April 9, 2025 • 45 mins
Let's cut through the bullshit – we all know how to lose weight, but most of us don't want to face the uncomfortable truths that make sustainable weight loss possible. After losing 140+ pounds and keeping it off for nearly two years, I'm laying out ten harsh realities that Instagram influencers and diet gurus won't tell you.
The first hard truth? Sustainable weight loss is boring. No trendy diets or flashy workouts – just consistent, simple choices that work but won't go viral on TikTok. Another reality bomb: motivation is useless. The people who succeed aren't the ones who feel motivated all the time; they're the ones who show up anyway, driven by desire rather than fleeting inspiration.
Most people drastically underestimate how much they're eating, thinking they're in a calorie deficit when they're actually maintaining or gaining weight. And that weekend indulgence? It can easily erase your entire week of progress. Your body doesn't care what day it is – it only responds to the total calories consumed.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to cut out your favorite foods completely. The problem isn't that pizza is "bad" – it's that you're eating too much of it. Sustainability beats perfection every time, and if your approach to weight loss makes you miserable, you won't stick with it long-term.
Perhaps most importantly, there is no finish line. Weight loss isn't a temporary project; it's a lifestyle shift. The only way to keep the weight off is to maintain the habits that got you there in the first place. And no one – not your trainer, doctor, or best friend – can do the work for you.
These unpopular truths might not be what you want to hear, but embracing them could change your life. The sooner you accept responsibility for your choices and commit to consistency over quick fixes, the sooner you'll get the results you've been chasing. Ready to make a change? Stop looking for shortcuts. Stop waiting for motivation. Shut up and choose.
Lose Weight Without Starving or Obsessing! Learn the simple, no-BS system that helped me lose 140 pounds naturally—no extreme diets, no endless gym hours, just real, sustainable fat loss for real people.
Join the Effortless Weight Loss Academy HERE
Please leave me a review on whatever platform you listen to your podcasts.
Send me questions or comments to Jonathan.Ressler@gmail.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
If you're a whiny snowflake that can't handle the
truth, is offended by the wordfuck and about 37 uses of it in
different forms gets ass hurt.
When you hear someone speak theabsolute, real and raw truth,
you should leave Like right now.
This is Shut Up and Choose, thepodcast where we cut through
(00:25):
the shit and get real aboutweight loss, life and everything
in between.
We get into the nitty gritty ofmaking small, smart choices
that add up to big results.
From what's on your plate tohow you approach life's
challenges.
We'll explore how the simpleact of choosing differently can
transform your health, yourmindset and your entire freaking
(00:48):
life.
So if you're ready to cutthrough the bullshit and start
making some real changes, thenbuckle up and shut up, because
we're about to choose our way toa healthier, happier life.
This is Shut Up and Choose.
Let's do this Now.
Your host, jonathan Ressler.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Welcome back to Shut Up and Choose the podcast that
cuts the noise and nonsense andall the bullshit that those
Instagram influencers andinternet gurus are spewing your
way.
The reality is, we all know howto lose weight.
There's no mystery to it, andI'm going to take you through
today.
I'm going to take you through afew different unpopular truths,
things about sustainable weightloss that people just don't
(01:36):
want you to hear.
These are just things that youknow.
You know them deep down.
We all know how to lose weight.
Anybody that tells you don'tknow how to lose weight or
anybody that says they don'tknow how to lose weight is one
thing and one thing onlyCompletely full of shit.
Look, let's be real.
Weight loss advice iseverywhere.
Social media is flooded withall these fitness gurus pushing
(01:59):
their detox teas and their magicfat burning supplements.
One size fits all meal plansand all that shit promises quick
results, but meanwhile, dietculture flips between extremes,
right?
So one day, carbs are theabsolute devil and the next day,
you should be eating nothingbut carbs.
It's exhausting, it's confusingand, honestly, it's a load of
(02:24):
bullshit.
Exhausting, it's confusing and,honestly, it's a load of
bullshit.
If you're tired of the noiseand just want to hear the truth
about losing weight and keepingit off, then buckle up, because
the reality of sustainableweight loss isn't sexy and it's
definitely not what the dietindustry wants you to believe.
The truth it's simple but noteasy, although honestly I do
think it's easy, but it's reallya simple thing.
(02:45):
It's calories in versuscalories out, but there's a lot
of mindset around that, but theactual work, honestly, is easy.
So it's simple and it's easy.
It's about consistency andpatience and making choices that
support your goals every singleday, even when you don't feel
like it.
And, most importantly, it'sabout accepting that there are
no shortcuts.
(03:06):
I know that heresy.
I've looked for shortcuts mywhole life, but there are no
shortcuts and, honestly, that'swhere most people get stuck.
They want results without thework.
They want to eat clean all weekand then binge like a
motherfucker on the weekends andsomehow still lose weight, and
they want to blame theirmetabolism or their genetics or
their busy schedule Anything butthe choices that they make
(03:26):
daily.
Here's the thing Sustainableweight loss is 100% on you no
magic diet, no workout orsomething that can do it for you
.
You have to step up, takeaccountability and make better
choices, and not just for a fewweeks, but for your whole life
and make better choices and notjust for a few weeks, but for
your whole life.
And don't get me wrong I was abig fat motherfucker for 59
(03:49):
years, so I get it.
No one wants to hear that losingweight requires effort or that
the weekend cheat meals areprobably holding you back, but
if you're serious about making alasting change, you need to
hear the unpopular truths aboutsustainable weight loss.
These aren't the feel-good,motivational, fucking soundbites
that you're going to see onInstagram.
That's all crock of shit.
(04:10):
They're the things that peopledon't want to admit, because
admitting them means actuallyaccepting responsibility.
So, if you're ready to stopmaking choices and finally get
the results that you're lookingfor look, I lost over 140 pounds
and I've kept it off.
Now coming up on two years, andnext week I'm going to talk
(04:30):
about what I learned in year twoof my journey.
That was actually year one ofmy podcast, but I didn't start
podcasting until I was a yearinto this thing.
So I'm going to tell you allthe things that I learned next
week, but if you want to learnabout the 10 unpopular truths
that are holding you back and,honestly, they'll change the way
you think about weight loss.
But the cool thing is, if youembrace them, you might just
(04:51):
change your life.
So the number one this is anunpopular truth.
Number one is sustainableweight loss is fucking boring.
That's the truth that nobodywants to hear.
Sustainable weight loss isboring.
It's not about trendy diets orflashy workouts or some secret
hack that all these Instagramjerk-offs claim will melt the
fat overnight.
(05:12):
It's about doing the same simple, effective things over and over
again until they become secondnature.
The reality is that mostsuccessful people in weight loss
and fitness aren't constantlyjumping from one fad to another
and they're not looking forshortcuts or the next big thing.
They eat mostly the samenutritious foods and stick to a
somewhat structured routine andfollow consistent exercise plan.
(05:34):
It's not exciting and it's notsexy and it definitely won't go
viral on tiktok.
So that's why they're showingyou all these magic hacks and
super sub man man.
Come on, I mean, that's a bunchof shit.
It's not sexy, it's boring, butit works.
And that's the problem for alot of people.
They want weight loss to feelfresh and fun all the time.
They want every meal to be somenew, exciting experience and
(05:56):
every workout to feel like anadrenaline rush.
As you know, I lost the first125 pounds without doing a lick
of exercise.
So if you think that it's notall about what you eat, you're
out of your fucking mind.
So when people get on these faddiets or they do the exercise
and they want it to feel likethat adrenaline rush, and when
(06:18):
it doesn't feel like that, theyget bored and they lose
motivation.
They quit, only to start thecycle again, over and over again
, when the next shiny dietcatches their attention.
I can tell you I am a victim ofthat.
I tell you all the time I'vebeen on over a hundred diets.
I've done them all and I loseweight.
I lost weight on every singleone of them, but sooner or later
(06:38):
it gets boring and I don't wantto do it anymore.
The reality is, weight lossisn't about entertainment, it's
about results.
If you're constantly chasingsome novelty instead of focusing
on what actually works, you'regoing to stay stuck.
The people who succeed are theones who embrace the boring shit
, the making small, smartchoices.
I'm not a meal prepper, but ifthat works for you meal prepping
(07:02):
, eating the same staple foodsand doing a consistent workout
and, like I said, I didn't workout for the first year and the
workouts that I do now in yeartwo are only walking.
I still have not spent a momentin the gym.
I'm going to change that, but Ihaven't spent a single second
in the gym.
So if you stick to your planand don't look for something
(07:23):
that's consistently new, alwayslooking for the new thing you'll
get the result.
And that doesn't mean you can'tever switch things up.
You don't have to eat chickenand broccoli every day or do the
same exact workout forever.
But if you're constantlyhopping from one thing to
another because you're bored,ask yourself if you're actually
committed to getting the resultsor you're just looking for
something to keep youentertained.
(07:44):
Because the truth is, thebasics work, man.
It's calories in versuscalories out.
But they only work if you stickto them.
The second unpopular truth isthat motivation is useless.
Look, let's get that straight.
Motivation is a fucking liar.
It's unreliable, it'sinconsistent and it disappears
the second.
(08:05):
Things go wrong or get hard.
If you're relying on motivationto lose weight, you're setting
yourself up for failure.
Yeah, motivation feels greatwhen it's there.
Maybe you watch sometransformational video or you
got pumped up by some newworkout plan or stepped on the
scale of progress.
In those moments you're readyto eat clean, hit the gym, stay
(08:31):
on track.
Man, you don't have anymotivational videos.
I watched some people who losta ton of weight and I said, if
they did it, I can do this, butI didn't really have a plan or
an idea.
So when life happens, when I wastired or stressed, honestly I
just didn't fucking feel like it.
That's when I would fall off,and or, honestly, I just didn't
fucking feel like it.
That's when I would fall off.
And that's where most peoplefall off, because they were
depending on motivation insteadof something stronger.
(08:53):
And you know, I think there'snothing stronger than the desire
.
So the harsh truth is you'renot always going to feel like
working out and you're notalways going to feel like making
the healthy choice of the small, smart choice.
But here's the rub Do it anyway.
The difference between peoplewho succeed and those who don't
isn't motivation, it's theability to show up and do the
(09:14):
work, even when you don'tfucking feel like it.
So think about it this way Doyou brush your teeth every day
because you're motivated?
No, you do it because it's ahabit, a non-negotiable part of
your life, or at least I hopeyou do.
You don't sit around waiting forthe inspiration to brush your
teeth, you just do it.
Sustainable weight loss worksexactly the same way.
(09:36):
The people who get results arethe ones who treat healthy
eating and exercise like aresponsibility, not an option.
And that's where so many peoplego wrong.
They'll wait for the perfecttime to start or for the right
mood to strike, or for somemagical surge of motivation to
push them forward Again.
Guilty as charged, I did it for59 years.
