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The Last Diet Podcast 🎙️
The Last Diet Podcast is for people who want to rebuild a strong, athletic body that supports their life — not consumes it.
We talk training, nutrition, structure, and identity for people in their 30s–50s who’ve been fit before and want a clear, sustainable way to perform well again in work, family, and life.
No extremes. No gimmicks. Just standards, structure, and long-term performance.
Welcome to the Last Diet Podcast, the last podcast you'll ever need to create the last diet you ever need. I'm your host, Mike Finnegan. Let's dive in. Yes. Yes, team.
Speaker 1:Hope you're all good. Welcome back to the Last Diet Podcast. Hope you've had a good weekend, and you're enjoying a bit of some fun at home in Ireland. A few good days of weather, it looks like. I've got a weather warning on my phone there.
Speaker 1:Went down to the the Ireland maps, and it said, severe weather warning for 25 degrees. That laugh. So, yeah, hopefully, you get you get a nice burst of weather, and hopefully, it continues for the summer as well. Okay, guys. So today's podcast, I'm gonna get sucked straight into it.
Speaker 1:Right? I've I've been thinking about this a lot over the last few weeks in terms of what actually holds people back from getting results. Because a lot of people come to me and they tell me a lot of things they're doing. Right? And it can be very, very easy to dismiss the good things you're doing when you're not maybe seeing the results that you want to see.
Speaker 1:And a lot of the times you actually are doing a lot of things right. And a lot of the times you're actually a lot closer than you think you are from seeing really good results. But the problem is it's a real human mindset of throwing the baby out with the bat water of if you're not seeing results and everything you're doing is wrong. It's like a lot of people are actually exercising pretty well regularly. A lot of people are actually moving pretty well.
Speaker 1:A lot of people actually eat decently well at times, but sometimes it's just, it's one thing that can actually stop you from moving the needle. Now, when it comes to fat loss specifically, it's always gonna come down to your calorie intake. So how many calories you're taking in compared to how many calories you're expending, okay? So if you're someone at the moment who's ticking a lot of boxes already in terms of calorie expenditure, so maybe you are relatively active, maybe you're hitting eight, ten thousand steps. That's all I'd ever really recommend anyone to hit anyway.
Speaker 1:Maybe you're getting a few workouts in a week. Maybe you're somewhat active. Maybe you get one or two workouts in a week. For the majority of people, especially if you're someone who's out of shape, that is plenty. That's absolutely plenty in terms of your calorie expenditure.
Speaker 1:So that side of the equation is fine. So for the majority of people, it's the other side of the equation, which is your calorie intake. Okay? And you might think, well, I eat pretty well most of the time and I'm pretty healthy and I like sweets that much. I get all these things from people.
Speaker 1:People will come to me like, I don't even like sweets that much or I don't have that many takeaways or so often only and I don't go out that often. But there's something that's stopping you from getting results. It's clear as day, right? And the reason I wanted to bring this podcast up is because I've been through this myself. I've often gone through spells where I would be trying to get in shape.
Speaker 1:I remember back specifically in 2016, I was I got injured basically, and I wanted to I wanted to get back in shape because I let myself go. I'd been emotionally eating. I was just a bit down on myself. And I was trying to get back in shape. And I was like, okay, new leaf, get back in shape.
Speaker 1:Because I was injured, I wasn't that active and I was actually off college for a year as well with injury. So my energy expenditure had gone down a bit, okay? But regardless of that, I should have still been able to lose body fat that I put on and actually get back in shape. But because I was very, very loosely tracking and I was still picking a bit and there were still a lot of nights out and stuff, I didn't make any progress. I was convincing myself I was hitting my targets.
Speaker 1:I was convincing myself I was where I needed to be from a calorie expenditure point of view. I'm sorry, from a calorie intake point of view. But I wasn't seeing any results. And then I was convinced myself, oh, maybe the scales is just maybe it's water weight. Maybe maybe I am seeing a difference.
Speaker 1:The reality of it is if you're not seeing any differences on the scales over the course of a couple of months and your body isn't really changing much, something's off. Like the results don't like. Okay, there's always going to be an indicator that if you're not seeing the progress you should be seeing. So with that being said, right, I want you just to take a step back for a second. If you're someone at the moment who's trying hard, you're maybe doing a lot of right things, but you don't understand why you're not seeing the results you want to see.
Speaker 1:So the first thing is, are you actually not seeing results? So have you some metrics? Like I always will track metrics. So I will take monthly progress pictures, at the very least monthly, but even sometimes two weeks. But monthly, I think works well for most.
Speaker 1:I will take weight averages. So I will make sure that I know first thing in the morning I'll weigh myself. I'll get a weight average and I'll see what that trend looks like over time. And other than that, then I will just use like just how I'm feeling and clothes and just general energy and stuff. So all the metrics.
Speaker 1:So that's the first question I'll ask you. Have you actually got metrics? Like, do you know you're not progressing? Are you convincing yourself you're not progressing? Because it's not as quick as you think, right?
