Think This Not That: 7 Simple Mindset Shifts for Lasting Success

Welcome back to the Daily Dumbbell, our muscles are saturated with creatine, we’re sufficiently hydrated, and we absolutely do not have multiple protein shakers littering the floor of our car.

To be fair, the protein shakers only need to be cleaned up if we notice and acknowledge them. Shrodinger’s shakers if you will.

Anyway, we’re so glad you’re here. Now we can procrastinate together with a feature on mindset shifts and a quick peek into Nutrition Tech.

Let’s dive in!

Tech Tuesday:
Navigating Nutrition

Much like Gretchen Wieners failed to make “fetch” happen in Mean Girls, Tech Tuesday is flailing.

Despite the current boom in AI, very little innovation has trickled down to the health and fitness space. We may not have to write our own work emails anymore, but we seem to be stuck with hiring coaches and tracking our own calories for the foreseeable future.

Take Nutri Bullet’s Smart Blender: Using Bluetooth and a built-in scale, the 1200-watt NutriBullet Balance lets you track calories, set goals and customize blends in your smoothies right from your device.

A brief glance at the reviews however tells us something is amiss… That distribution is anything but standard.

It’s not every day you see an equal amount of 5 and 1 star reviews.

Turns out it has a propensity to start on fire. Which is… not what you want.

My Fitness Pal is somehow still the best free option for tracking calories, despite their goal setting feature being downright dangerous. Oh you want to lose 30 lbs in 30 days? No problem.

Yes problem! Where are the guard rails? Seems it would be pretty easy to put some in place. They don’t seem to be interested sadly.

Carbon is still this newsletter’s favorite paid option for tracking calories. It’s like having a diet coach in your pocket! You can choose from a list of dietary preferences, and a few different goals depending on what you’re after. The app will prompt you to check in each week and then adjust your macros based on your progress.

The only problem? If you’re not consistent it doesn’t work. The app is more for people who don’t need accountability. Just a little more direction.

Sadly, the most advanced tech we currently have still seems to be the smart water bottle that buzzes at you when you haven’t had enough to drink.

There’s a lot to be excited about over the next 5-10 years in this space, but we’re not sure if there will be anything groundbreaking in the next 5-10 months.

So we’ll keep you posted on any exciting developments,But don’t hold your breath. Just like the timetable for us cleaning out those protein shakers, it’s going to be a while.

Mindset Shifts: 
Think This Not That

“Is this food healthy?”

“Should I be doing lat pull downs or pull-ups?”

“Should I run before or after my workout?”

In the long run, these things don’t really matter; you’re stepping over dollars to pick up dimes. A significant part of the journey to better health doesn't take place in the gym or on your plate; it happens between your ears.

Today, we're introducing "Think This, Not That": 7 mindset shifts that will help you reframe your perspective for a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle:

Did we steal this gimmick from Mens Health’s “Eat This Not That”? Yes. But this gimmick won’t cause you to develop disordered eating habits for most of your 20s. You’re welcome.

1. Think Progress, Not Perfection: Let's abandon the all-or-nothing mindset. Instead of beating ourselves up over a missed workout or an indulgent meal, let's focus on progress. Did you make healthier choices today than you did a month ago? That's progress!

2. Think Long-term Lifestyle, Not Quick Fixes: Ditch the diet mentality. Real progress takes time. Think about changes you can make for a healthier lifestyle that you can maintain for years, not just a few weeks.

3. Think Health, Not Just Weight: The number on the scale doesn't tell the full story. Or much of the story at all really. Instead of focusing solely on weight loss, consider other indicators of health: energy levels, performance, quality of sleep, even how your clothes fit.

4. Think Enjoyment, Not Endurance: Instead of choosing workouts you dread, and white knuckling through it for 75 days, find physical activities you actually enjoy. Fitness is not a punishment; and if you see it that way, it will never stick.

5. Think Nourishment, Not Restriction: View food as fuel for your body, not the enemy. Instead of making decisions based on what you can’t have, pick foods based on how they will make you feel & how they’ll help you perform.

6. Think Habits, Not Short-Term Goals: It's great to have goals, but it's the habits we create that get us there and keep us there. Focus on building and sustaining healthy habits, one day at a time.

7. Think Self-Love, Not Self-Loathing: Celebrate your body for its strength and resilience, not berate it for its perceived flaws. Fitness is an act of self-care, not a penance for unattained perfection. You can be unhappy with where you are and strive for better while loving yourself. All at the same time.

These mindset shifts will take you further than any perceived superfood or diet strategy every could. Remember, it’s a long process and you get to choose whether it’s a miserable slog or an enjoyable journey.

Tuesday Tweets:

Damn. We were really hoping the secret was located somewhere in the weight room. Much less interested in reaching 90 if it requires 400m repeats to get there.

Hope you enjoyed today’s newsletter! Come back tomorrow for Whoop Wednesday and a feature on the do’s and don’ts of supersets.