I have another quick, fun one-song workout for you. We’ll focus on squat variations, moving to the beat of Kids by MGMT. A throwback that brings me back to college (aging myself here!). The choreography in this squat song workout is easy to follow and I give a preview of the movements in the video below.
If you love workouts like this, you can get access to more by becoming a Patreon member. I have another squat song (different choreography), a prone song focused on glutes, an arm song, and two core-focused songs (core and crunch).
Squat Song Workout – Kids by MGMT
Song workouts are quick and fun, meant to be tacked on to the end of a longer workout or perhaps cardio (a run, a bike ride, etc.). For that reason, there is no guided warm up or cool down with these.
In this squat song, we’ll start with an air squat and gradually dial up theintensity, adding in some jumping.
In the above video:
00:40 Preview of movements
01:24 Song starts
And I have a few other song workouts available for free:
Many of us struggle with the fear of the unknown. The anticipation of what would happen can often be daunting, and for those with anxiety, debilitating. Anxiety can often lead you into a spiral that you don’t know how to escape and while you may feel alone in this experience, you’re not.
Today, Robin talks about her experience with anxiety and how she overcame it. She shares logical and easily applicable tactics to help you take control of your anxiety. If you want to learn how you can distance yourself from paralyzing thoughts, join Robin in today’s conversation.
Show highlights: what you can look forward to in this episode!
Robin shares her story with anxiety
Adjustments Robin made to overcome anxiety
Being proactive in day-to-day practices
How Pilates heightens awareness and creates calmness
The benefits of counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy
This month on Patreon, I shared a Posture Workshop with a 30-min discussion and 45-minute class putting what we learn into action. Think of this quick bodyweight posture workout as a little preview of that. If posture is a topic you’d like to learn more about, check out the workshop on Patreon!
Bodyweight Posture Workout: Upper Body/Core
In this quick upper body and core flow, we’ll focus on posture: opening through the chest, strengthening the upper back/spinal erectors, and mobility/stability of the shoulders. No equipment needed. It’s a great workout to counter the hunching we tend to do working at a desk for extended periods of time.
We’ll start class with some breathing and thoracic mobility. We then move into some side plank work for shoulder stability and core strength. Next we complete a prone series to strengthen the spinal extensors. We finish by putting it together with a push-up-to-prone series. Class concludes with some stretching.
Maybe you’ve felt this way: it’s only a matter of time before someone bursts through the door shouting “fake!”
Then, they’ll have you hauled off to jail as a fraud…or ejected into space as an imposter:
Well, feeling like a phony is a real thing and we’ve found it to be fairly common amongst our coaching clients.
Luckily, we’ve learned a few strategies for overcoming “imposter syndrome,” especially on how it relates to fitness. Today, we’ll share our tips and tricks with you too.
Imposter syndrome exists when a person doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments, despite external evidence of their competence.
Those who suffer from imposter syndrome feel as though they do not deserve all that they have achieved, and instead incorrectly attribute their success to a combination of luck and deceit.
There is also generally a persistent fear of being seen as a “fraud,” that someone, somewhere, will uncover them for what they truly are.
That’s imposter syndrome.
If you’ve ever felt like you don’t deserve your job or accomplishments, you’re not alone. It’s been estimated that 70% of the general population (evenly split between men and women) have felt the effects of imposter syndrome at some point.[1]
Dr. Valerie Young, an expert on imposter syndrome, states:[2]
Impostor syndrome goes beyond a mere lack of confidence. People who feel like impostors hold themselves to an unrealistic and unsustainable standard of competence. Falling short of this standard then evokes shame.
Yeah, not good.
How do we get like this?
Well, it differs depending on the person, but there are some similarities to be found.
Dr. Young identifies five common characteristics of people who generally feel like a phony, despite the evidence to the contrary.
The five types of imposters are:
The Perfectionist
The Expert
The Soloist
The Natural Genius
The Superwoman/Superman
It’ll be important for us to understand each of these, so we can determine some tools and strategies for overcoming them.
So let’s tackle each of these five types of self-diagnosed “imposters” and how it can relate to your fitness journey.
How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome Part 1: The Perfectionist
What’s going on with the Perfectionist?
The Perfectionist feels like the work they do must be 100% perfect, 100% of the time.
They set insanely high goals for themselves, which often prove unattainable.
Even when the Perfectionist HAS clearly succeeded at a task, they often feel that they should have done better. Then self-doubt creeps in.
There are some pros and cons here:
On the one hand, it’s good to have high goals. This shows a lot of internal motivation.
On the other hand, if the goals are so high that they mentally cripple you, then they’re not serving you well.
How’s this related to fitness?
The Perfectionist will often have an “all or nothing” approach. If they can’t get an hour workout in, then they’re not going to even bother with it.
This isn’t good, because the “perfect” time to workout rarely happens.
What to do instead?
Change your expectations around fitness.
Yeah, an hour workout would be great. But even just a five-minute workout is better than “no workout.”
As Theodore Roosevelt put it:
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
With that in mind, here’s a simple 5-minute routine you can do:
Minute #1: 20 seconds of push-ups, 10 seconds of rest, 20 seconds of push-ups, 10 seconds of rest.
Minute #2: 20 seconds of squats, 10 seconds of rest, 20 seconds of squats, 10 seconds of rest.
Minute #3: Plank for as long as you can, then rest until the end of the minute.
Minute #4: 20 seconds of lunges, 10 seconds of rest, 20 seconds of lunges, 10 seconds of rest.
Minute #5: 20 seconds of push-ups, 10 seconds of rest, 20 seconds of push-ups, 10 seconds of rest. (unless you have access to pull-up bar or alternative, then do pull-ups)
The important thing here is to embrace “good enough.”
How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome Part 2: The Superwoman/Superman
What’s going on with the Superwoman/Superman?
The Superwoman/Superman feels like they should excel in every role they take.
Great spouse? Check.
Mother/Father of the year? You bet!
Amazing colleague? Guess who’s clocking in overtime!
The Superwoman/Superman is addicted to this validation, thus they are externally motivated.
