Exploit your strengths, anticipate your weakness

In nutrition we might all be unique but most of us will embrace similar patterns of behavior. One of the most defined patterns is that of how we deal with hyper palatable food choices, particularly our “trigger” foods. For me, that might be ice cream. For others it could be something as seemingly innocuous as almonds. Yet anything that’s calorically dense, regardless of our sense of it’s “health”, can be a big obstacle to fat loss.

I’m not one who does well with lack of structure. I need hard rules, values, and clearly defined boundaries in my nutrition and training in order to feel comfortable. Others may bristle at the idea of a rule based system. They need more flexibility in decision making in order to not feel like they’re being subjugated to authoritarian rule. Whereas I will view both a 4oz cup and a half gallon of ice cream as a single serving, normal people can just take that 4oz out of the half gallon and eat that. So for me, ice cream can only be something that I have occasionally. My strengths are my adherence to a strong set of rules, my weakness is that I don’t moderate well.

For others, feeling restricted might drive them to overeat. Their strength comes from a more flexible mindset. So having a nightly treat such as a square of dark chocolate could help them stay on track. Their weakness might be from relying more on the emotional or perceived notion of restriction and therefore lose sight of the data that dictates fat loss. These are the people who struggle to lose weight even though the “feel” like they are doing everything right.

Self awareness is our biggest ally in all of our pursuits. It can be uncomfortable and painful but it will likely be an indicator for where we should expend our energy, and also where we can pull back. Work to better know your own personal strengths and weaknesses and instead of spending all your time trying to create equanimity in everything, double down on your strengths and work to mitigate your weakness. At the risk of perpetuating yet another cliche, work smarter not harder.