July 16, 2025 • 33 mins
Most weight loss approaches set you up for failure from day one—not because you lack willpower, but because they're designed to be temporary quick fixes rather than sustainable lifestyle changes. That's how the $70 billion diet industry keeps you coming back, blaming yourself instead of their broken system.
The pattern is painfully familiar: excitement at the start of a new diet, early success as water weight drops, then inevitable burnout when life throws curveballs. You "fall off the wagon," feel like a failure, and promise to start over next Monday. The cycle continues, often leaving you heavier and more frustrated than before.
What actually creates lasting change? Not another challenge or cleanse, but building consistency that withstands real life. True transformation happens when you focus on four non-negotiable pillars: drinking enough water, finding movement you genuinely enjoy, prioritizing sleep, and actively managing stress. These foundations create a lifestyle you can maintain even on your busiest, most stressful days.
The secret weapon for sustainable weight loss is what I call your "bounce back muscle"—the ability to recover quickly from inevitable deviations without spiraling into guilt or abandoning your entire approach. Perfect eating doesn't exist, but consistent course correction does. The stronger this muscle becomes, the less impact occasional slips have on your overall progress.
The most powerful shift occurs when you stop approaching weight loss as something you're temporarily doing and start embodying the identity of someone who naturally lives differently. Instead of asking "What's the lowest-calorie option?" ask "What would a healthy version of me choose right now?" This subtle but profound change makes healthy choices feel less like punishment and more like an authentic expression of who you've become.
Ready to break free from the diet cycle? Stop chasing perfect weeks and quick fixes. Start building habits you can actually sustain, strengthening your bounce back muscle, and becoming someone who doesn't need to start over every Monday. Your transformation awaits—one small, smart choice at a time.
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
Mark as Played
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, the nonsense andall that bullshit out there on
the internet and social mediaAll the Instagram gurus telling
you what to do, how to eat, howto lose weight, when they
haven't lost a pound on theirown.
The internet's selling you,giving you all these great ideas
when they haven't lost a poundon their own.
So if you're out here andyou're listening, then you
(01:36):
probably feel like you mightneed to lose some weight.
So I know I did and I lost 140pounds and kept it off now for
over two years, but I guess thatgives me a little bit of
credibility.
But let me ask you thisquestion how many times have you
started a diet, thinking thistime it's going to be different?
You did it all.
You cleaned out your pantryI've done that.
You stocked up on chickenbreast and broccoli, even though
(01:59):
you probably hate it.
Maybe you downloaded a new appI've done that Bought a new
supplement or joined some 30-daychallenge.
I don't think I've everactually joined a 30-day
challenge, but I've done thingslike that.
You were pumped, you weremotivated, you were determined,
you had that fire.
This was going to be the timethat it finally clicked and,
honestly, for a few days, oreven maybe a couple of weeks, it
(02:20):
did.
I know every diet that I've everbeen on for the first couple of
days, a couple of weeks, it'sawesome.
You follow all the rules.
You said no to the bread basket.
You logged in every calorie, ifthat's part of your plan.
You hit the gym a few times aweek Not me, I never did.
But, again, plenty of people Iknow who have been on diets
haven't done that and you toldyour friends no thanks.
(02:41):
I and you told your friends nothanks, I'm being good.
You, finally, you felt incontrol.
Right, it was like I got this.
But then life happened.
Maybe because you had astressful week at work, maybe
your kid got sick, maybe youjust had a bad day and the only
thing that made sense was a pintof ice cream and a glass of
wine, and just like that theswitch flipped.
(03:02):
The diet was over.
You were off track.
Cue the shame and guilt.
You say why can't I stick withanything?
I'm just going to start over.
On Monday I blew it again andsuddenly you're back at square
one, maybe heavier, morefrustrated and even more
convinced that you're theproblem.
Well, let me stop you rightthere.
(03:23):
You're not the problem, yourdiet is the problem.
Well, let me stop you rightthere.
You're not the problem, yourdiet is the problem.
Today, I'm going to break downexactly why diets fail you, not
the other way around.
I'm going to show you how thetraditional approach to weight
loss is set up to keep you stuckin a cycle of short-term wins
and long-term disappointment.
So here's a pattern that we'regoing to dismantle today.
(03:44):
We're going to do it together.
Okay, it's excitement, thenrestriction, then burnout, then
binge, then guilt and then theinevitable start over.
It's a fucking hamster wheel.
It's exhausting and, worst ofall, it teaches you to associate
weight loss with suffering,shame and failure.
But today I'm going to offeryou something better, because
(04:07):
there's a massive differencebetween losing weight and
sustaining weight loss.
Anybody can lose 10 pounds ifthey're miserable enough for a
couple of weeks or a month, butthat doesn't mean they've
changed their habits, theirmindset or their lifestyle.
That's the difference we'regoing to talk about today Quick
weight loss versus sustainable,long-term transformation.
(04:29):
I'm going to teach you whychasing short-term results keeps
you stuck.
You're going to learn the truthabout willpower, why
perfectionism is killing yourprogress and how to stop
starting over every time thatlife gets messy.
This is not about another setof rules.
No one needs another set ofrules.
(04:49):
This is about building a lifeyou can actually stick to.
So if you're tired of whiteknuckling your way through diets
, tired of feeling like afailure every time you eat a
slice of pizza, and ready toactually enjoy your life and
take control of your health,then keep listening.
This episode is definitely foryou.
So the first part is diets aredesigned to be temporary.
(05:12):
Let's be honest right out ofthe gate, most diets are
complete and utter bullshit.
Yep, that's what I said Mostdiets are complete and utter
bullshit.
They're marketed and note thatword.
They're marketed as solutions,but they're actually temporary
band-aids sold as lifelong fixes.
You know, you've seen them Hell, maybe you've even tried a
(05:34):
bunch of them Keto, whole30,juice Cleanses, intermittent
Fasting there's a million ofthem out there, and they all
come wrapped in a shiny promisesof fast results and a new you.
God knows.
I've been on that a milliontimes but what they really
deliver is temporary successfollowed by long-term
frustration.
So first let's define what mostpeople mean when they say
(05:57):
they're going on a diet.
It usually looks something likethis A strict set of rules
around what you can and can'teat, a list of forbidden foods
like sugar, carbs, gluten,pleasure, whatever, a hyper
focus on short-term results,lose 10 pounds in 10 days, a
(06:17):
start date and usually aninevitable end date, even if
it's unspoken, and a feeling ofbeing on or off the plan 24-7,
365, although no one gets to the365.
If that sounds familiar,welcome to the diet hamster
wheel.
This isn't a lifestyle.
(06:38):
This isn't transformation.
This is restriction theater andthe curtain always comes
crashing down.
And here's the big scam in thediet world that no one talks
about.
Here's the part that shouldfucking piss you off and make
your blood boil.
The diet industry doesn'tactually want you to succeed.
(06:58):
They want you to lose enoughweight to feel a little bit
hopeful, only to gain it backand feel desperate again.
I know that sounds crazy, butwhy is that?
Because people who keepstarting over are repeat
customers.
This is a 70 plus billiondollar industry built on failure
(07:19):
.