Again, we have some pros and cons:
On the one hand, it’s great they want to contribute to the team.
On the other hand, if there’s no one around to praise them, things might not get done.
How’s this related to fitness?
The Superwoman/Superman often needs an outside event to prepare for, like a 5K. Or maybe they want to get in shape for a wedding or a reunion.
Without such an event, they might not feel validated enough to get to work.
What to do instead?
External motivation is a great kickstart, but look to build internal motivation by doing something even if no one else knows about it. Do the task for its own sake.
To build internal motivation, ask yourself: how do you feel before, during, and after a workout?
By constantly reminding yourself of the positive feelings, you can help build internal motivation. This strategy can help wean you away from exclusively being driven by external forces.
How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome Part 3: The Natural Genius
What’s going on with the Natural Genius?
The Natural Genius feels that everything in life should come easy to them. They judge their competence based on the ease and speed of their efforts.
If it takes them a long time to master a task, they just assume they suck. Then they start to feel shame.
Some pros and cons of the Natural Genius:
On the one hand, it’s awesome to have a lot of success in various aspects of life. There’s nothing to feel guilty about!
On the other hand, this feeling of shame might stop you from growing in new areas.
How’s this related to fitness?
If the Natural Genius isn’t instantly good at something, they push it aside:
I can’t bend like that, so I’m throwing away the yoga mat.
I never catch anything, so I’m quitting Ultimate Frisbee.
Everyone is faster than me, so I’m not showing up to the 5K.
What to do instead?
Remember, being bad at something is the first step to being ok at something.
Or…
To help here, look for evidence of something else in your life that was hard – but you pushed through and accomplished it anyway.
It could be something big, like graduating from college, or small, like building a birdhouse.
The important thing to ask: How did you feel after that?
Also, understand that the work is necessary. You’re never going to be good at EVERYTHING. Instead, enjoy the process and the learning curve ahead!
How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome Part 4: The Soloist
What’s going on with the Soloist?
The Soloist believes they have to do everything themselves.
If anyone ever gives them any assistance, it’s a fail, because now they can’t take any credit for the success.
Even if the Soloist finds themselves in trouble, they won’t reach out, preferring to struggle alone.
You’ll often hear the Soloist say things like “I don’t need anyone’s help.”
Like all our “imposters,” there are some pros and cons here:
On the one hand, it’s great to want to be self-sufficient
On the other hand, this may cause unnecessary stress.
How’s this related to fitness?
If the Soloist runs into any health or fitness struggle, they often shut down communication around the topic.
Ironically, we see this from time to time in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program. A client will be doing great, kicking-ass with their workouts and nutrition, and they’ll communicate daily with their coach. But the second they run into any snags, they disappear, almost as if…
What to do instead?
Recognize when you feel like going into “hermit mode” and proactively reach out to others!
Truth be told, the best time to do this is actually before you run into trouble.
Look, things will come up:
Work will turn insane.
A tire will go flat.
Your kid will get sick.
One of the best things you can do when struggling (in fitness or anywhere) is to reach out to someone.
One, they might have some advice.
Two, even just an open ear can be helpful when things aren’t so good.
That’s why we actually encourage everyone who joins Nerd Fitness Prime to reach out to our private Facebook or Discord group. Everyone in there is on a similar journey, so when things go bad, the community can relate.
Someone there might even know what to do.
Whether through the Nerd Fitness Rebellion, work, or some other group, finding an “accountabuddy” can be really helpful when trying to get in shape.
Look around and if you see somebody who’s also on a similar path, say “Hey, let’s do this together!!!”
How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome Part 5: The Expert
What’s going on with the Expert?
The Expert defines themselves by what or how much they know.
Believing they’ll look foolish if they don’t know something, they’ll seek out more information. And more. The Expert endlessly researches a topic, always needing to absorb more.
Also, somewhat ironically, the Expert does not view themselves as an “expert,” instead they choose to remind themselves of their ignorance.
Again, there are strengths and weaknesses here:
On the one hand, being curious is awesome.
On the other hand, constantly searching for more information can be a form of procrastination.
It’s tough, but if you can suck it up and pull the trigger to act, the momentum from that initial decision will propel you forward.
Yes, it’s scary to act and less scary to read more. But acting is what will truly make you an expert.
Getting Rid of Imposter Syndrome (Next Steps)
Perhaps you’ve seen yourself in one of these “imposter” subgroups.
It could be in your fitness and non-fitness related words and actions.
As we covered, each “imposter” comes with certain strengths. But there are also weaknesses.
If you find yourself feeling like a fraud, try one of the strategies we covered today:
Reevaluate your expectations around “perfect.”
Search for internal motivation around the work you need to do.
Remember that it’s okay to “suck” at things now and then.
If you run into trouble, it’s okay to reach out for help.
Ask yourself if you really need to read another internet article, or is it time to act.
If you need help acting, I have three next steps for you.
Next Step #1) Our Online Coaching Program: if you find yourself struggling as the Soloist, maybe it’s time to ask for help.
You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:
Next Step Number #2) If you need a trigger to get you to “act,” check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Next Step Number #3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. It’s the best place to find an accountabuddy.
Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out at home” guides, the Nerd Fitness Diet Cheat Sheet, and much more!
Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit
The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.
Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.
Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.
Alright, I want to hear from you:
Do you occasionally see yourself as an imposter or fraud?
Which one of the subgroups do you recognize in yourself?
Any tips or tricks for overcoming imposter syndrome?
Let me know in the comments!
-Jim
PS: Props to Dr. Valerie Young for helping people overcome imposter syndrome. Young is doing good things in the world.
Being a working mom comes with an array of unique challenges. Breastfeeding on its own can be demanding, but mixing it with working-parent life can be a recipe for stress.
Today’s guest, Kate Torgersen, knows exactly what this struggle is like, and that’s why she created Milk Stork. Milk Stork was birthed from Kate’s own working-parent struggles and she now uses it to help other working moms who are committed to breastfeeding. In this episode, she shares what it’s like for her to be a working mom, the challenges she’s faced this year, and tangible tips to make stress more manageable.
