Why Dieting Stopped Working for Me

What years of skipping breakfast, sugar cravings, and learning about food taught me about feeling like myself again.

I remember pulling on my favorite pair of jeans one morning.

I got them buttoned.

Barely.

Then I looked down.

The dreaded muffin top.

A few days later I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror...from the back.

Where did those rolls come from?

The muffin top had invited friends.

And somewhere along the way...

My butt packed up and moved out.

What the fudge?

I stood there thinking,

I miss me.

Not the wrinkle-free me.

Not the twenty-five-year-old me.

Just the woman who felt comfortable in her own skin.

The woman who wasn't wondering if her shirt was long enough or promising herself that this Monday she'd finally start another diet.

Then I realized something.

I've had an unhealthy relationship with food for most of my life.

As a kid, my mom handed me a piece of toast every morning as I walked out the door.

Every morning...

I'd throw it in the bushes.

The birds probably thought we owned a bakery.

Fast-forward forty years, and I was still skipping breakfast, living on coffee and Diet Coke, wondering why I crashed every afternoon and craved sugar by 3 p.m.

It wasn't because my body was broken.

It was because it was under-fueled.

A few years ago, after gaining weight during COVID, I finally learned something no one had ever really taught me:

Fuel your body instead of fighting it.

Today I eat breakfast, drink plenty of water, and focus on nourishing my body instead of depriving it.

The biggest surprise wasn't the weight I lost.

It was how much better I felt.

More energy.

Fewer cravings.

Better focus.

And far less time obsessing about food.

For years, I thought eating less was the answer.

Ironically, it was exactly the opposite of what my body needed.

These days, my goal isn't to have my twenty-five-year-old body back.

It's to give my sixty-two-year-old body the best chance to stay strong for the years ahead.

To hike.

To travel.

To dance.

To chase future grandkids around the yard.

To enjoy life.

That's why I became a health coach.

Because I hear the same sentence over and over:

"I just don't feel like myself anymore."

I understand.

I've said those exact words.

The biggest lesson I've learned is that health isn't about perfection.

It's about paying attention.

Making more good choices than poor ones.

And remembering that every meal, every walk, every glass of water is another chance to take care of yourself.

If you've convinced yourself that feeling tired, gaining weight, and losing muscle are simply the price of getting older, I'd encourage you to question that.

We can't stop aging.

But we can absolutely age better.

And maybe one morning you'll catch your reflection in the mirror and think...

"There you are."

If you're curious about the program that's helped me over the last four years—or you'd simply like to talk about your own health journey—I'd love to chat. No pressure. No judgment. Just a conversation.

You can also take my free two-minute metabolic health assessment to see where you are today