and how to change your eating habits – for life.

As a Personal Trainer in Hove, many people come to me with the goal of losing weight. It’s a perfectly valid and admirable goal to have and I commend those who are brave enough to come forward and ask for help with it.

The good news is that regular, structured exercise will undoubtedly help you to lose excess weight. Especially when you combine it with strength training. This is because building muscle will help to increase the amount of calories you use at rest as well as the amount of energy you expend in the gym.

However… the reality is that once a person leaves my studio, I have very little control over the choices they make in regards to the food and drink they consume, when and how often they consume it as well as how much they move in their everyday life.

It’s also true that Personal Trainers are only legally allowed to give generic dietary advice so be weary of PTs that dish out diet plans (as that should be left for qualified dieticians and nutritionists). It’s also true that everyone is different in terms of the foods that work for them so generic diet plans are usually ineffective.

Step 1. Eliminate Food Education as a Barrier

Now, the truth is that the vast majority of people already know which foods are healthy and which are not. Even so, we still provide this information to all new clients in our well-being guide as part of our onboarding process at Wise & Prime. 

However, I do acknowledge the powerful effect food marketing and packaging (as well as societal conditioning and hearsay) has on one’s ability to decipher what’s ‘good’ and what’s not. If you struggle with this and you’d like to read my guidance on food, you can do so here.

So once food education has been removed as a barrier, what is REALLY stopping someone from making the necessary changes to lose weight? 

Step 2. Build Awareness

Becoming aware of the behaviours that are leading to weight gain is the essential next step. Without it we are stabbing in the dark.

There are some key questions which can be helpful in determining whether one’s ready to change…

Can they see how the short term pleasure of sugary or processed food is causing more suffering in the long run? And is it really worth it? 

Can they see how those foods are being used to cover up unpleasant feelings in the moment? Whether that’s boredom, sadness, anxiety etc?

How present can they be whilst these behaviours are taking place? Can they be the witness even whilst it’s happening?

It’s worth noting that using food to makes us feel better is an extremely ‘normal’ reaction to discomfort. And I don’t judge anyone for doing it.

But we need to be honest with ourselves about what we are doing and why we are doing it. Otherwise, how can anyone change a behaviour if they are not even aware they are doing it? So one’s awareness is the critical second step.

Step 3. Lean into Discomfort

Once someone becomes aware of their food-related behaviours and knows exactly where the issues lie, the next question is… are they suffering enough to want to change? Are they willing to sit with the discomfort of being hungry, or having a craving or feeling a negative emotion long enough for it to pass? 

Because it will pass. It ALWAYS does. 

But they have to be willing to go THROUGH the discomfort stage. Every. Single. Time. And practice the art of leaning into discomfort rather than shying away from it.

If they aren’t already suffering, it’s unlikely that they’ll have the motivation to change.

But if they are and they are willing to do the work, the reward is permanent freedom from food addiction of any kind. 

That’s right, it will change their life, forever. 

And it really is that simple. Not easy. But simple.

Once the process has begun, each time that craving arises again it will get easier to recognise, easier to sit with and will pass sooner.

There really are no shortcuts and I’m afraid to say that any “diet” is just another way of avoiding doing the work.

How do I know this? Because not only do I see it day in, day out with my own friends, family members and clients, but I’ve also been through it myself and it wasn’t until I learnt how to truly sit with, feel and release unpleasant feelings and emotions before I could free myself from the addictive nature of unhealthy food and drink.

But why is that? Why is it that sitting with unpleasant feelings is so effective?

In short, it’s because by doing so you release that blocked emotion and your natural state of wellbeing emerges from within raising your ‘base level of happiness’ (so to speak). Then, the jump to ‘feeling satisfied’ by eating something sweet or fatty is either greatly reduced or non-existent. You can still enjoy it but it won’t change how you feel as much. And hence, the cravings and addictive tendencies disappear all by themselves. At least, that has been my experience anyway.

And if you look close enough you’ll find that all addictions stem from this same tree. The same root issue of unconsciously resisting what is inside either due to an inability or unwillingness to feel one’s own pain. These days, we have so many vices to prevent us from feeling the feels, so many ‘ways out’, it’s become harder than ever to just sit and do nothing. To not react. To simply feel what we’re feeling in that moment.

What’s fascinating to me is that those who are ready and willing to do the work succeed without even having to ‘try’ anymore. They naturally crave healthier foods as their bodies start to reflect their healthier, more conscious mindset.

Combine that with regular, structured exercise and true transformation begins.

If you’re interested in making that happen, book a free taster session today and start your journey to becoming a happier, healthier you. 

You’ll have a consistent cheerleader in your corner guiding you through the process and I’ve no doubt your future self will thank you for it :)