The Wellness Trap — Over Compliance Syndrome

The Wellness Trap 0:00

If you eat clean, train consistently, If you eat clean, train consistently, you track your sleep, and you take your you track your sleep, and you take your you track your sleep, and you take your supplements, and you still feel tired supplements, and you still feel tired supplements, and you still feel tired and stalled and frustrated, this episode and stalled and frustrated, this episode and stalled and frustrated, this episode is for you. Because most people I see in is for you. Because most people I see in is for you. Because most people I see in the clinic today aren't unhealthy the clinic today aren't unhealthy the clinic today aren't unhealthy because they ignore health advice.

because they ignore health advice. because they ignore health advice. They're unhealthy because they follow They're unhealthy because they follow They're unhealthy because they follow too much of it. Here's the paradox. Most too much of it. Here's the paradox. Most too much of it. Here's the paradox. Most of the people sitting across from me are of the people sitting across from me are of the people sitting across from me are disciplined, informed, motivated. disciplined, informed, motivated. disciplined, informed, motivated. They're doing all the right things.

They're doing all the right things. They're doing all the right things. They're eating clean. They're training They're eating clean. They're training They're eating clean. They're training regularly. They're wearing the watch. regularly. They're wearing the watch. regularly. They're wearing the watch. They're tracking their data. And yet, They're tracking their data. And yet, They're tracking their data. And yet, fat loss is stalled. Energy is low. Mood fat loss is stalled. Energy is low. Mood fat loss is stalled. Energy is low. Mood feels flat. Recovery is poor. And what feels flat. Recovery is poor. And what feels flat. Recovery is poor. And what can be especially confusing is the can be especially confusing is the can be especially confusing is the harder they try, the worse it gets. So, harder they try, the worse it gets. So, harder they try, the worse it gets. So, they tighten things up. Less food, more they tighten things up. Less food, more they tighten things up. Less food, more training, more tracking, more training, more tracking, more training, more tracking, more supplements. But here's the reframe that supplements. But here's the reframe that supplements. But here's the reframe that I want you to consider. The problem is I want you to consider. The problem is I want you to consider. The problem is not non-compliance. It's chronic not non-compliance. It's chronic not non-compliance. It's chronic overcompliance.

Four Ways Overdoing Health Backfires 1:00

overcompliance. overcompliance. This is what I call the wellness trap This is what I call the wellness trap This is what I call the wellness trap and it shows up in four specific ways. and it shows up in four specific ways. and it shows up in four specific ways. Trap number one, clean eating becomes Trap number one, clean eating becomes Trap number one, clean eating becomes chronic underfueling. This usually chronic underfueling. This usually chronic underfueling. This usually starts with good intentions. People starts with good intentions. People starts with good intentions. People clean up their diet and slowly start clean up their diet and slowly start clean up their diet and slowly start eating less. Protein gets deprioritized.

eating less. Protein gets deprioritized. eating less. Protein gets deprioritized. Carbs become scary. Fat gets labeled Carbs become scary. Fat gets labeled Carbs become scary. Fat gets labeled unnecessary. Food variety shrinks. unnecessary. Food variety shrinks. unnecessary. Food variety shrinks. Calories quietly drop. Energy Calories quietly drop. Energy Calories quietly drop. Energy availability tanks. And instead of availability tanks. And instead of availability tanks. And instead of nourishment, the body senses scarcity.

nourishment, the body senses scarcity. nourishment, the body senses scarcity. That's not discipline. That's a signal That's not discipline. That's a signal That's not discipline. That's a signal to down. Trap number two, fitness to down. Trap number two, fitness to down. Trap number two, fitness becomes physiological debt. Training is becomes physiological debt. Training is becomes physiological debt. Training is supposed to build capacity. But when supposed to build capacity. But when supposed to build capacity. But when recovery can't keep up or is recovery can't keep up or is recovery can't keep up or is non-existent, it becomes debt. High non-existent, it becomes debt. High non-existent, it becomes debt. High training volume, minimal D loads, poor training volume, minimal D loads, poor training volume, minimal D loads, poor quality sleep, very common. Performance quality sleep, very common. Performance quality sleep, very common. Performance plateaus, soreness lingers, HRV trends plateaus, soreness lingers, HRV trends plateaus, soreness lingers, HRV trends down, and the body adapts the only way down, and the body adapts the only way down, and the body adapts the only way it knows how, by conserving. Trap number it knows how, by conserving. Trap number it knows how, by conserving. Trap number three, optimization becomes constant three, optimization becomes constant three, optimization becomes constant stress. This one is sneaky. Continuous stress. This one is sneaky. Continuous stress. This one is sneaky. Continuous biohacking, wearable anxiety, sleep biohacking, wearable anxiety, sleep biohacking, wearable anxiety, sleep score obsession. People start performing score obsession. People start performing score obsession. People start performing for their data instead of listening to for their data instead of listening to for their data instead of listening to their body. Supplements get stacked their body. Supplements get stacked their body. Supplements get stacked without understanding physiology. Every without understanding physiology. Every without understanding physiology. Every metric becomes a judgment and health metric becomes a judgment and health metric becomes a judgment and health turns into a low-grade stressor. Trap

