my non-emotional take on why your weight loss isn’t working

2025 MBM “Confidence” photoshoot

Finish the year strong
Every year ends the same way. People drift through the last few months, hit January, and go “right, this year I’m going to do it.” Then they repeat the same cycle again. This is me telling you not to be one of them.
Do not crawl into January begging for another reset. Walk into it proud, knowing you did the work.
We’ve got about ten to twelve weeks left before Christmas. That’s enough time to tighten up, drop body fat, and go into December feeling in control. Cap your goal around the 10th or 15th. After that, enjoy Christmas because you’ve earned it, not because you’ve given up.

Get clear on your goal
You need to know what you’re chasing. Everyone on this programme should have a target. Maybe it’s a shoot. Maybe it’s a few kilos. Maybe it’s just to look and feel strong. Whatever it is, own it.
When the goal is clear, motivation hits differently. You start to see progress, and it fires you up to keep pushing. But if you keep moving the goalpost, it drags. That’s when people quit.
And when you quit, the weight comes back. Every time. The people who finish their goal keep it off. The people who stop halfway start over again later. Finish what you said you would.

Accept that dieting is hard
Dieting isn’t meant to be easy. It’s meant to test you. You’re in a deficit, your body doesn’t like it. You’ll crave food. You’ll be tired. You’ll want to eat like everyone else. That’s normal.
But remember this is a solo game. When you’re on the scales, trying on clothes, or standing in front of the mirror, no one else is there. It’s just you.
You chose this. No one forced you. It’s a privilege to be able to train, to take care of yourself. So when it gets hard, don’t moan. Remind yourself this is part of it.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable
Every bit of progress comes from being uncomfortable. You don’t grow in comfort. You grow when you’re tired, hungry, stressed, and still showing up.
The more you can normalise that, the easier this gets. Hard days at work. Busy weekends. Cravings. All of it. It’s meant to be tough. That’s the point.

Stop taking the easy option
This is the killer. You’re tired, you’ve had a long day, and you grab what’s easy. That’s how goals die.
If you’ve got time to stop for a McDonalds, you’ve got time to grab a decent meal instead. You always have a choice.
Shortcuts now cost you later. Every easy decision just delays your result. Take the harder option. It pays off every time.

Everyone has it hard
You’re not the only one juggling life. Everyone’s got stuff going on. Work. Kids. Stress. Grief. Business. You name it. You just don’t see that part. You see the highlight reel, the big results, the photo shoots.
What you don’t see are the rough days, the moments people cried, the early mornings, the sacrifices. No one finds this easy. Everyone fights their own version of hard. So stop comparing and get back to work.

Stop glamorising food
Food isn’t magic. It’s not a reward. It’s just food. Chocolate, crisps, pizza – they’ll all be there when you’re done.
We build junk food up in our heads like it’s some life-changing experience. It’s not. Most of the time it’s average.
You can eat whatever you want, but it’s a choice. Stop saying “I can’t.” You can. You’re just choosing not to because you care about your goal more.

Ask better questions
When you check in, don’t ask what you did well. Ask what you did that might have slowed your progress.
Weight loss doesn’t care about how hard your week felt. It’s black and white. You either did the work or you didn’t.
Be honest with yourself. What actually held you back this week? That’s how you improve. You don’t get results from pretending everything was perfect. You get results from fixing what wasn’t.

No one is coming to save you
This is on you. No one can do your steps, lift your weights, or track your food. You’ve got support, but no one is doing it for you.
You want the result? Do the work. You want the confidence? Earn it.
At the end of this, it’s just you and the mirror. You either did the work or you didn’t. So take full control and make it count.