Many of us have experienced frustration when it comes to achieving our fitness goals, and often, the issue lies not with us but with our coaches. The wrong coach can derail your journey to physical self-mastery, while the right one can make all the difference. If you find yourself struggling with a cumbersome or frustrating coaching process, it may be time to consider a new approach.

It's time we talk about the unhealthy relationship many people have with fat loss (or more precisely, weight loss). I see people spending so much time, energy, and effort trying desperately to lose weight and body fat. They might be doing all the "right" things (tracking, monitoring their data, training hard, eating protein, etc.). But for many, the fat is just not coming off as quickly as they want, so they assume something's wrong and they react impulsively.

Are you a perfectionist? I know, I know. You just want things to be perfect before you take action. You figure if you map it all out and get all the details right, you'll be set up for success. Here's the problem though - perfectionism is actually what's holding you back. Let me explain...

Meet Tony, a client of mine who lost 15 lbs of pure fat (8% body fat) and 4" in his waist in 6 weeks. You are going to learn EXACTLY what we did to accomplish this. This will work for ANYONE, so listen up. Now let's go over the 4 most important things we did together.

Ever feel like your own worst enemy? You start a new diet or workout plan, you're all in, and then suddenly... you find yourself back at square one. Sound familiar? You're not alone. Most people think the problem is a lack of discipline or willpower. But what if I told you that's not the real issue? It's not about you vs. you. It's not even about you vs. the world. It's about you vs. a restrictive plan that's designed to fail.

My friend called me recently excited to tell me something. He was being mysterious about it--so I let him talk. He said, "I've spent the last month doing something that has changed my life, but I kept it a secret from you." He said his arms felt big and strong. He said he had a new mental clarity and confidence like never before. He said he no longer had back issues--after struggling for YEARS with chronic low back pain and doing EVERYTHING under the sun from stretching to yoga to make it go away. What the heck was he doing? Read to find out!

Ever stepped on the scale and felt the number staring back at you was the ultimate judge of your progress? For many, it's the first data point they refer to. Even worse, it's the ONLY thing they measure. Focusing solely on weight loss is a one-way ticket to frustration. When your primary goal is to lose weight, you might find yourself in a cycle of extreme calorie restriction and excessive cardio. Sure, the scale might move, but at what cost?

Do you feel stuck? There are TWO beliefs people have. The first is believing their physique is a result of circumstances beyond their control. They're the ones who say: These are the people who look in the mirror and feel stuck. They're committed to their fitness, but their physique doesn't show it. They're frustrated, tired, and starting to lose hope. Then there's the second way of thinking: Those who believe that their physique is a result of their choices.

You know how much I love strength training. But is it for everyone? Let's find out. Strength training isn't for you if you don't want to improve your metabolism. Building muscle and the act of training itself increases your resting metabolic rate, which means you burn more calories even when you're not working out. So, if you're not interested in increasing your metabolism, then maybe strength training isn't for you. Strength training isn't for you if…

I have the perfect meal plan for you. It's a one-size-fits-all plan that promises to solve all your dietary woes. You'll never deviate and will hit all your goals. Riiiiiight. Let's get real. The idea of a "perfect" meal plan is self-defeating. Why? First, everyone is different. That's obvious. Less obvious is that even YOU are different from one week to the next, one goal to the next, the seasons of the year, the circumstances of your life, your training, your activity, and the list goes on. Your metabolism, activity level, and even food preferences vary—and they can vary pretty frequently. So by definition, a premade meal plan cannot possibly work for you.

Ever heard the saying, "you gotta eat big to get big"? Or "dreamer bulk"? Some people call it the "see food diet" (you see it, you eat it). The idea is the more you eat to gain, the more muscle you'll gain, more quickly. Nope. The goal is to build muscle, not just mass. And there's a difference. You don't want to pack on pounds only to realize half of it is fat. On the other hand, you don't want to be in such a small surplus (or none at all, AKA "maintenance") that it takes forever to build muscle. There is definitely a sweet spot.

Do you ever get stuck in the "why" of things? You know, that endless loop of trying to understand why something works the way it does? I do it all the time. In fact, my entire philosophy is based on helping others understand the science behind nutrition, lifting, and physique enhancement. But sometimes, the "Y" is more important than the "why."

You know that sinking feeling when you want to go out to eat, and you feel like you can't enjoy yourself because you're on a "diet"? That internal struggle between wanting to socialize and fearing you'll derail all your hard work? What if I told you that you don't have to choose between enjoying a meal out and staying on track with your fitness goals? You can have your cake and eat it too (and sometimes that's literal cake). Today I'm sharing some simple strategies my clients use to plan ahead and be successful while dining out, no matter what their goals are.

Detoxes and cleanses. You've seen them everywhere, right? On social media, in health stores, and maybe even in your friend's kitchen. They promise a quick fix, a clean slate for your body. But they're not what they seem. Your body is already a detoxifying powerhouse. Your liver and kidneys are constantly at work, filtering out the bad stuff. They don't need the help of a $50 juice cleanse to do their job. So why are detoxes so popular?

Mark had been lifting for about 6 months, but he was stuck. Frustrated doesn't even begin to describe how he felt. You see, Mark had fallen for the "quick fix" trap. He'd been promised he could just cut out a bunch of foods (you guessed it, carbs, but also anything without a face—you guessed it again, the carnivore diet) and rapidly lose weight. And while he lost some pounds on the scale, he gained it back and his performance in the gym suffered. He felt like a failure. He also thought he could build muscle without really focusing on his diet. "Just lift, eat, and the muscle will come," said the bros. Spoiler alert: It didn't. So, Mark and I had a serious chat.

Ever been on a weight loss journey, only to find that the "new you" didn't feel as great as you thought it would? You hit your target weight, but something was off. Maybe you felt weak, or your clothes didn't fit the way you'd imagined. What if I told you that what you've been chasing isn't actually what you want? Let me explain.

Ever felt like you're drowning in a sea of information? One minute you're told to do fasted cardio for optimal fat loss, the next you're advised to gulp down a protein shake exactly 30 minutes post-workout for maximum muscle synthesis. Then there's the buzz about "nutrient timing," "anabolic windows," and "muscle confusion" through constantly changing workout routines. It's enough to make you question your existence, and your sanity. Here's the liberating truth: you don't need to make your fitness journey a complex labyrinth of rules and rituals to see results. In fact, the more complicated you make it, the harder it becomes to stick to it. Let's break it down.

"Just listen to your body." It sounds so simple, so freeing. No tracking, no weighing food, no counting calories. Just eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full. This is the essence of intuitive eating, a concept that's been gaining traction as the anti-diet, the path to a balanced relationship with food. And it's tempting, isn't it? The idea that you can toss out the food scale, delete the tracking app, and just "be." But here's the fatal flaw: For most people, especially those with specific physique or performance goals, intuitive eating often leads to a dead-end. Read to find out why!

Ever find yourself stuck in a loop? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? For years, I thought the only way to get leaner was to see that number on the scale go down. If it didn't, I'd feel like a failure, like I was doing something wrong. But what if I told you that you could transform your body without that number changing much? It sounds like a paradox, but it's not.

Ever find yourself staring at the scale, wondering why it's not budging? You've been tracking your food for a few days, maybe even a week, and you're already feeling like throwing in the towel. "WTF, it was down 2 pounds yesterday and now it's back up." You're doing all the "right" things, but the scale seems to be stuck in place. Here's the thing: the scale is a liar.