Shownotes
In this MEGA episode of The Weight Loss Podcast, we dive into the 4 basic foundations of weight loss.
- Exercise, the basic that determines the type of weight you lose.
- Nutrition, the basic that determines how much weight you lose.
- Accountability, the glue that holds the entire process together.
- Your why, the anchor point that can allow you to legitimately change your life for the better, WITHOUT relying on mythical creatures such as willpower or motivation.
How we can help you -
• Calories Not Included – 87 fast, flexible and family-friendly recipes for people who are sick of weighing their lettuce.
These recipes have been hand-picked by us out of our coaching program for busy people who want to look, feel and function better...without living by a set of rules and without the diet drama.
You receive the book via instant digital download/email, and the book itself is ready to be printed for those who prefer their copies physical!
• The Weight Loss Podcast Classroom – Our structured, affordable 12-week introductory education and support program proven to help busy people like you know exactly where to start, how to get on track and stay on track.
Get started on a proven step-by-step path to taking control over your emotional eating, building healthy and sustainable habits that give you energy every day, improve your strength, fitness, body shape and confidence — without counting calories, following some silly unsustainable diet, dodgy supplements, expensive medications or feeling like you have to exercise for 300 hours per week.
You will learn more in 12 weeks than you have the past 5-10 years when it comes to exercise, nutrition, habits and real, sustainable healthy change. That's our promise to you. This program is perfect for absolute beginners and/or people on a super tight budget. Please note it is not a coaching program.
• The Weight Loss Podcast Academy – If you need personalised support as well as accountability, education, structure and direction from Matt and Courtney themselves, then get all the details on The Weight Loss Podcast Academy here.
This is our coaching program where we teach you everything you need to know and we do it right there with you via coaching, accountability, support and guidance from us personally. We accept clients via application only and work with people for a minimum of 12+ months (most stay for 2-3 years).
NOTE - we accept roughly 4% of applications we receive. What we do isn't for everyone and we are very selective as to who we invest our own time, energy and expertise into. Results guaranteed if you are accepted. This is best-in-industry education, coaching and accountability. It is not cheap.
Transcripts
Welcome to the Weight Loss Podcast, where we offer solutions to the obstacles you face when it comes to achieving your health and fitness goals.
Speaker A:As a married couple who's lost a combined weight of 100kg and 11 clothes sizes, our raw, real and relatable stories will show you the path you must walk to achieve and more importantly, maintain the results you know you can reach, because we know it works.
Speaker A:So get ready to share the success and show the results with your hosts, Matt and Courtney.
Speaker B:Hello.
Speaker C:Hello.
Speaker B:Welcome to another episode of the Weight Loss Podcast.
Speaker B:I am Matt.
Speaker B:Here with me is Courtney.
Speaker C:I'm here.
Speaker B:And when we combine, we are known as.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:We are known as Matney.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:So we're here to talk about the basics of weight loss and why they matter.
Speaker C:Easy, right?
Speaker C:What an easy topic, you know?
Speaker B:Well, for us, it kind of is.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:But for you, listening it may be a bit more of a challenge than you'd expect.
Speaker B:Just because of what's not involved in the basics of this is a lot indeed, which we will get to.
Speaker B:So one of the things that we see a lot with people like you and people like us, especially when we're first, we've decided to make a change or we're deciding to get back on the wagon, as the phrase goes.
Speaker B:One of my favorite analogies relates to building a house.
Speaker B:So you build a house.
Speaker B:We all know where it should start, right?
Speaker B:It should start with the foundations.
Speaker B:Unfortunately, in the realm of weight loss, rather than establish the foundations, most of us go straight to, oh, well, what are the furnishings that are going in here?
Speaker B:They worry about the little 1 percenters, the little nitty gritty things, before they even get any sort of competence established at just the basics.
Speaker B:Okay, so what the hell are the basics?
Speaker B:Well, we will get there.
Speaker C:There's three.
Speaker B:Sneak preview.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Spoiler.
Speaker B:Whoa.
Speaker B:So we should probably start.
Speaker B:Courtney.
Speaker B:We can agree one size does not fit all correct.
Speaker B:When it comes to effective weight loss, when it comes to programming, when it comes to coaching people, especially for us, like, you can't have cookie cutter.
Speaker B:One size fits all approaches.
Speaker B:Because it's just not.
Speaker B:It's not realistic.
Speaker C:Absolutely not.
Speaker B:However, the real basics of weight loss are actually universal.
Speaker B:They will just look a bit different from person to person.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:So we should probably.
Speaker B:Courtney, first start by.
Speaker B:Let's just put it out there, what the basics don't involve.
Speaker B:Contrary to what a lot of people like us might think.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:So the basics do not involve calorie counting.
Speaker C:No, no macros counting.
Speaker B:Can you lose weight by calorie counting?
Speaker C:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker B:Can you lose weight by not calorie counting?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Also yes.
Speaker B:The basics don't revolve around bullshit like macros straight up.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker B:They don't revolve around gimmicks or junk like, what is the ideal fasting window?
Speaker B:Should I fast between 9 and 3 or 6 and 12, or just my brain is broken?
Speaker B:None of that crap.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:So the basics we're going to be laying out in this episode and the following two episodes are the things that we lay out for every single client we work with, have worked with, will work with.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Including who?
Speaker B:Ourselves.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:We adhere to these basics.
Speaker B:When you and I first met Courtney, you started on these basics.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Then it let you down.
Speaker B:Can we agree, Courtney, that there should be no time frame on how long it takes to establish these basics and get real competence and consistency with them?
Speaker C:Yeah, there's definitely no time frame.
Speaker C:It's also not something that is reserved just for people starting out.
Speaker C:These are things that we've spoken about on podcasts in the past, and we speak all the time about, which is, you're going to make mistakes.
Speaker C:We've all made mistakes.
Speaker C:I've made mistakes.
Speaker B:Part of being human.
Speaker C:I've spoken a lot in the past about how I will often get complacent and I lose consistency or I lose my way and I go backwards a bit.
Speaker C:You know, I might gain a few kilos.
Speaker C:I might let bad habits creep back into my life.
Speaker C:I'm not immune to those things ever happening.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And I don't think they'll.
Speaker C:Who is ever be out of my life.
Speaker C:It's just something that I'm just going to have to juggle and be aware of the rest of my life.
Speaker C:But these basics are what we always come back to, and that what we always say to clients and to anyone that we speak to is, if you lose your way, go back to the basics.
Speaker B:I'm glad you said that, because that is.
Speaker B:That is the advice we would give to someone if they've been working with us for a month or three years or four years if they fall down, which is what happens when you're human.
Speaker B:The first port of call, my friend, just go back to the basics.
Speaker C:To the basics.
Speaker C:We've done it.
Speaker C:I've done it.
Speaker C:When I've fallen down, I'll continue to do it, which is just.
Speaker C:I literally tell myself, all right, we're going back to basics.
Speaker B:Always go back to basics.
Speaker B:Because they establish the basics, establish a bottom line of quality, which to me means, well, you know what my worst is?
Speaker B:A consistent quality level of execution of just the basics and not much more.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:And the.
Speaker B:The exciting thing is when it comes to the basics of weight loss, if you get good at them, and I mean actually good and consistent and they are a sustainable thing, that will take you 95% of the way you want to go.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Which is why we say things.
Speaker B:And this is actually.
Speaker B:This is the crux of why we say things like, well, you actually can do this without having to break your brain through the mental gymnastics of bullshit like calorie counting.
Speaker B:Because if you get good at these basics, as you.
Speaker B:As any of our clients will discover and will attest to, you don't need to worry about that shit.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Now, as.
Speaker B:As you said, Courtney, and we both agreed, there's no, there's no time frame on how long this should take.
Speaker B:This will look different from person to person.
Speaker B:One person might take a couple of months to pick these up and get pretty good at them.
Speaker B:Great, well done.
Speaker B:The next person might take a couple of years.
Speaker B:Great, well done.
Speaker B:As long as we are striving towards them, we are taking steps in the right direction.
Speaker B:I think we can agree.
Speaker B:These basics, you ain't learning these in 28 days.
Speaker B:You'll know that.
Speaker B:You'll know the theory behind them.
Speaker B:I mean, hey, you're about to know in the next hour or so.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:But in terms of integrating these into your life, that can take time.
Speaker B:It took me a long time to get anywhere near decent at the fundamentals of this.
Speaker C:Yeah, I agree.
Speaker C:It took me a long time.
Speaker B:What's wrong with that?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Nothing.
Speaker B:Because the thing is, as you're learning, you're still improving.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Slow progress happens to still be progress.
Speaker B:So the question you might be thinking to yourself is, well, okay, how do I know when I've really established a level of consistency with these things?
Speaker B:We have an answer for you.
Speaker B:When it feels normal to you.
Speaker B:One of the phrases I use is when it feels like you're on autopilot.
Speaker B:I'll give a personal example.
Speaker B:I don't need to think anymore about, oh, I've got to go to the gym today.
Speaker B:I do it unconsciously.
Speaker B:It just happens.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's.
Speaker B:It's not like when.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:It was different when I was younger.
Speaker B:A lot different, because I had no consistency.
Speaker B:I'd go one time and then take a month off.
Speaker B:Now I don't even think.
Speaker B:I just do.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And that's why it takes a long time.
Speaker C:You know, when we talk about time and that's.
Speaker C:It's okay.
Speaker C:That it takes a long time because can you know, how do I know when I'm consistent?
Speaker C:Well, it's definitely not after you do it for a week or two weeks.
Speaker C:When, when things are up and when things are down and you do it anyway.
Speaker C:You don't have to like it, but you've done it.
Speaker C:That's when you know you're really, truly hitting a consistency.
Speaker B:Can we also just put out there why we have these three basics in place for ourselves and our clients?
Speaker B:Very, very simple explanation.
Speaker B:They fucking work.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Straight up.
Speaker B:Let, let's be clear.
Speaker B:Let's have a mission statement here.
Speaker B:Just give me the shit that works.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I don't want to have to do any more than I need to.
Speaker B:And this is something that we tell clients when they, when they will start with us.
Speaker B:One of our goals with our clients is to help them get the best possible result through the least amount of effort required to get it.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:It's not about doing more.
Speaker B:It's about doing just enough of the stuff that works.
Speaker B:And if that's all you need to get a result, carry on.
Speaker B:Yeah, you win.
Speaker B:Here's a trophy.
Speaker B:Just.
Speaker B:Just the shit that works, please.
Speaker C:Just the shit that works.
Speaker B:And it's why we only have three basics with ourselves and our clients.
Speaker B:Yet we work in an industry where more often than not we get into our heads and it is the fault of people like us.
Speaker B:I've got to.
Speaker B:I've got to fix all these things starting Monday.
Speaker B:I've got a hundred bad habits I need to fix and I've got to start fixing them all on Monday.
Speaker B:No, you don't.
Speaker C:No, you might have to change three of them and get your goal.
Speaker B:Well, here's the thing.
Speaker C:Beauty.
Speaker B:Well, here's the thing as well, though.
Speaker B:This is why these three basics are so effective.
Speaker B:Because getting good at these three basics help you in other areas.
Speaker B:They have flow on effects.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Into other areas, as we will explain.
Speaker B:So let's get in and let's start talking about the entire point of this particular episode.
Speaker B:Basic number one, consistent training.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:AKA consistent exercise, consistent movement.
Speaker B:So, okay, why.
Speaker B:Why is consistent training one of our fundamental three basics?
Speaker B:Well, how you train and what you do determines the type of weight that you lose and if and how your body shape improves.
Speaker B:Not all training methods are created equally.
Speaker C:Nope.
Speaker B:Not all training methods will give the same outcome.
Speaker C:Absolutely not.
Speaker B:If you were to say to me, I've got two people, one of them is going to predominantly strength train and the other one is going to do lots and lots and Lots of cardio.
Speaker B:Who do you think Matt will have a better body shape six months from now?
Speaker B:I already know the answer.
Speaker B:It's the person doing the strength training.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:I mean, the easiest thing to do really, to.
Speaker C:To highlight this point is to look at athletes of different sports and see the difference in their body shapes.
Speaker B:Generally speaking.
Speaker B:And I do emphasize the word generally because Courtney's here and she hates this, but generally, exercise for most people is the easiest place to start.
Speaker C:And I do agree with that.
Speaker C:It was for me, too.
Speaker C:It's where I started.
Speaker C:I didn't even look at what I was eating until I structured my exercise plan.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:More often than not, we're not going to again, as we said earlier in the episode, like, one size does not fit all.
Speaker B:But I'm now at 12 years of experience doing this.
Speaker B:You've been doing this for a long time yourself.
Speaker B:Now, Courtney, for most people, this is the easiest place to start.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Okay, we can agree on that.
Speaker B:Because you ask most people what do they need to do to lose weight, the first thing that comes out of their mouths is exercise or exercise more.
Speaker B:Yes, we'll start there.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:So generally speaking, it's normally the easiest place to start, but on top of that, you've got, like, known proven connections between regular exercise and improved mental health.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Now, I'll speak personally here.
Speaker B:If you ask me, mental health is physical health and physical health, health is mental health.
Speaker B:They go hand in hand.
Speaker B:They're the same thing.
Speaker B:They're on the same.
Speaker B:The same.
Speaker B:Like two branches of the same tree.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker B:One will help the other and vice versa.
Speaker B:I can speak to that personally.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:What exercise has done and what training has done for my mental health, like, in my personal opinion, with me Lifesaver, I have an outlet, a healthy, positive outlet where for me, if I were to get angry or feel negative or whatever, I can go and take it out on some poor, unsuspecting barbell or dumbbell and they never see it coming.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's wonderful.
Speaker B:So great for mental health.
Speaker B:Also another reason why it's one of our basics.
Speaker B:It's a relatively simple way to build confidence.
Speaker B:What's the best way to build confidence?
Speaker B:Action.
Speaker B:Doing something, Taking action upon a decision to change.
Speaker B:So, hey, you made a decision to change.
Speaker B:Great.
Speaker B:Let's get you taking action on that.
Speaker B:Let's get you in the gym, get you moving around a bit.
Speaker B:You feel a bit better because, like, hey, I'm getting some wins up now.
Speaker B:Yeah, I'm doing something I'm not Just sitting here thinking about it or wishing it or dreaming about it.
Speaker B:I'm doing it.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Fair.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Now, when it comes to consistent training, the cornerstone of consistent training, Courtney, is what?
Speaker C:Weight training, strength training, whichever you want to say.
Speaker B:It's all the same.
Speaker B:Structured, progressive strength training.
Speaker B:So when we look to establish this basic of training with ourselves and our clients, the first thing we do is look at, okay, what's the strength program they're going to be performing.
Speaker B:But then there's some accessories to that, isn't there?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So the accessories would be then cardio and then other forms of low intense activity.
Speaker B:Well, when you say cardio, you mean intense, intense cardio.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:So you're talking about getting your heart rate up pretty high.
Speaker B:Get the sweat happening.
Speaker C:Get the sweat happening.
Speaker B:Puffy and puffy.
Speaker C:And then you've got the lower end of cardio, which is your lower intense cardio.
Speaker C:So things like walking, hiking, general movement.
Speaker C:We call it movement.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker C:Gardening.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So they're the accessories to the cornerstone.
Speaker B:They all play a role.
Speaker B:Now, the thing is, the reason why we also say, and we use the strength training is the cornerstone is because that is universal and that is applied to everyone.
Speaker B:Every single person that comes to us to say, hey, Matney, you like that one?
Speaker B:Hey, Matni, I would like you fine folks to help me achieve A, B and C, which tends to revolve around losing weight, getting, improving body shape and health and whatnot.
Speaker B:Okay, cool.
Speaker B:No matter who it is, we're going to start with strength training cornerstone.
Speaker B:We have the cardio as accessories because that can be different from person to person.
Speaker B:Everyone's doing the strength training.
Speaker B:Non negotiable.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:Now, how do we build this basic?
Speaker B:Let's move on.
Speaker B:So what we've done, Courtney, because she's so well organized, has created a nice easy little process for us to follow here.
Speaker B:Three parts to build a basic, create, execute, assess.
Speaker B:So, Courtney, how do we create the basic of consistent training?
Speaker C:Well, it starts with establishing the training program or plan.
Speaker C:So you want to establish something that you can follow.
Speaker C:Follow.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker C:I'm just trying to think of my word.
Speaker B:Look, it's been a big day.
Speaker B:I understand.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So you're basically establishing your exercise plan, but you're establishing in a way that not only are you establishing a plan of what you're going to do on those day for that training session, but when is it going to fall in your wake.
Speaker C:So there's sort of twofold to it.
Speaker C:So what, what strength training am I doing?
Speaker C:What exercises am I doing?
Speaker C:Maybe what accessories I'm doing.
Speaker B:Maybe you could keep it simple and just go.
Speaker B:When it comes to establishing a training plan, what am I going to do and when?
Speaker C:Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm saying.
Speaker C:Just a really long way of saying it.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:This is why we're a team.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:What am I going to do and when?
Speaker B:Especially if you're building this by yourself, you don't even need to get too caught up in how do I.
Speaker B:How do I structure this.
Speaker B:Just look, this is part of what we talk about with learning to show up.
Speaker B:What are you going to do and when?
Speaker B:So in any given week, what are you going to do and what days are you going to do it and how's it going to fall in around work life, responsibilities, kids, social life, whatever.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:What are you going to do and when?
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker C:Because remember that we're not just winging it with the Instagram workout of the day.
Speaker B:Indeed.
Speaker B:So that is how it is when it comes to creating the basic.
Speaker B:What am I going to do and when?
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:How do I execute the basic?
Speaker C:Courtney, we're going to build the routine around the plan that you've just created.
Speaker B:Best way to build the routine, do it and see what happens.
Speaker C:Just do it.
Speaker C:But I think it's really important, again, to remember the word consistency.
Speaker C:We're not changing things willy nilly here.
Speaker C:We've created a plan.
Speaker C:We're implementing the plan.
Speaker B:Perfect word.
