The Hype Behind a One Size Fits All Weight Loss Plan

Ask any health expert what the optimal weight loss plan is, and they’ll tell you. The keto diet. Or, the vegan diet with a dash of intermittent fasting. Or, is it eating only organic, local foods? Wait, what was the question again? Let’s explore the truth behind the hype of a one size fits all weight loss plan.

Back when I was growing up, there was a shirt size that was called “one size fits all.” When you get to be morbidly obese as a kid, your options for shopping for clothes were extremely limited 20-30 years ago.Unfortunately, despite the vast marketing claims of a shirt size that is supposed to “fit all”, I never found one that fit me like a glove.

I was this crazy alien who didn’t even fit into a normal society. I wasn’t part of “all.” What did that make me?

Maybe because clothes manufacturers got more savvy (or got enough complaints from mad consumers that these “all” shirts were a sad hoax), they then came up with the incredible solution of “one size fits most”.

Believe me- I was well aware as a plus sized kid that I didn’t “belong” in a regular clothes section in any department store, and couldn’t wax poetic about the benefits of one brand versus another like my friends. I was consistently and constantly “other.”

Whether that was “all” or “most” didn’t matter. I didn’t FIT IN.

So, I tried to make myself fit. It even earned me a special nickname. Here is how.

I had very special and specific techniques that I would do to stretch out my T-shirts. I would take my wet XXL and XXXL T-shirts out of the washing machine and stretch them over a chair. This chair had to be wood and preferably wider than my wide midsection. Then, I would let it dry until it was stretched to the fullest extent it could possibly be stretched.

Despite all of this technique, I still had to occasionally wear spandex or corsets underneath my shirts, so it wasn’t form-fitting to my belly. No wonder I disliked summer so much with the extra fabric and sweating!

And, that’s how I earned my special nickname. My older sister would laugh at my antics and actually called me Stretch for a period of time. Yes, she called me Stretch.

I didn’t want to be one size fits most, or almost most. I wanted to feel good in my own skin, while still being able to feel like I could buy clothing that didn’t try to lump me into some cookie-cutter, not-size in a sad attempt to cater to my needs.

This is not just applicable to T-shirts, but to most weight loss plans out there.

They tell you what you should do, how you should look at or talk to yourself and compare you to their already defined success stories.

I will examine 3 areas in weight loss plans that don’t meet the needs of its beautiful customers, and offer a more comfortable solution that fits like a glove.

Fitness for All

The back of the book, “Big Fit Girl” states, “The fitness industry does not meet the needs of plus sized women.” If you’re a plus sized woman, or if you’re a woman who has a significant amount of extra weight, you can’t just go start running outside and do marathons.

That’s just not how it works.

And, you may be bored by walking, but that doesn’t mean that you can do extreme body shaping or hop around doing HIIT. Maybe you’re not at that level of fitness where you can do that.

When I consulted Google, I found that there were a very few and very limited resources when it comes to how to get fit as a plus sized woman.

Most of the articles and most of the information that’s out there is catered to women who carry 10 to 15 extra pounds beyond their ideal body weight. That’s not the same kind of situation as someone who carry 50 and 60 pounds beyond their ideal weight, and who maybe haven’t visited a gym in years (if not decades).

Which is why I like to read books like “Big Fit Girl“, because I very much admire fitness trainers who are plus sized, or who support plus sized women with custom programs that they can enjoy without stretching too far beyond their comfort zone.

A customer who consistently feels like she has to struggle to fit in a class of Lululemon wearing, size 2 women who never had thought twice about sampling a new yoga pose due to the extra flesh impeding her way.

By the way, I’m consistently the largest woman in my fitness classes. I belong to an outdoor fitness class through FIT4MOM Twin Cities right now, and train with their Run Club for my first half marathon in October.

I am definitely the largest woman in my class. That doesn’t mean that I’m not fit. In fact, I consistently do more sit-ups or log more running miles than some women who are significantly smaller than me. You may not be able to see my stomach muscles beneath my belly pouch, or see the strength in my quads. But, that doesn’t mean they’re not there.

Yet, I sometimes find myself not quite fitting in. Not because the group excludes me or doesn’t support me. Because, I need to create a new vision of what fitness success means for me. I may never be a marathon runner, or have thin legs.

And, I get to choose what my fitness success looks like. And, what type of coach can support me along the way. In my case, that means finding a coach who has done something that I have yet to do, don’t know how to do, or aspire to do.

When would you seek a coach?

Meal Planning for All

Let’s talk about meal planning a little bit, because one of the services I provide to my clients is custom meal plans. I’m one of those rare health coaches who is not going to say, “You need to do Whole30, you need to do Paleo, you need to do this.”

I actually worked with a health coach before who basically felt that you shouldn’t be vegetarian, and that was insulting and just plain silly. Her doubts about this type of eating could create doubts in my own success.

When it comes to motivating yourself to keep going, any little piece of doubt will be the single little stone in your shoe that stops you.

