Despite this process being quite simple, it is certainly not easy. Most weight loss information will have you believe that you can lose all the weight that you want in 30 days, and that rapid weight loss is the key to success. I wish this were the case, but sadly, it’s not.

Your brain and body are hardwired to GAIN weight, not lose it. Moreover, your brain HATES change and it does so at quite a slow pace. So when you make huge changes in such a short period of time, your brain never really changes and that is why you will always gain back the weight that you have lost. If there is one thing that you must learn here then it is this…You will never change your weight unless you also change your brain. Yes you may have short term change, but you won’t have lasting change.

It really is that simple and yes, that is the “key” to weight loss. In fact neuroplasticity is the key to all change and behavior modification. The “problem” of course is that you won’t lose “7 pounds every 11 days”. The good news is that you will not have to lose weight ever again, whereas in the other example you will be losing 7 pounds in 11 days for the rest of your life!

Week 5:

Rinse, wash and repeat. Now that you know how to change, it is simply a case of continuing the process. Choose one activity that you want to change and that will contribute to your weight loss. Create strategies that ensure that you will make this change and continue until you have made this change into a habit. Once you have a habit in place, you will no longer have to think about it. This will free up some of your brain power to repeat the process. Continue to rewire your brain and your eating blueprint and weight loss will never be an issue for you again.

The first important point is that you should only change one habit at a time. The reason for this is simple. Changing your habits requires energy, attention and willpower. If you burden yourself with too much change, your brain is likely to go into a survival response which will lead you to revert to your old habits. In times of danger, your brain will always rely on what it knows best. Change means danger, so you must reduce the threat that change brings by only changing one habit at a time.

So what habit should you change? Of course this is entirely individual. In this stage of the process it is often very valuable to have a coach. A coach can see what you cannot, and can provide you with the best option for change. Alternatively you need to examine your diet and ask yourself, “What is the one habit that I can change that will provide me with the best outcome in terms of a healthy change for weight loss?”

Now read this carefully. If your weak point is that you drink 2 gallons of soda a day, don’t do what most people do and say “No more soda!”. It is imperative that you don’t deprive yourself of the things that you love, or else you are almost guaranteed to binge sooner or later. Instead ask yourself “How can I reduce the amount of soda that I drink and still feel satisfied?”, and then make the change. Maybe you eliminate drinking soda in the car, or replace the soda with water for one meal a day, or maybe you choose a day of the week where you don’t drink any soda. Eventually your new routine will become a habit, and you can continue to reduce your intake of soda until (a) you only drink a moderate amount or (b) you eliminate it altogether.

For most people this process seems too slow and often too hard. These are the people who are continually “on a diet”. It’s easy to lose weight in two weeks. Creating your new diet blueprint takes time, effort, and energy, and most importantly it requires taking small steps. Continue to gradually replace bad habits with good ones, and soon your diet blueprint will not be something you are “on” it will just be simply something that you do.

Week 4: 

Examine your current diet blueprint and ask yourself “What is the one habit that I can change that will provide me with the best outcome in terms of a healthy change for weight loss?”. The answer to this will be different for everybody, and is a major reason why simply adapting somebody else’s diet frequently results in failure.

Once that change becomes a habit (i.e you don’t have to think about it), then you can repeat the process. Remember, one habit at a time, and good luck!