131. Waiting Is Costing You More Than You Think

If you feel stuck in your weight loss journey despite trying different diets, meal plans, or workout routines, this episode will shift how you see it. Dr. Stacy Heimburger breaks down why it’s not a lack of discipline or motivation holding you back—it’s where you’re investing your time, money, and energy.

Learn how common dieting patterns, like starting over, chasing quick fixes, and delaying change, keep you stuck in the same cycle. This episode explores the role of accountability, behavior science, and mindset in sustainable weight loss, and why mindful planning and support are key to long-term success.

If you’re tired of “starting Monday” and ready to create real momentum, this episode will help you rethink your approach and take your next step with clarity. 

👉 If you’re ready for support, join the Lifestyle Support Monthly membership for guidance, coaching, and real behavior change:
 https://sugarfreemd.com/LSM

Free 2-Pound Plan Call!
Want to jump start your weight loss? Schedule a free call where Dr. Stacy Heimburger will work with you to create a personalized plan to lose 2 pounds in one week, factoring in your unique circumstances, challenges, and aspirations. Schedule now! www.sugarfreemd.com/2pound

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

Transcript

Hey everybody, welcome back to the podcast. I'm Dr. Stacy Heimburger, and we're going to talk about something uncomfortable today, and that's just how it's going to be. We are going to talk about spending money on yourself and spending money on your weight loss, because you are already investing in your weight loss, and that might be difficult to hear, but you are already spending time, and you are already spending money, and you are already spending so much emotional energy.

If you are anything like I was, I mean, I just know the pattern. I know what happens. We are just not doing any of that in the right places, right? So we think we need to double down or get serious or we need to find the right thing, like the magic bullet, the magic thing that's going to work. That's not really what it is.

And so when we say things like, I need to get serious, or I'll start next week, or I just need to wait until things calm down, that all sounds super reasonable on the surface. But when we actually look at what's happening, I think it's something different.

So I think when we are afraid to make this commitment to ourselves and to do things differently and to spend the money and spend the time, because maybe we feel a little bit selfish, but in the meantime, we are scrolling on our phone looking for the next plan. We are watching influencers’ workouts. We are looking at recipes. We are spending money on supplements and quick fixes that don't work. We are spending all this emotional energy on guilt and frustration and starting over.

So when somebody says to me, I'm not ready to invest yet, and even when I've said it myself, what I hear underneath is I'm not ready to invest in things that are new and scary that I'm not sure will give me a return on investment. We love a good ROI, our return on investment.

And so when we think we are not investing a lot, like I'm just scrolling, I'm looking up new recipes, I'm going to create a new meal plan, we don't think of that as investing a lot. But that is so much time. That is money. When we throw everything out of the pantry and start over, that's money. But more than that, it is the emotional energy of keeping us stuck in that spiral where we are doing the same things from the same thoughts and getting the same results.

Because all of those things really are the same. It doesn't really matter if I'm doing keto or Whole30 or tracking macros. They are all marketed to feel super different, but they are all kind of the same. We are picking some meal plan, tracking it in some way, and following rigid rules.

But we haven't changed the way we are thinking about it, the way we are thinking about ourselves, or the way we are doing any of it. And so without changing those thoughts, we stay stuck.

So I want you to hear this: you are already investing your time, your money, and your energy. You're just investing them into things that you've already tried before, and they didn't work.

What I didn't realize before I started all of this, when I was doing this off and on on my own and saying I don't need help and I don't want to spend the money, what I didn't realize was how much it was costing me.

Because maybe it wasn't costing me a lot of extra dollars, but it was costing me energy. It was costing me momentum. It was costing me results. And more importantly, it was costing me confidence. It was eroding my self-esteem and my overall happiness.

It was costing me happiness.

Because it was taking away my ability to trust myself. I was doing the same things over and over and getting the same results.

So I want you to ask yourself: what is your ROI? Or is this just costing you?

Because it might be costing you your self-trust, your confidence, your momentum, and your results.

This is not about motivation. You are listening to this, so you are motivated. And it's not about willpower either, because you can do hard things.

But that is not how people change.

We have data on this. External accountability increases adherence. When someone else is involved, when there is structure and follow-up, adherence goes up significantly.

I see it at the gym. If I'm in a class or someone expects me, I show up. If I'm on my own, it's much harder.

That is because your brain responds differently when there is expectation and structure.

When you invest your time, energy, and money, your brain assigns value to that experience. You engage differently. You follow through differently.

But when something is free, optional, or something you've done 100 times without results, your brain doesn't assign it much value.

So we say, I'll do it later.

But later is not a time problem. It's protection.

If I don't start, I don't risk failure.

So we fail ahead of time because it feels safer.

But change requires discomfort, uncertainty, and effort.

Life is hard either way. We just have to pick our hard.

Staying stuck is hard.

Change is hard.

But they lead to very different outcomes.

Your brain prefers the hard it knows, even if it is not working.

So when you say not now, later, it is your brain trying to avoid discomfort.

But later usually doesn't happen. It just prolongs the cycle.

So here is the reframe.

Sometimes when we invest in ourselves, it brings up the idea that we are not worth it.

But you don't become worthy first and then invest.

You invest, and then you become the person who follows through.

That is how identity change happens.

You make the decision first.

You get a small piece of evidence.

You build trust with yourself.

And then everything changes.

So I want you to get honest about what waiting is costing you.

Not dramatically, just factually.

How long have you been saying, I'll start later?

What has that cost you?

Identify where you need support.

Evenings? Weekends? Stress?

Those are not discipline problems. Those are support gaps.

Decide not to do this alone anymore.

And make one committed decision.

Not ten. One.

Because that is how momentum starts.

If you are ready to stop circling this, that is exactly what the membership is for.

But even if it's not that, find support somewhere.

Because you are not meant to do this in isolation.

You are already investing your time, your energy, and your money.

The question is: what are you getting in return?

2026 is the year we don't quit.

All right, that's it for this week. I'll see you next week.