Every time a diet doesn't work,they sell you a new one, a new
plan, a new coach, a newsupplement, a new app, same
cycle, same result.
And every time you regain theweight or feel like you blew it.
You blame yourself, not thesystem.
That's how the scam works.
It's not your fault, it's theirbusiness model.
(07:43):
If diets actually worked longterm, you wouldn't need another
one.
I've been on over 100, and Ican tell you I needed 101
because I always was successfuland ultimately I always failed
and most times I put on moreweight.
So again, if diets actuallyworked long-term, you wouldn't
need another one.
But that would mean the dietindustry loses its biggest
(08:06):
revenue stream, which is yourrepeated disappointment.
So let's talk about the partthat hooks people in and it gets
them excited about it, andthat's the quick result, that
early weight loss.
It's seductive, there's noquestion about it.
You drop five or 10 pounds inthe first couple of weeks and
suddenly you're telling everyonehey, this plan really works.
(08:30):
But let's look at what's reallyhappening.
What's actually happening.
You're dropping water weight,not fat.
You're starving your body andcalling it discipline and you're
seeing the results from theshock, not the sustainability.
Then and that always happensyou plateau.
You're hungry, you're tired,you're bored and eventually you
(08:54):
fall off, because no one canmaintain that level of
restriction forever.
It's just not possible.
And here's the kicker when youfail, you don't just go back to
where you started, you usuallygain back even more weight.
God knows, I've done that onpretty much every diet I ever
did.
That's how I got to 411 pounds.
(09:14):
But why?
Well, first, because yourmetabolism took a hit, because
your habits weren't built.
You didn't build anything.
You don't know anything,because you never learned how to
live, only how to diet.
So that's the illusion ofprogress that diets sell.
It looks like it's workinguntil it actually doesn't.
(09:35):
And, by the way, the red flagsfor diets are everywhere.
If you're not sure if you're ina short-term scam or building
something sustainable, here'ssome massive red flags that you
should be looking out for.
First one no carbs allowed.
If a plan tells you toeliminate an entire food group,
that's not a solution, it's asetup.
Your body needs carbs.
(09:57):
Your brain runs on glucose.
Cutting them out entirely mightcause fast weight loss at first
, but it sure as shit notsustainable and it's usually
followed by binging and burnout.
Second red flag of mealreplacements shakes, bars,
powders instead of actual food.
Come on, give me a break.
You're not a fucking robot.
(10:18):
Learning how to make real mealswith real ingredients in real
life is how you get real results.
Otherwise, you're just learninghow to follow a product, not
how to feed yourself long-term.
Here's another red flag.
That's one of my favorite Cheatdays.
Let's be clear If your diet isso restrictive that you need a
(10:38):
cheat day, it's already broken.
That's not balance, that'sdisordered eating with a
calendar.
You're not cheating, you'reeating.
And if you feel like you haveto go all out on one day a week,
it's a sign that your plan istoo extreme to begin with.
Again, this is maybe one that Inever fell for.
(10:59):
The 30-day fixes or challengeSure, the short-term goals can
definitely be motivating.
Fixes or challenge Sure, theshort-term goals can definitely
be motivating.
But if the whole thing is builtaround a start and an end date,
what happens on day 31?
Most people just default backto old habits because nothing
sustainable was actually built.
Challenges usually focus moreon compliance than any kind of
(11:23):
transformation.
Look, bottom line is everythingworks until it doesn't.
You know the story.
You try something new.
It works for a while, then itstops working.
You blame yourself, rinse andrepeat.
The common denominator is notyour willpower, it's that.
None of these plans are meant tolast.
(11:44):
They're designed to get youresults fast enough to sell you
hope, but not structured toteach you how to live healthy
for the rest of your life.
So what does work?
I'm going to give you thatanswer in a minute, but here's a
short version Habits, mindset,simplicity and consistency.
You don't need a new diet.
(12:05):
You need a new approach.
You need to learn how to eat ina way that fits your life.
You need to stop starting overand start building momentum.
You need to choose better, notperfect.
You need to stop measuringsuccess by what happens in 30
days and start focusing onwhat's still working six months
or six years from now.
The bottom line here is dietsare built like cheap rentals.
(12:28):
They're not designed to last.
You deserve to build somethingthat feels like home solid,
functional and made to supportyour life and your lifestyle.
So the next time you see thatshiny new plan and it promises
dramatic results in 21 days,just ask yourself this one
question Do I want to lookdifferent in three weeks or live
differently for the rest of mylife?
(12:50):
So if you're done falling forthe scam, the rest of this is to
show you what real changeactually looks like.
So let's get real for a minute.
There's a huge differencebetween losing weight and
sustaining weight loss, and mostpeople have no idea which one
they're actually chasing.
(13:10):
If you've ever dropped 10pounds on a diet only to gain
back 15, you've experienced thisfirsthand.
The world celebrates quickfixes.
I lost 20 pounds in 30 days.
Sounds sexy, right.
It definitely sells books, itgets clicks, it racks up likes.
I mean it does all that shit.
But here's the reality.
Anyone can lose 10 pounds.
(13:32):
Not everyone can keep it offfor two years.
That's the difference, andthat's what this segment of the
podcast is all about.
So I guess the best place tostart is with the weight loss
that most people know.
Most traditional weight lossstories go something like this
and, by the way, mine includeduntil this last time.
You get sick of your body, youfeel fed up, so you decide it's
(13:53):
time to make a change.
You find a new time.
You get sick of your body, youfeel fed up, so you decide it's
time to make a change.
You find a new diet.
You join a challenge.
You cut out sugar.
You start working out six daysa week Well, that's not
something that I'll ever do andyou go all in.
Going all in is something Ialways did, and at first it
works.
You dropped away quickly.
You feel like a badass.
You tell yourself I should havedone this sooner.
But then the cracks startshowing right.
(14:15):
You get tired, you get hungry.
Life throws a bunch ofcurveballs at you, like stress
and deadlines, kids' schedules,travel, birthday party, pizza
night.
Suddenly, your perfect plandoesn't feel so perfect anymore,
and since your whole strategywas built on white knuckling it,
there's no flexibility, no roomfor real life, just rules,
guilt and eventually collapseand quitting.
(14:37):
And when it all unravels, yougain it back and maybe more, and
you blame yourself.
But here's the truth it wasn'tyour lack of willpower, it was
the lack of sustainability.
The problem with traditionalweight loss is that most weight
loss efforts are fast, extremeand temporary.
(14:57):
They're driven by externalmotivation Weddings, beach trips
, big events, class reunions,whatever there's always some big
event.
They often rely on shame asfuel.
I can't believe that I letmyself go.
I need to fix this.
So what do you do?
You rely on sheer willpower,you muscle your way through
restrictive plans with nostrategy for real life and you
(15:19):
push it until you absolutelyburn out.
That's not transformation,that's survival.
And survival mode doesn't leadto lasting change.
It leads to rebounds and awhole shitload of regret.
So now let's talk about whatactually works long-term.
Not the flashy, dramatic kindof weight loss, but the kind
(15:39):
that sticks, the kind thatchanges your life.
My life has been changed bylosing 140 pounds.
Sustainable weight loss is builton habits, not hacks.
On consistency and not chaos.
