Why Weight? Start Now!

Show Notes

Losing weight is rarely where women get stuck — it's keeping it off that trips most of us up. In this episode, I'm breaking down the real reasons for weight regain, both the short-term weekend gains that kill your momentum during weight loss, and the longer-term regain that shows up months or years after you've hit your goal. I'm sharing the exact weight maintenance strategy — my 80/20 rule — that has kept me at my goal weight for 25 years, plus the mindset shift that makes sustainable weight loss possible instead of just another diet that ends in regain.

What You'll Learn

Why weight regain isn't about willpower — and what it actually is a predictable result of

The most common short-term causes of weekend weight gain, including alcohol, social eating, and slipping keystone habits

The simple weigh-in strategy that can protect your weight loss momentum

The real reason most diets lead to weight regain within a few years

How to shift from "being on a diet" to sustainable low carb weight loss for life

My personal 80/20 rule for weight maintenance, and how it differs from a 95/5 approach for weight loss

Why I stopped drinking alcohol in my 40s to protect my long-term weight maintenance

Key Moments

The real difference between losing weight and keeping it off

Why weekends are the biggest momentum killer during weight loss

How alcohol quietly sabotages fat burning, sleep, and willpower

The keystone habits — water and early bedtimes — that regulate hunger and cravings

The "I'll start again Monday" mindset and why it causes the most damage

Why a diet with an end date almost guarantees weight regain

My 80/20 low carb maintenance rule, explained step by step

Why I gave up alcohol and sugar for good — and what changed for me

One Action To Start Now

Ask yourself: what has been the number one reason the weight has come back for me in the past? Not five reasons — just the main one. Was it the weekends, the wine, or the "diet's over" mindset? Write it down, say it out loud, and then ask yourself the harder question: am I ready to change it for good, not just for the short term?

Links and Resources

My Fab Freebie — 5-day low-carb meal plan + 5 delicious dinner recipes: https://www.whyweightacademy.com/low-carb-meal-plan-opt-in

Foundations of Fat Loss — my 4-week program designed for women over 35: www.whyweightacademy.com/fat-loss-foundations

Have you ever started a weight loss journey full of motivation, dropped a few kilos, and then... stalled? You're not lazy and you're not broken — you're in the messy middle, and it's completely normal.

In this episode, I'm joined by leadership coach Josie Askin of Spring Coaching, who helps high performers achieve big goals without burning out. Josie shares her own health journey — from being teased about her weight as a child, to overtraining as a long-distance runner and developing RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) — and how it shaped her philosophy of sustainable high performance.

Together we unpack why motivation fades in the middle of a weight loss journey, why restrictive dieting backfires, and the simple mindset shifts that keep you moving forward when the scales stall, including the "rule of thirds," the power of being one percent better, and why consistency beats intensity every time.

What You'll Learn

Why the "messy middle" of weight loss is normal - and why feeling uncomfortable is actually a sign you're on track

The rule of thirds: why a third of your journey will feel great, a third average, and a third hard

The "one percent better" strategy from Atomic Habits for making better food choices at parties, events and stressful moments

Why the scales aren't the only measure of progress - and the quieter signs of weight loss success to look for

How celebrating small wins builds the habits and motivation that lead to lasting weight loss

Key Moments

Josie's story: from childhood teasing to overtraining, RED-S and months on crutches

What burnout in the workplace and crash dieting have in common

The 3pm chocolate lesson: how allowing a treat food ended the food fixation

Why Josie calls it the "quiet middle" — the signs of progress get quieter, not smaller

The Olympian's rule of thirds for chasing big goals

One percent better: navigating the party table when the scales have stalled

The Friday night Netflix choice: making conscious trade-offs without guilt

Josie's top three tips for moving through the messy middle

Josie's free Wins Worksheet for listeners

One Action to Start Now

Think about one win from your day - no matter how small. Then ask yourself: what steps led to that win, and what impact did it have? Now repeat it. That's how a win becomes a habit, and how habits carry you through the middle.