Speaker B:Implement.
Speaker B:Do we.
Speaker B:Do we bring out one of my favorite sayings here?
Speaker B:Pick and stick.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Pick and stick.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:So we've created the plan.
Speaker C:We are now building a routine around the plan.
Speaker B:Around implementing the plan.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:So I'm now going to.
Speaker B:To roll this plan out and just try it on for size.
Speaker C:Put it into action.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker C:Don't stand there thinking, will it work?
Speaker C:Won't it work?
Speaker C:I'm not sure.
Speaker C:Maybe I'll change this.
Speaker B:What if I've got it wrong?
Speaker C:Create the plan and put it into action.
Speaker C:I can't really make it more simple than that.
Speaker B:Nah.
Speaker B:Okay, how do we assess this?
Speaker C:Assessing the plan or.
Speaker C:Or assessing the.
Speaker C:Sorry, the.
Speaker C:The routine really comes down to asking a couple of questions.
Speaker C:One of them being one of the biggest ones being, is this sustainable?
Speaker B:That in my opinion, that's the biggest one.
Speaker C:So is what I'm doing working?
Speaker C:Is it sustainable?
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:So it's not working.
Speaker C:When I say, is it working?
Speaker C:It's not.
Speaker C:Have I lost weight?
Speaker C:How much muscle have I built, you know, in this time frame?
Speaker C:No, when I say, is it working?
Speaker C:Are you doing it?
Speaker C:Are you able to stick to the plan?
Speaker C:Are you able to get the training in?
Speaker C:Is it happening on the days that you planned to do it?
Speaker C:Is it not?
Speaker C:These are the sort of things that are coming up.
Speaker C:When I'm saying, is the routine sustainable?
Speaker B:Well, that's what it's got to be.
Speaker B:I mean, the golden rule when it comes to an effective training program that can be rolled out consistently.
Speaker B:Is this the best program, is the one you can stick to?
Speaker B:And that's what it comes down to when we talk about, is it sustainable?
Speaker B:Can you stick to this?
Speaker C:Then I think one of the biggest questions that then come up with this, they'll say, oh, that's all well and good to ask myself that question, but how far in do I ask myself the question?
Speaker C:When am I assessing, of course, the.
Speaker B:Question of, well, when, when do I know this is sustainable?
Speaker B:I think generally speaking, you'll probably get a good idea within a few weeks to a month.
Speaker B:Because generally in life, especially you know, when you're an adult, and as we know, adulting can be hard from time to time, a month is normally a pretty good time frame to get all the, all the ups and downs of life packed into a, into a period of time.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And the curveballs that tend to happen from time to time.
Speaker C:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker B:So you'll know within, I personally would say three to four weeks, like, oh, you know what, for the most part, I can pretty much stick to this.
Speaker C:Yeah, you're not going to be perfect.
Speaker C:There's all not asking for perfection.
Speaker B:We're talking about consistent training here, not perfect training.
Speaker B:Yes, and the thing is, understanding as well, consistency does allow you to handle and be flexible when shit happens.
Speaker B:So over the course of a good month, no doubt shit will happen.
Speaker B:But that's also part of you assessing the sustainability of this.
Speaker B:Despite shit happening in my life or the occasional curveball or whatever, can I still make this happen more often than not?
Speaker B:If the answer is yes, please continue and then assess it over a longer term period of time.
Speaker B:If the answer is no, what now?
Speaker B:Yes, what do I do now?
Speaker B:We modify.
Speaker B:Okay, I think this isn't sustainable because it clashes with something with work or family.
Speaker B:Okay, shift it around.
Speaker B:If, for example, you might go, well, I've started my plan by aiming to get my, my training sessions in just before dinner.
Speaker B:But you know what, it kind of makes the rest of the evening hard because of my responsibilities with the kids, for example.
Speaker B:Okay, if you think that's not going to be a long term solution for you, you might go, well, what happens if I go in the morning instead?
Speaker B:Go try that on for sizes and go.
Speaker B:And then do it again.
Speaker B:Create, execute, assess.
Speaker B:The thing is, with create, execute, Assess, there's no right or wrong on how many times you've got to go back to try things out, to see what works for you.
Speaker B:Because this is the exact same thing we do with our clients.
Speaker B:We give them the overall structure.
Speaker B:Here's what we want you to do, here's the plan.
Speaker B:We want you to go and roll this out in accordance with your own life and schedule and responsibilities because you know what you have to do and when.
Speaker B:But we want our clients to then give us feedback what works, what doesn't.
Speaker B:Okay, cool.
Speaker B:If we've given you a plan that you know you can sustain, then let's just roll this out and see where we go.
Speaker B:If you know it doesn't work for reasons A, B and C. Cool.
Speaker B:Let's adjust a few things.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Then we'll go through the process again.
Speaker B:Just rinse and repeat.
Speaker B:And if, if, if someone use the phrase gets it right, so to speak, the first time, quite great.
Speaker B:If someone needs four or five go arounds to get this into a sustainable routine for them, great.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:Don't matter how long it takes.
Speaker C:No, it doesn't matter.
Speaker C:It's the same thing if you're re, if you're going back to basics after doing this for a long time because you know you've made some mistakes or it's not working for you anymore.
Speaker C:These fundamentals are still coming into play.
Speaker C:It's no different that if you change a job and your work hours change so suddenly your training hours have to change.
Speaker B:Well said.
Speaker C:You have to develop a new routine.
Speaker C:So these are always going to come back at some point in your life and they're going to be just as important as they are if it's your day one of weight training.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker C:It's happened to me at the moment.
Speaker C:I've gone through this.
Speaker C:I'm going through this at the moment.
Speaker C:So I've started playing nipple on a Monday night with my brothers mixed indoor team.
Speaker C:Mondays were my leg day for as long as I can remember.
Speaker C:Mondays have been my leg day.
Speaker B:Maybe since you and I first met.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Mondays have been like always been leg day.
Speaker C:Very rarely would I not do it on the leg day on Monday.
Speaker C:Sorry, On a Monday.
Speaker C:It would just be if I'm traveling or if something happens, happens it.
Speaker C:Otherwise it's a leg day.
Speaker C:I can't do leg day on a day that I'm also playing a netball game.
Speaker B:Probably not, no.
Speaker C:International people may not know what netball is, but it's a very popular sport here for young girls.
Speaker C:I've had to change then my exercise routine throughout the week because now playing netball on a Monday is.
Speaker C:That's a high activity.
Speaker C:That's a.
Speaker C:A high energy cardio session for me.
Speaker B:High intensity.
Speaker C:Yeah, it's the word.
Speaker C:So now the rest of my structure of my week has changed and I'm still finding my feet as to where I want to put things.
Speaker C:So I'm a couple of weeks in now and now I think I've.
Speaker C:I've decided I like my week.
Speaker C:This is probably week four for me now because at the same time I decided to change up my weight training schedule.
Speaker C:So I thought, same thing like here, like, you know what I'm going to recreate and look at the whole thing, I'm going to assess the whole thing.
Speaker C:If I'm changing one thing, let's look at everything.
Speaker C:And then I decided to create new exercise program.
Speaker B:So what's leg day now?
Speaker C:Leg day is Tuesday, but the, the assessment said to me I've gone back to three weight training days instead of four.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker C:So it just worked better when I was assessing my week and the sustainability of it at the moment.
Speaker C:Other things I've got going on with netball with increasing then an extra cardio.
Speaker B:Day, but also I think probably being mindful of recovery.
Speaker C:Recovery was a massive one.
Speaker C:So obviously adding in a sport that I haven't played in many years, that.
Speaker B:Can be pretty demanding.
Speaker C:And it's, it's, you know, it's a level one sport.
Speaker C:So running, jumping, stopping on a dime.
Speaker B:What do you mean?
Speaker C:A level one sport so is involves a lot of movement, a lot of dynamic movement.
Speaker C:So running, jumping, changing direction quickly, stopping quickly, a lot of force and pressure through the joint knees, through ankles, hips, feet, hips.
Speaker C:So these sort of things are pulling up quite sore.
Speaker C:And it was taking me three to four days to recover now.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Because I'm new to the sport again, it's going to take my body some time to adapt.
Speaker C:So all of these things factor in.
Speaker C:But in terms of recovery, also going down to three weight training sessions instead of four, I assessed was the more sustainable process for me for this program.
Speaker C:So I changed my weight training program, I changed the days I was doing my program, I implemented it and I'm three weeks in now and I've decided on it and I like it.
Speaker B:You know, I'm glad, I'm glad you brought this up because I did the exact same thing.
Speaker B:I, I changed my own schedule around for my weight training days because I have for a little while now taken up martial arts.
Speaker B:And I find it most enjoyable.
Speaker B:A different, A different outlet, a different way to sort of translate my, My physical skills and ability.
Speaker B:And any challenge now there can definitely, as I'm learning, there can definitely be some pretty intense sessions when it comes to the training that we do.
Speaker B:So I did something similar to Courtney where I actually reduced the amount of days I'm in the gym doing strength training just to.
Speaker B:Just to help with increased recovery.
Speaker B:So wasn't the risk of overtraining.
Speaker B:And I then went and also shuffled around my days.
Speaker B:So for me, for the longest time, my leg day was actually Wednesday.
Speaker B:Now it's the weekend.
Speaker B:I've put it at the weekend because it's the furthest distance away from my martial arts classes where I do a lot of leg work, a lot of kicks, a lot of up and down off the floor.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:And I didn't.
Speaker B:I, I noticed when I, like previously I wasn't recovering in time.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:Because I had the.
Speaker B:I'm a pretty big guy.
Speaker B:I'm a pretty strong, strong guy.
Speaker B:For me, leg day is a pretty high load.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Day I wasn't recovering in time.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:You know, actually, my previous program, my leg days were Wednesday and Sundays.
Speaker B:So I did two leg days in my previous program.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:This is it.
Speaker B:I just couldn't recover in time.
Speaker B:So I, I knocked it back to one day of legs a week, which will be usually a Saturday or a Sunday.
Speaker B:Generally a Saturday.
Speaker B:And now I've only been on this new program now for.
Speaker B:I'll be going to three weeks this week coming.
Speaker B:And already I can tell.
Speaker B:Big difference.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So same thing as what we've been talking about here.
Speaker B:Create, execute, assess.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And even now for Courtney and I, we're at pretty high levels when it comes to this.
Speaker B:We've done it the exact same way, laid out here.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:And just the basics.
Speaker C:And I'm going to assess again in another three weeks because I still haven't ruled out switching my leg date to Wednesday instead of Tuesday just to give myself that extra day.
Speaker B:That extra 24 hours can make a difference.
Speaker C:It can make a difference.
Speaker B:Big time difference.
Speaker C:So for me, it doesn't just stop now because I'm three weeks in and I'm happy at the moment with where it's at.
Speaker C:I'm still going to monitor it and assess again in another three weeks.
Speaker C:So then that'll be a good data pool to pull from And I can really see how my body's adjusting.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:But you can see that just because we're saying it, building the basics, this doesn't just apply to you if you've already started.
Speaker C:These fundamentals will apply to you all the way throughout.
Speaker C:Because as I mentioned at the start of the episode, stuff can happen in your life.
Speaker C:You know, you could switch your work hours and your routine has to switch or, you know, you could pick up a new sport or a new activity, like Matt and I have done, and then your routine needs to switch.
Speaker C:So always, you know, when we talk about building the basics, we always think, think to ourselves, oh, well, this, you might think this is just for people that are starting out.
Speaker C:It's not, is for everyone, no matter.
Speaker B:What level you're at.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Because you are going to need to do this, guaranteed at some stage.
Speaker B:And also in addition to that, like, obvious, obviously goes without saying, these are non negotiable essentials for beginners, but they're non negotiable essentials because as you get more advanced, these are what you rely on.
Speaker B:They're always what you can fall back on.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:And we've given some personal examples here.
Speaker B:We're even doing it now.
Speaker B:Like, I've been training for a very, very, very long time, consistently a long time.
Speaker B:Still just the basics.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Damn good at them.
Speaker C:And so to reiterate, when we're at that assessed part, remember we've said like, if, if it's working, don't change it.
Speaker B:So if it ain't broken, if you've.
Speaker C:Asked yourself the question is, is this routine sustainable?
Speaker C:If the answer's yes, keep going, don't touch it, keep going.
Speaker C:And then if you want to reassess in X amount of weeks, do that like I'm doing.
Speaker C:I will reassess in three weeks because I'm fairly comfortable.
Speaker C:But there is just that little question in my mind about potentially making another change.
Speaker B:Well, the thing is, it's probably a good thing to maybe sort of regularly assess because it means you also open and looking for, well, could, could this be improved?
Speaker C:Could it be better?
Speaker B:Could this be better?
Speaker C:Because for right now, for my body's feeling good and I'm happy with it, but it doesn't mean that there isn't room for improvement.
Speaker C:But it's that fine line.
Speaker C:That's why assessing things over time is so important because again, like Matt said at the start of the episode, we don't want to make changes for the sake of making changes.
Speaker C:We don't want to change everything when we could have just changed one thing.
Speaker C:So we want to try to get away with the least amount as possible.
Speaker C:So that's why we don't want to just jump headfirst into constantly making changes.
Speaker C:We want to assess and really think about how that this is working.
Speaker C:But if you ask yourself that sustainability question and the answer is no, like we've just given our examples, we modify.
Speaker C:You modify the program slightly, again, emphasis on the word slightly.
Speaker C:Make one or two changes and then you go on and then you reassess.
Speaker B:I think as well, the, the one or two changes that you look to make are the things that clearly feel the most unsustainable.
Speaker C:Yes, yes.
Speaker C:There's always those.
Speaker B:The lowest hanging.
Speaker B:Lowest hanging fruit.
Speaker C:There's always something when people say, oh, the whole thing's stuffed.
Speaker C:Wrong.
Speaker B:No, no, no, no, no.
Speaker B:You got to go deeper than that.
Speaker C:It's wrong.
Speaker C:Yeah, the whole thing isn't stuffed.
Speaker C:So if you really sat down and thought about it and looked at objectively, you would be able to see that there's usually always one or two things that really need a change.
Speaker C:And then the rest of them are just maybes, see how it goes.
Speaker C:And those are the things you want to focus on first.
Speaker B:I think as well, this also illustrates the need for big picture thinking.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:And long term mindsets.
Speaker C:And really the ability, when you're talking about big picture thinking, the ability to step back and really have an objective look on it.
Speaker C:We can often, all of us are guilty of this.
Speaker C:I'm guilty of this, of getting caught up in the mo.
Speaker C:In emotion of things.
Speaker C:Especially when we're trying out new things.
Speaker B:The emotion good.
Speaker C:We want to be good at something, we want it to happen quickly.
Speaker C:These sort of emotions can come into it.
Speaker C:So we really want to be big picture thinking, but we want to be doing it objectively.
Speaker C:So we want to be stepping back and really thinking about things from a calm mindset, almost even thinking about, if this was somebody else's plan, what recommendations would you give them?
Speaker C:Because as we all know as human beings, we can all give advice to others way better than we can take it out.
Speaker B:We're all gold medalists at giving advice and dead effing last at taking it.
Speaker C:So almost even think about it as if this was your best friend or your mother or your father or your daughter, whoever.
Speaker C:If this was their problem and you were helping solve it, what advice would you give them?
Speaker C:Trying to take that step back and look at what you're doing objectively is really important.
Speaker B:There's.
Speaker B:There's Definitely a need with.
Speaker B:With these basics, though.
Speaker B:And we'll probably mention this in, in all three episodes, Courtney, the need for adaptability.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:And the need for flexibility.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And being able to sort of accept it for what it is.
Speaker B:Like, hey, if this.
Speaker B:If I'm building this basic and it didn't quite work the first time.
Speaker B:No, the sky's not falling.
Speaker B:No, it's not off.
Speaker B:Just make a few tweaks and go again.
Speaker C:It's funny.
Speaker C:I've also often thought about how funny it is to me, and I would have been like this back 10 years ago, too, where we all, when we're getting into this, we all want.
Speaker C:We're all attracted to the idea that, oh, great, I'm not going crazy because I've tried all these other diets and all these other things and they haven't worked.
Speaker C:So when someone says, like in this situation where we're saying one size doesn't fit all, there's no such plan that is going to fit every single person, we all breathe a sigh of relief thinking, oh, I'm not crazy.
Speaker C:Great.
Speaker C:That's the plan I want.
Speaker C:The one that doesn't fit everyone.
Speaker C:The one that's, you know, changes for person to person to suit them and their goals.
Speaker C:But then as soon as something happens or it doesn't go to plan, we all have a tendency to want to throw our hands in the air and say, oh, well, the whole thing's stuffed.
Speaker C:Because it didn't work.
Speaker C:Because now I've got to change something.
Speaker C:Now I've got to adapt.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Because that's part of what you wanted in the first place.
Speaker B:Isn't that a sign of emotional immaturity?
Speaker C:And I would have been like that 10 years ago, too.
Speaker C:That's part of what I find funny because I know that I probably felt that at the time of, oh, God, can't you just tell me what to do and I'll do it?
Speaker C:But that's not what we wanted in the first place, isn't it?
Speaker C:So sometimes need to be reminded of that.
Speaker B:It's not as simple as that.
Speaker B:Just tell me what to do and I'll do it.
Speaker B:Because what.
Speaker B:What will work for one won't necessarily work for the other.
Speaker B:Like, you can.
Speaker B:You can have a group of 20 people and say, okay, hands up who prefers AM workouts.
Speaker B:Hands up who prefers PM workouts might get a 50, 50 split.
Speaker B:Who's right, who's wrong?
Speaker B:As always, the best program is the one you can stick to.
Speaker C:Oh, I know people that refuse to work out on Sundays.
Speaker B:Fine.
Speaker C:That's fine.
Speaker C:You know.
Speaker C:You know, there's always people that have certain things.
Speaker B:Well, to me, that's just effective boundary setting, which is a good thing that.
Speaker C:They want to add into this, into their week and into their schedule.
Speaker C:And that's completely fine.
