"Aren't you meant to be a personal trainer?"
I'll probably never forget that comment.
I was at a family wedding, you know the ones where you're sat around a table of extended family or wedding guests that you don't know too well.
After a bit of chit chat, the inevitable question comes....
What do you do?
Without hesitation, the minute you mention you're a personal trainer, the interrogation begins.
What should i be eating then?
What's the best exercise to lose this (proceeds to grab his stomach and shake whilst laughing awkwardly)
Oh, you're probably going to be watching what i'm eating then, ha ha.
(no Jane, i bloody won't be cos i've actually got a life)
After the starter of soup, followed by spring lamb, potatoes and vegetables, the dessert came.
Jane looked at me,
And i looked at her.
She was watching my every move and was a few prosecco's deep at this point of the day too
I went to take a mouthful of this Eton Mess concoction and Jane pipes up, you're a personal trainer you can't eat that!
Half joking / Half serious
What Jane didn't realise was that i'd figured out the whole nutrition thing after years of trial and error trying to improve my results.
I'd been that guy that was all or nothing
I'd sat at parties and birthdays with just a chicken salad and missed out on all the fun.
I'd been the guy that wouldn't go out for a drink because of the 'calories'
And i'd sacrificed a tonne of social stuff that I thought would hinder my progress...when actually, I was experiencing all of the "costs" and none of the "benefits".
I was miserable trying to eat clean 24/7
Which essentially forced me to realise one key thing.
It was totally possible to make great progress while:
- Eating well most of the time but allowing treats
- Having a glass of wine
- Going to restaurants and having fun
- Living a life that seems totally normal while also looking the way i want and feeling good
While I hated that Jane's drunken comment at the time, it made me realise just how many mistakes i had made in the past and how far i'd come to be able to have balance with my food choices
The results of all that trial and error is what i still follow today.
And it's also what allows my epic transformation clients to tone their bodies, lose fat and increase their energy levels without living in a gym 7 days a week, drinking alcohol every week and barely feeling the 'pressure' of being on a diet.
So today's task is this.
I want to teach you a simple way to do the same yourself.
Without worrying about looking a calories or anything like that yet (we'll do this in the main program) i want you to be free of all or nothing dieting.
So we're gonna start here,
Pick two meals for function and one for fun.
Your function meals will be all the usual suspects, like lean proteins, veggies, salads, low fat diary products, wholegrains etc
and your fun meals will be the ones that are higher in calories and something 'treaty' like a piece of cake or a glass of wine to run alongside the main meal.
You don't need to go over the top and have massive portions but allow yourself the mental space to know that you need to learn how to include everything in your diet for you to be successful long term
Otherwise, you'll end up like Jane.
Constantly stuck.
So today's task, TELL ME the 2 meals for function and 1 meal for fun that you're going to be having today and go do it :)
Chat Soon,
Chris
P.S.
Remember to register for the upcoming workshop if you haven't already - we'll be putting together everything we cover each day into an actionable plan.