The fitness industry thrives on quick fixes. From challenges promising you’ll “lose ten pounds in a week” and “melt fat in 21 days” to fitness products guaranteeing a six-pack overnight. These products survive (and thrive) because we buy into them; we love the promise of fast results if we make extreme changes for a short period of time. We are quick to commit to restrictive rules but don’t think much beyond the one week, 21 day, or one month challenge.

I know I’ve been guilty of this. I hopped from fad diet to fad diet all through high school and college. I was miserable and, what’s worse, didn’t see many results given all my hard work. Had I stuck with a diet for more than a few weeks, I would have seen some progress. But that’s the problem. I quit each fad diet because:

QUICK FIXES TURN US INTO QUITTERS.

When we don’t actually lose ten pounds in a week, we quit trying. When we aren’t able to stick to that zero carb rule, we give up and eat all the carbs. When the brand new gym equipment we shelled out big bucks for doesn't give us a six-pack, we quit exercising all together.

While we want to believe that we can make big sacrifices in order to achieve big changes in a short amount of time, that is rarely the case. If we do happen to lose that weight, get that six pack, or fit in that new dress size, it rarely lasts long because those quick fixes don’t set us up with the tools we need to create lasting change.

All of the nerdy research I did during my master’s program and my short time in my PhD program was focused on behavior change theories: what is required to actually create lasting changes in the health of individuals and how do we put that into practice?

Whether the desired change is losing body fat, building strength, getting faster, improving health markers, or something entirely different, the principles of creating successful behavior changes are the same (and spoiler alert: the answer isn’t a crash diet, a short timeline, or restrictive rules.)

Creating lasting change requires knowledge and skills that allow you to make small changes, consistently, over time.

In other words, it requires creating good habits. Habits that you don’t just stick to when you feel like it, but habits that you practice consistently.

In the beginning of January, we will be releasing the DIY Macro Program, 4 weeks of guided resources built to help you create habits that will produce lasting change. The DIY Macro Program allows you to set your own health and nutrition goals and create a plan tailored to those specific goals. You will learn how to calculate your own target calories and macros, how to adjust those targets as your goals change, and how to maintain the progress you make to create long-term results. You’ll have access to tools that will help you make your meals, plan your weeks, and create habits that lead to real and sustainable change.

Want to learn more about changing your nutrition habits for better long term health? Head over to our coaching page and give it a read!