Two things today: wants vs needs — probably the biggest mindset shift you'll make on the Shred — and making this fun, because a plan you can't enjoy is a plan you'll drop.
Wants vs Needs
It's the biggest mindset shift that separates people who succeed from people who don't. And it all comes down to your relationship with food.
The question I always come back to: am I eating this because I need it — or because I want it?
Most of the time in a fat-loss phase, people don't need to eat. They want to eat. That want might be:
- Wanting to feel fuller
- Wanting something sweet after dinner
- Wanting to escape the boredom of a diet
- Wanting the dopamine hit food gives you
All completely normal. But repeatedly giving in to those wants is exactly why we're in a fat-loss phase in the first place. That was me for years — big boy, most of my wants were ice cream and biscuits.
The dangerous moment
You've done it. It's 9 pm, dinner's done, you're craving something sweet. You're walking towards the kitchen going I want this, I want this, I want this.
Pause. Ask yourself: do I need this, or do I just want this?
Most of the time, it's a want. And that single moment of self-awareness is normally where behaviour change starts. I'm not asking you to be a monk — but when you walk around the shop and see a family-sized Terry's Chocolate Orange calling to you, ask the question. That's the shift.
Three questions to pause with
- Is this hunger, or is it habit?
- Will this help my progress or hurt it?
- Does this choice move me towards my goal, or away from it?
Pause. Reflect. Decide.
Know your triggers
Everyone has different emotional responses to food. Some people celebrate with food. Some numb with food. Some default to food when stressed. For years, when I was stressed, I leaned towards food. That was a pattern I had for a long time. When I'm happy, I still don't mind celebrating with food either.
There's research on people who've had bariatric surgery — a significant proportion end up in a serious mental-health crisis afterwards, and the rates of suicide in that population are meaningfully elevated. Not because the surgery went wrong physically — but because they'd been using food as a coping mechanism for so long that once that outlet was taken away, they had nothing else to turn to.
Extreme example, but it shows you how deep the emotional-food pattern can go. In a diet phase, knowing that most of your cravings are coming from emotional wants, not physical hunger, is the piece that changes how you handle them.
Zoom out — this is a tiny window
Remember what we're actually doing. This is an 8-week Shred: six weeks of dieting, two weeks of reverse dieting. And on the reverse, people are always shocked when they keep losing weight on more calories.
You've got 2-3 weeks left of the deficit. This is a tiny window in the grand scheme of things. All I'm asking is that in these last weeks you make your choices based on your goals, not your feelings. Understand what you're eating and why. Identify your triggers. Ask the wants vs needs question. That's it.
Making this fun — the biggest factor in success
People forget this. Actually enjoying your food is one of the biggest levers in fat loss. Too many still fall back into old-school bodybuilding — chicken, rice, broccoli, every meal, miserable, and they always fall off. It's 2026. You don't have to eat like that.
Build meals around food that tastes good. Include foods you actively enjoy. I recommend it — genuinely.
Practical ways to keep it fun
- Swap boring meals for something tasty
- Fit in the occasional treat within reason (not "IIFYM Pop-Tarts and protein shakes" — that's the other extreme)
- Try a new recipe from the Grapple Strong recipe pack
- Mix up your meals — hit macros, allow flexibility
- Skip the protein bar and use the calories for a small dessert
- If your plan feels bland right now, swap something out for something you actually want to eat
For some clients I've told them to go find some junk food on purpose to break the monotony and reset the head. Sometimes that's exactly what's needed.
A personal example
Two things I lean on when I'm dieting and I want a treat that doesn't derail me:
- Tesco tiramisu pots — 156 kcal. Same as (or less than) most protein bars.
- Protein bars — more nutrient-dense than the tiramisu, but sometimes you just need something that scratches the itch.
Both fit the plan. Both keep you in it.
Bottom line
Consistency beats perfection. You'll make far more progress sticking to a good plan you enjoy than falling off a perfect plan that feels like a punishment.
Results come from sticking to the plan, staying disciplined, being consistent long-term. And none of that happens if your food makes you miserable.
Keep the majority of your intake whole foods, nutrient dense. Then include small amounts of things you enjoy. That's the whole game.
Two or three weeks left. Let's keep going.