On mindset shifts, not shamespirals.
And on adaptability, notperfection.
Is it slower?
(16:00):
Yes, of course it's slower, butit's also smarter.
It considers real life, becauseguess what?
Life isn't going to just stopbeing life just because you want
to lose weight.
With sustainable weight loss,you don't have to avoid birthday
parties, family dinners,vacations or anything else.
You learn how to navigate them.
You stop labeling food as goodor bad.
(16:21):
You stop falling off the wagonbecause you realize there is no
fucking wagon.
So let me give you a couple ofkey differences between
short-term weight loss andsustainable weight loss.
Short-term weight loss ismotivated by guilt or urgency.
Sustainable weight loss ismotivated by a total identity
shift.
Short-term weight loss is basedon restriction and extremes.
(16:44):
Sustainable weight loss isbuilt on small, repeatable
habits.
Short-term weight loss is aboutfast results and quick burnout.
Sustainable weight loss isabout slower results and
long-term change.
Short-term weight loss all ornothing thinking.
Sustainable weight lossprogress over perfection mindset
(17:05):
.
Short-term weight loss this is abig one ignores real life.
It completely ignores that youhave a life to live and
sustainable weight loss plansfor real life.
It lets you live the lifestyleyou want to live.
Last one is short-term weightloss ends with I'll start over
and sustainable weight losscontinues with I'll keep going.
(17:29):
So the bottom line here issustainable weight loss fits
into your life instead offorcing your life to revolve
around it, and I guess that'swhere the real transformation
happens.
It's the identity shift, notjust in your body but in your
brain.
When you move from I'm someonewho's trying to lose weight to
I'm someone who takes care oftheir body, everything changes.
(17:50):
That was a huge turning pointfor me.
I was no longer on a diet.
If you read my book, I say Iwas never on a diet.
I was trying to change my lifeand live healthier.
And when you do that, you stopmaking decisions based on
desperation and start makingthem from alignment.
You no longer need to plan tobe perfect, you just need it to
be possible.
(18:11):
And that's about coming theversion of yourself who eats
differently, moves differently,thinks differently.
Because it's who you are now,not because you're on a diet and
I've said this before, but reallife happens.
Shit happens.
Your plan should be able tohandle that.
So the goal isn't to loseweight and then spend the rest
of your life fearing donuts.
(18:32):
God knows I don't fear donutsand I wouldn't want to spend my
life fearing donuts, but I meanthat shouldn't be your life.
The goal is to go to your kid'sbirthday party and have a slice
of cake without feeling anyguilt and be able to travel for
work without panic, eating orstarving or worrying about what
you're eating at the restaurant.
Handle stress without turningto food and again, this one's
(18:53):
not necessarily for me but missa workout without spiraling into
I blew it mode.
That's sustainable weight loss.
That's a real lifestyle.
You need a plan that cansurvive vacations and holidays
and sleepless nights and busyweeks and setbacks, and that's
exactly what sustainabilityoffers A way to stay consistent
even when your life isn't Fast.
(19:15):
Isn't better Repeatable is?
Ask yourself this do I want tolose 10 pounds fast or keep 50
pounds off for good?
The quick fix will always betempting, but quick doesn't mean
lasting.
If you've been stuck in thestart over cycle, it's time to
think differently.
Hey, that should be an appleman.
That might be a good ad forapple Think different Well
anyway, sustainable weight lossisn man?
That might be a good ad forApple Think different Well
(19:35):
anyway, sustainable weight lossisn't about doing more.
It's about doing what you cankeep doing.
That's the game changer.
I'm going to break down for youexactly how to build that kind
of consistency without relyingon motivation, willpower or
another reset.
So what is it that actuallyworks long-term?
(19:55):
Because I told you all the shitthat doesn't work, but it's
kind of on me now to tell youthe stuff that does work.
So now we've dismantled thelies the diet industry sells you
and we've defined thedifference between quick weight
loss and sustainable results.
Let's talk about the mostimportant part of this whole
journey what actually works.
And here's the spoiler wholejourney.
(20:17):
What actually works and here'sthe spoiler it's not a cleanse,
not a challenge or some shreddedfitness jerk-off from
Instagram's PDF program.
Real, lasting, sustainableweight loss comes from
consistency, not intensity.
Did you hear that?
Consistency, not intensity.
It comes from building a life,not a temporary routine, but a
life that you can live with,something you can repeat even on
(20:39):
your busiest, most stressful,shittiest, least motivated days.
So let's break down the pillarsof what actually works long
term.
This one number one is huge.
You have to eat in a way thatyou actually enjoy.
If your eating plan makes youmiserable, it's not going to
last.
You shouldn't dread your meals,you shouldn't be obsessively
(21:02):
tracking every crumb, and youdefinitely shouldn't be
terrified of carbs or fat or anyfood in general.
If a diet feels like punishment, you will eventually rebel.
The truth is, success comesfrom eating in a way that feels
natural, balanced and satisfying.
Not perfect, not restrictive,just realistic.
(21:24):
That means you eat meals thatleave you feeling full, not
stuffed, and not starving.
You allow for flexibility forthings like pizza night or
birthday cake or the occasionalglass of wine or weekend dinner
out with friends, and youdefinitely don't categorize food
as good or bad.
You learn to look at foodthrough the lens of fuel and
(21:45):
satisfaction.
I'm not telling you this is afree-for-all, because it's not.
You're still making intentionalchoices, but they're choices
you can actually repeat withoutburning out.
The second thing and I'vetalked about this over the past
couple of weeks is buildingdaily habits that stick.
That's where the magic lives.
Habits, not willpower, notmotivation, not discipline
(22:08):
habits.
You don't need to flip yourentire life upside down, you
just need to master the basicsand then make them automatic.
And here's, I guess, for me,four non-negotiables that should
work for pretty much everyone.
The first one is hydration.
Right, drinking enough watersounds basic, but it's
foundational.
Most people walk around mildlydehydrated, mistaking their
(22:32):
thirst for hunger with lowenergy and sluggish digestion.
Now, I'm not telling you if youlistened last week or two weeks
ago, I don't remember when itwas.
I'm not telling you to carryaround 10 gallons of water on
your back.
Good suggestion is aim for halfyour body weight in ounces of
water a day, whatever that maybe.
But if you don't get there,it's not the end of the world.
But keep a water bottle withyou, track it and make it
(22:53):
mindless.
I gave you a few stackablehabits for water last week or
the week before.
If you don't know what they are, then maybe you should go back
and listen to that episode.
Second thing is you got to domovement that you actually enjoy
.
Forget what you think workingout should look like.
You don't have to live the gymor punish yourself on a fucking
treadmill gym or punish yourselfon a fucking treadmill.
(23:18):
What you do need is consistentmovement that feels good and
that fits into your life.
That can be simple as walking.
Hey, if you're a gym person,lift weights a few times a week.
Go to some group fitness classif that's your thing.
Dance in your living room, gofor a hike on the weekends
Whatever gets your body movingconsistently is good enough.
Make it fun and make it yours.
(23:39):
The next thing the nextnon-negotiable is sleep.
People love to ignore this one,but if you're not getting
enough quality sleep, you arefighting an uphill battle.
