Speaker 1: 0:02

If you're a whiny snowflake that can't handle the truth, is offended by the word fuck and about 37 uses of it in different forms gets ass hurt. When you hear someone speak the absolute, real and raw truth, you should leave Like right now. This is Shut Up and Choose, the podcast where we cut through the shit and get real about weight loss, life and everything in between. We get into the nitty gritty of making small, smart choices that add up to big results. From what's on your plate to how you approach life's challenges. We'll explore how the simple act of choosing differently can transform your health, your mindset and your entire freaking life. So if you're ready to cut through the bullshit and start making some real changes, then buckle up and shut up, because we're about to choose our way to a healthier, happier life. This is Shut Up and Choose. Let's do this Now. Your host, jonathan.

Speaker 2: 1:10

Ressler. Hey, welcome back to Shut Up and Choose, the podcast that cuts through the noise of the fat diets, the quick fixes and all the unrealistic bullshit weight loss promises that the internet is giving you and tons of other people out there giving you. I'm your host, jonathan wrestler, and I'm here to share the brutally honest truth about achieving sustainable weight loss. After losing over 140 pounds without resorting to any extreme diets or exhaustive actually not even exhaustive any exercise regimen other than a little bit of walking, I discovered that the key to success lies in making small, mindful choices and mindful is going to be a big part of today's what we're going to talk about, so and embracing a balanced lifestyle. So let's get into this thing. I'm going to give you the brutally honest truth, some practical tips and definitely a healthy dose of sarcasm to help you take control of your health and ultimately transform your life. Sarcasm to help you take control of your health and ultimately transform your life. So, before we jump into the main topic, I just want to say I hope that those of you who listened last week didn't piss away your money and join the gym, do anything stupid like that, because, until your mindset is in the right place. You're just wasting your money because it's not going to stick. But anyway, if you've ever searched for how to lose weight fast on Google or something, you're definitely not alone. I know I've searched it. I searched it for as long as Google's been around. That was one of my top searches.

Speaker 2: 2:34

The appeal of quick fixes is hard to resist. Who wouldn't want to shed pounds overnight without lifting a finger? I know I sure did. I think most people do. Unfortunately, that's not reality. So, if you're being honest, if we're really talking like just person to person, those too good to be true promises they're just that false. They're too good to be true, so they are not true.

Speaker 2: 2:56

The diet industry thrives on selling you short-term solutions that don't last and that keeps you stuck in a frustrating cycle of weight loss and, as most of us know, regained it. Like every time I went on a diet and was successful, I gained all the weight back and then some more. So the truth is sustainable weight loss is not a sprint. You've heard me say that before. It's a marathon. It takes time and patience which is something that I lack and I think most people lack on a weight loss journey and a serious mindset shift, and that was what I learned. That's really what I want to talk about today is the mindset shift. When you get over that quick fix mentality and you embrace a long-term approach, you're not only going to reach your goals, which you know well we'll talk a little bit more about goals but you'll maintain them for life. And that's the key. Everybody sure anybody can lose weight doing a quick fix diet. The question is can you sustain it and maintain it for life? So today I just want to talk about the trap of the diet industry's quick fixes, why sustainable weight loss does actually require patience and consistency, and how you can give yourself or how you can shift your mindset into a weight loss mindset, and I'm also actually going to give you some actionable steps to help you get started. So if you're ready to break the cycle of quick fixes and build something that actually works, let's jump in.

Speaker 2: 4:11

So let's talk a little for a second just about the diet industry. I don't have to tell you the diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry every year and they're selling desperation disguised as a solution. They're not really selling you the solution, they're selling you a quick fix, but they're, I guess, focused on your desperation to lose weight. Their promise, of course, is rapid weight loss with minimal effort, and weight loss is not hard. I always say that pisses people off. I actually think it's easy. It's just that keeping it sustainable to maintain that weight loss over time is where the real problems come in, because all you're doing is following a meal plan and not really getting your head in the game. And until your head's in the game you can't even compete. So the goal of the weight loss industry clearly is to keep you dependent on their products and plans. And the way they get you. You know all. You know all those fad diets are. They eliminate entire food groups or severely restrict your calories, or have you counting this and doing these macro? It's bullshit, because the truth is a lot of it is really just quick water weight loss. It's not fat loss. And the moment that you go back to eating regularly, the weight comes back on and, like I said in my case, and possibly your case too, and then some. It's not just you lose the weight that you lost, it's not that. You rather regain the weight you lost. You regain the weight and then a few more pounds and just kind of keeping you in that cycle, that endless cycle of yo-yo dieting.