But when that feeling fadesbecause we all know it always
(10:00):
does they quit.
And I would quit, I would hitsome goal or I'd do whatever,
and then I quit.
And then I would tell myselfthat, okay, I'll start again on
Monday or I'm going to take iteasy for a while, went right
back to my old eating habits andthe cycle just repeats itself.
Here's the truth, the harshtruth.
Desire beats motivation.
(10:21):
Every time, desire is showingup for yourself, even when, when
it's inconvenient, because youknow your why.
I did a whole episode ondefining your why but you
understand why you need to losethe weight, not just to get some
bullshit, arbitrary number thatyou have in your head.
It's small, smart choices.
When you'd rather order thattakeout food.
(10:43):
You'd rather get on your phoneand order something.
No, don't do that.
It's desire.
It's getting off your ass whenyou'd rather stay on the couch,
and it's making the right small,smart choices over and over
again until they become habits.
For me now, eating the rightfoods and the right portions,
(11:05):
it's a habit.
And I'm not saying I don't feedmy soul.
You all know, if you listen tothis podcast, I feed my soul all
the time.
So it's not about torturingyourself.
So stop chasing motivation.
It's fleeting and it's notgoing to get you where you want
to go.
So instead, understand your why, build that desire, because
(11:26):
people who win at weight lossaren't the ones who are always
motivated.
They're the ones who show upanyway.
The third unpopular truth andthis is a big one is you're
probably eating more than youthink If we cut to the chase.
You're eating more than youthink you are If the scale isn't
moving and you swear you'reeating healthy chances are
(11:47):
you're underestimating yourportions, over-snacking or
conveniently forgetting aboutthe little extras that add up
fast.
So most people think they have adecent handle on how much
they're eating.
I know I always did.
I was like, okay, I'm going toeat.
Granted, I knew I ate a lot.
But when I was trying to loseweight, I know what I'm eating.
(12:08):
I'll say I don't eat that much,or for a while I was eating
clean.
But when you actually break itdown, reality tells a different
story.
That little drizzle of oliveoil, that's 120 calories.
That handful of almonds, andusually two handfuls of almonds,
that's over 200 calories.
So a few bites off your kid'splate.
Surprise, you just added awhole extra meal to your day.
(12:31):
The problem is that most peopleeyeball portions and guess
calories, and they're almostalways off.
Studies have shown that evennutrition and dieticians
underestimate their calorieintake.
And if the experts get it wrong, what the fuck do you think the
average person is doing Exactly?
I will never advocate formeasuring food and weighing food
.
Hey, if that works for you, byall means you should do it.
(12:53):
But you know what to eat.
Come on, give me a break.
But when you eat mindfully andthat's called paying attention
to your food, even for a shortperiod of time.
It's a game changer, Notbecause you need to obsess over
every calorie, I just said thatbut because it teaches you what
proper portions actually looklike.
And you know what they looklike.
Come on, Most people thinkthey're eating one serving of
(13:15):
peanut butter, when in realitythey're eating two or three.
Most people think that theirlight salad dressing is harmless
, but it's loaded with ashitload of calories and at that
point you assume you're in acalorie deficit.
But in reality you're eatingjust enough to maintain your
weight.
If your weight's not going down, you're eating enough to
(13:35):
maintain that weight.
Now, before you say I don't wantto track my food, you don't
have to.
But here's the deal If you'renot seeing progress and you're
not tracking your food, then howdo you really know what's going
wrong?
You don't.
It's like trying to save moneywithout checking your bank
balance.
You think you're spending well,but you're wondering why your
balance isn't going up.
And again, I'm not telling youto track your food.
(13:56):
But if you eat a certain sizeportion and you're not losing
weight, then make it a littlebit smaller.
If you're eating these littlesnickety snacks during the day
and you're not losing weight,then cut those snickety snacks
out.
So, if you're serious aboutmaking progress, stop playing
the guessing game.
If you want to track your food,do it, and you can just do it
(14:16):
in your head until at least youlearn what works, get a real
understanding of what's goinginto your body.
Once you've built thatawareness, you can ease up, but
until then, don't blame yourmetabolism, when the real issue
is most likely your portions andall the little things that
you're eating without thinkingabout them.
The fourth I'm living proof ofthe fourth one is that cardio
(14:39):
isn't a magic solution.
If you think pounding thetreadmill for hours is a key to
weight loss, I got some reallybad news for you.
Cardio is not the magicsolution.
In year one, I did none.
As I've told you a hundredtimes, my average step count in
year one was 931 steps a day.
I mean, that's barely gettingout of fucking bed.
Okay, you can run marathons andstill not lose weight.
(15:00):
If your diet is shit.
In fact, a lot of runnersactually struggle with it
because they assume that, sincethey're burning calories, they
can eat whatever they want.
And here's the big spoileralert that I always tell you.
But let me say it again youcan't out-exercise a bad diet.
It's not possible.
And I'm not saying that cardiodoesn't have benefits, because
(15:21):
clearly it does.
It's great for your heart,health and for endurance and
your overall fitness.
By all means, if you like doingit, do it.
But if you're relying on cardioalone to lose weight, you're
fighting an uphill battle.
And here's why Cardio doesn'tburn as many calories as you
think.
A 45-minute run that might burn400 calories and that's great,
(15:43):
but guess what?
That's wiped out by a couple ofquote unquote healthy snacks
you weren't even thinking about.
And since cardio makes somepeople hungrier, they end up
eating back all the caloriesthat just burns, and sometimes
even more.
Not that I have to worry aboutthis, but for some people
excessive cardio can burn muscle, not just fat.
When you focus too much oncardio without doing any
(16:04):
strength training fortunately, Idon't do either one, no, that's
not true, I do walk and that isactually excellent cardio.
But if you focus too much oncardio without doing some kind
of strength training, you riskbreaking down muscle along with
the fat, and I'm not going toget into the whole argument here
, but the reality is, lessmuscle equals a slower
metabolism, equals making fatloss even harder in the long run
(16:28):
.
And let's say you're doing allthat but you're still not seeing
any results.
Well, that's because your bodyadapts to cardio.
Your body is smart.
You ever notice how, over time,the same workout that used to
leave you drenched in a sweatdoesn't even feel challenging
anymore.
I can tell you I could walk.
Maybe I started out walkingmaybe two tenths of a mile.
(16:49):
Now I can walk five, six miles,and I'm good.
Your body is smart.
It adapts.
The more you do cardio, themore efficient your body becomes
, meaning that you'll burn lesscalories doing the same exact
workout.
So what should you focus oninstead?
Your nutrition.
Right Nutrition is the king.
If you're not in a caloriedeficit, you don't lose weight.
Period, no matter how manymiles you run, you will not lose
(17:12):
weight if you're eating toomany calories.
And I'm not again, I'm notsaying you should ditch cardio
completely.
Cardio should be a tool, notyour entire strategy.
So if you're into this kind ofthing, a mix of strength
training, some moderate cardioand a solid nutrition plan will
get you way further thanmindlessly grinding away on the
(17:32):
treadmill.
So stop thinking cardio aloneis the answer.
It's not.
You have to eat smarter, notmore big one.
For me, number five weekendscount.
So let's talk about one of thebiggest reasons people struggle
to lose weight.
They diet monday through friday.
(17:53):
Then they undo all theirprogress on the weekend, and I
don't know if that soundsfamiliar to you, but it sure.
Shit sounds familiar to me.
I'd eat perfectly all week, I'dhit all my goals and I'd stay
disciplined and I hate thefucking word discipline because
I don't think it helps withweight loss.
In fact I think it hurts.
But that's a conversation foranother day.
(18:14):
So you're good all week.
Then Friday night rolls around.
Suddenly, hey, it's just onedinner out or just a few drinks
and just a little bit of dessert.
By Sunday you've had a number,multiple high-calorie meals.
You skipped your workout andyou told yourself I'm going to
get back on track on Monday.
And then you sit there andwonder why the scale isn't
moving.
The truth is, a few bad mealscan wipe out a whole week of
(18:39):
progress.
If you break it down, let'sjust say you're in a calorie
deficit of 500 calories a day.
That's 2,500 calories savedMonday through Friday.
But then over the weekend youeat some big restaurant meal an
extra 1,500 calories.
You have a few drinks maybe anextra 800 calories.
You have some snacks whileyou're watching Netflix, let's
say, another 500.
(18:59):
Sunday brunch another 1,200.
Boom, you just wiped out yourentire deficit and more.
You're not in a calorie deficitanymore.
In fact, depending on how muchyou ate and drank, you might
actually be in a surplus.
That's why the scale doesn'tbudge and, worse, why some
people actually gain weightdespite eating healthy.
Most of the time, the truth is,your body doesn't give a shit
(19:21):
what day of the week it is.
It doesn't know the differencebetween Wednesday salad and a
Saturday burger.
It only responds to the totalcalories you consume.
Now, that doesn't mean youcan't ever enjoy yourself on the
weekends.
Like I said before, and I'vetold you a million times, I like
to feed my soul.
But if you're treating Fridaythrough Sunday like an
all-you-can-eat vacation andjust going off the rails, you're
(19:44):
setting yourself back weekafter week.
So for me and for you, if youbelieve what I'm telling you,
how do you fix that?
Well, first is be mindful ofyour portions and what you're
eating when you go out.
Restaurant meals, generallyspeaking, are fucking calorie
bombs.
So really choose wisely.
People are going to be pissedabout this, but limit your
(20:06):
alcohol?
I don't, I try not to.
And again, I'm not saying Inever have a drink, but I try
not to drink my calories,because those drinks add up fast
and of course, you have enoughof those drinks and they have
your ability to make good foodchoices.
Small, smart choices go out thewindow with enough drinks.
You got to stay active.
You have to get a workout inAgain, even if it's walking or
(20:26):
dancing or whatever it is.
Get a workout in and dosomething to keep moving.
And most importantly for meanyway, is use that 80-20 rule,
and that just means if you stickto your plan 80% of the time,
20% of the time you can feedyour soul.
You can just choose your treatsin moderation.
It's easy If you want results.
(20:46):
The bottom line is weekendscount.
Unfortunately, you don't needto be perfect, but you do need
to be consistent.
So when you do that shit on theweekends, you're basically
letting two days erase five daysof hard work.
So be smart and eat mindfully.
The sixth one for me is youdon't need to cut out your
(21:08):
favorite foods.
People go fucking crazy when Isay that you don't have to give
up pizza or burgers or donuts ordessert to lose weight.
That's one of the biggest mythsin the diet world the idea that
you have to suffer, you have tocut out all the quotequote bad
foods and live off chicken andbroccoli, and that's fucking
nonsense.
The problem is not the fooditself, the problem is how much
(21:32):
of it.
You eat A slice of pizza, Ipromise you will not ruin your
progress.
