Sometimes… clients hit back with the questions of questions

I have been enjoying asking some of my clients silly questions lately. And honestly, the world has been pretty heavy and we just need a moment to breathe sometimes …and if somebody were to ask you…

if you were a potato, how would you want to be cooked?

if you could choose a vegetable to be your best friend and another to be your nemesis, who would they be and why?

It’s definitely been a way to have a good chuckle and breathe a little. Plus, we get something that we need so sorely as people… connection. But you know what happens when you open up that door… you get questions back …and I just about got knocked out yesterday LOL!

“Sending a question back at ya… Knowing how far you come in your weight loss/health journey and how educated you are in this platform… what are the 3 most important things you wish you knew starting out or would tell your old self looking back now that you’ve come so far?”

I freaking love this question. But holy smokes did it put the pressure on!!!

I gave her the best answers that I have for the mental space that I’m in at the moment. I might change these depending on when I’m asked, but that’s only for the sheer fact that it has been a long freaking journey since 2012. And with every client that I work with. And with every coach that works with me. And with every book I read. And… you get the point. Perspectives change.

So here you go… I am going to share my answer for this moment in time with you as well.

Don’t waste time majoring in the minors.

I got caught up in the diet mentality… always chasing the next tweak: a new supplement, meal timing, intermittent fasting, keto. It was always about the next thing that could help me push through better, faster, stronger… But I wasn’t grounded in the basics… the majors: movement, water, sleep, and accurately tracking my calories.

Once I stopped the madness and locked into those, things just started to happen. I would like to say that things got easier… but they didn’t because this is hard work. But it got less chaotic. I knew that I could trust in these things and these things alone, and then live the rest of my life.

And now, when life pulls me off course, I go straight back to the basics.

Once I settle back into those, I can fine-tune things like strength training, meal prep, and other things. But those other things aren’t as important as those majors.

When my movement is consistent, I manage my energy better and feel more resilient during stressful times.

With water, I feel more energized. I have reduced cravings, and keep my body functioning the way it should.

With sleep, I recover better. I regulate my mood, my hunger cues, and I have more bandwidth… it’s the foundation for everything.

And when I’m accurate with tracking my calories, I stay aware of what my body actually needs. It’s not about obsession… it’s about ownership. It’s a tool that helps me keep my promises to myself.

They bring me back to me.

Anything that comes fast comes with a cost

So slow down… and learn the lessons.

I used to want the quickest path through everything. If it was hard, I could muscle through it. I could push, grind, suffer… whatever it took. And for a while, that worked. But it would eventually backfire. I’d burn out, spin out, and crash. Stress would hit. Emotions would rise. And just like that, I’d lose all traction.

The faster I tried to go, the harder I fell.

If I could talk to my younger self, I’d say: Slow down. Pay attention. Stop trying to outrun the work.

Because there were lessons in the struggle. And I missed them… over and over… because I was too focused on getting to the other side as fast as possible. I was missing the point. Cue in what my stepdad always said, “A hard head makes for a soft ass.” In my stubbornness, I forced a lot, and ended up falling flat time and time again.

Now, I would like to think I know better…

Growth takes time. Lasting change takes patience.

Instead of using what I have in me to push through the hard things… I’ve learned to endure. Endure a smaller amount of the suffering and letting it change me. Letting it chip away what I no longer need and refine me.

When you’re stuck, seek perspective.

There’s no shame in asking for help.

I used to be too prideful. I thought I had to do it all on my own… figure it out perfectly and push through. Perfectionism weighed heavily on me, in dieting and in life. I muscled through my weight loss journey for eight years, and it was a constant struggle.

The truth is, I knew what to do… I just wasn’t doing it. I mean, I had eight years in here. If I didn’t know what to do already, how the heck did I get here? But my problem wasn’t knowledge; it was perspective. I couldn’t see beyond what I had already tried.

Everything changed when I started working with my first nutrition coach. Within months, she challenged so many of my old beliefs, and the weight started to come off. More importantly, I felt free.

Later, my second coach pushed me even further. He helped reshape my mindset and build real strength… physically and mentally.

Even when I’ve gone solo, I always find my way back to coaching. Because the truth is, it helps. With everything. I’ve learned that my own perspective is limited, and seeking others’ insights is what keeps me growing and thriving.