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 Ressler.

Speaker 2: 1:14

Hey, welcome back to Shut Up and Choose the podcast that cuts through the noise of all the times and all that bullshit about the internet, instagram influencers and all those idiots out there spewing and throwing your way, telling you eat this, don't eat that. It's all a bunch of bullshit. You know what to do Today. I want to talk about something. Well, last week, if you listened to the podcast, you know that I talked about something called stackable habits, and this week I got a bunch of emails, people asking me what did you mean by stackable habits? So let me tell you about stackable habits, because I think they're probably one of the most important things you can do on your weight loss journey, and it's so painfully simple that most of you out there are probably going to try to overcomplicate this anyway. So, again, we're talking about stackable habits. They're tiny things that, when done consistently, actually move the needle. Now, if you're someone who loves to overthink and over plan or wait until next Monday to change your life, this episode probably going to hurt you a little bit. So let's talk about why are you failing. If we call it like it is, if we're being honest and that's what we do here, we kind of cut through the bullshit. Most people don't fail a weight loss because they don't know what to do. You already know. So don't play dumb, don't make. I don't know. It's bullshit. You know what to do. You know that vegetables are better than donuts. You know water is better than soda. You know going for a walk, be sinking into the couch and sitting on your fat ass for three hours. So enough. What gives here right? Here's what happens every single time. You decide this is it, I'm all in. I know. I've done it a hundred times. I'm doing it this time. You start intermittent fasting. I went keto. I signed up for the 6 am boot camps, toss out all the quote-unquote bad foods and download like five new fitness apps. I'm in, I'm in, and for a few days you feel like a machine. I was always the best.

Speaker 2: 3:10

In that first week I was meal prepping. You're weighing chicken, you're hydrating like a camel and even, maybe every now and then, a little flex in the mirror. And then shit happens. Life happens. Your kids get sick, work explodes, you forget your fancy meal that you prepped at home. You have one ah, fuck it. You know those moments. You have one ah, fuck it moment and then another, and by Friday night, you're whispering sweet nothings into a pint of ice cream. I am so guilty of that, and if that sounds familiar to you, you're in the right place.

Speaker 2: 3:43

So let me say this, and let me say this loudly the problem isn't you, it's the idea that you need to become a completely different human being to lose 20 pounds, that you need the full personality transplant, that you need to wake up with David Goggins discipline. The truth is you don't. You don't need to turn into a food-weighing, gym-obsessed monk. You don't need to start meditating on a mountain or giving up bread for the rest of your life. I've done those things Well, maybe not meditate on the mountain, but certainly giving up bread. You just need a system that works around your real messy, unpredictable and honestly stress-packed and pizza-filled, deadline-driven life. That's what you need, and I get that nobody talks about that part. When people are talking about that, they're well, you do this, prep, this, do, and that's a bunch of shit. That's not taking life into account. Nobody's telling you that it's okay to want to lose weight without hating your lifestyle. Nobody is giving you permission to change without turning your life upside down, but I am. I'm giving that permission to change without turning your life upside down. But I am. I'm giving that permission. I'm doing it right now, because that's what this episode is about.

Speaker 2: 4:50

Stackable habits they're small, realistic things you can do, not tomorrow, not next month, but today that make the next right choice easier. They don't require discipline, they don't require a gym. They just require that you stop trying to win the weight loss lottery with a crash plan and start building consistency with things that actually fit into your life. So if you're sick of burning out, quitting, restarting and repeating that process over and over again, if you're ready to do the smarter, not harder, then let's go on. So let's get into it.

Speaker 2: 5:24

So, what are stackable habits and why they might be the only thing that actually works. Look, I get it. We've all tried the shit that doesn't work. Let's talk about what actually does work, because if you're listening to this, chances are you've tried all the extremes. You've done the macros, the points, the shakes, the weird lemon water cleanse that made you hate lemons and your life at the same time. And where has that gotten you? Tired, frustrated, honestly, and still stuck. And I'm not saying this judgingly, because I did the same thing. So let's break it down.

