This is a blog about nothing. Like Seinfeld. I couldn’t think of one thing to write about so it’s just a bunch of observations mainly about clients, training, dieting, and how most people are just all talk.
Most of my new female clients have a background of calorie restriction, often cutting out carbs completely, and doing some form of cardio most days; basically a cycle of starving and binging They ruin their body and lose their mind in the process. I don’t know where these women get their information from but it’s messed up! The positive thing is that after a few weeks at Recomp they feel so much more energised, happy, and not hungry or tired all the time. They’re on a nutritious diet with lots of carbs, and doing less training sessions per week with zero cardio, this is the way to a better body.
There are always some new clients who ask “when will I see results, how long will this take?”, but also say “I’m really committed, I’ll give it 100% blah blah blah”… these are the ones who screw things up very quickly. They cheat on their diet just weeks into the program. Their training is shit (quit early, don’t push to their body to its limit), yet they complain about the training being too hard. It’s amusing when people ask “how long did it take you to look the way you do?”, then seconds later they’re telling me they went out on the weekend and had a few wines. Seriously? Pick a lifestyle and stick with it, you can’t have both. Making positive changes to body composition requires a strong work ethic, self discipline, and consistency. It’s supposed to be hard. It’s a constant battle with your body, which is designed to survive, not be lean athletic and look amazing without having to try. You are a reflection of what you repeatedly do; eat shit food = look like shit, train like shit = look like you don’t train at all! Apply yourself 100%, and then expect more. If you’re having a bad day, you have to use the anger or frustration to fuel your training session, rather than go home, sulk and eat a tub of ice cream. Don’t pile food on top of the problem.
Do people know how dumb they sound when they say “I followed the diet, except one day I had a muffin (or other food not on the prescribed diet). I’m sorry but that is not following the diet…..Or saying I went away on the weekend, “I didn’t drink, I just had two wines” (yes, someone seriously said this). Drinking even a sip of alcohol is still drinking. It’s black and white. I don’t care what you did, it’s your body, but just say it like it is! I can’t stand bullshit excuses. It’s as simple as making a decision to either stick to the diet or not, and then expecting the outcome to be a reflection of what you did. I’d rather hear “I didn’t follow the diet 100%…I ate X, Y, Z” … not “It was really hard to follow the diet because blah blah blah”… Why is it so difficult to stick to a diet for 7 days? After 7 days it gets adjusted, based on your body composition result. Most people eat the same breakfast every day, and most people have a couple of favourite things they have for lunch every day. Tell someone they have to eat the same foods every day for a week they freak out. This kind of person are not truly ready to change their body, they don’t care enough, they are not willing to make sacrifices. And that’s fine, but don’t pretend you’re ready. It’s the “doing” that creates a better body, not the “talking”.
The clients who do well are the ones who put their head down and work hard. They don’t complain about the diet, they see the food on their diet as the tools to create an amazing body. Food is not supposed to be interesting and entertaining, but that’s not to say you can’t be creative with the foods on your diet. Use your brain. Here is something I do with just a few ingredients. A simple protein pancake. If you have not experienced a protein pancake you are truly missing out on one of life’s simple pleasures. Don’t knock it until you try it! This is how I make mine: In a mixing bowl combine 30g whey (bulk nutrients or international protein or your favourite…WPC or a blend works best, I use bulk nutrients), 1 or 2 whole eggs, 100-150ml filtered water. Add the water gradually, while mixing with a fork until it forms a smooth batter consistency. Spray a non-stick pan with oil (this does not work in a regular pan!), pre-heat for a few minutes. Pour in the mixture. Cook until almost cooked through. Don’t flip it or it’ll be way too dry. Fold in half and serve. It tastes the best when it’s gooey on the inside, crispy on the outside! Can also be made with plain rolled oats or quick oats 50g to 100g. It can be adjusted to suit what ever foods are on your diet (e.g. nuts, berries, banana added). I have been eating a protein pancake before bed for over 3 years and never get bored of it!
Most people have heard the saying “you can’t out-train a bad diet”, it’s a real thing. No matter how good (you think) your training is, when you eat crap food you will actually look like you don’t train at all. You will look soft and out of shape. You can’t argue with the data from a body fat test, if it says you put on 1% body fat, you got fatter! Yet you stand in front of the mirror and think you look good. Sorry, the numbers don’t lie. For those who are happy with their results each week when I body fat test them, and they’ve eaten off the diet – that’s fine too, it’s about not lying to yourself, just be real.
On a positive note – I’m grateful to have clients who have a genuine interest in their training and nutrition, who really do give 100%. Some come to training saying they’ve been counting down the hours to their session, or I’ll get a txt saying they just hit a personal best on the deadlift that day. These little things show a person’s level of commitment, and their enjoyment of the whole process. These clients apply themselves at training, they schedule time for meal prep, because their goal is a priority. Success is an every day thing. Thank you to all the people I’ve worked with who “get it”.
I’ve never understood the “I deserve a treat” after reaching a certain point in your progress, not when you have reached your goal, but let’s say the person has dropped half of the fat they want to drop, then they go out and eat Ben & Jerry’s or a burger and chips, and say they deserve a treat. Eating it is taking a step backward, it’s sabotaging your body. Get to the goal you set out to achieve, maintain it, then you might be able to afford to relax a little (I still personally don’t get that either, I like being lean year-round and I don’t care for ice cream and burgers… I prefer abs)…But each to their own. I am not going to judge anyone who does the above so long as they don’t use the words “I deserve it”… Just say, I’m not that concerned with reaching my goal… say it like it is. You want to enjoy ice cream and burgers, and be happy with slower progress in the gym and your body composition. It’s when people question why they are not changing, while eating that food. This is just plain stupidity and ignorance!
