I’ll admit it, I used to be a perfectionist. If something was only 99% complete, I had to spend significant portion of my time completing that last 1% of the job. After all, a job isn’t done, until it’s done…right? Well, the irony of the situation is that this final 1% would account for less than 1% of the importance of the project, yet it could take over half of my time!
I’m not here to talk about project management however, for I have plenty to learn on that particular subject! What I do wish to talk about is in regards to weight loss and undertaking an “all-or-nothing” approach to losing weight. This is perfectionism in disguise.
In case you are not familiar with what I mean by an “all-or-nothing” approach, I am simply referring to either being 100% committed to weight loss, or not committed at all. There is no in-between as you are either losing weight the most effective way you know possible, or you’re not bothering at all. This would constitute either following a full-on diet and remanding exercise regime, or pigging out on your favourite junk food whilst being a couch-potato. It’s black and white with no grey shades – you’re either losing weight or you’re not.
Does this sound familiar? If it does, ask yourself (honestly) if this approach is working for you in the long-term:
If yes, then you probably won’t get much value from this article because you’re already doing a great job at losing weight effectively.
If no, then an “all-or-nothing” approach just simply does not work for you. In fact, it doesn’t work for the vast majority of people. To be completely honest, in my years as both an exercise enthusiast and a professional personal trainer, I have never met anyone who claims that such an approach to weight loss has been effective for them.
An “all-or-nothing” approach is great for short-term, quick weight loss. If you are looking to lose weight over a few weeks, then this may be the solution for you. But there is a catch. By giving 100% to your weight loss endeavours, you will not be able to:
- Uphold this level of willpower in the long-term
- Develop some long-term strategies for weight loss
- Sustain the weight loss that you encounter in the short-term
Why? Well, an all-out approach requires you to place yourself far outside your comfort zone in regards to nutrition and exercise. You won’t enjoy it because you are depriving yourself of various aspects to your lifestyle that you love. Hence, you require willpower. Unless you want to live an unhappy life, in reality you are not going to be able to maintain this willpower forever. Eventually, you will cave in and revert back to poor lifestyle habits. These poor lifestyle habits will necessarily result in weight accumulation and you may find yourself back at square one in very little time at all.
This above scenario happens time and time again with extreme approaches to diet and exercise. It is also known as “yo-yo dieting” or more technically “weight cycling”, where you undertake a cycle of weight loss, then weight gain, then weight loss and so on indefinitely.
There is another very critical flaw in an “all-or-nothing” approach to weight loss – the guilt associated with “falling off the wagon”. Here’s a scenario:
You have been on a diet for two weeks and have lost an amazing 4kg of weight. You have been craving sugars, but have managed to summon the necessary willpower to adhere to the dietary guidelines. But then, you are invited out for a dinner at a restaurant. You see the menu and justify having a treat because you have lost so much weight. So, you order a large three course meal and have a few alcoholic drinks.
The next day you wake up and feel gross. You are disappointed with your eating last night and just feel really down on yourself. Although you don’t want to, you jump on the scales and see that you have gained a kilogram of weight. Disgusted at the sight of this weight gain, you binge all day long to comfort yourself.
You have fallen off the wagon, so to speak, and blame yourself. You cannot stick to that diet…maybe you are just meant to be overweight?
The guilt that is associated with “falling off the wagon” is a very powerful emotion. It can force you to give up on your weight loss goals altogether due to one simply slip up.
The reality of the situation is that this 1kg of weight loss was probably primarily a result of fluid retention from the additional carbohydrate intake the night before. You would have still been well and truly out in front of where you began too. But in reality, it’s hard to see this when you feel like a complete and utter failure. Emotions are much more powerful that logic, especially “in the moment”.
Now in contrast to this, a “lifestyle” approach to weight loss does not allow you to “fall off the wagon”. In fact, you aren’t on a diet at all. Consequently, you do not:
- Require excessive willpower
- Feel anywhere near as much guilt if you treat yourself
- Feel as if you are on a diet
A “lifestyle” is all about losing weight in a manner that you enjoy. You don’t follow some silly strict guidelines, yet you set yourself up in an environment that is:
- Enjoyable
- Effective for weight loss
An “all-or-nothing” approach may be effective for weight loss in the short-term, yet it is not enjoyable. The fact that it is not enjoyable means that you will not be able to sustain this approach in the long-term. In contrast, a “lifestyle” approach is enjoyable and thus you will be able to remain at a lower weight indefinitely.
So what is your ideal lifestyle approach to weight loss? That is something that you will have to figure out, possibly with the assistance of an exercise professional. You have to allow yourself to enjoy the foods that you love to consume, yet in a moderated manner in conjunction with a healthy, well-balanced dietary intake. You will also have to adhere to some form of exercise regime that you enjoy – whether that be outdoors, in a gym, at home or as part of a sports or leisure activity.
A lifestyle approach to weight loss is all about implementing some common sense principles into your routine. Yes, good old common sense! If you would like to continue to read further on this topic, then I strongly recommend my article, How to Lose Weight. This article will expand on this “lifestyle” concept to weight loss.
I wish you all the best in your weight loss endeavours!
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