Justin Thomas Miller

Clients of mine get a little obsessed with trying to avoid certain foods.

This may sound weird.

Instead of thinking how to avoid foods. Think about how you can make other things easier to eat and those things harder to eat.

Some ideas to get brainstorming.

1. Pre-chop some veggies and create a homemade veggie tray to snack on (or pick some up at the store).

2. See if it's possible to make some of those foods harder to get to (remove some, make them harder to see, etc...)

3. Set an intention that works for you. If I want to eat one of those things, cool. But I'm going to do X or eat X first...

4. If emotions could talk what would your stress be saying. What emotion are you trying to feed (i.e. connection, support, compassion, relief, etc...)

Make a meal YOU'RE proud of.

Want to start eating better? Make a meal you're proud of.

Don't overthink this.

Forget about calories for a second. Don't stress if it has enough protein.

Make one meal that you're proud of and repeat that tomorrow.

Someone just asked me how to get more veggies with breakfast. Here's what I said...

1. Substitute fruit for them (berries in particular would be awesome)

2. It's ok not to get them. Instead, make sure to get them with lunch and dinner (or possibly with snacks too)

3. Use a green supplement

Then if you decide getting veggies is super important for you...

Scramble them up: Saute chopped veggies like peppers, onions, mushrooms, or spinach with scrambled eggs.

Smoothie: Sneak in veggies like kale, spinach, or grated carrots.

Toast: Add sliced avocado, tomatoes, or even a bed of sauteed greens. Top it off with scrambled egg and egg whites

Hash: Roast cubed sweet potatoes or butternut squash with chopped bell peppers, onions, and zucchini for a colorful and veggie-packed breakfast base.

Omelet extravaganza: Omelets are another great way to incorporate a variety of veggies. Saute your favorites like broccoli, mushrooms, or bell peppers, and then fold them into your omelet with some cheese.

I started playing kickball and I'm not that good at it.

I mean, I'm ok but not as good at it as I am at traditional sports.

I can catch and throw it just fine. And I'm fast as f*ck out there (humble brag). But kicking a kickball is way harder than I thought.

So much harder than I thought that I Googled how to kick a kickball so it stays on the ground. Balls in the air are easy to catch...

Sounds kinky but stay with me.

I have ridiculously high standards and expectations for myself. It's easy for me to get frustrated. I have to be good at everything I do or it drives me nuts.

In my free time I've legit been spending a few minutes practicing keeping the ball on the ground.

I'm serious.

During games, I take what I practice and try to apply it. Most of the time what I practiced helped.

Other times it doesn't because there are variables that are outside of my control. Like how the pitcher pitches it.

Faster
Slower
More bounce
Adds some curve to it

But that's ok. I'll keep facing these variables, get more experience with them, and get better over time. By continuing to show up and practice.

If you have high standards and expectations for yourself. And get frustrated with your health and fitness keep this in mind.

Every day you have an opportunity to practice key skills. These skills can help with your health, fitness, and nutrition.

Most of the time the daily practice will help. Sometimes it will be harder because of variables outside of your control. But because of theconsistent practice you put in you'll get better at coping with them.

Damn...

Who knew kickball could be so deep.

One of the best climbers at my rock climbing gym is a 19-year-old girl. I see her in there all the time.

Every time I'm there, she's there. I asked her if she climbs every day.

"No," she said. "But I come in about 5 to 6 days per week."

So I asked her a follow-up question: "If you don't climb every day, what do you come in for so much? Don't you take a day off?"

She laughed and said, "Yeah, I take days off in here."

Sometimes she comes in to climb. Other times she comes in to stretch. There are days she comes in to strength train. Sometimes she comes in to work on specific climbing skills.

She even mentioned that there are days she comes in to walk, foam roll, or jump in the sauna.

She mentioned that it's too easy to not come in. By making "every day" a training day, it's hard for her to put it off. It's become a part of her schedule, and she builds her day around it.

Granted, she's a 19-year-old kid, and it's easy to dismiss this because you and I work full time. You may have a family and other responsibilities that make things difficult.

But the mindset is a powerful one and something you can embrace.

It's not about having "no days off" or some weird, ridiculous standard for yourself.

The idea is to show up. To do something—whatever it is you can. To make your health, moving your body, and eating well a part of your day.