Poor sleep increases cravings,lowers your willpower and fucks
with your hormones.
Most adults need seven to eighthours period, so prioritize it
like your progress depends on it, because it does.
(24:01):
The next one is stressmanagement.
Stress is one of the biggestbarriers to sustainable weight
loss.
When you're stressed, you'remore likely to emotionally eat,
to skip workouts and leteverything slide.
So, yes, you need to actuallymanage your stress on purpose.
And things that you can do tomanage your stress I'm sure you
(24:22):
can figure some of them out, buthere's a couple Walk without
your phone, write in a journalif that's your thing, do some
meditation or breath work orwhatever gets your mind moving
in a positive direction.
Definitely, learn to say nomore often.
And last one is get therapy ifthat's what you need.
There's no shame in gettingtherapy.
Get therapy if that's what youneed.
Remember, the goal here is notto eliminate stress, because
(24:45):
good fucking luck with that, butit's to manage it in a way that
doesn't derail your health.
So I guess if I could give youone message tattoo, one message
on your brain, it'd be this whatyou can do consistently beats
what you can do perfectly everytime.
That means stop chasing perfectweeks, stop starting over every
(25:07):
Monday, stop treating healthlike an on-off switch.
Instead, ask yourself thesesimple questions Can I do this
on my busiest day?
Can I repeat this when I'mtired?
Can I sustain this for the nextsix months?
If the answer is no, then I gotto tell you it's not the right
strategy.
(25:28):
Real progress comes from doingthe boring stuff over and over
Drinking the water, getting thesteps, eating the protein, going
to bed on time Not sexy, butwildly effective.
And guess what?
When you stop quitting everytime life isn't perfect your
results stop disappearing too.
Imagine that Next thing I wantyou to do is strengthen your
(25:50):
bounce back muscle.
I think that's what I talkedabout last week your bounce back
muscle.
Let's get real here for asecond.
You're going to fuck upsometimes.
It's just the way it is.
Remember I said try forprogress, not perfection.
No one's perfect.
You're going to overeat, you'regoing to skip workouts, you're
going to follow the old habits.
That's not failure, that's life.
The key to long-term success ishow quickly you bounce back,
(26:11):
not whether or not you slip up.
I call this your bounce backmuscle and, just like any other
muscle, the more you use it, thestronger it gets.
And definitely go listen tolast week's podcast.
But here's the quick thing.
Here's the quick tips on how totrain it.
Stop labeling your days as goodor bad.
Never, never, try to undo thedamage.
(26:32):
If you overrate big fuckingdeal, you're not going to be
able to undo it.
So just move ahead, makingsmall, smart choices.
Get back to your routine ASAPyour next meal, your next
workout, your next decision.
The faster that you can pivotwithout guilt or drama, the less
damage you do and the moreconsistent your results become.
So build that bounce backmuscle.
(26:52):
Next one is focus on identityover outcomes.
This is the secret that changeseverything.
Stop trying to lose weight likea dieter and start living like
a healthy person.
So, instead of asking thingslike how fast can I lose weight,
or what's the best fat burningworkout, or what's the lowest
calorie snack I can eat, startasking these questions what
(27:15):
would a healthy version of me dotoday?
How can I support my body rightnow?
What habits align with theperson that I want to become?
Because when your identityshifts, your decisions change
automatically.
You're no longer trying to eatbetter, you just do because
that's how you are now.
You're no longer forcingyourself eat better, you just do
because that's how you are now.
You're no longer forcingyourself to move, you move
(27:37):
because it's part of yourroutine and that's when you go
from I'm on a diet to I livedifferently now, and that place
is exactly where sustainabilitylives.
So, if you're tired of losingweight to just gain it back, if
you're exhausted by the extremesand ready to build something
that actually sticks, this isyour path forward.
(27:59):
Eat in a way that doesn't makeyou fucking miserable.
Build simple habits aroundhydration, movement, sleep,
stress.
Focus on consistency, notperfection.
Definitely strengthen yourbounce back muscles instead of
quitting when it's messy, andbecome that person who lives the
lifestyle you've been trying toforce with diets.
(28:20):
That's what works long time andthat's what lasts and, honestly
, that's what you deserve.
So I'm going to wrap it up bysaying, if we're being honest,
if diets worked long-term, youwouldn't keep needing the new
ones.
Diets give you rules, butsustainability that gives you
skills, and skills are whatcreate change you can repeat for
(28:43):
life.
So the next time you're temptedto jump into that new fucking
plan that promises to shred youin 21 days or belly fat fast, I
want you to pause and askyourself this question Can I
realistically see myself doingthis a year from now?
If the answer is no, it's not asolution, it's just a trap.
(29:05):
It's another quick fix indisguise, another cycle that
ends in burnout, guilt and thefamiliar promise to start again
Monday.
Real transformation doesn't comefrom slashing carbs or cutting
calories so low you can't thinkstraight.
It doesn't come fromobsessively tracking every bite
(29:25):
or turning your life into onebig food rule book.
It comes from building afoundation you can actually live
with.
That means habits to supportyour energy, your lifestyle,
your relationships and, mostimportantly and honestly, your
sanity.
It means learning how to eat atthe family barbecue without
going off the deep end.
It means walking because itclears your head, not just
(29:47):
because your fitness trackertold you to.
It means being a person whodoesn't just try to be healthy,
but become someone who livesthat way naturally.
So here's the challenge, andthis is not a 30-day challenge.
But here's the challenge Stopchasing perfect, stop chasing
fast.
Start building real.
Start building repeatable.
(30:08):
Start becoming the version ofyou who just doesn't need to
start over anymore.
You're not broken.
You don't need another diet.
You need a strategy thatrespects your real life and you
need to choose it every day.
So let's build that version ofyou, one small smart choice at a
(30:32):
time.
So hopefully you learnedsomething in that last segment
how to build a sustainablelifestyle.
I did.
I didn't learn in that segment,but I learned that over the
last couple of years.
If you want to read how I lostover 140 pounds in a year and a
half and kept it off for morethan two years so far, you can
buy my book.
It's called Shut Up and Choose.
It's available on Amazon.
We're an Amazon bestseller.
(30:53):
You can buy my book.
It's called Shut Up and Choose.
It's available on Amazon.
We're an Amazon bestseller.
People send me emails everyweek telling me how the book
changed their life, how it's sosimple.
It seems crazy.
If you're more of a visuallearner, I also have a video
course called the EffortlessWeight Loss Academy.
It's 23 short videos, aboutfive to seven minutes roughly
each.
You can watch the whole coursein two hours and it really dives
(31:16):
deeply into my mindset shiftsand how I got my head in the
right place to lose this weightand, more importantly, how to
keep it off long-term.
You can get that atlearnshutupandchoosecom.
That's learnshutupandchoosecom,so hopefully, the big takeaway
from today's episode is that ofcourse, it's always progress
(31:37):
over perfection.
But it's not about a diet.
It's not about creating a newdiet, getting on the new fad,
doing the new thing for 30 daysand quitting.
It's about building asustainable lifestyle, building
a lifestyle that allows for realfucking life, because that's
what you're living.
You're living a real life.
You're not living a fantasylife on a PDF from some jerk off
(31:59):
on Instagram.
