“Novelty… is expensive” Lisa Feldman Barrett

Think about that next time you’re “bored” with your nutrition or training regimen*. Now, sometimes that expense is in the form of investment in the form of adaptation. Progressive overload or adding novel accessories to target weakness. But if you are chasing fat loss and upset by your lack of exciting new foods, you’re probably in for an uphill battle.

Novelty, in any form, is a learning experience. It requires accessing new neurons and creating new connections within the brain to adapt and grow. We love this process and work towards it in our path of self exploration. However, we must also understand that everything comes at a cost. And, not surprisingly, brain gains are just another metabolic function. That’s right, learning and emotion and eating are all part of the same pathway.

Every time we engage in novel behaviors or tasks or opportunities we are taxing our metabolic systems in some way. Know this and know that we can utilize this both to our advantage or disadvantage. If we want to lessen our chances of cognitive decline then learning a new language or working on the Times Friday Crossword would be a worthwhile pursuit. But if it’s trying new recipes or constantly switching up menu items while in a fat loss phase, you might be making things unnecessarily difficult. Save the recipes for maintenance or when you know you have the bandwidth. If you’re feeling overworked and extra stressed, maybe hold off on trying new things. No need to spend more than you make.