When people think about health, fitness, and weight loss, they often jump straight to what they need to do.
“What diet should I follow?”
“What workout plan is best?”
“How many calories should I eat?”
But recently, my wife, Demi, and I were reminded of something far more important — something that quietly underpins everything else: balance.
And the reminder didn’t come from a new study or a client story, but rather from our own lives.
Losing Balance While Preaching Balance
A few months ago, my wife and I launched Lifestyler — our online platform to help people lose weight and get fit in a sustainable, realistic way. It’s built around long-term change, not quick fixes. We’re hugely proud of it.
But here’s the irony…
In building a business designed to help people find balance with food, exercise, and lifestyle — we accidentally lost a bit of our own.
The pressure we put on ourselves to “do it all” — marketing, content creation, social media, emails, product development — slowly began to take its toll. And like so many people juggling work, life, and personal goals… the first thing that slipped was the stuff we know matters most:
→ Eating well
→ Moving regularly
→ Looking after ourselves properly
Sound familiar?
Why Balance Matters More Than Any Diet or Workout
This is why balance is so important — because no matter how good your nutrition plan or workout routine is, if the rest of your life feels overwhelming, stressed, or completely joyless, it’s incredibly hard to stick to healthy habits in the long-term.
You can have the best training plan in the world, but if mentally you’re running on empty, those things don’t stand a chance.
Because health isn’t just about food and movement — it’s about the space you have to make good choices consistently.
And that space disappears when life feels out of balance.
Additional Reading: Learn how to different exercises on the Strength-Stabilisation Continuum to improve the quality of your workout plans! Find the article here.
The Modern Problem: The “Have Toos” vs The “Want Toos”
One of the biggest drains on mental wellbeing is the feeling that life is just a never-ending list of things you have to do.
Work deadlines. Family commitments. Social expectations. Financial pressures.
And when those “have toos” start eating into your “want toos” — things like enjoying meals with friends, relaxing, moving your body in ways you like — that’s when the foundations of long-term health get shaky.
For us, it was the pressure we put on ourselves to grow Lifestyler in a hyper-competitive industry.
We told ourselves:
“We HAVE to post every day.”
“We HAVE to film another video.”
“We HAVE to send another email.”
But when our tiny scraps of downtime finally came around… instead of doing the things we knew made us feel good — cooking decent meals, going for walks, training properly — we found ourselves slumped on the sofa, scrolling aimlessly, eating whatever was quickest.
The balance was gone.
Not because we didn’t know what to do. But because our brains were fried.
Why This Happens to Everyone (Even Coaches)
We see this all the time with people trying to lose weight or get fitter.
They start strong. Motivation is high. Plans are in place.
But slowly, life’s other demands creep in. Work gets busy. Kids need attention. Stress levels rise. Energy drops. And eventually, those well-intentioned habits get pushed out.
Not because someone “lacks willpower.”
But because they lack capacity.
Your brain only has so much to give. And if every part of your life feels squeezed, healthy habits quickly become just another thing on the never-ending to-do list.
Additional Reading: Think you can win through sheer willpower alone? Think again! Learn more here.
What We Did To Reclaim Balance (And What You Can Try Too)
When we realised what was happening, we stepped back and asked ourselves:
“If we were coaching a client going through this… what would we tell them?”
Here’s what we did — and what might help you too.
1. Reassess Your Priorities
Ask yourself honestly:
-
What absolutely HAS to get done?
-
What do I WANT to have space for?
-
What things am I pressuring myself to do that aren’t essential?
For us, that meant scaling back some of our self-imposed marketing goals. Less content, but better content. Done consistently — not perfectly.
2. Set Boundaries Around Downtime
You need time that is just for you. Not for work. Not for chores. Not for anyone else.
We started booking this downtime in the diary like a meeting. These are when we are free to do what we want. All non-negotiable.
3. Let Good Enough Be Good Enough
A lot of long-term health is built on simple habits done often — not extreme efforts done rarely.
If cooking a full meal feels like too much? A considered but easy to make sandwich is fine. If a gym session feels impossible? A walk is still progress.
4. Remember That Balance Is Dynamic
Balance isn’t a fixed thing. It changes depending on your life stage, workload, stress, and energy.
Sometimes, life will lean harder into the “have toos.” That’s okay.
But if that imbalance becomes permanent — that’s when things need attention.
Final Thought: Health Starts With Headspace
Long-term fitness isn’t just about macros, reps, and sets.
It’s about creating a life where those things have room to exist.
We lost sight of that for a little while. And honestly? It was a great reminder of what most people are really up against.
Not a lack of knowledge.
But a lack of space.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or like your healthy habits are slipping, don’t start with another extreme plan.
Start with balance.
Ready To Build Habits That Actually Last?
If you want to stop starting over, and finally build a way of eating, moving, and living that fits your real life — that’s exactly what Simon teaches his personal training clients. Whether you are local to Leicester and Leicestershire, or prefer online coaching, you can get in contact here! Couples sessions are also available!