The Balancing Act
With new client consultations, one of the questions that always gets asked from my side is “What have you tried previously to reach your goal?”. This in part is to begin to establish the low, medium, and high “pain” points for this individual, the areas in which previous attempts have repeatedly fallen down.
Many times, individuals determined to make a body composition change will say how they’d purchased a highly recommended meal plan from an social media influencer, thrown out anything they consider junk, and filled the fridge with lean proteins, low fat foods and anything green they can get their hands on, attempting to dive in head first whilst motivation was high.
Yet it’s not uncommon for them to also note how after a few weeks, motivation wanes and they fall back into regular eating habits. Without anyone to answer to, limit structure, and no exercise routine to follow, the meal plan becomes another forgotten PDF in their downloads folder.
Similarly, new clients who have previously signed up for a gym membership at a bargain-priced, over-subscribed gym chain. Downloaded a training programme they found online and attempted to hit the weights hard - for a about a fortnight or so. Without guidance or nutritional support, the initial zeal of the bright lights, row after row of shiny machines, and the statutory questionable gym music, leaves a gym card gathering dust inside a wallet or purse.
These stories aren’t unique to myself, they’re widespread across the industry. Many of us in our initial attempts to address a health or fitness concern focus on one or two component - nutrition, training, or accountability - while neglecting the others. It’s like trying to sit on a three-legged stool with one leg missing; eventually, it’s going to tip over.
Consider programs like Weight Watchers or Slimming World. They combine nutrition guidance and structure, with accountability, through group meetings and weekly weigh-ins. Participants often see initial success, no-one can deny the thousands of radical transformation stories associated with these two brands, but likewise there will equally be thousands of examples where individuals plateau without a solid training stimulus to retain or even build muscle mass in the face of a sustained calorie deficit, or simply struggle to maintain weight loss once the structure is removed and the accountability ends.
In the fitness realm, there are CrossFit boxes and the newly popular Hyrox gyms, buzzing with energy and community spirit. They excel at providing highly novel, very intense training, with a strong a sense of accountability - you don’t skip a class when your peers expect you there at 6am on a weekday morning. However, without tailored nutritional advice, members may not see the full benefits of their hard work.
The magic happens when all three elements intertwine. Nutrition feeding the body, training strengthening it, and accountability keeping you on track. It’s a holistic approach when one component amplifies the other, rather than dampening its effects.
Coaching plays a pivotal role here. A good coach hopefully meets you where you are, helps in identifying which legs of the stool are wobbly, or even missing completely.
If you’re nailing your workouts but lack nutritional support, they’ll help you develop a nutritional strategy to support your goals. If you’re eating well overall but struggle with consistency, they’ll introduce accountability measures - maybe a regular check-in or connecting you with a community.
The journey to better health and fitness isn’t about drastic overhauls overnight. It’s about layering each element thoughtfully:
Accountability: Start by finding someone or something to keep you accountability - a coach, a friend, a class schedule.
Training: Introduce a training programme that suits your goals and fits adaptably into your lifestyle.
Nutrition: Gradually adjust your eating habits to support your training and overall health.
By addressing all three components, you’re not just sitting firmly on that stool; you’re poised to reach heights you hadn’t imagined previously possible.
In the end, success in fitness isn’t just about the meal plans we buy or the gym membership we hold. It’s about creating a balanced ecosystem of nutrition, training, and accountability. When e do that, we’re not just changing our health and fitness - we’re transforming our lives and potentially influencing for the positive the lives of those around us.