But if just that one sliceturns into a half a pizza, some
garlic knots and a side order ofregret, that's a different
story.
The issue isn't that pizza isbad.
In fact, I think pizza is good.
It's not that food is bad, it'sthat you're eating just way too
(21:56):
much of it.
Lack of self-control, lack ofsmall, small choices not the
food itself is what holds mostpeople back and, honestly, this
is where people get it wrong.
They try to be too strict,cutting out all their favorite
foods entirely.
What happens?
You last a week, a couple weeks, whatever, but eventually you
(22:20):
snap and you binge on everythingthat you've been depriving
yourself of.
I am guilty as charged and, bythe way, after you do that,
after you have your binge, youfeel guilty, you quit and you
start the same cycle over andover again.
The truth is, sustainabilitybeats perfection every single
time.
If your diet makes you miserable, you're not going to stick to
(22:41):
it, not long term.
I was great I could stick toany diet for a month or two
months and lose the weight andget to the place I wanted to be,
but sooner or later I went backto my old way of eating.
If you learn how to includeyour favorite foods just in
moderation, you can still enjoylife and lose weight.
So the key to doing that ispretty simple.
I'm portion control.
Have one slice of pizza, notfive.
(23:02):
Have a couple French fries, notthe whole basket.
It's not hard.
And, by the way, you can maketrade-offs.
If I know that I'm going tohave a big dinner out, I keep
the rest of my meals that dayand everything I eat much, much
lighter.
And of course, I tell you thisall the time don't keep the
trigger foods in the house.
If you can't stop with just one, why the fuck are you bringing
(23:24):
a whole box into the house?
It just doesn't make sense.
So get rid of those triggerfoods and then, when you finally
decide that you're going to bein that 20% where you're going
to reward yourself, make sureyou do it mindfully.
If you listen to my episodeabout the rule of four.
It's a great rule.
By the fourth bite you'resatisfied.
Don't get me wrong.
You're going to keep eating outof habit.
(23:45):
But if you're thinking about it, if you really use that rule of
four, you won't inhale it andyou won't feel guilty afterward.
So at the end of the day,weight loss comes down to
calories in versus calories out.
I know that sucks to hear.
I know people.
No, that's it.
You can get there doing keto.
You can get there doing paleo.
You can get there doing points.
(24:05):
You can get there on theMediterranean diet, you can get
there on any of those fuckingdiets.
But the bottom line is they allare just tricking you or, I
guess, manipulating you intoeating less calories.
So I promise you a burger orsome chocolate won't ruin your
progress, but overeating it will.
So instead of blaming food,take responsibility for your
(24:28):
choices.
Eat what you love, but do it ina way that really aligns with
your goals.
It's that simple.
The next one I didn't believethis until I actually
experienced it.
I used to sleep four or fivehours a night and I said oh, I
grew up in the nightclubbusiness and I'm so used to
sleeping four or five hours anight.
And I said, oh, I grew up inthe nightclub business and I'm
so used to sleeping four or fivehours a night.
(24:48):
And you know what?
That sleeping four or fivehours a night and that not
getting restful sleep and justalways being, I guess, under
rested for lack of a better wordled me to weigh 411 fucking
pounds.
Right, and of course I didn'tuse this excuse.
But people always say, well, Ihave a slow metabolism when they
can't lose weight.
(25:09):
I never said that because Inever really thought of it.
But the truth is it's probablynot your metabolism, it's your
stress levels and your lack ofsleep.
Chronic stress and shitty sleepdon't just make you feel tired,
cranky and shitty.
They actively work against yourweight loss goals.
They mess with your hormones,they increase your cravings and
(25:30):
it makes it harder to stick tohealthy habits.
You're not paying attention tothose factors.
No amount of dieting orexercise is going to give you
the results you want.
And again, I hate I, I justeverybody.
There's so much argument aboutthis, but when you're stressed,
your body releases cortisol andthat's a hormone that tells your
body to hold on to fat,especially around your belly,
(25:50):
your midsection.
High cortisol levels alsotrigger intense cravings for
sugary, high-calorie foods.
That I'm not disagreeing with.
I agree with 100%.
Look, you ever notice how youreach for junk food when you're
overwhelmed.
It's not just a lack ofwillpower.
You ever notice how you reachfor junk food when you're
overwhelmed.
It's not just a lack ofwillpower, that's biology.
Your body is literally drivingyou toward comfort foods that
make weight loss harder.
(26:11):
And stress doesn't just affectyour eating habit, it also
drains your motivation.
If you have something but yourmotivation to work out After a
long, stressful day, are youmore likely to hit the gym or
collapse on the couch like alazy sack of shit?
In order to take out my pointexactly and again, I don't want
to get into a cortisol argumenthere and people argue about oh,
(26:34):
cortisol, yeah, cortisol doessome basic things.
No, your high levels ofcortisol are not what's making
you fat, because that's allabout what you eat and how much
you eat, but they're not makingit easier if you have high
cortisol levels.
And when we're talking about thesleep I never really got enough
sleep, although I convincedmyself I did.
If you don't get enough sleep,you're setting yourself up for
(26:55):
failure before the day evenstarts.
Sleep deprivation does twomajor things to fuck with your
weight loss.
And again, I only learned thisafter the fact and I don't like
to get all scientific andmedical, because A I'm not a
doctor, I'm not a dietician, I'mjust a guy that figured out how
to do this shit.
I like to say I cracked thecode through trial and error,
through 59 fucking years oftrial and error.
(27:16):
Now I'm almost 61.
I'm living my best life, butanyway, when you don't get
enough sleep, it definitelyincreases your hunger hormones.
Lack of sleep raises ghrelin,and that's the hormone that
makes you hungry, and it lowersleptin, and that's the hormone
that makes you feel full.
So the translation there is ifyou're tired, you're going to
eat more and feel less satisfied.
The second thing poor sleep doesis it kills your energy and
(27:38):
your willpower.
When you're tired, when you'reexhausted, your body craves that
quick energy junk food.
And, let's be honest, whenyou're running on four hours of
sleep, the last thing you wantto do is exercise or make small,
smart choices.
So I would say you fix thesethings before you blame your
slow metabolism.
Give me a fucking break withslow metabolism.
(27:59):
People love to say that theirmetabolism is broken, but if
you're constantly stressed andnot sleeping enough and running
on caffeine and energy drinksand adrenaline, your body isn't
functioning properly in thefirst place.
So before you go out and blameyour genetics or your metabolism
, try to fix these few thingsfirst.
First is get like seven, eight,nine hours of sleep, of quality
(28:21):
sleep, because I promise youyou're not fine on five hours.
You got to prioritize your rest.
You got to manage your stressand again, that's different for
every single person.
If you're a meditator, meditate,do some breathing.
You could journal if you'reinto that thing I am definitely
not or even just go out and takea walk.
That I'm into right Every daywhen I walk.
(28:43):
It clears my mind.
So just find ways to unwindwithout food and I'm not great
at this one, but I know it'ssomething you have to do.
A set boundary right.
Overworking yourself leads toburnout, which leads to shitty
choices.
So you got to learn to say noLimiting caffeine late in the
(29:06):
day.
I'm not a real big coffeedrinker.
I used to be able to say Icould drink espresso at night 10
o'clock and be asleep by 11.
And I guess that's kind of true, but it definitely affects your
sleep.
So limit it can't hurt you tolimit your caffeine late in the
day and this is one that I'malso guilty of, and I'm trying
to be better about it.
But I'm not Again.
(29:29):
I'm on a journey too.
I'm going to be on this journeyfor the rest of my life.
But get off your phone at night.
Blue light fucks with yourmelatonin and it makes it harder
to fall asleep.
I used to say I got to checkeverything before you go.
Fuck that, you don't have tocheck your phone.
I promise you, unless you'redealing with, say, like 8
o'clock, I'm done and tellpeople, hey, don't call me or
don't text me and I'm not goingto answer any of these text
(29:50):
messages after.
Set a time, set a boundary,it's what I said.
But get off your phone at night.
So the bottom line here I knowit kind of went off on a little
tangent there, but bottom lineis if your stress is out of
control and you're not sleepingenough, don't expect your body
to work the way you want it to.
You got to fix those thingsfirst and then, I promise you,
you'll see way better resultsand you won't have to blame your
(30:10):
metabolism anymore, becauseyou're giving your body what it
needs.
The eighth one, number eight.
The eighth unpopular truth isyour body doesn't give a shit
about your feelings and, by theway, neither do I.
This one might sting a littlebit, but it needs to be said.
Your body doesn't give a shitabout your feelings and, by the
way, neither do I.
(30:31):
This one might sting a littlebit, but it needs to be said.
Your body doesn't care how hardyou feel like you're working.
It doesn't care that you thinkyou're eating healthy or that
you feel like you should belosing weight.
Your results just fucking justthat's it.
That'll tell you the truth.
A lot of people get stuck inthat trap.
They say things like but I eatreally clean, but they're eating
a shitload of food.
Or I work out all the time, butthey don't push themselves.
(30:54):
If they're into working out orthey're not doing the right
things, well, I deserve to seeresults.
Your body doesn't operate onfairness.
Okay, get over that shit.
It responds to what you do.
So the hard truth is if you'renot losing weight, something
needs to change.
It doesn't matter how mucheffort you think you're putting
in.
If the results aren't there,the process isn't working.
(31:16):
I love the I eat healthy trap,one of the biggest reasons, I
believe, that people don't loseweight is because they assume
they're eating healthy whenthey're actually overeating.
Not that I thought I was eatinghealthy, but I didn't think
that I was eating as poorly as Iwas.
So I can't say that I assumedthat I was eating healthy.
I wasn't.
I was eating like shit.
But a lot of people I know whojust maybe have 20, 30 pounds
(31:38):
well, I'm eating so healthy.
Let me tell you, just because afood is healthy, it doesn't mean
it's calorie-free Shit.
Just because a food is healthy,it doesn't mean it's calorie
free Shit.
Like avocados, nuts, olive oil,protein bars they're all great
foods, but they're also reallyeasy to overeat and if you're
eating more calories than yourbody needs, you won't lose
(31:58):
weight period.
So if you're in that position,change it up a little bit.
If you're not seeing results,stop guessing.
Maybe at this point you dotrack your food.
I'm not into tracking my foodbecause I believe we all come
pre-wired to know exactly whatwe eat.
You know, eating Captain Crunchis definitely much worse
breakfast than eating eggs.
(32:19):
But whatever, at this point, ifyou need to track your food,
track it, find out exactly howmuch you're eating and then make
an adjustment.
Don't get me wrong.
If you're not losing weight,you know exactly what needs to
be done.
But if tracking your food makesyou feel good, fuck it, then do
it.
The other trap is I work out somuch and I felt when I was
younger I actually went to thegym for a while because I went
(32:41):
there more for social.
But I was working out.
