Why Your Diet Isn’t Working: 7 Surprising Habits That Are Sabotaging Your Health Goals

You’re eating clean, working out, manifesting… and you can't help but wonder, where are your results? You’re “being good,” eating your veggies, doing the workouts, maybe even skipping the wine (rude)... and yet: nothing, nada, zilch. No energy boost. No glow-up. Just frustration.

If this sounds familiar, it’s not you, it’s your habits. Not the big obvious ones. The sneaky ones hiding in plain sight that make you feel like a failure when in reality, your routine just needs a glow-up.

Let’s break it down:

1. You’re Not Sleeping Enough (And It’s Slowing Your Metabolism)

“Sleep is for the weak”...says who? Your cortisol levels? Your muffin top?

Here’s the truth: lack of sleep messes with your hormones, your hunger cues, your mood, your workouts... basically your entire system. If you’re living on 5 hours of sleep (or less) and caffeine, your body’s in survival mode, not fat-burning mode.

Try this: Prioritise 7–8 hours of good quality sleep. Set a bedtime alarm like a grown adult. Your workouts will feel easier, your cravings will calm down, and your face will thank you.

2. You’re Overstressing Your Body, Not Just Your Mind

I know you want results, but two HIIT classes, five black coffees, one 1,200-calorie meal, and zero chill is not the way. Stress raises cortisol. Chronic stress keeps you inflamed, bloated, tired, and weirdly puffy. (And yeah, that includes healthy stress like overtraining.)

Try this instead: Add more walking. Lower the intensity. Swap that evening scroll for actual rest. Your nervous system is not optional; it’s the control centre.

3. You Keep “Starting Over” Every Monday

If you find yourself having “one last hurrah” every weekend, followed by a Monday detox... It’s obviously not working. That all-or-nothing loop is keeping you stuck. You’re not failing, you’re just expecting perfection when what you need is progress.

Try this instead: Aim for a “good enough” baseline. One less extreme weekend = one less Monday meltdown.

4. You’re Undereating… Until You’re Not

If your weekday meals look like: Coffee for breakfast, sad salad for lunch, then a massive dinner (because you’re starving)… …you’re not broken. You’re just underfed.

What to do instead: Eat real meals earlier in the day. Protein. Carbs. Fats. Fiber. (Yes, carbs.) Your body’s not meant to starve all day and binge all night.

5. You Don’t Have a Routine Built on Healthy Habits. You Have Bursts of Effort

You do a 7-day challenge, feel great, then… fall off. Sound familiar? That’s because motivation is like a drunk friend at brunch, loud and fun but not very reliable.

The fix: Build a repeatable, flexible routine. Same simple meals, workouts, habits. Week in, week out. Boring? Maybe. But boring works.

6. You’re Trying to Change EVERYTHING at Once

You download a new meal plan, overhaul your kitchen, sign up for 5 classes, cut sugar, go gluten-free, and suddenly… you're crying into a rice cake.

Here’s the truth: If you can’t do it during a stressful week, it’s not sustainable.

Try this instead: Stack one new habit at a time. Sleep > mindset > water > food > movement > recovery. This is literally what I guide clients through inside my HABIT program. (Because your willpower isn’t the problem. Your system is.)

7. You’re Ignoring Gut Health (A Silent Saboteur)

Bloated, tired, itchy, breaking out, moody, and randomly anxious? It could be your gut waving a red flag. 🥴 The gut affects everything from your mood to your metabolism, and it's very sensitive to stress, poor sleep, overtraining, ultra-processed food, and yes, that “clean” protein bar too.

Try this: Less restriction, more diversity. Think: whole foods, fibre, fermented stuff, hydration, and chill time. I can help you find what works without going full kombucha guru.

Summary:

It’s not that you’re not trying hard enough. You’re just focused on the wrong things, the trendy quick fixes, the unrealistic routines, the advice that makes you feel like you have to choose between results and your sanity.

If any of these habits hit home, you’re not alone. I see this with clients all the time, smart, capable people who’ve been stuck in the same cycle for years. That's exactly why I created HABIT: to help you break out of the “start strong, burn out, give up” loop and finally build something that lasts.

Ready to break the cycle and actually feel like yourself again?

👉🏼 Check out HABIT, my 12-week program to help you rebuild your energy, body, and health routines without the stress, without the rules, and without “starting over” every Monday.

Need more support and guidance?

👉🏼 I also offer 1:1 personalised Health Coaching along with other remote and in-person coaching options to help you reach your goals with more support, more structure, and a realistic plan tailored to you.

Let’s make wellness work for real life. ✨

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