Show highlights: what you can look forward to in this episode!
Robin shares how she discovered Milk Stork
What Kate’s current season of life looks like
Kate’s career path and how Milk Stork started
The way challenges shift throughout parenthood and seasons
What chores Kate doesn’t do and how she balances them
Defining “healthy” for yourself and how intermittent fasting has helped Kate feel her best
Back in the early days of quarantine, I shared a couple workouts using this structure (upper body / lower body). In this 50-minute Circuit Pulse + Tabata Upper Body Class, we’ll go through two strength circuits and finish with a quick tabata.
If you enjoy class, I have more like this available to Patreon members!
Circuit Pulse + Tabata Upper Body Class
EQUIPMENT FOR CLASS:
Set of medium weights (I’m using a pair of 8 lbs and have a single 10 lb for one exercise)
In this class, we start with a guided warm up. It will focus mostly on mobility, mixing in some dynamic movement toward the end to build some heat in the body. We then move onto our circuit pulse + tabata work. We’ll do two strength circuits and finish with a quick tabata.
In each strength circuit, you’ll preform five exercises. You do the full range exercise for 30 seconds then 15 seconds of pulsing then 15 seconds of rest before moving on to the next exercise. Rest for 30 seconds at the end of the circuit before repeating. You complete three sets total.
In the tabata, you preform two exercises, alternating between them, using an interval structure of 20 seconds work / 10 seconds rest x8.
Between each section of class, you get about a minute to recover, but pause the video and take more time if needed. Always listen to your body, modifying or stopping as needed.
We finish class with a guided cool down and stretch.
Workout Breakdown
Times refer to the above video.
02:14 Warm Up & Mobility
07:52 Circuit Pulse + Tabata Workout
Circuit 1
Hammer Curl – Curl Front Extension // pulse curl
RIGHT Concentration Curl // pulse halfway
LEFT Concentration Curl // pulse halfway
Triceps Kickbacks // pulse straight arms
Rev Tabletop Triceps Dip – Hip Lift // triceps dips
Circuit 2
Shoulder Sweep – Shoulder Press // pulse press
Shoulder Shaper – Press Up // pulse press up
Row Narrow – Wide // you choose pulse wide or narrow
Disclaimer: We’re going to be discussing some issues that may be difficult for some going through a tough time. If you (or someone you know) aren’t coping so well, PLEASE see the links at the bottom of this article with some resources from all around the world. Obviously, we recommend discussing this information with your health professional – none of this is a diagnosis, but rather a starting point for discussion.
From here, mental health wizard and resident NF Family Rebel Correspondent, Dan Schmidt, will take it away:
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Aside from being a really clever acronym, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder that, spoiler alert, has a seasonal pattern.
It’s also known as:
Winter depression
Winter blues
Seasonal depression.
In a nutshell, SAD makes people with ‘normal’ mental health experience depressive symptoms at a specific time each year – most often winter.
SAD can be a cruel, powerful, and damaging arctic foe.
But armed with the right weapons, we can ward off the winter monster, or even keep it in full hibernation.
How Do I Know if I have SAD?
Most of us feel a little glum in winter… it’s natural to feel a little down.
Cold mornings, less time outside, and often it’s not as easy to get out and do our favorite things:
So for a lot of us, winter just sucks a little.
We’ve known something was up since the 6th century, but SAD remained a mythical creature until the 1980s in the West when it became officially recognized as a mood disorder. While we’re still not 100% sure of how it works; it’s pretty clear to see that SAD especially thrives in the cooler, darker climates.
For example, studies show[1] SAD’s prevalence in the U.S. ranges from around 1% in Florida to 9% in Alaska. Looking around the world, in Oslo, Norway, around 14% of the population will be impacted by SAD,[2] while us lucky buggers Down Under are barely impacted at all, with estimates that only around 1 in 300 Aussies (0.33%)[3] will experience SAD during the “winter.”
Yes, SAD can occur for some people during summer and other seasons, but this is particularly rare compared to winter prevalence.
Common SAD symptoms include:
low mood for most of the day.
loss of interest in your usual activities.
drowsiness and low energy (lethargy).
fatigue, irritability, and severe mood swings.
Irregular sleep patterns (too much and/or too little)
eating more than usual, especially craving sugar and carbohydrates, leading to weight gain.
loss of interest in things you normally enjoy doing.
intrusive or disturbing thoughts.
Depression is not just a fancy word for feeling “bummed out”, and SAD is just as serious as any other depression and needs to be dealt with promptly and effectively. (See the end of the article for a list of mental health services links.)
“But how do I know the difference between general winter glumness, or if I’m being mauled by the SAD beast like Leo in the Revenant?”
Ask yourself these questions:
“Do you feel like you can’t get yourself out of this rut?”
“Have you lost an interest in things that you usually enjoy?”
“Have you felt this way for more than two weeks?”
If so, then it could be time to have a chat with a professional and perhaps seek treatment. Once again, SAD is just as real and can be just as devastating as Major Depressive Disorder; the only difference is the yearly regular onset.
This bitter beast can take over someone’s entire wellbeing, and left untreated, the consequences can be devastating.
So let’s learn how we can slay the SAD, or even better, keep it in hibernation this year, so we nerds can continue to conquer all year round.
What is the best treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder? (Slaying the SAD Beast)
As with any injury or illness boss battle, you need to use the right medicine weapon to save the day. And there are many weapons you can equip yourself with to slay SAD.
Here is how to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder:
#1) GET SOME LIGHT:
Light helps the body produce serotonin (hormone that affects mood) and reduces the production of melatonin (hormone that makes you sleepy).[4]
Starting with natural light is best, even though it’s not easy. If the sun happens to be peeking out from the clouds, try and get outside for a nice walk. Even on cold or cloudy days, outdoor light can help, particularly in the morning. Making your work and home environments as light and airy as possible and sitting near windows can help too.
