The end of the year often brings a renewed desire for change. Many of my clients come to me frustrated — saying they know what they should be doing, yet somehow they don’t do it consistently.
If this sounds familiar, you are far from alone.
Reaching better health isn’t just about information. It’s about behaviours, habits, stress levels, your environment, your physiology, and the support you have around you. Today’s blog explores the five most common reasons people struggle to reach their goals — and, importantly, what you can do to finally break the cycle.
1. You’re Relying on Willpower Instead of Structure
Willpower is unreliable. It fatigues throughout the day, especially when stress, lack of sleep or emotional demands are high.
If your health plan relies entirely on pushing yourself harder, it’s destined to collapse.
What works instead:
Build systems. Meal planning, shopping lists, batch cooking, scheduled walks, set supplement reminders — these reduce decision fatigue and make the “healthy option” the easy option.
2. Your Goals Are Too Big or Too Vague
“Eat better.”
“Lose weight.”
“Reduce stress.”
These are intentions, not goals. They have no defined actions, no timeframe and no measurable progress markers.
What works instead:
Shift to small, actionable goals, such as:
• Add one portion of vegetables to lunch every day.
• Walk 20 minutes after dinner three times a week.
• Reduce caffeine after 1 p.m.
These create momentum, confidence and visible progress.
3. You’re Overwhelmed by Conflicting Nutrition Noise
Modern nutrition advice is incredibly contradictory. Every week there is a new headline telling you to avoid something or eat more of something else.
Confusion leads to paralysis.
What works instead:
Personalised guidance. When you know what works for your body, you no longer waste time guessing. My role is to simplify your path, remove the noise and give you a clear roadmap.
4. You’re Ignoring Hidden Stressors
Stress isn’t just emotional.
It can be biological, nutritional or environmental.
Blood sugar instability, poor sleep, chronic inflammation, digestive issues or hormonal imbalances can all sabotage your progress — even if you’re “doing everything right”.
What works instead:
Identify the root causes. Once the underlying stressors are addressed, the body becomes far more responsive to lifestyle changes.
5. You’re Trying to Do It Alone
Accountability is one of the strongest predictors of long-term success.
Most people fall off track not because they lack motivation, but because life gets busy and no one is supporting or guiding them through setbacks.
What works instead:
A structured programme, clear check-ins and an expert who understands your patterns makes all the difference. Health is not meant to be a solo project.
If you’re tired of starting over, you don’t have to.
You don’t need more willpower.
You need a plan that works for your body, your lifestyle and your challenges — with support along the way.
If you feel stuck, overwhelmed or ready for a more sustainable approach heading into 2025, I’m here to help.
Warmly,
Milvia Pili, FNTP
Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
