The Biggest Weight Loss Mistakes—And How to Stop Making Them
(Without The Resolve of a Monk)
Let’s start with the obvious:
Most diets are... a bit of a mess.
Restrictive. Confusing. Often sold with a side of guilt and a smug influencer holding a green smoothie.
They’ll have you weighing your almonds while quietly ignoring the fact that you’re also managing three jobs, two kids and a nervous system that’s holding on by a thread.
And yet, here we are. Still hoping the next plan will be the one.
Still wondering why we “know what to do” but can’t seem to do it.
Here’s why:
It was never about the food.
The kind of change that lasts—the kind that doesn’t come undone at the first sign of stress or pasta—isn’t built on perfection.
It’s built on habits. Understanding. A gentler kind of awareness.
It’s built when you stop trying to micromanage your intake and start looking at the why behind it.
Let’s walk through a few of the common mistakes I see (and help clients gently unravel).
Mistake 1: Skipping the Inner Work
(Trying to change your body without looking at what’s driving your behaviour)
When most people decide they want to lose weight, they head straight for the plan.
Meal prep. Macros. Something clickable. Something “actionable.”
But if deep down you still believe:
“I can’t be trusted around food”
“I’ve failed so many times, why bother?”
“If I eat bread, I’ll blow it”
...then no amount of food tracking will stick.
Because your thinking is still running the old story.
And if you’re acting from old, fearful, shame-based thought loops?
You’ll find yourself stuck in the same place, no matter how disciplined the week starts.
This isn’t about “reprogramming your mindset” in some dramatic, Tony Robbins sort of way.
It’s about gently seeing that the thoughts behind your eating aren't personal truths—they’re old habits of mind.
And once you see that, the need to act from them starts to dissolve.
Mistake 2: Eating for the Hunger That Hasn’t Happened Yet
(The old “just in case” approach)
This one’s subtle, and wildly common.
“I’ll just eat more now so I don’t get hungry later.”
(Translation: “I don’t trust myself to handle hunger when it shows up.”)
Totally understandable.
You were likely taught that hunger is a danger signal.
That it’s something to avoid, push down, manage, outsmart.
But hunger?
It’s just a signal. A gentle nudge. A very normal part of being alive.
The more you try to eat around it, the more chaotic your eating tends to feel.
Because now you’re not responding to your body—you’re anticipating a future emergency that may never happen.
Learning to wait for actual hunger isn’t about willpower.
It’s about trust. And that builds with practice.
Mistake 3: Eating to Hit Macros, Not Hunger
(When numbers override cues)
You’ve got the spreadsheet.
The app. The targets.
You’re proud of your protein intake but weirdly... uncomfortable in your body.
Here’s the thing:
Protein’s great.
Nutrition matters.
But not more than listening.
If you’re eating when you’re full—or ignoring hunger because your carb goal is “already met”—you’re outsourcing your body’s wisdom to a formula that can’t feel.
And your body can feel.
It knows.
You just need to remember how to hear it again.
So... What Actually Works?
Here’s the unsexy truth:
You learn to trust yourself again.
Instead of obeying food rules, you respond to real signals.
Instead of forcing “good” choices, you get curious about what you actually need.
And that changes everything.
What We Focus on Instead:
✅ Flexibility Over Perfection
You’re human. You’ll have croissants. You’ll forget to meal prep. Nothing is ruined. This is part of it.
✅ Normal Eating
Not “clean.” Not tracked. Just food that feels good, satisfies and doesn’t send you into a shame spiral.
✅ Less Criticism, More Curiosity
You don’t change by pushing harder. You change by seeing clearly. No judgement needed.
✅ Rebuilding Body Trust
That inner compass? Still there. Just buried under diet noise. We clear the static.
✅ Your Comfortable Weight, Found Gently
No detoxes. No weigh-ins. No chasing numbers. Just a return to balance, with food as an ally, not an enemy.
Final Thought
This doesn’t need to be harder.
It needs to be different.
Less control. More connection.
Less trying. More seeing.
When you stop reacting to food, and start responding to yourself with insight, not force—
everything shifts.
And the best part?
You get to feel like yourself again.
Not a food project. Not a work in progress.
Just someone who eats, lives and enjoys both.
I can help with that.
If you're ready.
No plans.
No pressure.
Just a new path forward.
Let’s make food feel normal again.
And let your body follow suit.