✨ 7 Essentials for Sustainable Weight Loss and Long-Term Maintenance

147 - If your energy has been dipping and you feel like you’re running on empty, this episode will help you understand why and what can begin to shift it. So much of your health, mood, and motivation is tied to what is happening beneath the surface, and gaining clarity here can change everything about how you move forward.

In Episode 147, I am walking you through the 7 Essentials that support sustainable weight loss and long-term maintenance. These are the patterns I see consistently in women who begin to feel lighter, clearer, and more energized in their daily lives. This isn’t the full how, but it will help you understand why your efforts may have felt harder than they needed to and what creates steadier momentum over time.

You’ll hear about:
 • The mindset shifts that help calm overwhelm and boost energy
 • Why willpower drains you and what supports sustainable follow-through
 • How clarity (not criticism) increases confidence and direction
 • The identity-level changes that create more ease in daily choices
 • How community supports nervous system regulation and belief
 • The hidden patterns that drain energy and stall progress

These essentials help at every stage of the journey, whether you feel unsure where to begin or you are working to maintain results with more ease and stability.

If you want to feel more energized heading into a new season, A Fresh Start, Feel Lighter in 2 Weeks begins January 5. It is a simple and supportive reset designed to help you feel lighter mentally and physically while rebuilding momentum.

You can also book a free 20 minute consult if you want clarity on what will support you most right now.

Save your seat for A Fresh Start, Feel Lighter in 2 Weeks: https://www.clarendasempowerment.com/courses/fresh-start

Book your free 20 minute consult: https://www.clarendasempowerment.com/courses/fl

You are not stuck. Your energy simply needs a new direction and a framework that actually supports you. This episode will help you see where that begins.

#WeightLoss2026 #sustainableweightloss #weightlossforwomen #mindsetforweightloss #weightlossmotivation #healthyhabitsforwomen #ClarendasEmpowermentCoaching

You can always find out more at:

