I have never been on a diet. I know many people who have including my wife Dolly. From what I have seen it can be quite challenging to manage a diet and not all diets are created equal. Some are really good others just awful.
Besides the diet there is the culture around it. Fat shaming, celebs hawking the latest and greatest and of course the media and fashion industries views on what is in make for a real challenging choice. How to do a diet the right way.That is where someone like my guest Coach Jonathan McLernon comes in. He's been there so to speak, at one point carrying 300lbs himself. But, he was able to figure out the balance and I am happy to have him here on Candid Conversations to chat about what he did and how he can help you get going in the right direction.
Coach welcome to Candid Conversations
Jon M.: Thank you for reaching out and connecting with me. This is my first ever email interview :)
Cliff T.: Coach, I saw a real interesting quote you made, diets suck. That put a smile on the face for sure, what in your mind is the reason why you think diets suck?
Jon M.: Because they’re the equivalent of deciding to put yourself into a straitjacket, in hopes of achieving a result. But the problem is, no one actually enjoys being in a straitjacket.
But we justify it by saying “I just need to do it for X length of time”. Well, what happens after that?
Probably a return to old behaviors that got you stuck in the first place, and because the diet was miserable deprivation, a further dislike for diets in general.
The issue here is, the underlying idea that the only way to lose weight is through misery and deprivation. Well, yeah, if you don’t address the root cause (ie. the Brain) which is why in my program Lifestyle-180, I focus on what I call “Brain-Driven weight loss.
Since the concept of “Brain-Driven” weight loss might be unheard of for most people, I’ll add a bit of amplifying detail:
Brain-Driven weight loss is a term that I’ve coined to shine a light on the fact that, while yes, what we eat, and how we choose to be active (or not), will influence our weight and health, it’s actually the brain that drives our decision making and our actions.
So many efforts to create change and weight loss take an outside-in approach, and fail to acknowledge that it’s our internal environment (from our emotions, mindset, psychology and habits) that most powerfully influence our behaviors and ultimately our results.
Many of our actions take place at the subconscious or unconscious level, because of a variety of factors, not the least of which, is the brain’s propensity for forming habits from repeated behaviors. Our behaviors are very often driven by our habits, our emotions, and our beliefs, acting in congruence with our sense of identity.
So, if we want to create permanent weight loss, we have to create permanent change. And we can only create permanent change by establishing a new pattern of behaviors, habits and sense of identity, and all of this takes place due to the marvelous property of our brain called neuroplasticity, which refers to our brain’s ability to rewire itself.
Cliff T.: So you decided to do something about that and now have a company Freedom Nutrition Coaching. Obviously not just a diet but lifestyle, how does it work?
Jon M.: Most weight loss programs involve strict food rules, restrictive meal plans, expensive supplement regimes, and are really the equivalent of forcing someone into a temporary straightjacket, to try and unnaturally force weight loss to happen.
It very often involves judgement, shame, coercion, and frankly, downright terrible coaching.
Lifestyle-180 is, at its core 3 things: we marry the science of metabolism with the psychology of behavior change and the compassion of human connection, so that we can empower each individual in the program to reverse-engineer their own healthy lifestyle.
Each person I work with, we treat this like 2 experts collaborating towards a common goal: the client is the expert of their own life experience, and I bring my expertise in nutrition science and change psychology.
And, as we touched on earlier, we do this through our Brain-Driven approach. The brain is the driver of our behavior, and when we work with our brain, rather than try to fight against it, we make it possible to create permanent transformation.
Cliff T.: Was there a moment or event that inspired you to start this company?
Jon M.: There’s been a few actually. But the name “Freedom Nutrition Coaching” came from a particular client who said “I don’t want to live in ‘Nutrition Prison’ anymore”
And so, I say that weight loss is a doorway, not a destination.
The truth is, while weight loss is going to improve the health of almost anyone that undertakes it, it’s never really about a number on the scale. It’s about quality of life.
That number is really just a placeholder for a future that we feel it will enable us to live in.
One where we feel comfortable in our own skin, where we can wear almost anything and feel great, where we can live life more fully, whether that’s not feeling out of breath when hiking beautiful mountains, or getting down on the floor to play with kids or grandkids …
Freedom to do the activity you want, instead of the one you wish.
Weight loss gives us the opportunity to experience life more fully. And so it’s important to understand that happiness does not lie in seeing a certain number on the scale.
Yes, we might feel a sense of accomplishment for a day or two, but really happiness lies in being able to live independently on our terms.
It's also about leaving behind an identity that is slowly suffocating you, replacing it with one where you love life and never have to worry about crazy fad diets and supplements again.
Cliff T.: Where do you think people go wrong with diets, what is the biggest thing you see that throws a flag up to diet success?
Jon M.: We’re strongly drawn to this idea of quick fixes. Fad diets prey on this.
It makes sense because we want to believe the promise. That weight loss is quick and easy. It’s an attractive idea.
We don’t want to acknowledge the reality that weight loss, permanent weight loss, is actually quite challenging.
You see, we live with this constant tension within ourselves. We, as human beings, have a nervous system that is hard-wired to seek out comfort, and avoid pain, suffering and difficulty.
And yet, the essence of what makes us human, we could say, our soul, is hardwired for growth.
And so we find ourselves oscillating between this dynamic tension of how good it feels to remain inside our comfort zone, and this innate calling to do and be better.
