You may not like this post. It could be a harsh reality check. But my hope is that even if you don't like it, you will find peace in it.

For most of us mere mortals and non-thoroughbreds, fat loss is real work. It's hard, especially once you pass a certain age and your hormones start shifting. Your old tricks that used to work like gangbusters in your twenties & thirties stop being effective or take an eternity to create change.

What's worse is that we have an unrealistic expectation for what "normal" healthy & fit looks like. We are skewed to think extremely low body fat is normal because we are bombarded by shredded fitness bodies all day long on social media and YouTube. Because we see these images constantly, we've come to accept being extremely lean as the "norm."

But that is not the norm. Fitness models and competitors diet down for shoots and competitions to peak with this shredded look for a small moment in time. (If they have an extremely low level of body fat year-round, you better believe there is something else they are sacrificing... whether health or sanity. But we'll get to that later.)

When our brains see these images non-stop, we think that is how we are supposed to look if we are at all dedicated to health, fitness, & self-improvement... and feel like losers if we don't look that way.

On top of that, we are competing with fat loss drugs and surgical enhancements creating artificial results & tainting the playing field even more. So, if you are trying to do things naturally (which I highly recommend), it can feel like even more of a slog.

But let's cut to the chase. If you want to look extreme (meaning 6-pack abs, shredded muscle definition, very low body fat), you have to be extreme. You have to be diligent with your diet and workout plan to the point where it is pretty much all-consuming and little-to-no room for error.

• That means, when your girlfriends invite you out for happy hour drinks, you have to say "no."
• That means you spend your weekends food prepping for the next week.
• That means you can't have "just one French fry" or order the pasta dish "just this one time."

You have to be extreme, disciplined, and obsessed with this singular goal.

Depending on how lean you want to look, it is possible to cut to low body fat in a healthy way for a short period of time. But make no mistake...it will be an all-consuming effort. Then, once you get to that desired level of leanness, you'll still have to work to maintain it. There's no letting your foot off the gas... no "once I get there, I'll be able to relax and stay there."

Most of us don't have the time or energetic capacity for that. Not because we are weak... but because we have other goals in life. And that's a good thing... something to be proud of! (What do you mean you can't focus 100% of your time & energy on your workout and diet because you are taking care of other people and things?) Congratulations. That means you are a good human with a real purpose!

This is why cutting for photoshoots or fitness competitions involves intense focus for a specified amount of time. It's not meant to be a lifestyle. It's a sprint to peak for a specific moment that takes an extreme amount of focus, dedication, and sacrifice.

(Side note: This doesn't even get into the health ramifications if your body fat & nutrient intake are too low to have optimal hormone function and brain & organ health. This kind of obsession and control can also lead to eating disorders and mental sickness that seriously impede your life, destroying you physically & spiritually.)

So, here's my point -- stop torturing and expecting yourself to look extreme if you're not ready to be extreme. Sometimes you want to say "yes" to happy hour or eat the French fries. We only get one life. And being super rigid with your diet is not necessarily the best way to spend it. The sacrifices you have to make usually aren't worth the reward. Trust me. As someone with a lot of practice cutting to low body fat (in both safe and unsafe ways)...I can tell you 99.99% of the time it's not worth it. The effort it takes and the sacrifices you have to make far outweigh the satisfaction you thought you'd get from being super lean.

Which brings us to my even bigger point -- having extremely low body fat is not necessarily going to make you happy, sexy, & confident. Looking skinny will not make all your problems go away. It won't make you feel loved or "good enough." You have to address much deeper stuff to get to that level. I tried this path when I was younger and learned the hard way. The leaner I got, the worse I felt about myself. Your self-worth isn't tied to a number on the scale. So don't get caught up thinking if you can just get to a certain weight, you'll be happy. Having extremely low body fat is NOT the answer to all your self-worth problems.

So, if you are someone beating yourself up for not looking super lean (or whatever image you have in your head you think will make you feel confident and sexy), give yourself a reality check:

Just to be clear, this post is not meant to discourage you from losing body fat to be healthy and feel more confident in your body. It's just asking you to check your expectations, so you have a realistic, attainable goal to work towards...a goal that doesn't drain all your happiness in attempting to attain it.

PC: Javi Alvarez

We're not meant to be on an endless, torturous, bland diet forever & ever. That's why my FAT LOSS GAME PLAN nutrition philosophy is built around 2 phases -- a shorter phase that requires more focus & effort to detox & gain control of cravings...and a longer phase meant to provide more freedom for enjoying life.

1. The shorter, Clean Eating Phase is designed to dial in nutrition, get rid of junk, and focus on nourishing fat loss with specific foods. This helps get a handle on cravings so you can tune into what your body needs instead of being manipulated by your vices (sugar, alcohol, processed foods, etc.). It requires a big amount of effort for a short period of time (usually 2 weeks).
2. Then, the Vibrant Phase allows a much broader approach to eating, incorporating more food variety & freedom. This develops your grasp of intuitive eating, giving you a healthy sense of control over your relationship with food and your body.

The main driver behind this nutrition philosophy is learning how to NOURISH fat loss instead of depriving yourself of calories (which is how most diets work...or don't work).

I teach these techniques for nourishing fat loss in a healthy way during my DETOX group coaching programs (see details below for the next one starting Sept. 9!). But you can do a self-study with my Fat Loss Game Plan nutrition blueprint (pdf) to get started now!

Do some of us need to work harder for fat loss? Yes. Is that fair? No. Just the fact that you are working on it is great. Give yourself credit for that. Then, manage your expectations for what you want versus what you are willing to give up.

Save the Date:

FALL DETOX

Starts September 9

Sign up to get a $20 EARLYBIRD DISCOUNT!

Promo Code: detox2025

I have some new material & recipes cued up for this round, including a special focus on lymphatic drainage and how that can:

• supercharge your fat loss results
• improve your overall health (& get rid of some common ailments/discomforts you might deal with on a daily basis!)
• and enhance your body & facial aesthetics.

Even if you've done this DETOX in the past, there's always something new to learn! Join us (via WhatsApp + online program) starting Sept 9!

This is a great way to build confidence going into the fall season with the start of new contracts, back-to-school vibes, and work-mode ambitions in full swing. Plus, it's always useful to approach the upcoming holiday season feeling svelte and in control of your cravings!

I hope you'll join us! Sign up by August 10 to get the $20 earlybird discount! (And as usual, if you have done a previous DETOX, email me for a special 50% off discount!)