It’s Not About the Weight You Lose, It’s About How You Lose It

by | Feb 21, 2021

Weight loss is often not about the weight you lose … it’s about HOW you lose it.

I want to illustrate this point with a real story that demonstrates how important the method you take when losing weight is to the sustainability of that weight loss.

Let me preface this by saying that this individual is not a client and I will not be using her real name.

This is also not a criticism. This is a very common example and I use these stories (which I’ve often done myself) to help you make more informed decisions.

Tully’s weight loss story

Let’s call our subject Tully (can you guess what show I’m watching on Netflix?).

Anyway, Tully decided to join a coaching program over the summer because she wanted to lose some weight.

She was already pretty lean but had about 10 lbs. that she wanted to lose so she took the plunge.

She joined a traditional macro-based coaching program where you enter your data and get a set of macros to follow each day.

Then, you are assigned to a coach who will either:

  1. Congratulate you for hitting your macros,
  2. Tell you to hit your macros more consistently, or
  3. Change your macros.

This is standard protocol for most macro-based coaching programs.

Tully, was all-in. She was not going to be denied her goal.

In her words, she said that she spent all summer “in misery” counting macros, not enjoying anything, not even having a single drink or even ice cream the entire summer.

She basically lived on chicken and broccoli over the summer to be as perfect as possible with her macros and achieve her goals.

And, it worked! She lost 10 lbs., which for someone who is already lean is a significant result.

Now, before I tell you what happened after that, I want to point something out.

When you have a goal … sacrifices need to be made.

However, when you sacrifice everything, you have to be the one to decide if it’s worth it.

Because, consider that the effort it took to get there is going to be the effort it takes to stay there.

This is a major reason why we discuss those sacrifices with our clients ahead of time to set realistic expectations.

We prefer to build in a certain level of flexibility and freedom that ensures the progress they make is sustainable and enjoyable.

Note that Tully used the words “in misery” when talking about the sacrifices she had to make.

I used to be the one who cut out alcohol and any food that I couldn’t track and guess what happened?

I gained the weight back EVERY. DAMN. TIME.

So, what do you think happened to Tully?

Yup, 3 months later and the 10 lbs. were back.

Here’s the kicker …  she’s still tracking her food, she’s super consistent with working out, and is not even indulging.

She said that in the rare occasion of dining out, she still orders grilled chicken and veggies.

By simply easing up on the obsessiveness of tracking every single morsel of food … she gained the weight back.

And is now feeling the utter frustration of having spent the summer being “perfect” and “in misery” …  all for nothing.

I know that feeling all too well. It’s such a gut punch.

Not to mention she spent four figures on a glorified macro calculator (side note: this is why I talk openly about the pitfalls of these types of coaching programs).

So, where does she go from here? Does she have to be perfect for the rest of her life to maintain a weight that’s 10 lbs. less than where she is now?

First of all, the need to be perfect is a sure-fire way to land back at square one.

Why? Because being perfect only leaves you with the ability to go in one direction. Backwards.

Perfection is the thief of weight loss progress.

If you’re being perfect and then you “slip up,” then you’ll only focus on the fact that you failed.

This is why we remove that expectation right from day 1.

Second, we openly discuss the sacrifices and sustainability of those sacrifices when someone has an ambitious goal. Or any goal for that matter.

If it requires being miserable and cutting out everything enjoyable in your life, I can promise it won’t last.

By the way, we can look no further than bodybuilders and bikini competitors.

Even they don’t maintain their stage physique for more than one day. And, they have to be 99-100% dialed in to achieve that level of leanness.

Look, as an individual, you have to decide what’s worth it. But, a simple question we would have asked Tully is: do you want to obsessively track every bite of food for the rest of your life and never enjoy a drink or ice cream?

If no, then why are we using that method to get a temporary result?

This is why real coaching is invaluable.

Real coaching saves you time, money, and frustration.

Lastly, most programs don’t offer an exit strategy. In other words, after you achieve your goals, where do you go from there?

This is often more important than the goal itself. How many times have you hit your goal weight, only to gain it back?

That’s where the exit strategy comes into play.

This is why we ensure a proper metabolic priming phase and a lifestyle approach that allows for a certain level of freedom and flexibility.

So, after our clients reach their goals, they don’t feel like they have to “go back to normal” because normal was always part of the process.

We simply monitor their biofeedback and make sure they’re eating enough while maintaining the results they accomplished. And, because we focus on sustainability, they have total confidence that those results will last a lifetime.

Especially when you pair that with daily habits like stress management, movement, hydration, and food choices that make them feel their best.

Misery is never part of the equation and never should be.

This is why weight loss often isn’t as important as HOW you lose it.

If you’re interested in a process that is sustainable AND enjoyable, then our signature 6-month 1:1 coaching program might be the right fit for you.

It’s perfect for women who feel like nothing has worked before and finally want to hop off the diet roller coaster while achieving the physical results that have eluded them for so long.

And want the confidence that those results will actually stick this time. 

If that’s you and you want to see if our program is the right fit, simply click the button below to PM me on Facebook and we’ll discuss your goals to see if we can help! I’ll ask you a few questions to see if it’s a fit and if it is, I’ll invite you into the program.

Much love,

Coach Mike

Interested in 1:1 Coaching?

And let me know that you’re interested in the 1:1 signature coaching program.

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