Speaker C:But, you know, you've got to be able to go through this process.
Speaker C:You've got to be able to create, execute and assess.
Speaker C:And then that's really what it comes down to.
Speaker C:And we're trying, you know, to keep these as literally as basic as possible and as simple as possible.
Speaker B:That's the key, is to keep it as simple as possible.
Speaker B:Which is also why, though, we.
Speaker B:We've broken down the basics of weight loss to three fundamentals, not the 50 or 100 things you think you need to do at once.
Speaker B:Three.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because as well, to be fair, I should say getting good at these three basics.
Speaker B:Easier said than done.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Takes time, takes focus, takes a bit of discipline, and takes the ability over time to know how to block the noise.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Because with this as well, you're not just creating the routine of going to the gym.
Speaker C:You may never have lifted weights in your life.
Speaker C:So then you're also learning a new.
Speaker B:Skill, a number of new skills.
Speaker C:So you're learning a new skill.
Speaker C:You might have done weight training, but you've never done it in a structured way.
Speaker B:And, well, there's.
Speaker B:There's weight training, then there's weight training.
Speaker C:You may not have ever done it properly.
Speaker C:I never did it properly.
Speaker C:I never did it at all.
Speaker C:So I had to learn a whole new skill set of skills.
Speaker C:And even then, once you start, you're constantly learning because you're often, if you've never done it before, like me, you're doing bodyweight squats.
Speaker C:And then I had to learn how to do squats with a bar on my back.
Speaker B:Well, how to hold the bar in place to begin with, you know, how to slip it off.
Speaker C:And then I had to, you know, learn something else.
Speaker C:I had to learn how to do an exercise that was very, very basic and simple for a beginner.
Speaker C:And then as I got good at it, I had to learn the next stage up.
Speaker C:The next stage up.
Speaker C:Stage up, yeah.
Speaker C:So you're constantly learning and adapting as you go.
Speaker B:Wasn't that also part of having that.
Speaker B:That big picture mindset that it's just not like, oh, well, once I've got it down, once I'm set forever?
Speaker B:No, no, no, not at all.
Speaker B:The benefit of building this create, execute, assess model is that you can roll it out no matter what level you're at.
Speaker C:I think it's also good because it takes.
Speaker C:For me, having a model like this takes the pressure off.
Speaker C:Takes the pressure off having to know it right now.
Speaker C:Has to take the pressure off having to.
Speaker C:To fix it right now.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:And it can be applied in so many different areas.
Speaker C:You can even apply it to learning the new skill of actually lifting the weight.
Speaker C:So if you think about, okay, now I've got the program and the plan set, and now I'm executing, I'm building the routine, I'm also learning, potentially learning the exercises.
Speaker C:So even within that, you know, I would tell myself, when I'm learning a new exercise, just do it and then we'll assess it.
Speaker C:Just do it, then we'll assess it.
Speaker C:Just do it, then we'll assess it.
Speaker C:So it's taking the pressure off for me in my brain to have to know it and to do it right now.
Speaker B:That reminds me of a particular favorite saying of mine.
Speaker B:Ready, fire, aim.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:I think we'll wrap it up by just reiterating that basic, number one, consistent training.
Speaker C:Consistent training.
Speaker B:Learning how to get to the gym or learning how to get to wherever you're going to be doing your exercise, learning how to get there on a.
Speaker C:Consistent fashion, and then doing the exercises consistently.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:So it's not just getting there, you're also doing it well, obviously, as planned, consistently, and you're getting better at it as a result.
Speaker B:I mean, the first skills, the skill of showing up.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Above all else.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:What is the second basic of weight loss?
Speaker C:Meal planning and preparation.
Speaker B:Indeed.
Speaker B:Food.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:So let's.
Speaker B:Let's start with a fact, a cold, hard fact.
Speaker B:Our food choices reflect proximity.
Speaker B:If it is nearby and it's easy to get to, you will what?
Speaker C:Eat it?
Speaker B:Yeah, you'll eat it.
Speaker B:So we did an episode a little while ago, Courtney, a couple of seasons ago, about the rule of proximity.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:The rule of proximity exists for a reason.
Speaker B:It is.
Speaker B:It currently holds a lifetime undefeated record.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:And will probably continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Speaker B:We won't get too much further into the rule of proximity.
Speaker B:Just go find our previous episode on it and have a listen.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:Hey, just ask us.
Speaker B:It's good stuff.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So the fact is food choices reflect proximity.
Speaker B:Also a fact.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Making good choices daily is pretty damn important when it comes to a weight loss goal.
Speaker B:We can agree on that.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Yet more important than that is actually starting this whole process by creating an environment where better choices will Be consistently available when you need them.
Speaker B:That's how, in a brief nutshell, you make the rule of proximity work in your favor.
Speaker B:You create an environment where you can make better choices more consistently.
Speaker B:Okay?
Speaker B:So, yeah, dive into that episode.
Speaker B:Really good.
Speaker B:Now, common mistakes that we see, Courtney, with people around meal planning and preparation, with the things that they focus on before they look at the actual basics.
Speaker B:So we look at it as micro versus macro.
Speaker B:So the macro, the big picture view is, hey, we need to develop basic fundamental skills of planning and preparing our own food consistently.
Speaker B:Yet how often a question's asked like, oh, do you think I'm having too much milk in my coffee?
Speaker C:Yeah, I love that one because I've thought it back in the early days, that would have definitely been one that I would have done.
Speaker C:There's another one that's very common.
Speaker C:Am I having too many carbs or not enough carbs?
Speaker C:Usually in the beginning, it's too many carbs.
Speaker B:Should I cut them?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Should I cut my carbs, Courtney.
Speaker B:Or a question like, am I allowed to go out and have dinner?
Speaker B:Can I go out and hang out with my friends?
Speaker B:Can I.
Speaker B:Can I still eat out on your plan?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Can I have ice cream, which is a good one, or other.
Speaker C:Just treats or.
Speaker C:Or desserts in general?
Speaker B:Am I allowed to do that?
Speaker B:Oh, do I have to give up this, that, or the other?
Speaker B:Do I have to give up my favorite burger or my favorite chocolate?
Speaker C:What supplement should I take.
Speaker B:That is such a common one?
Speaker B:Like, hey, what supplements do you guys recommend for?
Speaker B:Just for.
Speaker B:For pre workouts.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:How good are you at meal prep?
Speaker B:What's that?
Speaker C:I haven't started yet, so.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker B:Very often, very often I'll see people that will ask questions about supplements, yet they're still spending hundreds of dollars a week on junk food, chocolate, alcohol, etc, like mate supplements.
Speaker B:Like, get that out of here.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Also questions like micro focus questions like, well, exactly how much protein should I be having?
Speaker B:What about carbs?
Speaker B:Like, what.
Speaker B:What ratio should I be aiming for?
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Do you meal prep?
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:Great.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:The other one I tend to find comes up a lot is how many.
Speaker C:How many meals should I be having?
Speaker B:Hey, today two of my program, how much should I be eating?
Speaker B:And then which is often followed by, do you think I'm overeating?
Speaker B:Do you think I'm eating too much?
Speaker B:Except all these questions and scenarios often come up before someone has even developed a regular weekly habit of preparing their own meals consistently.
Speaker B:It's putting the cart before the horse.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:It's focusing on these little, like, 1% of questions when we haven't even looked at the whole.
Speaker B:The 95 stuff, which is what this basic is all about.
Speaker B:So what we're gonna do is we're gonna run through this similar format to what the great format that you created, Courtney, in our.
Speaker B:In our part one about creating, executing, and assessing.
Speaker B:So how to actually take this concept and turn it into something doable?
Speaker B:Because, hey, it's one thing to talk.
Speaker B:It's not a thing for us to actually help.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So we'll start with the first.
Speaker B:The first part of creating this basic, and it starts with the environment for success.
Speaker B:Something I like to say to people is, it's time for you to reintroduce yourself to your kitchen.
Speaker B:So we call it creating the environment for success, because that's actually where it starts, is having the environment where you can create better choices to have on hand consistently.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Now, we actually did an episode a little while ago, Courtney, a couple of years ago, called our kitchen, where we.
Speaker B:If you recall, we spoke about what we've got in our own kitchen.
Speaker B:All the tools, the containers.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:The organization that we have something we could recommend.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:I'd say listen to what we do and develop your own.
Speaker B:Your own sort of setup from there.
Speaker B:But when it comes to creating this environment, we have an official name for it with our clients, and it's called the Kitchen makeover.
Speaker B:Let's give our kitchen a bit of a redo, a bit of a refresh.
Speaker B:So how do we do this?
Speaker B:Simply put, there are three steps.
Speaker B:Step one, purge the fridge.
Speaker B:Step two, pillage the pantry.
Speaker B:Step three, and replace with tasty choices that align with your goals.
Speaker B:That's the first part of creating this.
Speaker B:The second part, though, revolves around replacing with those actual tasty choices.
Speaker B:How do we actually do this?
Speaker C:Yes, I mean, I think that goes into the next.
Speaker C:The next create point, which is to establish a plan for what you want to eat over a certain time period.
Speaker B:And there's no right or wrong there.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:I think this is a really big one to point out, because I think a lot of people, they see.
Speaker C:We.
Speaker C:We see a lot of things that other people do.
Speaker C:We get inspiration from other people, which is fantastic.
Speaker C:But there's no right or wrong when it comes to how often you meal prep or you cook your food.
Speaker B:The only wrong is not doing it from there.
Speaker B:It's all.
Speaker B:It's all different forms of right.
Speaker C:So you might plan, you know, to do your meal preparation or your cooking or your chopping, whatever.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:You might plan to do that every day, and that might work in with your life.
Speaker C:For a lot of people, it doesn't.
Speaker C:You know, to do that every day takes too much time, too much energy.
Speaker C:More likely to miss doing that.
Speaker C:But again, completely up to you.
Speaker C:Some people do it every two days, some people do it once, once a week.
Speaker C:Some people will do it once every two weeks, and they freeze their meals and store them, and then they will work from there.
Speaker C:There's a lot of different ways you can do it.
Speaker C:It's about finding the way that's going to be right for you.
Speaker C:And when I say it's going to be right for you, it's something that you can sustain.
Speaker C:That's the most important thing, that you can sustain it.
Speaker C:I couldn't sustain doing meal preparation every day.
Speaker B:I personally just wouldn't want to because I have no interest in being in.
Speaker C:The kitchen every day, however that would work.
Speaker C:I'm sure there's somebody listening that says, I do it every day and it's fine.
Speaker B:Then stick with it.
Speaker C:Great.
Speaker B:Crack on.
Speaker C:Yeah, There is nothing wrong with it.
Speaker C:We've had clients that meal prepped every two weeks and they were more than happy.
Speaker C:A big, you know, freezer.
Speaker C:More than happy to divvy up their meals.
Speaker C:They froze them great.
Speaker C:They were happy as Larry.
Speaker C:I again, couldn't do that because I personally don't love to freeze my meals.
Speaker B:Well, also, we can't.
Speaker B:We haven't got the stories for that.
Speaker C:We don't have the stories.
Speaker C:But even then, we have froze.
Speaker C:I've frozen meals in the past, and I just don't.
Speaker C:I just don't like to do it that way.
Speaker C:It just doesn't work for me.
Speaker C:So finding a way that does work for you and that is sustainable is the most important thing, not comparing yourself to somebody else who's doing it a different way.
Speaker B:That is a scenario I see.
Speaker B:Come up a bit with.
Speaker B:With our own clients.
Speaker B:So for you listening, Courtney and I have a secret Facebook group.
Speaker B:Like we have our regular Facebook group, the weight loss podcast, which you should find@facebook.com if you haven't already.
Speaker B:We have a secret Facebook group that is only for coaches and clients.
Speaker B:No one knows it exists unless we either you or me invite them in there.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:An issue that comes up a bit in the group is that there's.
Speaker B:It's a wonderful thing because of the support network, which we'll touch on the next.
Speaker B:Next part of this series.
Speaker B:But we need to have a support network.
Speaker B:We need.
Speaker B:It's good to be able to see what others are doing that are on a, on a similar path and they're like minded.
Speaker B:However, there's in the, in our secret group, there are so many different levels of experience with clients.
Speaker B:So there's clients in there that have just been in there for the last month and they're brand spanking new.
Speaker B:Then there's clients who've been there for three years.
Speaker B:A dangerous thing can be if a, if a newbie client goes in and doesn't understand the context.
Speaker B:So they'll see a client putting up their food prep photos and it's like, holy.
Speaker B:They're preparing for the entire week and their bench is just decorated in pre packed meal containers and they've made up six different recipes for themselves and oh my God, how they do all that and how they do it all so quickly.
Speaker B:Oh, do I need to do that right now?
Speaker B:No, no, no, no.
Speaker B:As Courtney touched on so well, there is no right or wrong way to do this apart from not doing it.
Speaker B:And it will look different from person to person.
Speaker B:You don't fit the person to the plan.
Speaker B:You fit the plan to the person.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:So whether it's prepping for one day or two days or the entire week or two weeks, whatever works for you.
Speaker B:And as Courtney said so well, the lens of sustainability comes over this.
Speaker B:If you are, if you have a method of preparing and planning where you know, hey, I can sustain this and don't change.
Speaker C:No, don't change at all.
Speaker B:For, for reference, we do ours two times a week on average.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Usually.
Speaker B:Usually midweek and weekend.
Speaker B:Yes, it works for us.
Speaker B:And it helps you in particular, Courtney, because you're a bit more of a fussy eater compared to myself.
Speaker B:It gives you the ability to add that extra variety, you know, in.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:You know, so it works.
Speaker B:So we don't go away from that.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:And I think.
Speaker C:Yeah, I think you sum that up really well.
Speaker C:The final create here, the part of create is to create a plan of attack for your grocery shopping.
Speaker C:So this would include a shopping list, which would be.
Speaker C:The obvious thing you would think of was.
Speaker C:Oh yeah, you mean making a shopping list.
Speaker C:Yes, we mean making a shopping list.
Speaker C:Seems obvious.
Speaker C:It absolutely has a point to it.
Speaker C:The other thing though.
Speaker B:Well, it means you're not relying on memory.
Speaker C:You're not relying on memory.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:You are going to forget things.
Speaker C:There's nothing more annoying and life sucking than going to do all of your grocery shopping and then getting home and realizing you forgot something and having to go back.
Speaker B:It could happen from time to time and it does bring about rage.
Speaker C:There's a rage, There's a rage that comes over me when that happened.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:So making sure you have a shopping list, it's also great for when you're in the supermarket because you're not then tempted just to buy things that you don't need.
Speaker C:And this is how we get back to having to like purge and pillage our fridge and our pantry because often it's filled with shit that we don't need because it was on sale or because we thought that we might have friends over so we bought bags of chips just in case or, you know, this sort of stuff.
Speaker C:If you stick to a shopping list and you buy just what is needed for the recipes that you've planned, you are less likely to wander down aisles that you don't need to be going down.
Speaker B:There's a difference, isn't there, between going, going to the supermarket with an actual plan of attack, knowing, okay, I'm here to get this list versus wandering aisle to aisle and picking whatever grabs your fancy.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:It's very different.
Speaker C:I think as well though, the second part to this is not just planning your shopping list, but it's also planning where you're going.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker C:I know for us, when we do our big shopping trip for, for the week, we would tend to go to a minimum of two different grocery stores or supermarkets.
Speaker C:So we do that because we know, and we've learned over time that we can get a better deal on certain grocery items by splitting it over these two different.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Grocery store chains.
Speaker B:Ultimately, it lowers our, it lowers our grocery bill.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And you know, know we're, we're human like everyone else.
Speaker B:Like we're chasing the bargains.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, like, hey, we, yes, we're investing in our health and this whole thing's an investment, but it doesn't mean you want to just go throw money willy nilly.
Speaker B:Like money saved is money earned.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So there's, and you know, I know some people that will go to three or four different places in a week because they'll stock up on things that they can, you know, put in the freezer.
Speaker C:They might go to a wholesale butcher, they might go to a fruit and veg market.
Speaker C:They might go, you know, to a, a regular grocery store just to get their herbs and spices and whatnot.
Speaker B:So I'm glad you mentioned that, Courtney.
Speaker B:Before long before you and I met, my personal shopping attack used to be fruit and veg market, specialist butcher, supermarket, you know, so it was three different places.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So there's no Right or wrong there as well.
Speaker B:It's, it's as you said, so.
Speaker B:Well, like where are you going to go and where can you go to get the best deals?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And that'll come through experience as well.
Speaker B:Just, just doing it and getting the reps in.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Figuring out for yourself.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker B:It'll look different from, from, from local area to local area.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, but, but it is absolutely worth your time investing that time into, hey, what are my options?
Speaker B:Because you're not just, you're not usually just stuck depending on where you live.
Speaker B:Of course.
Speaker B:But you're not normally just stuck with one place.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker B:Usually there will be options.
Speaker B:Look into those options.
Speaker C:Look into the options.
Speaker B:If you can do this and save some money, it's a pretty cool thing.
Speaker C: We also live in: Speaker B:Indeed, indeed.
Speaker C:So just to recap, before we move on to the execute phase, let's recap the Create phase here because we spoke about three really important things to do here.
Speaker C:So the first, Matt pointed out was create the environment for success.
Speaker B:The kitchen makeover.
Speaker C:The kitchen makeover.
Speaker C:Ensure that you have all of the shit out of your fridge and your pantry.
Speaker C:You're not going to eat it, get rid of it.
Speaker C:Because remember, we're talking about rule of proximity here as well.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You'd also add to that as far as that environment goes and the purging and the pillaging.
Speaker B:Like what tools do you have?
Speaker C:I was just about to mention that as well.
Speaker C:I think it's a great point.
Speaker C:Do you have, are you used to cooking?
Speaker C:You know, I, when I first started, I wasn't, I didn't cook.
Speaker C:So do you have things like a good chopping board, good chopping knives, sharp.
Speaker B:Knives, a knife sharpener as we use a lot with ours.
