Sh*t I Used to Believe About Fat Loss (And What Actually Works)
When I first started trying to get leaner, I believed a lot of things that made my life harder and my results slower.
None of it was intentional.
It all came from stuff that sounded smart.
Stuff that was popular.
Stuff I saw other people doing.
But here’s what actually happened:
→ I stayed stuck
→ I was always “on it” or completely off the rails
→ Nothing ever felt sustainable
So if you’ve been working hard but not seeing results — maybe this will sound familiar.
Here’s the sh*t I used to believe... and what actually works instead.
Me at 25 vs Me at 42.
No skinny genes. No magic metabolism.
Just strategy, structure, and a plan that actually works.
1. If I Messed Up, I’d Start Again Monday
This one cost me years of progress.
I’d have something “off plan” on Friday and decide I’d ruined the week.
So I’d eat whatever I wanted all weekend — knowing I’d “start again” Monday.
Here’s what that looked like in reality:
→ 1 bad meal
→ Spiral into 3 days of overeating
→ Repeat every week
It wasn’t a discipline problem. It was perfectionism.
If I couldn’t be perfect, I’d give up entirely.
What I know now:
→ Fat loss is about averages over time
→ One meal doesn’t undo progress
→ You don’t need to start over — you just need to keep going
The people who get results aren’t perfect.
They’re consistent.
2. I Had to Stop Eating After 7pm
I used to panic if I was hungry at 8pm.
Somewhere along the line I’d learned that late-night eating = fat storage.
It doesn’t.
Your body doesn’t flip a switch after 7pm and start hoarding calories as fat.
What matters is your total intake — not the time of day.
In fact, backloading carbs in the evening can:
→ Improve serotonin production
→ Help reduce cortisol
→ Support better quality sleep and recovery
That said, you don’t want to eat right before bed either.
Leave 60 to 90 minutes to digest before sleep.
But the idea that "eating after 7pm makes you fat" is outdated nonsense.
What actually matters is how much you're eating and if it fits into your overall plan.
3. Carbs Were the Enemy
I used to believe carbs were the reason I couldn’t lose fat.
→ Bread? Avoided.
→ Pasta? Forget it.
→ Bananas? Dangerous.
So I cut carbs, lost a bit of water weight, felt tired 24/7, and eventually crashed.
Here’s the truth:
→ Carbs are your body’s preferred energy source
→ They fuel your training and recovery
→ They support thyroid function, hormone balance, and sleep
When combined with protein and fibre, carbs help regulate blood sugar and improve satiety.
Cutting them out didn’t make me lean
It just made me obsessed with food
(actual food would call my name from the kitchen until I broke and went and ate the damn snack - not even joking).
Now I eat carbs daily and get better results with less stress.
It’s not the carbs - it’s how they’re used.
4. If I Wasn’t Sweating, It Didn’t Count
I used to think sweat = fat loss.
If I wasn’t dripping, I wasn’t working hard enough.
If I left the gym dry, it didn’t feel like it “counted.”
But sweating is just a response to body temperature — not a measurement of effort.
→ You can sweat loads and barely stimulate your muscles
→ You can do a proper strength session and barely sweat at all
Fat loss comes from:
→ Calorie deficit
→ Muscle-building resistance work
→ Recovery and proper programming
Not how soaked your t-shirt is.
Sweating might feel productive — but it doesn’t mean you're progressing.
5. I Had to Train 5 Days a Week (And Run)
I thought more = better.
So I trained 5 to 6 days a week and forced myself to run, even though I hated it.
Now?
→ I train 2 to 3 times a week
→ I don’t run… Ever
→ I walk, I lift, and I recover well
And I’m in the best shape of my life.
Running can be fine, but it’s high-impact and tough on your joints, especially as we age.
It doesn’t build muscle, and for most people, it just increases appetite and fatigue.
Just not worth the ROI for me personally.
A structured strength program paired with daily movement will outperform endless cardio every single time — especially for high performers with limited time.
→ You don’t need more sessions
→ You need better sessions
→ You need a plan that builds your metabolism, not breaks your body
6. I Never Used to Follow a Program
For a long time, I didn’t follow a proper training program.
I just turned up at the gym, picked whatever machine was free, maybe did a few chest presses or some abs, and left feeling like I’d done something useful.
Sometimes I trained hard. Sometimes I just winged it.
But either way, I thought showing up and moving my body was enough.
It wasn’t.
Without structure, I wasn’t progressing.
I wasn’t tracking anything.
I wasn’t getting stronger.
And I wasn’t seeing physical change - just going through the motions.
I see this now with so many people.
They’re going to the gym regularly. They’ve got a PT. They’re “training.”
But they’re not following a progressive plan.
They’re doing whatever their trainer feels like that day.
Or repeating the same random workouts on repeat.
No progression, no periodisation, no strategy.
If you want to actually move the needle
→ You need to know what your goal is
→ You need a system that moves you toward that goal
→ And you need to track progress over time
Your body adapts to what you repeatedly do.
If your training is random, so are your results.
You wouldn’t run a business on guesswork.
You wouldn’t wing a meeting with investors.
So why would you leave your health and physique to chance?
High-performers don’t guess.
They use data, structure, and strategy.
And your training should be no different.
If you're showing up already, you owe it to yourself to make it count.
The Bottom Line
I believed a lot of things that sounded good.
But most of them just kept me spinning in circles.
What changed everything?
→ Letting go of the "more is better" mindset
→ Ditching the perfectionism
→ Following a smart, structured plan that fits my life
That’s what I build for my clients now.
No more guessing.
No more extremes.
Just a system that actually works — built around you.
So if you’re training, trying, pushing, and still not seeing results
Maybe it’s not you….
Maybe it’s just the sh*t you still believe.
P.S.
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