The voice in your head isn’t helping your health
What I told my client after 5 pairs of pants didn't fit
Imagine if someone followed you around all day and commented on every health decision you made.
“You ate the cookie again.”
“You didn't work out.”
“You said you’d go to bed earlier.”
“Look at you. Again.”
Most of us would ask that person to just leave us alone.
Instead, we give them free rent inside our heads.
I know this voice very well.
For years, I thought being hard on myself would help me stay disciplined.
Turns out, it mostly made healthy habits feel harder and more obsessive than they needed to be.
Because once you’ve “failed” the day, what’s the point of trying anymore?
One cookie becomes cookies.
One missed workout becomes no movement at all.
One stressful week becomes a bad month.
And over time, you stop judging your habits. You start judging yourself.
I can't tell you how often I hear this from the people I work with.
Just this week, a 40+-year-old client of mine, who works as a director in tech, stood in front of his wardrobe, trying on five pairs of pants.
None of them fit.
He felt so frustrated. Then the replay started.
"I know soda is full of sugar. I know what I should be eating. So why do I keep doing this?"
As we talked, it wasn’t really about the pants.
It was about months of family gatherings, takeaway meals after long days, and skipped workouts that slowly became the new normal.
And somewhere along the way, a few habits turned into a story about who he was.
Maybe you’ve had a moment like that, too.
You look in the mirror.
You notice your energy isn’t what it used to be.
Your clothes fit differently.
And suddenly you’re replaying every decision you’ve made over the last few months.
Here’s what I shared with him.
1. Stop looking for the moment you went off track.
Look for the next opportunity to get back on. The next meal, next glass or next break.
Your body always wants to heal. Think of it as a partnership. Every small decision is a vote for feeling better. It may seem insignificant, but your body notices every single one.
2. Make the habit smaller.
We all know the feeling. We tell ourselves we'll start fresh on Monday. But then we never do. Instead, make it almost impossible to fail.
One walk around the block. One vegetable with dinner. One squat.
It’s about becoming someone who does what they said they were going to do.
Every small promise you keep builds trust in yourself.
3. Change your environment.
It’s much easier to eat fewer chips when they aren’t sitting in your pantry.
It’s much easier to move when your walking shoes are already by the door.
Good habits become easier when your environment supports them instead of testing your willpower all day.
4. Reconnect with your why.
Most people don’t really want weight loss. They want energy. Confidence. Freedom. To feel comfortable in their own skin again.
To walk into a room with a different level of energy.
To show up more patiently for their loved ones.
To bring their best to their work, their team, and the career they’re building.
Challenges are inevitable. Your why is what helps you come back when life gets in the way.
5. Speak to yourself like someone you care about.
You wouldn’t tell a friend they had ruined everything because of one difficult week.
You’d remind them to take the next step.
Offer yourself the same kindness.
A bad period doesn’t define you.
What matters is how quickly you come back to your baseline.
Don’t let one difficult season turn into a story about who you are.
I’d love to hear from you.
What's your biggest struggle when it comes to getting back on track?
With energy,
Gözde
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I'm Gözde Imamoglu, founder of Rising Yellow and the Energy Shift Community. I help leaders with demanding lives get their energy back through functional medicine and sustainable habits.