And common shit that I hear isI work out all the time but
nothing's changing.
And here's the thing Not allworkouts are created equal.
So if you're doing the sameeasy workout over and over
guilty when I was young Ifyou're doing that same workout
over and over, you're notchallenging your body.
(33:02):
And again, I always say youdon't have to exercise.
But now, a couple years intothis thing, I'm going to start
to exercise and do a littlestrength training.
I'm not saying I'm going to goto the gym, but I'm going to do
a little bit of strengthtraining.
And if you're using exercise asyour excuse to eat more, I know
the few times that I went to thegym.
I forced myself in the gym.
A few times I went there Iwould eat.
I'd be like, hey, I just did anhour of exercise Fuck that I'm
(33:30):
going to eat.
So if you're doing that, you'reundoing your progress.
So you have to.
If you're going to train, ifyou're going to exercise, do it
with intent, right.
Increase your resistance, liftheavier weights, walk further,
do yoga for longer, dance forlonger.
Whatever your workout is, makesure it actually aligns with
your goals, because, at the endof the day, your body is just a
reflection of your habits.
If you're not seeing progress,something isn't working.
So, instead of gettingfrustrated, take an honest look
(33:53):
at your routine.
Are you really in a caloriedeficit?
Are you consistent or just goodsome of the time, because,
remember, weekends count?
Are you pushing yourself inyour workouts or are you just
going through the motion,because the effort does actually
matter?
Are you sleeping enough,managing stress, taking care of
your recovery?
All that shit adds up.
(34:14):
Your body isn't against you,it's just responding to what you
do.
So if the results aren't there,don't complain.
Just adjust, adapt and dobetter, because, at the end of
the day, feelings don't driveresults, your actions do.
The ninth one this is one that Ilearned, and it's a hard one
(34:36):
for me and probably for a lot ofpeople, but the bottom line is
there's no finish line.
A lot of people, myself included, treat weight loss like a
temporary project, somethingthat I just needed to finish so
I could go back to my normallife.
But here's the truth If you goback to your old habits, once
you hit your weight goal, theweight's just going to come
(34:57):
right back, guilty.
Like I said, I've been on over100 diets, I lost a lot of
weight, but I put it all back on.
The reality is there is nofinish line and that's why so
many people lose weight.
They celebrate and then theyregain everything, and usually
some more weight, and they seeweight loss as something they do
instead of something theybecome, and I'm going to talk
about this next week.
But you have to become thisthing.
(35:19):
People grind through thisrestrictive diet, guilty, suffer
through workouts they hate notso much because I hate the gym
and count down the days untilthey can finally eat normal
again.
But, what happens when they stopthat thing they're doing, that
restrictive diet.
The old habits come back and sodoes the weight.
So weight loss sorry, it's nota one-time event.
(35:41):
It's a lifestyle shift.
Sustainable weight loss meanssustainable habits forever.
That doesn't mean you have tobe perfect every day for the
rest of your life, but it doesmean you can't just revert back
to the behaviors that put youwhere you are just because you
lost the weight.
Think about it like this If youclean your house once, does it
(36:02):
stay clean forever?
That would be great If it did.
Hey, I made my bed, I cleanedthe house.
Hey, it's going to be that wayforever.
But of course it doesn't.
You have to maintain it.
Your body works the same exactway.
And again, I'm going to go alot deeper into this next week
talking about what I learned inmy first year of podcasting, my
second year of this weight lossjourney.
You got to stop chasing quickfixes.
If your diet is something youcan't maintain long-term, it's
(36:26):
not the right approach.
Find a way of eating that worksfor life, not just for weight
loss, and keep tracking and whenI talk about tracking, I'm not
talking about writing it down ona spreadsheet how many calories
I'll eat.
200 calories of chicken, nofuck that.
You don't have to countcalories forever.
You know what to eat.
You know what to eat, so justkeep track of that.
(36:48):
Eat mindfully.
This one is big.
For me is stay active, right.
Exercise isn't just for losingweight, it's for maintaining
your health, your strength andyour energy.
Make it a non-negotiable partof your life.
I walk every single day.
Well, sometimes it's cold orrainy, I might not walk, but I
walk every single day.
Well, sometimes it's cold orrainy, I might not walk, but I
walk.
I would say I walk six and ahalf days a week.
(37:12):
And, most importantly, buildhabits, not just routines.
It's not about following theplan perfectly.
I talked about this last week.
Your meal plan is a bunch ofshit.
It has to be a habit, not justa routine.
It's about integrating habitsinto your daily life that make
maintaining your weight feelnormal.
At the end of the day, weightloss isn't the goal.
(37:33):
Long-term health andconsistency are.
There's no done button.
There's no finish line.
There's no magical point whereyou get to stop giving a shit.
The only way to keep the weightoff is to keep doing what got
you there in the first place.
(37:53):
So if you're looking for a quickfix, I hate to break it to you.
It doesn't exist.
This is for life.
But if you build habits youactually enjoy, that's not a bad
thing.
It's just who you are now, andI'm going to talk about how I
transformed my whole life nextweek, but the last one and I'm
also going to talk about this alittle bit more next week but
number 10, the last one I'mgoing to talk about is no one
else can do it for you.
Let's be real.
No coach, no diet plan, nointernet guru, no Instagram
(38:17):
fucking jerk off youraccountability.
Buddy can make you lose weight.
Yeah, they can guide you, theycan support you, they can give
you a little tools in the world,but at the end of the day, it's
on you to show up and do thework.
A lot of people look for someoneor something to fix them.
They hire trainers guilty.
They join weight loss programsguilty.
(38:38):
They spend money on meal plansguilty, hoping that this time is
going to be different.
But guess what?
None of that shit matters ifyou don't take personal
responsibility.
You can have the best trainerin the world and, believe me, I
hired highly recommended andexpensive trainers, but if you
don't show up and put in theeffort, nothing changes.
You could have that perfectmeal plan, that perfect diet
(38:59):
which I always had, but if youdon't actually follow it, you
won't lose weight.
You can have your supportsystem cheering you on my kids
were always cheering me on whenI was doing it but if you're
still sneaking those littlesnacks or making excuses, you're
the fucking problem, not them.
No one can want it more than youdo.
My kids wanted it my whole lifefor me more than I did.
(39:19):
I wanted it, but not as much asthey wanted me to be healthy.
So people love to blameexternal factors for their lack
of progress.
My trainer didn't give me theright workout plan Bullshit, you
just didn't fucking do it.
My diet coach didn't tell mewhat to eat.
Well, you know what.
No one needs to tell you whatto eat.
Nobody knows what you like toeat.
That's a bunch of shit.
(39:40):
You know what to eat.
My husband or my wife keepsbringing junk food in the house.
Give me a fucking break.
That's just another excuse.
The truth is, if you really wantto change, you'll find a way.
If you don't, you'll find anexcuse.
I found them for 59 years.
I get it, but once I decided totake responsibility for what I
was doing, nothing could stop me.
So if you want to lose weighthere's the secret you have to
(40:03):
make the choice every single day.
Secret you have to make thechoice every single day.
No one is forcing you to eatjunk food Nobody.
You might like it, but nobody'sputting that shit down your
throat.
No one is stopping you fromexercising and again, that could
be walking, yoga, stretching,whatever it is but no one's
stopping you from doing that.
And no one else is responsiblefor your success, but you.
So if you're not seeing progress, don't look for someone else to
(40:26):
blame.
Look in the mirror and askyourself am I truly following my
plan or am I just doing what Ifeel like it?
Am I consistent or do I letevery inconvenience throw me off
?
Am I taking responsibility oram I just waiting for someone
else to fix me?
At the end of the day, no onecan do the work for you.
It's not your trainer, it's notyour doctor.
(40:47):
It's not your doctor, it's notyour best friend.
You can have all the support inthe world, but if you don't
take ownership of your actions,of your choices, nothing's going
to change.
So stop waiting for motivation.
Stop blaming your circumstances.
You know what?
Here's a good place.
Shut up and choose, because theonly person who could change
your life is you.
So look, if you made it thisfar, you probably realized
(41:08):
something.
Sustainable weight loss isn'tabout finding the perfect diet,
the best workout or waiting forthe right moment.
It's about takingresponsibility.
It's about being consistent,making small, smart choices,
even when it's hard, even whenit's boring and even when you
don't feel like it.
The truth is, most peoplestruggle with weight loss not
(41:28):
because they don't know what todo.
Everybody knows what to do.
It's because they don't want toaccept the realities of what it
takes.
They want to take the easy wayout.
They want to eat like shit onthe weekends, avoid any exercise
and blame their metabolism andstill see results.
But I got news for you.
That's not how this works.
(41:49):
If you take anything away fromthis episode today, let it be
that you are in control.
Nobody is going to do it foryou.
No one's coming to save you.
But that's a good thing,because it means you have the
power to change.
So stop chasing the quick fixes.
Stop waiting for motivation.
It's not coming.
Stop making excuses.
(42:10):
Shut up and choose.
Choose to eat mindfully, chooseto train.
Whatever it is you do withpurpose.
Choose to be consistent.
Choose your own progress orlack of it, because the sooner
you accept those truths, thesooner you'll finally get the
results you've been chasing.
And the best part of this wholething is when you stop looking
(42:33):
for the easy way out and startembracing this process.
It stops feeling like astruggle and it starts to become
who you are, and that's reallywhat I'm going to talk about
next week is who I've becomeover the past two years.
I promise you it's going to bea great episode.
I'm going to talk about mywhole journey, from beginning to
end, and it's going to be onethat you don't want to miss.
(42:55):
So those are the unpopulartruths that I believe exist out
there.
Do with them what you choose,because at the end of the day,
it's all about choice.
If you want to read my book,learn all about my journey, how
I lost over 140 pounds and keptit off, it's available on Amazon
.
It's called Shut Up and Choose,same as this podcast.
We're an Amazon bestseller.
You can get it sent to youovernight.
(43:17):
I promise you it will changeyour life.
I get emails every day ofpeople who have told me that
I've changed their life just byreading the book because, again,
it focuses on the mental sideof things.
I'm not giving you a meal plan,I don't give you an exercise
plan, I don't do any of thatshit.
I remind you that you know howto do this.
I have a video course.
It's called the EffortlessWeight Loss Academy.
You can get that atlearnshutupandchoosecom and it's
(43:39):
a 23, 24, I don't remember howmany videos.
That really helps you get intothe right mindset to lose weight
, because at the end of the day,it's all about mindset.
You know how to do this thing.
It's calories in versuscalories out.
Whether you call it keto, Idon't give a shit what you call
it.
It's about making small, smartchoices.
It's about understanding whyyou really want to lose weight.
It's not about fitting into asize, small address.
It's about figuring out why youreally want and need to lose
(44:03):
the weight.
Again, that's called theEffortless Weight Loss Academy.
