How to Make Your Fitness Journey Suck Less
As someone who lost 40 pounds over two years and kept (most of) it off, I am deeply familiar with the highs and lows of the fat loss process. While it’s tempting to search for a quick fix, those who have shared this experience know that sustainable body recomposition requires time and patience. It can’t feel like a sprint that burns you out — it needs to be tolerable (and dare I say, enjoyable) to be sustained for months to come.
At this point, many of us have a decent idea of what to do — but the more challenging question is, how do we sustain it? How do we stay consistent long enough to see the results we’re looking for without feeling like we’ve pressed the pause button on our lives?
As someone on the other side of my own transformation, I’d like to share four non-conventional tips that helped the fat loss process feel less like purgatory and more like a lifestyle upgrade.
Wear clothes that fit perfectly now.
This might seem like an odd tip, but hear me out. Weight loss, if you’re doing it properly, takes time. Throughout my journey, I often found myself in an aesthetic holding pattern. It’s a waste to spend money on clothes that will be loose in a month, I thought to myself. I’ll invest in my dream wardrobe once I’ve reached my final form.
This state of limbo actually held me back. Why? It created separation between who I am now and who I was working to become.
The truth is, even when you’ve reached your dream physique, you won’t be a different person. You’re still going to be you. Putting your life on pause while working toward your goals can have a negative effect — though it’s inspiring to think of your leaner self as a separate entity, you also create a chasm between who you are and who you want to be.
It’s essential to narrow that gap. An easy way to do this is to continue to honor your body exactly where it is now. At every new size milestone, invest in a few pieces you feel great in — even if they won’t fit in two months. This will subconsciously root you into a state of self worth and keep you motivated to achieve your goals.
Steady your glucose levels.
If you can only take one nugget away from these tips, let it be this one.
In a nutshell: Keeping your glucose steady and mitigating spikes throughout the day will eliminate food noise and cravings, foster mental clarity, and make it a whole lot easier to maintain your health plan.
I recently discovered the work of French biochemist Jessie Inchauspé — also known as the Glucose Goddess — who shares low maintenance, easy-to-apply methods to steady your glucose levels and avoid blood sugar spikes throughout the day. The two tips I found most impactful (and easiest to apply) is to have a small serving of vegetables before a starch-heavy meal, and/or to move your body for 10 minutes afterward.
Her methods improved my skin, boosted my mood, and eliminated my desire to mindlessly snack. Check out her website to learn more about her methods and the science behind them.
Cook restaurant favorites at home.
As a millennial, I am obsessed with going out to eat. It brings me so much joy to put together a cute look, enter a beautifully curated environment, sip a craft cocktail, and twirl pasta on my fork. It’s not just a meal. It’s an experience.
But I’m going to let you in on a hard truth: Restaurants are blocking your progress.
Don’t get me wrong — it’s crucial to still enjoy a dinner out every now and then on your journey. But it should be an occasion, not the norm. It’s been proven that we unknowingly consume more calories, sodium, and sugar when dining out as opposed to cooking at home.
An effective way to fill that void is to learn how to make your restaurant favorites at home. This was a game changer on my own fitness journey. And here’s the best part: No matter how “junky” the food was, I still saw consistent progress when making the majority of my meals from scratch.
Craving Korean fried chicken? Try out an online air fryer recipe. Tempted by your friend’s Instagram pictures of lemon pasta on her Italy vacation? Invite a few friends over and follow along with a Youtube video in your kitchen.
You will consume far less calories and sugar than you would at a restaurant. Not only that, but it will satisfy your cravings, save you money, and add new recipes to your rolodex. Triple win!
Pamper yourself in other ways.
I fully believe in enjoying life throughout the weight loss journey. But at the end of the day, this process still involves a lot of discipline and effort. For that reason, it’s important to balance work and play to stay motivated and inspired. Give to yourself in other ways.
Try a new haircut. Buy a new perfume or cologne. Use the money you’re saving from eating at home to get a weekly massage. Don’t want to spend money? Dive back into a hobby you’ve been neglecting. Go on long walks and use it as a time to call friends and family, or download a streaming app on your phone and catch up on reality tv (my personal favorite!).
As tempting as it is to view your dream physique as the key to life, it’s only a piece of the puzzle. Make extra effort to treat yourself like royalty during this chapter of working toward your goals. Find ways to keep life feeling fresh and abundant during this season of discipline and hard work.
After decades of sensationalist reality television and extreme beauty standards, many of us came to believe that suffering was necessary to get into shape. But as someone who lost 40 pounds while still living a balanced and enjoyable life, I can promise you there’s a more moderate and sustainable way to achieve your fitness goals.
It may be less sexy than a quick fix, but you’ll actually enjoy your life while taking steps toward your dream self. When we learn to hold space for two truths — incorporating discipline while treating ourselves with kindness and care — we create a gentle rhythm that sustains a successful journey.