Speaker C:What sort of, what sort of recipes do you want to cook?
Speaker C:Because, you know, if you want time saving style recipes, maybe you should invest in a slow cooker.
Speaker C:You know, do you have a fry pan?
Speaker C:Do you have these sort of things that you can utilize?
Speaker C:These are the things that you should be checking when you're doing your kitchen makeover.
Speaker C:Definitely.
Speaker C:Because that is the time.
Speaker B:Do I have containers?
Speaker C:Do I have containers?
Speaker C:Do I have enough containers?
Speaker C:If I want to food prep for a week?
Speaker C:These are definitely the things that you need to look at.
Speaker B:Would you ask the question, do I have a thermo mix?
Speaker C:I like my thermo mix personally, but they're not for everyone.
Speaker C:The second part of Create that we talked about was establishing a plan of how often you're going to do your food prep.
Speaker C:So this is, again, this is not about how, how many times a day I want to eat.
Speaker C:This is not about planning.
Speaker C:You know all of that because again, remember that's, you're looking at it too smallly.
Speaker C:We have to, we have to go for the wider picture here and think just generally, when am I going to cook?
Speaker C:Remember, this is the basics we want to be watching out.
Speaker C:When am I going to cook?
Speaker C:When am I going to shop?
Speaker C:How often am I going to do that?
Speaker B:Here's an easy way to look at this.
Speaker B:When it comes to planning out what you'd like to eat over a set period of time, how many times a day on average do you eat right now?
Speaker B:Multiply that by seven.
Speaker B:That's how much you've got to plan for.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So if you eat, say for example, right now, if you eat three times a day.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:Three times seven is 21.
Speaker B:I gotta make sure I'm ready for 21 meals.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:And then break it up into the whole seven days, two days at a time, two times a week, three times a week, whatever works.
Speaker B:But it's easy enough to work out your target.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:So this is, what we're saying is we're focusing on the basics here.
Speaker C:We're not jumping straight to, hey, you've got to eat X amount a day.
Speaker C:If you're not got a structure of planning and preparing your meals, then it doesn't matter if you're eating six times a day or once a day, because you're not going to do it consistently anyway.
Speaker B:So you'll establish that baseline.
Speaker C:You've got to establish the base of actually preparing to.
Speaker C:When, when are you going to prepare your food, basically?
Speaker B:And to cover what you're currently doing.
Speaker C:Yes, yes.
Speaker C:And then the final part of the create phase, which we just spoke about, which was attacking the grocery shop.
Speaker C:So there are some people out there that love to grocery shop.
Speaker C:I would say more often than not.
Speaker B:I'm not one of them.
Speaker C:Everybody hates is just a necessity, but it's not exactly a fun job.
Speaker B:It's a necessary evil.
Speaker C:So planning ahead of time, making sure that you know what you're going there to get.
Speaker C:Having a shopping list based off what you're going to be preparing, not just a shopping list at the time, off the top of your head, like randomly, like, oh, maybe I'll get this.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:Know what you're going to cook or prepare before you create your shopping list?
Speaker C:Create your shopping list from that and make sure that you're looking ahead of where am I going to get these ingredients from?
Speaker C:And do I have to go to multiple places to get the best deals on this?
Speaker B:Yep, that's fair.
Speaker C:So phase two.
Speaker C:Execute.
Speaker C:Matt.
Speaker B:All right, well, the.
Speaker B:The execute part is pretty simple.
Speaker B:Just do it.
Speaker C:Yeah, Literally, just do what we've just created.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So you've gone.
Speaker B:You've created your plan, you've gone and bought your groceries.
Speaker B:You've.
Speaker B:You've, you know, remodeled your kitchen, or you've.
Speaker B:You've done your purge and your pillaging, your replace, etc, now it's time to just do it.
Speaker B:Like, just.
Speaker B:Just unpack, chop, prepare, cook, just go through it.
Speaker B:Pro tip from Courtney and I.
Speaker B:Get your headphones on.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Get something in your ears, something to distract you mentally, because.
Speaker B:Holy.
Speaker B:It can be tedious.
Speaker C:It's boring to us.
Speaker C:It really is.
Speaker C:Well, I'm not a lover of cooking.
Speaker C:Matt isn't either.
Speaker C:There's some people out there that might absolutely love this process, but we.
Speaker B:We aren't two of them.
Speaker C:We're not two of them.
Speaker C:And if you're like us, I can guarantee you having headphones in while you do it does make the experience a little bit more.
Speaker B:But it's also.
Speaker B:It's also worth mentioning, like, there are parts of a journey like this that aren't going to be fun.
Speaker B:It can't all be fun and good times and yay.
Speaker B:I'm happy.
Speaker B:There's some parts that are tedious and dull and boring, and this happens to be one of them.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:But it's.
Speaker B:As we said in the past, Courtney, we call this a clock to success.
Speaker B:So just do it, but do it in a way that will at least help you pass the time.
Speaker B:So I'll speak personally here.
Speaker B:Headphones and podcasts, what inventions they are.
Speaker C:We're gonna give you an extra shout out if you're listening to us right now.
Speaker B:If you.
Speaker B:If.
Speaker B:If your headphones and podcasts include us talking to you right now while you're doing your meal prep, like you are a star.
Speaker C:Shout out to you.
Speaker C:So that is basically the execute phase.
Speaker C:I mean, we get it done executing what we've just planned.
Speaker C:Just get it done, no questions asked.
Speaker B:And after that, we come to assess.
Speaker C:This is where the questions get asked.
Speaker B:And now is where the questions get asked.
Speaker B:Because it's like, okay, I've done it.
Speaker B:Like, what can I now learn?
Speaker B:What do I take away from this?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:So the first.
Speaker B:The very first part of assessing is actually going to be this.
Speaker B:Well, did I actually like what I made?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:What do I think of the food I've prepared for myself?
Speaker B:Like, what's a hit?
Speaker B:What's amiss?
Speaker C:Because, you know, it's funny, because I think everyone, a lot of clients.
Speaker C:I shouldn't say everyone.
Speaker C:A lot of clients overlook this question because people just think, oh, well, why would I try something that I might not like?
Speaker C:Well, that's the point.
Speaker C:Because you might like it.
Speaker C:And we try to always encourage our clients to expand their food horizons.
Speaker C:Horizons.
Speaker C:Often we get stuck into having a very limited amount of foods.
Speaker B:Well, I mean, the.
Speaker B:The average person won't make more than five different food choices a week.
Speaker B:Like, no wonder they get so bored.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker B:And get cravings.
Speaker C:So it does happen.
Speaker C:It.
Speaker C:It's happened to us.
Speaker C:We've made something and we've thought, yeah, lead it.
Speaker C:But I wouldn't make it again.
Speaker C:Didn't love it.
Speaker B:Or next time, I. I would make it again, but I would add this or remove that or swap in this thing over here.
Speaker B:So, yeah.
Speaker B:Step one of assess.
Speaker B:Did I like what I made?
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:If the answer is no, well, okay, maybe you might try something different next time, or maybe you might alter what you did to see if you can improve it.
Speaker B:The thing to keep in mind, this is a trial and error process.
Speaker B:Not everything needs to be a hit first up.
Speaker B:And not everything will be a hit first up, but that's okay.
Speaker B:That's how this works.
Speaker B:That's how you get information on yourself.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Oh, I.
Speaker B:Actually, I.
Speaker B:That's better than I thought it would be.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:I didn't think I would like it so much.
Speaker B:You've made a new staple for yourself.
Speaker B:A new staple meal.
Speaker B:Well done.
Speaker B:High five.
Speaker B:It's having that confidence and that more.
Speaker B:More than confidence.
Speaker B:The courage to take the risk.
Speaker B:Like, I don't know about this, but I'm going to give it a crack.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Because you.
Speaker B:Also.
Speaker B:Something we should mention here, Courtney.
Speaker B:Your taste buds do evolve over time.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Especially when you stop eating so much.
Speaker C:I found mine as soon as I stopped eating so much.
Speaker C:Processed foods, takeaway foods, having so much.
Speaker C:I mean, they're all full of sugar.
Speaker C:So as soon as I lowered how much sugar I had, I definitely noticed my taste buds changed.
Speaker C:I could handle different flavors.
Speaker C:I appreciated different flavors.
Speaker C:I definitely could handle more bitter flavors.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker C:So, yeah, I. I absolutely noticed my Chase.
Speaker C:Taste buds change.
Speaker B:Well, no, for me, I. I still have cravings.
Speaker B:Food cravings.
Speaker B:But I now crave different types of vegetables.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Not chocolate or ice cream or pizza like my.
Speaker B:The.
Speaker B:The food I disliked the most.
Speaker B:When I was younger was pumpkin.
Speaker B:Now I can't get enough.
Speaker C:Yeah, pumpkin, yeah.
Speaker C:I never liked many vegetables at all growing up and now I eat a lot of them.
Speaker B:I think the only vegetable I liked when I was a kid was like minted peas.
Speaker C:Minted peas.
Speaker C:I, I eat a lot of vegetables now.
Speaker C:Way more than I did when I was younger.
Speaker C:Yeah, I would say that I definitely would crave chocolate and, and ice cream, things like that sometimes, but I definitely would never.
Speaker C:Driving past, you know, like a takeaway, like KFC, McDonald's, these sort of places, I never get the urge at all.
Speaker C:I know pizza, none of this.
Speaker C:It never gives me the urge to have to go and get it.
Speaker B:For me, it's just a want.
Speaker B:Like, you know what I want some chocolate.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, but in terms of like, for me, a feeling, a craving is a different feeling versus, hey, you know what?
Speaker B:I could handle some chocolate right now.
Speaker B:For me, a craving is like, I need to have this right now.
Speaker B:And it's different vegetables.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So, yeah, things do change.
Speaker B:So, yeah, we, we start by assessing.
Speaker B:Did I like what I made the next part of assessing?
Speaker B:Well, you look at the time requirements so I can tell you when you are a beginner when it comes to meal prep, you are not going to be efficient.
Speaker B:It's going to take way more time than you think and way more time than you want.
Speaker B:That's how it works.
Speaker B:But also keep in mind the part of how it works is through repetition.
Speaker B:That's how you get better.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:That's how you become more efficient.
Speaker B:That's how you will cut your big meal prep days down from what might be three, three, four, five, six hours down to two hours.
Speaker B:Yes, two and a half hours.
Speaker B:You just get better by repetition.
Speaker B:So just keep in mind the way it works at the beginning is not how it's going to be a few months down the track if you stick with it.
Speaker C:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker C:And the final part of assessing is did I make enough to cover my plan?
Speaker C:So this, this is really just assessing now how often you thought that you wanted to meal prep and did it work out that way?
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker C:So if.
Speaker C:Yes, obviously, just carry on, do it again.
Speaker C:So you plan to meal prep twice a week and you had enough food by the end of the week that it covered that.
Speaker C:Great.
Speaker B:The weekends are an easy assessment with people.
Speaker B:You can tell when they're, when their meal preps hasn't lasted them long enough because you can see what they're eating Monday, Monday to say Wednesday or Thursday is like, oh, you can See, you pre prepared all this stuff and then over the weekend you can see the quick, easy, convenient snack, snack sort of things come into play and it's like your prep hasn't covered you here.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So I mean that and that could be from a couple of different things.
Speaker C:So if, if that has happened, it could just be that, you know, there's some gaps that need to be filled.
Speaker C:So did I, did I, do I need to add an extra meal prep day?
Speaker C:So did I, am I not able to get through just on what I've designed or did I just miscalculate the amount of meals I was going to need?
Speaker B:Yeah, it is, it usually will be one of those two things.
Speaker B:Do I need to do more when I do it or do I need to add that second day?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Is it unrealistic for me to add extra meals on the days I've already selected or add extra prep?
Speaker C:Do I just add an extra day of prep that week?
Speaker C:So there's a couple of different ways that you could look at assessing and, and then trial adjusting that.
Speaker C:But again, it is just a trial and error thing.
Speaker C:As we spoke about, you're not going to get it right generally the very first time you do it, even if you did get it right, it's going to evolve over time because you are going to gradually start to eat more, especially if you're someone who's only eating, you know, twice or three times a day.
Speaker B:As your metabolism increases, your, your appetite will go up, which, by the way, is a good thing.
Speaker C:You will try.
Speaker C:You will want to eat more often throughout the day to avoid the grazing on biscuits and whatnot.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker C:So this will evolve over time, but we're really just setting the foundation and the basics here for a habit that's going to carry you through.
Speaker C:So these assessments are great and they're just going to keep happening where you're going to keep assessing and then adjusting.
Speaker B:So we'll recap those.
Speaker B:So the recap on the create.
Speaker B:Sorry, on the execute is to just, just get it done.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Just suck it up, get it done and yeah, away you go.
Speaker C:And then the assessment phase.
Speaker B:Do I like what I made?
Speaker B:I mean, what, what works and what doesn't and the stuff that doesn't work.
Speaker B:Are there adjustments I can make next time that might make things a bit more appetizing for me?
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:The, the next, the next assess is your time requirements.
Speaker B:How long did it take?
Speaker B:How much time right now do I need to set aside for this and just take note over time of how that Improves.
Speaker B:And the final part of assess is, well, did I do enough and did I make enough to cover my plan?
Speaker B:If I did.
Speaker B:If the answer is yes, I did make enough, or, hey, do it again.
Speaker B:Just repeat, do it again.
Speaker B:If no.
Speaker B:If the answer is no.
Speaker B:Okay, well, how will I fill those gaps?
Speaker B:Will I add another day of preparing, or will I stick with the day I've got, but will I prepare more at that time?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:And every single client that we've had, we do have or will have, we aim to get them to establish these basics before anything else.
Speaker B:So it's the same thing if a client who's just started asks us, oh, hey, what supplements should I be taking?
Speaker B:How much creatine should I be taking?
Speaker B:No, you should be meal prepping.
Speaker B:Start there, bro.
Speaker B:The basics are what you fall back on when life throws you inevitable curveballs.
Speaker B:Because in life, what's gonna happen, Courtney?
Speaker B:Shit is gonna happen.
Speaker B:Yes, shit happens in life.
Speaker B:It's just the way it works.
Speaker B:There's no.
Speaker B:As it turns out, no one gave me an instruction manual years ago on what it's like to be an adult.
Speaker B:And as it turns out, adulting can be pretty hard.
Speaker B:And there's shit that just comes at you sometimes.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And if you have these basic fundamentals and skills and tools and habits in place, you can always fall back on these because they never let you down.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:And that's the thing here.
Speaker B:What's the best way to get back on track?
Speaker B:You just go back to the basics.
Speaker B:We do.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:Don't we?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Because the basics will take you 95%.
Speaker B:At least 95% of where you need to go.
Speaker B:You probably don't even need to do more than just get damn good at the basics, and that is that.
Speaker B:Now, Courtney, what is the third basic of weight loss?
Speaker C:Accountability.
Speaker B:With that question, when it comes to accountability, the most single most common mistake that we see people make is.
Speaker B:Is saying words like this, I can do it by myself.
Speaker B:Really?
Speaker B:Really.
Speaker B:How often are these words, I can do it by myself said by people who've never done it themselves?
Speaker B:If you could do it by yourself, why have you been having the same struggles for years, if not decades?
Speaker B:Please be honest with yourself and drop the bullshit.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Fact.
Speaker B:Fact number one, accountability is the actual glue that holds the entire process together.
Speaker B:Also a fact, most people generally do have the desire to change.
Speaker B:They just haven't been given or shown or taught a clear path towards it.
Speaker B:Which is what accountability is all about.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Just understand, information alone is absolutely useless.
Speaker B:It does not Matter what you know, it matters what you do.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Which is why the phrase I can do it by myself, which is often attached to words like, oh, I know what to do, I just need to do it.
Speaker B:It doesn't matter what you know, mate, because you haven't done it.
Speaker B:You are what you do, not what you say you'll do or what you think you know.
Speaker B:Fair?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Harsh, but fair.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Also worth mentioning as part of the whole I can do this by myself, I just need to do it.
Speaker B:Bullshittery is understanding that motivation is like having two left feet.
Speaker B:It's just not gonna.
Speaker B:It's not gonna hold water long term.
Speaker B:Another fact when it comes to weight loss and improving yourself inside and out is that this is gonna get hard whether you like it or not.
Speaker B:Sorry, we don't make the rules, we just play the game as it is.
Speaker B:But shit's gonna get hard.
Speaker B:Fair.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Now, when you pay, let's say for example, you're investing in a coach or a trainer or some sort of mentor, like, you know, they're all kind of interchangeable words when it comes down to it.
Speaker B:When you're investing in someone like that, accountability, that's what you are paying for.
Speaker B:A above all else, you might think you might tell yourself you're paying for a u beaut exercise program.
Speaker B:No, you're not.
Speaker B:You might think that you're paying for some pretty cool nutritional information and some secrets.
Speaker B:No, you're not.
Speaker B:You're not paying for that bullshit either.
Speaker B:What you're paying for is accountability.
Speaker B:Someone to hold your feet to the fire and ask you the tough questions when they need to to be asked.
Speaker B:And you're paying and you're investing in someone to hold you to a higher standard of execution through your program along the way.
Speaker B:That's what you're actually paying for.
Speaker B:We can agree, Courtney, a big part of accountability, whether you're working with a coach or you've just got a great support network, is about owning your.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:What do we mean, Courtney?
Speaker B:By owning your.
Speaker B:Taking responsibility, complete responsibility.
Speaker B:As opposed to what?
Speaker C:Playing the victim, which is often the case.
Speaker C:Which is often the opposite.
Speaker B:Yeah, the blame shifting.
Speaker C:Everyone's against me.
Speaker B:Work, kids, husband.
Speaker B:Nah, mate, it's you.
Speaker B:You're the problem.
Speaker B:You always have been.
Speaker B:But if you're the problem, you know that means you're the solution.
Speaker B:Can we agree, Courtney, the main aim of this, of accountability and the main aim of.
