Blog 007 — Can’t Find The Right Fitness/Diet Plan For You? Most Can’t…

My average day is spent in the dance studio. I typically train for a good few hours and teach for many more.

The dance grind is real… Being on the floor for 40 solid hours a week has me window shopping for knee replacements. Because of this, I take fitness more seriously to stay on my feet… Literally.

Previously, I have tried countless workout programs, but none of them worked for me perfectly. So since then, I have developed a very personalized fitness routine that works specifically for me and my body.

Although I have tried many workout programs, I have not followed many diets. I equate diet and exercise to playing “offense” and “defense.”

Let me explain.

Commonly in finance, the term “playing offense” refers to increasing your income (making more money), and “playing defense” means decreasing expenses (spending less).

In relation to health and fitness, I translate the concept and say the “offense” is working out, and “defense” is dieting.

For example fiscally, someone can just focus on making more money to increase profits or savings, or they can spend less to do the same thing.

Similarly, in health and fitness, someone can workout better, or more, to reach their goals, or they can eat better, or less, to achieve the same goal.
In both situations, combining both the “offense” and the “defense” is obviously the most efficient and effective way to success.

Back to health, the most basic principle of weight loss is;

Move More, Eat Less.

Very generally speaking this is how you lose weight — burn more calories than you take in. (a.k.a. caloric deficit)
It sounds so easy, right?

A roughly 30 billion-dollar fitness industry has found a way to make health difficult. These trainers and “experts” attempt to create one plan for everyone to live by, and then expect it to work the same for everyone, even though we are all built very differently. This problem occurs when they assume “ceteris paribus” — A latin/economics term meaning “ all other things being equal.” This term is one of my favorite phrases because it simplifies anything and eliminates exceptions.

There are no rules in the health and fitness industry. There is always an exception, which is why developing a single program, or course, or structure intended to work for everyone, usually doesn’t work.

But wait,

You said caloric deficit, and move more, eat less was a rule to weight loss?

Yes this is true. However, humans are needy animals, and when we move more, naturally we want to eat more too. Calories are energy; food =energy. Moving takes energy, therefore the more we move, the more food our body thinks it needs to stay energized.

Great news here is food tastes so good! And working out also feels good… Eventually…

We now live in a world of instant gratification. Food supplies dopamine now. Health and strength provide it later…

You get to now define yourself.
Are you playing the long game or the short game?
Marathon or sprint?
Instant gratification or long term happiness?
Look good feel good, or tastes good?

HEY, stop right there.

“Good food can taste good!”

For some people yes.
But I can answer every question ever with it depends.

Some people were raised in a household where they had every color on their plate for every meal.
Or they were forced to eat better due to disease or allergy.
Some families go out to eat very often and maybe don’t make the best choices.
Maybe you grew up in a place or culture that had fried chicken every other day.
Or mom “loved” you and always supplied snacks and junk food because you liked it.
Or mom “loved” you and never let you eat sugar until you moved out and you either continued that trend or rebelled and are making up for lost time.

The list of exceptions goes on forever.
The list of excuses goes on forever.

If someone told you, “you can now choose the weight and or body type that you would like to be forever, instantly with no work or sacrifice,” what would you choose?

Why?

Does it make you feel good? More confidence?

This is the reason some people can be so focused and determined on what their goals are. They know WHY they want to achieve them.

If you chose the body you have now, congratulations! You Won?

Yeah, question mark.

The real goal is to find a way to enjoy the process. It’s usually a grueling climb to the top. And depending on the person, some people love it, but most hate it. Eventually we accomplish a goal and it feels pretty good. Then what?

Another goal?

Yeah, makes sense. An endless cycle of improvement.

But wait? If we just said we hated the climb, and it was just about the goal, and all I do it climb and hit goals and climb and hit goals.
Am I happy?

Let’s say for example; it takes you one month to hit a fitness goal. A small one like do 20 push ups in a row or be able to flex a new muscle you didn’t know you had. You spent every day doing push-ups and climbed your way up to 20. You did it!
Now let’s break it down.

Person A: hates pushups, and this was an arbitrary goal because he/she wanted to look better. Hit the goal, celebrated for a day, (still hates push-ups BTW) and makes a new goal for 30.

Person B: hates push-ups as well, goes through the same process and after hitting the goal now loves push ups and does them regularly for progress and pleasure. New goal 30.

Person C: loves push-ups, just didn’t have the time to work on them. Now decides to start, loves the process and hits the goal. Excellent, new goal 30.

Person D: also loves push-ups, just doesn’t allocate the time to get better at them. Starts with this goal and upon completion now realizes he/she hated them and burned out. No new goal.

Recap,
A: Hates them and still does, spent one month hating them and celebrated for a day because they hit the goal.
95% Hate — 5% pleasure

B: Hated them and now found new love and progress. Progressive increase in pleasure to 100%

C: Loved them and still does; 100% Pleasure

D: loved them now hates them, progressive decreases in pleasure to 0%

People are complicated…

The best and worse news is people can change?!

C can become D and B can become C and whatever way you want to spin it.

Side note: For all the dancers, This is the flow of liking an hating certain styles and individual dances. Replace push-ups for samba.

See how complicated the Health & Fitness industry is….