Grab Josie's free Wins Worksheet via the link below to capture your wins and keep your momentum going.

Links & Resources

Josie's free gift: https://spring-coaching.com/product/wins-worksheet-boost-motivation - build confidence and momentum by noticing what's already working. This simple worksheet will help you recognise your wins, reflect on your progress, and keep moving forward through the quiet middle - one small step at a time

Connect with Josie Askin at Spring Coaching: josie@spring-coaching.com

My Fab Freebie — 5-day low-carb meal plan + 5 delicious dinner recipes: https://www.whyweightacademy.com/low-carb-meal-plan-opt-in

Foundations of Fat Loss — my 4-week program designed for women over 35: www.whyweightacademy.com/fat-loss-foundations

If you've ever told yourself you just need more motivation to stick to your weight loss goals, this episode is for me to set the record straight. After fifteen years of coaching busy women, I can tell you motivation isn't the problem, and it isn't the solution either. It's an emotion, and emotions are unreliable - they don't show up on the days you need them most.

In this episode, I share the story of a client who slipped back into old habits after office birthday cake derailed her week, and why her instinct to “find more motivation” was actually leading her in the wrong direction. I walk through why structure, not motivation, is what actually creates sustainable weight loss, and I give you six simple, doable structures you can start using immediately — from a two-minute morning food plan to a kitchen closed time in the evenings. These are the exact tools I use with my own coaching clients to build consistency without relying on willpower.

What You'll Learn

Why motivation is a fair-weather friend and can't be relied on for consistent healthy habits

The real reason decision fatigue and a busy schedule sabotage your best intentions

Six practical structures for weight loss that remove willpower from the equation

How sleep affects your hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin, and your food cravings

Why building structure — not chasing motivation — is what actually creates lasting identity change

Brief Key Moments

A client's cake-at-work story that sparked this episode on motivation vs. structure

Why “I just need more motivation” is one of the most common things Sheryl hears from busy women

The six structures: a morning food plan, water at red lights, bedtime before 10pm, weekly meal prep, a kitchen closed time, and a safe snack stash at work

How sleep deprivation drives sugar and carb cravings through hunger hormones

Why structure builds motivation, rather than the other way around

One Action to Start Now

Pick just one structure from today's episode — the one that feels most doable for your life right now. Get specific: decide exactly when and where it will happen, write it down, and try it consistently this week. At the end of the week, notice what shifted, not what went wrong. That's how lasting change with weight loss and healthy habits actually begins.

Show Notes

In this episode I'm sharing one of the most common and most destructive patterns I see in people trying to lose weight - what I call the Triangle of Doom. If you've ever had one unplanned bite turn into an entire day of overeating, this episode is going to change the way you think about off-plan moments forever. I talk about how emotional eating spirals begin, why the food is almost never the real problem, and the simple mindset shift that can stop a binge in its tracks before it even starts.

What You'll Learn

What the Triangle of Doom is and why it happens to almost everyone trying to lose weight

How one off-plan moment triggers a thought spiral that leads to overeating and emotional eating

Why the food itself is not the problem — and what actually drives a binge

The iceberg metaphor that will completely reframe how you respond to slip-ups

How to interrupt a shame spiral the moment it starts

Why your low-carb meal plan is your most powerful tool for stopping the cycle

How recovery from an off-plan moment builds confidence and long-term weight loss momentum

Key Moments

The Muffin Story

I share a real client story — a single unplanned muffin that cascaded into an evening of overeating. It wasn't weakness. It was a pattern almost every emotional eater will recognise.

The Iceberg Explained

One bite off-plan doesn't sink you. You're still at the tip of the iceberg — still floating. The dangerous descent only happens when you believe the thought 'I've already blown it, may as well keep going.'

What the Triangle Actually Looks Like

I walk through a real-time example: muffin at 3pm → wine after work → cheese and crackers → takeaways → biscuits at bedtime. One moment becomes 2,000 calories — not from hunger, but from a single destructive thought.

The Mental Cost

The physical discomfort fades. The damage to your confidence and belief in yourself is what really lingers — and that's what keeps the cycle repeating.