Speaker 2: 5:56

Let's talk about the one thing that no one's telling you because it's not flashy and it's not Instagrammable or it's not selling supplements, and that is stackable habits. They're small, repeatable behaviors that you attach to something you already do, so they become a part of your day without feeling like some new giant task you have to find the time for. Think of it like a Trojan horse, but for good behavior, you sneak it into your life without setting up your brains. This is hard abort mission, abort mission, alarm. It's the ultimate sneak attack on your life without setting up your brains. This is hard Abort mission, abort mission, alarm. It's the ultimate sneak attack on your old excuses. So stackable habits work like this After I do something you already do, I will do some small intentional behavior. That's it. So after I do this, I'll do that.

Speaker 2: 6:40

It sounds too simple, which is why most people ignore it. It sounds too simple, which is why most people ignore it, but I'm telling you the most effective, sustainable, sanity-saving method to build momentum when you're trying to lose weight without lighting your whole life on fire is stackable habits. It's not some bullshit mind trick either. This is behavioral science. You're hacking the pattern of your day. So let me hit you with this uncomfortable truth your brain is fucking lazy, right? Mine too. We all are. It's not an insult, it's design.

Speaker 2: 7:17

Your brain wants to save energy. It likes patterns, routines and familiarity, which is why massive change freaks your brain out. So when you try to flip your life upside down, what happens? Your brain resists and it resists hard. And that's when you fall. To flip your life upside down, what happens? Your brain resists and it resists hard. And that's when you fall off. Not because you're weak, because you try to change everything.

Speaker 2: 7:32

But stackable habits they feel small, almost stupid small actually. So your brain doesn't really fight them, it doesn't even know. They slip into the flow of your day without needing willpower, motivation or some kind of mood board. Right, and when something is easy to repeat, you do it more often. And when you repeat something more often, boom, you get the results. And I know you're thinking I don't have time to put all this stuff in my life, but the good news is you already have the time. The beauty of a stackable habit is they don't take time, they use time that already exists. So here's the reality you already have routines, whether you realize it or not. You drink coffee in the morning, you check your email, you eat dinner. You collapse on the couch like a lazy sack of shit. You brush your teeth, stacking a habit onto.

Speaker 2: 8:17

One of those things is how you create real change without changing your entire identity. And I get it. I know everybody wants results. They want it fast, you want the scale to drop, you want to feel in control, you want your jeans to fit without having to lay on the bed to put them on. But that doesn't mean that you need to suffer or sacrifice your life. It means you need to start smarter.

Speaker 2: 8:40

Stackable habits work because they don't just ask you to become someone else. They ask you to be more intentional with the life that you already have and the life that you're already living. They build momentum, they build confidence and they make the next right choice a lot easier. And isn't that what this is about? It's not about changing everything. It's about just choosing better, one stack at a time. So let me show you how you can build your own stackable habit system and give you the secret to actually sticking with it. When life gets messy and I got to tell you it's not discipline.

Speaker 2: 9:14

So look, let's do the math right. One small habit, cool, five of them stacked into your actual day. That's a full-on system that doesn't suck, that doesn't feel like a diet. And get this that actually works. This is how real people lose 20 to 40 pounds without changing everything all at once. It's not sexy, it's not viral and it's not going to trend on TikTok, but it works. And if you're tired of failing because everything feels too big, make it smaller and then do it daily. So here's the thing. Right, we already kicked that myth to the curb that you need a whole new personality to lose weight. I talk about it all the time, and we've talked about what stackable habits are and why they work better than 99% of the shit out there.

Speaker 2: 10:00

So the next question is obvious Okay, how do I actually build my own stackable habit system? So let me break it down for you, because if you don't put this into action, it's just an episode that you're going to listen to, nod along with and then forget while you're chowing down on cookies at midnight. So let's fix it. So the first step in building stackable habits this is the absolute first step is audit your day, not your diet. So audit your day, not your diet. So audit your day, not your diet. Stop thinking like a dieter. You're not here to count lettuce leaves. You're here to change your behavior.