It's 23 videos or somethinglike that.
I promise you can watch thewhole thing in like two hours.
It's not a big deal, but itreminds you of all the things
that you forgot.
So that's it.
That's all I have to say fortoday.
I know the things that I toldyou probably suck to hear.
I didn't want to hear them for59 years, but then I decided
(44:25):
that I really needed to takecontrol of my life and I needed
to lose the weight and I neededto get myself healthier and I
needed to really take control.
And that's when I decided tojust shut up and choose.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
You've been listening to Shut Up and Choose.
Jonathan's passion is to sharehis journey of shedding 130
pounds in less than a yearwithout any of the usual
gimmicks no diets, no pills.
And we'll let you in on alittle secret no fucking gym.
And guess what?
(45:00):
You can do it too.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
We had a fucking blast.
If you did, make sure to like,rate and review.
We'll be back soon, but in themeantime, find Jonathan on
Instagram atJonathanWrestlerBocaRaton.
Until next time, shut up andchoose.
If you're a whiny snowflake that can't handle the
truth, is offended by the wordfuck and about 37 uses of it in
different forms gets ass hurt.
When you hear someone speak theabsolute, real and raw truth,
you should leave Like right now.
This is Shut Up and Choose, thepodcast where we cut through
(00:25):
the shit and get real aboutweight loss, life and everything
in between.
We get into the nitty gritty ofmaking small, smart choices
that add up to big results.
From what's on your plate tohow you approach life's
challenges.
We'll explore how the simpleact of choosing differently can
transform your health, yourmindset and your entire freaking
(00:48):
life.
So if you're ready to cutthrough the bullshit and start
making some real changes, thenbuckle up and shut up, because
we're about to choose our way toa healthier, happier life.
This is Shut Up and Choose.
Let's do this Now.
Your host, jonathan Ressler.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Welcome back to Shut Up and Choose the podcast that
cuts the noise and nonsense andall the bullshit that those
Instagram influencers andinternet gurus are spewing your
way.
The reality is, we all know howto lose weight.
There's no mystery to it, andI'm going to take you through
today.
I'm going to take you through afew different unpopular truths,
things about sustainable weightloss that people just don't
(01:36):
want you to hear.
These are just things that youknow.
You know them deep down.
We all know how to lose weight.
Anybody that tells you don'tknow how to lose weight or
anybody that says they don'tknow how to lose weight is one
thing and one thing onlyCompletely full of shit.
Look, let's be real.
Weight loss advice iseverywhere.
Social media is flooded withall these fitness gurus pushing
(01:59):
their detox teas and their magicfat burning supplements.
One size fits all meal plansand all that shit promises quick
results, but meanwhile, dietculture flips between extremes,
right?
So one day, carbs are theabsolute devil and the next day,
you should be eating nothingbut carbs.
It's exhausting, it's confusingand, honestly, it's a load of
(02:24):
bullshit.
Exhausting, it's confusing and,honestly, it's a load of
bullshit.
If you're tired of the noiseand just want to hear the truth
about losing weight and keepingit off, then buckle up, because
the reality of sustainableweight loss isn't sexy and it's
definitely not what the dietindustry wants you to believe.
The truth it's simple but noteasy, although honestly I do
think it's easy, but it's reallya simple thing.
(02:45):
It's calories in versuscalories out, but there's a lot
of mindset around that, but theactual work, honestly, is easy.
So it's simple and it's easy.
It's about consistency andpatience and making choices that
support your goals every singleday, even when you don't feel
like it.
And, most importantly, it'sabout accepting that there are
no shortcuts.
(03:06):
I know that heresy.
I've looked for shortcuts mywhole life, but there are no
shortcuts and, honestly, that'swhere most people get stuck.
They want results without thework.
They want to eat clean all weekand then binge like a
motherfucker on the weekends andsomehow still lose weight, and
they want to blame theirmetabolism or their genetics or
their busy schedule Anything butthe choices that they make
(03:26):
daily.
Here's the thing Sustainableweight loss is 100% on you no
magic diet, no workout orsomething that can do it for you
.
You have to step up, takeaccountability and make better
choices, and not just for a fewweeks, but for your whole life
and make better choices and notjust for a few weeks, but for
your whole life.
And don't get me wrong I was abig fat motherfucker for 59
(03:49):
years, so I get it.
No one wants to hear that losingweight requires effort or that
the weekend cheat meals areprobably holding you back, but
if you're serious about making alasting change, you need to
hear the unpopular truths aboutsustainable weight loss.
These aren't the feel-good,motivational, fucking soundbites
that you're going to see onInstagram.
That's all crock of shit.
(04:10):
They're the things that peopledon't want to admit, because
admitting them means actuallyaccepting responsibility.
So, if you're ready to stopmaking choices and finally get
the results that you're lookingfor look, I lost over 140 pounds
and I've kept it off.
Now coming up on two years, andnext week I'm going to talk
(04:30):
about what I learned in year twoof my journey.
That was actually year one ofmy podcast, but I didn't start
podcasting until I was a yearinto this thing.
So I'm going to tell you allthe things that I learned next
week, but if you want to learnabout the 10 unpopular truths
that are holding you back and,honestly, they'll change the way
you think about weight loss.
But the cool thing is, if youembrace them, you might just
(04:51):
change your life.
So the number one this is anunpopular truth.
Number one is sustainableweight loss is fucking boring.
That's the truth that nobodywants to hear.
Sustainable weight loss isboring.
It's not about trendy diets orflashy workouts or some secret
hack that all these Instagramjerk-offs claim will melt the
fat overnight.
(05:12):
It's about doing the same simple, effective things over and over
again until they become secondnature.
The reality is that mostsuccessful people in weight loss
and fitness aren't constantlyjumping from one fad to another
and they're not looking forshortcuts or the next big thing.
They eat mostly the samenutritious foods and stick to a
somewhat structured routine andfollow consistent exercise plan.
(05:34):
It's not exciting and it's notsexy and it definitely won't go
viral on tiktok.
So that's why they're showingyou all these magic hacks and
super sub man man.
Come on, I mean, that's a bunchof shit.
It's not sexy, it's boring, butit works.
And that's the problem for alot of people.
They want weight loss to feelfresh and fun all the time.
They want every meal to be somenew, exciting experience and
(05:56):
every workout to feel like anadrenaline rush.
As you know, I lost the first125 pounds without doing a lick
of exercise.
So if you think that it's notall about what you eat, you're
out of your fucking mind.
So when people get on these faddiets or they do the exercise
and they want it to feel likethat adrenaline rush, and when
(06:18):
it doesn't feel like that, theyget bored and they lose
motivation.
They quit, only to start thecycle again, over and over again
, when the next shiny dietcatches their attention.
I can tell you I am a victim ofthat.
I tell you all the time I'vebeen on over a hundred diets.
I've done them all and I loseweight.
I lost weight on every singleone of them, but sooner or later
(06:38):
it gets boring and I don't wantto do it anymore.
The reality is, weight lossisn't about entertainment, it's
about results.
If you're constantly chasingsome novelty instead of focusing
on what actually works, you'regoing to stay stuck.
The people who succeed are theones who embrace the boring shit
, the making small, smartchoices.
I'm not a meal prepper, but ifthat works for you meal prepping
(07:02):
, eating the same staple foodsand doing a consistent workout
and, like I said, I didn't workout for the first year and the
workouts that I do now in yeartwo are only walking.
I still have not spent a momentin the gym.
I'm going to change that, but Ihaven't spent a single second
in the gym.
So if you stick to your planand don't look for something
(07:23):
that's consistently new, alwayslooking for the new thing you'll
get the result.
And that doesn't mean you can'tever switch things up.
You don't have to eat chickenand broccoli every day or do the
same exact workout forever.
But if you're constantlyhopping from one thing to
another because you're bored,ask yourself if you're actually
committed to getting the resultsor you're just looking for
something to keep youentertained.
(07:44):
Because the truth is, thebasics work, man.
It's calories in versuscalories out.
But they only work if you stickto them.
The second unpopular truth isthat motivation is useless.
Look, let's get that straight.
Motivation is a fucking liar.
It's unreliable, it'sinconsistent and it disappears
the second.
(08:05):
Things go wrong or get hard.
If you're relying on motivationto lose weight, you're setting
yourself up for failure.
Yeah, motivation feels greatwhen it's there.
Maybe you watch sometransformational video or you
got pumped up by some newworkout plan or stepped on the
scale of progress.
In those moments you're readyto eat clean, hit the gym, stay
(08:31):
on track.
Man, you don't have anymotivational videos.
I watched some people who losta ton of weight and I said, if
they did it, I can do this, butI didn't really have a plan or
an idea.
So when life happens, when I wastired or stressed, honestly I
just didn't fucking feel like it.
That's when I would fall off,and or, honestly, I just didn't
fucking feel like it.
That's when I would fall off.
And that's where most peoplefall off, because they were
depending on motivation insteadof something stronger.
(08:53):
And you know, I think there'snothing stronger than the desire
.
So the harsh truth is you'renot always going to feel like
working out and you're notalways going to feel like making
the healthy choice of the small, smart choice.
But here's the rub Do it anyway.
The difference between peoplewho succeed and those who don't
isn't motivation, it's theability to show up and do the
(09:14):
work, even when you don'tfucking feel like it.
So think about it this way Doyou brush your teeth every day
because you're motivated?
No, you do it because it's ahabit, a non-negotiable part of
your life, or at least I hopeyou do.
You don't sit around waiting forthe inspiration to brush your
teeth, you just do it.
Sustainable weight loss worksexactly the same way.
(09:36):
The people who get results arethe ones who treat healthy
eating and exercise like aresponsibility, not an option.
And that's where so many peoplego wrong.
They'll wait for the perfecttime to start or for the right
mood to strike, or for somemagical surge of motivation to
push them forward Again.
Guilty as charged, I did it for59 years.
But when that feeling fadesbecause we all know it always
(10:00):
does they quit.
And I would quit, I would hitsome goal or I'd do whatever,
and then I quit.
And then I would tell myselfthat, okay, I'll start again on
Monday or I'm going to take iteasy for a while, went right
back to my old eating habits andthe cycle just repeats itself.
Here's the truth, the harshtruth.
Desire beats motivation.
(10:21):
Every time, desire is showingup for yourself, even when, when
it's inconvenient, because youknow your why.
I did a whole episode ondefining your why but you
understand why you need to losethe weight, not just to get some
bullshit, arbitrary number thatyou have in your head.
It's small, smart choices.
When you'd rather order thattakeout food.
(10:43):
You'd rather get on your phoneand order something.
No, don't do that.
It's desire.
It's getting off your ass whenyou'd rather stay on the couch,
and it's making the right small,smart choices over and over
again until they become habits.
For me now, eating the rightfoods and the right portions,
(11:05):
it's a habit.
