Why do we have to constantly be entertained instead of doing what produces results?
We want results – but we don't want to repeat the same thing for too long. The training should be new, the food exciting and the motivation at its peak. Maybe our constant need for variety is one of the reasons why so many never make it all the way?
I have trained and helped thousands of people over the years. One of the most common questions I get is:
“Is the training program really the same for the first four weeks?”
Yes, that's it.
You train three days a week and therefore start with a full-body program. The same basic exercises will be repeated because the body needs time to learn the movements, get stronger and gradually handle a higher load.
Then comes the next objection:
“But I want more variety. Can't I have different programs every week?” Sure, variety sounds more fun. But more fun doesn't always mean more effective.
You have to repeat something to get better at it.
If you change exercises every week, it will be difficult to know if you have actually become stronger.
Did you do more repetitions? Could you handle a heavier load? Did your technique improve? Could you handle a greater range of motion?
To be able to measure improvement, you need something to compare it to. That's why a good training program is based on repeating the same basic exercises over a period of time.
The first week you might be trying to understand the movement. The second week your technique will start to improve. After a few more weeks you can increase the number of repetitions or the load. That's how progression is created.
The training program doesn't have to be new for your body to be exposed to a new challenge.
The program can stay the same while you get stronger.
The same thing happens with food.
Then come the questions about diet:
“The food feels pretty similar. I want more variety.” I understand the sentiment. But if the program is based on a high-protein diet, many meals will naturally be based on foods that are high in protein.
It can be eggs, fish, chicken, lean meat, quark, cottage cheese, yogurt, tofu, beans or lentils. The ingredients can be varied, but the basic principle of the diet does not change just because we want something new.
The Bodyweight Diet also offers around 75 alternative dishes with corresponding macros to choose from if the day's suggested meal doesn't suit you.
Yet sometimes it feels as if every meal is expected to be a completely new culinary experience. And here I think we need to ask ourselves an honest question:
Does all food always have to entertain us?
The “boring” ones often succeed the best
When I look at those who get the best results, I see a recurring pattern.
They are often the ones who accept that the process can be quite simple – and sometimes a little boring.
The:
Follow the same training program long enough to develop.
Exercise regularly even when motivation is not at its peak.
Eat a few recurring meals that they know work.
Preparing lunch boxes for the week.
Trades roughly the same good raw materials.
Maybe have a freer meal on Friday or Saturday.
Starting over on Monday without drama.
They don't have to invent a new way to exercise or eat every week. No, the lunch boxes may not be the big culinary highlight of the week. But they serve their purpose. They provide the body with energy, protein and nutrition and help the person stick to their plan.
There is still room for good food, restaurant visits and enjoyment. But every meal doesn't have to be an event.
Sometimes food is primarily fuel and building material for the body.
We mix variety with quality
Of course, there is a place for variety. Your diet should provide enough nutrition, and a training program will eventually need to be adjusted as you get stronger or your goals change.
But variety just for the sake of variety is not automatically an improvement.
A new exercise is not necessarily better than the old one. A new recipe does not automatically provide better nutritional value. A new program is not better just because you haven't gotten bored of it yet.
Sometimes we change our approach just when the old one starts to yield results.
We seek a new feeling instead of continuing with the process that works.
Maybe we are addicted to the new start
Many people enjoy the feeling of starting over. A new program. A new diet. A new app. A new form of exercise. New shoes and new lunch boxes.
The first few days everything feels inspiring. But when the pleasure of novelty wears off, we start looking for the next plan.
The problem is that the body doesn't reward enthusiasm for a week. It rewards consistent actions over time.
Results often come after the program has stopped feeling new and exciting. That's when you show whether you've truly built a habit – or just been entertained by another fresh start.
The strange contradiction
There's also something I've thought about a lot over the years. The person who has struggled with their weight for a long time is sometimes also the one who is quickest to talk about exactly how the program should be designed.
The training should include more exercises. The food should be more varied. The results should come faster. The plan should be adapted to everything the person likes – but preferably not include too much of what feels monotonous or difficult.
I don't say this to belittle anyone. Quite the opposite. Someone who has struggled for a long time has often tried many different things and accumulated a lot of knowledge.
But you also need to dare to ask yourself:
If my own way had worked so well – why am I still having the same problem?
Sometimes the most important step is to stop negotiating with the process and actually follow a well-thought-out plan long enough to see what it brings.
Discipline is doing the important things even when they have become everyday things
Most people don't succeed because they are motivated every day. They succeed because they have made it easier to keep going:
The training days are already planned.
The exercises are specific.
The food has been purchased.
The lunch boxes are prepared.
The decisions have already been made.
They don't have to wake up every morning and wonder if they feel like following the plan. It may not be very exciting. But it is incredibly effective.
You don't need more entertainment – you need more consistency
That doesn't mean life has to be boring. It also doesn't mean you can never change programs or try new foods. But Variation should serve a function. It should not be used as an escape from the fundamental work required.
If you want to change your body, you need to accept that certain things must be repeated:
You need to practice the same movements long enough to get better at them. You need to eat good food often enough for the diet to have an effect. You need to follow the plan even after the initial enthusiasm has subsided.
The most successful people are rarely the ones who are constantly looking for something new. It's often the slightly "boring" people who keep doing the right things - long enough.
It is not variety that builds results.
It is repetition, progression and consistency.
All the best,
Kennet Båth Founder, Bodyweight Diet
