Advertise on podcast: The Mindset Diet

In this episode of The Mindset Diet, I'm sharing a recent conversation with a coaching client that inspired me to reflect on the incredible power of consistency, even when things aren't going perfectly. I'm also opening up about my own health journey, including how seven weeks of sticking with the same approach has helped me lose eight pounds and finally start making progress with my chronic gut health struggles. But we're going deeper than simply telling you to "be consistent." We're talking about why staying consistent is so emotionally challenging, how impatience and perfectionism can sabotage your progress, and why learning to manage your reactions to setbacks might be one of the most important skills you develop on your weight loss journey. Next Steps If you're tired of starting over, second-guessing your decisions, and struggling to hold yourself accountable, I'd love to help. Through our 1:1 Mastery Coaching program, my team and I help women lose weight, improve their health, and build sustainable habits without restrictive dieting or excessive exercise. Apply for 1:1 Coaching: http://builtbybalancefitness.com/book-a-call If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating or review and share it with someone who needs to hear this message! You can also follow me on Instagram @builtbybalance_iman and email your feedback to [email protected]

How many opportunities have you talked yourself out of because you’ve already decided you’re “not that type of person”? Maybe you tell yourself you’re lazy. You have no willpower. You’re inconsistent. You always fall off. Your metabolism is broken. You’ve tried everything, so maybe this is simply who you are now. But what if you’re wrong about yourself? In this episode of The Mindset Diet, I’m sharing the story of a new client, “Miranda,” who almost talked herself out of coaching because she was convinced she was too lazy to follow through. Her husband even believed the same thing about her. Three weeks later, she’s lost three pounds, walking every day, meal prepping consistently, completing her check-ins, and proving that the identity she had accepted as fact wasn’t actually the truth. We’re breaking down how limiting beliefs can become self-fulfilling prophecies, why your brain looks for evidence to reinforce the story you already believe, and how to start creating a new identity through small actions you can actually follow through on. Loved This Episode? If this episode made you think about yourself a little differently, share it with a friend or family member who needs to hear it too. And if you enjoy The Mindset Diet, I would greatly appreciate it if you left a rating or review wherever you listen to the podcast. Apparently someone decided my perfect 5.0 needed to become a 4.9, so we have some repairing to do. 😂 Resources & Next Steps If you’re feeling stuck and want help applying these concepts to your real life, I currently have limited spots open for one-on-one nutrition and fitness coaching. You can apply for a no-pressure nutrition and fitness consult using the link below. This call is simply a chance for us to talk through your goals, your challenges, and whether coaching would actually make sense for you. http://builtbybalancefitness.com/book-a-call Follow me on Instagram @builtbybalance_iman and email your feedback to [email protected]

What happens when two nutrition coaches sit down with no real agenda and start talking about what they’re actually seeing with their clients? Welcome to the first Coaches Chat. In this episode, I’m joined by Coach Gretchen for an honest conversation about some of the biggest challenges we’re seeing right now with women’s health and weight loss, from sluggish thyroid function and frustrating weight loss resistance to the behavioral patterns that can quietly keep someone stuck. We start by digging into thyroid health, including some of the symptoms that make us want to take a closer look at a client’s labs, why a basic thyroid panel may not always give you the full picture, and our experiences working with women who seem to be doing everything “right” but still aren’t seeing their body respond the way they expect. From there, we talk about why I’ve been experimenting more with carb cycling and lower-carb days for certain weight-loss-resistant clients, why I completely changed my opinion on giving clients meal plans, and why sometimes simplifying someone’s nutrition is far more valuable than giving them more information This episode is especially for you if you feel like you’re already doing a lot of the “right” things but your body still isn’t responding. Resources & Next Steps If you’re feeling stuck and want help applying these concepts to your real life, I currently have limited spots open for one-on-one nutrition and fitness coaching. You can apply for a no-pressure nutrition and fitness consult using the link below. This call is simply a chance for us to talk through your goals, your challenges, and whether coaching would actually make sense for you. http://builtbybalancefitness.com/book-a-call Follow Coach Gretchen @root.cause.care on Instagram Follow me on Instagram @builtbybalance_iman and email your feedback to [email protected]

In this short, off-the-cuff episode, I’m sharing the story of one of our clients, “Amanda,” who had been making incredible progress before several stressful life changes completely knocked her out of her routine. When she found herself so overwhelmed that she couldn’t get herself to do anything, we stopped worrying about finding motivation and focused on something much more useful. Resources & Next Steps If you’re feeling stuck and want help applying these concepts to your real life, I currently have limited spots open for one-on-one nutrition and fitness coaching. You can apply for a no-pressure nutrition and fitness consult using the link below. This call is simply a chance for us to talk through your goals, your challenges, and whether coaching would actually make sense for you. http://builtbybalancefitness.com/book-a-call Follow me on Instagram @builtbybalance_iman and email your feedback to [email protected]

