All or Nothing VS More or Less

People think I'm "naturally slim". But that wasn't always the case. I probably lost my entire body weight several times over on various diets over the years.

Thankfully, not recent years …

… I didn’t realise it was ‘a thing’ at the time, but in an effort to find out what was really going on, I started ‘self-monitoring’ and taking a ‘more or less’ approach.

What does 'More or Less' mean?

"Being able to eat any food you choose, or drink any drink, because you're in touch with what your body really needs ...

... and have the knowledge and confidence to balance it out in your own way."

That's my definition, and everyone who's met me in the last 15+ years would most likely agree that I don’t need to diet.

I’m not saying this will work for everyone, some people do better with the rigid structure of a diet.

But for those who get stuck starting one diet after another, or who lose weight only to put it all back on again, it’s the way that research has shown is more likely to lead to losing weight and keeping it off.

This study, the largest of its kind to measure the characteristics of successful weight loss maintainers, shows that ‘More or Less’ flexible control is more effective for long term success than 'rigid control'.

I’m also not saying it can be done without effort.

Anyone who wants to do this seriously will need to spend around 10 minutes a day doing what’s called ‘self-monitoring’.

Probably a bit longer to start with if doing this is a completely new thing.

To me, it’s a no-brainer …

10 minutes a day for being happy with myself?

The beauty is that you learn as you go. I didn’t ‘self-monitor’ every day after about 6 months. I checked in a couple of times a week.

Then maybe a few times a year if I felt my jeans getting a bit on the tight side.

I love food and I don’t feel like I’m missing out or wish that I could ‘eat more’ ...

... If I don’t eat it today, I can have it tomorrow … or next week.

I know that if I’ve been really busy and eaten fast food every night that I need to make a bit more effort to eat better over the next week or two.

I LIKE being here with my eating habits (and I suspect that many yo-yo dieters would like it too.)

I NEVER don’t eat anything that I want because I ‘shouldn’t’.

I’m just conscious of the overall effect of what I’ve eaten over a period of days …

… if I’ve had hardly any veg, I make sure I get some

… if I’ve gone a bit over the top with pizza ( my favourite if its good) I get some protein and whole grains.

So How Does ‘More or Less’ Work?

5 Simple Steps

1. Eat and drink whatever you choose
2. In quantities that fit with your body’s needs
3. Try and keep it healthy and reasonably balanced 80% of the time
4. Grab some exercise when you can, even if it’s just a brisk walk
5. Allow for ‘stuff happens’ without beating yourself up and getting pushed off track

I founded Weight loss Resources to provide the tools that make doing ‘More or Less’ and getting results, easier – for myself and others.

We’ve helped thousands of people reach their goals over the years – you’ll find hundreds of their stories, written in their own words, here on the site.

If you’re interested in getting to know how to take the ‘More or Less’ approach, the Lose a Stone Challenge is a great starting point.

We run various challenges throughout the year at Weight Loss Resources.

They are designed to guide and motivate people through putting the 5 steps into place in a fun and engaging way.

Lose a Stone is a long-running challenge that’s great for learning about different tactics, and identifying those that suit your lifestyle, while you’re on the way to losing a stone.

Joiners also get a Free copy of the 'New Start New Me' e-book.

Of course you don’t need to do a challenge to lose weight with wlr’s tools. You can do it completely in your own way.

Right from using a meal plan as a starting point, to simply logging what you’re eating and making tweaks and changes as you go. Take a free trial to have a play.