Never thought I would get life advice from a 19-year-old girl who can out-climb me any day of the week. But I did, and I'm grateful for it.

I was in San Diego this weekend for a Tiesto concert.

Before heading down to Water Front Park the group I was with grabbed some sushi and a conversation by the pool.

Two of the guys went to pick up our food while four of us stayed back to chat.

Three of the four have lives where nutrition and fitness is a big part of it.

One does marathons and fitness competitions. The other has 600K followers on IG and runs an online Pilates studio. I coach nutrition full-time.

The conversation turned to discussions on protein, eating healthier, and workouts. And the challenges around doing these things consistently.

Our 4th friend mentioned they had been doing 20-minute YouTube workouts. Every day for 30 days.

The way they phrased it was interesting.

"I've only been doing 20-minute YouTube videos for the last 30 days."

The three of us were quick to jump in.

"Don't you dare downplay that"

Taking action.

Getting started.

Doing something.

Is important. Action breeds motivation and often leads to valuable insights.

It gives you the opportunity to explore ways to move your body that you enjoy and don't enjoy.

Those 20-minute YouTube videos may help you build confidence to learn how to lift weights.

They may help you feel energized and excited to try a new healthy recipe.

Those 20 minutes could lead you to explore Yoga, play pickleball, or walk more.

It could open to doors for new growth in personal relationships. Make new friends. Connect in different ways with your partner.

Maybe 20-minute YouTube videos don't speak to you or even feel like too much.

Cool. Walk to the mailbox and back.

Do anything you have to do to get started. It's all downhill from there.

Unless you get stuck in a YouTuber rabbit hole...

I don’t keep score when I golf.

I have no idea how many shots I take each hole.

I was golfing this past weekend with friends and Jill from Hbpilates (check out her app) asked me why I don’t.

My response:

“I’m terrible at golf and far too competitive with myself. If I track my score and I’m playing terrible it will ruin the experience for me. I won’t be fun to be around and I’ll be a miserable ass-hat for the rest of the day.”

Deep down I know that if I keep track I can compare scores and see if I’m getting better. It’s a great way to measure progress.

However, I’m not actively doing things to get better at golf.

I don’t play regularly

I’m not taking lessons or getting coached

I periodically go to the range to “work on my swing.” This belongs in quotes because who actually knows WTF I’m working on.

Most importantly, getting better at golf isn’t a goal of mine at the moment.

I mean, I like the IDEA of getting really good at golf but I’m not currently ready, willing, or able to put the time, energy, and discipline in that it takes to get better.

I may at some point but for now I am not. It’s a fun thing I do that allows me to be outside and forces me to be social.

Tracking my score is a great measure of progress but it’s also out of my control.

The things I control are the behaviors that help me get better at golf.

Am I playing more regularly

Have I started lessons and am I showing up to them

Do I go to the range consistently to work on what I am learning

If I do decide that getting better is important to me these are the things I will track first.

When I track my score I may start with smiley faces 😊. The more smiley faces I get the better I know I’m doing.

I work with a lot of clients that want to lose weight and the scale can frustrate the f*ck out of them.

Yes, it is a great measure of progress and one I would encourage most people to use.

Track regularly, get used to fluctuations, and notice trends over time. It will help you to see if you’re getting closer to your goals or not.

But like tracking my score in golf isn’t the right fit for me now. Tracking your weight may not be the right fit for you. There are other ways you can self-monitor and track your progress.

Are you making it to more workouts than you used to

Have you been hitting your steps

Are you eating more fruits and veggies with meals and snacks

Have you been snacking or emotionally eating less often

To be clear, I’m not for or against tracking your golf score, weight, or anything else for that matter.

I always encourage most people to lean into their discomfort so that they can expand their comfort zone.

It's important to not avoid things just because they evoke a particular emotion or feeling you don't like.

This message is a reminder that sometimes there are other approaches that may work better for you physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Thank you for reading. You are appreciated.

Ask yourself what you're refusing to do.

Most of us consistently fail because there is something we're refusing to do.

Putting workouts on our calendar and honoring that time

Going to the grocery store or ordering groceries 1-2 times per week

Having difficult conversations with people we spend time with about the

Creating a simple menu for ourselves until we build a consistent eating routine

changes we want to make

Asking for help instead of being stubborn and trying to do it on our own

Busted...

I just caught you.

