‘How did you lose weight?’ I’m asked a version of this question in DMs all the time. I can feel the desperation and frustration in the messages because I’ve been there too, trying every diet under the sun, exercising in every which way I thought would help, exhausting myself in the process and never getting closer to my ultimate goal: to lose weight and maintain that weight loss long-term. So, here’s what I learned and what works for me: - There’s no ‘magic bullet’ or quick fix. It’s consistent effort over time. - Using diet and exercise alone is like bashing the problem with blunt instruments if there are any emotional issues around the way you consume food. - I was great at dieting and exercising but when I wasn’t on a diet I would spiral. So focusing on, and correcting my behaviour when I wasn’t following a regime was where I shifted my focus. - Cutting out foods because they are ‘bad’ is a nonsense (unless of course there’s an allergy or similar issue). - It’s not about making your body smaller, it’s about eating and exercising in a way that makes your body stronger. - Finding coaches who are qualified and understand the emotional, mental and physical aspects of wanting to and trying to make changes is key. I can’t recommend @esgfitness and @madeleychloe highly enough. I’ve created several podcasts - private spaces where you can be alone with conversations on this topic that are raw, honest and guided by expert guests, and they available via the link in my bio - but if you have any other angles you’d like me to explore on this topic then let me know in the comments or via DM.