The Cycle That Stalls My Progress
I’ve noticed a pattern that shows up in my own journey—and maybe you’ve experienced it too. I get busy. So busy that all I manage to eat in a day is one solid meal, a protein shake, and maybe some chips and salsa (because, let’s be real, my thighs are powered by chips and salsa). I tell myself I’m fine, I can push through. But I’ll do this for three days straight—and then day four hits like a freight train.
By then, I’ve been in such a deficit that I’m ravenous and eat everything in sight. It’s not just emotional—it’s biological. My body, starved of protein and nutrients, has been clinging to what little I gave it, storing energy, slowing down recovery, and prepping for the next “famine.” So when I finally eat a large meal, my glycogen stores fill back up, my brain breathes a sigh of relief, and my body starts storing again—because it doesn’t know when the next full meal is coming.
And even though the scale might have dropped for a day or two (which feels encouraging), it’s not true progress. It’s water loss, depletion, and survival mode—not fat loss.
To avoid those busy-starve-binge cycles, we need an approach to nutrition that is simple, moderate, and consistent. We don’t chase trends. We don’t get pulled into fads. We do the basics really well:
Sleep
Water
Protein
Fiber
That’s your foundation. The rest? That’s your budget—whether you’re aiming to lose weight or maintain it. As long as you’re moving your body, true health is achievable. But if you want real body composition changes, you will need to give up something to get something.
Examples?
Give up alcohol.
Give up processed foods.
Give up sugary snacks.
Give up the fancy creamer in your coffee (yep, that one hurts).
When I feel off track, I always return to my roots. Say it with me again: Sleep, water, protein, fiber. These are your non-negotiables.
Got the basics dialed? Then it’s time to:
Track your food.
Weigh yourself.
Collect data.
Not because the scale defines you, but because data brings clarity.
Nutrition isn’t complicated—we complicate it with our time constraints, preferences, and inability to plan or prepare. But here’s what works:
If you make yourself a priority, everything changes.
Stack habits. Make concessions. Choose wisely.
Control your food environment—don’t let it control you.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about consistency, simplicity, and a whole lot of honesty.
