Why You Don’t Need Hours in the Gym to Lose Weight
(And Why Believing That Could Be Holding You Back)
You’ve probably heard this before 👇🏻
“If you want to lose weight, you’ve got to spend hours in the gym.”
It’s honestly everywhere… social media, fitness influencers, even well-meaning friends.
But if you’re a busy mom and/or already work full time you most likely already juggling a million things… this message doesn’t motivate you.
It discourages you.
Because you don’t have the luxury of extra hours in your day.
You’re already:
Managing meals for the family
Keeping the house from falling apart
Working your business or job
Trying to squeeze in 5 minutes of peace (and maybe a warm cup of coffee)
And now you’re supposed to somehow fit in hour-long workouts, too?
Ya okay….
Let’s be honest.
This belief that you have to earn your fat loss by grinding in the gym…
…it’s not just wrong.
It’s exhausting.
And worse—it’s holding you back from actually seeing results.
Because believing this lie keeps you stuck in an all-or-nothing cycle:
If you can’t do the full 60-minute workout, you do nothing.
Then you feel like a failure.
And that guilt? It keeps stacking week after week.
But the truth is, Fat loss isn’t about working harder.
It’s about working smarter.
In this letter, Ima show you exactly how to start doing that.
No gym membership required.
No 5AM cardio sessions.
No 7-day training split.
Just a smarter, simpler way to finally reach your goals—in a way that fits your life.
The Hidden Cost of Believing “More Gym = More Fat Loss”
Believing that more working out = more fat loss isn’t just costing you your time.
It’s also costing you;
your mental energy
your confidence
and your momentum.
And when you think weight loss only comes from long gym sessions:
You start feeling like you're always behind.
You miss a day, and suddenly you're “off track.”
You skip a workout, and guilt kicks in.
You feel like you’ve failed... again.
This belief makes success feel out of reach unless you’re doing everything perfectly.
And that’s not just unrealistic—it’s unsustainable.
You ignore the things that actually move the needle.
Instead of focusing on simple, daily actions that work...
...you obsess over:
The perfect workout split
Which gym class burns more calories
Whether you should do fasted cardio or not
Meanwhile, stress is building. Sleep is suffering. Energy is tanking.
And your weight? It’s staying the same—or even creeping up.
You burn out… fast.
If you’ve ever pushed yourself to go “all in” on a new workout plan—only to fall off a week or two later…
...it’s probably because the plan didn’t fit your life in the first place.
It demanded more than you could consistently give.
But instead of blaming the plan, you blamed yourself.
And that’s the most damaging part of this is it makes you feel like you’re the problem…
when the real problem is the approach.
Let me be clear.
You are not lazy.
You are not unmotivated.
And you’re not failing because you “don’t want it bad enough.”
You’ve just been sold a version of weight loss that was never designed for someone with a full plate like yourself.
But there is a better way.
And it starts with understanding how fat loss really works.
I Used to Believe It Too (Until It Nearly Broke Me)
If I’m being 100% honest…
I used to chase the same idea you might be stuck on right now.
The harder I worked out, the faster I thought I’d lose the weight.
I believed:
If I wasn’t drenched in sweat, it didn’t count.
If I missed a workout, I was falling behind.
If I wasn’t sore the next day, I didn’t push hard enough.
So I tried to do it all.
Waking up early, doing 2hr long workouts before I had to go to work, run to the gym after dinner for the second time just to do cardio, even if I had no energy left.
At first, it felt empowering… like I was more disciplined or motivated then the average person
But that didn’t last long.
Soon, I was exhausted.
Physically, I had nothing left.
Mentally, I was drained.
Emotionally, I felt like a failure every time I missed a workout.
I was doing “everything right.”
But my body wasn’t changing.
If anything, I felt more bloated, more inflamed, and more frustrated.
I remember sitting in my car one night after i had just gotten done doing an hour and 30min of cardio on the stair mill and thinking:
“How is this sustainable?
How does anyone actually live like this?”
And that’s when it hit me.
The problem wasn’t me.
The problem was my approach.
I was trying to force a strategy into my life that didn’t fit.
A strategy built for people with flexible schedules and all the time in the world.
That’s not me.
And I’m guessing that’s not you either.
So I made a decision:
I stopped doing what wasn’t working.
And I started learning what actually moves the needle for people like us.
People who don’t have time to waste.
People who need results without the burnout.
People who want a healthy body and a full life—not one or the other.
And that shift changed everything.
The Truth About How Fat Loss Actually Works
You’ve been told that long, intense workouts are the key to weight loss.
But the reality is exercise plays a much smaller role than you think.
Here’s the breakdown of how your body burns calories each day:
1. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) – ~70%
This is the energy your body uses just to keep you alive. Breathing. Thinking. Sleeping. It’s happening 24/7—even if you don’t work out.
2. NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) – ~15%
This is everything you do that’s not a workout:
Walking around your house
Playing with your kids
Folding laundry
Fidgeting
Running errands
3. Exercise (Intentional Workouts) – ~5%
Yup. All that gym time is only a small slice of your daily calorie burn.
4. TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) – ~10%
Your body uses energy to digest and process food—especially protein.
So what does that mean for you?
If you’re spending all your energy on workouts...
…but ignoring your overall daily movement, your nutrition, and your stress?
You’re missing the big picture.
Fat loss happens when you consistently eat in a calorie deficit.
That can come from food.
Or from gentle movement.
Or a combination of both.
You don’t need to “burn it off” with long workouts.
In fact, pushing your body too hard—especially when you're already running on stress and low sleep—can do the opposite.
Too much intensity can backfire.
