What Sustainable Fat Loss Really Looks Like (Janet’s 19-Pound Shift)

We don’t believe in “hacks” when it comes to fitness. But if there’s one sustainable fat loss insight that could change everything, this might be it.

Janet lost ~19 pounds from August to January — without starving herself, obsessing over macros, or cutting out all the foods she loves.

What finally clicked for her might change how you approach fat loss too.

Janet’s Before: The All-or-Nothing Trap

The first rule of fat loss is you need to be in a caloric deficit. In non-science speak, you need to eat less than what you burn daily. 

But, right here is where we try to break from what you’ve been told. 

Like many people, Janet believed fat loss meant eating as little as possible — and that belief kept backfiring. She spent years trapped in the restrict-then-rebound cycle. She’d lose some weight, then gain it back the moment stress spiked or her willpower faded.

A caloric deficit doesn’t mean you have to starve or restrict all of your favorite foods. That is just the ticking time bomb of fat loss. The moment you make that decision, it’s inevitable that the plan will explode in your face. 

The Shift: A New Way to Look at Fat Loss

“We should be able to eat as much as we can and still lose weight.”

That one sentence flipped the script for Janet. Instead of asking “How little can I eat?” she started asking, “How much can I eat — while still making progress?”

That’s the hack. It might not seem like much, but it’s the “A-ha!” moment that changes things for most of our coaching clients. Then we help build habits, schedules, and foods you can enjoy around that life-changing fat loss approach. 

You see, much of dieting success comes down to how well you can figure out when you need to eat more and when you need to eat less. This is how you create a sustainable calorie deficit. 

While you can count macros to make this happen, to make this stick long term you’ll also need to shift your fat loss mindset, learn to tap into your hunger cues, and understand how to eat in a way that both helps you lose weight and feels sustainable.

From Starving to Sustainable: What Janet’s Fat Loss Plan Looked Like

Janet’s transformation didn’t require extreme dieting, hours of cardio, or giving up the foods she loved. Instead, it looked like this:

• Including favorite foods intentionally – Pizza night with the family wasn’t banned. She learned how to enjoy indulgences without guilt or spiraling. 
• Walking most days – Nothing fancy. Just consistent daily movement that helped support recovery, stress, and calorie burn. 
• Strength trained 3 times per week – Circuit based workouts that increased calorie burn by decreasing rest periods and increasing volume. Later on, Janet progressed to a strength-building focus.  
• Adjusted her intake based on life – When she was hungrier or more active, she ate more. On quieter days, she pulled back. No rigid rules, just awareness and flexibility. 

The result? A plan that matched her lifestyle, not one that required a complete overhaul.

Why Sustainable Fat Loss Worked for Janet

There was no “perfect” diet or magical workout.

What changed was Janet’s mindset around fat loss.

She shifted from trying to follow someone else’s strict plan… to learning how to build a structure that actually fit her reality. One she could repeat even when life got messy.

That’s the real “hack.” It’s not about doing more — it’s about doing what matters most consistently.

In Janet’s words: 

“Other programs want to tout the whole, ‘It’s a lifestyle change,’ when I think this is the only one I’ve done that actually is. And that’s why I feel the way I do like I’m not really on a program because everything I’m doing now is how I normally live. Part of me does wonder how this all happened because, dare I say, it’s been pretty easy.”

​​Key Takeaways for You

If you’re stuck in the same restrict-rebound cycle Janet was in, start here:

• Flip your mindset from “how little can I eat?” to “how much can I eat and still make progress?”
• Don’t cut everything you love. Sustainable fat loss includes satisfaction, not just sacrifice.
• Focus on patterns, not perfection. Janet wasn’t perfect — she was consistent.
• Build around your real life. Stress, busy weeks, travel — they’ll happen. Your plan should flex with you.

Want results that actually stick — like Janet’s?

Our 2:1 coaching isn’t about rules or restrictions. It’s about building something that works for your life. If you’re tired of starting over, let’s build your last fat loss plan together. Learn more about our 1:1 coaching here. 

B.J. holds a B.S. in Health and Human Performance and multiple certifications, including Precision Nutrition Level 1 and BioForce Certified Conditioning Coach. Over his 14-year coaching career, he’s been fortunate enough to coach a wide range of clients. From online clients looking to get in great shape to CEO Nate Checketts (Rhone) and CEO Marcelo Claure (Softbank), and professional skateboarder Sean Malto. Before beginning his training career, he was a sports science lab research assistant.