If you feel you’re just simply not able to get enough natural light, ‘Light Therapy’is generally one of the first weapons picked up to slay SAD.[5] It can start alleviating symptoms in just a few days and rarely causes any side effects. It’s incredibly simple, and sitting under bright fluorescent globes or in front of a therapy lamp (again, particularly in the morning) has shown to be effective against SAD[6] (anecdotal, but I once met a young woman who started to feel better just by increasing the wattage of her bedroom lightglobes).
#2) EXERCISE AND DIET
Surprise, surprise, our old friends come to the rescue once again. It’s clear[7] that exercise and eating well are key in keeping the blues at bay, so rug up and take a long walk, and be sure to exercise regularly.
Exercise and other types of physical activity help relieve stress and anxiety, both of which can increase SAD symptoms.
If you’re really keen to take on winter, try the Winter Is Coming Workout, and start building that summer body early. For those who don’t like the freezing weather, that’s cool (get it?), you can always do Steve’s 20-minute hotel room workout (pro tip: you don’t actually need to be staying in a hotel room to do the workout… that was $250 I’ll never get back).
As for diet, Steve has already highlighted, if you’re going to eat unhealthy foods during winter, let’s at least be smart about it and negate the impact the holidays have on our waistlines. Try your best to provide a counterbalance to those comfort foods, and keep your diet as close as you can to what it is the rest of the year.
#3) THERAPY
Talk Therapy (Psychotherapy) and cognitive behavioral therapy sound scary but really aren’t.
Psychotherapy focuses on helping you to build skills to deal with the stresses in your life, along with identifying and changing negative thinking patterns. Therapies such as these assist with relearning some of the patterns and thoughts in your life that aren’t doing you any good.
It can feel daunting and really weird ‘opening up’ to a stranger at first. But having a coach to talk through your negative thoughts and feelings, someone who can teach you to manage those better, is generally quite effective. Most people will notice an improvement in as little as two weeks. Really, the “weird” stigma is usually the biggest barrier to even doing the thing in the first place!
#4) GET SOME VITAMIN D
When exposure to sunlight is low, your body makes less Vitamin D.[8] According to this study,[9] Vitamin D deficiency affects nearly HALF of the world population. It is important for overall health. Our friends over at Examine say that if your diet is decent and there’s only one supplement you’re taking, it should probably be Vitamin D during these upcoming months.
The research is a little mixed when it comes to Vitamin D’s effectiveness in battling SAD,[10] but some studies[11] do show an improvement to everyone’s depression scale scores (those with or without SAD). Overall, if you aren’t getting enough sunlight in the winter, consider picking up some Vitamin D!
#5) GET AWAY
If you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity (and can do so safely), take a winter holiday in a sunny, warm location if you feel the SAD is lurking too close to home. If you’re looking to save some cash, I’m happy to have any Rebels crash on my fold-out couch during the Aussie summer (a love of cricket, barbeques, and beer is a must [BYOBB]).
Finally, some people with SAD benefit from antidepressant treatment, especially if symptoms are severe. We’re not here to offer any medical advice, so please see your doctor if you think medication may assist you.
Moving forward with SAD (This too shall pass)
It’s normal to have some days when you feel down, and the holiday season can be especially hard for some.
When short days and miserable weather are piled on top of this, it’s easy to see why ‘winter blues’ is so common. But if you feel down for days at a time and you can’t get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, please speak to someone and see your doctor. This is especially important if your sleep patterns and appetite have changed, you feel a sense of hopelessness, you have intrusive thoughts, or you turn to alcohol/substances for comfort or relaxation.
Above all, take care of yourself this winter:
Be sure to get enough rest, and take the time to relax.
Reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or health professional if you feel you’re having a tough time.
And if someone reaches out to you, remember: We are Rebels, we fight conventional wisdom and smash stigmas. Never leave a fellow nerd behind.
If you feel the bitter, arctic beast starting to rise from its summer slumber, remember that you are not alone, and there are ways to slay the frosty fiend. You are strong enough to beat this, and the entire Rebellion has your back.
Want a little more from us?
If you want to continue your journey with Nerd Fitness, we have three great ways for you to do so:
#1) Our Online Coaching Program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.
You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the button below for more details:
#2) Check out NF Journey, our fun habit-building app that helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
#3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out at home” guides, the Nerd Fitness Diet Cheat Sheet, and much more!
Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit
The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.
Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.
Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.
Alright, that does it for me. Rebels, take care of yourself and each other.
Do you have your own secret weapon to slay the SAD? We’d love to hear from all you Rebels about how you keep your mind healthy during winter; the more ideas we all have, the better! Let us know in the comments!
– Dan
PS – If you, or someone you know, would like further support, here are some excellent links and services that will get you started in the right direction:
Could you use a little something to help you wind down, release tension, and let go of stress you’ve been carrying around in your body?
I just uploaded a brand new workout to The Balanced Life’s YouTube channel and I think you’re going to love it…
This routine will help you to release tension, breathe deeply, and also wind down your mind and body so you can set yourself up for a good night’s rest. Come back to this routine anytime you need to de-stress!
CLICK HERE to view this workout directly on YouTube and make sure to subscribe and you’ll be notified of every new workout!
Remember to take care of yourself this week. You’re worth it.
xo,
PS – Need a little extra self-care? Click here for 3 ways to calm your mind today.
The problem is that pesky things like “reality” and “genetics” and “human behavior” keep getting in the way.
It’s why everybody goes on diet after diet after diet, gaining and losing the same 10-50 lbs.
Most people can only stick with a diet for a few weeks before they’re so miserable that they can’t wait to go back to how they were eating before.
They count calories and allow themselves to eat “health food” like low-fat ice cream and low-fat chips and just two Oreos. These people are so nutritionally deficient—eating calorie-heavy, unfulfilling foods—that they struggle to stay under their allotment of calories for the day. D’oh.
To make matters worse, even if they’re counting calories, they’re probably misreporting their food and overeating without realizing it.[2]
This is why people get so dang frustrated when they go on a calorie-restricted diet, track their food, and still don’t lose weight. The only explanation must be that their bodies must have slow metabolisms.