You know protein matters. You know you should strength train, walk more, eat mostly whole foods, and stay consistent. So why do you keep finding yourself saying, “Okay, Monday I’m getting serious again”? In this episode, I’m breaking down why knowing what to do isn’t always enough, and why constantly starting over may actually be the thing keeping you stuck. Resources & Next Steps If you’re feeling stuck and want help applying these concepts to your real life, I currently have limited spots open for one-on-one nutrition and fitness coaching. You can apply for a no-pressure nutrition and fitness consult using the link below. This call is simply a chance for us to talk through your goals, your challenges, and whether coaching would actually make sense for you. http://builtbybalancefitness.com/book-a-call Follow me on Instagram @builtbybalance_iman and email your feedback to [email protected]

In this episode, I’m joined by Tara Gogolinski, a licensed marriage and family therapist with 15 years of experience working with couples. We’re talking about something that comes up constantly with women on a health journey: how your relationship, home life, communication patterns, and ability to ask for support can directly impact your ability to take care of yourself. If you feel like the default parent, the default planner, the default person responsible for everything at home, this conversation will hit home. Tara explains how those patterns develop, why resentment builds, how to communicate your needs more effectively, and why emotional safety matters so much in a healthy relationship. We also talk about what it looks like to ask your partner for support when you want to invest in your health, why so many women struggle to give themselves permission to take up space, and how improving your physical health can shift how you show up in your relationship. Connect with Tara on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapytalkwithtara/ Apply for 1:1 coaching here: http://builtbybalancefitness.com/book-a-call

Have you ever felt like you’ve tried everything to lose weight? Keto, fasting, low carb, macro tracking, OrangeTheory, Peloton, cutting dairy, cutting gluten, detoxes, supplements, more steps, less food… and somehow, you still feel stuck. In this episode of The Mindset Diet, I break down why trying more random strategies is usually not the answer. Instead, I walks through exactly what I would assess if you came to her feeling frustrated, stuck, and convinced that your body just doesn’t respond anymore. Apply for the Summer Reset Scholarship If this episode felt like it was speaking directly to you, applications are now open for the Summer Reset Scholarship. One woman will receive six months of 1:1 functional nutrition coaching completely free. A handful of applicants will also receive partial scholarships to the program. This scholarship is for the woman who is done guessing, done starting over, and ready to finally understand what is keeping her stuck. Apply here: https://builtbybalancefitness.com/summer-scholarship

You’re working out. You’re eating healthy. You’re trying to make the right choices. So why isn’t the scale moving? In this episode of The Mindset Diet, I break down eight “healthy” habits that may look good on paper but could actually be slowing down your weight loss progress. From under-eating protein to relying on supplements, overdoing cardio-style workouts, cutting carbs, and walking into the week without a food plan, this episode will help you spot the hidden gaps in your routine and understand what to do instead. This episode is especially for the woman who feels like she is doing everything right but still not seeing results. Work with us: Inside the Built By Balance program, we do not just ask, “Are you eating healthy?” or “Are you working out?” We look at the full picture: your protein, calories, meal structure, workouts, stress, sleep, recovery, hormones, lifestyle, and the specific constraints that may be keeping your body from responding. You do not need another random diet, free workout plan, or trendy recipe. You need clarity on what is actually holding you back and a plan to fix it. Apply for coaching here: http://builtbybalancefitness.com/book-a-call

In this episode, I am giving some tough love around a pattern I see all the time: women who say they want to lose weight, improve their metabolism, and finally feel good in their bodies, but when they are told they may need to eat more, train differently, manage stress, sleep more, or stop pushing harder, they resist it. They keep doing a slightly modified version of what has already kept them stuck, then wonder why nothing changes. I also break down the psychology behind this resistance, including confirmation bias, motivated reasoning, and cognitive dissonance, and I share a personal example of how I once ignored advice from my own coach because it challenged the way I saw myself. Ready for support? If you are afraid to take the right next step because it feels counterintuitive or scary, that is exactly what coaching is for. I currently have one spot open on my one-on-one roster. Use the link below to schedule a time to chat and see whether you would be a good fit for our program. http://builtbybalancefitness.com/book-a-call

