Small Changes for Big Results

Philip Pape 0:01

If you're struggling to stick to your fat loss meal plan , constantly falling off track after a few days , if you're overwhelmed by the idea of overhauling your entire diet and your approach and cooking routine overnight , this episode's for you . Today we're diving into the world of Kaizen , an engineering concept that shows why small , consistent changes lead to big results . That shows why small , consistent changes lead to big results . You'll discover how this one quick and easy change can make a huge difference in your ability to stick to your meal plans , especially during fat loss . Welcome to Wits and Weights , the podcast that blends evidence and engineering to help you build smart , efficient systems to achieve your dream physique .

Philip Pape 0:54

I'm your host , philip Pape , and today we are celebrating National Cooking Day , september 25th , by exploring how a simple shift in your cooking habits can supercharge your efforts during fat loss . Picture this it's the end of a long day , you're tired , you're hungry . The thought of cooking seems like it's a huge mountain to climb right . You're well past that 3 pm energy crash and you're starving , and the takeout menu is calling your name , especially the Chinese or the pizza or whatever you go for . We've all been there . But what if I told you that by making just one small change to your cooking routine , you could basically set off a chain reaction , start building momentum that transforms how you approach nutrition , especially during fat loss or when the calories are a little bit tight and you have specific goals you're trying to meet , and that's what we're diving into in today's episode . But before we do , the only thing I'm going to ask is that , if you enjoy the show , if you want more content on building muscle , on nutrition training , using intelligent frameworks and principles to do things easily and more efficiently , hit the follow button . Hit the follow button right now . It will help more people find the show according to the podcast gods , the podcast algorithm , and it will ensure also that you never miss another episode .

Philip Pape 2:14

All right , let's get into the discussion today and we're going to just kick it off with the problem that we're trying to solve . The problem is why is sticking to a meal plan so damn hard ? That's the problem , right ? We all have goals . We go into fat loss whatever that calorie level is for you , you know , for me it might be around 2,200 or 2,000 . For others it might be 1,200 or 1,400 . And initially you have all the motivation . Initially you can pretty much bring it out , whatever it's required to make it happen , but before long it starts to become more difficult . You know , we start with the best intentions . We meal prep on Sunday and then by Wednesday we're either elbow deep in a bag of tortilla chips wondering where it all went wrong , or we're going out to eat . Or , you know , by the time the weekend comes , we're just so stressed from the week and we go out to eat all weekend .

Philip Pape 3:05

Right Now , the issue is usually in the approach itself , the system that we have set up for ourselves . It's not your fault . It's not that you couldn't control yourself . It's not that you quote unquote did bad right . It's that we you , me , collectively as humans , we try to change lots of things all at once and then , when we inevitably slip up , we feel like failures . We then want to give up . We're like forget that , I'm done , that didn't work Right , the all or nothing mindset that sets us up . Now you might be thinking no , no , no , I'm not one of those people . I've got everything dialed in , I do it all , you know , I know , I just need to be consistent , and so on . Even so , there are always ways to improve and make the system work better for you , especially in high times of stress , when life throws us those curve balls and you know you've got a bunch of people staying at your house all of a sudden and you don't know what to do because it's throwing your whole routine out of whack . And this is where our intelligent engineering mindset comes in handy , and that's what you got me for , even if you don't think that way , it's okay .

Philip Pape 4:08

Today's framework is called Kaizen Kaizen K-A-I-Z-E-N . It's something that I learned years ago at work . It was brought over here by Toyota back in probably the 70s or 80s . It is a Japanese term that translates to change for better , or what we like to call it continuous improvement , and it's a philosophy that focuses on making small incremental changes that compound over time to create significant results . Now , if that sounds familiar , it's because it's underpins a lot of the behavior change and habit formation approaches that are out there , like James Clear's Atomic Habits , where he talks about the compounding of small habits over time . Same idea , but in manufacturing . Kaizen is really about tweaking a single step in a production line and all you're trying to do is you improve efficiency by 1% , by 1% . But when that 1% improvement is made consistently across multiple areas , it then leads to massive gains in productivity and quality .

Philip Pape 5:13

So how does this apply to you , especially when we're trying to eat in a way that is consistent ? We are trying to hit calories and macros and nutrients and all of these things , even with your training perhaps really any system where you're trying to build consistency . It's very simple Instead of trying to overhaul the entire system , your entire diet , your entire training routine , we are going to focus on one small , manageable change cooking just one more meal at home each week . That's it . That is the change today that we are focused on Cooking just one more meal at home each week . As I mentioned earlier , it's National Cooking Day , so what better way to use that as a catalyst for making a very simple , easy , quick change than National Cooking Day ?

