Why You Don’t Want To Lose Weight Quickly

Mindset
Written By Andrea Wieneke
Listen To This Post On The Podcast

If you’ve ever typed “lose weight” into Pinterest, you already know what comes up: 12 ways to lose 20 pounds in 14 days. Brilliant ways to get skinny in a week. Eight fat‑burning foods to help you lose weight fast.

When I searched it myself, those were the first things I saw — and they perfectly captured what I want to talk about today.

Because here’s the truth: quick weight loss is not sustainable weight loss.

And if we’re going to pursue health goals that actually last, we have to understand the difference.

Why We Rush — and Why It Matters

Anytime we feel a sense of urgency around a goal (“I need to lose this weight fast”), it’s usually a sign that we’re tying our worth, lovability, or safety to the outcome.

It sounds dramatic, but it’s true. As humans, we don’t feel safe unless we feel loved and accepted. So when we’re desperate to hit a goal quickly, it’s often because we believe we can’t feel good, happy, or secure until we get there.

That’s why rushing weight loss feels so heavy. It’s not about the weight — it’s about what we think the weight means.

Starting With Clean Measurements

Inside Effortless Growth, we talk a lot about “clean measurements.” That means getting comfortable with:

  • Your current weight

  • Your clothing size

  • Your waist measurement

  • Any number you’re using to track progress

Not because the numbers define you, but because they don’t.

When you can look at your current measurements without shame or urgency, you create space to appreciate your body for what it has done — especially as a mom. Pregnancy, birth, postpartum… our bodies have carried us and our families through so much.

From that place of appreciation, you can set a goal without making your current body a problem.

You Can Want Change Without Rushing Change

When you’re grounded in worth, love, and safety — when you know your value comes from God and not from the size of your jeans — the urgency fades.

You can say:

  • “I love my body now.”

  • “I’m grateful for what it’s done.”

  • “I want to see what I’m capable of next.”

Those things can all be true at the same time.

And when you’re no longer in a hurry, you can finally pursue weight loss in a way that’s sustainable.

Why Quick Weight Loss Doesn’t Last

We tend to think of weight loss as one simple equation: Eat as little as possible + move as much as possible = lose weight.

But real, lasting weight loss is made up of skills:

  • Clean measurement

  • Clean tracking

  • Positive nutrition

  • Positive movement

  • Practicing maintenance

When you give yourself time to build these skills, you’re not just losing weight — you’re learning how to keep it off.

Strict, fast‑results diets don’t teach you any of that. They give you a temporary structure, and when the diet ends, the structure disappears. So the weight comes back.

That’s why quick weight loss and sustainable weight loss are two completely different goals. And most of us are unintentionally pursuing the wrong one.

What We Actually Want

None of us wants to lose 20 pounds in 30 days just to gain it back. We want to:

  • Reach a healthy weight

  • Stay there

  • Live our lives

  • Move on to other goals

But when we chase fast results, we’re only setting ourselves up for fast regain.

Sustainable weight loss requires a sustainable approach.

Why I Created Effortless Strength

This is exactly why I created Effortless Strength — to teach the six habits of sustainable weight loss:

  • Clean measurements

  • Clean tracking

  • Positive nutrition

  • Positive movement

  • Practicing maintenance

Because without these skills, any weight you lose will eventually return. But with them, you can lose weight in a way that feels doable, supportive, and long‑lasting.

If you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you into the For More Of What Matters Group Coaching Program inside the program, you'll have. Step-by-step guidance to making plans and actually following through with them to reach all of your goals. And you'll have the added support of working with me as your coach and accomplishing your goals alongside other busy moms who are facing the same challenges that you are.

You can join us in the For More Of What Matters group coaching program on Patreon or follow me on Instagram @Andrea.Wieneke to learn more.

Featured
Why You Don’t Want To Lose Weight Quickly
Why You Don’t Want To Lose Weight Quickly

If you’ve ever typed “lose weight” into Pinterest, you already know what comes up: 12 ways to lose 20 pounds in 14 days.Brilliant ways to get skinny in a week.‍ ‍Eight fat‑burning foods to help you lose weight fast.

When I searched it myself, those were the first things I saw — and they perfectly captured what I want to talk about today.

Because here’s the truth: quick weight loss is not sustainable weight loss.

And if we’re going to pursue health goals that actually last, we have to understand the difference.

Read This When You Don’t Want To Be A Working Mom Anymore
Read This When You Don’t Want To Be A Working Mom Anymore

There are days when I catch myself thinking, I wish I didn’t have to be a working mom. And honestly, even admitting that out loud feels a little terrifying.