And I'm not saying I don't feedmy soul.
You all know, if you listen tothis podcast, I feed my soul all
the time.
So it's not about torturingyourself.
So stop chasing motivation.
It's fleeting and it's notgoing to get you where you want
to go.
So instead, understand your why, build that desire, because
(11:26):
people who win at weight lossaren't the ones who are always
motivated.
They're the ones who show upanyway.
The third unpopular truth andthis is a big one is you're
probably eating more than youthink If we cut to the chase.
You're eating more than youthink you are If the scale isn't
moving and you swear you'reeating healthy chances are
(11:47):
you're underestimating yourportions, over-snacking or
conveniently forgetting aboutthe little extras that add up
fast.
So most people think they have adecent handle on how much
they're eating.
I know I always did.
I was like, okay, I'm going toeat.
Granted, I knew I ate a lot.
But when I was trying to loseweight, I know what I'm eating.
(12:08):
I'll say I don't eat that much,or for a while I was eating
clean.
But when you actually break itdown, reality tells a different
story.
That little drizzle of oliveoil, that's 120 calories.
That handful of almonds, andusually two handfuls of almonds,
that's over 200 calories.
So a few bites off your kid'splate.
Surprise, you just added awhole extra meal to your day.
(12:31):
The problem is that most peopleeyeball portions and guess
calories, and they're almostalways off.
Studies have shown that evennutrition and dieticians
underestimate their calorieintake.
And if the experts get it wrong, what the fuck do you think the
average person is doing Exactly?
I will never advocate formeasuring food and weighing food
.
Hey, if that works for you, byall means you should do it.
(12:53):
But you know what to eat.
Come on, give me a break.
But when you eat mindfully andthat's called paying attention
to your food, even for a shortperiod of time.
It's a game changer, Notbecause you need to obsess over
every calorie, I just said thatbut because it teaches you what
proper portions actually looklike.
And you know what they looklike.
Come on, Most people thinkthey're eating one serving of
(13:15):
peanut butter, when in realitythey're eating two or three.
Most people think that theirlight salad dressing is harmless
, but it's loaded with ashitload of calories and at that
point you assume you're in acalorie deficit.
But in reality you're eatingjust enough to maintain your
weight.
If your weight's not going down, you're eating enough to
(13:35):
maintain that weight.
Now, before you say I don't wantto track my food, you don't
have to.
But here's the deal If you'renot seeing progress and you're
not tracking your food, then howdo you really know what's going
wrong?
You don't.
It's like trying to save moneywithout checking your bank
balance.
You think you're spending well,but you're wondering why your
balance isn't going up.
And again, I'm not telling youto track your food.
(13:56):
But if you eat a certain sizeportion and you're not losing
weight, then make it a littlebit smaller.
If you're eating these littlesnickety snacks during the day
and you're not losing weight,then cut those snickety snacks
out.
So, if you're serious aboutmaking progress, stop playing
the guessing game.
If you want to track your food,do it, and you can just do it
(14:16):
in your head until at least youlearn what works, get a real
understanding of what's goinginto your body.
Once you've built thatawareness, you can ease up, but
until then, don't blame yourmetabolism, when the real issue
is most likely your portions andall the little things that
you're eating without thinkingabout them.
The fourth I'm living proof ofthe fourth one is that cardio
(14:39):
isn't a magic solution.
If you think pounding thetreadmill for hours is a key to
weight loss, I got some reallybad news for you.
Cardio is not the magicsolution.
In year one, I did none.
As I've told you a hundredtimes, my average step count in
year one was 931 steps a day.
I mean, that's barely gettingout of fucking bed.
Okay, you can run marathons andstill not lose weight.
(15:00):
If your diet is shit.
In fact, a lot of runnersactually struggle with it
because they assume that, sincethey're burning calories, they
can eat whatever they want.
And here's the big spoileralert that I always tell you.
But let me say it again youcan't out-exercise a bad diet.
It's not possible.
And I'm not saying that cardiodoesn't have benefits, because
(15:21):
clearly it does.
It's great for your heart,health and for endurance and
your overall fitness.
By all means, if you like doingit, do it.
But if you're relying on cardioalone to lose weight, you're
fighting an uphill battle.
And here's why Cardio doesn'tburn as many calories as you
think.
A 45-minute run that might burn400 calories and that's great,
(15:43):
but guess what?
That's wiped out by a couple ofquote unquote healthy snacks
you weren't even thinking about.
And since cardio makes somepeople hungrier, they end up
eating back all the caloriesthat just burns, and sometimes
even more.
Not that I have to worry aboutthis, but for some people
excessive cardio can burn muscle, not just fat.
When you focus too much oncardio without doing any
(16:04):
strength training fortunately, Idon't do either one, no, that's
not true, I do walk and that isactually excellent cardio.
But if you focus too much oncardio without doing some kind
of strength training, you riskbreaking down muscle along with
the fat, and I'm not going toget into the whole argument here
, but the reality is, lessmuscle equals a slower
metabolism, equals making fatloss even harder in the long run
(16:28):
.
And let's say you're doing allthat but you're still not seeing
any results.
Well, that's because your bodyadapts to cardio.
Your body is smart.
You ever notice how, over time,the same workout that used to
leave you drenched in a sweatdoesn't even feel challenging
anymore.
I can tell you I could walk.
Maybe I started out walkingmaybe two tenths of a mile.
(16:49):
Now I can walk five, six miles,and I'm good.
Your body is smart.
It adapts.
The more you do cardio, themore efficient your body becomes
, meaning that you'll burn lesscalories doing the same exact
workout.
So what should you focus oninstead?
Your nutrition.
Right Nutrition is the king.
If you're not in a caloriedeficit, you don't lose weight.
Period, no matter how manymiles you run, you will not lose
(17:12):
weight if you're eating toomany calories.
And I'm not again, I'm notsaying you should ditch cardio
completely.
Cardio should be a tool, notyour entire strategy.
So if you're into this kind ofthing, a mix of strength
training, some moderate cardioand a solid nutrition plan will
get you way further thanmindlessly grinding away on the
(17:32):
treadmill.
So stop thinking cardio aloneis the answer.
It's not.
You have to eat smarter, notmore big one.
For me, number five weekendscount.
So let's talk about one of thebiggest reasons people struggle
to lose weight.
They diet monday through friday.
(17:53):
Then they undo all theirprogress on the weekend, and I
don't know if that soundsfamiliar to you, but it sure.
Shit sounds familiar to me.
I'd eat perfectly all week, I'dhit all my goals and I'd stay
disciplined and I hate thefucking word discipline because
I don't think it helps withweight loss.
In fact I think it hurts.
But that's a conversation foranother day.
(18:14):
So you're good all week.
Then Friday night rolls around.
Suddenly, hey, it's just onedinner out or just a few drinks
and just a little bit of dessert.
By Sunday you've had a number,multiple high-calorie meals.
You skipped your workout andyou told yourself I'm going to
get back on track on Monday.
And then you sit there andwonder why the scale isn't
moving.
The truth is, a few bad mealscan wipe out a whole week of
(18:39):
progress.
If you break it down, let'sjust say you're in a calorie
deficit of 500 calories a day.
That's 2,500 calories savedMonday through Friday.
But then over the weekend youeat some big restaurant meal an
extra 1,500 calories.
You have a few drinks maybe anextra 800 calories.
You have some snacks whileyou're watching Netflix, let's
say, another 500.
(18:59):
Sunday brunch another 1,200.
Boom, you just wiped out yourentire deficit and more.
You're not in a calorie deficitanymore.
In fact, depending on how muchyou ate and drank, you might
actually be in a surplus.
That's why the scale doesn'tbudge and, worse, why some
people actually gain weightdespite eating healthy.
Most of the time, the truth is,your body doesn't give a shit
(19:21):
what day of the week it is.
It doesn't know the differencebetween Wednesday salad and a
Saturday burger.
It only responds to the totalcalories you consume.
Now, that doesn't mean youcan't ever enjoy yourself on the
weekends.
Like I said before, and I'vetold you a million times, I like
to feed my soul.
But if you're treating Fridaythrough Sunday like an
all-you-can-eat vacation andjust going off the rails, you're
(19:44):
setting yourself back weekafter week.
So for me and for you, if youbelieve what I'm telling you,
how do you fix that?
Well, first is be mindful ofyour portions and what you're
eating when you go out.
Restaurant meals, generallyspeaking, are fucking calorie
bombs.
So really choose wisely.
People are going to be pissedabout this, but limit your
(20:06):
alcohol?
I don't, I try not to.
And again, I'm not saying Inever have a drink, but I try
not to drink my calories,because those drinks add up fast
and of course, you have enoughof those drinks and they have
your ability to make good foodchoices.
Small, smart choices go out thewindow with enough drinks.
You got to stay active.
You have to get a workout inAgain, even if it's walking or
(20:26):
dancing or whatever it is.
Get a workout in and dosomething to keep moving.
And most importantly for meanyway, is use that 80-20 rule,
and that just means if you stickto your plan 80% of the time,
20% of the time you can feedyour soul.
You can just choose your treatsin moderation.
It's easy If you want results.
(20:46):
The bottom line is weekendscount.
Unfortunately, you don't needto be perfect, but you do need
to be consistent.
So when you do that shit on theweekends, you're basically
letting two days erase five daysof hard work.
So be smart and eat mindfully.
The sixth one for me is youdon't need to cut out your
(21:08):
favorite foods.
People go fucking crazy when Isay that you don't have to give
up pizza or burgers or donuts ordessert to lose weight.
That's one of the biggest mythsin the diet world the idea that
you have to suffer, you have tocut out all the quotequote bad
foods and live off chicken andbroccoli, and that's fucking
nonsense.
The problem is not the fooditself, the problem is how much
(21:32):
of it.
You eat A slice of pizza, Ipromise you will not ruin your
progress.
But if just that one sliceturns into a half a pizza, some
garlic knots and a side order ofregret, that's a different
story.
The issue isn't that pizza isbad.
In fact, I think pizza is good.
It's not that food is bad, it'sthat you're eating just way too
(21:56):
much of it.
Lack of self-control, lack ofsmall, small choices not the
food itself is what holds mostpeople back and, honestly, this
is where people get it wrong.
They try to be too strict,cutting out all their favorite
foods entirely.
What happens?
You last a week, a couple weeks, whatever, but eventually you
(22:20):
snap and you binge on everythingthat you've been depriving
yourself of.
I am guilty as charged and, bythe way, after you do that,
after you have your binge, youfeel guilty, you quit and you
start the same cycle over andover again.
The truth is, sustainabilitybeats perfection every single
time.
If your diet makes you miserable, you're not going to stick to
(22:41):
it, not long term.
I was great I could stick toany diet for a month or two
months and lose the weight andget to the place I wanted to be,
but sooner or later I went backto my old way of eating.