Yes, some people can do well with calorie counting long term – and I do believe EVERYBODY should count calories for at least a week to educate themselves about the food they are eating – but I think it’s only part of a solution that has plenty of room for error.
Watch this quick video of a person who believes she has a slow metabolism[3].
It turns out the exact opposite is true. Crap.
Despite everything stacked against us, Nerd Fitness is FULL of success stories of people who have lost 100s of pounds and kept the weight off. Here are a few dramatic ones (click on the images to read their full stories):
What gives?
Nerd Fitness doesn’t just tell you what to eat. Any Google search can tell you that.
At Nerd Fitness, we’re helping you learn HOW to think about eating too.
And that’s the difference-maker.
Which Diet Will Help Me Lose Weight? (Mental Models for the Win)
The Nerd Fitness community is full of ridiculously smart people. Smart people that have tried in vain to lose weight for years or decades.
It’s because we’re fighting a brutal, uphill battle.
For many of us, food is way more than just fuel:
It’s a coping mechanism.
It’s how our moms showed us love.
It’s what we turn to when we’re happy or sad.
It can provide us with a small bit of happiness during an otherwise boring day.
Add in the fact that unhealthy food has been designed in a laboratory to be so delicious that it must be consumed in mass quantities, and trying to eat “just a few” of something is nearly impossible.
Next, add a dash of “I am obsessive and if I start to track calories I’m going to drive myself insane,” “even if I track my calories I’ll probably underreport how many calories I eat by at least 20%,” and “there is so much information that this all appears so overwhelming, so it’s a lost cause.”
This is why Mental Models are so useful (hat tip to my friend Shane over at Farnam Street Blog who taught me about Mental Models). I’m gonna borrow the concept here for nutrition.
Enter a MENTAL MODEL DIET:
Paleo Diet: If a caveman didn’t eat it, neither should you. “Okay, what would a caveman eat? Probably things that grow in the ground, so vegetables and fruit, and also animals. They wouldn’t eat candy or bread or pasta or drink soda.”
Keto Diet: Keep your carb intake under 5% (or more extreme, 10 grams, for example) of your total calories so your body has to burn fat for fuel instead of carbs and sugar. “Time to learn how many carbs are in everything I eat, and start tracking.”
Slow Carb Diet: Eat legumes, protein, veggies. “Time to learn how to make food that only fits the slow-carb model. At least until cheat day!”
Intermittent Fasting: Only eat between 12pm and 8pm. Occasionally do 24-hour fasts. “Okay, so I’ll just skip breakfast. That’s one less meal I have to think about.”
In each of the above options, there are a few similarities that make them such trendy/popular diet choices.
For the sake of simplicity, we’re going to hold off on digging into the health benefits that apply to a small percentage of the population on certain diets (Keto to treat epilepsy, Paleo/Keto for Hashimoto’s Disease, identifying a gluten intolerance, etc), we’re going to focus on the reasons MOST people pick these diets.
They’re simple to comprehend and will probably help you lose weight:
#1) They all will result in you eating fewer calories (usually).
If you follow the Paleo Diet, you are eliminating some of the most calorie-dense, nutritionally deficient, unhealthy foods out there. No more soda, no candy, no bread, no pasta, no sugar, no dairy.
If you follow the Keto Diet, you must track your carb intake, which means you’re going to also learn how many calories are in everything else you eat. You’re also essentially eliminating an entire macronutrient from your diet that’s notorious for keeping people overweight.
If you follow the Slow Carb Diet, you learn about which foods you can eat and which foods you can’t eat: yes to beans, no to dairy and grains. Like Paleo or Keto, you’re eliminating massively unhealthy foods from your diet, which will most likely result in weight loss.
If you do Intermittent Fasting, you’re eliminating 1/3rd of your meals for the day! Let’s say you normally ate an 800 calorie breakfast, 800 calorie lunch, and 800 calorie dinner. If you SKIP breakfast, that means you could eat larger lunches and dinners (1000 calories each) and still end up eating 400 calories less per day on average. That’s enough for 3-4 pounds of weight loss per month!
#2) You can answer “YES” or “NO” to adherence.
Sure, it would be great if you could weigh every element of food that you eat, and track each meal in a spreadsheet and KNOW you’re tracking each calorie and macronutrient correctly.
However, for the rest of us, working regular jobs, with kids, and lives, this shit is wayyyyy too much.
So these mental models are so damn helpful because they can simplify the overly complicated and allow us to get out of our own heads.
These Mental Model Diets require compliance and consistency. In each instance, there’s a very specific answer you can say every day, and a question you can ask yourself with each meal.
As our favorite green Jedi Master once said:
Paleo Diet: “Would a caveman eat this?” Yes or no.
Keto Diet: “Am I in ketosis?” Yes or no. You can even pee on strips to see if you are in ketosis.
Slow Carb Diet: “Did I only eat slow-carb foods today?” Yes or no.
Intermittent Fasting: “Did I skip breakfast today? Did I stop eating after my feeding window?” Yes or no.
In each of these examples above, it removes ALLLLLLLL of the fluff, simplifies the heck out of our complex physiology and a complex problem. And it allows us to stop fooling ourselves.
With the mental models above, we have rules and a framework within which we can operate. It starts with black and white YES or NO questions we can ask.
We know what (or when) we can and can’t eat.
It’s a lot easier to fool ourselves when we are sneaking bites of cookies, having an extra roll at dinner, drinking a larger soda during a long night at work, eating some of our kid’s Halloween candy, and overeating while absentmindedly watching television.
When the rules are black and white, yes or no, there’s no place to hide.
Which means we need to get our act together if we’re going to stick with something.
We start to understand the quality and quantity of things we are putting in our pie holes. We start to dig into our relationship with food.
And in MANY cases, we start to lose some weight (again, see #1 above); this starts to make us feel better about ourselves. And we chase that feeling.
We create a positive virtuous cycle where we lose weight, get complimented, wake up not feeling like crap, look forward to exercising, and over time we become permanently changed, healthier, happier people.
