You do NOT need to do everything perfectly in order to get results.

You just need to do a few things mostly well and consistently.

I went through a bulk (where I was eating in a surplus to put on muscle) a couple years ago and I had a spreadsheet where I was tracking probably 20 different metrics - steps, sleep, protein, carbs, fat, fiber, my cycle, sleep, hydration, energy, measurements, weight, my lifts etc…

And it while I THRIVE in data - even for me it was overwhelming each week to have to log everything.

This time around with my 8 week cut, I am tracking the bare minimum and only as much as I need to make and see progress.

I see this so often with people where they jump all in and try and change everything all at once and they get overwhelmed and end up quitting two weeks in.

Sound familiar?

We have a tendency to overcomplicate things. Especially when we're learning something new. Or when we have to put in a little bit more effort than we want to.

I learned this the hard way, trying to pay attention to everything while not knowing what the most important metrics were made it harder to know what I could drop when life got busier.

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There is a spectrum of complexity when it comes to what behaviors are most important to focus on.

But the main key things will always be true:

• Eat enough nutrients to support your body.
• Choose better more whole foods over higher sugar, fried, highly-processed, carb-heavy.
• Eat well consistently. Try and eat the same way all week day after day after day.
• Get deep and enough sleep.
• Move well and often. Anything is better than nothing.
• Manage your stress.
• Plan, prioritize, and prepare. [This one is key, you have to actually be intentional with your actions and make time for them.]

That's it. Not 20 metrics. Not perfect macros. Not a color-coded spreadsheet. Sure you could optimize these to the 9s and get nit picky on every little detail - but you’re not a body builder. You don’t need to.

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Here's the thing about data and tracking - you never HAVE to weigh your food if you don't want to. But the more data you have about certain variables, the more you're able to manipulate things. I kind of look at fat loss and muscle building as a science experiment. We're literally playing around with different variables to see what works, and the fewer variables you're manipulating, the more successful you'll be because you don't have as many opportunities for failure or struggle.

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But you have to realize that either pathway - whether you want to track everything or keep it more generalized and flexible - if you want to actually change your body and lose weight, you're gonna have to put in effort. You're gonna have to take time. You're gonna have to do things that are different than what you've been doing, because what you've been doing hasn't been working.

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Little adjustments like that will actually change your life. If you start there, just start there. You don't have to dive into all the metrics and data right away. Or ever, if you don't want to. But realize that if you aren't choosing the path of metrics and data, it's gonna take you longer. And you might struggle to stay motivated because you're not seeing the progress as clearly, and it’s not happening as quickly.

The fundamentals work. The question is: how strategic do you want to be about implementing them?

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Speaking of simple...

I keep getting messages from people who are tired of the confusion around health and weight loss.

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You’re confused by all the information out there. You've tried the fad diets - keto, intermittent fasting, macro counting, meal plans, and you're more confused than when you started. You just want someone to tell you what actually works for weight loss without the conflicting bullshit.

You’re busy and can’t see how to make “healthy” living fit. You want to eat healthy and lose weight, but you're juggling work, family, social life, and everything feels like it requires hours of meal prep you don't have. You want healthy eating to feel automatic, not like a part-time job.

You’re feel like you’re doing everything but it’s not working. You're eating salads, going to group workout classes, trying to be "good," but the scale isn't moving and you're starting to think your body is broken.

The Gym feels intimidating and scary. You know you should be strength training but you're intimidated by the gym, don't know what to do when you get there, and struggle when it comes to working out at home. You want a plan that actually makes sense and won't leave you flailing around feeling lost.

You’re either all in or you’re out and can’t seem to stick with anything long term. You either eat perfectly and work out religiously for two weeks, or you completely fall off the wagon and eat everything in sight. You're exhausted by this cycle and want to find a middle ground that actually sticks.

You’re tired all the time and are starting to accept that that is just what adult life is like. You want sustained energy that doesn't come from caffeine hits, you want to feel strong in your body, and you want to wake up excited about what you can accomplish instead of dreading how depleted you'll feel.

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If any of these resonated, here’s what I know, the obstacle isn’t that you need another meal plan or workout routine, it’s that you need a strategic system that gets to the root of behavior change and actually helps you follow through with the behaviors that will get you results. You need a comprehensive system that addresses how you think, the resistance that comes up, and helps you overcome the obstacles to lasting change.

That's exactly what I help my 1:1 coaching clients build using The FEED Method - my signature approach that covers Food, Exercise, Environment design, and self-Development. We use my CARAT system to navigate the mental obstacles, design your environment for success, and create energy management strategies that actually fit your real life.

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I'm taking on 5 new clients this month to work through this comprehensive approach. We're going to build you a sustainable lifestyle that makes healthy choices feel automatic, not forced.

If you're done with complicated and ready for consistent, reply to this email or DM me on socials (@morgan.e.shepherd) and let's chat about what this could look like for you.

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Morgan

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P.S. Remember - you don't need 20 metrics. You just need a few things done mostly well, most of the time. Let's start with breakfast.

P.P.S. Key highlights from this week’s episodes on my podcast “Feed Your Health”:

Tuesday: FYH 074 Beat The Afternoon Crash, Try This One Strategy To Stay Energized​

Thursday: FYH 075 Are These 5 Objections Throwing Off Your Nutrition For The Entire Day?!​