Speaker 2: 5:40

Second thing they use, I don't have to tell you, in the world, zempik and Gove and all these drugs, detox teas, fat burners, appetite suppressants, they're all marketed as miracle cures and again, I think they probably work. Most of the supplements, these stupid pills, they don't work. I'm not telling you that the weight loss shots don't work. Of course they do, but again, they don't last. As soon as you go off that drug or that supplement or whatever it is that's working for you, you're going to put the weight back on and I definitely believe that in time we're going to learn that a lot of those things actually are going to harm your health.

Speaker 2: 6:13

So I'm not a big fan of those. I'm not against the weight loss shots. I just don't think they're sustainable. They don't give you a sustainable lifestyle. And, of course, the weight loss industry is chock full of bullshit advertising, all these crazy before and after pictures of celebrity endorsements. You know my feelings on Oprah and how Weight Watchers was the greatest thing in the world until she found those epic. Then she threw Weight Watchers under the bus and now she's a separate person.

Speaker 2: 6:38

But it's the promise of effortless weight loss and the reality is those transformations that you see that. You see this before and after pictures. They're either definitely unsustainable, but I also think they're staged. Quick fixes fail because they're built on extremes, not sustainability. They might deliver the short-term results they always did for me, but they neglect the bigger picture, which is your habits, your mindset and your overall health. So the reality is you can't live on meal replacements or extreme restrictions forever. It's just not possible. There was never a diet that I was on that I said. This time it's a lifestyle change. Yeah, until it's not so, they're unsustainable. Do think that you can hurt your body. Certainly, I don't think yo-yo dieting is good for anybody.

Speaker 2: 7:24

Gaining weight, losing weight, gaining weight, losing weight. But most importantly, you get burnt out from it. Right, making drastic changes in your life all at once, like yesterday I ate candy and today I'm not eating any carbs, and that's just mentally exhausting to make that kind of change. And then what comes from that? What happens when you make these drastic changes? You slip up. It's human nature. You're going to make a mistake. Then the guilt and frustration can lead to giving up altogether, which happened for me every single time I was going. I was going, I was going and then all of a sudden I have a slip up, I have a fuck up and I'm done because I can't do this. So I guess patience in all this is really the superpower in the world of weight loss.

Speaker 2: 8:11

Unlike the quick fixes which focus on immediate gratification, sustainable weight loss takes a gradual approach. It's not going to happen overnight. You didn't get fat overnight and you're not going to get healthy overnight. It's just, it's not reality. I'm not saying you can't have big weight losses in the first week or so, but the reality is to really lose any significant amount of weight, it takes time and it takes patience and it allows your body and your mind to adapt to the changes. That's really important. Your mind is the most important part of this equation, of the weight loss equation, and it's the one that, of course, the diet industry never wants to talk about, because theirs is all about what meals, what foods you should eat, what you should combine with this and that. But the reality is, until your head is in the game, like I said before, you can't even compete, you can't play.

Speaker 2: 8:58

Weight loss is just as much and honestly I think more a mental journey as a physical one. Without the right mindset, even the best diet or exercise plan will fail, and you know how I feel about exercise anyway. If you're going to the gym to lose weight, you're fucking wasting your time because weight loss happens in the kitchen, not in the gym. You can't out exercise a bad diet, period Done. There's nothing to even discuss there. I'll do another episode on how long it would take you to burn the calories of Big Mac, but I think it's like half of a marathon. You'd have to run half a marathon just to burn those calories off. So you can't out-exercise a bad diet.

Speaker 2: 9:37

The truth is, your mental approach influences every choice you make, from the food you eat to whether or not you stay consistent when motivation wanes and it always wanes. Mindset really is the most important thing because it shapes your beliefs. If you believe you'll fail, you probably will. But on the flip side, believing your ability to improve, to make better choices, better, small, smart choices, your success is much more likely and your mindset absolutely fuels your action. So a strong mindset helps you stay disciplined and focused, even when the results are slow, and there are going to be times when they're fast and times when they're slow. Your mindset also determines your longevity how long you're going to do it Sustainable. Weight loss is a marathon and your mindset is what keeps you in the race. It's not going to happen fast. It's not a sprint. That's what the diet industry sells, but that's not sustainable.

Speaker 2: 10:28

So here's some components of a weight loss mindset, because the first thing you have to do which is why I said you're wasting your money at the gym last week is you have to adapt this weight loss mindset. So the first thing is you have to get into this growth mindset. A growth mindset is the belief that you can improve with effort and learning. It's about seeing challenges as opportunities to grow, not as roadblocks to success. So a fixed mindset which is like, oh, I'll never lose weight leads to self-sabotage. If you believe that you're right, you will never lose weight, it leads to self-sabotage If you believe that you're right, you will never lose weight. But a growth mindset helps you, keep you motivated and open to change.

