Achieving and maintaining a healthy body should not be difficult. If it feels like a constant struggle, it may be time to shift your perspective. Sustainable weight loss isn’t about willpower or strict rules — it’s about building a way of eating that works with your life, not against it.
In my clinic, I’ve worked with many clients who come to me asking for accountability in their weight loss journey. Most of them have done this before. They’ve followed strict diets — paleo, keto, no-carb, low-fat, GAPS, you name it — and while these diets can lead to short-term results, the weight almost always comes back. Sometimes, even more weight is gained than was lost.
The Diet Cycle: Why It Doesn’t Work
One client shared with me that she had lost over 20kg in a year following the paleo diet, only to gain back 30kg the year after. Five years later, she followed the GAPS protocol for 18 months and lost weight again — but once more, she regained it. She came to me frustrated, saying she knew what she had to do to lose weight, but lacked the discipline to maintain it. She asked me to help keep her accountable.
I paused and gently offered a different perspective: the issue wasn’t her lack of discipline — it was the pressure to be perfect.
I could have given her a strict diet to follow, checked her food diary monthly, and ensured she stayed in a calorie deficit. Yes, she would likely lose weight again over the next 12 months. But we both knew how that story ends. If she had already done all of that, and it hadn’t lasted, what would make it different this time?
Is the goal to lose weight for another year? Or is the real goal to build a way of eating and living that naturally supports a healthy weight for the rest of her life?
The Problem with Restrictive Dieting
As a practitioner, I don’t feel ethically comfortable putting someone on a rigid, long-term calorie-restricted diet — not because it won’t “work,” but because it doesn’t offer long-term health. It often damages a person’s relationship with food, metabolism, and self-trust.
That’s why I don’t prescribe to any particular diet. Instead, I work with each client to help them build a healthy, intuitive, and sustainable way of eating that suits their body, their lifestyle, and their preferences.
I encourage clients to reconnect with the traditional meals and ingredients they love — whether that’s Lebanese, Greek, Chinese, Indian, Italian — and to weave in elements of the Mediterranean-style diet: lots of fresh vegetables, legumes, unprocessed whole grains, seafood, and moderate portions of meat. When food is both nourishing and culturally familiar, it becomes easier to sustain.
There’s No Perfect Diet — Only the One That Works for You
Everyone’s body is different. Digestion, metabolism, energy levels, food tolerances — these all vary person to person. That’s why there’s no single “perfect” diet. Instead, there’s a way of eating that works for you, and that might evolve over time depending on your age, lifestyle, and activity levels.
For example, many women find that perimenopause brings metabolic changes that require a shift in how they nourish themselves. But if you’ve built a strong, intuitive connection with your body and your appetite, these changes can be navigated with ease and without the stress of weight fluctuations.
For intuitive eating to be truly effective, it’s important to identify and address any underlying metabolic issues and factors that may affect nutrient absorption. Conditions such as insulin resistance and other markers of metabolic dysfunction — including fatty liver — can alter how your body processes and stores energy, which in turn can influence appetite and hunger cues. Similarly, digestive concerns like IBS, food sensitivities, chronic stress, and fatigue can interfere with nutrient uptake and impact how your body responds to food, making it more difficult to eat intuitively and feel satisfied.
By identifying and supporting these underlying health issues, you create a more balanced and resilient foundation for intuitive eating to thrive — one that supports sustainable, long-term weight management in a way that feels aligned with your body’s needs.
Intuitive Eating and Long-Term Weight Management
This is where intuitive eating becomes so powerful. Contrary to popular belief, intuitive eating doesn’t mean eating whatever you want, whenever you want, without structure. It means learning to trust your body’s signals — hunger, fullness, satisfaction, energy — and using those cues to guide your food choices.
One of the most freeing shifts I see in my clients is the move away from the “all-or-nothing” mindset. This is where I tell people: eat the ice cream. Not every day. Not as a substitute for meals. But also — not with guilt. When foods are no longer “forbidden,” they lose their power. You start to notice how food makes you feel, rather than whether it fits someone else’s rules.
When your body trusts that food is available and that no food is off-limits, it becomes much easier to make choices that feel good — physically, emotionally, and mentally. You naturally start gravitating towards meals that satisfy you and leave you feeling well, not because you should, but because you want to.
The Real Markers of Success
People who successfully maintain a healthy weight over the long term don’t rely on restriction or shame. They have:
- A positive relationship with food
- Consistent, enjoyable movement
- Regular rest and recovery
- Effective stress regulation
- A flexible, realistic mindset
They’re not obsessively counting calories or punishing themselves after eating out. Instead, they’ve built a lifestyle that includes joy, balance, and room for change.
Sustainable Weight Loss Starts with Self-Respect
If you’re tired of the diet cycle and want a new path, start by shifting the goal. Instead of chasing a number on the scale, focus on how your body feels — after meals, after movement, after rest. Choose foods that support energy, mood, digestion, and satisfaction. And yes — enjoy the ice cream. Then tune in. Notice how it felt. Let that guide your next choice, not from a place of guilt, but from a place of respect and care.
In the end, it’s not about being disciplined. It’s about being connected. Sustainable weight loss isn’t about eating perfectly — it’s about building trust with your body and learning to listen.
Ready to explore intuitive eating for long-term weight management?
I work with clients 1:1 to help them build realistic, sustainable nutrition plans that honour their lifestyle and health goals.