In a similar vein, The Whole 30 Diet works for many people (“I only eat Whole 30 foods for the next 30 days”), but it will not result in long term changes if somebody goes back to their original unhealthy diet after the 30 days are up.
Temporary changes = temporary results.
#3) They can be done incorrectly, are tough to stick with long term, and won’t work for everybody.
Depending on our genetics, upbringing, lifestyle choices, addiction to sugar, relationship with food, what foods satiate us, etc., some of these options might work better for us than others.
As mentioned above, if ANY of the above nutritional strategies are done temporarily, they will result in temporary changes. This is how the majority of people go through life: gaining and losing the same 15-30 (or 50, or 100) pounds as they go on a diet and off a diet.
It’s a rollercoaster.
And not the good kind of rollercoaster with flips and corkscrews and probably involving Batman. It’s more like one of those rickety old wooden coasters that ruins your back.
Those rollercoasters suck, and so does putting your body through crazy weight-loss extremes, up-down, yes-no, yo-yo.
Although these Mental Model diets can help people lose weight, they are often done for short time periods to get quick results.
And that’s only if people can actually stick with them long enough to get results!
Let me explain.
Why Can’t I Stick to a Diet?
There are two main reasons why these diets won’t work for you.
Some of them are more strict, have more rules, and require you to be more militant in your approach.
Even if you are strict in applying the rules, you can STILL do the diets incorrectly and gain weight because of this whole concept of thermodynamics.
MOST PEOPLE GROW FRUSTRATED BY POPULAR DIETS BECAUSE:
#1) You Can Do These Mental Model Diets Incorrectly:
Paleo: I know people who “go paleo” but eat just as many calories as they did in the past: they are eating paleo cookies, buckets of dried fruit (soooo much sugar and carbs), sweet potatoes, and so on. This person will be frustrated when they don’t lose weight.
Keto: If you go Keto but eat 5,000 calories per day, you’re gonna put on weight. Do this while sitting on your ass not doing heavy strength training, and that weight will be all fat.
Intermittent Fasting: If you do intermittent fasting but eat 2,000 calorie lunches and dinners, you’re gonna put on weight. Hell, I put on probably 30 pounds while doing IF, which was my plan.
Slow Carb: If you go slow-carb but eat 6,000 calories of beans and other slow-carb worthy foods, you’re gonna gain weight (and have extreme flatulence).
#2) Sticking with these Mental Model Diets for the long haul can be tough!
The Paleo Diet and the Keto diet often come up dead last when it comes to a “List of Best Diets.”[5]
Now, the people writing those lists certainly have agendas, are trying to deal with the general population, adherence, a number of other factors, and more. In addition, there just haven’t been enough long term studies on some of these newer diet strategies.
Oh, and factor in anybody that wants to get page views by taking shots and tearing down whatever becomes popular. We’ll call this the “hipster phenomenon.” I look forward to the vitriolic backlash to Keto Diets over the next 3 years.
And you never know who to trust. Coca-Cola famously used to bribe scientists to conduct studies claiming sugar was healthy.
So why the hate for diets that have changed millions of lives and will probably help you lose weight?
The reason these diets have poor compliance is that most people will abandon them within days/weeks after starting them:
If somebody is following Paleo or Keto, they’re gonna go through “carb flu” symptoms as their body has to learn to burn fat instead of carbs for fuel. Their body can revolt against this, making them miserable for days or weeks.
Many give up and go back to sweet, comforting carbs. I imagine this happens to the majority of people.
For others, they might make it past the physiological challenges but still give up on the date. They hate having to be the difficult one at barbecues, they hate weighing food or counting carbs, and find the diets too restrictive to fit into their lives.
Compliance and elimination of certain foods can be really challenging, especially for people with families, who travel for work, and aren’t in control of the lunch and dinner options.
In an EXTREME example of a Mental Model diet done for publicity, a professor went on the Twinkie Diet (he ONLY ate Twinkies) and lost 27 pounds.[6]
Disregarding the health implications of only eating Twinkies, I can’t imagine saying “this is a diet I can stick with for the next decade.”
#3) People think “All or Nothing” and quickly abandon the diet when compliance fails.
If you are somebody who is on a Keto Diet or Paleo, you have a very specific set of rules to follow. If you accidentally slip up:
Oh crap, that food had more carbs than I realized, I am now out of ketosis and my world has ended.
Oh crap, I didn’t realize this was dairy. I have now brought shame upon my paleo heritage and must atone for my sins.
Life happens. Shit happens. And with these diets, we dumb humans have this unique ability to take one tiny mistake and allow it to ruin the next decade:
“I ate a breakfast that wasn’t Paleo, today is ruined and so this month. I’ll try again next month (even though it’s only the 5th). Oh, look, a pile of carbs! NOM NOM NOM.”
“I got knocked out of Ketosis, which makes me a loser that can’t stick with anything and I hate myself. What’s the point? Who cares that I was in ketosis and lost 30 pounds. I’ll try again later. Now back to my regularly scheduled program of carbs and carbs and carbs topped with carbs!”
No wonder 60+% of America is overweight! We’re surrounded by calorie-dense, nutritionally-deficient foods designed to make us overeat.
We’re also surrounded by diet plans and products that promise fast results with no effort. We sabotage ourselves by thinking “99% complaint” is a failure and thus it’s a quick slide back to “0% compliant.”
It’s for these reasons I LOVE the IDEA of the Mental Model Diets above, but know that they’re not for everybody. They’re actually not for most people.
I think they can be a valuable starting point to help somebody simplify their decision-making process and educate themselves about the food they’re eating.
These Mental Model Diets can help people identify certain nutritional deficiencies or imbalances somebody might have, or unknown allergies.
They can help people identify sugar addictions, gluten intolerances, emotional triggers for food, and other valuable information to uncover.
And as previously mentioned, some of these diets even have serious health benefits for certain conditions (Keto has been used to treat epilepsy, for example).
But let’s stick with the general population and keep things simple.
For somebody that is very overweight, following one of the Mental Model Diets can be a huge boon and momentum builder. They can lose lots of weight early on, and build off this success to beget further success.