Here’s how:
Raises cortisol → makes it harder to lose belly fat
Increases hunger → leads to overeating
Drains energy → makes it harder to stick with healthy habits
Interrupts recovery → slows progress even more
It’s not about how hard you train.
It’s about how well your routine supports your life.
And for women who are already doing a lot?
That means workouts need to fit around your life—not the other way around.
So instead of asking, “How many workouts do I need?”
Ask this instead:
“What’s the simplest thing I can do each day to move more, eat better, and stress less?”
That’s the formula that works.
The MOVE Less, Burn More System
If traditional workout plans feel overwhelming…
Try this instead.
You’ll still make progress.
You’ll still lose fat.
But you’ll do it on your terms.
Here’s how it works:
Mindset First
Your mindset determines everything.
If you believe weight loss only happens with brutal workouts… you’ll keep burning out.
But once you shift to “what’s realistic for me?”, everything changes.
Ask yourself each week:
What feels doable with the time I have?
What’s one small habit I can be proud of?
No more chasing perfection. Just progress.
On-the-Go Movement
You don’t need hour long gym. You need to move more throughout your day.
Examples:
Walk while taking phone calls
Park further away
Dance while cooking dinner
5-minute clean-up power bursts
All of this boosts NEAT, which matters more than you’ve been told.
Ten minutes here and there adds up fast.
Volume of Food (Not Restrictions)
Instead of cutting calories blindly, increase food volume.
That means:
More protein
More veggies
More water
More fiber
These foods fill you up without filling you out.
So you eat more… while eating less.
You’ll feel full, satisfied, and less likely to snack mindlessly.
Easy-to-Stick Habits
The best plan is the one you can actually follow.
So stop trying to overhaul everything overnight.
Instead:
Focus on 1 habit at a time
Stack it into your existing routine
Make it so easy you can’t fail
Example:
1-minute habit: Add protein to breakfast
5-minute habit: Morning walk before coffee
10-minute habit: Prep veggies for the week
Consistency beats intensity every time.
This system isn’t flashy.
But it’s effective.
And more importantly—it fits your life.
“But What About Cardio?” (And Other Questions You’re Probably Thinking)
It’s completely normal to feel a little hesitant.
Especially if you've spent years believing you need to push harder, sweat more, or go longer to see results.
Let’s walk through a few of the most common concerns—and why they’re not the barriers you think they are.
“But isn’t cardio necessary for fat loss?”
Cardio can help you create a calorie deficit, but it’s not required.
You could walk daily, chase your kids around, and focus on better food choices—and still lose fat.
Cardio is a tool, not the foundation.
“Walking sounds too easy. Will it even make a difference?”
Yes. Because it’s something you can actually do consistently.
Walking improves fat loss, digestion, stress, and sleep.
And when you pair it with solid nutrition?
It becomes one of the most powerful tools in your routine.
“But I like intense workouts. Should I stop?”
Not at all.
If you enjoy it, and it energizes you—not drains you—then it can absolutely stay.
But remember: more isn’t always better.
If you’re doing intense workouts while under-sleeping, overstressing, and under-eating, you’re working against your goals.
“Won’t I lose progress if I stop training so hard?”
No.
If your current routine is unsustainable, it’s not progress—it’s just a countdown to burnout.
Sustainable habits build lasting results.
And that’s what we’re after here.
The bottom line is you don’t need to do more.
You just need to do what works—and keep doing it.
What If It Could Be This Simple?
Picture this…
You wake up feeling rested—not rushed.
You sip your coffee in peace.
No panic about fitting in a 60-minute workout before the day starts.
Instead, you get in a quick walk while listening to your favorite podcast.
You move your body because it feels good—not because you feel guilty.
You eat real meals that keep you full.
No more bouncing between starving and overeating.
No more obsessing over calories or cutting out foods you enjoy.
And best of all?
You’re actually losing fat.
You’re getting stronger.
You feel better in your skin—without the constant pressure to “do more.”
Here’s what changes when you stop chasing the gym grind:
You stop skipping workouts out of guilt
You stop starting over every Monday
You finally feel in control of your progress
You have more energy to show up for your family
You start enjoying the process instead of dreading it
This isn’t a fantasy.
It’s what happens when you follow a system that actually fits your life.
One step at a time.
One habit at a time.
And if you want weekly help to make that your new normal?
That’s exactly what the Friday newsletter is for.
Want a Clear Plan Every Week? I’ve Got You.
If today’s message clicked…
If you’re tired of guessing what to do next…
If you want someone to just lay it out for you—step by step…
Then you’ll love what I send out every Friday.
Inside the Friday Fat Loss Newsletter, you’ll get:
A clear focus for the week
One habit, one adjustment, or one mindset shift that actually moves the needle
A simple fat loss system built around your real life—not the gym life
Workouts you can do in under 20 minutes—or skip entirely (and still lose fat)
Easy nutrition swaps and routines you can actually stick to
It’s all laid out.
No more wondering.
No more information overload.
Just direction—and momentum.
You already have enough on your plate.
Let this be the one thing that makes reaching your goal feel simple and doable again.
You Don’t Need More Time. You Need Better Direction.
If you take one thing from this…
Let it be this:
Long workouts aren’t the key.
Consistency is.
You don’t need to do more.
You just need to do what works—and do it consistently.
That doesn’t come from grinding harder.
It comes from simplifying smarter.
So if you’ve been stuck in that “all or nothing” loop...
Just remember:
10 minutes counts
A walk counts
Progress without burnout is still progress
And it adds up faster than you think.
There’s a better path.
It’s doable.
It works.
And it can start this week.
All you have to do is take the next step.
I’ll help you make it feel light, focused, and simple.
You in?
Much love,
Anthony