Speaker 2: 11:05

And what can happen if you make small, smart choices and the way you develop. That is pretty easy. You just have to reframe your failures as learning experiences. Like, hey, I did this diet, I cut out carbs for six months and I lost a lot of weight, but then I put it all back on. Well, you know what I learned? That that doesn't work for me. So reframe your failures as learning experience and celebrate your effort Things like making small, smart choices, even if the scale doesn't budge. There are going to be times when the scale doesn't move. You might even put on a couple pounds, because everybody knows your body weight fluctuates daily.

Speaker 2: 11:39

The second one is I believe you have to focus on the process, not the outcome. If you're obsessing over your end goal, that can be overwhelming, especially if your end goal is a stupid goal like fitting into a certain size dress or pair of pants or picking a number. It's overwhelming and definitely discouraging. Instead, focus on the daily actions that'll help you actually get there to be healthier, and that's critical, because loving the process, this healthy eating, these small smart choices, some regular movement and again, I didn't do a lot of movement, but even the walking and the self-care ensures that you stick with this long-term. So really learn to love the process, and one of the ways you can do that is to break your goals down into actionable steps, and I don't mean meal prepping, because I'm not a big believer in that, but it could be something as silly as hey, I want to eat breakfast and I want to have X amount of protein this morning and if you do it, that's a win, right? If you love to eat candy every day, you don't eat candy today, that's a win. So break it down to these actionable steps and then you have to track the non-scale victories, because there's going to be more non-scale victories than there are scale victories. So it might be things like you had a great night's sleep because you ate well that day, or all of a sudden you feel like you can move better, you might have increased energy. But really look and be aware of those non-scale victories, because they're really important. The scale should not be the only indicator of whether or not you're making progress toward your goal, toward getting healthier.

Speaker 2: 13:15

And the third thing is you have to really work on and cultivate resilience. So weight loss isn't linear. I was just saying that before there's going to be setbacks, there's going to be plateaus and there's definitely going to be days when you feel like giving up, like fuck, I just want to eat this or whatever. But be resilient. It's critical because without it, without resilience, one bad day or even one bad meal can spiral into a week, a month, whatever, however long of really unhealthy choices. So be resilient. And the way you can remain resilient is to practice this self-compassion.

Speaker 2: 13:49

If I made a mistake, if I made a small bad choice, no problem, I could just go back to making better choices with the very next choice. So acknowledge the mistake without any judgment. Oh man, I fucked up. No, oh yeah, I made a bad choice. I ate a donut. I made a bad choice. I ate three slices of pizza. Whatever, that bad choice is fine. You didn't blow the fucking diet, you didn't blow everything you've done. You made a bad choice. And you really have to shift that inner dialogue to focus on what you can do next, not on what you did wrong. That's a big one for people. They say oh, you know, I ate this. I blew the whole thing. No, you didn't. I know, I just said that a minute ago. But the truth is, focus on what you're going to do next. Yes, I made that mistake. I ate three hamburger, whatever it is, but the next thing I'm going to do is a small smart choice. So that's really a critical piece is really cultivate that resilience and forgive yourself.

Speaker 2: 14:43

The fourth one is you have to develop patience and self-compassion. This is a tough one. Sustainable weight loss takes time. I don't care what quick fix, I don't care what some online guru or some jerk-off trainer tells you. The reality is, sustainable weight loss takes time. Being patient and kind to yourself during the process is an absolute key to being consistent. You have to be your own best advocate, and that's critical, because that impatience leads to frustration and, honestly, leads to giving up. It leads to frustration and, honestly, it leads to giving up. So self-compassion prevents that burnout and, most importantly, prevents that negative self-talk oh I can't do this anymore. Oh this is so hard. No, it's not, it's fucking easy. It's easy when your head's in the game.

Speaker 2: 15:31

So you can build that by setting realistic expectations. Aim for, like I don't know, a pound or two pounds a week, but don't I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of the week. You're setting yourself up for failure. Hey, if you lose 10 pounds, fantastic. And if you lose 10 pounds this week, your next week's goal shouldn't be to lose another 10 pounds, because it's not realistic. When you start eating properly, you are going to lose some water weight. So the first couple of weeks it's going to come off fast, but the reality is set a realistic goal for how much weight you want to lose and how you're going to lose. Don't just say, yeah, I want to lose 50 pounds in six months. That's not real. I mean, it could be real, you could accomplish it, but you don't know if you're succeeding or failing because you won't know until six months later.