Speaker 1:So you should at least give yourself a month or two months before you can actually assess, is this actually working or not working, right? So get that down first. But if you're sure that you're tracking metrics and you're just not seeing much of a difference, then something is obviously wrong. And like I said, most of the time it's down to your calorie intake. It's higher than you think it is.
Speaker 1:And I get this all the time with clients. I've had clients recently who, like, we track calories and I have a very detailed tracking sheet firm. And I can see how many calories that they're saying they're having every day, every week. We can check the averages and we can run it back. But some clients that have certain multi calories in there and it looks right, but they're not seeing any progress.
Speaker 1:And then other clients, they they might have similar calories or higher calories, but they're seeing loads of progress. And it would be very, very easy for me to say, oh, they're just different. Their body's different. They're just different genetics. It's like, but it's never that.
Speaker 1:It's never that. I've coached nearly 1,000 clients to say it's never that. If they equal roughly the same amount of activity, ex energy expenditure, and their calorie tracking looks like it's similar, but one of them is losing weight and just seems to lose weight quicker, then it's down to the fact that that other person is tracking more accurately. Their targets that they're aiming for are a lot more accurate than the other client. And you might be thinking, well, how could they be that far off it?
Speaker 1:But we as humans are very, very We get very complacent with things. We get comfortable. So sometimes a client might come in, they might track reactively for the first few weeks and start seeing results. But then over time, they start to get a bit complacent. They start eyeballing things.
Speaker 1:They start thinking, oh, yeah, I know what I eat now, so I know how it works. They start picking more. They start like being a little bit looser when they go out. And it's like, oh, I had extra drinks. I didn't have that much.
Speaker 1:And it all adds up. So generally for people, I would always say the number one way to actually improve the speed of your progress or even get moving in the right direction is just be hyper aware of actually what you're eating. What is your intake? It's the single biggest thing. And you might think, oh, gee, I don't want be obsessed with it.
Speaker 1:But you don't have to be obsessed with it. You just need to figure out roughly what you're eating. Your food won't change that much every day anyway. So it's just a case of learning how to actually put it on the scales and actually track it accurately, at least for the time you're trying to see the results. Because it's a lot better to actually be accurate and put in a little bit more effort in the moment than it is to go through twelve weeks of actually thinking you're dieting but not seeing any results.
Speaker 1:That is so destroying for people. I'd much rather put in that little bit of extra effort to make sure that I'm getting results and locking in the things that matter. And like I said, the biggest lever most people should be pulling on is your accuracy of tracking. Like, are you actually tracking things properly? Do you know how to track properly?
Speaker 1:Do you put them on the scales? Do you weigh them out in grams? Do you do that when they're raw? Do you make sure that you're not just eyeballing things? Do you make sure that you're cooking most of your meals so you're not just guessing because someone else is cooking for you?
Speaker 1:Are you not just going through the deli and just taking the calories off the menu or whatever? That's the number one thing that's gonna matter for you. Okay, so sometimes it's not about tracking. Maybe you are tracking accurately a lot of times, right? But a lot of the times it is for most people that they're not as accurate as you think.
Speaker 1:Or as you're tracking accurately Monday, Friday, but then the weekends you're not tracking accurately at all. And it all goes up to them. But when I look back on, if I could pick one of the biggest things that used to stop me from getting results, I've seen quicker results. There was always one big thing. It was my weekend mindset.
Speaker 1:So if I was, alcohol specifically, if I was going drinking, I would drink excess, which would mean I would be hungrier, I would have poor decisions. So at the night, I'd probably eat a pick of food and I'd overdo it. I'd feel guilty, so I probably wouldn't track it accurately. And then the next day I would be emotionally low. I'd be in fear because I know I'll go back to work the next day or Monday.
Speaker 1:I'd be like, oh, God, I have to go back tomorrow. Sunday was almost like my day where I got to just emotionally eat and feel good because I know I was going back to normal life tomorrow. So that Saturday with alcohol, overeating, and then Sunday, hangover, overeating. That would be the thing that would wipe up my whole week. And it took me a good few years before actually I always kinda knew.
Speaker 1:I always kinda knew it was there, but it took me a few years before I was able to actually do something about it and change how how I do that. So I I have learned how to, first of all, not over drink because this has not worked with me, and I never feel good doing it anyway. So actually drinking the right amount for me and enjoying that amount. But then the next thing is actually being able to catch myself from overeating for the sake of overeating the next day. Actually, okay, yes, we're not gonna be perfect with food quality is up, but it doesn't mean I have to grossly overdo it.
Speaker 1:And the small things make such a difference because when you start taking control over these things and you start actually taking action, it just makes you feel good. Going into Monday, for example, when I like just the weekend, just gone, for example, we were away drinking and we were gone all day Saturday, tired yesterday, bit home over yesterday, but I was able to actually control my food. I was able to just eat decent foods, still eat some nice foods as well, some chocolate, whatnot, but just felt in control. But the difference it makes then for me today, waking up, knowing I haven't blown my calories out of the water over the weekend, knowing I was able to control myself, I just feel energized, just feel good. No huge weight hike in the scales.
Speaker 1:In fact, I was actually lower today than I was Friday. And just because I was back in control. So again, guys, the point of this podcast is just to let you know that if you're not seeing results, there's something that's stopping you. I don't know what that is. It's different for everyone.