You were totally thinking, "but, Justin I can't do X, Y, Z because of A, B, C."

Why?

Is it simply because you're refusing to do the thing?

Is it because you're afraid to have a difficult conversation with friends, family, or loved ones?

Is it because you don't have the knowledge or skill to do the thing?

Is it because you're physically exhausted?

Is it because you can't afford it?

Answer the question and then solve that problem first.

If this sounds familiar, raise your hand.

Monday through Friday, your diet is dialed in.

Buuuuuuuuuut…

The weekend rolls around and you’re completely off the rails. Your routines are shaken up, and you’re thrown for a loop.

Most people fall into one of two camps on weekends.

𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝟏: 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱 𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩

Weekends = Freedom.

Freedom from strict diets, training programs, work stress, and more.

These campers feel like they’ve earned a break for being good all week.

𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝟐: 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐌𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐑𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩)

There is no weekend in Camp Perfection.

No relaxation, no excuses, no wiggle room.

Diet and training stay the same, and any slip-up leads to guilt and stricter rules.

I've flip-flopped between these camps.

Here are some strategies to stay on top of your health, fitness, and life over the weekends.

𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮

Priority #1: Connect with Loved Ones

I love having meaningful conversations over coffee, on a hike, or taking a cooking class together.

Priority #2: Make the Best Choices You Can

We all eat out more on weekends, but that doesn’t have to derail your progress. Include:

1-2 palm-sized servings of protein

1-2 fist-sized servings of vegetables

1-2 fists of carbs per meal

Create nutritional awareness by looking up nutrition info online or on menus before you go.

More importantly, aim for 1% better:

Have 1 drink instead of 2

Grab 1 slice of pizza with a big ass salad instead of 3

Priority #3: Move for at Least 10 Minutes

Connect with loved ones over a walk or hike. Try a new hobby like rock climbing or dance lessons. Start your weekend off with a Peloton ride

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐬

Identify what tradeoffs you’re willing to make for your health and fitness goals.

It might mean less alcohol, different foods, or going home early for a good night's sleep.

If you're pursuing health and fitness goals you're going into to be in the minority. You'll be the weird one. It's important to get comfortable with this.

PS: Not my kitchen 😆

***

✅ If you enjoyed this check out the full article on the blog: How to stop overeating on the weekends: https://shorturl.at/su5yO

👍 Need more support than that? Check out 1 to 1 online nutrition coaching with me: https://shorturl.at/vSGv7

Way too rational to go viral health and fitness tip #1: Make it easier on yourself by fixing your environment.

People underestimate how impactful their environment is. They believe all they need is more willpower and motivation.

If you want to do more of something make it easier to do.

If you want to do less of something make it harder to do.

Make food you have a hard time moderating unavailable or harder to get to.

Have food you want to eat more of always on had and easier to get to.

Always overeat with a particular group of friends? Time to have a conversation with them letting them know you're trying to fix your s**t and you need their help.

Motivation isn't the issue, it's the friction. Here's how to make healthy choices easier.

We’re always motivated. We just have competing motivations.

You can be motivated to work out and be motivated to watch TV. The one that is more pleasurable and easier to do will often win out.

One way to navigate this is by adding or removing friction.

Make the thing you want to do more of easier to do. Make the thing you want to do less of harder to do.

Adding Friction: Move foods you want to eat less off the counter table. Place them in spots they're not as easy to see.

Removing Friction: Pre-chop veggies for easy snacking or lay out workout clothes the night before.

This may not solve the problem completely but that's not the goal. The idea is to simply add or remove friction.

How do you reduce friction for healthy habits? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Stop making health and fitness way too hard on yourself.

Today I am going to give you simple, practical, and straight-to-the-point tips so you can stop fu***ng around when it comes to your health.

But before we dive in I have some bad news…

BAD NEWS #1: IT’S GOING TO TAKE LONGER THAN YOU WANT IT TO.

Honestly, it’s going to take forever.

Why?

Because once you achieve your goal it doesn’t stop. You adjust a little. You keep doing the same simple boring things over and over again.

You keep making mostly balanced plates at home that provide you with enough calories for your goals.

You keep resistance training 2-4 times per week.

You keep going to bed at a decent hour.

You keep getting in your steps.

***

For the rest of the bad news and simple tips check out the full text: https://justinthomasmiller.com/stop-making-health-and-fitness-way-too-hard-on-yourself/

What does a healthy relationship with food/your body look like for you?

