When it comes to food and all things eating why do we seem to lose all logic and common sense- even the most intelligent folks have been known to go on, “Stupid” diets, try crazy eating plans and believe weird stuff from bizarre sources?
Let’s identify the most stupid and STOP being stupid by believing them or going on them!
Dieting
YES the most stupid thing you can do is tell your own brain that there are foods you can’t have – that you like to eat, or foods you have to have – that you don’t like eat! You will be focusing on negatives, you will start thinking negatively and have you EVER tried to tell anyone that they, “Can’t”? All you will do is create a stronger desire to want it more!! Eat to feel energetic, perform at a top level, be strong and lean, think clearly and be at your 100% best all the time. Never eat (or not eat) to lose weight!
Cutting out or severely restricting one of the macronutrients
Fat, Protein and Carbohydrate are the 3 fuel sources your body needs to live, think, move, regenerate, keep warm and perform. Yes, if you cut one out or severely restrict how much you have, you will lose weight (only because you are restricting calories, not because you are getting what you need from the right calories) AND in the long term, cutting out or severely restricting any of the macronutrients, and you will not be able to lose weight, you will get fat again and you will not perform at a high level or function effectively long term.
• You must have carbohydrate for your brain and muscles to function.
• You must have protein to regenerate your hair, skin, nails, muscles and bones
• You must have fat as a fuel source and to keep you warm.
• You know you have the balance right when you look and FEEL energetic, strong and fit and you are a high performing human – long term (not just for 12 weeks!) Your perfect balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat will be determined by YOUR lifestyle, YOUR exercise levels, YOUR stress levels, YOUR body size and how YOU feel!
Regardless of what the Guru, book or “Clinical” Study says, if you feel healthy, fit, strong and energetic and you like what you see naked in the mirror – keep doing what you are doing!! If you feel tired and lethargic, you are fat and weak and not performing at 100% all day everyday – you need to make changes – but not just for 12 weeks!
NOTE: a “Clinical Study” is not scientific, it is not recognised by the scientific world and anybody can make an observation and call it ‘A clinical study”.
Going on a SHORT term “perfect eating plan”
If you are a smoker or an alcoholic and you want to be a non-smoker or a non drinker LONG TERM, the concept of not smoking or not drinking for a short period and then going back to your normal smoking or drinking habit would be stupid!
Imagine not smoking or drinking for a month or 12 weeks or 6 months or the silliest, don’t smoke or drink for 6 days and then smoke or drink as much as you want for one day every week?? Understand that we can become NON smokers or NON drinkers but we can never become NON eaters. The concept of eating healthily for a short term and then going back to the way we ate before is well, STUPID!
Either you want to be healthy, fit, strong high performing human being for the rest of your life or you don’t. Thinking you can eat, “Perfect” for a short term, to lose weight and then go back to the same stupid eating habits that made you fat or unhealthy, and keep the weight off is STUPID!! It would be no different than a person wanting to be a non-smoker, who then “Gives up” smoking for 12 weeks, the whole time thinking how much they want to smoke. As soon as the 12 weeks is up they, “Binge” smoke to make up for all the smoking they didn’t do!
The argument is, ‘A short term weight loss diet will give me the, “Motivation” to keep eating healthy!!’ Great in theory EXCEPT, if it worked, the millions of people who have, or are participating, in 12 week challenges, short term diet plans, 6 month healthy eating plans, one week detox diets and the silliest, “Eat healthy for 6 days and eat whatever you want for the other day” would keep the weight off permanently and be healthy, lean and energetic for the rest of their lives! They are NOT getting the LONG term results they want and they do NOT keep the weight off! A 12 week restriction diet sees ALL of the folks, ‘Going Back’ to some or all of the pre-diet foods they were eating!
There is no quick “Fix”, fast solution, miracle detox, fat loss, 12 week challenge that comes with a magic bar, pill or potion to ensure you are healthy, fit and strong for the rest of your life! You either want to be a high performing human OR you just want to lose some weight to fit into something for a short time or get your photo taken with you as a “thin” person. The restriction diet you choose to do for that short-term goal will make you feel tired and lethargic, even sick and angry, but you will lose weight!! and you WILL put it back on.
The answer: CHOOSE today to be healthy, fit, lean and strong, for the rest of your life. Change your attitude towards food and exercise TODAY. Start thinking, eating, moving and acting like the Healthy, Fit and Strong person you will become – LONG TERM!