My answer is what most people don’t want to hear.
I did what I know works for me. That’s a process that’s not fast nor easy. There’s two major things that go into that process and tends to be the path of most resistance for most folks.
- Developing a healthy relationship with food and your body.
- Developing the skill of eating well and preparing ahead of time.
With all do respect, these are the two that most people have the hardest time with which is why so many struggle to lose weight. Fat loss gets complicated because humans make it that way. The biggest step that people skip over is developing a strategic system that they know works for them and their lifestyle vs. what they think they should be doing. The struggle isn’t the food, it’s the lack of awareness and schedule. Most people don’t hit their goals simply because they don’t sit down and eat. The tricky part is, is that this needs to adapt as we age and as our life changes. That’s the skill. What worked at one point may not work at another.
Honestly, I think fat loss sucks, but it is the least demanding goal. Fat loss is challenging for most because they find it to be confusing, complicated, and restrictive. After being in this industry for ten years, the plan of fat loss to me is the most simple. It doesn’t demand as much food daily which means less prep and as long as you’re active on a daily basis you can lose weight even doing 2x week strength training. This is in comparison to eating at my maintenance, body recomp, or bulking which all take way more effort and food in general. Most people just haven’t had that experience and in which case fat loss will seem super hard as they have never put much emphasis or effort into their eating habits.
Why did I decide to lose 10 pounds? I actually wasn’t out to lose that much weight. I could care less about the scale. I have been 125lbs more than once and have felt both amazing and not great and I’ve also been 150lbs also feeling amazing at one point and not great at another. I know that I can feel great at any weight, but after the summer where I allowed myself to eat and drink whatever I wanted, I just needed to feel good. Fat loss was the perfect goal for me at the time. After a super fun summer, I felt bloated and sluggish. Once the indulgences and alcohol came to a halt (as it’s not something I do often) I started to feel so much better within 3 weeks. As I was getting back into my regimented schedule it was pretty instantaneous. I was in a season with a lot of transitions so as much as I wanted to get back into the gym full throttle, I knew I didn’t have the capacity to do that. Fat loss was a goal that I knew I could commit to for 12 weeks that’s going to get me back into a schedule, demand fewer days in the gym and with less intensity, limited meal prep as I wasn’t eating as much, and get me feeling better in my body. Now I am in a better position to aim higher when it comes to my goals. I am still in the midst of some major life transitions and with that I feel great which is all I can ask for when life gets a little overwhelming. I am now out of that phase and hiking my intake back up to my body recomposition numbers.
There’s tradeoffs to each goal you have in my opinion. While I feel much better after going through a fat loss phase, it doesn’t mean that’s where I feel my best. I appreciate feeling great and being at a weight that’s more manageable for me, but I do not feel super strong at the moment nor can I give what I want to in my training. Fat loss isn’t my end all be all. My focus now and always is performance and fat loss can’t give me that. It’s a phase and tool that I used because it was a good time for me to do so. I know where I feel my “best” and I will get there in the coming months when that is also the better time to do so. Each goal I set is very intentional and with that, fat loss was just the most ideal at the time.
We have to ditch what we think we know about fat loss. Eating less and training twice is hard is not a good option and not sustainable for most. So then people feel stuck because they don’t know how to get results in a different way.
For me, this is what sets me up for success…
- I come from a very healthy household that promoted moderation, whole meals, and fueling for performance. I am not someone who has food noise in their head constantly and very little predisposed beliefs on food.
- I’m a nutrition coach so I have researched so many ways to get the most accurate metrics to follow. I have also tested multiple different ones over the years as well.
- I’ve tracked on and off for over 5 years. It’s a useful tool that I love, but can also get to my goals without it. It may just take a little longer.
- I know to eat as much as I can within my deficit. I’m a very active person so eating less would be very detrimental for me. I need as much energy as I can get so I want to make sure I’m getting what I need while cutting calories.
- I ace my protein. Carb and fat are trickier for me to hit, but I without a doubt hit 140g of protein per day. This seems to be an easier goal for me since I do not a high intake of carb and fat.
- I move. 10k steps is a slow day for me. Movement has me constantly burning even when I’m not exercise which helps me output more than I input which is the name of the game to fat loss. Walking is my super power.
But today, I’m down 10 pounds, and the biggest factor in my success isn’t a strict regimen, a crash diet, or even a complicated workout plan. It’s my mindset.
Let me explain why my mindset has been my greatest ally, how it reshaped my approach to my body, my performance, and fat loss, and how you can apply it to your own life.
Mindset Over Methods
There’s no shortage of weight loss advice out there. You can find all kinds of programs that promise quick results, but none of them focus on the mental aspect of transformation. For me, it all comes down to shifting my mindset from a place of restriction and judgment to one of self-respect and possibility. I stopped thinking of weight loss as a punishment or something to “fix” and started thinking of it as an opportunity to show up for myself—consistently and with intention.
Approaching My Body with Compassion (this is the hardest part for most)
The “all or nothing mentality” really hurts us. You start a diet with extreme rules and, when inevitably people slip up and feel defeated. But over time, you realize that real progress doesn’t come from beating yourself up over missteps. It comes from understanding that your body is not the enemy. Focus on nourishing your body, not restricting it.
Performance Over Perfection (this is my favorite one)
When it comes to training, stop focusing on achieving the “perfect” body or obsessing over numbers on a scale. Instead, shift your attention to performance: how you feel in your body, how strong you feel, and how well can you perform tasks, whether it was lifting weights, running, or just feeling more agile throughout the day. By focusing on improving strength, endurance, and overall energy, notice that your body will naturally start to change. Consistency is key, and by letting go of the pressure for instant results, I find people can keep showing up for themselves every day, no matter how you felt the day before.
Your mindset is a powerful tool. When you shift the way you think about yourself and your journey, the results will follow—not just in the form of weight loss, but in how you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Remember, losing 10 pounds was just a byproduct of making these mindset shifts. The real victory is in how I now approach my body, my health, and my life. I encourage you to start there too—because once you believe in your potential, the rest becomes a matter of time and consistency.