Shifting From Control to Capacity 2:18

turns into a low-grade stressor. Trap turns into a low-grade stressor. Trap number four, more hacks does not equal number four, more hacks does not equal number four, more hacks does not equal more health. Here's the big mistake. more health. Here's the big mistake. more health. Here's the big mistake. Tools get layered on top of dysfunction. Tools get layered on top of dysfunction. Tools get layered on top of dysfunction. Instead of restoring capacity, they're Instead of restoring capacity, they're Instead of restoring capacity, they're used to override signals. And when tools used to override signals. And when tools used to override signals. And when tools are used to control biology, biology are used to control biology, biology are used to control biology, biology pushes back. This is important. This is pushes back. This is important. This is pushes back. This is important. This is not a biology problem. Human metabolism not a biology problem. Human metabolism not a biology problem. Human metabolism hasn't suddenly changed. This is a hasn't suddenly changed. This is a hasn't suddenly changed. This is a culture problem. Modern wellness culture problem. Modern wellness culture problem. Modern wellness messaging trains people to restrict, messaging trains people to restrict, messaging trains people to restrict, optimize, control, outperform their optimize, control, outperform their optimize, control, outperform their physiology.

physiology. physiology. We reward grit. We celebrate discipline. We reward grit. We celebrate discipline. We reward grit. We celebrate discipline. But the body doesn't respond to But the body doesn't respond to But the body doesn't respond to discipline. It responds to balance. discipline. It responds to balance. discipline. It responds to balance. There's a very consistent pattern that I There's a very consistent pattern that I There's a very consistent pattern that I see. high intention, clean eating, see. high intention, clean eating, see. high intention, clean eating, consistent training, exhausted, stuck.

consistent training, exhausted, stuck. consistent training, exhausted, stuck. And when results slow down, they respond And when results slow down, they respond And when results slow down, they respond by tightening control, which makes by tightening control, which makes by tightening control, which makes outcomes actually worse because you outcomes actually worse because you outcomes actually worse because you can't force a stressed system to heal by can't force a stressed system to heal by can't force a stressed system to heal by adding more stress. So what do we adding more stress. So what do we adding more stress. So what do we actually do differently? We replace

Reading the Body Correctly 3:24

actually do differently? We replace actually do differently? We replace optimization for interpretation, control optimization for interpretation, control optimization for interpretation, control for capacity, and restriction for for capacity, and restriction for for capacity, and restriction for resilience. Before changing a plan, I resilience. Before changing a plan, I resilience. Before changing a plan, I ask three questions. Is this person ask three questions. Is this person ask three questions. Is this person adequately fueled, adequately adequately fueled, adequately adequately fueled, adequately recovering, psychologically safe around recovering, psychologically safe around recovering, psychologically safe around health behaviors? If the answer is no to health behaviors? If the answer is no to health behaviors? If the answer is no to any of those, no amount of doing more any of those, no amount of doing more any of those, no amount of doing more will fix it. So, if you feel like you're will fix it. So, if you feel like you're will fix it. So, if you feel like you're doing everything right, um, and you're doing everything right, um, and you're doing everything right, um, and you're actually getting worse results, you're actually getting worse results, you're actually getting worse results, you're not broken. You're probably just stuck not broken. You're probably just stuck not broken. You're probably just stuck in the wellness trap. And this is in the wellness trap. And this is in the wellness trap. And this is exactly what we help unravel inside of exactly what we help unravel inside of exactly what we help unravel inside of our metabolic programs. Learning how to our metabolic programs. Learning how to our metabolic programs. Learning how to read your body correctly before trying read your body correctly before trying read your body correctly before trying to fix it. If this episode resonated, to fix it. If this episode resonated, to fix it. If this episode resonated, make sure to like it and subscribe to make sure to like it and subscribe to make sure to like it and subscribe to the channel and share it with someone the channel and share it with someone the channel and share it with someone who's doing all the right things and who's doing all the right things and who's doing all the right things and still feels stuck. I'll see you in the still feels stuck. I'll see you in the still feels stuck. I'll see you in the next