Speaker 2: 16:15

So set realistic small goals and you have to talk to yourself like you would talk to your kid or your friend. If they made a mistake or they were trying to do something. You would constantly encourage them and tell them no, you're doing great. You have to do the same to yourself. That has to be your inner voice. Your inner dialogue is yeah, okay, I didn't lose any weight yesterday or I even put on a pound today, but just keep going, you'll get it done. All right. Number five is really important. You have to reframe your relationship with food and exercise, and I know I said each one of these is really important and I guess they really are.

Speaker 2: 16:51

So a lot of people, myself included, view food as the enemy and exercise as the punishment. I still think exercise is the punishment. I still think exercise is punishment. Or, let me rephrase, I think the gym is the punishment. But that toxic mindset can derail even the best intentions. You know, if I had to go to the gym as punishment for eating the things I eat, I would. I don't know if I could do it. So just to be clear there is no punishment for eating something bad. There's no punishment. You do it. You're a human being. Make sure that exercise is not the punishment for eating food. You made a bad choice. Move on. And why that's so critical is because a healthy relationship with food and even the movement makes the habits enjoyable, not burdensome. When you think, oh, I can't eat this, or I have to go to the gym, or oh, you know what I ate poorly, I got to exercise twice Bullshit. No, you don't Just keep going on the routine that you're doing. If you make a bad choice here and there, who cares? And you know you've heard me say this before.

Speaker 2: 17:53

The way you shifted your perspective or let me rephrase that the or let me rephrase that. The way that I shifted my perspective was I stopped labeling foods as good or bad. I tried in the beginning I definitely was more strict, but basically I learned to enjoy all the foods in moderation. Now, sometimes I still eat more donuts than I would like to eat. It just happens. But I don't beat myself up over it, I just say the next choice is going to be a better choice. But I don't say, oh, I ate donuts. They're bad. No, donuts aren't. But nothing is off limits. And if you are going to exercise which it took me a long time to get to I probably didn't exercise for the first year of this thing but if you find an exercise that you actually enjoy, whether it's, I don't know, dancing or hiking for me it was walking. I actually enjoy walking, so that makes it a lot easier for me because I actually enjoy it.

Speaker 2: 18:48

So the six, number six this one's really important too, because I say that for everyone. But number six is you have to believe in your ability to succeed. That's critical, that's part of your inner voice, but self-doubt is probably one of the biggest barriers to weight loss. I can't do it. Well, of course, if that's what you believe, then you're right. And that's critical because confidence in your ability to change leads to consistent action and consistency is the name of the game and it leads to consistent action even on the tough days. And how do you strengthen that belief? Well, I guess it's not easy, but it's kind of easy.

Speaker 2: 19:28

You have to visualize your success and remind yourself of your why. I know visualization sounds like a lot of kumbaya bullshit, but I always imagined myself leading a better life, being able to do the things that I couldn't do. I visualized that all the time and that definitely kept my motivation strong. I also chose to reflect on my past successes, even outside of the weight loss world. It was proof to me that I was capable of doing this thing, that I was really capable of finishing this. And again, I don't know if I finished it, but I don't know when I'll finish it or if I'll finish it, but it again allowed me to stay strong and know that I could succeed on my weight loss journey.

Speaker 2: 20:12

Number seven is you got to surround yourself with positivity, positive people. Your environment plays a huge role in your success. Now, as you know, in the beginning I didn't tell anybody, I was just kind of doing it, but as I got further and further into it, I wrote a book, I created this podcast. So surrounding yourself with supportive people and influences can make all the difference, and that's critical, because positive reinforcements really boost your confidence and your motivation, and we all know that negativity can basically undermine your efforts. And negativity from outside people no, you're probably not going to get that, but negativity from yourself, and if you want to create a supportive environment, find those people. Negativity from yourself, and if you want to create a supportive environment, find those people. Seek out those encouraging friends and families, or even join some online community where they're talking about weight loss and you'll see people that are doing it. It will help you to stay positive and then on the flip side of that is obviously minimize time with people or influences that are discouraging you or criticizing your efforts.

Speaker 2: 21:12

Everybody knows, when you go on any I don't care what diet go on any, I don't care what diet weight loss, I don't care what it is there's always somebody talking oh, you shouldn't be doing this, you should be doing that, it's just, it's silly. You have to do what works for you and that's why you'll never hear me give you a meal plan. You'll never tell me eat this, don't eat that, because everybody's different. So you have to surround yourself with people who just believe that you can do what you're setting out to do, and that most important person that you can put in that environment is yourself. You have to believe. So let me give you a few actionable steps that will help you with sustainable success.