https://www.clarendasempowerment.com/

Transcript

0:00

I don't always feel inspired when I choose an episode's topic. I'd like to say that I am, and for the most part, for those 146 prior to this I have been, but today it just felt a little different. It was almost like I had an image, a movie screen flashing before my eyes. It was women who are feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, discouraged, resigned. Women living on repeat almost unconsciously. They're carrying the same story forward, trying to get different results, and they often don't even realize it. And when you live from a past focus instead of a future focus, anxiety increases, indecision settles in, and it becomes hard to picture a different path. It can feel like you're spinning your wheels in sinking ground. Hi, I'm Clarenda, Certified Life and Weight Loss Coach, former Nurse and Personal Trainer. I help women create simple, sustainable, healthy habits so they can feel lighter in their mind and body and lead a life that brings them confidence and fulfillment, and it doesn't have to be done in a way that feels restrictive and difficult. Welcome to episode 147, 7 Essentials for Sustainable Weight Loss and Long-Term Maintenance. Who doesn't want that? So now that you know who I am and how I help women reach the goals that they desire, let's check in and see where you are on your journey towards a healthier you. And I know it's tempting to avoid any subject to do with weight, but we can't argue with the science or the metrics and how that impacts our health. And not just our health, our energy, which I don't know about you, but that is so important to me. This isn't judgment, this is clarity. Judgment creates shame and blame. Objectivity creates empowerment, and sometimes that first step feels daunting. So I'm here to walk through this with you. Listen to the four categories before you decide which one fits you right now today. Number one, you don't feel like you know how to lose weight anymore. You feel confused, overwhelmed, resigned, and even fearful deep down. Number two, you know what to do, but you're not implementing it. You're frustrated, discouraged, and you're beating yourself up. Number three, you know what to do and you're trying really hard to implement it, but you're afraid that it's not going to last. You are exhausted at all the efforting. You are white knuckling it, willpowering it, and you have a lot of brain chatter going on in the back of your mind. Maybe you're experiencing some yo-yoing and that as well is mentally exhausting. Number four, you're in your best possible health and it feels easy. You are at your ideal weight and you're loving this long-term lifestyle. So which category fits you right now, and if you need to hear them again, just hit the back button a couple of times. Here's the great news. As you keep listening, you'll see that I work with women in all four of those categories. The bottom line is you don't have to settle. You don't have to give up, and most importantly, you don't have to stay stuck. Just know that there's nothing wrong with you. It's the diet industry that has failed us. Big pharma and big companies' influence, they have failed us. A clear example from my childhood is the influence they had on our parents. Who doesn't remember having boxed cereal every morning for breakfast? They thought they were sending us to school with great energy, but instead what happens? Blood sugar rises, insulin spikes, energy crashes, cravings begin, foggy thinking can set in. And as a result? Weight gain and more. I know back when I was in university and I would come home and talk to mom about some of the things I was learning. I was in science at that point, and then moving into nursing and she would say, it's just so hard to keep up. So it's easy and normal to feel frustrated with all of the information and how it continually changes, which helps us understand why some people give up because it just feels too overwhelming. And it's also good right now to know that there's independent research happening as well that way old ideas get challenged and better solutions emerge. I invest in learning constantly. I've said I'll be a lifelong learner, but information alone isn't transformational. Think of this new generation with AI and how everything is at our fingertips. But if information were enough, we would not be in the health crisis that we're in right now. There wouldn't be a health epidemic as we move into 2026. I have a couple of stats to share with you and I'm gonna read them directly to make sure they get credit for it. A Statistics Canada March 10th, 2025 article states annual health estimates from 2022 indicated that 30% of Canadian adults had obesity. And according to the American Heart Association, that was via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 40% of US adults live with obesity, and that was published May 20th, 2024. You can look up anything within seconds. There's no end to that, but knowing and doing are two different things. And it may give you a quick motivational nudge and that's good, but it usually fizzles out. We've all been there in one area or another. So let's talk about the seven essentials for sustainable weight loss and long-term maintenance. These are the seven stages of transformation that I see in my clients again and again. Number one, awareness. You can't change what you're not aware of. I know you've probably heard me say that before and you'll hear me say it again 'cause it's so important. Awareness is bringing the subconscious to the conscious. The part of your brain that's responsible for critical thinking and goal setting. Number two, acknowledgement. This is where you pause that "I know this already" narrative. No judgment is needed here. If the weight returned, it simply means that there was a missing piece or maybe a gap in the process, not a flaw in you. Acknowledging the fact that there indeed could be a missing piece is a key step in moving forward so that you can discover it. Or you can fast track and help someone else provide it for you. Number three, commitment. It's choosing to invest in yourself in a way that helps you follow through. It's the decision that takes you from wishing there was a change to following through and taking ownership of it. It's the decision that shifts you from wishing there was a change to taking ownership of it. When you commit, you create the structure and support to create the change in your life. Number four, accountability. We're