That may be the most important step you can take today. Instead of letting someone else define it for you.

For me, it’s not having food anxiety. I want to be able to eat socially and not freak out if I cannot follow my meal plan.

It’s also being honest with myself about why I’m eating the way that I am eating. Am I doing a detox because I actually want and believe it will detox me or because I really want to lose 10 pounds?

Am I eating all the pizza and ice cream because I’m “bulking” or is it just because I’m feeling deprived and want to eat those things?

It’s also not using food as a way to numb and distance myself from difficult or uncomfortable emotions.

If we can get better at coping with pain and discomfort we can improve the way we respond to them. One way to do this is by learning to practice compassion and empathy for ourselves and others.

And lastly, get help if you need it. Hire a coach, work with a specialist, or spend some time with a therapist.

How do I hold myself accountable (emotional eater edition)

This is one tip for long-term success.

1️⃣ Self-monitor:

Keeping track of your eating behaviors, emotions, and triggers. This practice can help you:

Enhance Accountability: Keeping a record of your eating habits can hold you accountable and motivate you to make healthier choices.

Identify Patterns: By recording what you eat and how you feel, you can identify patterns and connections between your emotions and eating habits.

Track Progress: Monitoring your behaviors and emotions allows you to track your progress over time, celebrate successes, and adjust strategies as needed.

Increase Awareness: Self-monitoring increases your awareness of your eating behaviors, helping you recognize when and why you turn to food for comfort.

2️⃣ How to Self-Monitor:

Keep a Food Diary: Record everything you eat and drink throughout the day. Include details like portion sizes, meal times, and what you were doing while eating (e.g., watching TV, working).

Identify Triggers: Pay attention to patterns and triggers that lead to emotional eating. Are there specific situations, people, or emotions that prompt you to eat?

Track Emotions: Alongside your food diary, note your emotions and stress levels throughout the day. Record how you felt before, during, and after eating.

Were you physically hungry, angry, lonely, tired, bored, stressed, just because it was there, something else?

Reflect: Take time to review your diary regularly. Reflect on what you’ve recorded to identify areas for improvement and strategies that work for you.

3 steps if you struggle with emotional eating.

Try this...

Identify Triggers: The first step is to identify the situations, emotions, or thoughts that trigger your emotional eating. This could be stress at work, feelings of loneliness, or negative self-talk.

Challenge Negative Thoughts: For example, instead of thinking, “I’ve had a stressful day; I deserve to eat this cake,” you might reframe it to, “I’ve had a stressful day; I deserve to relax and take care of myself in a healthy way.”

Develop Healthy Coping Strategies: This could include techniques like deep breathing, exercise, reading, puzzles, music, or talking to a friend instead of turning to food.

Remember, you're not broken.

Don't make the goal to never emotionally eat. Make it to learn more about why you do it, what problem you're hoping it will solve, and what's actually good about it.

For some reason, we like to make weird rules about what we can and can not eat.

It order to “eat clean and healthy” we’ve got to buy fresh, organic, and only foods blessed by a virgin from some far-off mythical land.

Uh, no.

Confession time. I hardly ever buy fresh veggies. Frozen ones are precut. Thus, it takes less time for me to prep them. Most of my lunches are precooked chicken strips.

Again, one less meal I have to make.

Yes, I may be paying a little extra for convenience but we do this in other aspects of our lives. I’m cool with doing it here.

If you’re told yourself meal prep is boring, too hard, or takes to long ask yourself how you can make this easier on yourself.

Do the same with starchy carbs

Buy precut or frozen veggies

Sub fruit for starchy carbs

Buy pre-cooked proteins

And most importantly, when you’re cooking. Pair it with something you enjoy doing.

Watch Netflix, listen to a podcast or audiobook. Invite your kids to join in to help.

Cooking by itself can be a bitch. Make it more fun by doing something with it you enjoy.

🏀 I love what's going on in Women's basketball right now.

The more people talking about it and the more eyeballs on it the better.

I'm hearing my friend's daughters talk to them about signing them up for hoops. Taking them to the courts to learn how to shoot.

Anything that is encouraging more kids to move their bodies in meaningful ways. And creating beautiful friendships that will last them a lifetime is a win.

