The Illusion of Progress in Fitness: Staying Focused on Results

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Where are you getting too attached to a process at the expense of the outcome? I call this the illusion of progress in health and fitness.

This might seem backwards from things I’ve said in the past, so let me explain.

I’ve said the exact opposite — I’ve said there are times you should worry less about the outcome and just focus on the process.

So which is it?

I’ll cover when it’s a good idea to focus on the process, and when it’s a good idea to focus on the outcome, in just a minute.

But first I need to share where this all came from, because you can probably relate.

When your process is just an illusion of progress in your fitness journey

I was talking with a new client last week.

He reached out as he had been struggling to lose weight for close to 10 years.

It wasn’t because he had no idea what he was doing either.

He had his CrossFit certification, he used to weightlift regularly, he has done endurance events, and he’s had several diets work for him in the past — but things were different now.

He contributed it to age, stress, life changes, metabolism — which all might be true to some degree.

But there was more going on.

Within the past 6 weeks, he had been following a carnivore diet.

He had several friends that were doing it, and they had been getting great results.

He researched it, and thought it would be a great fit for him.

I asked him how he was liking the diet, his reply surprised me:

“It’s amazing. I feel so good on it, and it’s working so well. It doesn’t even feel like I’m dieting.”

That’s not usually the response I get from someone who is reaching out to me for help.

He went on to explain how good he feels, how his energy is great, and how easily he was able to lose weight in the first couple weeks.

I’m not one to change things that are working, and it sounded like things were going great.

But there was more I needed to know first.

Because his number one reason for reaching out was weight loss — I asked him:

“You said you lost a bunch of weight when you started?”

He told me he lost over 10 lbs in the first week or two.

“That’s great, how much more have you lost since?”

He paused — and I sensed the excitement shift.

“Well a few of the pounds came back since then. It’s not working as well as when I started it.”

I explained how that can happen, but I still wanted specifics. “So how many pounds are you down total since you started?”

2 pounds…in 2 months.

For reference, his overall goal is to lose 65 lbs.

“So why do you think carnivore is the best diet for you?”

He circled back to how good he felt, how well it worked for his friends, what the research said.

He was attached to the process.

He was attached to the label of carnivore.

But he had lost sight of the outcome.

Trusting The Process

I brought him back to the weight loss goal he told me at the beginning.

We talked for almost an hour, and we were able to identify several areas for improvement within the process he was following.

Even if he chooses to stick with a carnivore approach, I gave him some immediate areas he could implement to see changes in his weight loss goal.

There is a reason that all diets work, and carnivore is no different.

If you’re following the right process — sometimes the answer is to just keep going.

Here are some process goals that tend to work great, especially when stacked together:

Follow a well designed strength training plan 3-4x/week
Track your calories and macros
Limit/remove snacking
Walk 10-15k steps/day
Sleep 7-8 hours per night

These are all part of a process I take all of my clients through.

I know it works, I’m confident in the results it brings, and I know how to adjust it to help other men transform their body.

I’ve seen it time and time again.

Because I’ve been testing it for years — I can be confident knowing when you need to make a change or when you need to keep going.

The closer you follow the right system, the more you will see results.
If you set the right process goals, the outcome is almost guaranteed.

But the process only works when you keep the outcome in sight.

Chasing The Outcome

I believe the process you follow is more important than the outcome you set.

But here’s the catch.

You don’t know which process is best for you if you don’t know the outcome you’re chasing.

The first thing I want to know with anyone I’m working with is..

What do you want?
What would a home run for you be?

The answers usually look like:

Lose x pounds of fat
Put on x pounds of muscle
Improve my squat/bench/deadlift to x weight
Do x number of pullups
Reduce cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, improve testosterone naturally
Look like Brad Pitt from Troy or the dude from 300 (I’m glad when they just tell it like it is)

Once you know the outcome, then you can plug and play the process.

The outcome defines what’s important.

The process defines how to get there.

So how do you know if you’re too attached to the process?

Track what matters
Follow a process
Re-assess every 2-4 weeks

If you’re not making any significant progress, you’re probably more attached to the process than the outcome.

That doesn’t mean progress will be fast, that it will be easy, or that you’ll never take a step backwards.

If your goal is dropping fat — you should be seeing changes in the number on the scale and the progress photos you’re taking.
If your goal is gaining muscle — you should be gaining strength in the gym without gaining weight on the scale too quickly.
If your goal is looking like the dude from 300…well then we’re going to be working together for a while.

How well am I actually following the process?

One more thought on all of this.

The process or the outcome don’t really matter if you’re not really following the process.

Most of the time people fall in love with the process, instead of the outcome, is because it’s easier to hide behind.

It’s easier to ‘kinda sorta’ follow a process.

It doesn’t require perfection.

I slip up all the time.
My clients do too.

But I know deep down when I’m making small compromises or not really following the process.

When you’re all in on the process — it’s not a matter of if results will come.

It’s only a matter of when.

You’re closer than you think — trust the process and chase the outcome you desire.

Reply right here if you need anything.

Set the Standard,

Dave

P.S. If you’ve been spinning your wheels through different processes, without the outcomes to show for it, then let’s chat. Click here to fill out a quick form and we’ll find a time to chat. If you’re a self-starter, sign up for my email playbook where I’ll walk you through everything you need step by step.

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