wired to follow through more if we're not walking it alone. We do better together. Adding coaching to your journey keeps you honest with yourself and sets you up for long-term success. Why? Because it strengthens the mindset behind the actions. Coaching adds structure, perspective, and mindset tools that make the changes last. Number five, practicing. This is the part where you show up in real life. You navigate challenges; you meet the hard moments with curiosity, not criticism; adjust quickly and learn from what didn't go quite as you expected it to. And part of practicing is to collect some small wins along the way as this builds confidence and momentum. Six, identity. This is where you become the woman who lives at her healthiest weight. Your choices reflect your values, and continuing progress feels easier because it matches who you believe that you are. Your actions and self-belief line up, the habits aren't forced anymore, they just feel like you. Instead of white knuckling it, you're simply doing what you want to do. You begin seeing yourself as someone who wants to take care of her health consistently. The good news is your brain has now calmed down because it's recognized that this new lifestyle is doable. It feels safe and rewarding in a different way, in a healthier way. The changes that you made now feel automatic and that's why it feels easier to maintain. It starts to feel natural, and this is where the work integrates. You start thinking, deciding and showing up like a woman who is maintaining her results, not someone who's trying to fight to get them back. And number seven, is community. A place where you can exhale. A place where you realize you're not the only one that's dealing with the overwhelm, the setbacks, the unexpected circumstances, the crazy days and busy evenings, the munchies, people pleasing and so much more. Seeing other women coached helps you feel seen, normal, and hopeful. When you hear another woman put words to your experience, something clicks in your brain. You stop feeling alone and you start to feel capable. Our brains are wired for connection. When you watch others being coached, your mirror neurons activate. You learn faster, integrate insights more deeply, and recognize patterns in yourself that you may have missed. It accelerates your progress and makes a journey feel safer and more enjoyable. Their breakthroughs spark your own. Their courage helps you find yours. This is when and how your confidence soars. You hear your own story in someone else's coaching, and suddenly things make sense. So whether you're being coached or watching, witnessing someone else being coached, those ahas are priceless. And maybe you're having a hard week, but seeing their progress, hearing their progress encourages you.' Cause maybe they were struggling the previous week and you have witnessed the growth between sessions. When you're supported, understood and moving in the same direction with other women, the journey feels lighter and the results feel more achievable. So can you see why we call it a weight loss journey, or I like to say a health transformation? It's an experience, not a start and stop event. And here's what I want you to hear. I'm not here to sell you anything that you don't need. I'm here to help you get clear on what you really want and what's been standing in your way. A new year is less than a month away. Maybe at the beginning of last year you thought, this is my year, and then life happened. It happens to all of us, and let me tell you, there will never feel like a perfect time. Life is always presenting something to us. It's part of life. It's part of our growth. And guess what? The empowered woman says, I'm going to grow through all of this. I am willing to show up, I'm willing to drop my perfection thinking, I'm willing to ask for help and be open to coaching. Because sometimes that takes setting our ego aside or being willing to think of a different way of doing something. Otherwise, you fall into that definition of insanity that says you keep on doing the same things, but expecting a different result. An empowered woman puts herself on the calendar. She chooses a healthy, independent, and healthy life. She's not looking to her past or staying stuck in just the present pleasures. She's wanting a fulfilling life and is looking to the future to make sure that right now in the present, she's going to be able to have that fulfilling life with what she decides today and what she does with this. I know your brain is going to say, oh, but you know, it's kind of cozy and comfy here right now, but actually watching and waiting is more painful. It's more painful than stepping into the game. If you choose a 20-minute complimentary consult, we'll look to your past to learn from it, and then focus on the now and what you want to create in the future. We stay present so you can build a future filled with vitality, peace, and a healthy satisfaction. Also, I want to share that A Fresh Start- Feel Lighter in 2 Weeks is returning. It begins again on January 5th, which is a Monday. Whatever stage you're in, you'll feel a shift because you're gonna get your mojo back. You'll reset your habits in a way that feels doable for your life, and it also gives you a taste of what the experience is like in the full three month Feel, Light, Mind, and Body program. It's supportive, simple and non-judgmental, and it works. And know that I'm still working with clients all through this month, so you don't have to wait for January. You could start feeling better now today, and I say today because you'll have made a decision and that feels way better than staying in indecision. You can be supported through the holidays, enjoy your exceptions without spiraling and notice improvements in your energy digestion, sleep, and waistband as you release things that have been weighing you down both mentally and physically. So here are your options. Go to the show notes and save your seat for the A Fresh Start. It's $49 and if you decide to continue on with the Feel Light Mind and Body Program, you'll get your money back. You'll get a $50 coupon to go towards it. Or you can book a consult, and of course you can do both. Sign up for A Fresh Start as well as have a consult. Just choose whatever supports you best. I'm wishing you a meaningful December that is filled with reflection, connection, and a little more compassion for yourself. Thanks for watching, my friend, and keep showing up for the woman you're becoming.