Have you ever tried to get back on track with your diet without much success?
Yeah, same here.
One day you’re on point and the next you’re going off the rails and saying “fuck it.”
I once had a client who texted me that they went off track, so they might as well not show up to our training session because what’s the point if they already went off track?
I said, “what a better way to get back on track than to come to the gym and train?”
So, they came to the gym, we talked through it, and this client absolutely crushed that session and hasn’t looked back since.
That said, going off track is a matter of when, not if.
It can be one meal, one day, or even a week – That doesn’t matter.
What matters is how you respond.
And that’s what this article is about.
The Most Important Thing You Need To Know To Get Back On Track With Your Diet
That one thing is…
You can’t fuck this up.
Get this in your head right now.
I don’t care how much you ate. I don’t care how “off” track you’ve been.
Because the only way that you can fuck up and lose all your progress is if you quit.
Seriously. That’s it.
Because you’re always one meal away in order to get back on track with your diet.
Remember this throughout the article.
What Is A Diet?
First, I want to go over exactly what a diet is. A diet is simply the food you eat on a day to day basis.
The problem is the term “diet” has been labeled as a bad thing over the years. People throw out “I HAVE to go on a diet” which has a negative connotation.
Many diets – like keto, paleo, and whatever else they’ve come up with recently – have restrictions and certain foods that are deemed “off limits” – aka “good” and “bad” foods.
“Oh, but my friend lost 50 pounds from keto.”
Of course they did.
The reason these diets work so well (in the beginning) is because certain foods or food groups are eliminated, which places you into a calorie deficit. So, you’re going to lose weight initially.
There’s nothing magical about it.
So no… carbs will not make you fat. Fat will not make you fat.
Eating too much food makes you fat.
Sorry to put it out there like that but it’s the truth.
And I understand it’s not easy. But know it’s this simple.
What’s The Best Diet For Fat Loss?
Here’s the thing – there’s not one single diet that works for everyone.
Most of these “diets” aren’t sustainable for most people because of their strict limitations and unrealistic expectations. This is why most people struggle to get back on track with their diet and why keeping the weight off becomes the hardest part.
Everyone has different preferences and lifestyles.
Some people love carbs. Some people love fattier foods. Some people like more protein rich foods.
Therefore, a good question to ask yourself is, “Can I eat this way for the rest of my life?”
If the answer is no, then that diet is NOT for you. You have to find a diet that is sustainable for you.
This “diet” should mainly consist of proteins, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and the foods you actually enjoy.
Which is why I’m not a big fan of meal plans.
With a meal plan, you’re given the tools you need. This includes what and how much to eat which can be nice at the beginning but…. you don’t learn anything from that meal plan.
And since meal plans are so strict, you’ll constantly be trying to get back on track with your diet.
So, can these “diets” and meal plans actually work? Sure. But, they’re unsustainable as fuck.
Remember this: All diets work in the short term because they trick you into being in a calorie deficit. The more restrictive the diet, the less sustainable they seem to be.
So, don’t let anyone try and trick you into falling for their fad diet. If it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is and you should run far away.
Why You Went Off Track With Your Diet
Keep in mind – If you go off track with your diet you’re not a failure.
All it means is that you went off track with your diet. So, don’t be an asshole to yourself.
Like I wrote above – everyone, myself included, does it.
They may not show it on social media because it’s not the sexy thing, but everyone does.
And if they don’t, I’d bet they’re a miserable person.
That said, here are a few ways get back on track with your diet:
1. Don’t Yo-Yo Diet
Binging and restricting is one of the most common problems people fall victim too.
Here’s how it usually works:
A person is on a restrictive diet that is very low calories, but they make tremendous progress based off of willpower.
Eventually ghrelin (your hunger hormone) eventually takes over and sucker punches you straight in the face.
As a result of this insane restriction and perfection, you become so freaking hungry that you can’t take it anymore.