In this episode of The Mindset Diet, I’m talking about one of the biggest mistakes I see women making with their workouts: lifting weights that are too light to actually create change. After chatting with women who requested my free 3-day strength training program, I noticed a common pattern. Many women are working out from home, but only have access to very light dumbbells, like 5-pound weights or hand weights. While that can be a fine starting point if you’re brand new to lifting, it usually isn’t enough long-term if your goal is to build muscle, tone up, improve your metabolism, and support fat loss. This episode is a short, off-the-cuff conversation about what it actually takes to send your body a strong enough muscle-building signal and why that matters whether your goal is fat loss, toning, metabolism, bone health, or feeling stronger in your body.  Resources & Next Steps If you’re feeling stuck and want help applying these concepts to your real life, I currently have limited spots open for one-on-one nutrition and fitness coaching. You can apply for a no-pressure nutrition and fitness consult using the link below. This call is simply a chance for us to talk through your goals, your challenges, and whether coaching would actually make sense for you. http://builtbybalancefitness.com/book-a-call Follow me on Instagram @builtbybalance_iman and email your feedback to [email protected]

In this episode, I break down something most women completely misunderstand about fat loss: not all plateaus are the same. When you assume every plateau means “eat less and work harder,” you end up solving the wrong problem… and staying stuck even longer. I walk you through the three different types of plateaus you might be experiencing, how to identify which one you’re actually in, and what to do next so your results start matching your effort. Want Help Figuring Out Your Plateau? If you’re not sure which plateau you’re in, I’ve opened up a few spots for a Metabolic Assessment Call. We’ll look at:  What you’re currently doing  What’s actually holding you back  Exactly what to change to start seeing results You’ll leave with a clear plan to help you get past your stall.  CLICK HERE to book your free Metabolic Assessment call.

If you feel like you’re doing everything right (eating healthy, working out, trying to stay consistent) but your body just isn’t changing… this episode is going to explain why. Most women skip the exact step that makes fat loss actually work. They go straight into eating less, cleaning things up, and pushing harder… without realizing their body isn’t in a position to respond to that yet. So instead of seeing progress, they feel more stuck, more frustrated, and more out of control around food. In this episode, I walk through what that missing step is, why skipping it backfires, and how to approach your weight loss journey in a way that actually works with your body instead of against it. Mentioned in This Episode: If this episode resonated with you, I’m hosting a free live workshop where I walk you through the full process step-by-step: The Metabolic Reset Method for Women Inside, I’ll show you:  How to know if your body is actually ready for fat loss  What to focus on first (without guessing)  How to move from foundation → fat loss → maintenance without starting over You can sign up here: https://builtbybalancefitness.com/live-webinar-registration

Inside this episode, I walk you through what tracking food actually means (and how flexible it can be), the most common objections I hear from clients, and why it works from both a behavioral and physiological standpoint. I also share real client examples that show how simply increasing awareness can lead to meaningful progress, even without intentional fat loss. If you’ve been resisting tracking, this episode will help you understand why and give you a much easier way to start. Free Resoruce I recorded a full module for my clients on how to track your food. If you want access to that module, just email me at [email protected], and I’ll send it to you.

Most women think they’re stuck because they’re not doing enough…  not disciplined enough… not consistent enough… But what if the real problem isn’t your effort... it’s the way you’re showing up to the process every single day? In this episode, I break down something I had to learn the hard way: Your attitude isn’t just affecting how you feel, it’s directly impacting your ability to lose fat. We talk about the science behind why a negative, critical mindset makes fat loss harder, and how shifting your internal environment can completely change your results. Resources & Next Steps If you’re feeling stuck and on your journey, you can apply for a no-pressure nutrition and fitness consult using the link below. This call is simply a chance for us to talk through your goals, your challenges, and whether coaching would actually make sense for you. http://builtbybalancefitness.com/book-a-call

If you’re working out consistently but your body still isn’t changing, the problem might not be your effort. It might be your strategy. In this episode, I break down one of the most common mistakes I see women make when trying to lose fat and tone up. Many women spend years doing high-intensity classes, cardio circuits, spin workouts, or bootcamp-style training. These workouts can feel productive because you sweat, your heart rate is high, and your watch says you burned a lot of calories. But feeling exhausted after a workout is not the same thing as creating the stimulus your body needs to change your body composition. Free Workout Program If you’re ready to move away from cardio-heavy workouts and start strength training in a way that actually supports fat loss, I created a free program called LIFT. These workouts take about 30–45 minutes and are designed specifically for people transitioning away from bootcamp-style training into effective strength training. Email me at [email protected] and I’ll send it to you. If you’d prefer a completely customized training plan based on your goals, schedule, and equipment, you can also apply for 1:1 coaching through this link: http://builtbybalancefitness.com/book-a-call