3 Simple Things to Fix Before You Diet

If you’re about to start another diet — STOP.

Seriously. Before you dive headfirst into another “plan” that promises to shred fat in 30 days or melt your muffin top with magic macros… let’s take a breath.

Because if your sleep is a mess, you’re barely drinking water, and your movement is hit or miss, you’re basically trying to build a house on a cracked foundation.

And that’s why it doesn’t stick. That’s why it feels hard. That’s why you burn out by day 10 and find yourself elbow-deep in a family-sized block of chocolate wondering what’s wrong with you.

(Spoiler: Nothing. You're not broken. Your approach is.)

So before you cut carbs or count a single calorie, fix these 3 basics first.

1. Sleep: You can't burn fat when you're exhausted.

You could be eating kale in your sleep and still not lose fat if you’re not actually sleeping.

When you're running on empty, your body clings to fat, especially around your belly. Cortisol (your stress hormone) spikes. Hunger hormones go wild. You crave sugar. You’re irritable. You make worse food choices — and not because you're weak, but because your brain is literally tired.

What to do: Start aiming for 7–8 hours.Put your phone down 30 minutes earlier. Get some sunlight in the morning. Do one thing to start honouring your rest — it’s more powerful than any fat burner.

2. Water: You're not tired. You're dehydrated.

Most women I work with are chronically dehydrated. And guess what? That fatigue, brain fog, sluggish metabolism, and “I think I’m hungry again” feeling? Often it’s just a thirsty body pretending it needs food.

Water helps with digestion, cravings, energy, mood, fat burning — literally everything.

What to do: Aim for 2–3 litres per day. Not coffee. Not Diet Coke. Actual water. Start your day with 500ml before anything else — consider it your fat loss pre-game.

3. Movement: Stop thinking workouts are the only way.

If your Apple Watch isn’t logging a 45-minute HIIT session, you think it doesn’t count, right?

Wrong.

You don’t need a gym membership or fancy activewear. You just need to move more throughout your day. Walk. Stretch. Dance in the kitchen. Take the stairs. Movement is what gets your body out of “storage mode” and into “let’s use this energy” mode.

What to do: Start by walking 5–10 minutes after meals.It helps with digestion and blood sugar regulation.You’ll feel better — and burn more — with less stress on your body.

Bottom line?

Fixing these 3 things doesn’t just “prepare” you for fat loss — they create it.

You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to overhaul your life. You just need to focus on the stuff that actually works.

Because when these pieces are in place, everything else feels easier. You’re not fighting your biology anymore — you’re finally working with it.

And that’s when fat loss gets sustainable.