Speaker 2: 10:33

So, before you stack anything, just take one day, just one, and observe your current routine. No judgment, no over analysis, just notice, like when do you wake up? When do you drink coffee? When do you check your phone? You eat your meals, sit down for, finish work, watch Netflix, go to bed. Your day is already full of anchors, routines and patterns. You just don't realize them because they're all on autopilot. But that's exactly what makes them powerful. We're not adding time to your day, we're adding intention to things that already exist. So write that stuff down, your habits, or give yourself a voice note or just remember them. But once you see that natural rhythm, you'll know where to stack the new stuff.

Speaker 2: 11:19

So here's the trap and it's kind of step two, but here's the trap that a lot of people fall into. They hear habit and they think it needs to be big or impressive. Here's a trap and it's kind of step two, but here's a trap that a lot of people fall into they hear habit and they think it needs to be big or impressive. Here's a spoiler alert the smaller the habit, the more likely it sticks. So here's what you want Use this as kind of your framework, something you can do in under 60 seconds, something you can do anywhere.

Speaker 2: 11:41

So no special gear, no setup, just something you can do anywhere and something that you don't hate, or at least something that you don't dread, because, at the end of the day, this is not about self-torture. If your habit requires a blender, a journal and 45 minutes of alone time you've already lost. You're not going to do it. So let me give you this little reality check If it feels hard on day one, it's going to feel impossible on day five. So pick habits that are so small your brain can't come up with an excuse to skip them. So here's a couple examples, and I'm going to go deeper into this further in the episode, but here's an example Drink a glass of water before your morning coffee.

Speaker 2: 12:19

Take five deep breaths before a meal, stand and stretch for a minute after every single meeting and maybe plan tomorrow's meals during your nighttime scroll. This really is the magic move. You don't need to find time for this new habit, you need to attach it to a time that already exists. And this is where most people fuck this up. They pick a habit, then they try to shove it into a random part of the day and then they forget or it gets crowded out by something urgent. So here's your formula again After I do something current habit I will do this new behavior.

Speaker 2: 12:53

Let's run through a couple examples. Like I just said, after I pour my coffee, I'll drink a glass of water. After I close my laptop, I'll go for a 10-minute walk. After I brush my teeth, I'll make a protein snack for tomorrow or later. After I put the kids to bed, I'll write down what I'm eating for lunch tomorrow. You're creating a cue that creates a cue. It's like an automatic trigger. So the more consistent the anchor, the easier the stack. That's why it's called the stack. You're building onto what already exists.

Speaker 2: 13:26

The next step is you got to track that habit, not the outcome. This is a hard truth. If you're only focused on the scale, you will quit. Why? Because weight loss isn't linear. Your body doesn't give a shit about your spreadsheet, but you know what is linear, whether or not you did the habit. So track the action, not the result. I'm not telling you don't weigh yourself, but I'm saying don't get obsessed and hung up on the scale Every day. Ask yourself did I do my habit, can I do it tomorrow and the day after, and that's it. You're building consistency, and consistency, not perfection, is what gets results. So I don't care if you have to put a check on the calendar or use some app on your phone which I don't think you need, or get a calendar on Amazon and mark X's on the days. But whatever you do, track your habit, because what you track you definitely repeat.

Speaker 2: 14:15

The next thing to remember is you got to prepare for the shit happens days, because they're coming, and here's where most systems crash and burn. They don't account for chaos. Life isn't all about being perfect. You're going to have stressful days, sick days, bad moods, long meetings, travel and probably a total loss of interest and self-improvement. That shit just happens and that's why your habit needs a low-friction backup version. I call it the minimum version. So let's just say your stack is after dinner I go for a 10 minute walk. Your minimum version might be after dinner, I'll walk for two minutes. Just stand up and stretch, walk around the house. Why? Because when you lower the bar and you've heard me say that before but when you lower the bar, instead of skipping the habit entirely, you keep the momentum. It's the difference between building a track record and hitting the reset button for the 105th time. This is adult life. You don't need to be perfect, you need to be repeatable.