Speaker B:Of having people in your corner and ultimately, I think the main aim of a successful weight loss journey really should be to get the Best possible result from the least amount of work.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Does that sound appealing to you?
Speaker B:Because it sure does to me.
Speaker C:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker B:Why would you want to change 100 things that you think you need to change to get a great result?
Speaker B:Who's to say you only need to change just 25.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And get the same outcome?
Speaker B:To me, I will take the path of least resistance.
Speaker B:Thanks.
Speaker B:Okay, well, I've just got on my soapbox about, you know, the importance of accountability and what it exists for.
Speaker B:How do we actually.
Speaker B:How do we create this?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:How does this actually work, Courtney?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:I think moving into the create phase here, really the first step in terms of creating this would be being vulnerable and prepared to ask for help.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And the thing is, even though we've just spoken about, you know, investing in.
Speaker B:In trainers or coaches or mentors, accountability doesn't necessarily have to involve investing in a coach.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker B:Accountability, at a minimum, does involve having a support network of some kind.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker B:And holy shit, is that important.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:So when you were looking at this create step, you're really looking at that.
Speaker C:You're looking at, okay, who am I going to have in my corner?
Speaker B:Bingo.
Speaker C:Is it going to be a coach or a trainer, or is it going to be a support person?
Speaker C:A workout buddy?
Speaker B:An accountability buddy.
Speaker C:An accountability buddy.
Speaker C:Accountability buddies.
Speaker C:You know, there's no necessarily right or wrong with who you pick.
Speaker C:Well, if they're supportive, there is.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:So there is a wrong if.
Speaker C:If the people you're picking feel right for you and they're supportive, it does not matter if they're a coach or if they're a workout buddy, as long as it works for you and they're supportive, they're understanding, they tick off all the boxes that need to be ticked off, then great.
Speaker B:The phrase I can do this by myself does ship me to tease if that hasn't become apparent by now, but it doesn't ship me to tears because I think, oh, well, you need to pay for people like me and Courtney.
Speaker B:No, you don't.
Speaker B:It shifts me to tears.
Speaker B:Because you think you can do it without knowing your corner, which to me is just the height of arrogance.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Like, no, you can't.
Speaker B:I can't.
Speaker B:Courtney can't.
Speaker B:No one can.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Any form of success in life will come with people in your corner in some way.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:I think choosing carefully is good to point out.
Speaker B:Choosing very carefully because not everyone is going to be supportive like you may.
Speaker C:Think, whether that be even a coach or a trainer.
Speaker C:Choose carefully.
Speaker C:You know, whichever way you decide to go Whether it's a support buddy or whether it's, you know, a paid professional, I think that just to choose carefully and make sure that they're right for you.
Speaker C:Do your research.
Speaker C:If you're going to pick a professional, you know, make sure you're comfortable with them.
Speaker C:If you're going to pick a support buddy or buddies, I think really be vulnerable and have conversations and just make sure that that person is going to be right for you.
Speaker C:Because they might be the best friend in the world, but they may not be the right accountability partner.
Speaker B:Well, if they're ultimately.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's a really good point.
Speaker B:You might be like absolute buttercups and BFFs, but if they're not necessarily invested in, in, you know, say, health and fitness like you want to be, they may not be that alignment.
Speaker C:They might not be the best person for you.
Speaker C:And it doesn't mean.
Speaker C:Mean that they're a bad friend or a bad person.
Speaker C:It's just not.
Speaker C:I think alignment is the best, best word to use, Matt.
Speaker C:They're just not aligned with where you're at and they're not the best person to pick.
Speaker B:So I've got a couple good example.
Speaker B:I've got really good friends of mine that I would never talk to about this.
Speaker C:Yeah, never.
Speaker B:Because they don't, they're not, they don't look at this.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:That way.
Speaker B:In other areas, though, where absolute besties.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And nothing will change.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So I think being vulnerable, when we talk about being vulnerable and asking for help, when we're talking in the create phase, this is also really coming up with like, who am I going to lean on?
Speaker C:So it's not just being vulnerable and asking for that initial help.
Speaker C:You're also then picking, you know, where.
Speaker C:Where is your next step gonna be?
Speaker C:Who is the person gonna be or people gonna be?
Speaker B:The phrase who am I gonna lean on?
Speaker B:Is a real good one.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because that's what this is about too.
Speaker B:Because that's also part of what sort of shits me off about I can do it by myself.
Speaker B:Like really?
Speaker B:Can you support yourself when gets hard or when it seems like you're off track?
Speaker B:You need people to lean on, don't you?
Speaker C:Yeah, always.
Speaker B:So, yeah, choosing.
Speaker B:Choosing carefully is the critical phrase there.
Speaker B:And we did a podcast, Courtney, way, way, way back in the day called why the right support network can guarantee your weight loss.
Speaker B:Go back in the archives and listen to that.
Speaker B:So also, key word there, Courtney, as far as creating this goes is vulnerable.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Easier said than done, mind you.
Speaker B:Like, we can Sit here and waffle on as much as we want.
Speaker B:Like, it's hard.
Speaker C:Yeah, it is.
Speaker B:Because it, it can come across like, oh, well, I'm showing weakness.
Speaker B:Well, to some of us, weakness is strength.
Speaker B:But initially, yeah, it's hard to say, hey, you know what?
Speaker B:I got problems.
Speaker B:Yeah, you're human.
Speaker B:We've all got problems.
Speaker B:But to be able to actually verbalize it to someone like, hey, you know what?
Speaker B:I'm not happy with this.
Speaker B:How I look, how I function, how I feel.
Speaker B:I want to improve, I want to work towards X, Y, Z.
Speaker B:That can be hard.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Doing that.
Speaker B:They can also, once you, once you sort of get past that, it can be liberating.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because it doesn't quite hold you back as much.
Speaker B:But that's.
Speaker B:That's where it starts.
Speaker B:Be vulnerable.
Speaker B:Be prepared to ask for help.
Speaker B:Okay, let's say we've done that.
Speaker C:Let's say we've done that.
Speaker C:We're moving on to execute.
Speaker B:We've got people in that corner.
Speaker B:You beauty.
Speaker B:How do we actually execute on accountability?
Speaker B:The first place to execute is actually very similar to exercise and meal prepping.
Speaker B:It was time management.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:It's divvying up your time management and putting aside the time necessary for any learning.
Speaker B:Let's say, for example, you're working with a coach.
Speaker B:Ideally, you should be learning things, not just being told things.
Speaker B:There's a difference between telling and teaching.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Putting aside the time for any learning.
Speaker B:So for, for clients that we work with, we tell them, put aside the time for homework because we are damn straight going to teach you things.
Speaker B:Yeah, that.
Speaker B:That's what we're.
Speaker B:That's what we're about, you know, but you have to put aside the time for this.
Speaker B:From a coaching perspective.
Speaker B:Real coaching is not and should not just be sets and reps in the gym.
Speaker B:Sets and reps in the gym is paid babysitting.
Speaker B:Anyone can learn that.
Speaker B:That's not hard.
Speaker B:Real coaching, learning tools.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Understanding what you're doing and why.
Speaker B:Identifying habits, identifying responses to situations.
Speaker B:We need to put aside the time for this.
Speaker B:I understand how exciting it can be.
Speaker B:Oh, you're going to put aside a couple of hours each week to go to the gym and yeah, you should do that, but that's not all you should do.
Speaker B:Next part of execute, Courtney, Learning how to collect data and recording detail.
Speaker B:And this is the stuff that's not fun, but holy shit, is it fucking useful.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:And even the phrase useful, I'm underselling it.
Speaker B:It's critical.
Speaker B:Learning how to collect data and Recording detail.
Speaker B:What do I mean by that?
Speaker B:Well, we've spoken a lot on this very podcast, Courtney, about, for example, you know, if you're going to go to the gym, record what you're doing.
Speaker B:Write down what you're doing.
Speaker B:I did a bench press.
Speaker B:I did two sets of 10.
Speaker B:I bench pressed 60 kilos for two sets of 10.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:Next week, go and try two sets of 10 at 61 kilos.
Speaker B:Yeah, we're recording what we're doing, but it's the same thing when it comes to what we're doing out of the gym.
Speaker B:So, for example, easy example here is recording what we're eating and drinking.
Speaker B:Because this does become important over time as part of accountability.
Speaker B:Whether you're doing it with a coach or you're doing it with some accountability buddies for your own benefit, you need to be recording what you are doing.
Speaker B:Now, at the start, this can look very basic, and it probably should look very basic for most people.
Speaker B:For example, well, Monday, my first meal was chicken and salad.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:Your second meal might be a blueberry smoothie.
Speaker B:Great.
Speaker B:As you get more advanced, how you record should advance with you.
Speaker B:So I spoke at the start or just before about holding people to higher standards, which is what this is about.
Speaker B:And executing this and learning how to collect data and recording detail is a standard that should evolve and improve over time.
Speaker B:So we use, use what we do as an example.
Speaker B:If we have a client, they first start with us, and they, they.
Speaker B:They're learning the basics of recording and recording a meal as, hey, meal one, chicken and salad.
Speaker B:Get away with that.
Speaker C:It's fine.
Speaker B:No worries at all.
Speaker B:Six months down the track.
Speaker B:Yeah, that should look a little bit different.
Speaker B:For example, it may have evolved from meal one chicken and salad to 6:35am meal one barbecue chicken breast with two cups of salad.
Speaker B:And the salad had these ingredients.
Speaker B:Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
Speaker B:And I also had with it, I sprinkled some flax oil on there and I had 300 mils of water.
Speaker B:That's evolution.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Over time.
Speaker B:So that part of executing is learning how to collect data and recording detail.
Speaker B:Because if you're working with a coach without that information, they can't coach you.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Simple as that.
Speaker B:From your perspective, seeing what you're doing helps you to see what you're doing.
Speaker B:Because without it, you're relying on memory.
Speaker B:If you're relying on memory, well, the human memory block, a Swiss cheese, it's just not going to.
Speaker B:It's just not going to work.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:The next part of execute, Courtney, is.
Speaker C:It's another time management one.
Speaker C:So it's basically getting the information to your coach on time every time, which is harder than it seems it is.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker C:I think when, at the start, when you're in that sort of honeymoon phase with working with a coach, it can often be the easiest time.
Speaker C:You're learning new things.
Speaker C:What's exciting about it, it's the repetition that gets monotonous and then it's really easy to slip with.
Speaker C:Oh, I'll just do it tomorrow, I'll.
Speaker B:Just remember it just right.
Speaker C:I'll just.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So it's the, it's the monotony that can happen over time with weight loss that it can make these basic slip.
Speaker C:So it's really important to really develop this basic level of non negotiable where it is, I do this at this time, this is due here and I'm going to do it here.
Speaker B:I'll tell you what else.
Speaker B:I actually think of the basics.
Speaker B:So we've got the three basics.
Speaker B:Exercise and training, meal planning and preparation and accountability.
Speaker B:Accountability is by far the hardest of the basics.
Speaker B:I'll tell you why I think that is above all else.
Speaker B:You mentioned the word, Courtney.
Speaker B:Repetition.
Speaker B:The thing is as well, with accountability, whether it's with a coach or with an accountability buddy or whatever, there's no instant gratification.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker B:If you go to the gym, you get instant gratification.
Speaker B:Like, holy shit, I'm sweating balls here.
Speaker B:And wow, wow, my legs, I can't feel my legs.
Speaker B:Where my legs go.
Speaker B:You do meal prep.
Speaker B:Instant gratification.
Speaker B:Oh, the fridge is full, the pantry stocked.
Speaker C:This is delicious.
Speaker B:This, this is delicious.
Speaker B:We've got instant gratification.
Speaker B:Accountability.
Speaker B:There's no gratification because it's just rote repetition.
Speaker B:Like I just recorded what I had on Tuesday, now I've recorded what I did on Wednesday.
Speaker B:There's no immediate reward for that.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker B:There is also why I think it's one of the hardest things.
Speaker C:I agree.
Speaker C:There is no reward yet.
Speaker B:Well, there's no immediate reward.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Yet.
Speaker B:Accountability.
Speaker B:If you ask me personally, accountability is the most important of the basics and.
Speaker C:It will give you the biggest reward in the end.
Speaker B:It's the biggest long term one because it's what allows you, as I said, to see what you're doing and if you're working with someone, allows them to see what you're doing and help you get on the path.
Speaker B:The fastest path to where you want to go.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yet in the moment there's no, there's no fun with this.
Speaker B:No, this Is like sitting on a computer working spreadsheets all day.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:It's not fun.
Speaker C:It's not fun.
Speaker B:This above all else, I think accountability is the work part of the work.
Speaker C:I agree.
Speaker B:When it comes to weight loss.
Speaker C:I agree.
Speaker C:I do agree with you that it doesn't have that instant gratification.
Speaker C:So we don't gravitate towards it.
Speaker C:Well, in our minds, we don't value it as.
Speaker C:As high.
Speaker B:Well said.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:So where often is the first to be pushed aside?
Speaker B:You are 100% correct.
Speaker B:It is without question the first thing to get put aside every single time.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:At least my experience with clients, when they start to slip, this is what slips first.
Speaker B:Yes, it's always what slips first.
Speaker B:Yet it's the thing that we don't want to have ever slip because as I said, with no accountability, we can't do our job.
Speaker B:How can you coach someone if you don't know what they're doing?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Because if.
Speaker B:Here's the thing with accountability, if we're giving a client direction without knowing what we're giving them direction on, we're guessing.
Speaker B:And if we're winging it, we're all screwed.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:So we don't like to do that.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker B:I know for me personally, I never give someone direction until I can see the full picture.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:But yes, you are spot on, Courtney.
Speaker B:This is where people will drop.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker B:So it does involve executing, involves time management, involves having clear non negotiables.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Accountability, even though it's not fun and it is repetition, needs to be a non negotiable.
Speaker C:I agree.
Speaker C:Just before we move into the assessment phase, we'll just quickly recap where we said that create is.
Speaker C:The create phase is we are choosing our support network, basically asking for help.
Speaker B:We're asking for help.
Speaker C:We're being vulnerable and we are asking help and we are being very selective with who we're choosing.
Speaker C:In that the execute phase, we are really nailing down time management.
Speaker C:We're putting aside time to learn.
Speaker C:And yes, you should be learning through this.
Speaker B:Putting aside time to be a student is how I like to look at it.
Speaker C:We are learning how to record and collect data, but in detail is the important part there.
Speaker C:In detail.
Speaker C:So our food data in detail.
Speaker C:We're making sure that we're recording our exercise, we're recording our weights.
Speaker C:Every time we're at the gym, we're.
Speaker B:Keeping it even, just keeping track of what we're doing each day.
Speaker B:So today I did a weight session.
Speaker B:On Tuesday I did an intense cardio session.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:We're keeping track and then over time.
Speaker C:We'Re going to get better.
Speaker C:We're going to get better at keeping track of detailed meals.
Speaker C:We're also going to get better at.
Speaker C:Matt, you mentioned getting better at recording our liquid intake because that's often something that we forget to do.
Speaker C:We're also going to get better over time at marking and recording how we're feeling each day, how our recovery is, self analysis, how our sleep was.
Speaker C:These are the sort of things, how.
Speaker B:We felt today, our mental state.
Speaker C:These are the sort of things we're going to get better at.
Speaker C:Collecting data and recording data in detail over time.
Speaker B:I'm glad you mentioned that.
Speaker B:Data collection isn't just what you eat and drink.
Speaker B:It's how you feel, what you think, what you notice.
Speaker B:It is, it is that self analysis.
Speaker C:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker C:And still in the execute phase, we're getting information to our coach on time, every time, every time.
Speaker C:So remember, it has to be a non negotiable because it is monotonous, it is boring, it is ungratifying.
Speaker C:As we've just spoken about, it's also.
Speaker B:What you're paying for.
Speaker C:But it is essential.
Speaker C:So you need to be reminded constantly.
Speaker C:You need to be reminding yourself that it is valuable, this information is valuable, it is essential and it is going to get you the gratification.
Speaker B:That's also why I like to refer to accountability as the glue that holds the entire process together.
Speaker B:Do you know why I refer to it as that?
Speaker B:Because it is, it just is.
Speaker B:Without it, you might be paying a coach a couple of thousand dollars for a workout program.
Speaker B:Paying for that.
Speaker B:Go get it for free from some kid on Instagram or get it on YouTube.
Speaker B:Yeah, like it's not hard to get workout programs, you know, some two bit trainer, give those away for free like every day of the week on Instagram.
Speaker B:Not hard to find.
Speaker B:This is what you're paying for, but it's also the most unglamorous part.
Speaker C:It is.
Speaker B:And this is the thing, when we talk about getting your information, if you're working with a coach, getting your information to your coach on time every time.
Speaker B:This is the thing, if you're going to the effort and it is effort of recording what you're doing, that's the hard part.
Speaker B:The easy part should be hitting the send button on the right day.
Speaker C:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker C:Moving on to the assess phase.
Speaker C:So our first assess phase is does my accountability routine fit into my schedule?
Speaker B:Very similar, funnily enough to my exercise routine and my meal prep routine is this current layout working for me.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And I think it's, you know, it goes to show that this sort of assessment was in each three stages or.
Speaker C:Or basics, because, like, we can say it and say it and say it and you need to remember you're not going to get this right the first time.
Speaker C:And that is.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:That is why we assess.
Speaker C:So that is why this style of assess is in each of the basics.
Speaker B:You know why else it's in there as well?
Speaker B:Because anything you do has to be sustainable, because if whatever you are doing to get a result, if you can't sustain it, you won't keep the result.
Speaker C:Correct.
Speaker B:So that's also why this question is asked, because it comes under that lens of sustainability.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Can I continue to do this?
Speaker B:Because if the answer to anything is no, I don't think I can do this long term.
Speaker B:What are we doing?
Speaker C:We change it now.
Speaker C:There's no point continuing with it.
Speaker C:So you assess early because you can.
Speaker B:Then make alterations and you keep reassessing too.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:If the answer is yes, whenever you ask yourself this question and you could insert any word instead of accountability routine.
