Strategy versus Effort
Frustrated and unhappy about their weight, Mr and Mrs Struggler are quick to try the latest fad diet or weight loss product, irrespective of how gimmicky it may be. They start off well, but soon discover that their new weight loss solution is too unpractical to sustain, too difficult to maintain or simply does not work. Although they are pro-active and keen to improve their health and appearance, they waste time, money and effort, and often repeat the same mistake. They score high on effort but low on strategy.
Mr and Mrs Extreme, on the other hand, are highly disciplined and naturally like strenuous physical activity. They enjoy looking good and are willing to sacrifice a substantial amount of time and energy at the gym. They will also easily forego every culinary delight that may be fattening and have no problem sticking to a Spartan-type diet as long as they achieve their goal. Although they look and feel great, they can become a bit too self-obsessed. They score high on effort as well as strategy.
Mr and Mrs Happy-go-lucky are on the other end of the scale. They are undisciplined for many reasons and tend to procrastinate, postponing their weight-loss obligation with a myriad of excuses. As a result, they never get started. Content with life and happy to accept themselves as they are, they neglect their health and develop many degenerative diseases like diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. Besides draining their finances, these conditions diminish the quality of their lives as well as shorten it. They score poorly on both effort and strategy.
Mr and Mrs Informed operate in a different league. They have learned from past experience and accept that there are no quick-fix or magic-wand solutions. They recognise that their numerous daily obligations come with certain time restraints. Previous experience has taught them that certain lifestyle preferences and habits are very difficult to change and have thus figured out ways to work around these. They understand that deprivation is a non-sustainable solution for them and prefer a middle of the road approach instead.
Mr and Mrs Informed therefore apply their time and effort wisely in order to achieve maximum weight loss benefit. They rely on a combination of different weight loss solutions simultaneously. This also allows them greater flexibility and freedom. They employ a range of compensatory mechanisms for damage control purposes, for those times when they do step outside the boundaries of their meal-plan, thus preventing them from unravelling all their hard work over a weekend or holiday period. They prefer their approach because it is strategy, rather than effort, that enables them to sustain it over the long term without leaving them feeling deprived, tortured or frustrated.
There are many people who find it virtually impossible to lose weight with a standard weight-loss approach. Why? Because their strategy is so poor that in reality, without knowing it, they have actually been set up for yet another round of failure even before they start. Personally, our experience has taught us that these individuals can only lose weight with a more advanced approach that extends way beyond just another eating plan.
What you need to remember:
You have only so much time, energy and enthusiasm each day. These are precious commodities – invest them wisely. Our philosophy at the Institute is therefore better strategy, less effort. We believe that with a better weight-loss strategy, you are able to achieve far better weight loss results with less effort and no dangerous side effects.