If it wasn't for sports I'm fairly certain I would have no friends 😆

Shout out to Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, and all those dope ass women in the WNBA.

If you don't do much meal prep (or enjoy it). Build the planning habit first.

Before trying to make the perfect portioned meals for weight loss or dialing in your macros. Build the planning habit first.

Even if you’re planning pizza or microwavable meals. Get used to sitting down once or twice per week for 15 minutes to think about what you’re going to be eating.

The idea here isn’t’ to eat uber clean or to make gourmet meals. The win is in sitting down to create more awareness around what and how much you’re eating each week.

This simple act alone will give you a chance to see where you can get some easy wins.

Take a look at what you’re writing down. How can I make some of these meals 1% better?

Am I eating a sandwich and chips for lunch on most days? Maybe I can swap those chips with a piece of fruit or a side salad.

Do I always have a glass of orange juice each morning? Maybe I can eat an orange instead.

Are you always heading out for a happy hour and pizza on Friday nights? Is there an opportunity to go from 3 adult beverages to 2? From 3 slices of pizza to 2?

It's going to take longer than you want it to.



Honestly, it's going to take forever.



Why?

Because once you achieve your goal it doesn't stop. You simply adjust a little.

But you keep doing the same simple boring things over and over again.

You keep getting in your steps.

You keep going to bed at a decent hour.

You keep resistance training 2-4 times per week.

You keep making mostly balanced plates at home that provide you with enough calories for your goals.

Sometimes I recommend processed food for clients.

Gasp.

Every so often I tell a client they should eat some ice cream.
OMG.

From time to time I'll suggest a client take a break from tracking their food.

Oh, my word.

Yes, I care a lot about the quality of food you eat.

You bet I'd like you to eat more lean protein, fruits, and veggies.

Sure I want you to eat the right amount of calories for your goals.

100% chance I'd love to see you make more meals at home, self-monitor, and track your progress.

But eating better forever goes much deeper than these things. Not all my clients have the same:

Food culture
Energy levels
Cooking skills
Family dynamics
Foods they enjoy
Definition of health
Budget for groceries
Access to quality food
Food Sensory preferences
Emotional response to food
Available time/ability to create it

When I work with you I take these things into account.

Whether you work with me or are trying to lose a little weight or simply eat a bit better on your own. Consider some of these things and build your plan around that.

Weekends can be tough for people when it comes to nutrition.

Something I've started doing with clients is weekend intentions.

I'm sharing one I sent out to clients today...

***

Last Friday the weekend intention message I sent out to a few clients was such a hit that I'm doing it again. So here we go.

My health, fitness, and personal care intentions for the weekend. What about you?

1. I set up a Roof Top Bar event for some friends. I'm sticking to 1 alcoholic drink (old-fashioned) and enjoying a small plate (about the size of 2 plans) of appetizers. These will not be the healthiest or most calorie-friendly items. My meals earlier in the day will be lower carb to give me more wiggle room.

2. Get on the hang board at my rock climbing gym. Like I mentioned last week it's boring and I hate it but it helps so much with climbing strength. Truth be told I didn't do it last week (totally forgot). I will be starting my climbing session with it on Sunday

3. My personal care/random thing I'm doing for myself this weekend is only using social media "intentionally" and not passively. I will only be logging on if someone sends me a message. No scrolling after I reply to it.

Every day I get to help people eat better and improve the way they feel about food and their body. That's pretty cool.

Is being in a calorie deficit the only thing that matters for weight loss?

If you follow enough fitness “influencers” you will most certainly come across them talking about creating a calorie deficit for weight/fat loss.

To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than your body needs. This is a calorie deficit.

To gain weight, you must eat more calories than your body needs. This is a calorie surplus.

To maintain weight, you must eat the calories your body needs. This is calorie maintenance.

And yes, while this has to be done to lose weight it’s an oversimplification of the process.

​

If someone is struggling they most likely don’t need to be told to eat in a calorie deficit over and over again.

They probably don’t need a meal plan. And they most likely don’t need to “try harder.”

​

Instead, it’s a better investment to spend time and energy working on building habits and skills that support those goals.

Creating an environment that makes it easier to do what you want to do more of and harder what you want to do less of.

