients completely change their relationship with food and not feel so burnt out by the process. In fact, they actually enjoy the process for the first time in years or decades.
That’s why we don’t say ‘trust the process’. We say ‘engage the process’ and let’s find out the process that makes the most sense for YOU.
Ultimately, you can keep hoping and praying …
Or you can know for sure that the results you desire are going to happen, it’s just a matter of time.