Philip Pape 6:02

All right , now you might be asking how is this one meal going to make a difference ? I mean , you probably can imagine why . A little bit it would make a difference , but let me give you all the ways . Let me count the ways , okay , the first one is the control that it gives you over your meal . Very simple when you make your own meals , you have complete control . Complete control over the ingredients , portions , the cooking methods , right , which means no hidden ingredients , not a ton of butter or oil or sugar . You can proportion it the way you want rather than restaurant-sized portions , and then even cook it the way you want , so that it's sauteed , roasted , grilled , boiled , broiled , just the way you want . Maybe you don't want to overcook your burgers you know that's my pet peeve and that alone can lead to significant calorie reduction without even feeling like you're being restricted . It's a way to make food not only taste better , but hit the bottom line of your calorie budget even less , and then hit the other things , like protein , right . You can shift the macros the way you want , so you have a lot of control . That's huge .

Philip Pape 7:06

The second thing is , by focusing on just this one thing one additional home-cooked meal a week we are building a habit gradually . This is exactly the approach I would take with clients for any piece of our nutrition plan . Now , if you work with me , if I'm your coach , we may do two or three of these at a time , because you've got the safety net of someone looking over your shoulder and helping you out and kind of you can lean on . But if you're doing it by yourself , one is perfectly awesome . Okay , it's much easier to commit to one meal than to suddenly decide I'm going to cook every single meal at home , I'm going to meal prep every meal for the entire week , I'm going to put them in Tupperware dishes and it's going to be perfect . That is my goal .

Philip Pape 7:46

Don't do that . Don't do that . Just do one meal a day , or I mean , sorry , one meal , not even one meal a day , one meal for the whole week . I should have clarified Okay , one meal . Dinner is usually a good place to do that , but it could be lunch , whatever you choose , or breakfast . Number three this is a great learning opportunity , right ? Because now you can try different recipes for that one meal and build a repertoire of dishes that you can enjoy , but in a nice , calm , low stress environment . Because you're just doing one meal , you're not out to get a whole you know , pinterest board of recipes or you're . You know , we've got amazing people in our Facebook group who love to post recipes , but you could easily get overwhelmed . So you could just pick one , just one that week , and if you find a winner , awesome . You can make it over and over again . Nothing wrong with that .

Philip Pape 8:35

Number four as you see the benefits of that one home cooked meal , right , maybe you feel more satisfied from the meal or you realize it freed up some time , even though you're making the meal . You're also not driving to restaurants and spending a lot more time at the meal in a restaurant . You might be more efficient at home . Or you notice that something has improved with your biofeedback , with how you feel , with your body composition , whatever it is from starting to have more home-cooked meals . Right , just your digestion's good , you sleep better , whatever it is that will motivate you to do more often . And then the last reason to do this maybe this is the most important besides control is the reduced decision fatigue . Because you're committing to just one meal , you eliminate the mental struggle of should I cook or order in for at least one meal each week , and then imagine how that's going to compound when you start adding more later . So let's put this into practice . Here's your Kaizen challenge for the week to celebrate National Cooking Day Choose one meal that you typically eat out or order in and commit to cooking it at home instead .

The Power of Kaizen

Philip Pape 9:46

It does not have to be complicated . In fact , the simpler the better when you're starting out , and some of my wife's best meals , honestly , are the really simple ones . You know she will even . She'll even apologize . She'll say , well , it only took me 10 minutes . I'm like , yeah , but that 10 minutes was the most efficient 10 minutes ever , given how awesome this meal is . I mean , that's a definition of efficiency . I love that .

Philip Pape 10:07

So , for example , let's say you usually grab fast food for lunch on Wednesday , right ? Instead , plan to pack a simple salad with chicken I mean , that's just a super simple example with some fruit on the side , right ? Or if Thursday dinner is usually when you go out for pizza , make a homemade pizza . I mean , you don't even have to change the food , just make it at home . And now you have control over the crust . What goes in the crust ? How many veggies ? You know the different types of meat . It doesn't have to be just like like lathered in tons of oil and and have you know ? Um , the pepperoni , like the standard pepperoni . You can have whatever nitrate free pepperoni , whatever you want . You know chicken ? Uh , pineapple Some people would say how dare you put pineapple on a pizza .

Philip Pape 10:52

Others are like , well , that is pizza . So , whatever , it is Okay . Um , the goal here is progress . That's it . The goal here is progress because if your homemade meal is not Instagram worthy , that's okay . And in fact I , I challenge you to go ahead and take a picture of it anyway and put it on your story and tag me . I would love to see it and say , hey , national cooking day , september 25th . Today , go post something and just encourage people to do it . In fact , be vulnerable and say , look , my food's not perfect , but it might even not even taste perfect , but you know what it's going to serve me and it's going to be my step toward greatness here when it comes to my nutrition .

