Dr Nick Fuller
Leading Obesity Expert at the University of Sydney and founder of Interval Weight Loss.
You already know what works. You’ve tried cutting back, moving more, and giving your body the time it needs. But when the scales barely move, or move in the wrong direction, it’s frustrating. Especially when everything around you is promising fast results.
Here’s the hard truth: your biology isn’t built for quick fat loss. After you lose weight, your body pushes back by lowering metabolism, increasing hunger hormones, and even making food more rewarding. These changes can last for years and make keeping the weight off far harder than losing it in the first place.
On top of that, your brain is wired to chase short-term rewards, even when you know the long-term outcome is better. That’s how human motivation works: short-term gratification often wins.
So no, it’s not that you’re lazy or lack willpower. The system is stacked against you. But when you understand what’s really going on under the surface, you can stop blaming yourself and start working with your body and brain instead of against them.
Fast weight loss is tempting, especially when you’re doing ‘everything right’ but seeing little to no change. But chasing quick results is like building a house on sand: it may go up fast, but it rarely lasts. Quick fixes come at a cost, often pushing your body into survival mode rather than supporting real, sustainable change.
Your body works hard to defend its weight. When you lose fat quickly, it responds by slowing your metabolism and ramping up hunger hormones, which are adaptations that can persist long after the weight is gone. This makes it harder to maintain the loss and easier to regain weight, especially if you haven’t built sustainable habits along the way.
Rapid weight loss doesn’t just target fat; it often strips away water and lean muscle, which are easier for the body to break down than stored fat. That’s a problem because muscle helps you burn more energy at rest. The less muscle you have, the harder it is to maintain a healthy weight. Extreme diets can also cause nutrient deficiencies if you cut too much, too fast [3].
In contrast, slow and steady approaches reduce those risks. You give your body time to adjust and adapt. That means more fat loss, better muscle preservation, and fewer metabolic or nutritional side effects. Slower change is also safer for your organs, bones, and hormones, especially over time.
Going slow also gives you space to build habits that last. Things like eating more mindfully, getting enough sleep, or finding movement you enjoy aren’t flashy, but they’re what drive real long-term change. You’re losing weight, and more importantly, reshaping your daily routines.
And the outcome? People who lose weight gradually are more likely to keep it off, in part because they haven’t shocked their system into survival mode or relied on unsustainable willpower.
That’s the foundation of Interval Weight Loss (IWL). Backed by science, it helps you build healthy habits around food, movement, and sleep without extreme diets or deprivation. If you’re ready to lose weight in a way that actually lasts, IWL is designed to support you long term.
Progress that sticks takes time, and staying motivated along the way isn’t always easy. Here’s how to stay committed to losing weight gradually and make it last.
A goal like ‘lose 20 kilos’ can feel overwhelming. But ‘cook at home four nights this week’ feels doable. When you break your larger goal into smaller, action-based wins, it becomes easier to stay on track. Each small success, whether it’s getting in your steps or skipping takeaway, builds self-efficacy, which has been shown to increase long-term weight loss success.
The scale doesn’t always reflect fat loss, especially if you’re gaining muscle, holding water, or just dealing with daily fluctuations. Tracking your habits (like workouts or meals), snapping progress photos, and noticing wins like better sleep or looser clothes gives you more ways to see progress and more reasons to stay motivated.
Your surroundings shape your habits more than you realise. If your fridge is empty and the snacks are visible, it’s harder to make good choices. Try prepping meals, leaving your workout shoes by the door, or posting a sticky note with your goals where you’ll see it. Structuring your space this way reduces decision fatigue and helps keep your actions aligned with your intentions.
A good playlist can energise your workouts or make meal prep fly by. Research shows music can reduce perceived effort and increase enjoyment during exercise. Visual tools, like a mood board, a saved photo album, or your own ‘reasons why’ list, can help you reconnect with your goals on the days you need a boost. Just steer clear of unrealistic transformation content.
Having someone to check in with or simply knowing others are working toward similar goals can make all the difference. Whether it’s a friend, walking buddy, coach, or online group, social support, especially when it's positive and participatory, is one of the strongest predictors of weight loss success. It keeps you accountable and reminds you you’re not in this alone.
When progress is slow, pay attention to the changes you can feel: more energy, better focus, improved sleep, or fewer cravings. Shifting your attention to how your body feels (not just how it looks) builds intrinsic motivation, the kind that fuels long-term change.
Motivation will come and go. That’s normal. What matters most is showing up consistently, even when progress feels slow. Be patient with your body and your timeline. And if comparing yourself to others makes you feel like quitting? Unfollow, mute, or step back. Your journey is your own, and rushing it rarely leads to better results.
Slow weight loss isn’t the easy way out. It’s the evidence-based, biology-aligned path that actually works. It respects how your body and brain are wired, protects your metabolism, and helps you build habits that last far beyond the finish line. And while it can feel frustrating at times, staying motivated is possible when you approach the journey with the right tools, support, and mindset.
Whether you’re just getting started or trying again after past setbacks, remember this: lasting change doesn’t come from pushing harder. Instead, it comes from being consistent, kind to yourself, and committed to what works over time.
Ready to lose weight in a way your body can actually sustain? Learn more about Interval Weight Loss today.
Dr Nick Fuller is the founder of Interval Weight Loss and is a leading obesity expert at the University of Sydney with a Ph.D. in Obesity Treatment. Dr Fuller is also the author of three best-selling books and his work been published in top ranked journals in the medical field, including JAMA, Lancet and American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.