Therefore, you binge because you’re hungry as a hippo.
This activates “fuck it” mode where you tell yourself that you mine as well keep binging.
Then you restrict again to try and get back on track with your diet and make up for the binge.
Which eventually leads to another binge.
And the cycle continues.
Yeah… sounds terrible doesn’t it?
Plus, it’s not good for your metabolism and relationship with food in the long run.
So, what’s the solution?
Eat More To Lose Weight And Get Back On Track With Your Diet
“You’re telling me that I can eat more and lose weight?” – Yes.
While some restraint is necessary to create a calorie deficit, too much restraint is unsustainable in the long term.
This will lead you down path of constantly trying to get back on track with your diet.
Therefore, the goal is to eat as much calories as you can while still losing weight.
By eating more calories, you’ll still be in a calorie deficit – albeit a smaller one – so even though the weight loss will be slower, it’ll be much more sustainable because you won’t feel as deprived and as a result, will be less likely to binge.
Ex: If you’re maintenance is 2,000 calories you’d have to eat under that to create a calorie deficit. So, instead of eating 1,200 calories per day and being hungry all the time, increase it to 1,500 calories.
Remember – this is a long term plan. There is no timeline or race.
Tip: Multiply your goal bodyweight by 12 for an estimate on how much to eat and adjust from there. You know you’re eating enough if you’re losing on average .5-2 pounds per week.
Focus On Consistency Over Perfection
Listen, you won’t be perfect with your diet so don’t be neurotic.
There will be parties, holidays, vacations, stressful times, etc. – These are the times that you are suppose to have fun and relax.
So, you can’t and shouldn’t expect yourself to be perfect during these moments. Remember, enjoying yourself is a form of health too.
Therefore, your goal is to be 85-90% consistent. That would mean hitting your macro goals 27/30 days each month.
By doing this, dieting will be more enjoyable and less stressful.
So relax.
Enjoy yourself.
Because consistency always wins over perfection.
2. Not Eating Enough Low Calorie Dense Foods
Processed foods are usually higher in calories and easier to over eat because they’re so fucking delicious.
The problem is that diets high in processed foods make it hard to get back on track with your diet.
Therefore, your main focus should be on eating mostly whole foods.
These foods:
- Contain more nutrients and fiber that are healthy for you.
- Take up a lot of space in your stomach, which tricks your brain into thinking you’re full.
Examples of low calorie dense foods:
- Low carb wraps
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Egg whites
- Greek yogurt
- Lean proteins (fish, chicken, lean meats, etc)
- Starchy carbs
- Diet/Zero Calorie Drinks
Make Sure To Eat More Protein
Protein is going to be your best friend when it comes to dieting and fat loss.
Other than calories, protein is the second most important thing to focus on for your nutrition.
The reason is – It’s filling, hard to overeat, and necessary for maintaining/building muscle mass to help you stay lean and toned.
Tip: Aim for .8-1g per pound of lean body mass. A good way to estimate this is to take your goal bodyweight x .8-1.
Have A Plan!
Having a plan is going to help you stay on track with your diet no matter the circumstances.
Without one, anything can happen which is what you don’t want or else you’ll have to constantly get back on track with your diet.
So, if you’re going out to eat, traveling, going to a party, or whatever the case may be – have a plan for what you’re going to eat.
This way, you’re not going off of reaction and impulses – rather, you’re going off your plan to stay on track.
Track And Weigh Your Food
If you don’t know how much you’re eating than how are you going to know if you’re on track or not with your diet?
So, start tracking and weighing your food to make sure you’re being accurate and educate yourself on proper food portions and macros.
Tip: Start by tracking calories and protein. Check out my guide on how to track macros.
3. Don’t Label Foods as “Good” or “Bad”
When you label foods as “good” or “bad”, you’re basically telling yourself that you’re doing something right or wrong.
Therefore, after you eat a “bad” food you think you’re a bad person and fucked everything up.
