Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze? Making Diet Sacrifices

Dieting can be tough, there's no question about that...

Being hungry, having less energy for training, foregoing social occasions and swerving alcohol (yes, including alcohol!) Hell, even avoiding your favourite foods for fear of blowing your diet can be tough to take...

I don't know a single person that wouldn't choose to get lean without having to restrict their calories or to be able to do so while eating untracked quantities of pizza and pasta, drinking beers, and offering a big, resounding YES to any and all social events.

The reality is, EVERY diet is going to involve at least some form of sacrifice.

Why is Dieting so Hard?

The reason why it's all so hard? You are forcing your body to burn fat, changing the homeostasis, and driving a new change. CHANGE. A wise man once said, "if you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done."

If you just want to look better on the beach and improve your day-to-day fitness levels, chances are you can probably get used to saying no to that third beer, or avoiding dessert every once in a while. But if you're wanting to see significant changes, like getting down to stage-level, bodybuilder's physique with veins popping out of your abs, chances are those sacrifices are going to be a bit harder to take.

So with that in mind, ask yourself one simple question...

Is the juice, is worth the squeeze?

Are your Diet Goals Worth it for You?

Is the effort you're putting in and the lengths you're going to worth the 'reward' you're chasing? Is it ever 'enough?' Is having a set of abs that more closely resemble a roadmap worth not being able to enjoy a meal out with friends, avoiding alcohol, etc? Because chances are, results like that are going to require a fairly extreme approach in order to achieve and, more importantly, maintain.

While it certainly isn't impossible to get lean with a flexible approach, to get the extreme results - the sort you might see on a physique stage or on Instagram - requires a very low level of body fat and calorie intake. This more or less takes the option of flexibility out of the equation. It takes effort and huge amounts of motivation for a consistent and extended period.

Most people I know when they achieve extreme results tell me that reaching their goal wasn't even half of it, it's what they learned about themselves along the way. As a coach and trainer, it's important I help people understand that change is proportional to effort. Ask yourself what your goals are, and weigh up the sacrifices to your lifestyle that may require. Only you can answer the all-important question...

Is it worth it for you?

Yusuf Paterson is our lifestyle and nutrition writer (and you may spot him working up a sweat in some of our product photography too!)

"I have been lucky enough to have been in the fitness industry for nearly 10 years now.

Before that, I did a Master's degree in exercise and sport physiology. This really helped to develop my understanding of the science behind the principles of training and nutrition.

This has allowed me to run my own business called Principal Nutrition, where one of my main goals is to help people better understand nutrition so they can achieve their goals.

I love what I do and am blessed to be able to do this!"