Feeling deprived or restricted is so often the reason why folks aren’t able to lose fat and if they do, it’s frequently the reason why they’re not able to maintain their results…
But, I’ve got good news…you CAN LOSE FAT without feeling DEPRIVED or RESTRICTED and we’re going to cover exactly how in this article!
My favourite way to think about fat loss and deprivation or restriction is via sex because sex and food are both basic human needs…human evolution can be boiled down into 4 super simple words…
Turn calories into babies.
That is human evolution in a nutshell on the most fundamental level. We’re driven to seek out food first and foremost because if we don’t eat we die…and once the food box is checked, we’re driven to have sex and procreate.
Humans are not inherently monogamous however, many of us CHOOSE monogamy. On the other hand some folks are in open relationships, some are into polyamory and all sorts of things but, as of right now societally speaking, the vast majority of people choose to be in monogamous relationships…or at least they verbalize that that’s what they want, infidelity happens of course, but let’s put that aside for a second.
You’re aware because I mention it often that a calorie deficit is required in order to lose fat, there’s no way around it however, there are absolutely better and worse ways to go about creating a calorie deficit from a behaviour and sustainability standpoint, but at the end of the day a calorie deficit must be present in order to lose fat, so…
Saying that we want to lose fat, implementing the required actions (calorie deficit) and then feeling deprived or restricted of certain food options and/or amounts is like saying that we want a monogamous relationship and then feeling deprived or restricted of sexual partners.
Now it’s worth mentioning that the way that you structure and set up your diet is crucial because if it’s set up poorly, you’re going to feel quote unquote ‘deprived’ or ‘restricted’ no matter what simply because your body does have physiological needs via certain proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals etc. and it’s important that you provide those things.
It’s also vital to take into account your specific psychology in regards to food and things like meal frequency, meal timing, meal preferences, macronutrients, digestion etc. however…
Once you individualize your nutritional approach for you specifically, deprivation or restriction is just a perspective at that point because…
If we feel deprived in a monogamous relationship, we don’t have to be monogamous, it’s 100% our choice but…we can’t expect to have all of the benefits of a monogamous relationship if we’re not willing to play by monogamous rules, just like…
If we feel deprived with the nutritional approach for fat loss that we’re taking, we don’t have to lose fat, it’s 100% our choice, however, we can’t expect to have all of the benefits of losing fat and getting healthier if we’re not willing by play by the fat loss rules.
I rarely eat dairy because it flares up my arthritis and gives me joint pain, so I have a choice to make, I can choose to eat delicious dairy products and experience pain or I can choose to skip dairy and be pain-free.
If I choose to skip dairy because I’d prefer to be pain-free, but then simultaneously focus on how deprived I am of dairy as a result, that doesn’t exactly add up because I chose it, I can’t have both…hence the perspective that we choose to take in regards to deprivation or restriction is fundamental!
Furthermore, in a monogamous relationship I can choose to focus on ALL of the people that I quote unquote ‘can’t’ have sex with or I can focus on the person that I ‘can’ have sex with…exact same relationship setup, drastically different choice of perspectives and as a result, a drastically different experience.
A lot of folks say that they want to eat healthier and lose fat, but then as soon as they start the process, they choose to focus on all of the food and/or food amounts that they quote unquote ‘can’t’ eat on a daily basis, instead of all of the foods that they quote unquote ‘can’ eat!!
As an aside, there is no food that we can or can’t eat when it comes to fat loss, but portions absolutely do become a thing and food selection is a massive factor in regards to fat loss success, primarily because of how different foods impact satiety (and health).
Also, you can just as easily shift your focus to all of the amazing things that you’re gaining by losing fat and getting healthier! Better body comp, improved sense of well-being, clothes fitting better, friends showering you with compliments, blood pressure reduction, hormone normalization, more energy, better mental clarity, improved emotional stability…I could go on for ages.
