Lose 10 lbs in your first week! (and other face-palming claims)

I've got a story for you. 

Meet Mark. 

He'd been lifting for about 6 months, but he was stuck. 

Frustrated doesn't even begin to describe how he felt. You see, Mark had fallen for the "quick fix" trap.

He'd been promised he could just cut out a bunch of foods (you guessed it, carbs, but also anything without a face—you guessed it again, the carnivore diet) and rapidly lose weight.

And while he lost some pounds on the scale, he gained it back and his performance in the gym suffered.

He felt like a failure.

But that's not the whole story. Mark was also under the impression that he could build muscle without really focusing on his diet. 

"Just lift, eat, and the muscle will come," said the bros. 

Spoiler alert: It didn't.

So, Mark and I had a serious chat. 

First, we dissected his training program. It was decent, but not optimized for his goals.

We shifted gears and focused on lower-rep, heavier lifting, fewer days in the gym, and fewer movements.

We emphasized progressive overload, meaning he was gradually lifting heavier weights (or more reps/sets, depending on the phase), and doing it consistently, not just here and there, and not on a very long timeframe (he had "newbie gains" still available to grab).

We didn't just tweak his training. 

We overhauled his entire approach, not by changing his lifestyle, but by acknowledging his lifestyle (social life, food likes/dislikes, schedule, and so on) and fitting his strategy to it.

In other words, we made his nutrition work for him. Take that, you silly little diets, oh how restrictive you are.

We fine-tuned his macros: protein up, carbs in, any food can work.

Bring back the [insert favorite carb here] and fruits/vegetables (I still shake my head that a diet can literally eliminate half the food on the planet and think this is normal, but I digress).

We even customized his nutrient timing. Mark started fueling his workouts more effectively, and his performance skyrocketed.

But we didn't stop there. 

We tackled sleep and stress management. Because fitness is more than just lifting and eating. It's a lifestyle, and Mark's schedule and work made for some stressful situations.

Mark started tracking his sleep, adding just 30 more minutes a night and using some pre-bed hacks like blue blocking glasses, a sleep mask, and avoiding screens.

He also started playing his guitar again (as a response to hunger during fat loss, a nice distraction) and walking a whole lot more. He could listen to podcasts or take calls while waling to "habit stack."

Mark started to see changes. 

Real, sustainable changes that no longer felt like a "quick fix." 

His strength shot up, his muscles started to pop, and yes, he even lost some stubborn fat. Not overnight, of course, but steadily and sustainably.

The key takeaway? There are no quick fixes. 

Realistic goals and a well-rounded approach are non-negotiable. 

The other key takeaway?

That the fastest path to results is often the process that is slower, more methodical, and based on sound principles.

Maybe that sounds boring, but I prefer boring and effective to "exciting" and ineffective.

Mark had to learn this the hard way, but you don't have to. 

If you're stuck in the "quick fix" mindset, listen up. It's time to break free. It's time to focus on what really matters. And what actually works.

So, if you're tired of the quick fixes and empty promises, if you're ready to take control of your fitness journey, let's talk.

I'm here to help you optimize every aspect of your fitness, just like Mark did.

Just click HERE to learn more.

Philip Pape

Hi there! I'm Philip, founder of Wits & Weights. I started witsandweights.com and my podcast, Wits & Weights: Strength Training for Skeptics, to help busy professionals who want to get strong and lean with strength training and sustainable diet.

https://witsandweights.com
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