You're leading a real life withreal challenges and real stress
and real obligations and realresponsibilities.
That's how you build asustainable weight loss program.
It's not going to happen in aweek.
It's not going to happen in amonth, but over time you'll see
results for sure.
But over time, when you get ayear into it and you're down 70,
(32:19):
80, 100 pounds, you'd be like,holy shit, this was so much
easier than everybody told meit's supposed to be.
Losing weight is not hard andit's not hard work.
It's just building thosesustainable habits that allow
you to stay on course, and whenyou fall off, you just get right
(32:40):
back on.
That's it.
Losing weight should not bepunishment.
You can make the choice to loseas much weight as you want to,
and you can start right now.
Literally the second you stoplistening to this podcast, you
start making small, smartchoices.
So, with that being the case,the only thing I can say is it's
(33:01):
up to you to shut up and choose.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
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?
(33:25):
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, the nonsense andall that bullshit out there on
the internet and social mediaAll the Instagram gurus telling
you what to do, how to eat, howto lose weight, when they
haven't lost a pound on theirown.
The internet's selling you,giving you all these great ideas
when they haven't lost a poundon their own.
So if you're out here andyou're listening, then you
(01:36):
probably feel like you mightneed to lose some weight.
So I know I did and I lost 140pounds and kept it off now for
over two years, but I guess thatgives me a little bit of
credibility.
But let me ask you thisquestion how many times have you
started a diet, thinking thistime it's going to be different?
You did it all.
You cleaned out your pantryI've done that.
You stocked up on chickenbreast and broccoli, even though
(01:59):
you probably hate it.
Maybe you downloaded a new appI've done that Bought a new
supplement or joined some 30-daychallenge.
I don't think I've everactually joined a 30-day
challenge, but I've done thingslike that.
You were pumped, you weremotivated, you were determined,
you had that fire.
This was going to be the timethat it finally clicked and,
honestly, for a few days, oreven maybe a couple of weeks, it
(02:20):
did.
I know every diet that I've everbeen on for the first couple of
days, a couple of weeks, it'sawesome.
You follow all the rules.
You said no to the bread basket.
You logged in every calorie, ifthat's part of your plan.
You hit the gym a few times aweek Not me, I never did.
But, again, plenty of people Iknow who have been on diets
haven't done that and you toldyour friends no thanks.
(02:41):
I and you told your friends nothanks, I'm being good.
You, finally, you felt incontrol.
Right, it was like I got this.
But then life happened.
Maybe because you had astressful week at work, maybe
your kid got sick, maybe youjust had a bad day and the only
thing that made sense was a pintof ice cream and a glass of
wine, and just like that theswitch flipped.
(03:02):
The diet was over.
You were off track.
Cue the shame and guilt.
You say why can't I stick withanything?
I'm just going to start over.
On Monday I blew it again andsuddenly you're back at square
one, maybe heavier, morefrustrated and even more
convinced that you're theproblem.
Well, let me stop you rightthere.
(03:23):
You're not the problem, yourdiet is the problem.
Well, let me stop you rightthere.
You're not the problem, yourdiet is the problem.
Today, I'm going to break downexactly why diets fail you, not
the other way around.
I'm going to show you how thetraditional approach to weight
loss is set up to keep you stuckin a cycle of short-term wins
and long-term disappointment.
So here's a pattern that we'regoing to dismantle today.
(03:44):
We're going to do it together.
Okay, it's excitement, thenrestriction, then burnout, then
binge, then guilt and then theinevitable start over.
It's a fucking hamster wheel.
It's exhausting and, worst ofall, it teaches you to associate
weight loss with suffering,shame and failure.
But today I'm going to offeryou something better, because
(04:07):
there's a massive differencebetween losing weight and
sustaining weight loss.
Anybody can lose 10 pounds ifthey're miserable enough for a
couple of weeks or a month, butthat doesn't mean they've
changed their habits, theirmindset or their lifestyle.
That's the difference we'regoing to talk about today Quick
weight loss versus sustainable,long-term transformation.
(04:29):
I'm going to teach you whychasing short-term results keeps
you stuck.
You're going to learn the truthabout willpower, why
perfectionism is killing yourprogress and how to stop
starting over every time thatlife gets messy.
This is not about another setof rules.
No one needs another set ofrules.
(04:49):
This is about building a lifeyou can actually stick to.
So if you're tired of whiteknuckling your way through diets
, tired of feeling like afailure every time you eat a
slice of pizza, and ready toactually enjoy your life and
take control of your health,then keep listening.
This episode is definitely foryou.
So the first part is diets aredesigned to be temporary.
(05:12):
Let's be honest right out ofthe gate, most diets are
complete and utter bullshit.
Yep, that's what I said Mostdiets are complete and utter
bullshit.
They're marketed and note thatword.
They're marketed as solutions,but they're actually temporary
band-aids sold as lifelong fixes.
You know, you've seen them Hell, maybe you've even tried a
(05:34):
bunch of them Keto, whole30,juice Cleanses, intermittent
Fasting there's a million ofthem out there, and they all
come wrapped in a shiny promisesof fast results and a new you.
God knows.
I've been on that a milliontimes but what they really
deliver is temporary successfollowed by long-term
frustration.
So first let's define what mostpeople mean when they say
(05:57):
they're going on a diet.
It usually looks something likethis A strict set of rules
around what you can and can'teat, a list of forbidden foods
like sugar, carbs, gluten,pleasure, whatever, a hyper
focus on short-term results,lose 10 pounds in 10 days, a
(06:17):
start date and usually aninevitable end date, even if
it's unspoken, and a feeling ofbeing on or off the plan 24-7,
365, although no one gets to the365.
If that sounds familiar,welcome to the diet hamster
wheel.
This isn't a lifestyle.
(06:38):
This isn't transformation.
This is restriction theater andthe curtain always comes
crashing down.
And here's the big scam in thediet world that no one talks
about.
Here's the part that shouldfucking piss you off and make
your blood boil.
The diet industry doesn'tactually want you to succeed.
(06:58):
They want you to lose enoughweight to feel a little bit
hopeful, only to gain it backand feel desperate again.
I know that sounds crazy, butwhy is that?
Because people who keepstarting over are repeat
customers.
This is a 70 plus billiondollar industry built on failure
(07:19):
.
Every time a diet doesn't work,they sell you a new one, a new
plan, a new coach, a newsupplement, a new app, same
cycle, same result.
And every time you regain theweight or feel like you blew it.
You blame yourself, not thesystem.
That's how the scam works.
It's not your fault, it's theirbusiness model.
(07:43):
If diets actually worked longterm, you wouldn't need another
one.
I've been on over 100, and Ican tell you I needed 101
because I always was successfuland ultimately I always failed
and most times I put on moreweight.
So again, if diets actuallyworked long-term, you wouldn't
need another one.
But that would mean the dietindustry loses its biggest
(08:06):
revenue stream, which is yourrepeated disappointment.
So let's talk about the partthat hooks people in and it gets
them excited about it, andthat's the quick result, that
early weight loss.
It's seductive, there's noquestion about it.
You drop five or 10 pounds inthe first couple of weeks and
suddenly you're telling everyonehey, this plan really works.
