If you do a quick Google search of “how to lose weight”, you’ll get an almost never-ending list of articles hoping to grab your attention.
Understandably, this can be quite overwhelming if you’re unsure of the best path for you.
Allow me to simplify for you because for the most part, all of them say the same thing in a slightly different way:
- Find a way to eat so that you’re in a calorie deficit
- Find a way to move a little bit more each day
- Get some sleep
- Reduce/manage your stress more effectively
You’re probably thinking, “Well that’s great Cam, but if it were that simple why doesn’t everyone do that?”
And that’s a very good question – Why doesn’t everyone just do that?
One reason is that just because something is “simple” does not mean it’s equally “easy”.
Another reason is that a lot of people are making it much, much harder on themselves because they’re focusing too much on the “small stones” and not enough on the “big rocks”.
Think of it this way…
If you had a large jar that you wanted to fill and you had a variety of big rocks, small stones and sand, what would be the most effective way to get it all into your jar?
If you fill it with the sand first, you’ll never get the big rocks in. Same goes if you put the small stones in first. There wouldn’t be any room left for your big rocks.
BUT if you put the big rocks in first, then those small stones would fill in the holes and the sand would fill in the rest.
Everything would fit as long as you started with the big rocks.
Your “big rocks” are things like:
- paying attention to how you eat
- eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods
- loading up on vegetables with all of your meals
- getting high quality meat/fish/eggs with your meals
- focusing on Smart Carb and Healthy Fat foods
- drinking plenty of water
- sleeping 7-9 hours every night
- managing your stress
- getting outside in the sun every day
- sweating, moving, lifting heavy things
- and on, and on, and on…
And some of your “small stones” might be:
- weighing your food, counting calories
- calculating your macro percentages (carbs/fats/protein)
- Most supplements (aside from a couple essential ones)
- going “vegan/paleo/keto/carnivore/vegetarian/etc”
- learning complex periodization for your training plan
- is “this” workout better than “that” workout
- and many, many others…
All of those “small stones” can be very useful…at the right time.
Most people would be ecstatic with how they looked, felt and performed if they just focused on those “big rocks” consistently every single day, without ever having to add the “small stones”.
That’s how you develop an actual sustainable plan for yourself. Something that will work even when life gets crazy.
Always remember what my good friend Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe said:
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of those that matter least.”
Keep the main thing the main thing and ignore everything else.
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