The Number One Reason Your Diet Is Failing

Caitlyn Davey • July 8, 2025

 When you’re committed towards making a change, be it a lifestyle change, a new diet, or leaving a bad habit, one thing that’s required to make any of this possible is to remain adherent. Adherence, its importance, and its value in terms of dieting is what coaches James and Sean discuss in this week’s episode of the Rebuild Health and Fitness podcast. Basic concept and fat-loss hierarchy Many people fail to understand scientifically how diets work, and the factors which affect your body mass. Because of this, you’re caught up in a cycle where you’re continuously trying new things with the hope that something will work, when actually you’ve got all the basic concepts wrong.James explains: “First, the diet itself does not put you into a calorie deficit. It’s like pseudoscience when people say ‘Oh just eat clean,’ well, what happens when you stop losing weight but are still eating clean? Can you eat cleaner? Can you wash your food anymore? “Second, the individual cannot adhere to the sort of diet their coach is giving out, the method can be far too extreme for them to follow. “Third, the assumed energy expenditure of the person is wrong, you believe you’re far more active than you actually are.” Along with these concepts, we also fail to understand what foods we should be consuming and the lifestyle we should maintain. James shares some insights on what he calls the fat-loss hierarchy. “So, calories are first, they're always king when it comes to fat-loss. Then you have your proteins, fats, carbohydrates, your sleep timings, micronutrients, supplements, and meal frequency etc. But, all of these are overarched by adherence. So, if you think of a pyramid, a triangle with all these, there’s a straight line next to it which is adherence, the whole way through.”Habit changes and conscious thinking Habit building can help you with adherence. Sean shares how important it is to change and build better habits to allow weight-loss as well as the role our brain plays in that process. He says, “You are a result of your habits. Everything you do in your life up until this point is a result of your habits. It's one of the biggest things we can help people work on to help with adherence. Unless you're looking to bring behaviour change, no diet will last because you're not willing to change anything.” When trying to diet, you need to understand the different thought patterns - and your thinking versus feeling brain. James explains: “Your feeling brain is irrational and emotional whereas your thinking brain is logical. Your feeling brain is always stronger than your thinking brain – we're emotional creatures and so the only thing your feeling brain can understand is empathy. Suppose you want to drink this weekend, your feeling brain will tell you to, and nine out of 10 times, it’ll win as well. But if you talk to yourself differently and say, ‘Hey, I know you want to drink but how are you going to feel when you wake up the next day? Or when you go in to train?’ that’s when you connect the two together and communicate between the them.”However, Sean also puts emphasis on how important it is to hold yourself accountable and make changes once you’ve had your way. “If you do go out for a drink, be accountable with your other habits. Create an environment that leads to success. Say you enjoy snacking, and you’ve always got snacks in your drawer, moving those to the cupboard will allow you to be more aware of what you want to do – you still have the freedom to eat, you have the freedom to do whatever you want but you also have the freedom to say no and think about whether you’re actually hungry or are doing it out of habit. If you make things a little difficult, you will start to see changes,” he adds. Hitting plateaus and changing calorie intakeIn the process of weight-loss, it's common to hit a plateau. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get back on track – it's all about recognising where you’re going wrong and how you can bring positive change.Sean says it’s common, but easy to overcome. “Everyone hits a plateau in every realm of life and they come after a period of success. People just start letting things slip. They go away from what was working for them, there’s a lack of adherence, they’re not tracking their intake properly, they start snacking again, or are not moving enough.”“All those things add up. It's not that you've reached your genetic potential, you've just slacked. Before you think you've reached your ceiling, just reflect back and think, ‘Am I doing enough? Am I doing what I was once doing?’ more often than not the answer is no. When these plateaus are happening, your ability to show up in the gym is massive, your ability to pick the right meals is massive. You just have to put in that effort and discipline yourself,” he adds.There’s also the fact that sometimes, what works for one person may not work for another. Everyone functions differently, everyone’s physical activity potential varies and so it’s important to make sure you can work around something that suits you best. James believes the best plan in such cases is to customise your calorie intake into something that’s manageable for you.“If I'm dieting someone at 1,200 calories but their maintenance is 1,800, they're going to say, ‘I can’t do 1,200, I'm trying my best but I do go over that,’ whereas if I'm dieting someone at 1,800 calories, it’s less likely that they're going to go over 1,800 calories all the time. For them it’ll then be like, ‘Oh I’m only consuming 1,700 calories and I’m feeling fine.’ So, if you feel like your diet isn't working for you, maybe up your diet and see how that makes a difference. There's also the fact that energy in, equals energy out. If I’m eating more, I’m going be letting out more, I’ll be feeling better, I’m going to be exercising more, my habits are going be better, my non-exercise activity will be more.”“You need to pick a path that you can be adherent to. It could be a slow rate of dieting but you may be more successful in the long run because you don't feel depleted,” he concludes. What works best?As for the last takeaway, James and Sean share what generally works best for diets, and maintaining it. “Something that's easy to stick to, keep things simple. People overcomplicate things too much. It’s got to be fun and enjoyable to a certain extent. Having a good relationship with your coach, cultivate a good relationship with yourself. Having a support network is important too; the community around you is massively undervalued when it comes to lifestyle changes.” If you need help with your nutrition get in touch now. Listen to the full podcast on Spotify. Or listen to it on Apple.     