I also think long term compliance is really difficult for 95+% of the planet.
This is why the Paleo Diet isn’t for me. Nor is Keto. Or slow-carb. And although I have been Intermittent Fasting for close to 5 years, I still don’t mind eating breakfast or brunch occasionally because it fits for me.
I want the solution that is pretty good. That gets me results. That fits into my reality.
This is the rough philosophy behind our 10-Level system which you can download as a free PDF when you sign up in the box below, which allows you to be damn good most of the time! Simple rules you can follow, and increase the challenge as you build momentum.
Download our free weight loss guide
THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life
Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target
What Is the Most Effective Weight Loss Diet? (The 80% Solution)
You are a real person who lives in the real world and thus must deal with this thing called reality.
Sucks, I know.
We have to learn to make a Mental Model diet fit into our personal reality:
If you work in a candy store or a pastry shop, trying to go full Paleo 100% of the time is going to be impossible. You’re setting yourself up for failure, because you’re expecting your reality to be different than it is.
If you’re married to somebody who loves to cook Italian food, cutting out pasta is the first step towards divorce.
If you have kids, only keeping Keto foods will not win you any “Parent of the Year” awards. And you can kiss that “#1 Dad” mug goodbye.
If you can’t have “just one” of something, don’t fool yourself into trying to be disciplined enough to have “just one.” It’s actually why I pay extra money for small cartons of Goldfish Crackers and/or small cans of soda. It makes it easier for me to treat these things like…well, a treat and less like a staple of my diet.
You need to educate yourself about the food you eat. You need to identify the mental models that simplify your decision-making process when it comes to food.
And you need to pick the level of adherence that aligns with your goals:
It’s why I wrote about how I’m “Paleo-ish” in the past. For some people, they start Paleo and settle into a “good enough” mentality that still has guardrails.
It’s why thousands have joined Nerd Fitness Prime for our 10-level diet blueprint.
And it’s why our Online Coaching Program doesn’t promote a “one diet fits all” solution. Our coaches have our hundreds of clients track how they’re eating now and then educate them to introduce new rules and challenges from month to month!
We don’t want you to follow a diet for the next 30 days. We want you to follow a nutritional strategy that you can stick with for the next DECADE.
Which means you need a solution that accomplishes three things:
A strategy that you can follow consistently for 5+ years.
A strategy that you can track your compliance with.
If done long enough, a strategy that will help you reach your goal weight/physique.
Following a “pizza, pasta, and soda” diet might be something you can stick with for 5+ years, but it won’t make you reach your healthy weight.
If Keto will help you lose weight but you can’t stick with it for 5+ years, then “strict keto forever” probably isn’t the best strategy for you.
This is why we want rules we can follow, that help us reach our goals, that we can live with permanently.
Think of these rules like bumper lanes in bowling.
You can’t throw it in the gutter (0% compliance), but you have enough guardrails that allow you to still knock over the pins (weight loss).
THAT is the sweet spot.
What’s a “Good Enough” Diet? (Steve’s 80% Solution)
I’ve identified certain mental models and rules that help me make sense of my day without being overly neurotic, still have fun with friends, and ALSO allow me to reach my strength training and physique goals.
Here’s my personal “80% of the time, it works every time” strategy:
#1) Skip breakfast.I don’t eat breakfast. My first feed happens after my 11am workout. Yup, sometimes I’ll eat brunch on a weekend or have a bagel/donut, but that’s rare. I love Intermittent Fasting, it works for me, and I’ll probably do this for the rest of my life.
#3) Know my calories. I skip breakfast, and I eat the same lunch every day, and I know the basic quantities and calories of foods I normally eat. This means I generally know how many calories I’m eating every day with minimal effort. This is done more strictly if I am targeting certain goals.
#4) No unnecessary liquid calories. I drink black coffee, unsweet black tea, or water. No soda. No juice (which is pretty much sugar water). I do put whole milk in my powerbomb smoothies, which I drink specifically to help me overeat on training days to build muscle. I still drink whiskey (neat) or good beer when the occasion calls for it!
#5) Never eat two unhealthy meals in a row. If I eat an unhealthy lunch (pizza and wings and beer), I either make my dinner healthy or skip dinner entirely. If I ate an unhealthy dinner, my lunch the next day is going to be healthy. I know myself, and when it comes to momentum-killing, 1 bad meal is a speed bump, 2 is a brick wall.
Before I help you come up with your own rules, I want to address the elephant in the room.
Hi, elephant!
Okay, now that I’ve addressed him, let’s talk about vegetarians and vegans!
Will Being a Vegetarian (Or Vegan) Help Me Lose Weight?
I actually considered including Vegetarian or Vegan mental models in the above sections, as I know we have plenty of plant-based folks in the Rebellion.
Here’s why I didn’t: neither option satisfies Rule #1 (“By following this strategy, you will most likely lose weight”). Allow me to explain.
Yes, as a vegan or vegetarian, you can ask yourself: “Is this Vegan/Vegetarian? Yes or No” (Rule #2), which does make it a mental model in that respect.
However, in order for you to lose weight and be healthier on either mental model, you need to be very aware of the foods you’re eating and how many calories they have—which introduces more complexity.
Pizza, fettuccine alfredo, bowls of sugary cereal, grilled cheese sandwiches, and calorie-bomb burritos can be vegetarian.[7]
Donuts, pasta, and bread can be vegan.
Plant-based? Technically, yes.
Healthy? Ehhhh.
Just like you can do Paleo or Keto incorrectly, you absolutely can be an unhealthy vegetarian or an unhealthy vegan. The same is true of going gluten-free.
Long story short: if you are thinking of going vegetarian or vegan for whatever reason (nutritional, moral, religion, this new person you’re dating is vegetarian, etc.), go for it!
It might work for you! It might not.
It might help you lose weight! It might not.
It all depends on what foods you are eating in addition to being vegan or vegetarian.
So, if going plant-based ALSO helps you educate yourself on what you’re putting in your body, if it helps you make better food decisions, and changes your relationship with food for the long term, and gets you the health/physique results you’re after, great!
