Over the last six months, I’ve read more articles on diet and fitness than I can count. Unfortunately, most aren’t worth the pixels they’re painted on.
Why?
Because they are largely all written in such a way as to be absolute.
Do this in exactly this way to achieve this outcome. The one way, the specific thing, the exact protocol.
And it doesn’t seemingly matter if you want to be bigger, leaner, faster, smarter, better in bed, better at life… there’s always a secret, a shortcut, an easy path to whatever outcome you seek.
Now, if you’ve been living on this planet as an adult for more than just a few years, you’ve likely already discovered for yourself that this is not how it works. There invariably are no shortcuts, no magic, no special sauce. Moreover, you’ve likely learned from personal experience that following such advice tends to come-up short on results, often woefully short. In fact, it frequently does nothing more than confuse you, demotivate you and leave you feeling like something is in fact wrong with YOU. That YOU are in some way defective.
How could it have not worked for you? It was THE secret to six-pack abs; THE protocol to add 10lbs of lean muscle… you must be special. Your body must be broken, or defy the laws of human nature in some material way. You are, in fact, doomed.
Well, I’ve got news for you… you’re not doomed.
You are YOU.
And what works for me, may not work for YOU.
And even what works for you now, will not work for you all the time.
Things change. You change.
Life is both a gift and the ultimate challenge. It can often get in the way of progress. For every up, there is a down. Curve-balls come out of nowhere. One minute, we are happy, healthy and relaxed. The next, we are overworked, overtired and stressed. This is why there are no shortcuts, no magic, no one answer to meet your needs. Your needs are constantly changing, and as such, your strategy for achieving your goals must also be fluid.
So what can you take from all this? How does this five-minute investment of your precious time help you make sense of things?
Here’s the SECRE… kidding!!
Just some advice, all from my own personal experience…
- Any article that generally positions itself as the SECRET to <insert your success here> should be approached with extreme caution. I am not saying that all such articles are to be avoided as there is often good information buried within. However, start your reading with prudence, activate your BS filter and learn how to decipher the article and extract any useful advice. Bottom line: If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.
- Try things for yourself. You must be prepared to experiment and learn what works for you. Never presume that a protocol that works for someone else will instantly bring you results; at least not without some level of interpretation or adjustment. And yes, this can be a time-consuming process; but the knowledge is often in the journey itself, not the outcome.
- Whatever diet or exercise regimen you engage in MUST be sustainable. It must be complimentary to your lifestyle, not antagonistic. It should enhance your life, make better your journey in some small way. I’ll even go out on a limb and say it should be enjoyable! Yup, I said it. You should enjoy the choices you make! Why? Because if it’s enjoyable, it’s sustainable; and if you can stick with something, there’s a better chance of it being successful for you.
- If you make good choices most of the time, you’ll make good progress most of the time. For example, from a dietary perspective, I no longer count calories, aggressively balance my macros or even omit any one food. Why, because the process of doing so is time-consuming, frustrating and entirely removes the joy from eating. And eating is supposed to be fun. I just follow a couple of basic guidelines and try to make a good choice every time l let something pass my lips. Most of the time, I am making a smart choice. Other times, whether it’s by choice or circumstance, my choices are not what I need them to be. And here’s the thing… that’s OK. Why? Because that’s real life. No one gives this message clearer than my mentor, Adam Bornstein. He gives real advice for real people to help you achieve real results.
- And finally, don’t be so hard on yourself. Take pride in what you’ve achieved thus far and know that you are not alone in your struggles. We are all struggling with something, and almost all the time. If shedding weight or gaining muscle were as easy as some people would have us believe, we’d all be walking around jacked, shredded… and pooping golden eggs!
Feel free to comment with your own experiences or reach out with questions. I am always happy to help and talk about my own personal experiences.