Speaker 2: 15:12

The next step is something that you've heard me say before is, absolutely positively celebrate the win. Look, I get it. It feels small. You drank a glass of water Big fucking deal. You stood up after your meeting. Woo, you took a breath before eating big fucking deal. Right, yes, it actually is, because doing something small every day beats the shit out of doing something extreme for two weeks and then bailing for the next six months. So celebrate the win. Tell yourself, hey, I followed through today. I don't think that's soft. That's like building a strategy, and your confidence will come from keeping the promises to yourself, even the tiny little ones. So this isn't complicated, but it's powerful.

Speaker 2: 15:55

If you stack one habit this week, just one, and you do it every day, you're already ahead of 90% of the people who are just sitting out there waiting for the right time. There is no right time, there's only now, and whether you choose better than yesterday. So choose your habit, stack it onto something real, keep it simple, track it, repeat it. That's your system and that's how you lose weight in the real world without blowing up your life. All right, if you've made it this far, that's good, and it means you're either really committed to changing your life or you hate listening. Honestly, either way, I'm cool as long as you're listening and I respect it. Now that you know what stackable habits are, why they actually work and how to build a habit system that doesn't implode, the second life gets messy.

Speaker 2: 16:40

Let's get into five real plug and play stackable habits I give my clients all the time. They're not Instagram hacks or Monday motivation bullshit time. They're not Instagram hacks or Monday motivation bullshit. These are habits that actual humans use in the real world to lose weight without tracking every bite, living in the gym or swearing off pizza for eternity. That shit doesn't work. So here's one. I talked about these, but I want to go a little bit deeper into them.

Speaker 2: 17:02

So your morning coffee when you have your morning coffee, before you drink your morning coffee, drink a 12 to 16-ounce glass of water first. So the stack is before you sip your coffee, drink a full glass of water. Why it works? Because you wake up dehydrated and your body is great at confusing dehydration with hunger. So what do most people do. They skip the water, they pound the caffeine and then wonder why they're ravenous by 10 am. And then, of course, it's bagel time or leftover kid snacks or whatever has got a shitload of carbs ready for you to eat. So how do you make that stick? Well, make your coffee machine your habit anchor. Stick your water bottle right next to it. So no coffee until you drink the water, no excuses. Oh, and by the way, iced coffee or iced tea doesn't count as hydration, so don't try to get cute, drink a glass of water.

Speaker 2: 17:52

Second one that I tell people all the time and I do this myself is when you sit down to eat, take a breath, or two, or five, so the stack is as soon as you sit down for a meal, pause and take one full breath before you take a bite. Why does that work? A bite? Why does that work? Because most people eat and I am guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty of this but most people eat like they're in a competitive hot dog eating contest. They're stressed, they're distracted or they're just rushing. And when you eat in that fight or flight mode, your digestion sucks, your appetite cues absolutely short circuit and you end up overeating without even realizing it and I get one breath sounds like nothing, until you realize it's the one second of your day where you're actually in control.

Speaker 2: 18:39

So how do you make it stick? Your habit anchor is simple. It's sitting down to eat. The breath is. The stack you sit equals you breathe. It's simple, it takes less than three seconds. If you don't have time, the problem isn't time, it's mindset. And that's why we're here.

Speaker 2: 18:58

Let me give you another one. After dinner, take a 10-minute walk. The stack is after your last meal of the day. Go for a 10-minute walk. It doesn't need to be fast, it doesn't need to be sweaty, it doesn't need to be scenic, just move.

