Why "1x/Week" Matters A LOT More Than You Think

People often excuse bad habits by saying they only do them once a week.

I've done this too, and here's why it's a problem.

Once a week, I go to my buddy's house to play some board games.

We eat snacks all day (no, not Doritos and Mountain Dew), which used to reek havoc on my usual calorie-counting habit.

I’ve made excuses like not having access to a scale, but I could bring my digital scale.

I usually didn’t measure or portion my snacks, even though I could’ve.

This behavior was my fault.

I'm planning to visit Italy soon (like, tomorrow) and indulge in Italian food.

I wanted to lose weight beforehand to offset the “damage” from Italy.

After my weekly game day, my weight didn’t change much (mostly due to water weight from salty snacks, but also) because I was working against the habits that work.

Doing something once a week means doing it 14% of the time.

As a result, this backtracked my caloric deficit goal 14% of the time.

People underestimate the impact of doing something “once a week.”

They rationalize it as a small habit, but it's 14% of their time.

“1 out of X” doesn't mean it's a small amount; it's a significant percentage.

(This also means that exercising at least 1x/week is still significant, so check out this course to make those exercise sessions as easy as pizza pie. (The secret is patterns.))

If it's a bad habit, reduce it to less than once a week, once every two weeks, once a month, or eliminate it.

People often mess up the math and underestimate the impact of doing something once a week.

I've addressed my snacking habit by often bringing pre-calculated meal to my friend's place.

(And bringing a floss pick so I can use it to mark when I’m done eating.)

I also limit my snack portions and drink water to avoid overeating.

Resisting snacks is best, but if you indulge, get your math right.

This approach has helped me lose weight, so I can enjoy Italy without regret.

I’m ready… to “bulk up” back to my springtime weight (because I earned it).

Feel free to reply back with any questions.

Okay, bye!