Why there is no "One-Size-Fits-All" for Diet and Exercise (and why that's a good thing)
I've worked with plenty of clients one-on-one in the time I've been training. In addition, I've worked with several more individuals in group class settings. However, there's one group that I've seen the most of and that is individuals who come in for a training consultation and leave without starting personal training. Now, I promise this isn't a post just about sales. Instead, it's more to illustrate that I've spent time with many people from many different backgrounds. One thing that they all share is looking for the answer to meet their fitness goals the fastest.
When I look at the current state of the fitness industry, I feel a tremendous sense of dismay. Like every other aspect of life, the internet has given us more information with easier access than we've ever had as a species. Unfortunately, more is not always better. Looking for health and fitness information online means wading out into a series of posts and videos screaming to do one workout while another screams to avoid the same workout. Dietary advice is even worse, often hand picking foods that should never be eaten while promoting others that should be the only choice an individual makes in the kitchen. I can't imagine how infuriating it must be to look for the advice that fits you.
One thing I am thankful for in my own fitness journey is that I've tried a lot of different ideas. In fact, I doubt I'm done trying new things. Several of my ideas weren't winners, as in they did not stick around for the long term. For diet, I went to bed one night when I was sixteen knowing I would "eat clean" from now on. What I neglected to take into account is that I was (and in many ways still am) a picky eater. That next day came and I turned my nose up at everything. I did not eat the entire day. When I finally did, I binged on the same foods I'd sworn off less than twenty four hours earlier. As for exercise, I have previously fallen into the trap of believing I needed to be in a gym every single day. I would ignore the wear and tear of going for weeks on end. Unfortunately, I also never tracked what I was doing. I lost fat but I didn't get where I wanted to get to either. It took a lot of years and a lot of mistakes to find out what works for me. I want to help you find what works for you.
Before we get started, let's take care of one simple, indisputable fact: when it comes to gaining or losing fat, one pound of fat equals 3500 calories. If you have a surplus of 3500, you gain a pound. If you have a deficit of 3500, you lose a pound. ALL FAT LOSS GOALS COME BACK TO THIS FACT. Anything you choose to do, no matter what it is, is targeted at keeping you in a caloric deficit. It is no more complicated than that. So how do you find what works for you?
The first thing to know about fat loss is that you are trying to reach a body and keep with it. Losing is hard, maintaining is even more difficult. With that in mind, your first step in developing the right diet for you is coming up with two or three "pillars" of the diet that you could do forever if you had to. For example, mine are no foods with more than ten grams of sugar per serving, no alcohol, and no eating after 9 pm. Take into account what you can do. If you "can't live without bread", keto is not going to work for you. If you work a night shift, eating late at night may be normal. You want things that you can build on as you go and feel more confident in your diet.
Exercise is similar. I would strongly recommend doing activities to build muscle. However, if you are inactive, finding activities that just get you moving are far better than doing nothing. Do you love tennis but haven't played in a while? Maybe give it a try. Do you hate running and anything that includes it? Maybe training for a marathon isn't for you. Find what you can stick to.
This is all good news. There's no perfect diet. There's no perfect workout plan. There is only finding what fits for you. You are not broken because the diet that a magazine or influencer gave you didn't work for you. You are not broken because you went to a high intensity workout class and felt overwhelmed. You're just trying to find your way. Start by asking yourself what you want from your body and what you're willing to do right now to get on your way there. You'll be glad you did.