How We Fired Our Cleaning Ladies and Ended Up With a Cleaner, Happier Home
How We Fired Our Cleaning Ladies and Ended Up With a Cleaner, Happier Home

I recently fired our cleaning ladies — and somehow, my house is cleaner and my stress is lower. I did not see that coming.

Acting As The CFO For My Family To Make Money Conversations A Point Of Connection
Acting As The CFO For My Family To Make Money Conversations A Point Of Connection

In our home, I like to think of Erik as the CEO — the chief decision-maker — and me as the CFO, the one he has appointed to manage our finances. I pay the bills, manage our accounts, create our budget, and track our spending throughout the month.

This structure helps me take responsibility for something important in our family without feeling like I’m stepping into his role. I see him as our leader, and I support him by taking on the financial side of things — something he has delegatedto me, not something I took over. And honestly, it fits us perfectly. I’m a financial analyst who works at a bank. He’s not a numbers guy. From day one, it just made sense.

What To Do When You Don’t Follow Through With Your Weight Loss Plans
What To Do When You Don’t Follow Through With Your Weight Loss Plans

Maybe you quit tracking. Maybe you went off plan and blew past your calorie target. For me, it usually looks like something coming up that throws me off. Maybe we go out for dinner and have a couple drinks. Maybe there’s a party with dessert. I go past my calories, and then the next morning I don’t want to weigh in.

I tell myself it’s not going to be good, so I skip the weigh-in. I tell myself I’ll have a good day, get back to normal, and then resume weigh-ins tomorrow.

That’s usually the beginning of the slide.

HOW TO LOSE 30 LBS
HOW TO LOSE 30 LBS

If you’ve ever searched for weight‑loss advice, you already know how overwhelming it can be. One expert tells you one thing, another tells you the opposite, and suddenly you’re stuck wondering if you’re even capable of choosing the “right” plan.

And maybe that’s where you get stuck — not because you don’t care, but because you’re trying to sort through so much noise.

Or maybe you do know what to do, but you’re not following through. Maybe your brain keeps offering thoughts like:

  • “I don’t have time for this.”

  • “I should wait until life slows down.”

  • “I need more motivation.”

If that’s you, you’re not alone. Inside For More of What Matters, we help with both sides — the plan itself and the support to actually follow through. But for today, let’s just focus on the plan.

The POWER OF THE THREE-MONTH CHALLENGE
The POWER OF THE THREE-MONTH CHALLENGE

If you’ve ever set a goal, made a plan, and then had life get in the way until you give up… you’re not alone. As working moms, we juggle careers, kids, relationships, health, and the never‑ending list of “shoulds.” It’s no wonder we often feel overwhelmed before we even begin.

Inside the For More of What Matters coaching program, we use a simple but powerful tool to break that cycle: challenges. You may already be familiar with our 30‑day habit challenges — one month of focusing on a single small change until it becomes automatic. These challenges build momentum because once something becomes a habit, it stops draining your energy and starts fueling your next step.

But today, I want to talk about something bigger. Something deeper. Something that helps you build the skill of following through:

the three month challenge.

The Real Reason You're Too Tired To Workout And How To Fix It
The Real Reason You're Too Tired To Workout And How To Fix It

The advice that we need as working moms who are too tired to workout is to actually stop prioritizing workouts over sleep. The advice that most of us get ignores the fact that sleep is so important for building muscle losing fat and looking, feeling, and aging the way that we want to. This post walks you through prioritizing sleep and while also making time for effective workouts so that. you can accomplish all of your goals and create a life full of the things that matter most.

Read This If You’re Thinking That You Don’t Have Enough Time
Read This If You’re Thinking That You Don’t Have Enough Time

The advice I have for working moms who are overwhelmed because there isn’t enough time to get it all done (because I love you and am not afraid to hurt your feelings): Overwhelm is a choice that you’re making for yourself with the lie “I don’t have enough time.” I know that doesn’t seem to make any sense, so let’s talk about the hidden benefits of overwhelm, so that you can finally trade it in for accomplishing all of your goals and creating a life full of the things that matter most.

Why We Get Overwhelmed As Working Moms (Its Not What You Think) And How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed
Why We Get Overwhelmed As Working Moms (Its Not What You Think) And How To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed

When it is hard to follow through on your goals (or to even think about setting goals in the first place) because you’re overwhelmed by working-mom-life, I’ve got you! Learn the truth about where your overwhelm comes from so that you can ditch it and create a life full of the things that matter most.

Andrea Wieneke
Next

Read This When You Don’t Want To Be A Working Mom Anymore