Quit buying shit, and actually start losing weight

Flipping the 3 bullshit paradigms of weight loss

“But, I’ve heard I’ll lose muscle…” Bullshit. Time to ruck up!

The 3 paradigms of weight loss are driven by commercial gain, not effectiveness.

The 3 bullshit paradigms of weight loss are:

1. Losing weight is hard, but I have something to sell you that will make it easier.

2. You can “work out” your way to weight loss, if you do it “the right way”, of course.

3. If you build muscle, you’ll lose fat naturally.

These 3 paradigms should look familiar, because they are the themes in every modern-day fitness commercial. You can actually put the phrase “if you buy our shit.” on the end of each one of these paradigms and they will look even more familiar.

I was an Information Operations Officer in the US Military. During this time, I learned you can find the motivation for “all” information, especially paradigms, without exception. Understand the motivation and you can determine whether it serves you.

If the motivation factor of a paradigm serves you, then treat it as true, if it does not, then treat it as false.

But with any paradigm, you can simply flip it, to change the motivation to serve you. “Para”digm. Para, is dual, or along side, or relating to. A paradigm is either true or false depending on its motivation or intent and what it is related to. Notice how it can be true or false depending on who it serves, you or them?

The primary motivation for weight loss information is making money, not actually helping you lose weight.

* Remember, if you actually lost weight, you wouldn’t buy more shit, while you’re trying to lose weight.

So, if the 3 paradigms of losing weight are wrong because they are designed to serve them, not you, then just flip them around.

If you flip the common paradigms of losing weight, you will lose weight, faster than you think.

The opposite of the 3 bullshit paradigms are:

1. Losing weight is actually really easy and there is no “magic pill”. (and you don’t need to buy anything)

2. Your workout actually has nothing to do with your weight loss. (and you don’t need to buy anything)

3. If you really want to lose weight, you should focus on losing weight, not gaining muscle. (and you get it… at this point)

Now, I will break down each one of the flipped paradigms and give it to you straight.

My motivation for these new paradigms is to help you lose weight, not get your money.

1. Losing weight is actually really easy and there is no “magic pill”.

True. Losing weight is a function of calories in, calories out, and drinking water. That’s it.

So, all you really have to do is apply this flipped paradigm and you will start losing weight. There are some really good tricks I’ll show you, to lower your overall calories in, and raise the amount of calories your body burns throughout the “entire” day. I do mean “entire” day, like, 24 hours. That’s the fat loss that actually counts.

One of the biggest mistakes is people believe they burn the most calories during their workouts. That’s incorrect. You burn most of your calories throughout the other 23 hours a day.

Yes, workouts burn calories, but not as much or as fast as you think. But on the flipside, you burn more calories than you think during the other hours of the day.

2. Your workout has nothing to do with weight loss.

True, kinda, ok… stick with me on this.

You should workout for any reason besides losing weight.

I know, crazy right? How about working out to increase your longevity, strength, or improving your cardiovascular health. If your primary goal of working out is to lose weight, then you’re missing the point and wasting your time.

3. Focus on losing weight, not gaining muscle.

If losing weight is your primary goal, then focus on losing weight.

I believe it was Dan Gable, (famous collegiate wrestler and coach) once said; “If it’s important, do it every day. If it’s not important, stop f’ing doing it.”

Ok, so how do you actually put these 3 new paradigms to work?

Let me show you.

1. Losing weight is actually really easy, and there is no “magic pill”.

Lower your calorie intake, and increase your metabolism, over a longer period of time. Like, throughout the day…

Yes, you need to adjust your eating habits. But… the good news is, you don’t need to buy anything.

Think about this. The new hybrid cars don’t burn nearly as much gas because they shut down every time you stop. So, don’t stop. Move more and move more often. And, no, you don’t need to F’n count your steps… If you spend most of your downtime well, “really down”, then do something else. Walking really does work to increase your metabolism throughout the day. These longer periods of incremental increased metabolism, even tiny ones, really add up throughout a day.

And drink a ton of water… Really. Water is the catalyst of increased metabolism.

There are 3 diets that actually work (and are completely free):

a. Keto (super fast, but difficult)

b. Paleo (slow, but pretty easy)

c. Intermittent Fasting (kinda fast, easy, but, it’s got a learning curve)

Everything else is bullshit… I’m just sayin. (Please don’t hate mail me, or try to sell me something.)

I like to qualify these 3 effective diets like this:

• Keto

Keto is crazy. Keto is the “pedal to the metal”, “reckless abandon” of diets.

a. Keto works really well and super-fast, but it’s super hard to maintain over a long period of time, because you’re basically cutting out way too much awesome junk food. Bye, bye, pizza. (I can’t do it. I’ve tried.)

b. The other problem with Keto is that it’s not forgiving. Keto works by bringing your body into ketosis, which takes a day, at least. If you mess up and eat incorrectly, then “ketosis” resets, and your back to the beginning.

