12/08/2026
There’s guilt attached to it.
There’s the fear that I’m losing condition.
There’s the temptation to pull food back down again before I’ve even given my body the opportunity to settle.
And that’s the part of getting lean that I don’t think we talk about enough.
Because body dysmorphia doesn’t necessarily disappear just because you’re in good shape. Far from it…
Sometimes getting leaner actually moves the goalposts.
What once looked lean suddenly becomes ‘normal’
And anything softer than that can start to feel like you’re going backwards and regressing!
As a coach, part of me feels like I shouldn’t struggle with this stuff. But trust me I do!
I understand energy balance.
I understand fluctuations in bodyweight.
I understand that gaining five pounds doesn’t mean I’ve suddenly gained five pounds of body fat.
I understand that being healthier, happier and better fuelled is considerably more important than maintaining an arbitrary number on a set of scales.
I KNOW all of that.
But knowing something and emotionally accepting it are two completely different things.
And I think it’s important I’m honest about that.
Because I spend a lot of my time telling clients that the goal isn’t to occupy the smallest body possible.
It’s to build a body and a lifestyle that actually improves your life.
Sometimes I need to remind myself of exactly the same thing.
Being lean can feel good. Of course it can.
But so can sleeping properly.
Having energy.
Eating out without guilt.
Training hard.
Being present with people.
And not allowing a number on the scales to dictate how you feel about yourself that day.
So right now, I’m learning to become comfortable with being a little heavier.
Not because I’ve “let myself go”.
Quite the opposite…
Because perhaps progress for me at this point isn’t getting leaner.
It’s learning that I don’t always need to be.