Speaker 2: 19:12

And why does that stack work? Well, there's three big reasons. Number one is it helps with digestion. Number two is it improves your insulin sensitivity, especially at night. And number three, it keeps you away from the fridge when boredom, stress or the Netflix munchies kick in that evening snack. We all know that's rarely about hunger, it's about habit. And the walk replaces that habit, or helps to replace that habit with a better one. How do you want to make it stick? Anchor it to the end of dinner If walking outside isn't an option. Walk around the house or just stand and do something besides flopping on the couch house. Or just stand and do something besides flopping on the couch. 10 minutes of walking is better than zero minutes of guilt eating.

Speaker 2: 19:54

The next one, the fourth one is after your last meeting or task, stand up and move. So here's the stack. If, after your final call, your email, your work task, just get up, move your body for one to three minutes, stretch, walk, breathe. Just move your body after you're done for the day or after your last meeting. Why does that work? Because a lot of people go from their laptop to the couch or hop in their car without even noticing. You close your laptop and your brain hits the shutdown mode right along with it. And this micro movement. It shakes off the stress, it signals the end of your workday and it creates a mental reset so you don't roll into the evening already drained and hungry for comfort food. So how do you make this one stick? Anchor it to your last Zoom call, your last work email, whatever. When that's done, you're up, even if it's just walking into the kitchen and back. This is about breaking patterns, not're up, even if it's just walking into the kitchen and back. This is about breaking patterns, not burning calories.

Speaker 2: 20:53

The fifth one that I tell people and this is more for planners, but the fifth one is Sunday night. Pick just two go-to lunches for the week. The stack is every Sunday night before bed or while you're watching your TV or whatever you're doing. Choose two go-to lunches you'll stick to during the work week. Why does that work? Because most people don't make bad food decisions because they want to. They make them because they're stressed or distracted or, honestly, just busy as fuck. You know, deciding your lunches ahead of time removes decision fatigue. You don't need to meal prep, you don't need to be a Tupperware fucking queen or king. Just decide in advance so you don't get to 1 pm and then eat like a panic burrito. So how can you make that stick? It's easy Anchor it to your Sunday wind down, whatever you do. Last thing on Sunday night Maybe it's while you're setting up your calendar, you're watching TV or half paying attention, scrolling your phone Stack it right there. No meal planning spreadsheet is required. Just pick two things, write them down or think about them, and then you're done. So why do habits like that will work, even when life sucks.

Speaker 2: 21:59

Well, here's what all five of those habits that I just gave you have in common Number one they're easy to do. Number two, they're easy to repeat. And number three, they don't require you to change who you are. They work with your life, not against it. They build momentum, and momentum leads to consistency, and consistency is what leads to weight loss, not willpower, not punishment, and definitely not a fucking detox tea.

Speaker 2: 22:27

You don't need a meal plan written by a nutritionist who says the same shit to every person, regardless of their life, their body, whatever. You don't need to work out seven days a week. You just need to repeat small smart actions, make small smart choices daily and let them stack up. So I told you those things, but don't try to do all five of them tomorrow. That's just another version of the all or nothing trap that you keep falling for. Instead, just pick one, just one. Start tomorrow, stack it onto something you already do and I always found most of my clients find that to drink a glass of water before you drink your coffee is the easiest one but repeat that thing until it becomes automatic and then stack another. That's how real people lose weight without turning their weight loss into a full-time job. So no more waiting for motivation, no more waiting for the right time. Pick your first habit, stack it, stick with it and then watch what happens. So now I know everybody's thinking this and I have my opinions on the gym, but everybody always goes.

Speaker 2: 23:35

Well, what about the gym? Don't I need to work out to lose weight? And the short answer is no. Let's talk about the gym, because one of the first things people say when they want to get back on track is I've got to start hitting the gym again, like it's some kind of magical place where you swipe that key fob or your card and suddenly your cravings disappear, your metabolism like goes into overdrive and your belly just goes away. That's a bunch of shit, so let's shut it down right now.

