Why I decided to stop following strict diets even when they got me insane results

By Coach Luke Nivison-Smith a Personal Trainer and Owner of Movement Innovation. 

Coming from a sporting background I never really had to worry about what shape I was in. I didn’t care about abs, big biceps, or how nice my chest looked, all I wanted to do was perform at my best.

But then injuries hit me… and this is common with lots of people. If it’s not injuries it’s either a busy work schedule, having kids, or getting older. There comes a point where eating whatever you want catches up and the way you look and feel bothers you constantly.

For me, back-to-back ACL surgeries and 2 years of rehabilitation caused me to develop these things we call love handles. Which really got to me mentally and I thought that’s it I’m gonna whip my butt back into shape.

I was determined to get my shred on and get those ab lines back so I knuckled down and did a 14-day elimination diet. Which got me insane results in a really short time. The problem was by week three I was back to sipping caramelised cappuccinos, ordering take-out, and drinking alcohol like I was away on holiday. But I wasn’t on a holiday… it was a normal work week.

What do you think I did once I put all my weight back on? You damn guessed it, I hit that shred program hard and got my results rolling again.

Now… Here is the problem. I did this for 7 years straight and went further backward than I did forwards… (I gained over 15 kgs)

So I decided to research, go to courses, hire nutrition coaches and work out why the hell I went backward over 8 years and not forwards.

Here’s what I discovered:

Strict dieting for the average person makes life hard… There are so many stresses in people’s lives so why make your food choices miserable.

Aiming to improve your diet one step at a time is more reasonable and achievable long term.

Learning what triggers your binges can go a long way to hitting your fat loss goal.

Stop feeling guilty when you slip up. Learn from it and move on.

My suggestion is, don’t give up the doughnuts.

Take small steps, learn from your mistakes, hire a professional and get the right advice. That will save you 8 years of frustration and anger.

Looking to join a group training gym? Check out our 28-Day Intro Offer. Our gym is located just off the highway near Burleigh Heads.