Speaker C:Matt's right.
Speaker C:You could insert training routine, meal preparation routine into this question.
Speaker C:If the answer is yes, carry on, basically.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker C:If the answer is no, then for this particular question of does my accountability routine fit into my schedule?
Speaker C:If the answer is no, then we start to ask ourselves some more questions.
Speaker B:Why might that be?
Speaker C:Why is that?
Speaker C:Am I trying to do too much?
Speaker C:Am I trying to do my accountability on the wrong day?
Speaker B:Am I relying on memory rather than doing it as I go?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Am I doing it yes, only once a week, where I should be doing it more often?
Speaker B:Well, the phrase.
Speaker B:The thing that we like to teach clients is what we call real time recording.
Speaker B:So real time recording is doing it as you go.
Speaker B:So, for example, a lot of people attempt to record a day's worth of, say, eating and drinking at the end of the day.
Speaker B:And that is also flawed because the brain is so good at covering up mistakes or negative experiences, or just leave that part out.
Speaker B:Real time recording is as you go.
Speaker B:So you've had the meal, jot it down, whether it's in like an app.
Speaker B:So you might have an app like your coaches have an app, or you've got like a diary on your phone, or you might be old school and you might hand write it, like, who cares how you do it, you know?
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:So are you trying to do too many things at once or are you trying to wing this and rely on memory?
Speaker B:But another question that might be asked if this isn't fitting into your schedule.
Speaker B:I mean, are you really prioritizing this?
Speaker B:Is it possible you're saying yes to too many things externally, which then forces you to say no to yourself and no to this part of the process?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So I think that those then style of assessments can really then change.
Speaker C:Then you go back to your create.
Speaker C:Okay, now we're going to go back and create a different or we're going to alter the plan.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:And then you're going to execute again and then you're going to assess again.
Speaker C:So it's just a continual cycle if the answer ends up being no.
Speaker C:But again, remember, if the answer is.
Speaker B:Yes, carry on the old, the old sort of cliche here.
Speaker B:If it isn't broke, you don't fix it.
Speaker B:So if you're on a routine that works for you is getting the job done and you can sustain it, like, hey, don't change, please.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So the last assess here is just to be willing to accept the feedback you're given and to implement it.
Speaker B:Easier said than done.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Because accepting the feedback that you're given does involve a level of vulnerability as well.
Speaker B:But then implementing it, it goes back to what I said earlier.
Speaker B:It doesn't matter what you know, it matters what you do.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So in this situation, if you're working with a workout buddy or a coach, you're not the only one assessing here.
Speaker B:Indeed.
Speaker C:So you're assessing from your side in terms of is this sustainable?
Speaker C:But then you remember your coach or your workout buddy is also assessing your data and they're going to give you feedback on certain things that you're doing from their point of view.
Speaker C:And you have to be able to accept that feedback for what it is.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Yeah, you have to be able to accept that feedback and implement it and work out a way of, okay, do I need to go back to create here?
Speaker C:Do I need to change a plan, alter a plan?
Speaker C:Do I just need to execute in a different way?
Speaker B:Well, if, also if you're, if you're working with, with like an accountability buddy or coaches or whatever, you've also got to be willing to give them feedback on how you're going, implementing what you've been given.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:It's because the thing is, it's one thing for someone to say to you, like, oh, hey, what have you just started by eating breakfast this week?
Speaker B:Like, yeah, you might go and get to work on eating breakfast from here on out, but you might be having struggles for whatever reason.
Speaker B:You Know, maybe you're sleeping in too, too long, maybe staying up too late and you're sleeping in past your alarm.
Speaker B:You can't get time in to get your breakfast in.
Speaker B:When it comes to this and accountability, it actually goes both ways.
Speaker B:You've got to be willing to work with the people you're working with and give them feedback in return.
Speaker B:Like, hey, you've asked me to implement this.
Speaker B:Here's what I'm finding so far.
Speaker B:That is valuable information because then a big part of accountability, and especially from a coaching perspective, with what we do, you have to be ready to make an adaptable.
Speaker B:To be able to make course corrections.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:You know, like you might say to someone like, hey, want you to start eating breakfast?
Speaker B:There might be other, other obstacles we need to overcome to facilitate that.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Which is where you need the feedback coming back in the direction, like in our direction, like, hey, I'm trying to have breakfast, but I'm hitting a stumbling block with X, Y, Z.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:Let's look at that.
Speaker B:Yeah, let's see what we need to do in different areas to help you facilitate this thing here.
Speaker B:Phrase.
Speaker B:If you've got coaches, work with them.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker C:I think that sets up that quite nicely.
Speaker C:So that is create, execute, assess.
Speaker C:I think in closing, Matt, you want to give a pro tip.
Speaker B:I want to give a couple of pro tips here.
Speaker B:Just understand, from an accountability perspective, there is often going to be a difference between what you need to hear and what you want to hear.
Speaker B:Those two things might always be the same.
Speaker B:In fact, very often they won't be actual accountability, which is why you've got to be so damn careful in choosing who you've got in your corner.
Speaker B:It involves telling you what you need to hear, even if you don't always want to hear it.
Speaker B:There is a level of discomfort that is necessary with this and it's just part of how the game works.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And if you're working with a coach, this is part of what you're paying for.
Speaker B:Because if you're.
Speaker B:If you're investing the money right into a coach and they're just telling you what you want to hear, they are stealing your money.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And they're pissing in your pocket and telling you it's raining.
Speaker B:I cannot think of anything more insulting to someone than to take their money and tell them what they want to hear.
Speaker B:How does that help anyone?
Speaker B:You know?
Speaker B:So real accountability does involve the difference between what you need to hear and what you want to hear.
Speaker B:And understanding they won't always be the same.
Speaker B:And that's okay.
Speaker B:But also understanding when it comes to feedback, it's never personal.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:It's never a personal attack.
Speaker B:It's about helping you improve your game and getting better at what you do.
Speaker B:Because ultimately, once you've got your support network around you and you've got some accountability in place, part of what their responsibility is, is to hold you to the standards that you've already set by saying, I want to achieve A, B and C. Cool.
Speaker B:I'm in your corner to help lift you up to this level.
Speaker B:So when.
Speaker B:If a coach, for example, is pointing out things that you can improve at, it's not a personal attack.
Speaker B:It's because they want you to get to where you want to get to go.
Speaker B:To say that.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Our job is to help someone get to where they want to go.
Speaker B:So from my perspective, the way I look at it is, like, when it comes to our clients, their success is our success.
Speaker B:If they don't get what they want, we haven't succeeded.
Speaker B:And that's not a good feeling.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker B:You know, so understand that feedback and accountability, it's never personal.
Speaker B:It's always there to help you lift your game.
Speaker B:But also understand that taking feedback and implementing it is a real skill.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And I can tell you now, having done this for a long time, it's a skill not many people develop because it does involve discomfort.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:It does involve being willing to have someone show you where the holes in your game are.
Speaker B:But that's how you get better.
Speaker B:That's my tip.
Speaker C:That's your tip.
Speaker B:The basics work, don't they?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:You and I follow them.
Speaker B:Every single client that we do have, have ever had or will ever have, we get them to establish, and we aim to get them to establish these basics before anything else.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Why is that?
Speaker C:Because they have to be set first.
Speaker C:The basics have to be set in place first.
Speaker C:So these are what you're going to come back to when life doesn't go to plan and it doesn't go to plan.
Speaker C:You know, I've come back to these several times in the last 10 years.
Speaker B:I think you'll also find that these basics, they're also the minimum standard.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:That you can adhere to when life gets pretty hairy.
Speaker C:I think that that's probably a perfect way to say it.
Speaker C:Even when stuff goes wrong in your life and this is your safety net, it's basically stripping it back to your minimum standard that you want to uphold, and then everything after that can be worked up again.
Speaker B:I think if you've got someone where Their minimum standard, their baseline, is to consistently execute these basics.
Speaker B:No matter what.
Speaker B:They're going to be unstoppable.
Speaker B:Yeah, they will be unstoppable because their worst is already a high standard.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:So basic number one, training and exercise.
Speaker B:Basic number two, meal planning and preparation.
Speaker B:And basic number three, accountability.
Speaker B:Thing is though, those three fundamentals that we laid out for you previously, ultimately they're just tools without an anchor point.
Speaker B:Like why the hell would you ever use these tools?
Speaker B:The thing is, with the basics, they're not going to stick unless you have the reason or reasons to put in the effort to make them stick.
Speaker B:With that deep seated personal reasons for change, you can't really expect yourself to follow through.
Speaker B:No, I wouldn't.
Speaker B:I haven't in the past.
Speaker B:Comes down to the things we've spoken about previously on this very podcast, Courtney, about needing to achieve things versus wanting to achieve things.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:One of my favorite phrases that made a lot of sense to me when I first heard it is this.
Speaker B:People don't buy 6 inch drill bits, they actually buy 6 inch holes.
Speaker B:It's a good metaphor for this particular podcast episode because people will often think that, you know, signing up to a gym or paying out the money for a personal trainer or applying for some coaching program or was working with a coach in general and, you know, having.
Speaker B:Having a few surface level goals, you know, I want to get fit and I want to tone up and I want to get healthy.
Speaker B:That's where it all starts.
Speaker B:And then, cool, we're off.
Speaker B:We're off and running.
Speaker B:It's just a smooth ride to the land of epic success.
Speaker B:But that's not quite as simple as that.
Speaker B:How many clients, Courtney, have come to us where their goals have been?
Speaker B:Their goal is to exercise or their goal is to do a nutrition program, or their goal is, well, Matt and Courtney, my goal is to submit seven day meal records to you every second week.
Speaker C:No one has that goal.
Speaker B:I've been doing this now for 12 years.
Speaker B:You've been doing this for eight.
Speaker B:It's currently a combined zero.
Speaker B:Clients have had these things as their goals.
Speaker B:So the fundamentals that we laid out, they're really, really useful tools.
Speaker B:But no one, no one wants to do these things.
Speaker B:Yes, certain bits and pieces you might find more enjoyable than others.
Speaker B:Sure, but whose goal is.
Speaker B:My goal is to exercise.
Speaker B:Generally, people will sign up to things because there are things in their life that they either want to move towards.
Speaker B:So it might be, you know, achieving specific outcomes or they might want to move away from things.
Speaker B:So moving away from things that might cause them different levels of pain, be it physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.
Speaker B:You know, we generally want to move towards something and, or move away from, from other things.
Speaker B:But then there's a level again even below that, which is, which is the question, you know, why, why do you want to achieve what you want to achieve?
Speaker B:Or why do you no longer want to be the way you are?
Speaker B:So generally you might go to speak to your local PT or speak to someone like us, or even speak to us.
Speaker B:And of course, you know, the question should at least be asked like, okay, well, what are your goals?
Speaker B:So, you know, we've been told a gazillion different types of goals over the years, Courtney.
Speaker B:You know, I want to lose X amount of dress sizes.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker C:X amount of kilos.
Speaker B:X amount of kilos, X amount of pounds.
Speaker B:I mean, we can rattle these off all day.
Speaker B:I want more energy.
Speaker B:I want more energy.
Speaker B:I, I want to, I want to stop having the 3pm crash.
Speaker C:I want to play with my kids more.
Speaker B:I want to play with the kids more.
Speaker B:Some people get really, really personal.
Speaker B:They want to improve their sex life with their, with their partner.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:They want to achieve certain sporting goals.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:Want to have, you know, certain, even, even certain physical performance based metrics or even some have career goals like you name it.
Speaker B:There's just goals galore.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Right, cool.
Speaker B:PT asks the client, potential client, what are your goals?
Speaker B:And they say what their goals are.
Speaker B:But that's not where it should end.
Speaker B:You should continue with the most important follow up question of all.
Speaker B:Which is what, Courtney?
Speaker C:Why?
Speaker C:A question formed in one, one word.
Speaker C:Why?
Speaker B:Yeah, well, let's expand that a bit.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:You've got these goals.
Speaker B:Why are they important to you?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:How will they make your life better if you achieve these goals, what will they do for you?
Speaker B:Problem is this is where you often see people that will really struggle with doing what needs to be done.
Speaker B:Now what needs to be done is what, Courtney?
Speaker B:The work.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:So the three fundamentals, the three basics that we spoke about in the previous episodes, they're work.
Speaker B:You know, some parts of the work you might enjoy, other parts they're grind.
Speaker B:Absolute perfect word.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's a perfect word.
Speaker B:And that's where you'll see people that will be like, oh, I'm just, I'm just inconsistent with the gym.
Speaker B:I just, I just half ass it with my meal prep or some.
Speaker B:Even with clients that we've worked with, Will, even though we talk until we're blue on the face about the importance of accountability, that's the first thing they drop off on, you know, so there's.
Speaker B:There's just this inconsistency with one or multiple of those basics.
Speaker B:And more often than not, that struggle that people find themselves in tends to come because they haven't been truly clear or honest with themselves about why they should be doing these things.
Speaker B:No one's beyond this.
Speaker B:No matter how advanced or how on the ball you think you are, if you haven't got a reason to do something, you are not going to do it.
Speaker C:You won't achieve it.
Speaker B:Why would you?
Speaker B:That's where people start to sort of beat themselves up.
Speaker B:So, oh, I just haven't got the willpower or I'm just not motivated enough.
Speaker B:All that noise.
Speaker B:You haven't got a reason.
Speaker B:And that's why we refer to this episode as the anchor point.
Speaker B:Those basics that we spoke about and the whole process behind a successful weight loss journey requires you to have reasons that you anchor the entire thing to.
Speaker B:And no one can tell you what they are.
Speaker B:They got to come from within.
Speaker B:So sometimes, Courtney, you know, we.
Speaker B:We spoken in the past about having what we call a snap point.
Speaker B:Like, what is a snap point?
Speaker B:How would you define a snap point?
Speaker C:Um, I think I would define a snap point as the moment of clarity when you realize that what you're doing is causing you pain or discomfort and that you have that moment of clarity where you know what has to happen to change that and you know you're ready to do the work.
Speaker B:Have you had a snap point before or.
Speaker B:Snap points?
Speaker C:Yeah, definitely.
Speaker C:I think I probably only really ever had, like, one true one.
Speaker B:Could you share it?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Which was when I decided to get.
Speaker C:Get help and reach out for help to help me lose weight.
Speaker C:I think that before that I would have said if you'd asked me, have you had sort of that moment where you wanted to change or that snap point?
Speaker C:I would have said yes, but looking back, they weren't the real snap point.
Speaker C:I don't think I'd really come to terms with what I had to do to make the change.
Speaker C:And I was still a bit in that denial of it's not that bad sort of attitude.
Speaker B:So what are you?
Speaker B:Are you.
Speaker B:Is what.
Speaker B:See if I'm interpreting this correctly, you what?
Speaker B:You tell yourself, yes, I want to do this.
Speaker B:Then with what?
Speaker B:Find reasons not to.
Speaker C:Yeah, you.
Speaker C:I'd find reasons why, you know, because often what I was reaching for was some sort of quick fix outcome, which obviously then comes with a lot of even more work, tends to be.
Speaker C:Or More deprivation, cutting things out more.
Speaker C:And you have to do it very quickly, obviously, because they're short term sort of solutions.
Speaker C:So you need to do things very quickly, cut things out very quickly.
Speaker C:And I just couldn't stick to anything like that.
Speaker C:So I would do it for a couple of days and then rethink my choice.
Speaker C:And the justification wasn't that the process I was trying was bad or this sort of style of diet or whatever just wasn't working for me.
Speaker C:My process was just to say, well, that's too hard and I don't look that fat, so it's okay.
Speaker C:And I just quit the diet that I tried to do like for the last two days.
Speaker B:So what you'd have what you thought was a snap moment, but all it would do was get you to try out some, some short term thing.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Then it wasn't sustainable.
Speaker C:It's just too hard.
Speaker B:It's too hard and I'm not that bad anyway.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So rather than looking at, looking at the actual thing that I was trying to do, like the, the tools that I was trying to implement being wrong, it was just the mentality of straight back to, that's it, it's just not that bad.
Speaker C:So back to what I was doing before.
Speaker B:Until what the next photo that you saw.
Speaker C:Correct.
Speaker C:So I mean, it was a flip flop sometimes on a daily basis between looking like thinking I looked horrendous to thinking I don't look that bad.
Speaker B:Was that the extent of the comparison?
Speaker B:It was either I look horrendous or at best I'm not that bad.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Was never like, oh, yeah, actually you know what, I look pretty good.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker C:That was literally the, that was the scale.
Speaker B:It was, it was between those two.
Speaker C:It was between tears of sadness because I hate the way that I look to oh, I don't look that bad.
Speaker B:That bad.
Speaker C:Not that bad.
Speaker C:That was the highest level of the scale.
Speaker B:So what was the difference between what you thought were snap points and what actually was.
Speaker C:I don't think I really knew the difference until, until I hit that, that snap point where then I was able to ask for help and actually find a program that worked for me and stick to it.
Speaker B:So what changed mentally between the two?
Speaker C:I think it was the clarity that of looking back on everything I'd done wasn't working and I'm still unhappy.
Speaker C:So enough of this bullshit of I don't look that bad.
Speaker C:I don't like the way that I look.
Speaker C:It's affecting my mental health.
Speaker C:It's affecting my day to day Life.
Speaker C:I need to do something to change this and it's the acceptance of it's going to take work and this is going to be a long term thing.
Speaker B:Real.
Speaker B:Ah.
Speaker B:So do you think that would have came about because I'm like, I'm not trying to put words in your mouth here.
Speaker B:Please correct me if I'm going down the wrong track here.
Speaker B:Do you think that could have come about because of.
Speaker B:Or did you get to the stage where you thought to yourself, I've done everything.
Speaker C:I don't think, I think close to it.
Speaker C:I mean, I don't think I had done everything.
Speaker C:I hadn't actually tried that many diets really in the grand scheme of diets that people are trying and the stories we've heard, I literally dipped my foot in the ocean of that.