Speaker 2: 24:02

The truth is, you don't need the gym to lose weight. Let me be crystal clear you do not need to set foot in a gym to lose weight. Can you use the gym as a tool? Absolutely, is it required? Not even close. Most people use I need to join the gym as a stall tactic. Right, it's the ultimate excuse dressed up as a solution.

Speaker 2: 24:25

But here's what they're really saying when they say that I'm going to start when I have more time or I need to get in shape before I go to the gym. I can't imagine that. But whatever, wrap your head around that I can't afford a gym membership right now. I hear that one. I'm too embarrassed to go. The translation is I'm not ready to change, but I want to feel like I'm doing something. So if you're being honest, you don't have a workout problem. You have a consistency problem. And guess what? The gym doesn't solve that. So here's where a lot of people kind of go sideways, right, they assume that more exercise equals more weight loss, and that's so fucking wrong. I can't even tell you.

Speaker 2: 25:06

Exercise has tons of benefits. I'm not saying you don't get benefit from going to the gym there. Exercise has tons of benefits. I'm not saying you don't get benefit from going to the gym. There's a ton of benefits mental clarity, stress relief, energy, better sleep. But in terms of pure fat loss, it's not the heavy hitter that you think. It is your nutrition decisions, what you eat. That's 80 to 90% of the game. I've said this a hundred times. You can't outrun or outbike or outsweat a shitty food routine. Let's break it down, okay. Just think about this for a second. So if you're on the treadmill for about 30 minutes, you'll burn yeah, around 300 calories. One bagel with cream cheese is over 400 calories. One I had a long day Venti Starbucks Frappuccino. That's more than 500 calories. You see the problem People go to the gym, they sweat their asses off and then they reward themselves with food that wipes out the calorie burn.

Speaker 2: 25:56

And then some Then they say I've been working out but I'm not losing weight. Yeah, because you're treating the gym like a confessional right, not a tool like okay, I'm going to go in and I went to the gym, I am absolved of all sin. That's not the case and let me be clear, because I don't want you to take this the wrong way. I'm not saying movement is bad. Movement is incredible for your body. But if you're trying to lose weight and you're stuck in the I must go to the gym or I'll fail mindset, you're making this harder than it needs to be. You don't need a gym. You need to move more than you do now in a way that you can actually stick to.

Speaker 2: 26:35

You know what's more effective than going to the gym three times a week for a month and then quitting? Simple, it's walking every day. That's it Walking the most underrated, underused and overlooked fat loss tool on the planet. There's no equipment, there's no $200 outfits, there's no complicated programming, no sore joints. No, I need to shower after this excuse. You can walk while you're listening to this podcast. You can walk while you're on a call. You can walk instead of scrolling TikTok on the couch. And here's the kick of it all it actually works. Walking improves your blood sugar regulation, your insulin sensitivity, cortisol levels which means fewer cravings, digestion, mood, sleep. All of that stuff affects your weight and the barrier to entry is zero. That's why it works.

Speaker 2: 27:24

Let's take it one level deeper. Let's stack your movement habit, just like we talked about before. Don't schedule a walk like it's some new chore. Attach it to something you already do. So here's a few easy examples that you can try After your coffee, walk for five or 10 minutes.

Speaker 2: 27:39

After lunch, walk around the block. Or walk around your office. After dinner, walk with a podcast or a playlist Simple, sustainable and stackable. No gym and no excuses. And, by the way, if you do want exercise, cool you do. You Do your thing.

Speaker 2: 27:55

Man. It's not for me, going to the gym is not for me. But if that's what you like, by all means you should go to the gym. But don't start with some six-day-a-week gym plan that requires a trainer, a spreadsheet and a total personality shift. Start with what fits in your life If you're going to do the gym.