If you learn how to includeyour favorite foods just in
moderation, you can still enjoylife and lose weight.
So the key to doing that ispretty simple.
I'm portion control.
Have one slice of pizza, notfive.
(23:02):
Have a couple French fries, notthe whole basket.
It's not hard.
And, by the way, you can maketrade-offs.
If I know that I'm going tohave a big dinner out, I keep
the rest of my meals that dayand everything I eat much, much
lighter.
And of course, I tell you thisall the time don't keep the
trigger foods in the house.
If you can't stop with just one, why the fuck are you bringing
(23:24):
a whole box into the house?
It just doesn't make sense.
So get rid of those triggerfoods and then, when you finally
decide that you're going to bein that 20% where you're going
to reward yourself, make sureyou do it mindfully.
If you listen to my episodeabout the rule of four.
It's a great rule.
By the fourth bite you'resatisfied.
Don't get me wrong.
You're going to keep eating outof habit.
(23:45):
But if you're thinking about it, if you really use that rule of
four, you won't inhale it andyou won't feel guilty afterward.
So at the end of the day,weight loss comes down to
calories in versus calories out.
I know that sucks to hear.
I know people.
No, that's it.
You can get there doing keto.
You can get there doing paleo.
You can get there doing points.
(24:05):
You can get there on theMediterranean diet, you can get
there on any of those fuckingdiets.
But the bottom line is they allare just tricking you or, I
guess, manipulating you intoeating less calories.
So I promise you a burger orsome chocolate won't ruin your
progress, but overeating it will.
So instead of blaming food,take responsibility for your
(24:28):
choices.
Eat what you love, but do it ina way that really aligns with
your goals.
It's that simple.
The next one I didn't believethis until I actually
experienced it.
I used to sleep four or fivehours a night and I said oh, I
grew up in the nightclubbusiness and I'm so used to
sleeping four or five hours anight.
And I said, oh, I grew up inthe nightclub business and I'm
so used to sleeping four or fivehours a night.
(24:48):
And you know what?
That sleeping four or fivehours a night and that not
getting restful sleep and justalways being, I guess, under
rested for lack of a better wordled me to weigh 411 fucking
pounds.
Right, and of course I didn'tuse this excuse.
But people always say, well, Ihave a slow metabolism when they
can't lose weight.
(25:09):
I never said that because Inever really thought of it.
But the truth is it's probablynot your metabolism, it's your
stress levels and your lack ofsleep.
Chronic stress and shitty sleepdon't just make you feel tired,
cranky and shitty.
They actively work against yourweight loss goals.
They mess with your hormones,they increase your cravings and
(25:30):
it makes it harder to stick tohealthy habits.
You're not paying attention tothose factors.
No amount of dieting orexercise is going to give you
the results you want.
And again, I hate I, I justeverybody.
There's so much argument aboutthis, but when you're stressed,
your body releases cortisol andthat's a hormone that tells your
body to hold on to fat,especially around your belly,
(25:50):
your midsection.
High cortisol levels alsotrigger intense cravings for
sugary, high-calorie foods.
That I'm not disagreeing with.
I agree with 100%.
Look, you ever notice how youreach for junk food when you're
overwhelmed.
It's not just a lack ofwillpower.
You ever notice how you reachfor junk food when you're
overwhelmed.
It's not just a lack ofwillpower, that's biology.
Your body is literally drivingyou toward comfort foods that
make weight loss harder.
(26:11):
And stress doesn't just affectyour eating habit, it also
drains your motivation.
If you have something but yourmotivation to work out After a
long, stressful day, are youmore likely to hit the gym or
collapse on the couch like alazy sack of shit?
In order to take out my pointexactly and again, I don't want
to get into a cortisol argumenthere and people argue about oh,
(26:34):
cortisol, yeah, cortisol doessome basic things.
No, your high levels ofcortisol are not what's making
you fat, because that's allabout what you eat and how much
you eat, but they're not makingit easier if you have high
cortisol levels.
And when we're talking about thesleep I never really got enough
sleep, although I convincedmyself I did.
If you don't get enough sleep,you're setting yourself up for
(26:55):
failure before the day evenstarts.
Sleep deprivation does twomajor things to fuck with your
weight loss.
And again, I only learned thisafter the fact and I don't like
to get all scientific andmedical, because A I'm not a
doctor, I'm not a dietician, I'mjust a guy that figured out how
to do this shit.
I like to say I cracked thecode through trial and error,
through 59 fucking years oftrial and error.
(27:16):
Now I'm almost 61.
I'm living my best life, butanyway, when you don't get
enough sleep, it definitelyincreases your hunger hormones.
Lack of sleep raises ghrelin,and that's the hormone that
makes you hungry, and it lowersleptin, and that's the hormone
that makes you feel full.
So the translation there is ifyou're tired, you're going to
eat more and feel less satisfied.
The second thing poor sleep doesis it kills your energy and
(27:38):
your willpower.
When you're tired, when you'reexhausted, your body craves that
quick energy junk food.
And, let's be honest, whenyou're running on four hours of
sleep, the last thing you wantto do is exercise or make small,
smart choices.
So I would say you fix thesethings before you blame your
slow metabolism.
Give me a fucking break withslow metabolism.
(27:59):
People love to say that theirmetabolism is broken, but if
you're constantly stressed andnot sleeping enough and running
on caffeine and energy drinksand adrenaline, your body isn't
functioning properly in thefirst place.
So before you go out and blameyour genetics or your metabolism
, try to fix these few thingsfirst.
First is get like seven, eight,nine hours of sleep, of quality
(28:21):
sleep, because I promise youyou're not fine on five hours.
You got to prioritize your rest.
You got to manage your stressand again, that's different for
every single person.
If you're a meditator, meditate,do some breathing.
You could journal if you'reinto that thing I am definitely
not or even just go out and takea walk.
That I'm into right Every daywhen I walk.
(28:43):
It clears my mind.
So just find ways to unwindwithout food and I'm not great
at this one, but I know it'ssomething you have to do.
A set boundary right.
Overworking yourself leads toburnout, which leads to shitty
choices.
So you got to learn to say noLimiting caffeine late in the
(29:06):
day.
I'm not a real big coffeedrinker.
I used to be able to say Icould drink espresso at night 10
o'clock and be asleep by 11.
And I guess that's kind of true, but it definitely affects your
sleep.
So limit it can't hurt you tolimit your caffeine late in the
day and this is one that I'malso guilty of, and I'm trying
to be better about it.
But I'm not Again.
(29:29):
I'm on a journey too.
I'm going to be on this journeyfor the rest of my life.
But get off your phone at night.
Blue light fucks with yourmelatonin and it makes it harder
to fall asleep.
I used to say I got to checkeverything before you go.
Fuck that, you don't have tocheck your phone.
I promise you, unless you'redealing with, say, like 8
o'clock, I'm done and tellpeople, hey, don't call me or
don't text me and I'm not goingto answer any of these text
(29:50):
messages after.
Set a time, set a boundary,it's what I said.
But get off your phone at night.
So the bottom line here I knowit kind of went off on a little
tangent there, but bottom lineis if your stress is out of
control and you're not sleepingenough, don't expect your body
to work the way you want it to.
You got to fix those thingsfirst and then, I promise you,
you'll see way better resultsand you won't have to blame your
(30:10):
metabolism anymore, becauseyou're giving your body what it
needs.
The eighth one, number eight.
The eighth unpopular truth isyour body doesn't give a shit
about your feelings and, by theway, neither do I.
This one might sting a littlebit, but it needs to be said.
Your body doesn't give a shitabout your feelings and, by the
way, neither do I.
(30:31):
This one might sting a littlebit, but it needs to be said.
Your body doesn't care how hardyou feel like you're working.
It doesn't care that you thinkyou're eating healthy or that
you feel like you should belosing weight.
Your results just fucking justthat's it.
That'll tell you the truth.
A lot of people get stuck inthat trap.
They say things like but I eatreally clean, but they're eating
a shitload of food.
Or I work out all the time, butthey don't push themselves.
(30:54):
If they're into working out orthey're not doing the right
things, well, I deserve to seeresults.
Your body doesn't operate onfairness.
Okay, get over that shit.
It responds to what you do.
So the hard truth is if you'renot losing weight, something
needs to change.
It doesn't matter how mucheffort you think you're putting
in.
If the results aren't there,the process isn't working.
(31:16):
I love the I eat healthy trap,one of the biggest reasons, I
believe, that people don't loseweight is because they assume
they're eating healthy whenthey're actually overeating.
Not that I thought I was eatinghealthy, but I didn't think
that I was eating as poorly as Iwas.
So I can't say that I assumedthat I was eating healthy.
I wasn't.
I was eating like shit.
But a lot of people I know whojust maybe have 20, 30 pounds
(31:38):
well, I'm eating so healthy.
Let me tell you, just because afood is healthy, it doesn't mean
it's calorie-free Shit.
Just because a food is healthy,it doesn't mean it's calorie
free Shit.
Like avocados, nuts, olive oil,protein bars they're all great
foods, but they're also reallyeasy to overeat and if you're
eating more calories than yourbody needs, you won't lose
(31:58):
weight period.
So if you're in that position,change it up a little bit.
If you're not seeing results,stop guessing.
Maybe at this point you dotrack your food.
I'm not into tracking my foodbecause I believe we all come
pre-wired to know exactly whatwe eat.
You know, eating Captain Crunchis definitely much worse
breakfast than eating eggs.
(32:19):
But whatever, at this point, ifyou need to track your food,
track it, find out exactly howmuch you're eating and then make
an adjustment.
Don't get me wrong.
If you're not losing weight,you know exactly what needs to
be done.
But if tracking your food makesyou feel good, fuck it, then do
it.
The other trap is I work out somuch and I felt when I was
younger I actually went to thegym for a while because I went
(32:41):
there more for social.
But I was working out.
And common shit that I hear isI work out all the time but
nothing's changing.
And here's the thing Not allworkouts are created equal.
So if you're doing the sameeasy workout over and over
guilty when I was young Ifyou're doing that same workout
over and over, you're notchallenging your body.
(33:02):
And again, I always say youdon't have to exercise.
But now, a couple years intothis thing, I'm going to start
to exercise and do a littlestrength training.
I'm not saying I'm going to goto the gym, but I'm going to do
a little bit of strengthtraining.
And if you're using exercise asyour excuse to eat more, I know
the few times that I went to thegym.
I forced myself in the gym.
A few times I went there Iwould eat.
I'd be like, hey, I just did anhour of exercise Fuck that I'm
(33:30):
going to eat.
So if you're doing that, you'reundoing your progress.
So you have to.
If you're going to train, ifyou're going to exercise, do it
with intent, right.
Increase your resistance, liftheavier weights, walk further,
do yoga for longer, dance forlonger.