Speaker 2: 21:56

So number one is focus on your habits, not the outcomes. So, instead of obsessing over the scale, focus on building small daily habits that align with your goals. So I'm not saying completely change your life, I'm saying just small habits. So an example and you've heard me say this before too is replace one sugary drink a day with water. That's something that's easy to do. I always tell you weight loss doesn't have to be hard, that's easy. Right? Don't drink that Coca Cola. Instead, have a glass of water.

Speaker 2: 22:28

Second thing is prioritize consistency. Perfection is not necessary. Persistence is You're never going to be perfect. I don't care how disciplined you are, you're never going to be perfect. So make sure you show up for yourself, even on the tough days, and a tough day can mean you eat some things that, yeah, you might not be the best choices, but you know what? Allow yourself to feed your soul and then get right back to it as soon as you can. And as soon as you can doesn't mean next week. As soon as you can means the next choice.

Speaker 2: 23:00

The third thing is and this is again, it was critical for me and I think it's really a big part of the equation is celebrate your small wins. Every step forward is a progress. I know like hey, I drank water instead of soda. That doesn't seem like a big win, but it is a big win. I don't know how many calories are in a Coke or a soda, but if you choose to drink the water instead of soda, you won. That's a small success. Every step forward is progress. Acknowledge and celebrate even those smallest, smallest victories. And, last but not least, is keep moving forward. Setbacks are absolutely inevitable. I was strict with myself, but I had setbacks along the way. A setback is not the end of the road. Just think about what you did, why you ate what you ate, and then move forward. Don't beat yourself up over the mistakes, because nobody and I mean nobody is capable of doing this without making a mistake every now and then.

Speaker 2: 24:06

At the end of the day, weight loss isn't about quick fixes or shortcuts. It's about building habits that last for a lifetime. By getting rid of that quick fix mentality and focusing on the right mindset, you'll not only achieve your goals but, more importantly, you're going to sustain them over the long haul. When you build these small habits, they build on each other and, before you know it, you're leading a much different life, a much healthier lifestyle. For me, a much healthier lifestyle For me, a much happier lifestyle.

Speaker 2: 24:34

So remember this this journey marathon, not a sprint. And the finish line where is it? For me, I don't know where the finish line is. It'll be whenever I get there, or it'll be a lifelong journey. But I can tell you what it's not a number on the scale. What it is is becoming the healthiest, happiest version of myself and, for you, the healthiest and happiest version of yourself. That's where the journey ends and, like I said, it may never end. So that's my thoughts on a weight loss mindset. That's how I did it. Those are the things that I thought, or I don't even know if I thought them consciously, but that's what helped me to get the success that I've achieved.

Speaker 2: 25:18

So if you want to buy my book and learn about my journey, learn more about my journey. As you know, it's available on Amazon, getting tons of great reviews. We're selling a lot of books. People are writing me for me life-changing emails, telling me how much I've changed their life. That's the most gratifying thing in the whole world.

Speaker 2: 25:36

You can also get my video course Live Life, love Food, lose Weight. That's available at learnshutupandchoosecom. That's learnshutupandchoosecom and that consists of 23 videos, all short, around five minutes or less for each of them. It really dives deep into how I did it all and it's a again. We're selling a ton of video courses.

Speaker 2: 25:59

People are saying it's changing their life, kind of like the book. But this really dives deeper into the how-to. My book is more about my journey and there's definitely how-to in there, but this really kind of dives into the mindset most of all and how you can get your mindset in that same place. So now you know how I feel about mindset and why I believe that you're wasting your money if you pay to go to the gym without the right mindset, why I believe that weight loss is a mental game. It's not only physical. It's probably more mental than it is physical. So I've given you a lot of steps and a lot of ways to reinforce the thoughts that are in your head. Now the only thing left to do for you is to shut up and choose.

Speaker 1: 26:40

You've been listening to Shut Up and Choose. Jonathan's passion is to share his journey of shedding 130 pounds in less than a year without any of the usual gimmicks no diets, no pills. And we'll let you in on a little secret no fucking gym. And guess what? You can do it too. We hope you enjoyed the show. We had a fucking blast. If you did, make sure to like, rate and review. We'll be back soon, but in the meantime, find Jonathan on Instagram at Jonathan wrestler, boca Raton. Until next time, shut up and choose.