If you’ve hit a plateau in your health journey, the solution probably isn’t a new diet or a different workout plan. According to a fitness professional with 18 years of experience, what you likely need is a new mindset. Many people focus so hard on the “what” (diet and exercise) that they completely ignore the “how” (their mental approach). This is why even the best plans fail. Your mindset is the operating system that runs the programs; if the OS is buggy, the programs will crash. A mental reset is often the only way to achieve real, lasting progress.
The first hack is to intentionally slow down to progress faster. This idea seems counter-intuitive in a world obsessed with 30-day shreds and rapid transformations. We are trained to believe that more effort, more speed, and more intensity will yield better results. But in fitness, this “all-out” approach is often a recipe for disaster. Rushing leads to deprivation, poor form, and mental burnout. When you try to do too much too fast, you make it significantly harder to be consistent, and consistency is the only thing that creates real change.
When you slow down, you become more careful and deliberate. You learn to listen to your body, you make fewer mistakes with your nutrition, and you build a routine that you can actually stick with for the long haul. This sustainable pace prevents the frustration and distraction that comes from not seeing “instant” results. You stop the frustrating cycle of starting and stopping, and as a result, you actually endtagg ariving at your goal much faster and more permanently. You trade frantic, short-term effort for calm, long-term success.
The second mental shift is to focus only on what you can control. We often become obsessed with metrics we have no direct power over, like the number on the scale or the speed at which our body fat percentage drops. A seasoned coach insists you must let go of this obsession. The only things you have true control over are your efforts. Your energy should go into the process, not the product. Fretting over why you’re not losing weight this week is a waste of mental energy.
The final hack is to choose small changes over big ones. It’s tempting to overhaul your entire life at once—cut out all sugar, all carbs, and commit to working out two hours a day. But these drastic, intense changes are rarely sustainable. They are too overwhelming, and when you inevitably “fail” or “crash,” you end up back at square one. A smarter approach is to make small, gradual improvements. These tiny shifts are manageable, easier to adjust to, and build momentum. A small change you can stick with for a year is infinitely more valuable than a big change you abandon after a week.