As a result, you use that as a justification to keep going off track. Or, you go the complete opposite direction and restrict.
This is the all or nothing mindset you want to stay away from.
Listen, if a friend ate one of these “bad” foods, you wouldn’t tell them “hey, you’re a bad person and you just fucked everything up so you should quit.”
So, why on earth would you tell yourself that?
No food is “bad”. No food is “good”. It’s just food.
It’s what you do most of the time that matters. Not what you do some of the time.
So, stick to majority whole foods and tell yourself “hey, I can have this food if I want it, but I’m choosing not to because I don’t want to go over on my calories today.”
A Calorie Is A Calorie
All calories are created equal. Yes – 200 calories of an apple is the same as 200 calories of a chocolate bar.
That said, it’s the composition of the food that changes.
An apple has more fiber and nutrients which will fill you up more compared to a candy bar.
But, as for calories they’re the same.
What does this mean?
You could technically eat all your calories from candy bars and loose weight as long as you’re in a calorie deficit.
Now, that would be fucking stupid but it’s possible.
The point is to show you that you can still include your favorite foods in moderation and make progress.
Flexible Dieting (80/20 Rule)
Flexible dieting is not eating like an asshole and then making up for it a few days later. Or eating all shit food as long as it fits in your calories.
Instead, its where you allow yourself to include your favorite foods in moderation.
It’s also the mindset of knowing that it’s the calories over the weeks and months that matter, rather than the day to day calories.
Therefore, flexible dieting is way less stressful approach to dieting.
This will likely look different for everyone.
Maybe you like a chocolate bar every night so you fit that into your calories.
Or, maybe you go out on the weekend so you set you calories higher on the weekends and lower during the week.
It can even be helpful to set a weekly calorie goal instead of a daily calorie goal or calorie cycle where you set calories higher/lower on certain days.
Whatever the case may be, this takes time and practice to figure out what works best for you.
Just remember – if you go off track one day, its ok as long as you get back on track with your diet the next.
How To Rebound After Going Off Track?
First, don’t freak out. I promise it will be ok.
Second, DON’T try to:
- Over compensate by starving yourself the next day.
- Perform hours of fasted cardio.
- Use it as an excuse to say “fuck it” and keep fucking up.
These are the worst things you can do.
By over correcting or “making up” for going overboard, you’re doing more damage by encouraging poor eating habits and a bad relationship with food and exercise.
And remember, this is a lifelong commitment. So if you enjoyed a little too much pizza than so what? It’s only pizza.
Your body doesn’t work like that because again – its what you eat most of the time that matters.
So that one day or week of going overboard won’t matter from the months and years of being consistently on track.
So, don’t dwell on it because you’re one healthy meal from getting right back on track with your diet.
Here’s An Example:
Let me paint a picture for you…
Let’s think of calories in terms of the week rather than days for a second.
For example, let’s say your maintenance is 2,500 calories.
That would mean you’d have to eat under 17,500 calories (2,500×7 days) for that week to lose weight.
So, you eat 2,000 calories Monday-Friday (10,000 calories) but then eat 3,000 calories both on Saturday and Sunday (6,000 calories) because you went out with your friends.
That would mean you ate 16,000 calories total for that week which is still under the 17,500 calories.
See where I’m going here?
One or two meals/days of over eating won’t make or break your progress.
Just don’t make going off track too much of a habit.
You still have to be 85-90% consistent.
Final Thoughts:
Hopefully by now you realize that you can’t fuck up.
If not, then I didn’t do my job.
Once you realize that it comes down to being consistent rather than being perfect, you’ll have less stress, less anxiety, and much more enjoyability, and sustainability with your results.
And remember, food does not determine your self worth.
You are an amazing human being so treat yourself like one.
Much love,
-Coach Bob
Ps. If you’d like to hop on a call to discuss 1:1 coaching, you can apply here.
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