As a health coach, it is my pleasure to serve every dietary preference. This is a big benefit to my coaching clients, because they don’t have to worry about dieting or deprivation, much less re-learning an entire new way of eating.

Instead, they work off of guidelines and frameworks, which allow them to customize their experience to their needs.

By the way, I have completely overhauled how I eat, but I did it in small, controlled bursts, and only advanced to the next level once I reached some preliminary milestones. This is the same way I work with clients.

You don’t need a one size fits all meal plan. You’re a unique individual with unique tastes and skills and unique goals. Your eating goals may be different from another client that I’m working with, and that’s why you get the benefit of my past experience of working with clients. That’s why I like to include a variety of different meal plans in support of my clients- from vegetarian to dairy-free to Autoimmune Protocol to gluten-free.

Oh, and I get so irritated with the whole “Eat This, Don’t Eat That” movement. If you feel like a piece of bread, and it fits your macro-based plan, then enjoy the HECK out of that bread. No guilt necessary.

To be honest, I get excited by the thrill of finding and testing new recipes, sometimes even on my kids. They have pretty discerning palates, so I know the result will be good. And, the biggest gain you will have from using these new recipes is being able to feed yourself food you can love for life.

How’s that for a meal plan that fits?

Goal Setting for All

Have you ever set a super-aggressive goal for your personal development, and fallen a bit short?

I know I have.

I can also tell you that I am even LESS likely to do whatever everyone else is doing or someone tells me I should do- whether it’s in health, business, mothering, or speaking.

It taps into my whole rebel thinking of, “I’m not going to do things the way anyone else does it.”

Every time I browse a Facebook group of moms, and some desperate mom asks, “How can I lose this baby weight?”, I literally have to tear myself away from the hundreds of responses.

Just because Sarah, Judy, Lisa, and Angela have achieved AMAZING results with keto, Paleo, intermittent fasting, or that latest product, does not mean you are also going to succeed. In fact, sometimes I sigh at the utter lack of interest some responses have in understanding the motivations behind the original poster’s question.

That is a bitter pill to swallow, and we humans like to do our best to minimize risk in life. If it works for someone else, it should work for you, right?

The problem with most weight loss plans is they focus too much on the tactics rather than the process.

Everyone is unique and has different needs. Choosing a health program is a really important thing, because you have to make sure it’s one that fits not just you, but also your goals.

That is why visiting a doctor can be so frustrating. Yes, the doctor has your entire health history, list of medications, and current symptoms in front of him or her. And, yet, he or she sometimes has fewer answers than we expect from them.

As a health coach, I don’t diagnose anyone. I examine both their motivation and their process. You need both in order to succeed at any goal.

And, few clients actually have a process. Mostly, they bounce from one tactic to another, and sometimes two at the same time!

I like to compare weight loss plans to business plans. After all, you are the CEO of your body- you determine 100% of how you move and what you eat. You also determine what your mission is, and your specific goals.

If these pieces don’t align, and you don’t have a process to fall back on, then you might struggle.

When you think about one of these One Size Fits All weight loss plans that you’ve tried in the past, did you feel like all of your needs were met during the course of the program? Do you feel like it grows with you as you approach different seasons in life? More importantly, do you feel like it’s something that you can maintain?

Weight loss plans that focus mostly on tactics are not growing with you. Which means they are not fitting your needs at the moment you need it.

While I’ve had my own personal success story, what I’m doing today is not the same as what I did 20 years ago.

What I need to do today is completely different than what I needed to do when I first lost 100 pounds. I’m older, I have different circumstances, I have different time availability, I have different goals and different priorities.

Yet, the same process that helped me lose 100 pounds has been there to support me 100% over the past 20 years of maintenance.

Health is always a spectrum, which is why this whole idea of one size fits all is bogus. You’re not the same person today that you’re going to be five years from now, so why not find a program and a process that actually fits you and grows with you, and will take into account all the unique abilities and characteristics that you have?

Because that’s what makes you beautiful and special. You’re not “other.” You’re not a person who is outside of society, which is what these darned one size fits all weight loss plans are trying to make you believe.

You’re unique, and you deserve a unique experience.

Speaking of a unique experience, I am running a completely-free September Success challenge inside of my Facebook group Weight no More. This is based on my annual September Success blog series where I feature amazing weight loss results from people in my community.

This year, I want to do something different, and feature YOU.

What does the challenge entail? That you join the group before August 27, invite your friends, and show up every day for 10 minute tasks that will set you up for the healthiest September you can enjoy! You will have direct access to me (including free coaching), as well as recipes, fitness videos, and more.

The person who engages the most, and experiences the greatest results will have the opportunity to be featured on this blog at the end of September.

This 5-day challenge does NOT involve any scales or sweaty selfies. We are NOT focusing on weight. We are focusing on YOUR HEALTH.

If you are a go-getter who wants a health coach who gives clear direction and celebrates your progress, then join the live challenge HERE (or click the image below).

I’ll see you in the group!