Day #2: Why Diets Keep Failing You (and It’s Not Your Fault)

The 5-Steps To Faster Fat Loss Challenge

Aug 12, 2025

You made it to Day 2 — and that’s huge.

Most people never get past the first burst of motivation.

But you showed up today, which tells me you’re serious about finding a way to lose weight that finally works for your lifestyle.

Yesterday, you got clear on your 90-day goal and your “why.”

Today, we’re going to talk about why it hasn’t worked before — and why that has absolutely nothing to do with you “not trying hard enough.”

If you’ve ever felt like…

You’re great at starting but terrible at finishing
You’re always “on a plan” or “off a plan”
You’ve tried everything and nothing sticks

…then what we’re covering today is going to feel like taking a heavy backpack off your shoulders.

If you would like help implementing everything inside the 5-Steps To Faster Fat Loss Challenge, just click the button below and book a FREE Implementation call where I’ll walk you through everything step my by step so you can see the most success.

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What Mainstream Weight Loss Gets Wrong

When you think about losing weight, what’s the first approach that comes to mind?

For most hard working women I work with, it’s one of these:

Strict meal plans with no flexibility.
“All-in” fitness challenges that demand daily workouts.
Extreme diets cutting out entire food groups.
Detoxes or cleanses that leave you exhausted and cranky.
Counting and tracking every calorie until you’re obsessing about food.

And on paper? These sound like they should work.

They give you structure, they’re simple to follow at first, and they might even give you quick results.

But in real life, they fail — every single time.

Here’s why:

Because life is unpredictable.

You’re managing a household, schedules, meals, work, and kids — all at the same time.

So when a plan expects you to…

Cook separate meals for yourself
Hit the gym for an hour ever day
Avoid social events so you don’t “mess up”
Meal prep 21 perfect meals every week

…it’s setting you up for failure before you even start.

That has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the approach

Case Study: Melissa’s “Perfect Plan” That Backfired

Melissa, a mom of two, joined my SSFL Coaching Program after years of trying every program she could find.

Her last attempt was a 75-day “no excuses” challenge she found online (also Known as 75 hard).

The rules were intense:

2 workouts a day
No sugar, no alcohol, no carbs
Drink a gallon of water daily
Zero flexibility

By Day 18, she was exhausted.

By Day 24, she skipped one workout.

By Day 25, she quit altogether — and didn’t restart anything for months.

Her words to me on our first call:

“It made me feel like I was the problem, like I’m just not disciplined enough. But deep down, I know that’s not realistic for my life.”

Once we gave her a plan that worked with her life (3 short workouts a week, family-friendly meals, and flexible nutrition guidelines) she lost 17 pounds in 5 months and hasn’t looked back sense.

Why Past Failures Aren’t Your Fault

I want you to really let this sink in:

You have not failed. The plans you’ve tried have failed you.

They were designed for short-term results, not long-term living.

They were built for someone with unlimited time, energy, and resources — not for a busy mom balancing work, kids, and life.

And because no one told you this, you’ve been blaming yourself for years.

The Emotional Toll of Blaming Yourself

When you think it’s your fault, here’s what happens:

You carry guilt. “Why can’t I stick to anything?”
You feel shame. “Other people make it work. What’s wrong with me?”
You start expecting failure. “I’ll probably quit like last time.”

That mindset alone makes it almost impossible to succeed — because you’re already bracing for the crash before you even begin.

Mindset Shift #1: Your Results Aren’t About Motivation

Motivation is like your phone battery — it drains fast if you have too many apps running.

When your day is already filled with decisions like:

What to feed the kids
How to get everyone out the door
How to respond to the 72 emails in your inbox

…you don’t have much left for resisting temptation or forcing yourself to work out.

The solution isn’t “try harder” — it’s to build habits and systems so you don’t need motivation at all.

That’s exactly what we’ll start building tomorrow.

The Three Biggest External Problems Most Women Face

1. Overly Restrictive Diets

Cutting out entire food groups, eating totally separate from your family, or sticking to a short “approved” food list.

2. Unsustainable Workout Plans

Demanding workouts that require 60+ minutes a day, multiple days a week, with no flexibility for when life gets busy.

3. Lack of Flexibility for Real Life

Plans that crumble when you travel, have a busy week, or just need a mental health day.

The Three Internal Obstacles That Sneak In

1. Guilt From the Past

You see your history of “starting and stopping” as proof you can’t succeed.

2. Belief You Lack Willpower
You think others have some secret self-control you don’t.

3. Frustration With Slow Results
You’ve only been taught to value fast weight loss, so slower (but sustainable) progress feels like “failure.”

Common Mistakes People Make at This Stage

Mistake 1: Jumping into another extreme plan hoping “this time will be different.”

Mistake 2: Blaming themselves instead of recognizing the plan was unrealistic.

Mistake 3: Ignoring the emotional burnout that comes from the start/stop cycle.

Your Day 2 Action Step: The “Never Again” List

Today’s assignment is one of the most freeing things you’ll ever do for your fat loss journey.

You’re going to decide — right now — which diet and workout tactics you will never waste time on again.

Why This Works:

When you clearly know what doesn’t work for you, you stop chasing it.

You stop wasting energy on methods that only leave you frustrated.

How to Do It:

Grab a pen and notebook (or open a blank note on your phone).
Think about every diet, plan, or challenge you’ve tried.
Write down the parts that:
- Made you miserable
- Didn’t fit your life
- Caused you to quit
Next to each one, write “NEVER AGAIN.”

Example “Never Again” List:

Never again will I do cardio I dread every single day.
Never again will I eat different meals from my family.
Never again will I cut carbs completely.
Never again will I join a plan that doesn’t allow for vacations, holidays, or flexibility.

Journaling Prompt:

Which past diets or plans burned you out the fastest? Why?
Which rules felt impossible to stick to?
Which ones made you feel the most deprived or unhappy?

Feel free to share your never agin list in the comments below for accountability and support.

Mindset Shift #2: You Are the Boss of Your Plan

Most women hand over all their power to a program or a coach, thinking, “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

But here’s the truth: You are the CEO of your own health.

Any plan you follow needs to answer to you — not the other way around.

By creating your “Never Again” list, you’re setting your non-negotiables.

This makes every decision going forward easier, because you already know what’s off the table.

Case Study: Sarah’s Turnaround

Sarah came to me after years of doing restrictive cleanses. She had lost the same 20 pounds five times — and gained it back every time.

When we created her “Never Again” list, her top one was:

“Never again will I do something I can’t see myself doing for the rest of my life.”

That single rule changed everything. She started saying no to programs that promised extreme results and yes to habits she could keep — and for the first time in 15 years, she’s maintained her weight loss for over 18 months.