Are we in a situation when we can’t see the forest for the trees?

We have dug-in deep on all the details of weight loss strategy.

For diet, just look at the number of articles and research that have been done.  Low fat vs. low carb. How many calories we should have? Figuring out macro ratios. Food combinations. Intermittent fasting. We have analyzed like crazy trying to figure out the best type, arrangement and time of our food intake and how fast it will allow us to lose weight.

We have done the same with exercise. Is cardio better than strength training? Machines or body weight? How long? How often? More reps or higher weights? Shorter HIIT training or longer steady workouts?

We have examined it from so many angles.

We are really good at the close up, the details of our actions that we think we need to focus on to lose weight. We are so deep in the woods, and we can identify each type of tree, leaf and critter print, but we don’t take a step back to view the forest as a whole.

And we are a whole forest.  We are not just the pieces.

The food and exercise details aren’t the problem.

Seriously.

The things to know about food and exercise are much simpler than we make them out to be. The main thing is eating natural and unprocessed foods the majority of time. Working on minimizing or eliminating emotional eating. And moving our bodies, not for calorie burn, but because the body wants to move, and choosing activities we enjoy.

Sure, you can tweak and modify as suits you, but the details are just details. The bigger picture is the one we sometimes lose sight of.