Weight Loss Tips That Won’t Make You Hate Your Life
By Tessa — Lifting heavy and lifting you up. Strength is the whole personality. ·
Let’s Talk About the Elephant in the Room
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know my stance: I’m all about the barbell, the PRs, and the post-workout burritos. But let’s be real—sometimes, the goals shift. Maybe you’re feeling a bit sluggish, maybe your pants are fitting a little differently, or maybe you just want to feel a bit more athletic underneath the muscle you’ve worked so hard for. Whatever the reason, you’re looking for weight loss tips.
Here’s the thing: I’m not a fan of the word 'diet.' It sounds restrictive, miserable, and frankly, it makes me want to eat a sleeve of Oreos out of spite. When I prepped for my powerlifting meet last year, I learned that tracking macros isn’t about punishment; it’s about fueling the machine. If we approach weight loss with that same mindset—as a way to fuel, not a way to starve—everything changes.
Barbell, my golden retriever, doesn’t care about his 'macros.' He just eats, plays, and naps. Maybe we should take a page out of his book. Here is how we’re tackling body composition changes this July without losing our minds.
Stop Treating Your Kitchen Like a Lab
We love to overcomplicate things. We weigh our lettuce to the gram and panic if we see a drop of oil. If that works for you, cool. But for the 99% of us who have lives, jobs, and social calendars, that’s a recipe for burnout.
Instead of obsessing over every calorie, focus on volume. I’m talking about adding, not subtracting. If you want to lose weight, stop thinking about what you need to cut out and start thinking about the 'Big Three': Protein, Fiber, and Hydration. If you hit those three things first, you’ll find that you’re naturally less hungry for the stuff that doesn’t move the needle. You don’t need to be a human calculator; you just need to be a human who eats enough green stuff and enough lean protein to keep your metabolism humming.
NEAT is Your Secret Weapon
I cringe when I see people doing two hours of cardio at 5:00 AM because they’re 'trying to drop weight.' Unless you’re training for an ultra-marathon or just love the endorphins of a long run, that is a fast track to fatigue.
NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. It’s the movement you do outside of your intentional workouts. Walking the dog, taking the stairs, pacing while you’re on a client call—these things add up way more than that one hour in the gym. I walk Barbell for thirty minutes every morning and another thirty at night. Is it intense? No. Does it keep my joints happy and my step count high? Absolutely. Stop killing yourself with HIIT and start just… moving more throughout the day. It’s sustainable, it’s low-stress, and it keeps your cortisol levels from hitting the roof.
The '80/20' Rule Isn't Just a Cliché
I’m going to say it loud for the people in the back: You can eat pizza and still hit your goals. If you try to eat 'clean' 100% of the time, you’re eventually going to have a breakdown in front of a box of donuts. It’s science.
Aim for 80% whole, nutrient-dense foods—your lean proteins, your veggies, your complex carbs—and leave 20% for the things that keep you sane. Maybe that’s a glass of wine on a Friday, or a slice of pizza after a heavy leg day. If your nutrition is 80% on point, the other 20% isn’t going to ruin your progress. It’s actually going to help you stick to the plan longer. Consistency beats intensity every single time.
Strength Training is Still King (or Queen)
I know, I know—I’m a powerlifter, so of course I’m going to say this. But hear me out. When people lose weight, they often just want to get 'smaller.' But do you want to lose weight, or do you want to lose fat? Because those are two very different things.
If you drop weight too fast and stop lifting, you’re likely losing muscle. And muscle is what gives your body shape and keeps your metabolism elevated even when you’re sleeping. Keep lifting heavy. Keep pushing yourself in the gym. Let your body know that the muscle is valuable and needs to stay. The weight on the scale might move a little slower, but the mirror—and how your clothes fit—will tell a much better story.
Be Kind to the Process (And Yourself)
There will be days when you feel like you’ve hit a wall. Maybe the scale didn’t move, or maybe you had a rough week and ate more takeout than you planned. That’s not a failure; that’s being a human.
My second-place finish at my meet didn’t happen because I was perfect every single day for a year. It happened because when I had a bad training session, I showed up the next day anyway. Weight loss is the same. Don’t quit because you stumbled. Just reset, drink some water, and get back to the basics. You’ve got this.
How are you guys feeling about your goals this month? Are you struggling with the nutrition side or the movement side? Drop a comment below or shoot me a DM—I’m always around to chat about training, life, or just to share pictures of Barbell looking ridiculous. Let’s get after it!