• Paleo

Paleo is just code for eating healthy

a. Works fantastic, but it’s slow. I’ve always thought of paleo as more of a lifestyle change than a diet. Paleo works. But, get ready to start eating a ton of salads.

• Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is my favorite (and obviously works), because I have no discipline or will power, and intermittent fasting requires neither.

a. I like to think of intermittent fasting as “cheating”.

b. Intermittent fasting is like solving the weight loss problem by using math.

c. Intermittent fasting is really just tricking yourself into eating less food. (I know, this is a mind boggling concept)

d. Dude… It’s hard at first, but once you get the hang of it. It really does work. I’m obviously a fan.

I personally love intermittent fasting because you can screw it up, fail miserably, and eat, wait for it…

“Yes, with intermittent fasting you can eat whatever you want. Kinda.” and it still works.

e. The reason it still works if you screw up (occasionally), is because as long as you get right back “on the horse” the damage is minimal.

f. Cheat days! Yup, it’s got cheat days!

g. I will go into my personal plan in more detail in a later article but basically I try to eat one meal a day. You can Google “intermittent fasting” and learn everything you really need to know. It’s crazy simple and you if start slow and ease into it, in no time, you’ll start dumping weight.

h. A real quick synopses of my weight-loss journey is that I started eating breakfast/snack, later and later in the day. Eventually I realized if I just skip it, I can eat almost whatever I want for dinner. I’m able to skip breakfast by drinking coffee instead. I’m able to skip lunch by working out instead, or having some coffee or tea, during the usual lunch period.

2. Your workout has nothing to do with weight loss.

Refer to new paradigm number 1.

See what I did there? If losing weight is your main goal, then keep the “main thing” the “main thing”. I think that is a Dan John quote, but he may have stolen it from Dan Gable as well.

I love working out, but I don’t associate working out with weight loss. They “can” go hand in hand but they don’t need to. I also like looking good and you can certainly tone the muscle you have by working out (yes, that muscle is already there, it’s just covered in fat). My main goal for working out is fighting the clock. I don’t want to be or feel old. I don’t work out to lose weight or really try to gain a ton of muscle.

I walk to and from the gym to lose weight.

Yes, I’m 43 (Ugh, just saying it makes me feel old).

I use my workouts to improve my body’s longevity (and, of course, looks).

Seriously… separate your goals. If loosing weight is your primary goal, then focus on it first. Start losing weight, then you can start worrying about other things.

* Very Important Note Here *

I do use my workout, within my daily routine, as part of my routine.

My routine is what supports my diet (intermittent fasting). I use my workout as one of the ways I cheat hunger through creative timing. I promise more on this in an upcoming article.

3. Focus on losing weight not gaining muscle.

The reason it’s important to separate “gaining muscle” and “losing fat” is because they happen at grossly different rates.

You need to disassociate gaining muscle and losing fat completely, so you don’t fall into the trap of:

“It’s actually ok if my weight stays the same, because I’m replacing fat with muscle.”

No, you’re not, you’re staying fat.

If you’re a normal dude and you’re not using steroids, you will not gain more than about 10 pounds of muscle in a year. Less if you’re *cough* old like me.

Read that last line one more time (except the old part). It’s that important. This is a fact. It’s nearly impossible to gain muscle much faster than that. Look it up. It’s been studied… a lot. Oh yeah, and the high numbers in those studies are usually professionals…

Loosing fat, is an entirely different animal than gaining muscle, so don’t pretend they are the same.

So what?

Here’s the bottom line.

I work out maybe 45 minutes a day at the gym. I use an app, which lets me get in and get out. 45 minutes is all I feel like doing. 6 exercises with 3 sets (2 of the exercises are abs). That’s it. I enjoy working out but I get “burnt out” very quickly if I try to do any more than that.

I also walk. I know, crazy…

A little running, but I’ve cut way back. That’s it.

I lost about 15 pounds in about 8 weeks, this last time, and I’m a little dude (I weigh about 150 pounds now). I’ve done it several times but I’m more committed than ever to keep it off this time.

Being smaller is awesome. Less joint pain, I look better, and you can physically do way more than ever. Trust me on this, it’s totally worth it.

I want you to break free of conventional fitness “wisdom”.

The truth is:

• There are no rules.
• There is no magic pill.
• If something works, then do it, if it doesn’t, then quit wasting your time.

Whatever you do, don’t keep buying shit!

Weight loss is a math problem, not a money problem.