Speaker 2: 28:12

I'm probably the wrong guy to give you a recommendation on what to do in the gym, but I would say go two to three days a week with some simple resistance training. Do some daily movement like walking, stretching, dancing your kid, whatever doesn't make you hate life. And keep it short 15 to 30 minutes max. Done is better than perfect. You're not training for the fucking Olympics. You're trying to lose weight and not lose your mind in the process. So what I'm saying here is the gym isn't bad. It's definitely not bad. It's just not required.

Speaker 2: 28:43

Look, if you love the gym, go Crush it, be you, do your thing, but don't lie to yourself and pretend that you have to go in order to start changing. You don't. You can start right now, today, in your living room, by walking, by stacking one small movement habit, by not waiting until you have more time, because you know what's better than a perfect workout program, a consistent movement habit that you'll actually stick to? So all right, here's the big one, right? All right? So what should you actually be eating if you're not dieting. All right, let me break it down without giving you a single calorie count or a macro target, and this is the part that breaks most people's brains. Hey, jonathan, I'm not counting calories, I'm not on a diet, I'm not cutting out bread, what the fuck should?

Speaker 1: 29:29

I be eating.

Speaker 2: 29:30

Well, first off, take a deep breath. I know it feels like we're taking the training wheels off your diet bicycle, but guess what? Most of you are crashing that bike into a wall anyway, with all the tracking, restricting and obsessing. So let me simplify it for you. You don't need a new diet. You don't need a new diet. You don't need a spreadsheet. You need a few principles to guide your eating without sucking the joy out of food. And here's how you do it. First, build your meal around protein and plants. And don't be in a panic here. I'm not sending you the chicken and broccoli prison. I'm just saying, if your meals have a solid source of protein and some kind of fruits or vegetables, you're 80% of the way there. I know you know this, but I'm going to tell you why you want to have a lot of protein. Well, number one it keeps you full, it helps you retain the muscles as you lose weight and it actually satisfies you, unlike that light salad that makes you want to eat your fucking arm two hours later. And why vegetables and plants? Well, fiber equals fullness, nutrients give you energy and volume, and you're eating more food, fewer calories and, of course, less guilt. That's your foundation. It's not a rule book, it's not a trend. It's just a common sense structure. And by all means don't cut out the foods you love. Learn to contain them.

Speaker 2: 30:46

You know what's worse than eating pizza? Obsessing about pizza 24-7 because you're not allowed to have it. That's how binges start. Here's the rule. If you love it, keep it in your life. Just give it a container. So have two slices of pizza with a salad. Order a burger, skip the fries and add some vegetables. Or eat the dessert, just not the whole fucking cake, right?

Speaker 2: 31:05

Freedom with structure breeds restriction. Every time and always, try to eat like someone who cares about their energy, not just their weight. Weight loss is nice, but sustainable energy, less brain fog, better sleep For me, completely losing my snoring and a mood that doesn't depend on carbs, that's even better. So ask yourself will this meal help me feel good in two hours, not just now, not just while I'm shoveling down my throat, not just while it's in your mouth Two hours later, start there and you'll eat like someone who's in charge and not someone who's chasing a fix. You don't need perfection, you need awareness and you need to choose meals that make you feel good now and later. So the next thing people always ask me when I'm talking about stackable habits is how to handle social eating and travel and off plan days without, like you know, shit in the bed, for lack of a better term. So this is the part of weight loss that no diet plan actually prepares you for, ready for this Real life. I'm talking about dinners out, weekend trips, weddings, airports, taco Tuesday. I didn't plan a fucking thing today and now I'm starving. Those are the moments that break most people's progress, and it's not because they're bad, but because you don't know how to handle them without swinging between shame and self-sabotage. So here's your strategy and, by the way, you don't need a fucking food scale for this.

Speaker 2: 32:29

So rule number one, the most important rule, is plan to be imperfect and be okay with it. Stop trying to be perfect. That's what ruins people. You go to a party, eat a burger and a cupcake and suddenly act like you murdered someone. You need to start over Monday, but the truth is one meal didn't ruin anything. Your all or nothing mindset that ruins everything. So expect imperfection, plan for it and choose better anyway.