How to Break the Cycle

Get back on track at your very next meal. Not tomorrow. Not Monday. The next meal. Your meal plan is the lifeline that pulls you back to the surface.



One Action to Start Now

Name it.

The next time you have an off-plan moment, say out loud: 'I am at the tip of the iceberg.' Then watch for the thought 'I've already blown it' — that's your warning signal. Recognise it, redirect it, and simply decide what your next meal will be. One thought. One meal. That's all it takes to stay above the water.



LINKS:
➡️Download by FREE E-book with a 5-day Low Carb Meal Plan and 5 delicious dinner recipes: CLICK HERE
➡️Continue your low carb journey with monthly Fat Loss Acceleration Protocols, resources, meal plans, delicious recipes, support and inspiration in Why Weight Academy: FIND OUT MORE
➡️Check out all my recipes and resources on the Why Weight Academy Website HERE

Follow me on TikTok: sheryltakayama
Follow me on Facebook: Why Weight Academy
Follow me on Instagram: sheryl_whyweightacademy

And if you enjoy this show, please leave a quick rating & review - your support is so appreciated and will mean the world to me!

Show Notes

Have you ever heard that inner voice say "stuff it, I can't be bothered, what's the point?" — and then watched yourself blow your whole plan? You're not weak. You're not broken. And it's definitely not a willpower problem.

In this episode, I'm unpacking the real reasons behind weight loss self-sabotage — why these intrusive thoughts show up specifically around food and not in other areas of your life, and what you can actually do to stop them from derailing your progress. Whether you're following a low-carb lifestyle, trying to break emotional eating habits, or simply struggling to stay consistent, this episode will help you understand your brain — and work with it instead of against it.

What You'll Learn

Why self-sabotage thoughts are a normal, predictable part of any weight loss journey

The five key reasons your brain triggers "stuff it" thoughts — including fear of failure, low energy, dopamine cravings, all-or-nothing thinking, and emotional eating

Why food cravings during stress aren't about hunger — they're about comfort and survival

Six practical strategies to recognise and interrupt self-sabotage before it takes hold

How to break the all-or-nothing thinking trap that keeps you stuck

Why self-compassion (not self-criticism) is one of the most powerful tools in your weight loss toolkit

The simple daily structure that removes decision fatigue and protects you on your hardest days

Brief Key Moments

Sheryl shares a real client story — how one woman almost derailed her progress and what helped her stay on track

The moment Sheryl realised, while working as a receptionist for her own nutritionist, that self-sabotage thoughts are universal — not a personal failing

A powerful analogy: why we don't blow our savings or quit our jobs after one bad day — so why do we do it with food?

The five reasons self-sabotage thoughts are wired into your brain — explained clearly and without shame

Six actionable steps to work with your brain, including spotting triggers, catching all-or-nothing thinking, and building a food structure that protects you

Why alcohol was one of Sheryl's biggest personal triggers — and what she did about it

The final message: you are not the thought — you are the person noticing the thought

One Action to Start Now

Create a simple eating structure and stick to it — three low-carb meals and one low-carb snack every day. No guessing, no last-minute decisions when you're tired and overwhelmed. You've already decided. You just follow the plan.

This one shift removes the moment-by-moment decision-making that gives self-sabotage thoughts their power. Think of it not as restriction — but as protection for the version of you that's running on empty.

LINKS:
➡️Download by FREE E-book with a 5-day Low Carb Meal Plan and 5 delicious dinner recipes: CLICK HERE
➡️Continue your low carb journey with monthly Fat Loss Acceleration Protocols, resources, meal plans, delicious recipes, support and inspiration in Why Weight Academy: FIND OUT MORE
➡️Check out all my recipes and resources on the Why Weight Academy Website HERE

Follow me on TikTok: sheryltakayama
Follow me on Facebook: Why Weight Academy
Follow me on Instagram: sheryl_whyweightacademy

And if you enjoy this show, please leave a quick rating & review - your support is so appreciated and will mean the world to me!