And, I would argue that the more mentally and emotionally stressed and distressed we become, the harder it is to voluntarily leave our comfort zone.
And I’m inclined to think we live in a more emotionally and mentally stressful world than ever before, while living with an unprecedented level of convenience at our fingertips that can allow us to meet all of our basic human needs without ever having to remove our bum from a seat.
Cliff T.: Coach, a lot of people start a business based on an idea they go full tilt and then crash. How did you approach launching and building Freedom Nutrition Coaching and how is it going thus far?
Jon M.: It’s definitely had it’s challenges, and I have had 2 previous business failures, and I took a lot of lessons from those.
I’ve been successfully running this business as my sole income source for 3 years now, which, in itself is quite an achievement, considering most businesses won’t make it past the first year, especially after COVID crushed a lot of small businesses.
I also now mentor new online coaches and teach them how to build a sustainable and scalable online business. I approach it in 4 stages, similar to building a house.
The Foundation: This is understanding who you are best suited to help and how to communicate that to your audience and potential customers.
The Framework: This is building out your digital infrastructure. How will you actually deliver on the promise you make with your offer.
The Finishing Touches: This is about crafting your client experience. How do you ensure that clients have a positive experience, from the time that they first encounter your business, to the point where they are so happy they refer others to you.
The last piece is the Housewarming Party: what good is it to build a business if you’re not going to talk about what you do. The important thing here is to understand that no one wants to be spammed or annoyed.
And, so there’s a proper way to go about that, though for the sake of brevity, we can save the details for another conversation :).
Cliff T.: Earlier you explained how your program works. How would you modify or handle clients with dietary needs, diabetics and those with tolerance issues or who are on drugs that create challenges when it comes to weight loss?
Jon M.: The biggest factor here is using that information to help the client shape their expectations appropriately. These complicating factors can, and often will, make the process of weight loss more difficult.
But, not impossible. The biggest thing that leads to clients quitting a weight loss program is discouragement. And unmet expectations are at the heart of this.
So, taking the time to educate the client and help them to understand how these factors will affect their efforts, so that they ultimately have realistic expectations.
Yes, there can be some technical details to address under specific circumstances, but the fundamental principles that lead to weight loss (nutrition, activity, stress management and sleep quality) are still the most important.
The thing to remember here is that ultimately this is about crafting and engineering a lifestyle that is realistic, sustainable and enjoyable.
If we want to create permanent weight loss and health, we need to create a lifestyle, not a temporary diet.
Cliff T.: Coach, do you have any advice for people who are looking at doing a diet a program like yours. Where should one start to make an informed decision?
Jon M: Well, I’d say have a look at the results the program can produce. For example, people can read some of the 90+ 5-star reviews on Google about Freedom Nutrition Coaching. Or go to www.freedomnutritioncoach.com/results.
But, also, be wary of any company that promises “fast”, “easy”, “effortless”, or some absurd result like “lose 30lbs in 30 days”. These sorts of wild promises are extremely unhealthy, and will not produce lasting results.
I also offer people a free no obligation 30-minute nutrition consultation, where, even if we don’t decide to work together, I guarantee that people will leave that conversation knowing what they need to do to achieve their goals.
Anybody who would like to take me up on this offer is welcome to do so using this link here: https://calendly.com/coachjon/letschat
I think also knowing what it is that you want to accomplish. As I touched on earlier, weight loss is a doorway, it’s not the destination.
Also, do some research for yourself, but don’t get sucked into the infinite vortex of confusion that is the world of “nutritional tribalism”.
I consider myself a dietary agnostic, because many of the fad diets out there really share the same common success principles:
1 - Manage portion sizes appropriately
2 - Eat junk food sparingly
3 - Include vegetables in most of your meals
4 - Include lean protein in most of your meals
5 - Have a regular activity routine
6 - Strive to get quality sleep each night
7 - Actively manage your stress
8 - Drink sufficient water
The challenge here is, how do we shape these fundamental practices into a desirable and enjoyable lifestyle that suits the individual. And that’s what I set out to do in my program, Lifestyle-180.
Empower people to reverse engineer their own healthy lifestyle.
Cliff T.: I bet your days are pretty busy running this business and doing other things. Having said that, what has been the best part of doing this work?
Jon M.: When a client says “this program has been life-changing”. It thrills my heart. Yes, this is my business and how I make my living, but I do this because I truly love what I do.
I walked away from a high paying job and career that had stability, into the uncertain world of entrepreneurship, because this is truly what I want to do with my life.
Cliff T: Coach, great to have you join us here on Candid conversations. I hope that you have a great day and that Freedom Nutrition Coaching continues to grow and be a beacon of hope and change for those who seek it.
Jon M.: Thank you again for reaching out and being my first ever email interview!
I would like to leave your readers with a free resource that they might find helpful. I have a short eBook guide called “Crush Your Cravings” that will teach people a simple 4-step method to overcome night-time snacking, and self-sabotage.
They can get a copy at: https://nofndiets.rocks/crush-your-cravings
Coach Jon McLernon is the man behind Freedom Nutrition Coaching. The company helps people with weight loss and does so in supportive and unique manner. You can find them on the web at https://freedomnutritioncoach.com/
Before moving forward with any diet or program it's always recommended that you consult with a doctor to ensure that the plan is the correct fit for you.
Coach Jon wrote to us from Red Deer AB.