Speaker 2: 33:00

Rule number two is control what you can and release what you can't. Can you control what's on the restaurant menu? No. Can you eat something before you go out so you're not so starving? Yeah, you can do that. Can you pick a protein-based option and skip the bread basket? You can do that. Can you drink water between your drinks? I'm not saying don't have a drink, but between the drinks. Can you eat slowly and enjoy the food and stop when you're satisfied? Yeah. So focus on what you can do and just let go of the shit you can't control.

Speaker 2: 33:31

Rule number three is travel doesn't mean abandon ship. If you're flying, you're driving, you're living at a hotel. Stop acting like you've been sentenced to some kind of dietless wasteland. Every gas station, airport and hotel has some option that isn't a chili cheese dog or Pop-Tarts. You can grab some jerky or some fruit or some protein bars. You can order a fucking salad every now and then you can say no to the third cocktail that you don't even want. You can do all things. Travel is not the issue here. Your choices are.

Speaker 2: 34:06

Rule number four and this is a big one, a lot of people do this Don't make up for it the next day If you go a little bit overboard, big fucking deal. You're human. Don't starve yourself the next day trying to undo it. That's what keeps you stuck in the binge restrict cycle forever. Instead, go back to normal Eat breakfast, walk, stack your habits, move on. No drama, no punishment and definitely no cleanse. Life is never predictable. You're always going to have weekends and birthdays, and tacos and drinks. They're always going to be there. So you can either keep crashing every time life gets fun or you can learn how to ride the wave without wiping out, and you do that by choosing better, not perfect. So I know that we've already covered a lot and it's probably more than some people were ready for, but that's kind of the point. If you made it this far.

Speaker 2: 35:04

Here's what I want you to walk away with. One, you don't need a diet. Two, you don't need a gym. Three, you don't need to throw everything out in your fridge and swear off fun for the next 90 days. What you need is stackable habits, real, repeatable actions that you can do in the middle of your messy, fucked up, demanding, real-ass life. And the good news you already have the schedule, you already have the routines, you already have the time. You're just filling with crap that's keeping you stuck. So now it's a choice Keep trying to overhaul everything and burning out like always, or start stacking tiny habits that move you forward without blowing up and fucking up your life. I get it, man. It's not sexy, it's not extreme, it's just smart and it works. So here's your challenge. Here's what I want. Here's your homework. I always wanted to give people homework. Here's your homework. Pick one habit from today's episodes and start it today, not next week, not when you feel motivated Today, because, if you think about it, this podcast isn't called shut up and wait for motivation. It's called shut up and choose, and now it's your move. So that's stackable habits. People want to hear about them and hopefully I gave you a framework on how to use them. You'll create your own stackable habits, but don't rush. Make them so simple that they just feel stupid and those are the habits that stick.

Speaker 2: 36:27

If you want to learn more about my 140 plus pound weight loss journey, I have a book called Shut Up and Choose. It's available on Amazon, amazon bestseller. You can read it in a couple hours. It really goes deep into the kind of everything I went through, and people write me emails all the time how it changed their life. I also have a video course for people who are more visual learners. It's called the Effortless Weight Loss Academy. It's a video course. Well, I just said that. It's 23 short videos, each about five to seven minutes. You can watch the thing in a couple hours. It really goes deep into the mindset of how you can get yourself in the right place mentally to lose the weight. You can get that at learnshutupandchoosecom. That's learnshutupandchoosecom.

Speaker 2: 37:10

So now you know all about stackable habits. You know that it's all about choice. You know it's not about perfection. You know that when you make small, smart choices and do things that are so small, they feel stupid. That's where the real weight loss comes. That's where the real motivation comes. That's where the real progress comes. That's where the real progress comes. So make progress. Don't strive to be perfect. The only thing left now to do is to shut up and choose.

Speaker 1: 37:39

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 JonathanWrestlerBocaRaton. Until next time, shut up and choose.