Speaker C:I think I just looked at it and I saw the diets I didn't want to do and I knew I didn't want to do them and I wouldn't do them.
Speaker C:Like I wasn't prepared to do that.
Speaker B:So it was like, what, no more of this?
Speaker C:Yeah, I was, I was just like, I don't want to do any of that.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Because I know I won't stick to it.
Speaker C:Like, I just know I won't.
Speaker C:So it was the realization of I need to try something different and find someone to help me find a way to do this which is going to work for me and my lifestyle without having to eat less and cut everything.
Speaker B:Out of my deprivation stuff.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker C:Because I just known on the very couple of times that I had tried a couple of things that I just wasn't going to do it.
Speaker C:Just would not do it.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:Yeah, I don't necessarily think it's sort of similar to what you said though.
Speaker C:I don't necessarily think it was.
Speaker C:I've tried everything.
Speaker C:It was a. I've tried what I've tried and I know I won't do that anymore.
Speaker B:That's good self awareness though.
Speaker C:I think that for me that was where my snap point is.
Speaker C:For me, I think snap point, when I look back on my own personal snap point, it really comes down to clarity.
Speaker C:So it's a really clear like thought process of understanding how I'm feeling now, what I've done to get here and understanding, not necessarily understanding how do I fix it because I obviously didn't have those tools and the knowledge to fix it, but understanding what wasn't going to fix it.
Speaker C:So it sort of then leaves you openings to.
Speaker C:There's only like, there's only a Certain amount of things then that are going to be able to fix it.
Speaker B:You know what, though?
Speaker B:That's a good point you bring up.
Speaker B:Because even though, like, compared to some people that we've, we've worked with, like, your diet experience is limited, compared to some we know that have just done gazillion different things.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Over the course of, over the course of decades, you still, you still had the self awareness to come around and then say, well, you know what?
Speaker B:This way doesn't work.
Speaker B:My way doesn't work.
Speaker B:I need something else.
Speaker C:That's how I would define a snap point.
Speaker C:How would you define a snap point?
Speaker B:Well, goes without saying that I completely agree with what you said, personally.
Speaker B:I frame it in my mind at least.
Speaker B:I'm just applying this to me.
Speaker B:I frame it like this.
Speaker B:When you get to the stage where you say no to your own.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And you get sick of your own bullshit and the self.
Speaker B:It is self abuse.
Speaker B:I'll use the phrase here.
Speaker B:You get sick of your own self abuse of putting yourself through the wringer.
Speaker B:It's just like, no.
Speaker B:Like I am flat out rejecting the status quo.
Speaker B:Enough of this bullshit and enough of me.
Speaker B:Because when you think about it, like, yes, there's a lot of bullshit and a lot of noise out there, a lot of fakes, a lot of frauds, a lot of just crap, but the single biggest enemy that we've all got, ourselves.
Speaker B:So to me, the snap points where you just get to that moment where it's like, you know what?
Speaker B:Enough of this.
Speaker B:Enough of my this.
Speaker B:I'm done.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So again, I think what you're saying also is in your own way, that it is a sense of clarity.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:It's clarity.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:For sure.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Well, you notice like, what you said to yourself, like, you'll, you'll tell yourself, oh, not that bad.
Speaker B:I would never tell myself that because deep down I knew I was that bad.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:I would do it in other ways.
Speaker B:So it's like, oh, oh, someone's got the camera out.
Speaker B:I've got to go to the toilet.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:I've got to duck off.
Speaker B:I've got to disappear.
Speaker B:For some reason, I don't want to be in the photos.
Speaker B:Like, here's the thing.
Speaker B:In high school, there's.
Speaker B:There's high school.
Speaker B:Remember how in high school you'd have the, the yearly photo of your entire grade?
Speaker C:Yeah, the class photo.
Speaker B:The class photo, Yeah.
Speaker B:I chuck chickies on those days.
Speaker B:Hold me in the photo.
Speaker C:You didn't even be in the class photo.
Speaker B:No, I wasn't there for the day.
Speaker B:That day I was sick.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:Actual truth.
Speaker B:I want to be seen in the photo.
Speaker B:Yeah, this is, this was in high school and that continued into, into adult life.
Speaker B:So like, oh, that's a reflective surface.
Speaker B:I'll just walk around that.
Speaker B:Oh, I'm walking past the shop window.
Speaker B:There's my reflection.
Speaker B:I'll just look in another way so I can't see myself.
Speaker B:Don't acknowledge it.
Speaker B:You know, out of sight, out of.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So, yeah, for me it was never.
Speaker B:Was never.
Speaker B:You're not that bad because.
Speaker B:Yeah, it was that bad.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:But out of sight, out of mind, you know, so you, you do these things like that.
Speaker B:And then for me it's also like, you know, you start.
Speaker B:For me, I was, you know, half assing, half assed efforts.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And like, stop me.
Speaker B:This sounds familiar.
Speaker B:Like, oh, yep, I've gone to the gym today.
Speaker B:Well, I've earned it.
Speaker B:I'm now going to go and get some McDonald's or get some junk food and blah, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker B:Eventually it's just like this gotta stop.
Speaker B:Like it's like with you, Courtney, like you do, I think you bang your head against the wall long enough, it's just like, what am I doing?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And so it is, it is a moment of clarity.
Speaker B:So we, we spoke this before about like, yeah, you've got to establish what your goals are, but you've got to go a level deeper.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Why are these goals important?
Speaker B:So now Courtney and I are going to give personal examples that we've gone through or are going through to sort of illustrate to you, listening how we feel.
Speaker B:And we believe you would be well served to start thinking when it comes to this.
Speaker B:Because if you've, if you've listened to the three episodes prior to this and you think to yourself, like, you know what, that makes total sense.
Speaker B:Boris can't make it stick.
Speaker B:This is why.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:This is why people can't make this stuff stick.
Speaker B:Because they haven't had that moment of clarity yet.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker B:And I think not everyone, not I, I personally don't think people need to necessarily have.
Speaker B:Well, I would consider brutal snap points.
Speaker B:No, clarity can come just through honest self reflection of like, okay, why do I want to achieve these things?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So we'll give some, some examples here that might help you along to give you some food for thought.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:Moving forward to this, would you like to go first or shall I?
Speaker C:I don't mind.
Speaker B:Ladies first.
Speaker C:Well, I think I just went by similar style to what you laid out, Matt.
Speaker C:So like Original goals versus goals now.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker C:So like when I talk about my original goals.
Speaker C:So back, you know, 10 years ago, it was literally just not to be fat, like heavily overweight.
Speaker C:So mine original goals consisted of.
Speaker C:I think they were fairly simple at the time, which was just literally.
Speaker C:I don't remember a lot of my goals at the time being based around how I felt energy wise or anything like that.
Speaker C:It was literally about the way that I looked.
Speaker C:So it was just.
Speaker C:I didn't want to be heavily overweight.
Speaker C:I didn't want to be the fattest person amongst my family anymore or you know, the people I was around.
Speaker C:And I wanted more of a like shapely body type.
Speaker C:So I didn't want to just feel like a blob.
Speaker C:Like I wanted to be able to look at my body and actually see shape.
Speaker C:That's how, that's what my original goals were.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:There was obviously probably goals at some stages in there about feeling better, you know, health style goals.
Speaker C:But if I'm thinking back 10 years ago, my main objectives was just to not look like a blob, which is.
Speaker B:What I felt like now.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker C:So my.
Speaker C:Why would be just literally tired of feeling like.
Speaker C:So like I mentioned before, I just, it was starting to affect me mentally in terms of feeling just crap all the time.
Speaker B:Like crap about yourself, crap about being.
Speaker C:In public, just about myself.
Speaker C:I definitely suffered, I always have like suffered from anxiety.
Speaker C:But it was, it was generally not triggered by, you know, being out in public.
Speaker C:It was my own anxious thoughts, you know, tend to be affecting me.
Speaker C:But I mean that would never help.
Speaker C:Like that didn't help either.
Speaker C:So anxiety wise it wouldn't have helped.
Speaker C:But not from a social point of view, if that makes sense.
Speaker C:No, no self confidence whatsoever.
Speaker C:So I would obviously be able to fake it very well when I was at work and things like that, but never had any real self confidence.
Speaker B:In what ways did you want to apply yourself with self confidence that you're.
Speaker C:Being held back so more socially.
Speaker C:So social situation didn't necessarily fill me with anxiety, but they weren't something that I reached out to do because I just didn't like the way that I looked.
Speaker C:And you know, I.
Speaker C:If I just didn't want to be that person in the room that I felt out of place.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker C:And mostly that came down to sort of dating because I was in my early 20s and I wanted to start dating seriously.
Speaker C:I had had some sort of not very serious relationships obviously through school.
Speaker C:I never had like a real serious, serious relationship and I wanted to like really Go put myself out there and meet somebody and I just had that.
Speaker B:Work out for you.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And I just had no confidence to do that.
Speaker C:I just would not have done it.
Speaker C:You know, my friends at the time wanted me to put on, you know, one of the dating websites or something like that.
Speaker C:I just wouldn't do it.
Speaker B:Tinder?
Speaker C:No, no.
Speaker C:Tinder then.
Speaker C:Okay, but that came later.
Speaker C:But yes, I wouldn't have.
Speaker C:I wouldn't have done it.
Speaker C:I wouldn't have even gone out on a date with a guy, I have to say, at the time, because I just would.
Speaker C:I would have been far too anxious about the way that I looked.
Speaker C:I didn't like the way that I looked, so I couldn't imagine that any male would like the way that I looked.
Speaker C:And I definitely feel like I was low in energy because of all of that.
Speaker C:I mean, you couldn't binge eat and eat the amount of that I was eating and not feel low in energy.
Speaker C:So it definitely would have affected my energy levels.
Speaker C:I was working in hospitality at the time, so I needed to be able to do a lot of stuff.
Speaker C:You know, walking a lot, carrying a lot of stuff.
Speaker C:You know, it's a physical job.
Speaker B:What about your work hours?
Speaker C:My work hours were all over the place as well.
Speaker B:Can you give an example?
Speaker C:Oh, so, yeah, night shift might have been get to work at 2, leave at 2am, 1am Sometimes you'd sleep in the next day and not have your work until 2:00, clock again, but sometimes you'd have to be back there at 9am Just depends on the week.
Speaker C:So it was.
Speaker C:Yeah, it was a bit all over the place as well.
Speaker C:So my.
Speaker C:Why was literally just to.
Speaker C:Number one was to look better and to feel more confident about myself, so I could meet people and not feel like I was the fattest person in the room amongst my family or my friends.
Speaker C:And then there was definitely an, like, area of just feeling better in that.
Speaker B:Can I.
Speaker B:Can I say it's very clear that that was enough for you because it got you started.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:As.
Speaker B:As you're going to illustrate now, like, your goals change as you change and things evolve.
Speaker B:Because, you know, we change as people, we grow as people, so our goals grow with us.
Speaker B:But it was.
Speaker B:These were clearly not just honest goals, but honest reasons for having them.
Speaker B:Because it got you moving.
Speaker C:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker C:And I think now if we look at goals, they're not super dissimilar.
Speaker C:Like, I still want to.
Speaker C:I think now, though, I've learned that how I feel has such a massive role So I think once I started to get the way that I looked in my shape, going in terms of changing for the better, it really started to focus more on, well, how do I feel and how do I function.
Speaker B:How do you feel in what way though?
Speaker C:In my body, how does my body function and then how my energy levels, how am I feeling, how much energy do I have to just do day to day tasks, but also the energy, like my mental energy, like how do I feel about myself?
Speaker C:Because then obviously that for me having anxiety, that has a flow on effect.
Speaker B:Do you put mental health in the how you feel?
Speaker B:Yes, category.
Speaker C:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker C:So for my goals now, it's just to look, I say just to like it's that easy, but it is to look and feel my best and to be happy in my skin.
Speaker B:What is your best?
Speaker C:So, well, that is the definition.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:So my best personally is when I'm sitting at a weight range that I, I personally feel comfortable and my body shape is like a shapely body shape.
Speaker C:Like I don't have like a, like a pin on.
Speaker C:I must look like this.
Speaker C:My body weight is going to fluctuate a little bit.
Speaker C:You know, that's fine.
Speaker B:Everyone's does.
Speaker C:Everyone's does.
Speaker C:But my main goal is to always make sure that I've got the shapely body shape that I like the look of.
Speaker C:It's the athletic, you know, more, more muscular, more hourglassy body shape.
Speaker B:I think athletic fits the bill with you.
Speaker C:And that's what I like.
Speaker C:Not everyone's the same, oh, there's no.
Speaker B:Right or wrong here.
Speaker C:There's no right or wrong.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker C:I've never wanted to be super slim.
Speaker C:It's not what brings me joy.
Speaker C:So you've got to find a body shape that brings you joy and that's not the body shape that brings me joy.
Speaker B:Would, would the phrase athletic curves.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Be appropriate here?
Speaker C:Yeah, Perfect.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So that's sort of my new goals are to stay within that, to keep my body functioning the best way it can as well as looking the best way it can.
Speaker B:Functioning.
Speaker B:Tell me more.
Speaker C:So when I talk about functioning, you know, it's the energy and the strength levels to do anything I want to do.
Speaker C:So for me, I place strength levels at a higher importance than I ever thought that I would have.
Speaker B:Physical strength.
Speaker C:Physical strength.
Speaker C:So if you asked me, you know, 10 years ago, I would have cared less how strong I was.
Speaker C:I just wanted to look less fat.
Speaker C:But I think over the time I've learned, you know, like coming with body shape comes with you know, lifting weights is the best way to change your body shape.
Speaker C:And coming with lifting weights and getting stronger as a person has come with so many more advantages than I ever would have known existed.
Speaker C:Not just from a health standpoint because obviously like the more muscle mass you have, it has flow on effects to bone density and things like that.
Speaker C:But immune function, immune function.
Speaker C:But just in terms of even just feeling more self sufficient, you know as a female I like the feeling personally of being able to move the couch if I want to move the couch or you know, bring in my groceries in one go because I'm too lazy to take two trips out to the car.
Speaker C:Like I like the feeling of being able to lift that sort of stuff.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:So I think for me I like the idea of always keeping that strength as well.
Speaker C:So the older I get, I really want.
Speaker C:I mean I know I'm still only in my early 30s, but it's becoming more obvious to me the more I learn about it and the stronger I am in my body that this is going to decrease over time.
Speaker C:So my why also then extends to continuing in the future.
Speaker C:So I want to keep my strength, my energy and the body shape that I want going forward.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker C:Yeah, it gets, everyone's saying just understand how this works.
Speaker B:Now you, why are these things important to you?
Speaker B:What will they do for you?
Speaker C:Yeah, so one of the big ones is obviously health.
Speaker B:Long term health as in longevity.
Speaker C:Just longevity?
Speaker C:Yep, just longevity.
Speaker C:Like we spoke about, immune function, bone density, you know, your muscle mass is going to decrease in time naturally.
Speaker C:So keeping that all up, you know, I would love to be able to, you know my, my grandmother unfortunately passed away this year at 90.
Speaker C:I've got another grandmother who's going strong at 90.
Speaker C:Two goals, both living by themselves.
Speaker B:Independence.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So that's the sort of thing I look at and say, well I want that.
Speaker C:I want to be 90 and living by myself.
Speaker B:As in without me.
Speaker C:Well, you are 11 years older than me.
Speaker B:I'll be around when you're 90, don't worry.
Speaker B:Don't you worry about that.
Speaker C:But so that from, that's a big why in terms of when we're talking about the feel and the, the function of my body, when I talk about the look, it's really just comes down to confidence and my own, how good I feel about myself is also wrapped up in the way that I look.
Speaker C:It just is like you're not going to sit here and lie and say that.
Speaker C:No, the way that I look has no impact on my self worth because I would be lying.
Speaker B:Personally.
Speaker B:I don't believe anyone when they say things like that.
Speaker C:Yeah, I would be lying if I said that.
Speaker C:So the way that I look absolutely has an impact on the way I feel about myself.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker C:So mentally, from a mental standpoint and from a confidence standpoint, I feel my best when I believe I look my best.
Speaker C:And then if you carry on from that is when I feel my best, is when I'm at my best to do everything else.
Speaker C:Like when I feel my best, I can help other people.
Speaker C:I'm better at work, I'm.
Speaker C:I'm a better wife, I'm a better daughter, sister.
Speaker C:I'm better at listening, I'm better at helping other people.
Speaker C:Like, I just feel like when you feel your best, you're able then to contribute more in life.
Speaker B:Well said.
Speaker C:So that like, if we really like dug down to the root of it, that's the reason why that I want to look my best for me because I want to feel good about myself.
Speaker B:That's outstanding.
Speaker C:That's me.
Speaker B:You single?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Your turn.
Speaker C:So if we're going to go Matt's turn now to give us some insight into his original goals.
Speaker C:Let's start with your original goals first.
Speaker C:So tell us what you're looking back, what your original goals might have been.
Speaker C:Obviously this is going to be a bit of a shortened version and we're all obviously also thinking back like 10 years ago for me and how many years ago for you?
Speaker B:20 plus.
Speaker C:20 plus?
Speaker B:Oh, actually no, no, no, no, not 20 plus.
Speaker B:No, I.
Speaker B:It'd be, it'd be just around 17, 18, 19, 20 years.
Speaker B:But it's not so much about reaching back because what do I have that annoys the shit out of you sometimes?
Speaker C:Well, you've got a very good memory, but I'm just saying is a general statement.
Speaker C:But anyway, tell us what your original goals were, Matt.
Speaker B:Well, I can tell you I had two.
Speaker B:First one, not to be morbidly obese.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:The second one was not to be a victim of my at the time, recent diabetes diagnosis.
Speaker B:So I am and still am today a type 2 diabetic.
Speaker B:Type 2 diabetic.
Speaker B:If you are wondering is the lifestyle one, you generally will get it because you don't take care of yourself.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:And once you got it, you got it.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:So just like type 1 diabetes, once you've got it, it is something you're always going to have.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:But it's not something you were born with.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker B:And fortunately with type 2, you don't necessarily need medication.