KEEP DOING IT!
Just don’t fool yourself into blindly believing what you’re doing is healthy just because you cut out meat without actually analyzing what you’re replacing it with.
If you are vegan or vegetarian and planned on emailing me angry words for not including them as healthy options above, thus concludes my cover-my-ass explanation. We’re cool, right?
How to Pick the Diet That’s Right For You (next steps)
Those are the rules I’ve picked above that fit MY reality. I adjust based on my progress from month-to-month, whether or not I’m making progress in the gym (and in the mirror!).
Here’s how you can determine the best diet for you: Throw the concept of the “perfect diet” out the window and staple this to your forehead: “The perfect diet is the diet I can actually stick with.”
Actually, don’t staple that to your forehead. It’ll be backwards when you look in the mirror and that will defeat the purpose.
Instead, do this – Be a badass scientist:
#1 – Do some research, juuuuust enough to get started[9], and pick the diet or the rules you want to start with. Pick the rules that you can live with. Then, start. Now.
Here are some sample yes/no rules to get you started outside of the mental model diets. Note the difference in challenge/healthiness – pick the ones at YOUR level:
I can’t drink more than 5 sodas per week (instead of my normal 10). It’s up to me when I drink them.
I don’t drink alcohol on Sunday afternoon through Friday afternoon. Other than that, all bets are off.
#2 – Track your adherence to the diet or rules. It can be very simple (“Yes I was compliant today”/“No I wasn’t”). A spreadsheet, a calendar where you write X’s on the days where you were compliant, an app, a friend you check in with, etc. Your rules can be “Only drink 5 sodas this week,” “eat two vegetables per day,” or “eat under X amount of carbs.” Pick rules that line up with your life.
#3 – Track your progress, assess your strategy. Compare photos, measurements, and/or lifts in the gym at the end of the month. Are you better off than you were 30 days ago? Do you feel like you can stick with the rules for another few months? Were you able to stick to the plan more than 80-90% of the time?
#4) Stay the course, or course-correct:
Compliant with your rules and you lost weight? Great! Do it again for another month.
Couldn’t stick with your rules? Great! Adjust your rules to be less rigid so you’re more likely to stick with them.
Stuck with your rules but didn’t lose any weight? Great! You identified that your rules weren’t aligned with your goals. Adjust them.
#5) Repeat! Forgive yourself if you don’t succeed (each month is a new experiment). Even “failure” gives you information on what diets DON’T work for your situation.
You will need to follow these 5 steps every month for the rest of your life, so better get used it.
That’s what we call “life.”
Because life IS change and chaos.
Success comes from learning to navigate through the muck!
Your body will change in the coming years, and so will your rules. You might get pregnant or go through menopause. You might get an injury or change jobs or discover a food allergy. You might have kids or move cross country or go on vacation.
Each month, do a quick evaluation of where you are. Decide if you need to stay the course or make adjustments.
Do this consistently, and you’ll eventually arrive at the perfect diet FOR YOU. You are a unique snowflake in an environment and situation that is unique to you.
So again, I do not follow a paleo lifestyle. I don’t even recommend Paleo as the option that’s best for everybody.
What I recommend is treating life like an experiment, and using the resources and community here at Nerd Fitness to identify the rules and strategy that works for YOUR reality.
The Mental Models of Paleo, Keto, Slow Carb, Intermittent Fasting, Vegan, Vegetarian, or other eating models may be able to help you get started, and MIGHT even get you results!
But it’s gotta fit your life and ultimately be sustainable to have any real chance at long-term success.
So I recommend that YOU take control over finding the perfect diet for YOU.
Pick a mental model and incorporate it into your life. Lean on your friends or this community for support. Learn from people who have succeeded in the way you want to succeed. Track your compliance and progress. AND KEEP EVOLVING.
This is why I started Nerd Fitness: to help people cut through the crap and start to make progress that can stick even as the rest of their life goes through change.
If you’re somebody who is super overwhelmed or has struggled with yo-yo dieting for years, you’re not alone! This stuff is tough, and finding a way to navigate a constantly changing, chaotic life while following brutally strict rules ain’t easy.
This is why we created three different paths forward. The next step so you determine the “right diet for me.”
Pick the option that best aligns with your goals:
#1) Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.
You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:
#2) Check out NF Journey, our fun habit-building app that helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
#3) Join The Rebellion! We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get healthy, get strong, and have fun doing so.
I’ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:
Download our free weight loss guide
THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life
Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!
I want to hear from you with regards to these Mental Models and how they fit into your life:
What are your questions that I didn’t address above? I’ll do my best to respond to all comments!
Which Mental Model Diet worked for you?
Which one didn’t?
Let me know in the comments below!
-Steve
PS: Make sure you check out the rest of our Sustainable Weight Loss Content:
This total body Build a Combo workout class with weights is 45 minutes long. The video includes a warm up and cool down. If you love class, I have more like it available on Patreon this month. Another using weights (no jumping), and two that are bodyweight-only (one low-impact and one with minimal jumping).
Build a Combo Workout Class with Weights (45 Mins)
Single heavy weight (I’m using a 20-lb kettlebell; you could use a dumbbell, but the high handle of the kettlebell is going to be helpful)
In this class, we start with a guided warm up, focusing on mobility. We then move onto our build-a-combo-strength work. In each of the three sequences, you’ll gradually build a combination of movements, adding on every 30 seconds. You rest for 30 seconds before repeating.
Here’s a general breakdown of each combo:
(30 sec) Movement A
(30 sec) Movement A + B
(30 sec) Movement A + B + C
(30 sec) Movement C
You’ll do each combo twice on the right then twice on the left. There is some jumping in this workout, that we build up to gradually, but I will show you how to modify if you prefer to keep the entire class low impact.
Between each of the three combos you get a minute to recover, but pause the video and take more time if needed.
Always listen to your body, modifying or stopping as needed.
We finish class with a guided cool down and stretch.
Workout Breakdown
See the times in parentheses in the above video to jump to that section.