(08:30):
But let's look at what's reallyhappening.
What's actually happening.
You're dropping water weight,not fat.
You're starving your body andcalling it discipline and you're
seeing the results from theshock, not the sustainability.
Then and that always happensyou plateau.
You're hungry, you're tired,you're bored and eventually you
(08:54):
fall off, because no one canmaintain that level of
restriction forever.
It's just not possible.
And here's the kicker when youfail, you don't just go back to
where you started, you usuallygain back even more weight.
God knows, I've done that onpretty much every diet I ever
did.
That's how I got to 411 pounds.
(09:14):
But why?
Well, first, because yourmetabolism took a hit, because
your habits weren't built.
You didn't build anything.
You don't know anything,because you never learned how to
live, only how to diet.
So that's the illusion ofprogress that diets sell.
It looks like it's workinguntil it actually doesn't.
(09:35):
And, by the way, the red flagsfor diets are everywhere.
If you're not sure if you're ina short-term scam or building
something sustainable, here'ssome massive red flags that you
should be looking out for.
First one no carbs allowed.
If a plan tells you toeliminate an entire food group,
that's not a solution, it's asetup.
Your body needs carbs.
(09:57):
Your brain runs on glucose.
Cutting them out entirely mightcause fast weight loss at first
, but it sure as shit notsustainable and it's usually
followed by binging and burnout.
Second red flag of mealreplacements shakes, bars,
powders instead of actual food.
Come on, give me a break.
You're not a fucking robot.
(10:18):
Learning how to make real mealswith real ingredients in real
life is how you get real results.
Otherwise, you're just learninghow to follow a product, not
how to feed yourself long-term.
Here's another red flag.
That's one of my favorite Cheatdays.
Let's be clear If your diet isso restrictive that you need a
(10:38):
cheat day, it's already broken.
That's not balance, that'sdisordered eating with a
calendar.
You're not cheating, you'reeating.
And if you feel like you haveto go all out on one day a week,
it's a sign that your plan istoo extreme to begin with.
Again, this is maybe one that Inever fell for.
(10:59):
The 30-day fixes or challengeSure, the short-term goals can
definitely be motivating.
Fixes or challenge Sure, theshort-term goals can definitely
be motivating.
But if the whole thing is builtaround a start and an end date,
what happens on day 31?
Most people just default backto old habits because nothing
sustainable was actually built.
Challenges usually focus moreon compliance than any kind of
(11:23):
transformation.
Look, bottom line is everythingworks until it doesn't.
You know the story.
You try something new.
It works for a while, then itstops working.
You blame yourself, rinse andrepeat.
The common denominator is notyour willpower, it's that.
None of these plans are meant tolast.
(11:44):
They're designed to get youresults fast enough to sell you
hope, but not structured toteach you how to live healthy
for the rest of your life.
So what does work?
I'm going to give you thatanswer in a minute, but here's a
short version Habits, mindset,simplicity and consistency.
You don't need a new diet.
(12:05):
You need a new approach.
You need to learn how to eat ina way that fits your life.
You need to stop starting overand start building momentum.
You need to choose better, notperfect.
You need to stop measuringsuccess by what happens in 30
days and start focusing onwhat's still working six months
or six years from now.
The bottom line here is dietsare built like cheap rentals.
(12:28):
They're not designed to last.
You deserve to build somethingthat feels like home solid,
functional and made to supportyour life and your lifestyle.
So the next time you see thatshiny new plan and it promises
dramatic results in 21 days,just ask yourself this one
question Do I want to lookdifferent in three weeks or live
differently for the rest of mylife?
(12:50):
So if you're done falling forthe scam, the rest of this is to
show you what real changeactually looks like.
So let's get real for a minute.
There's a huge differencebetween losing weight and
sustaining weight loss, and mostpeople have no idea which one
they're actually chasing.
(13:10):
If you've ever dropped 10pounds on a diet only to gain
back 15, you've experienced thisfirsthand.
The world celebrates quickfixes.
I lost 20 pounds in 30 days.
Sounds sexy, right.
It definitely sells books, itgets clicks, it racks up likes.
I mean it does all that shit.
But here's the reality.
Anyone can lose 10 pounds.
(13:32):
Not everyone can keep it offfor two years.
That's the difference, andthat's what this segment of the
podcast is all about.
So I guess the best place tostart is with the weight loss
that most people know.
Most traditional weight lossstories go something like this
and, by the way, mine includeduntil this last time.
You get sick of your body, youfeel fed up, so you decide it's
(13:53):
time to make a change.
You find a new time.
You get sick of your body, youfeel fed up, so you decide it's
time to make a change.
You find a new diet.
You join a challenge.
You cut out sugar.
You start working out six daysa week Well, that's not
something that I'll ever do andyou go all in.
Going all in is something Ialways did, and at first it
works.
You dropped away quickly.
You feel like a badass.
You tell yourself I should havedone this sooner.
But then the cracks startshowing right.
(14:15):
You get tired, you get hungry.
Life throws a bunch ofcurveballs at you, like stress
and deadlines, kids' schedules,travel, birthday party, pizza
night.
Suddenly, your perfect plandoesn't feel so perfect anymore,
and since your whole strategywas built on white knuckling it,
there's no flexibility, no roomfor real life, just rules,
guilt and eventually collapseand quitting.
(14:37):
And when it all unravels, yougain it back and maybe more, and
you blame yourself.
But here's the truth it wasn'tyour lack of willpower, it was
the lack of sustainability.
The problem with traditionalweight loss is that most weight
loss efforts are fast, extremeand temporary.
(14:57):
They're driven by externalmotivation Weddings, beach trips
, big events, class reunions,whatever there's always some big
event.
They often rely on shame asfuel.
I can't believe that I letmyself go.
I need to fix this.
So what do you do?
You rely on sheer willpower,you muscle your way through
restrictive plans with nostrategy for real life and you
(15:19):
push it until you absolutelyburn out.
That's not transformation,that's survival.
And survival mode doesn't leadto lasting change.
It leads to rebounds and awhole shitload of regret.
So now let's talk about whatactually works long-term.
Not the flashy, dramatic kindof weight loss, but the kind
(15:39):
that sticks, the kind thatchanges your life.
My life has been changed bylosing 140 pounds.
Sustainable weight loss is builton habits, not hacks.
On consistency and not chaos.
On mindset shifts, not shamespirals.
And on adaptability, notperfection.
Is it slower?
(16:00):
Yes, of course it's slower, butit's also smarter.
It considers real life, becauseguess what?
Life isn't going to just stopbeing life just because you want
to lose weight.
With sustainable weight loss,you don't have to avoid birthday
parties, family dinners,vacations or anything else.
You learn how to navigate them.
You stop labeling food as goodor bad.
(16:21):
You stop falling off the wagonbecause you realize there is no
fucking wagon.
So let me give you a couple ofkey differences between
short-term weight loss andsustainable weight loss.
Short-term weight loss ismotivated by guilt or urgency.
Sustainable weight loss ismotivated by a total identity
shift.
Short-term weight loss is basedon restriction and extremes.
(16:44):
Sustainable weight loss isbuilt on small, repeatable
habits.
Short-term weight loss is aboutfast results and quick burnout.
