Stick to it

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/03/2021 (1686 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I have an important question for you. One I want you to think hard and be honest about as we enter a new month this week, meaning 15 per cent of 2021 is gone. Just like that. It’s over.

Are you on track with your fitness goals? Or have you fallen behind? If you’re not where you hoped you’d be, don’t beat yourself up. We are still facing challenges that make fitness a challenge. It’s not your fault. But it’s absolutely crucial you do not give up or delay getting started. This is where success is born.

You have to understand there are always setbacks and delays on the road to success. But believe me, getting up and getting going again is the difference-maker. Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first TV job. Lady Gaga was dropped from her first record label after three months. My first dozen attempts to lose 60 pounds in my 20s fell flat.

Every success story involves setbacks and failures. But there’s a secret ingredient that separates success from failure. And it’s this concept of starting power vs. staying power.

Starting power is the initial dopamine hit you get when you enrol into a program or start something new. It’s easy to be motivated when the new-car smell is still fresh. But it’s another thing to stick it out long enough to reach the promised land.

You can’t succeed at anything in life “trying it” for a couple months. It’s your determination to bounce back and keep going that defines what kind of life you’ll have. I call this secret staying power.

Staying power is what everyone needs to succeed, not special skills or talents. It means not throwing in the towel when you face a little adversity. It’s the only reason I lost 60 pounds and kept it off.

So, get up and keep going if this is important to you. Stay in it. Because you have just as much ability to achieve fitness success as the next person. Plenty of people facing the same obstacles overcame them and did it anyway. But it only happens if you stay on track.

Your Fitbit could be making things worse

Do not eat back the calories you burn from exercise. One of my clients was stuck in a plateau for a couple weeks. We found he was eating back some of the calories burned through exercise because his Fitbit said he earned them.

“I don’t get it. My caloric intake is 2,300-2,700… the Fitbit says my average burn is 3,566/day.”

And therein lies the problem. His Fitbit was way overestimating his daily calorie burn.

We got him to stick to the calorie budget I set and magically his weight dropped three pounds the next week. Studies show the calorie burn estimates on these devices can be off by as much as 20-30 per cent.

It just invites justifying more food and leads to paralysis by analysis when you get too deep in the data these offer. I like using technology to support an effective fitness program, but sometimes it can do more harm than good. The problem is every body is different. We have different genes, metabolisms and weight histories that all factor into what we need to do to lose weight. These devices are one size fits all, and that’s not how the body works.

So, by all means, use wearables and track to help with adherence and motivate you to stay consistent, but don’t let the numbers fool you. They could unknowingly ruin your progress.

Q: I have a problem with eating at night. What is the best way to eat before bed and avoid night-time snacks?

This depends on your definition. If you’re asking what’s the best way to eat in your situation to avoid fat gain, well, don’t eat in a calorie surplus in each 24-hour period.

But, if you put a gun to my head and forced me to give you an alternative answer, that answer would be this: Instead of trying to grin and bear it and suppress the cravings, the best way is to adjust your intake during the day, so you have some calories remaining to work a snack into your day’s totals after dinner. For example, conserve 150 calories so you can have anything that’s less than 150 calories later — assuming your protein goal has been met.

Q: Should I go gluten-free?

We often see gluten-free foods promoted as healthier options. But, does removing gluten actually make food healthier? I guess that depends.

There are two good reasons to remove gluten from your diet:

1. You are allergic to gluten or have celiac disease.

2. Removing gluten makes you feel better.

Otherwise, gluten is perfectly fine to eat and may even have health benefits. The calorie content of a gluten-free alternative may be no different and simply cost more. The number of claims about the dangers of gluten ignores the reality of most research.

Many will claim gluten is to blame for a host of health problems, namely weight gain. And yet, outside of those with the condition, there isn’t evidence that removing gluten has any impact on weight loss.

Then, there’s the idea gluten causes heart disease. But, according to Harvard’s School of Public Health, in a 2017 study of more than 100,000 participants without celiac disease, researchers found no association between long-term dietary gluten consumption and heart disease risk. In fact, the findings also suggested that non-celiac individuals who avoid gluten may increase their risk of heart disease, due to the potential for reduced consumption of whole grains.

And, there are claims that it gives you a grain brain — brain fog, essentially. That’s a fancy way of saying gluten can cause inflammation, which then might cause neuroinflammation. But, there’s no evidence for this, especially in non-celiacs.

In fact, gluten is not an automatic trigger for inflammation throughout your entire body. According to Benjamin Lebwohl, a gastroenterologist with the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, the evidence is shaky at best.

So, if you want to remove gluten, go for it. But, don’t buy into fear and twisted science that pushes you towards unnecessary, extreme behaviours that only add more stress to your life. It may have just been a way to sell you on a problem you may not have.

Your best health approach is one that is built around what works for you. Figure that out, and you’ll be on your way.

Mitch Calvert is a Winnipeg-based fitness coach for men and women like his former self. Heavyset in his 20s, he lost 60 pounds and now helps clients find their spark and lose the weight for life. Visit mitchcalvert.com to grab yourself a free metabolism jumpstart or inquire about his next “2 Pant Size Promise” coaching program (yes, you get that result or pay nothing).