How To Get Back On Track [Part 2]

Last week, I wrote about the first half of ‘getting back on track’:

Adjusting your thinking.

Today, we’ll go more in-depth into the second half:

Adjusting your actions.

1. The Big Picture 🖼

2. Explain It To Me It Like I’m 5 🧒

3. Four Circles 🀜

4. Reverse Engineering 👷‍♀️

5. Parting Zen 🧘‍♂️

The Big Picture 🖼

I left you with this punchline without the brackets:

“The key is to [take an action] you can [stick to repeatedly] that [supports your goals].”

The 3 brackets break it down into:

1. You must do something.

2. It must have a high degree of consistency.

3. It must tie back to where you want to end up.

Just about anyone can do #1.

Roughly half of people can achieve #2.

But sadly, most people falter on #3 - and this leads to…

… falling off the wagon or out of balance at some point in the future.

You must work backwards. Begin with the end in mind.

When doing so, you must adhere to the proven, tested principles of nutrition.

I will explain how to do that below.

Explain It To Me Like I’m 5 👦

Today’s topic, as simply as possible:

“A good map will help you get where you want to go.”

Four Circles 🀜

Here’s a visual of how to think about actions:

So, for example, if you want to lose weight, this month, you might need to focus on choosing better foods; this week, you will focus on eating enough protein, and today, you will have a minimum of 50 grams of protein at each meal.

Reverse Engineering 👷‍♀️

You probably know where you want to end up.

For example, I’d like to have 15 fewer pounds of fat and keep it off for good.

However, since typical diets only work for short or medium durations, they do not truly meet the criteria for #3: they don’t help you get to the ‘endpoint.’

Thus, you need to:

• Stop trying diets and tactics that are temporary.

• Begin establishing permanent habits.

Examples of temporary tactics:

Cleanses, numbered-day programs (7-day, 21-day, 30-day, etc.), completely ‘cutting’ anything that you love or that your body needs, and skipping too many meals.

While these may have some value for some people sometimes, if you’re falling off the wagon, steer clear of them.

Examples of sound, positive habits you can do forever:

Balancing your total average calories and macronutrients, consuming adequate whole & minimally processed foods, regularly planning your shopping and meal prep, etc.

The 2nd list is much longer than the first.

Because how to fit these habits into your specific life is … specific.

As this is an email and not 1:1 planning session, I will leave you with some suggestions.

These are, in no particular order, the top 5 most common action steps you would most probably benefit from if you’ve fallen off the wagon:

• Food journaling or tracking for a few days.

• Establish a daily movement practice of 20 minutes minimum.

• Eating enough protein.

• Adding in adequate whole foods.

• Planning your shopping and meal prep.

I’ve written about all of these before.

But often, it’s much easier said than done.

If you need personalized help with your actions, you can click here to book a call with me.

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Parting Zen 🧘‍♂️

A simple word, phrase, or thought to take with you:

Be well,

Coach Matt

PS: Here are some other newsletters I recommend:

PPS: My common-sense disclaimer …

The advice I offer is not medical advice. If you have any medical issues, please consult your doctor first. The advice I offer should be personalized to your needs. I can help you make those personalizations or refer you out. Reply to this email if you need help.keto