You're Doing Too Much

Remember during your HSC when people would say “work smarter, not harder?”

You should be applying that to your health too. I want you to read those words a few times until they have really resonated with you.

We have decades of research behind us. With every new study, we can kick our feet up just a little bit more and finesse our health by using science to our advantage.

Never eating the foods you love while losing weight? Nah, eat what you want as long as there’s a deficit. Training everyday and constantly being exhausted? Nah, 3 minute rest periods and full rest days are best for success.

Are you picking up what I’m putting down? There is a life of less exertion waiting for you.

I love that people want to push themselves and do the absolute most. I don’t love that for beginners this is out of desperation. I don’t love that the hardest workers get credibility, when in reality their overexhaustion is just a reflection of their lack of knowledge (damn, that’s rude of me hehe).

My point is, education isn’t just great for taking care of yourself long term. It’s great for getting the most bang for your buck. Why would you want to be physically and mentally exhausted when you could get the same results with less work?

So often, and I mean SO OFTEN, I have clients laugh and say “I went out drinking with the girls and still lost weight this week”. While I’m not encouraging drinking, I am encouraging you to learn more about how your body works so that when special occasions come around you can make them fit. This would be really refreshing compared to your usual tactic of taking things too far, and then smashing the reset button on a Monday.

Some of you might be thinking now “Maddy, that doesn’t work for me”. Well, I’m sorry but your little dance between restriction and doing nothing at all clearly isn’t working. If you’ve gotten this far, you can clearly relate to something I’m saying. If you have been that person that is always going hard for a while and then dropping off, you understand the exhaustion I’ve been talking about.

If you like the sound of getting more from doing less, I’m going to give you some quick tips to get started.

1. My first tip is to find out how much exercise actually works for you. I don’t care that your favourite influencer trains 6 days a week, how much exercise can you actually handle? Once you know that, you can plan perfectly for what you can commit to.

2. Highlight what hasn’t worked for you in the past. Write it down or take a mental note, and never do it again. Whether it’s something about exercising, eating or even a lifestyle habit, leave it in the past until it needs to come up - which it won’t.

3. Be honest with yourself about consumption. If your 14 cocktails on a Saturday are non-negotiable right now… don’t pretend they don’t happen. Make room for them! Everyone has some cheeky habits, and the best thing you can do for long term success is acknowledge and work around them.

This is what I mean by work smarter, not harder. Don’t spend your time trying to out-exercise the delicious burgers that bring you joy. Don’t cut out foods you love. Don’t exercise 7 days a week. Don’t walk wherever you go because you’re scared of weight gain. Science is on our side when it comes to our health.

The more you learn, the more finessable your health is. Oh my gosh, finessable is a word. What a great way to end this.

Buonasera,

Maddy