Philip Pape 11:27

The act of cooking itself is a win . So as you get comfortable with this one meal , then you could gradually increase . In a few weeks maybe you're cooking two extra meals at home , then three right , and then before you know it , you might be cooking every single meal at home , except maybe Saturday night . And I'll tell you what . We've gotten to that point , more or less partly because with four of us right , two kids who are now 10 and 12 , they eat as much as we do . It gets damn expensive to go out a lot . You know what I mean . It doesn't feel worth it for the quality of food you usually get . It's got to be a more special thing and because we don't do it . Very often it is more special . We might not even go out to eat all week , except we'll go out for an ice cream on Sunday afternoon , and then that's super special . And , yeah , it's ice cream , awesome , we're enjoying it , I plan it in and it's super special , right ? So that's another thing . I didn't even think about the fact that it makes going out even more special . And then , before you know it , cooking meals at home is just the thing you do . And that's the power of Kaizen Continuous improvement , change for better , small , consistent changes that compound over time .

Philip Pape 12:33

Now I know what one of the objections is , philip I don't have time to cook or I'm a terrible cook . So let me just address these real quickly . First , remember we're just talking about one meal , remember , that's the whole point . And you can prepare many healthy meals in less time than it takes to look up order , wait for delivery , even when you're doing takeout , right , not even talking about going to a restaurant . And then , as you get more practice , you'll become more efficient . So I don't think that's an excuse . And then , as far as skills , that's what they are , they're skills . So a skill can be learned and improved over time .

Philip Pape 13:07

If you tell yourself you're a bad cook . You are going to be a bad cook . That's called a fixed mindset , that's called a self-identity statement . Instead , be open to it . Say , ha , I can learn to cook . I just need to do it . I just need to figure it out right . Start with simple recipes built from there . I mean the internet , google , is full of quick , easy , healthy recipes for beginners . Just use the right word and you'll find exactly what you need .

Philip Pape 13:34

Okay , the key is to start small and be consistent . Again , that's the essence of Kaizen . In fact , I'm realizing and hopefully I haven't , like , I'm not talking too quickly here I realized that Kaizen itself is one of the most powerful frameworks I've shared on this show ever , because of its ability to be applied to anything and create a foundation of totally sustainable change . And then , when you make that change , what's going to happen is you're going to start to have a sense of control , the sense of agency , the sense of empowerment that , okay , I can do this and I , I'm making it happen , me , I'm making it happen . And then you're then sending a powerful message to yourself . You're saying I'm in charge of my nutrition , I can make choices that will align with my goals . I get to make those choices , in fact .

Philip Pape 14:17

And then it goes beyond the one meal . You find yourself making better choices throughout the day , upward spiraling . Maybe you drink an extra glass of water . You opt for some fruit for your sweet tooth during the afternoon water , you opt for some fruit for your sweet tooth during the afternoon . And that's the ripple effect of Kaizen One small change creates a wave of positive outcomes . And because the changes are small and they're manageable , they are , that's right . The S word sustainable . You're not white knuckling it through a restrictive diet where you cut carbs . No , you're just building systems , habits , whatever word you like to use . That will stick with you . That will become the essence of you and who you are Now . Imagine where you could be in a year if you commit to this approach .

Philip Pape 14:57

Today , this week , national Cooking Day . Today , one extra home-cooked meal a week might not seem like much , but that's 52 healthier meals in a year . That's 52 opportunities to nourish your body , to learn new body , to learn new skills , to take control of your nutrition . And that's how the real , lasting change happens . Not through a one-off crash diet , a one-off extreme measure , but these small , consistent steps . So let's just wrap it up , just to really sear it into our brains together .

Philip Pape 15:26

Number one Kaizen is a concept from engineering change for better that focuses on small , continuous improvements . Number two applying this process of Kaizen to your meal plan means focusing on one small change cooking one extra meal at home each week . This change then leads to the benefits of the change better portion control , improved cooking skills , positive mindset shift all of those things that then spur you to want to do it more often and more frequently . And then you start to be consistent and create gradual progress . It may not be perfect , it doesn't need to be , because it's better than it was before and then , over time , these small changes compound , leading to sustainable long-term results . So , as we celebrate National Cooking Day , I challenge you to embrace the Kaizen approach . Start with one meal , see where it takes you and you might surprise yourself All right .

Philip Pape 16:25

So today , if you enjoyed this episode and want to connect with others , if you want to get some recipe ideas , if you want to share , for accountability , that you're doing this , join our Wits and Weights Facebook group . It's totally free . It's just on Facebook . You look it up . I'll include a link to the show notes .

Efficient Systems for Fitness Community

Philip Pape 16:39

It is a community of like-minded individuals quirky nerds , engineers , non-engineers but we all are working toward the same types of goals in the same way . We want to build systems that make our lives more efficient , easier to get the result and have more control at the end of it , all right . So if you join the group , join our Facebook group you can then share recipes , you can swap meal prep , you can find support , motivation as you implement this Kaizen approach to your meal planning , but even to anything else in your fitness journey . Just search for Wits and Weights on Facebook or click the link in your show notes and take that first step today . Until next time , keep using your wits lifting some weights and remember , in the kitchen and in life , small changes lead to big results . I'll talk to you next time here on the Wits and Weights podcast .