user Did you know that in 2019 the diet industry was valued at $192 billion dollars? That’s crazy considering that our obesity rate in the US continues to rise, as well as cases of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. I’m not a doctor but it seems logical to me that if all these diets worked long-term, we would see these numbers going down, not up.
Two Problems I See Again and Again
Why ARE we struggling to become a healthier nation? There are hundreds of reasons that contribute to our unhealthy status but I want to discuss two problems I see over and over again; the desire for quick success and expecting perfection. People want to see the weight come off fast so they try the latest fad diet that is guaranteeing quick results. Unfortunately, studies show that 65% of people that go on a fad diet and successfully lose weight, will regain that weight within 1-5 years. 95% of diets will fail before they even get off and running. I’ve already addressed the added dangers of yo-yo dieting which is concerning when you hear that the average American will try a fad diet four times per year.
Social influencers can also send the wrong message and create unrealistic expectations. Success stories from celebrities can be encouraging, but they can also be misleading. Seeing only the highlights of someone like Rebel Wilson during her weight loss journey makes it look like she didn’t experience any setbacks. The media doesn’t show the ups and downs she most definitely endured. It doesn’t show how many times she slipped up, felt defeated, or wanted to give up. Weight loss is not a perfect process. If it was, we wouldn’t have an obesity epidemic. So how do we stop this vicious cycle and start focusing on true health instead of a number on the scale?
“Perfection is the enemy of progress.”
Winston Churchill
Progress Over Perfection (PoP)
We can start by choosing the mantra progress over perfection. When you set out to accomplish a nutrition or fitness goal, you’ll have so much motivation and drive. You will be hitting the gym 5 days a week, eating nothing but clean foods that are on your strict plan. Unfortunately, this initial motivation will only take you so far. At some point, you will miss a few days at the gym or slip and have dessert at your favorite restaurant. It’s at this point that many just throw in the towel, all because of a few missed workouts or one piece of cheesecake. You chalk it up to another failure. If only we could be kinder to ourselves and learn that lack of perfection does NOT = failure! I’ve already written about relapse and understanding that it’s not an “if”, it’s always a “when.” Start appreciating the progress you’ve made and take the lack of perfection as a discovery tool. Every misstep is a lesson on how to do it differently next time.
Perfection Rarely Leads To Success
When it comes to health, a perfectionist attitude rarely leads to success. Health is not black or white so it shouldn’t be viewed as only perfect or imperfect. Here are some ways I’ve seen perfectionism get in the way of achieving health goals.
- Creates a yo-yo effect
Constantly losing and gaining weight is not only damaging to long-term health, but it’s also damaging to our ability to develop healthy habits. - Ties health goals to self-worth
Often, when someone slips from their goals, they feel like a failure. Instead, you should recognize the progress you’ve made and the healthy habits you’ve created and maintained. - Hinders problem-solving capabilities
If you expect things to be perfect you will never learn how to adapt. Life will constantly throw challenges your way. It might be a birthday party, a girl’s night out, a vacation. If you aren’t willing to think outside your perfect nutrition box, you’ll look at that event as a failure. When it comes to a special occasion or a vacation, I think “better” not “perfect.” If you can make better choices than you might have made a year ago (even if it’s not perfect), that is still progress! - Creates an All-or-Nothing attitude
Eating one cookie doesn’t mean you might as well eat the whole package. Missing one workout doesn’t mean a walk after dinner is pointless. Start looking at small steps as a path to big changes.
The 3 Cs
Control, Confidence, Contentment. In my humble opinion, this is the trifecta of health and wellness. Once you find balance in your approach to nutrition and fitness, you achieve all three Cs and begin to lead a healthy and happy life. How do you do it? Progress over Perfection, baby!
Control
I’ve talked to many clients that start feeling better about themselves the very next day after starting to change lifestyle behaviors. That feeling of success starts before even an ounce of body weight is lost. At that point it’s not about the progress, it’s about feeling in control. Just knowing that you have a plan for improving your health feels amazing. Even better is knowing that you can still have control even if things aren’t perfect.
Confidence
As a personal trainer and a health coach, I love seeing my clients become more confident in the gym and with their nutrition. I see their confidence building as they learn to lean on their strengths and create new positive, lifestyle changes. When clients focus on overall progress instead of stressing over day-to-day mishaps, they find a level of confidence that they didn’t have before.
Contentment
This is the final step to having the ultimate balance in your life. Be content in where you at this very moment. Contentment doesn’t mean we are apathetic to improving ourselves. Contentment just means we are enjoying the journey, knowing it is an ever-evolving process. Once you embrace progress over perfection, you find ways to pat yourself on the back in the most difficult of times.