Speaker 1:But a lot of the times, you're doing a lot of the right things, but there's probably one or two things that are stopping you from seeing it. So are you blowing your calories out of the water at the weekend, and then you're just not bringing your actual awareness to it? You're avoiding conversation. You're just, oh, yeah, I wasn't too bad. And then you don't actually you don't know what's going on because in a couple of weeks and months time, you're like, yeah, I was doing all the right things.
Speaker 1:I was going to the gym, I was exercising, was I was getting my steps in, I was eating most pretty good, but you totally blocked out. It's like a repressed memory. The blocked out the fact that you've been very, very loose in lots of weekends. You've been very loose maybe at different times of the week as well. And it all adds up.
Speaker 1:So until you actually take ownership and it's not to say like you don't eat out or you don't, you know, like have nice foods or drink or whatever, but it's just taking accountability first. Overestimate it. Make sure that if you are like eating out a lot or whatever that the other days that you are locked in and you're actually tracking really accurately and days you're eating out that you're not just, like I said, blowing your calories out of the water, so making better choices, but also overestimating them then. It will make a massive difference to your results. And as I said, it's the number one thing.
Speaker 1:It's not your metabolism. It's not your genetics. It's not nothing to do with your gender, anything like that. It's the fact you're simply eating a lot more than you think. I always think to myself, it'd be funny because it's only when you're with someone like 24 a day you can actually see their habits.
Speaker 1:And sometimes they don't see it because they're sometimes you just that's what we are as humans. We just we just Everything's a habit and we do it subconsciously. But I always say to myself, I'd love to be with someone. A person that says to me they can't get results no matter what to do, I'd love to be with them for a day or two and see exactly what they're doing and have a camera on them and actually show them, point out exactly what's wrong with what's wrong with their habits or their day to day stuff because you wouldn't be long finding out. And that's actually a great frame for you to use as well.
Speaker 1:If you're being really honest yourself, if I had a camera on you for next week, what would you be if she didn't show me? And what would you be afraid to show yourself even, to look back on? What are the habits that you've actually, that you let slip and you're almost avoiding talking about it or even thinking about it? Because when you figure that out, that's when things will start to happen. Now I'm gonna finish with this guys because this is important, right?
Speaker 1:Because you have the objective practical stuff here. It's like, if you're not seeing results, you're over eating your calories, right? That's like human physiology, right? But then the other side of it is the human psychology behind it, right? So this is where you have to be careful in that.
Speaker 1:If you're avoiding thinking about it or even talking about it, you probably haven't got a great relationship with it and you feel maybe ashamed or guilty about it. And that's why you're actually avoiding it, even to yourself, not even to other people, but yourself. Like, I have loads of clients who have admitted to me that they seek relief or that they avoid tracking things because they know that they're over reading and they're picking and are ashamed to talk about their eating habits. But I always said to them, I was like, well, if you don't accept where you're at and actually talk about it and and work on it, it's always going to be there. Because that's shame and guilt.
Speaker 1:Like that, that's an internal thing that's not to do anyone else, that's the way you're feeling about it. So that's the relation you have to work on as well. But the only way you can do that is actually be honest yourself first. And if you have a coach, be honest with them as well because you're not fooling anyone. Like, you're not getting results, like your coach knows, I know, like when my clients aren't seeing results, I know there's something in this.
Speaker 1:And even if they don't admit it, then something is off. So until you actually accept that end and own that, you won't be able to start working on it because you're just gonna be running blind with it. And being able to sound bored and ask your coach about this stuff is brilliant because you can then actually start to work on it. So that's the last thing I'll leave you with, guys, right? Don't beat yourself up for the poor habits.
Speaker 1:Just go through a week. Don't even change your habits. Go through a week and just track every single thing you eat, no matter what it is, good, bad, indifferent, alcohol, dinners, and see where your week ends. And see how close you actually are to what you think you're doing. Because eating good or eating clean isn't enough.
Speaker 1:You've probably seen that yourself, you wouldn't be stuck. You have to get more accurate, you have to figure out what the actual gaps are. Tracking is fantastic to get you in the ballpark in terms of calories, but it's also incredible for awareness of the habits that are sabotaging. So you get two things with that as well. So that's why I think tracking is just so powerful.
Speaker 1:And for most people, it's needed for at least a certain amount of time to get results. Right, so that's the question you've asked yourself. What is that one thing that's holding you back, and what's the one thing that's driving you over your calories every day to the point that you're not getting results? Because something is happening. Guys, I'm gonna shut that down.
Speaker 1:Hope anyone listening has got something out of this. As always, any questions off the back of it, even if you just wanna reach out to me and say it resonated, I always love listening to feedback. Please do. Other than that, have a great week and enjoy your heat wave. Thanks for tuning in to the latest episode of The Last Diet podcast.
Speaker 1:If you wanna inquire about how you can join the last diet lifestyle and find out more about our coaching, then the show notes below has a link to coaching inquiries. Just fill that out, and we'll be in contact as soon as possible. See you in the next one.