Or…you can fixate on just how ‘deprived’ or ‘restricted’ you are ;)
So, if we want monogamy, we have to play by monogamous rules and similarly if we want fat loss, we have to play by fat loss rules because the fat loss process takes what it takes and so the question becomes…are you willing to consistently do what’s required and if the answer is yes, cool, and if the answer is no, that’s also cool!
Being upset about what’s required to achieve fat loss results is a trap that I see some folks fall into, for example…
Wishing that fat loss was easier or different than it actually is, is like wishing that a day had 25, 26 or 27 hours in it…it just doesn’t, the laws of nature and life are what they are and so wishing them to be another way is just a complete waste of time because we can’t change them.
It’s like gravity, the pull on the earth is what the pull on the earth is, we don’t have the power to shift it and so there’s no use wishing or wanting gravity to be different than it is.
Having said all of that, maybe you’re still like, ‘Marcus, I don’t agree, restriction isn’t perspective-based, I experience it as something else…okay, in that case consider this…
When you’re feeling restricted or deprived of ‘x’ foods or ‘y’ way of eating, be sure that at the very least you acknowledge both sides of your situation, for example…
‘I feel restricted because I feel as though I can’t eat all the pizza, ice cream and burgers that I feel like eating being that fat loss is my goal,’ got it, that’s one side…the other is…
In what ways are eating all the pizza, ice cream and burgers that you feel like eating on a day to day basis restricting you? For example…
How do those foods impact your energy levels and sense of well-being? Probably not in all that beneficial of a way, that’s restricting your energy and well-being!
How do those foods impact your body composition? They’re amazing at fattening us up and so how is carrying around excess body fat restricting your daily experience as well as your health (and lifespan)?
How do those foods impact your digestion? No one’s digestion is better eating pizza, burgers and ice cream and so how is that restricting you?
If you choose to take the ‘I feel so restricted and deprived mindset,’ just be sure that you look at both sides of the coin because nothing in life has 100% downside and 0% upside…
But, back to my preferred perspective on all of this stuff…
If you’re feeling deprived or restricted, you can go through this super simple line of questioning to clear things up for yourself…
One, why do you feel deprived or restricted?
First and foremost, are your nutritional choices themselves providing your body with what it needs so that your physiological bases are covered?
Secondly, have you structured your approach in a way that fits your specific lifestyle, preferences, goals, priorities etc?
If you answered yes and yes and you’re still feeling deprived or restricted…what are you choosing to focus on?
All of the things that you can do, eat, the sense of well-being benefits, more energy, boosting your confidence etc. or everything that you’re quote unquote ‘missing out’ on or ‘can’t do?’
It’s sort of like the glass half full or half empty dealio, how are you choosing to see and view your choices.
Also, this is a really important takeaway…
Everyone eventually gets to a point in time where the lifestyle trade-offs of getting leaner are no longer worth the benefits of getting leaner itself, for example…
I’m around 10% body fat and I don’t want to get leaner, but let’s pretend that I was entertaining that desire for a second…if the nutrition and lifestyle trade-offs that I’d need to make in order to get to say…8% body fat are not worth the actual result of achieving 8% body fat, I’m going to feel deprived and restricted because the ‘cost’ is not worth the ‘payoff’ or essentially, what’s required is not worth the result.
There are SO many different examples of this that pop up every single day in life, but a simple one is, if you go into a store and you see a shirt that you like and you’re like ‘ohhh, I think I might buy that’ and then you look at the price and in your perspective the price is not worth how much you like the shirt, ya don’t buy it!
Same deal in regards to achieving further results…the input needs to be worth the output and as soon as you get to a point where more input isn’t worth more output for you specifically, CONGRATS, you’ve reached your goal…that’s awesome!!
For me right now that’s 10ish % body fat, that’s my sweet spot and once you find yours, you can hang out there and live an awesome quote unquote ‘balanced life’ as far as what your priorities are!
So the real take-home here is choice, choice, choice…
What are you choosing to do, but far more importantly, how are you choosing to perceive said choices?