Sustainable weight loss isabout slower results and
long-term change.
Short-term weight loss all ornothing thinking.
Sustainable weight lossprogress over perfection mindset
(17:05):
.
Short-term weight loss this is abig one ignores real life.
It completely ignores that youhave a life to live and
sustainable weight loss plansfor real life.
It lets you live the lifestyleyou want to live.
Last one is short-term weightloss ends with I'll start over
and sustainable weight losscontinues with I'll keep going.
(17:29):
So the bottom line here issustainable weight loss fits
into your life instead offorcing your life to revolve
around it, and I guess that'swhere the real transformation
happens.
It's the identity shift, notjust in your body but in your
brain.
When you move from I'm someonewho's trying to lose weight to
I'm someone who takes care oftheir body, everything changes.
(17:50):
That was a huge turning pointfor me.
I was no longer on a diet.
If you read my book, I say Iwas never on a diet.
I was trying to change my lifeand live healthier.
And when you do that, you stopmaking decisions based on
desperation and start makingthem from alignment.
You no longer need to plan tobe perfect, you just need it to
be possible.
(18:11):
And that's about coming theversion of yourself who eats
differently, moves differently,thinks differently.
Because it's who you are now,not because you're on a diet and
I've said this before, but reallife happens.
Shit happens.
Your plan should be able tohandle that.
So the goal isn't to loseweight and then spend the rest
of your life fearing donuts.
(18:32):
God knows I don't fear donutsand I wouldn't want to spend my
life fearing donuts, but I meanthat shouldn't be your life.
The goal is to go to your kid'sbirthday party and have a slice
of cake without feeling anyguilt and be able to travel for
work without panic, eating orstarving or worrying about what
you're eating at the restaurant.
Handle stress without turningto food and again, this one's
(18:53):
not necessarily for me but missa workout without spiraling into
I blew it mode.
That's sustainable weight loss.
That's a real lifestyle.
You need a plan that cansurvive vacations and holidays
and sleepless nights and busyweeks and setbacks, and that's
exactly what sustainabilityoffers A way to stay consistent
even when your life isn't Fast.
(19:15):
Isn't better Repeatable is?
Ask yourself this do I want tolose 10 pounds fast or keep 50
pounds off for good?
The quick fix will always betempting, but quick doesn't mean
lasting.
If you've been stuck in thestart over cycle, it's time to
think differently.
Hey, that should be an appleman.
That might be a good ad forapple Think different Well
anyway, sustainable weight lossisn man?
That might be a good ad forApple Think different Well
(19:35):
anyway, sustainable weight lossisn't about doing more.
It's about doing what you cankeep doing.
That's the game changer.
I'm going to break down for youexactly how to build that kind
of consistency without relyingon motivation, willpower or
another reset.
So what is it that actuallyworks long-term?
(19:55):
Because I told you all the shitthat doesn't work, but it's
kind of on me now to tell youthe stuff that does work.
So now we've dismantled thelies the diet industry sells you
and we've defined thedifference between quick weight
loss and sustainable results.
Let's talk about the mostimportant part of this whole
journey what actually works.
And here's the spoiler wholejourney.
(20:17):
What actually works and here'sthe spoiler it's not a cleanse,
not a challenge or some shreddedfitness jerk-off from
Instagram's PDF program.
Real, lasting, sustainableweight loss comes from
consistency, not intensity.
Did you hear that?
Consistency, not intensity.
It comes from building a life,not a temporary routine, but a
life that you can live with,something you can repeat even on
(20:39):
your busiest, most stressful,shittiest, least motivated days.
So let's break down the pillarsof what actually works long
term.
This one number one is huge.
You have to eat in a way thatyou actually enjoy.
If your eating plan makes youmiserable, it's not going to
last.
You shouldn't dread your meals,you shouldn't be obsessively
(21:02):
tracking every crumb, and youdefinitely shouldn't be
terrified of carbs or fat or anyfood in general.
If a diet feels like punishment, you will eventually rebel.
The truth is, success comesfrom eating in a way that feels
natural, balanced and satisfying.
Not perfect, not restrictive,just realistic.
(21:24):
That means you eat meals thatleave you feeling full, not
stuffed, and not starving.
You allow for flexibility forthings like pizza night or
birthday cake or the occasionalglass of wine or weekend dinner
out with friends, and youdefinitely don't categorize food
as good or bad.
You learn to look at foodthrough the lens of fuel and
(21:45):
satisfaction.
I'm not telling you this is afree-for-all, because it's not.
You're still making intentionalchoices, but they're choices
you can actually repeat withoutburning out.
The second thing and I'vetalked about this over the past
couple of weeks is buildingdaily habits that stick.
That's where the magic lives.
Habits, not willpower, notmotivation, not discipline
(22:08):
habits.
You don't need to flip yourentire life upside down, you
just need to master the basicsand then make them automatic.
And here's, I guess, for me,four non-negotiables that should
work for pretty much everyone.
The first one is hydration.
Right, drinking enough watersounds basic, but it's
foundational.
Most people walk around mildlydehydrated, mistaking their
(22:32):
thirst for hunger with lowenergy and sluggish digestion.
Now, I'm not telling you if youlistened last week or two weeks
ago, I don't remember when itwas.
I'm not telling you to carryaround 10 gallons of water on
your back.
Good suggestion is aim for halfyour body weight in ounces of
water a day, whatever that maybe.
But if you don't get there,it's not the end of the world.
But keep a water bottle withyou, track it and make it
(22:53):
mindless.
I gave you a few stackablehabits for water last week or
the week before.
If you don't know what they are, then maybe you should go back
and listen to that episode.
Second thing is you got to domovement that you actually enjoy
.
Forget what you think workingout should look like.
You don't have to live the gymor punish yourself on a fucking
treadmill gym or punish yourselfon a fucking treadmill.
(23:18):
What you do need is consistentmovement that feels good and
that fits into your life.
That can be simple as walking.
Hey, if you're a gym person,lift weights a few times a week.
Go to some group fitness classif that's your thing.
Dance in your living room, gofor a hike on the weekends
Whatever gets your body movingconsistently is good enough.
Make it fun and make it yours.
(23:39):
The next thing the nextnon-negotiable is sleep.
People love to ignore this one,but if you're not getting
enough quality sleep, you arefighting an uphill battle.
Poor sleep increases cravings,lowers your willpower and fucks
with your hormones.
Most adults need seven to eighthours period, so prioritize it
like your progress depends on it, because it does.
(24:01):
The next one is stressmanagement.
Stress is one of the biggestbarriers to sustainable weight
loss.
When you're stressed, you'remore likely to emotionally eat,
to skip workouts and leteverything slide.
So, yes, you need to actuallymanage your stress on purpose.
And things that you can do tomanage your stress I'm sure you
(24:22):
can figure some of them out, buthere's a couple Walk without
your phone, write in a journalif that's your thing, do some
meditation or breath work orwhatever gets your mind moving
in a positive direction.
Definitely, learn to say nomore often.
And last one is get therapy ifthat's what you need.
There's no shame in gettingtherapy.
Get therapy if that's what youneed.
Remember, the goal here is notto eliminate stress, because
(24:45):
good fucking luck with that, butit's to manage it in a way that
doesn't derail your health.