Speaker B:If you take care of yourself.
Speaker B:But anyway, those are my original goals.
Speaker B:Don't be a balloon on legs and don't suffer the.
Speaker B:The symptoms of diabetes.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:So why, why.
Speaker B:So I mentioned before about literally taking sick days, or as we like to say here in Australia, chucking sickies.
Speaker B:When it came to the school class photos.
Speaker B:Like, if you, if you go and look up and I can show you, Courtney, you're going to look up the class photos from my senior year in high school.
Speaker B:Guess who's not in them?
Speaker B:This guy.
Speaker B:Because this guy, Chuck the sickie, because he didn't want to be seen in the photos.
Speaker B:So he dodged it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:I got tired of doing things like that.
Speaker B:I got tired of.
Speaker B:It extended to when I was out of high school and, and working.
Speaker B:I'll just have days where it's just like, I just don't want to be seen in public today.
Speaker B:I just can't bear the thought of people looking at me.
Speaker B:I'm chucking a sickie.
Speaker C:Bit of social anxiety.
Speaker B:That was that.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:That's a separate part of it, but it's coming.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:It wasn't so much social events because I would actually avoid social events.
Speaker B:It was more, well, I've got a job and I'm rostered on.
Speaker B:On these days, in these times, and it's just not today.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:So I just invent reasons to be sick.
Speaker B:Eventually I got called out on it because I was doing it so often.
Speaker B:It's like, hey, you're.
Speaker B:You're a lot of sick days.
Speaker B:What's going on?
Speaker B:You know, I just got tired of things like that.
Speaker B:Like, tired of.
Speaker B:Tired of hiding.
Speaker B:Tired of, oh, there's a mirror there.
Speaker B:I'm going to avoid that.
Speaker B:Tired of that, you know, being seen.
Speaker B:The anxiety of being seen in public.
Speaker B:Like, I just got sick of just being so down on myself and having no confidence.
Speaker B:Like, it was hard to talk to friends because I thought they would always be judging me.
Speaker B:Like, let alone talking to women like that was just off the table.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Like, people like you used to scare the.
Speaker B:Out of me.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because I thought, imagine what they're thinking about me.
Speaker B:Because I'm thinking it's, you know, and I also felt like I've got to be capable of more than this and there's got to be more to life than this.
Speaker B:In hindsight, the way.
Speaker B:The way I would.
Speaker B:I would describe it now is I got sick of being a spectator as opposed to being an active participant in my own life.
Speaker B:And unfortunately, when you're overweight and you're unhealthy and you're down on confidence and you just, you hate the status quo.
Speaker B:So often you become a spectator in your own life.
Speaker B:Like, I'm sure you listening can relate to this in some way.
Speaker B:Or, you know, someone that can, like avoiding the cameras saying notice to social outings with friends or family because you don't want to be seen or you don't want to have to go through the.
Speaker B:The of putting on clothes where it's like a, what.
Speaker B:What can I wear that I look the least fat in?
Speaker B:That's not living.
Speaker C:Yeah, I've had those.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:But that sucks.
Speaker C:Like, you end up with a pile of clothes on your bed because you've changed clothes so often.
Speaker B:A pile of clothes and eventually you're in tears.
Speaker C:It's just like nothing you own looks good.
Speaker B:Everything in here looks like.
Speaker B:Because I look like.
Speaker C:Yeah, I definitely had that.
Speaker B:Honestly, I just got sick of all that.
Speaker B:And I just thought to myself, there's got to be more than this, you know?
Speaker B:And like, I used to just swear black and blue to myself, like, I'm gonna die.
Speaker B:I'm gonna die alone.
Speaker B:I'll never have a partner.
Speaker B:I'll never get married.
Speaker B:Who's gonna want me?
Speaker B:Like, this is it for me.
Speaker B:That's not healthy.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I got sick of it.
Speaker B:So those were my whys.
Speaker B:So I spoke before at the start of the episode about.
Speaker B:Some people will have goals they want to achieve, so I want to move towards things.
Speaker B:Other people will have sources of pain they want to move away from when I first started.
Speaker B:Similar to yourself, Courtney.
Speaker B:And I think as well, a lot of people that start in their own way to, you know, similar to where we started, tend to more want to move away from sources of pain.
Speaker B:Just get me away from this.
Speaker B:Then over time, it starts to change.
Speaker B:So when I get to my goals now, my goals now are about moving away from sources of pain.
Speaker B:It's about moving towards things.
Speaker B:But anyway, so that's what it was for me.
Speaker B:So I wanted to, you know, not be morbidly obese, not be a victim of diabetes because I thought life had to be more than this.
Speaker B:It's just this wasn't a long term thing.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, so then I contrast that to these days.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker C:Your more recent goals.
Speaker B:So come forward a long way.
Speaker B:So much like Courtney was saying earlier, as I've gotten older, and yes, I am, as Courtney likes to advertise so often, I am 11 years older than Courtney.
Speaker B:I am still stronger, faster, more athletic, blah, blah, blah, I got you covered.
Speaker B:Don't you worry about that.
Speaker B:Anyway, though, as, as, like, like, I mean, I'm in my mid-40s.
Speaker B:As I get older, I have learned and have placed a greater value on.
Speaker B:Well, you know what?
Speaker B:I want to keep what I've got for, for as long as I can.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because we all know people, we've all got them in our circles where it's like, hang on, you're in your 40s or you're in your 50s, but you're getting around like you're in your hundreds or your 90s, you know, the, the whole accelerated aging thing.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Like if you, if you're listening, like if you happen to be my age or older, like, I'm sure you've got people you went to school with where it's like, woof, what the happened?
Speaker B:That will not be me.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So I've got a, a higher value on keeping what I've got in terms of functional independence and ability and strength and performance.
Speaker B:I want to squeeze as much juice out of the orange as I can for as long as I can.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And so one thing I've been doing the last couple of years in conjunction with that is I've taken up martial arts.
Speaker B:Something like I've been a fan of combat sports for a very, very, like 30 years now.
Speaker B:Then it's like, well, you know what?
Speaker B:I'm going to apply myself and my body to a new pursuit.
Speaker B:So take what I've done, take what I've created, like my strength, my ability, my coordination, my confidence.
Speaker B:Let's go apply that to something different.
Speaker B:Like I've been going to the gym for eons and I still, I still do.
Speaker B:Nothing's changed there, you know, it's just applying in a different way now.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I've got the goals of like, well, hey, now that I'm doing martial arts training, let's go collect some belts.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And start working your way up the ladder, chasing after the different, higher colored belts.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker C:Why?
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Well, number one reason why I do what I do and how I work to sustain it, let alone improve on it.
Speaker B:I ain't going back to where I used to be.
Speaker B:Not in a million years.
Speaker C:No, I didn't have that as one of my wise, but yeah, it's a really good one.
Speaker B:I was not.
Speaker B:I'm, I've.
Speaker B:I'll tell you what, there's a saying I'm going to use right now that I think is absolute gold.
Speaker B:I've come too far to only come this far.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:I am not going back.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:That.
Speaker B:That is, like, to me, it's felt like I've lived two separate lives.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I'm not going back to my first life.
Speaker B:But that is done.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:The number one is that the second why for me is, well, I want to be confident in myself, no matter where I am, what I'm doing, and who I'm around.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:Because much like you, Courtney, like, you know, I'm not going to.
Speaker B:I'm not going to sit here and blow smoke up anyone's bum.
Speaker B:Like, I want to look my best.
Speaker B:Because if, you know, you're not at your best, it undermines your confidence.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker B:And as Courtney will.
Speaker B:Will happily tell you, I probably have irrational confidence, which has been earned, I might add, has been worked on over a long period of time.
Speaker B:But I don't want that to be undermined because it affects what I do.
Speaker B:Because you listening would know if you're low on confidence, you need to wait every part of your life.
Speaker B:It's not just one thing or another.
Speaker B:Like, it's affected me in the past.
Speaker B:It's affected my relationship with myself, friendships, relationship with family, work, let alone, you know, romantic life.
Speaker B:Like, what the hell was that?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know?
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:So I want to be confident in myself no matter what the situation is, you know, and as.
Speaker B:As I said before, functional strength and physical independence are really important to me, especially as I get older.
Speaker B:I don't want to be someone who is, say, you know, in my age bracket, but, you know, looks and functions like they're 25 plus years older.
Speaker B:Like, no, no, I don't want that.
Speaker B:I, like, I've embraced the challenge now.
Speaker B:I like the idea of people being like, what?
Speaker B:Matt's in his 40s and he does that, and he can do that.
Speaker B:Like, yeah, that's me.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, so, you know, martial arts for me in particular has been a new challenge and a new mountain to climb.
Speaker B:A great.
Speaker B:A great saying I've been taught is that the top of the current mountain should be the bottom of the next one.
Speaker B:And that's what martial arts is to me in this case.
Speaker B:So, you know, I believe that we all need new challenges to keep growing and to incentivize us to.
Speaker B:To keep improving, let alone to keep what we've earned.
Speaker B:Because we said it before on this podcast, like, it's one thing to achieve a result, it's another thing entirely to actually keep it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So to me, I know the way I'm wired.
Speaker B:I've got to continue to challenge and push Myself.
Speaker B:Not just to achieve new goals and chase new carrots, but to keep what I've already done and not go back to where I used to be, not regress in that way.
Speaker B:I guess you might say that these days I want to be an active participant in my own life and get the most out of it.
Speaker B:Because as far as I know, I'm open to being proven wrong.
Speaker B:As far as I know, we're only here once.
Speaker B:I'm getting the most of this shit.
Speaker B:I'm at the stage where, for me, in my life, I'd rather regret the things I did, not regret the things I didn't do.
Speaker B:Yes, sometimes it blows up in your face, but hey, I've made my choice.
Speaker B:I'm going to roll with it.
Speaker B:But then I can even go a step further and go, well, okay, what about.
Speaker B:What about my career, the work that I do?
Speaker B:So for me, like, a work goal is I want to help as many people as possible change and improve their lives in their own way, like I have with mine, like Courtney has with hers, and help people, you know, get through the bullshit of diets in the weight loss field in general.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Like, you know, because what you and I have done, Courtney, individually, like, I think I.
Speaker B:For me, I've been guilty of probably almost not fully appreciating what I've done for myself, because let's be honest, what we've done has been monumental because we've seen so many other people just quit, give up, walk away, just talk themselves out of it.
Speaker B:It's like, wow, I'm kind of proud of myself for not having done that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:But I want to.
Speaker B:I want to have it, even from a work perspective, where.
Speaker B:Well, I want to be able to be as a small part in helping people do their own version of this.
Speaker B:Okay, why.
Speaker B:Why is that goal important?
Speaker B:Well, for me, I'll speak just for me, personally, helping others, no matter how big or small a way that might be, honestly makes me feel good about myself, makes me feel like I'm contributing, like I'm part of something.
Speaker B:You know, it makes me feel valuable.
Speaker B:You know, I like paying it forward, giving back, you know, But I also know that for me, with, you know, the lifestyle that I want to live and the things that I want to do, I will better facilitate and improve lifestyle by helping other people facilitate and improve life.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:What's the.
Speaker B:What's the phrase?
Speaker B:Givers gain, Give us gain.
Speaker B:So the why behind the work I've been doing for a long time now is, well, I want to help other People.
Speaker B:Because I know helping other people helps me.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:In more ways than one.
Speaker B:It's not.
Speaker B:Well, it's not just talking about, oh, well, I make money and blah, blah, blah, like, yeah, we all got to put, put the food on the table.
Speaker B:But above that, it gives me a sense of purpose.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Good.
Speaker C:Love it.
Speaker C:But now I think it's really great idea, Matt, is to really go away and really have some self reflection and some clarity behind what you want to achieve and most importantly, why you want to achieve it.
Speaker B:I think something that you do, Courtney, that could be really useful here because you, you've gotten into journaling.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:This year I think I recommend to you listening.
Speaker B:Don't be afraid to write this down.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:I would actually encourage you to write it down because as you went through, probably just heard when Matt and I were talking and Matt's like the best at this.
Speaker C:As you can probably tell by the way he approached my goals.
Speaker C:Is that often you need to dig so deep where you constantly asking yourself why?
Speaker C:So there's more than one why?
Speaker C:Why is that important to you?
Speaker C:That question might come up three times between you writing out your whys.
Speaker C:So that's why.
Speaker C:Unless you have someone to really play off and, and dig into it with.
Speaker C:Writing it down I think is essential because it might not just be one why.
Speaker C:So there might.
Speaker C:There's layers often to it that you've got to.
Speaker C:That you've got to unlock.
Speaker C:So being able to write it down and, and look at it, reflect on that one.
Speaker C:Maybe the one why you've written down, reflect on that and maybe ask yourself the question again.
Speaker C:Why is that important to you?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Else you can do though, write it down, go away, come back, then ask the question the next day.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Having literally slept on it, you've got.
Speaker C:To, you've got to do it over time.
Speaker C:I think I agree because that becomes, it becomes really clear to you and you, you.
Speaker C:You've got good amount of time to process it to really get to the layers because often our brains will just come up with one reason why that's important to you.
Speaker C:But there's often extra there that we just need to get to.
Speaker C:So I think it's a great, great point, Matt.
Speaker C:Go away, have more of a think about it, come back and ask yourself the same question why again?
Speaker C:But ask yourself the question why is that important to you?
Speaker C:Not on your original goal, but on the first why you answered with.
Speaker C:And then go away and think about that.
Speaker C:So I think it's a really good, a really good I was gonna say.
Speaker C:How do you say it?
Speaker C:Exercise.
Speaker C:I was gonna say experiment, but that's the wrong word.
Speaker B:Exercise.
Speaker C:Exercise.
Speaker C:Exercise is the right word.
Speaker C:It's a really good exercise to do, and it's not something that you have to do just at the start.
Speaker C:You know, it's something that's great to do whenever you feel like you want to achieve something.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:Something that I.
Speaker B:We like to do with clients is actually assess their goals regularly, because this is the thing.
Speaker B:Like, whatever you do with this exercise, whatever you might write down or jot down or whatever, there's a pretty good chance it's going to change within the next six to 12 months as you change.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker B:But Courtney used, I think, the perfect word.
Speaker B:Layers.
Speaker B:There's always layers to this.
Speaker B:It's never as simple as, oh, I just want to lose weight, get fit and tone up.
Speaker B:Like, yes, you do, but no, you don't.
Speaker B:That's not the real answer.
Speaker B:I would encourage you just to dig deep and then dig deeper again, because it can be.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:To me, it's never just as simple as, oh, well, I just want to lose weight, and then I'll be happy.
Speaker B:Like, no.
Speaker B:How does this affect you in your life?
Speaker B:Not just with what you see in the mirror.
Speaker B:How does it affect your work, your career?
Speaker B:How does it affect your relationship or potential relationships?
Speaker B:How does it affect your social life?
Speaker B:It's never just as simple as I just want to lose weight.
Speaker B:Like, no, I guarantee you it affects you in more ways than this.
Speaker B:Like, I know for me, I didn't mention it earlier, one of the things that used to drive me crazy that really, really sort of stuck with me was how much I absolutely hated going to the movies, right?
Speaker B:Going to the cinemas and having the armrests digging in to my hips.
Speaker B:It was painful to sit there and watch a movie.
Speaker B:Same thing with flying on a plane.
Speaker B:It hurt sitting in the seats because I was so wide that the armrests were digging into me.
Speaker B:Like, it's not.
Speaker B:It's not just, like, I just want to lose weight.
Speaker B:There's.
Speaker B:There's ways that this affects you.
Speaker B:And I think you've got to be prepared to be honest and take your time to really get deep on this.
Speaker B:Because that's.
Speaker B:I said earlier, I'll say it again, that's the purpose of this exact podcast episode is you need an anchor point.
Speaker B:You've got to tie the tools that you're going to implement that we've spoken about in the previous three episodes.
Speaker B:They've got to be tied Back to a reason.
Speaker B:Yeah, because honestly, I'll be blunt here.
Speaker B:The reason of I just want to go to the gym or I'm just going to do a program.
Speaker B:Nope, they're not going to work for you.
Speaker B:They're not going to carry you through.
Speaker B:Guaranteed.
Speaker B:Have seen this so many effing times over such a long period of time.
Speaker B:Now this is where people get stuck.
Speaker B:They lose sight of what they want to achieve and more importantly, why they want to achieve it and what it will do for them if they do.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:This is how you actually get past horseshit like motivation or willpower.
Speaker B:You don't need none of that crap.
Speaker B:If you have an anchor point that is honest and clear.
Speaker B:Done.
Speaker C:Done.
Speaker B:Bring us home.
Speaker C:Great.
Speaker C:Well, I think that is a wrap for this episode.
Speaker C:We're going to leave it there.
Speaker C:We hope you got a lot out of it.
Speaker C:Thank you for sticking with us this long.
Speaker C:If you haven't.
Speaker C:If you're not already a member of our Facebook page, make sure that you a Facebook group.
Speaker C:Sorry.
Speaker C:Make sure that you join the Facebook group.
Speaker C:Just look up the weight loss podcast on Facebook.
Speaker B:The link will also be in the.
Speaker B:The this podcast episode description in the.
Speaker B:Whatever app that you're using.
Speaker C:Perfect.
Speaker B:So that's a wrap, Courtney.
Speaker C:That's a wrap.
Speaker B:Thank you for joining me.
Speaker B:This has been.
Speaker B:I think it's been fantastic.
Speaker B:Just ask me.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker B:You've done well.
Speaker C:We're out.
Speaker B:Bye.
Speaker C:Bye.
Speaker A:Are you ready to share your success?
Speaker A:Head over to our website for full access to our show notes, resources based on today's topic and links to our Facebook group so you can share your story with our hosts and many others out there who are looking to achieve and maintain their health and fitness goals.
Speaker A:You can find all that and more exclusively@theweightlosspodcast.com.
Speaker C:SA.