Learning how to practice empathy and self-compassion towards yourself

Learning how to be with uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and emotions

Establishing a regular stress management routine

Setting realistic expectations and goals for yourself

Developing a healthy body image

Going the f*ck to sleep

​

And a whole lotta other health systems and routines that lead to the outcomes you want to achieve.

​

So yes. A calorie deficit matters. But it’s not the only thing that matters.

I'm bored with eating healthier.

3 things that will help.

It's going to get boring

Getting good at stuff involves doing the same things over and over again.

If you want to get better at nutrition you're going to be doing the same stuff on repeat.

Instead of always trying to reduce boredom embrace it and get better at being bored.

Get more specific.

What do you find boring about it?

What do you need to make it less boring?

Now you have very specific problems you can solve.

If you're bored of eating the same few meals every day make it a goal to learn a new one each week.

Or take what you're currently doing and make it a different meal. Now your stir-fy is a chicken fajita.

Less boredom usually means more effort and work

If being bored with food is a problem you want to solve understand that it means more work.

More grocery shopping

Extra meal planning and prep

More decisions around what to make

Time and energy on learning how to make it

As long as you're ok with the tradeoff - great.

But if your life is currently a cluster f**k. Simplicity and boredom could be your friend.

***

No way I can solve this problem in a social media post. But if you're trying to eat healthier and feeling bored send me a message. I can help.

The I don’t want to cook but want to eat healthier starter kit.

Pick 1 item from each category and you’ve got yourself an easy, balanced, healthy meal.

🍗 Protein:

Smoked salmon

Canned chicken/tuna

Rotisserie chicken/fajita meat

Greek yogurt (protein yogurt)

🥦 Veggies:

Salad kits

Microwaveable veggies

🍓 Carbs:

Tortillas

Microwavable rice

Apple, banana, berries (Any fruit)

🥑 Fats:

Hummus

Nuts/seeds

Avocado/guacamole

Before people get all weird on me, this is not a complete list. There are tons of amazing foods that could be included.

***

For a complete list of no prep/low prep food ideas and meal examples. Comment GIMME below and I’ll send it your way.

Fear of missing out. FOMO and food

Over the weekend one of my clients sent me this message.

🙋Client: "So a little tough staying on top of my diet over the weekend … it’s still challenging figuring out how to navigate social settings without being a giant bummer. But I feel like I am able to make some better choices and overall still on track."

I wanted to learn more about this challenge for them so I asked a follow-up question.

🤙Me: What is the biggest challenge for you in these situations? Is it a fear of missing out (FOMO) or something else? Based on your answer my ideas to help could change.

They followed up with me later in the day with an open and honest response.

🙋Client: "Fear of missing out! And I guess feeling like it just wouldn’t be fun. And maybe mostly, feeling like I would be a bad friend if I talk about dieting around my friends who aren’t."

Most of us can relate to this. Nobody wants to miss out, be a bad friend, or talk about dieting around those that are not interested in improving their health and fitness.

MY RESPONSE

Aren't we always missing out on something?

Always have been. Always will be.

Choosing what we want to miss out on is what's important. In situations like this what are YOU missing out on?

Is it really about the food and drinks? Or is it about the quality time you're spending with people you love? No right or wrong answer - I just want to learn more.

Do you even have to miss out?

Let's say everyone is going out for brunch and mimosas. One meal and drink off plan isn't going to ruin anything just like one perfect meal isn't going to lead to dramatic progress.

Would you be missing out or be a bad friend if you had 1 mimosa instead of 2?

Again, no right or wrong answer. I just want to learn more about how you view this.

Would you be missing out or be a bad friend if you had 2 slices of french toast and some fruit instead of 4 slices and hash browns (or whatever the hell they serve for brunch)

You can always plan to be off plan too.

If you know this special day is coming up with people and you just want to enjoy it, go for it.

If you want you can plan the rest of your meals before or after to give you a little more wiggle room for this day. You're also welcome to do absolutely nothing and pick right back up where you left off after the event.

It's also important to remember that if we are working towards goals it's going to require changes and tradeoffs. Some of these changes may be uncomfortable at first.

For us and for others. One way to navigate this is by talking about the changes we want to make with the people we spend the most time with.

Let them know about the changes you're thinking about making and how you're worried about how it may affect your relationship with them. Ask them how they feel about you making these changes and ask for their support.

What questions do you have about situations like this? Are my thoughts helpful or not so much? Let me know by replying to this.