So I guess if I could give youone message tattoo, one message
on your brain, it'd be this whatyou can do consistently beats
what you can do perfectly everytime.
That means stop chasing perfectweeks, stop starting over every
(25:07):
Monday, stop treating healthlike an on-off switch.
Instead, ask yourself thesesimple questions Can I do this
on my busiest day?
Can I repeat this when I'mtired?
Can I sustain this for the nextsix months?
If the answer is no, then I gotto tell you it's not the right
strategy.
(25:28):
Real progress comes from doingthe boring stuff over and over
Drinking the water, getting thesteps, eating the protein, going
to bed on time Not sexy, butwildly effective.
And guess what?
When you stop quitting everytime life isn't perfect your
results stop disappearing too.
Imagine that Next thing I wantyou to do is strengthen your
(25:50):
bounce back muscle.
I think that's what I talkedabout last week your bounce back
muscle.
Let's get real here for asecond.
You're going to fuck upsometimes.
It's just the way it is.
Remember I said try forprogress, not perfection.
No one's perfect.
You're going to overeat, you'regoing to skip workouts, you're
going to follow the old habits.
That's not failure, that's life.
The key to long-term success ishow quickly you bounce back,
(26:11):
not whether or not you slip up.
I call this your bounce backmuscle and, just like any other
muscle, the more you use it, thestronger it gets.
And definitely go listen tolast week's podcast.
But here's the quick thing.
Here's the quick tips on how totrain it.
Stop labeling your days as goodor bad.
Never, never, try to undo thedamage.
(26:32):
If you overrate big fuckingdeal, you're not going to be
able to undo it.
So just move ahead, makingsmall, smart choices.
Get back to your routine ASAPyour next meal, your next
workout, your next decision.
The faster that you can pivotwithout guilt or drama, the less
damage you do and the moreconsistent your results become.
So build that bounce backmuscle.
(26:52):
Next one is focus on identityover outcomes.
This is the secret that changeseverything.
Stop trying to lose weight likea dieter and start living like
a healthy person.
So, instead of asking thingslike how fast can I lose weight,
or what's the best fat burningworkout, or what's the lowest
calorie snack I can eat, startasking these questions what
(27:15):
would a healthy version of me dotoday?
How can I support my body rightnow?
What habits align with theperson that I want to become?
Because when your identityshifts, your decisions change
automatically.
You're no longer trying to eatbetter, you just do because
that's how you are now.
You're no longer forcingyourself eat better, you just do
because that's how you are now.
You're no longer forcingyourself to move, you move
(27:37):
because it's part of yourroutine and that's when you go
from I'm on a diet to I livedifferently now, and that place
is exactly where sustainabilitylives.
So, if you're tired of losingweight to just gain it back, if
you're exhausted by the extremesand ready to build something
that actually sticks, this isyour path forward.
(27:59):
Eat in a way that doesn't makeyou fucking miserable.
Build simple habits aroundhydration, movement, sleep,
stress.
Focus on consistency, notperfection.
Definitely strengthen yourbounce back muscles instead of
quitting when it's messy, andbecome that person who lives the
lifestyle you've been trying toforce with diets.
(28:20):
That's what works long time andthat's what lasts and, honestly
, that's what you deserve.
So I'm going to wrap it up bysaying, if we're being honest,
if diets worked long-term, youwouldn't keep needing the new
ones.
Diets give you rules, butsustainability that gives you
skills, and skills are whatcreate change you can repeat for
(28:43):
life.
So the next time you're temptedto jump into that new fucking
plan that promises to shred youin 21 days or belly fat fast, I
want you to pause and askyourself this question Can I
realistically see myself doingthis a year from now?
If the answer is no, it's not asolution, it's just a trap.
(29:05):
It's another quick fix indisguise, another cycle that
ends in burnout, guilt and thefamiliar promise to start again
Monday.
Real transformation doesn't comefrom slashing carbs or cutting
calories so low you can't thinkstraight.
It doesn't come fromobsessively tracking every bite
(29:25):
or turning your life into onebig food rule book.
It comes from building afoundation you can actually live
with.
That means habits to supportyour energy, your lifestyle,
your relationships and, mostimportantly and honestly, your
sanity.
It means learning how to eat atthe family barbecue without
going off the deep end.
It means walking because itclears your head, not just
(29:47):
because your fitness trackertold you to.
It means being a person whodoesn't just try to be healthy,
but become someone who livesthat way naturally.
So here's the challenge, andthis is not a 30-day challenge.
But here's the challenge Stopchasing perfect, stop chasing
fast.
Start building real.
Start building repeatable.
(30:08):
Start becoming the version ofyou who just doesn't need to
start over anymore.
You're not broken.
You don't need another diet.
You need a strategy thatrespects your real life and you
need to choose it every day.
So let's build that version ofyou, one small smart choice at a
(30:32):
time.
So hopefully you learnedsomething in that last segment
how to build a sustainablelifestyle.
I did.
I didn't learn in that segment,but I learned that over the
last couple of years.
If you want to read how I lostover 140 pounds in a year and a
half and kept it off for morethan two years so far, you can
buy my book.
It's called Shut Up and Choose.
It's available on Amazon.
We're an Amazon bestseller.
(30:53):
You can buy my book.
It's called Shut Up and Choose.
It's available on Amazon.
We're an Amazon bestseller.
People send me emails everyweek telling me how the book
changed their life, how it's sosimple.
It seems crazy.
If you're more of a visuallearner, I also have a video
course called the EffortlessWeight Loss Academy.
It's 23 short videos, aboutfive to seven minutes roughly
each.
You can watch the whole coursein two hours and it really dives
(31:16):
deeply into my mindset shiftsand how I got my head in the
right place to lose this weightand, more importantly, how to
keep it off long-term.
You can get that atlearnshutupandchoosecom.
That's learnshutupandchoosecom,so hopefully, the big takeaway
from today's episode is that ofcourse, it's always progress
(31:37):
over perfection.
But it's not about a diet.
It's not about creating a newdiet, getting on the new fad,
doing the new thing for 30 daysand quitting.
It's about building asustainable lifestyle, building
a lifestyle that allows for realfucking life, because that's
what you're living.
You're living a real life.
You're not living a fantasylife on a PDF from some jerk off
(31:59):
on Instagram.
You're leading a real life withreal challenges and real stress
and real obligations and realresponsibilities.
That's how you build asustainable weight loss program.
It's not going to happen in aweek.
It's not going to happen in amonth, but over time you'll see
results for sure.
But over time, when you get ayear into it and you're down 70,
(32:19):
80, 100 pounds, you'd be like,holy shit, this was so much
easier than everybody told meit's supposed to be.
Losing weight is not hard andit's not hard work.
It's just building thosesustainable habits that allow
you to stay on course, and whenyou fall off, you just get right
(32:40):
back on.
That's it.
Losing weight should not bepunishment.
You can make the choice to loseas much weight as you want to,
and you can start right now.
Literally the second you stoplistening to this podcast, you
start making small, smartchoices.
So, with that being the case,the only thing I can say is it's
(33:01):
up to you to shut up and choose.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
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?
(33:25):
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.
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.