Whatever your workout is, makesure it actually aligns with
your goals, because, at the endof the day, your body is just a
reflection of your habits.
If you're not seeing progress,something isn't working.
So, instead of gettingfrustrated, take an honest look
(33:53):
at your routine.
Are you really in a caloriedeficit?
Are you consistent or just goodsome of the time, because,
remember, weekends count?
Are you pushing yourself inyour workouts or are you just
going through the motion,because the effort does actually
matter?
Are you sleeping enough,managing stress, taking care of
your recovery?
All that shit adds up.
(34:14):
Your body isn't against you,it's just responding to what you
do.
So if the results aren't there,don't complain.
Just adjust, adapt and dobetter, because, at the end of
the day, feelings don't driveresults, your actions do.
The ninth one this is one that Ilearned, and it's a hard one
(34:36):
for me and probably for a lot ofpeople, but the bottom line is
there's no finish line.
A lot of people, myself included, treat weight loss like a
temporary project, somethingthat I just needed to finish so
I could go back to my normallife.
But here's the truth If you goback to your old habits, once
you hit your weight goal, theweight's just going to come
(34:57):
right back, guilty.
Like I said, I've been on over100 diets, I lost a lot of
weight, but I put it all back on.
The reality is there is nofinish line and that's why so
many people lose weight.
They celebrate and then theyregain everything, and usually
some more weight, and they seeweight loss as something they do
instead of something theybecome, and I'm going to talk
about this next week.
But you have to become thisthing.
(35:19):
People grind through thisrestrictive diet, guilty, suffer
through workouts they hate notso much because I hate the gym
and count down the days untilthey can finally eat normal
again.
But, what happens when they stopthat thing they're doing, that
restrictive diet.
The old habits come back and sodoes the weight.
So weight loss sorry, it's nota one-time event.
(35:41):
It's a lifestyle shift.
Sustainable weight loss meanssustainable habits forever.
That doesn't mean you have tobe perfect every day for the
rest of your life, but it doesmean you can't just revert back
to the behaviors that put youwhere you are just because you
lost the weight.
Think about it like this If youclean your house once, does it
(36:02):
stay clean forever?
That would be great If it did.
Hey, I made my bed, I cleanedthe house.
Hey, it's going to be that wayforever.
But of course it doesn't.
You have to maintain it.
Your body works the same exactway.
And again, I'm going to go alot deeper into this next week
talking about what I learned inmy first year of podcasting, my
second year of this weight lossjourney.
You got to stop chasing quickfixes.
If your diet is something youcan't maintain long-term, it's
(36:26):
not the right approach.
Find a way of eating that worksfor life, not just for weight
loss, and keep tracking and whenI talk about tracking, I'm not
talking about writing it down ona spreadsheet how many calories
I'll eat.
200 calories of chicken, nofuck that.
You don't have to countcalories forever.
You know what to eat.
You know what to eat, so justkeep track of that.
(36:48):
Eat mindfully.
This one is big.
For me is stay active, right.
Exercise isn't just for losingweight, it's for maintaining
your health, your strength andyour energy.
Make it a non-negotiable partof your life.
I walk every single day.
Well, sometimes it's cold orrainy, I might not walk, but I
walk every single day.
Well, sometimes it's cold orrainy, I might not walk, but I
walk.
I would say I walk six and ahalf days a week.
(37:12):
And, most importantly, buildhabits, not just routines.
It's not about following theplan perfectly.
I talked about this last week.
Your meal plan is a bunch ofshit.
It has to be a habit, not justa routine.
It's about integrating habitsinto your daily life that make
maintaining your weight feelnormal.
At the end of the day, weightloss isn't the goal.
(37:33):
Long-term health andconsistency are.
There's no done button.
There's no finish line.
There's no magical point whereyou get to stop giving a shit.
The only way to keep the weightoff is to keep doing what got
you there in the first place.
(37:53):
So if you're looking for a quickfix, I hate to break it to you.
It doesn't exist.
This is for life.
But if you build habits youactually enjoy, that's not a bad
thing.
It's just who you are now, andI'm going to talk about how I
transformed my whole life nextweek, but the last one and I'm
also going to talk about this alittle bit more next week but
number 10, the last one I'mgoing to talk about is no one
else can do it for you.
Let's be real.
No coach, no diet plan, nointernet guru, no Instagram
(38:17):
fucking jerk off youraccountability.
Buddy can make you lose weight.
Yeah, they can guide you, theycan support you, they can give
you a little tools in the world,but at the end of the day, it's
on you to show up and do thework.
A lot of people look for someoneor something to fix them.
They hire trainers guilty.
They join weight loss programsguilty.
(38:38):
They spend money on meal plansguilty, hoping that this time is
going to be different.
But guess what?
None of that shit matters ifyou don't take personal
responsibility.
You can have the best trainerin the world and, believe me, I
hired highly recommended andexpensive trainers, but if you
don't show up and put in theeffort, nothing changes.
You could have that perfectmeal plan, that perfect diet
(38:59):
which I always had, but if youdon't actually follow it, you
won't lose weight.
You can have your supportsystem cheering you on my kids
were always cheering me on whenI was doing it but if you're
still sneaking those littlesnacks or making excuses, you're
the fucking problem, not them.
No one can want it more than youdo.
My kids wanted it my whole lifefor me more than I did.
(39:19):
I wanted it, but not as much asthey wanted me to be healthy.
So people love to blameexternal factors for their lack
of progress.
My trainer didn't give me theright workout plan Bullshit, you
just didn't fucking do it.
My diet coach didn't tell mewhat to eat.
Well, you know what.
No one needs to tell you whatto eat.
Nobody knows what you like toeat.
That's a bunch of shit.
(39:40):
You know what to eat.
My husband or my wife keepsbringing junk food in the house.
Give me a fucking break.
That's just another excuse.
The truth is, if you really wantto change, you'll find a way.
If you don't, you'll find anexcuse.
I found them for 59 years.
I get it, but once I decided totake responsibility for what I
was doing, nothing could stop me.
So if you want to lose weighthere's the secret you have to
(40:03):
make the choice every single day.
Secret you have to make thechoice every single day.
No one is forcing you to eatjunk food Nobody.
You might like it, but nobody'sputting that shit down your
throat.
No one is stopping you fromexercising and again, that could
be walking, yoga, stretching,whatever it is but no one's
stopping you from doing that.
And no one else is responsiblefor your success, but you.
So if you're not seeing progress, don't look for someone else to
(40:26):
blame.
Look in the mirror and askyourself am I truly following my
plan or am I just doing what Ifeel like it?
Am I consistent or do I letevery inconvenience throw me off
?
Am I taking responsibility oram I just waiting for someone
else to fix me?
At the end of the day, no onecan do the work for you.
It's not your trainer, it's notyour doctor.
(40:47):
It's not your doctor, it's notyour best friend.
You can have all the support inthe world, but if you don't
take ownership of your actions,of your choices, nothing's going
to change.
So stop waiting for motivation.
Stop blaming your circumstances.
You know what?
Here's a good place.
Shut up and choose, because theonly person who could change
your life is you.
So look, if you made it thisfar, you probably realized
(41:08):
something.
Sustainable weight loss isn'tabout finding the perfect diet,
the best workout or waiting forthe right moment.
It's about takingresponsibility.
It's about being consistent,making small, smart choices,
even when it's hard, even whenit's boring and even when you
don't feel like it.
The truth is, most peoplestruggle with weight loss not
(41:28):
because they don't know what todo.
Everybody knows what to do.
It's because they don't want toaccept the realities of what it
takes.
They want to take the easy wayout.
They want to eat like shit onthe weekends, avoid any exercise
and blame their metabolism andstill see results.
But I got news for you.
That's not how this works.
(41:49):
If you take anything away fromthis episode today, let it be
that you are in control.
Nobody is going to do it foryou.
No one's coming to save you.
But that's a good thing,because it means you have the
power to change.
So stop chasing the quick fixes.
Stop waiting for motivation.
It's not coming.
Stop making excuses.
(42:10):
Shut up and choose.
Choose to eat mindfully, chooseto train.
Whatever it is you do withpurpose.
Choose to be consistent.
Choose your own progress orlack of it, because the sooner
you accept those truths, thesooner you'll finally get the
results you've been chasing.
And the best part of this wholething is when you stop looking
(42:33):
for the easy way out and startembracing this process.
It stops feeling like astruggle and it starts to become
who you are, and that's reallywhat I'm going to talk about
next week is who I've becomeover the past two years.
I promise you it's going to bea great episode.
I'm going to talk about mywhole journey, from beginning to
end, and it's going to be onethat you don't want to miss.
(42:55):
So those are the unpopulartruths that I believe exist out
there.
Do with them what you choose,because at the end of the day,
it's all about choice.
If you want to read my book,learn all about my journey, how
I lost over 140 pounds and keptit off, it's available on Amazon
.
It's called Shut Up and Choose,same as this podcast.
We're an Amazon bestseller.
You can get it sent to youovernight.
(43:17):
I promise you it will changeyour life.
I get emails every day ofpeople who have told me that
I've changed their life just byreading the book because, again,
it focuses on the mental sideof things.
I'm not giving you a meal plan,I don't give you an exercise
plan, I don't do any of thatshit.
I remind you that you know howto do this.
I have a video course.
It's called the EffortlessWeight Loss Academy.
You can get that atlearnshutupandchoosecom and it's
(43:39):
a 23, 24, I don't remember howmany videos.
That really helps you get intothe right mindset to lose weight
, because at the end of the day,it's all about mindset.
You know how to do this thing.
It's calories in versuscalories out.
Whether you call it keto, Idon't give a shit what you call
it.
It's about making small, smartchoices.
It's about understanding whyyou really want to lose weight.
It's not about fitting into asize, small address.
It's about figuring out why youreally want and need to lose
(44:03):
the weight.
Again, that's called theEffortless Weight Loss Academy.
It's 23 videos or somethinglike that.
I promise you can watch thewhole thing in like two hours.
It's not a big deal, but itreminds you of all the things
that you forgot.
So that's it.
That's all I have to say fortoday.
I know the things that I toldyou probably suck to hear.
I didn't want to hear them for59 years, but then I decided
(44:25):
that I really needed to takecontrol of my life and I needed
to lose the weight and I neededto get myself healthier and I
needed to really take control.
And that's when I decided tojust shut up and choose.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
You've been listening to Shut Up and Choose.
Jonathan's passion is to sharehis journey of shedding 130
pounds in less than a yearwithout any of the usual
gimmicks no diets, no pills.
And we'll let you in on alittle secret no fucking gym.
And guess what?
(45:00):
You can do it too.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
We had a fucking blast.
If you did, make sure to like,rate and review.
We'll be back soon, but in themeantime, find Jonathan on
Instagram atJonathanWrestlerBocaRaton.
Until next time, shut up andchoose.
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