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Why Strength Training Might Be the Missing Piece in Your Health Routine

February 16, 2026
If you live in Wynnum or Capalaba, you’re not short of fitness options. There are 24-hour gyms. Bootcamps. HIIT studios. Yoga classes. Running clubs along the waterfront. But despite more access than ever, many people still feel stuck. Tired. Plateaued. Unsure whether what they’re doing is actually working. For many adults across Brisbane’s bayside suburbs, the missing piece isn’t more cardio or more intensity. It’s structured strength training. What Strength Training Actually Does (Beyond “Toning”) Strength training isn’t just about lifting heavy weights or looking muscular. It is one of the most well-supported interventions in exercise science for improving: • Lean muscle mass • Bone density • Insulin sensitivity • Resting metabolic rate • Functional capacity • Injury resilience When you lift weights progressively, your body adapts. Muscle fibres increase in size. Neural drive improves. Connective tissue strengthens. Bone responds to load. This isn’t aesthetic. It’s physiological. For adults in their 30s, 40s and 50s — especially busy professionals and parents — maintaining and building muscle becomes increasingly important. From around age 30 onwards, we gradually lose muscle mass if we don’t train against resistance. Strength training slows — and can even reverse — that decline. Why Many People Plateau in Traditional Gyms Joining a gym in Wynnum or Capalaba is easy. Progress is harder. Many people follow random workouts. They jump between machines. They try classes without a long-term plan. They train hard, but without structure. The body adapts quickly to repeated stimulus. If load, volume or intensity don’t increase over time, adaptation stalls. This principle is called progressive overload — and it is fundamental to strength development. Without it, workouts feel hard but don’t necessarily lead to measurable progress. That’s why tracking lifts, planning training blocks, and adjusting volume matter. Effort is important. Structure is essential. Strength vs “Burning Calories” A common goal across the Wynnum and Capalaba community is fat loss. Many people default to high-intensity cardio to “burn more calories”. While cardiovascular training improves heart health and work capacity, resistance training changes body composition in a different way. Muscle tissue is metabolically active. The more lean mass you maintain, the more energy your body requires at rest. Strength training also improves glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity, which influences how your body uses carbohydrates. In simple terms: Cardio burns calories during the session. Strength training improves how your body uses energy long term. The most effective approach often combines both — but strength should not be overlooked. The Importance of Coaching in Strength Training Not all training environments are equal. There is a difference between access to equipment and access to coaching. Research in motor learning consistently shows that technique improves faster and more safely when feedback is specific and timely. Good coaching reduces injury risk, improves force production and builds confidence under load. For beginners, this means learning correct movement patterns. For experienced lifters, this means refining efficiency and progressing safely. In both Wynnum and Capalaba, more people are moving away from “do it yourself” gym models and towards coached environments that prioritise progression and accountability. Because consistency — not intensity — predicts long-term success. Strength Training for Real Life The real benefit of strength training isn’t what happens in the gym. It’s what happens outside it. Carrying children. Lifting groceries. Walking the stairs without fatigue. Reducing back pain. Improving posture after long desk hours. Strength improves quality of life. For people living and working in Brisbane’s bayside suburbs — balancing work, school runs and community commitments — training needs to support life, not compete with it. Two to four well-programmed sessions per week is enough to create significant improvements in strength and body composition when done consistently. You do not need to train every day. You need to train intelligently. What To Look For in a Strength Training Gym in Wynnum or Capalaba If you’re considering starting strength training locally, look for: • Structured programming rather than random workouts • Progressive overload built into sessions • Coaches who adjust for injury, mobility and experience • A community that supports consistency • A clear pathway for beginners Strength training should feel challenging — but sustainable. It should build confidence, not intimidation. A Quiet Shift in Fitness Across Wynnum and Capalaba, there is a noticeable shift. People are moving away from extreme short-term “transformations” and towards long-term strength development. They want: Energy that lasts. Bodies that feel capable. Training that fits into real life. Strength training isn’t a trend. It is one of the most researched, effective and sustainable forms of exercise available. If you’ve tried everything else and still feel stuck, it might not be motivation you’re missing. It might be structure. And structure changes everything.

Join Rebuild Capalaba's Free Week Feb 2-8

January 19, 2026
If you’ve been thinking about getting back into training — or starting properly — this is your chance. From February 2–8 , you can train free for a full week at Rebuild Capalaba with unlimited access to our group sessions. No pressure. No judgement. No gimmicks. Just well-coached training, intelligent programming, and a community built around progress — not perfection. What Free Week Includes • Unlimited group training for 7 days • Coaching-led strength, conditioning, and cardio sessions • Scaled options to suit all experience levels • A supportive, ego-free training environment Whether you’re returning after a break, testing something new, or simply curious about what training should feel like — Free Week lets you experience it properly, without committing upfront. Free Week runs Feb 2–8. Spots are limited. Book your week and see how it fits into your life.

Join Rebuild Wynnum's Taster Day

November 24, 2025
Try a Session. Meet the Coaches. See What You’re Capable Of If you’ve been thinking about starting, restarting, or finding a gym that actually supports you — Taster Day is your opportunity. This is a free, one-day event designed for real people. No pressure. No expectations. Just great coaching, a welcoming community, and a chance to see whether Rebuild is the right fit for you. December 6, 7:30am at Rebuild Health and Fitness - 10 North Road Wynnum West. This session is FREE for people to join.
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