STEP 6: Feed Your Mind

THE IMPORTANCE OF MINDSET AND HOW TO FIX IT

By Chad | Updated 6/5/2025

“You are what you eat.” But also:
You are what you watch. You are what you read. You are what you believe.

If you’ve made it this far—congrats. You now know how weight loss works. You’ve learned about calories, macros, pacing, and planning.

But here’s something most people never talk about:

If you don’t motivate your brain, your body won’t follow. It’s almost more important to feed your brain correctly than even to feed your body correctly

I know it sounds like fluff. But for me—and for a lot of people I’ve helped—this is the difference between success and burnout.

The Real Reason Diets Fail

Let’s be honest. Failing a diet rarely comes down to carbs or fats.

It’s the mental game that gets you.

You’ve been here, right?

• • You set new goals.
  • You’re pumped — this time will be different.
  • You eat healthy for a day or two.
  • You tell yourself, “This is it. I can feel it working.”
  • Then one night, you’re driving home late and see a McDonald’s.
  • You think: “One small fry won’t hurt.”
  • Without thinking, you order your regular: Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal.
  • Then you think: “Screw it. I’ll start tomorrow anyway — might as well get dessert too.”
  • The next morning, you slip again and think: “Well, now I’ve failed today too. I’ll start fresh tomorrow… better eat everything I’m going to miss now.”
  • You binge. You gain weight.
  • A few days later… you set goals again.
  • You’re pumped — this time will be different.

It’s not that you don’t want it. It’s that you didn’t feed your brain enough motivation to make it through the tough moments.

Motivation Isn’t Magic — It’s Fuel

Motivation doesn’t just show up. It has to be fed. And not once, but often.

One of the biggest mindset shifts I ever made was realizing that the media I consume affects my motivation.

Meaning: When I succeeded on my diet, I ensured that I was eating veggies and protein. But I also ensured I was watching weight-loss shows, listening to diet podcasts, and putting up reminders of my goals.

And it’s not just anecdotal. Research backs it up.

In the “Pounds Off Digitally” study, people who listened to a structured weight-loss podcast regularly lost more weight and stuck with it longer than those who didn’t. The more they listened, the better they did. (source 1, source 2)

Why? Because their brains were in the game. Again, feeding your brain with the correct motivation is just as important as feeding your body the correct nutrition.

• Feed your body veggies and protein → you feel better and weight drops.
• Feed your mind good content → your discipline increases and you stick to your diet.

As feed your brain messages of weight loss, your brain gets the message: “This is what we do now.”

Your Assignment: Watch 3 Weight-Loss Shows Each Week

Yes, seriously.

Consider it mental meal prep.

📺 Watch three shows, vlogs, or YouTube channels about people actively trying to lose weight. Doesn’t matter if it’s:

• • Extreme Weight Loss with Chris Powell (Hulu and Prime Video, my personal favorite)
  • My 600-lb Life
  • The Biggest Loser
  • Obese to Beast on YouTube
  • A TikTok vlogger sharing their journey
  • OB_fit on Instagram or Tik Tok (I trust that guy)

The point isn’t the show. It’s the signal to your brain:

“Everyone around me is doing this. I’m part of it.”

You need that fire. Because when weight loss feels normal, you’ll keep going.
When it feels lonely, you’ll quit.

Other Motivation Tactics

Your goal is to put weight-loss in your mind as much as possible. Watching shows or listening to podcasts is essential.

But there are other things you need to do to get your brain right:

• • Weigh in daily – Keeps your brain engaged and builds awareness.
  • Write your goals everywhere – Mirror, whiteboard, sticky notes — make them visible.
  • Use a habit tracker – Check off each win to build momentum.
  • Tell someone you trust – Get encouragement, not judgment.
  • Post your “why” – List your top 3 reasons and keep them in sight.
  • Set a phone wallpaper – Make your goal your lock screen.
  • Watch weight-loss shows – Makes the journey feel normal and achievable.
  • Follow inspiring creators – Fill your feed with motivation, not distractions.
  • Create a daily mantra – A quick line like “I don’t quit” or “This is who I am now.”
  • Celebrate mini wins – Reward yourself (not with food!) when you hit milestones.

About Telling Other People

The most annoying thing for me in my weight-loss journey is that everyone would tell me I was doing it wrong.

No matter which diet you choose – Keto, Intermittent Fasting, High-Protein Low-Calorie (the smart one 😉); someone will tell you you’re doing it wrong.

They’re just jealous. Studies have shown that each major diet will help you lose weight. They all put you in a calorie deficit.

But studies (by me) have also shown that every diet will lead to a group of hecklers.

People will tell you to “just be fat and happy,” or tell you “the way you’re doing it can’t last.” Then they’ll feed you some pseudo-scientific hogwash like “It’s all about insulin. You should just drink celery juice and realign your hormone pathways, then avoid seed oils.”

Don’t listen to them. Tell trusted people you’re on a diet. Ask for their support. Their support is not saying: “You’re eating that steak? I thought you were on a diet?!” Because that’s ignorant and just annoying.

The kind of support you need is:

• • Celebrating when you get a win (like losing a few pounds).
  • Noticing with you when you look thinner.
  • Encouraging you that you can do it during tough days.
  • Maybe joining you with health goals of their own.
  • Etc.!

If you know someone who can be that level of supportive, tell them. If not, just succeed and let them notice later.

Final Word: Intentionally Train Your Brain

I could go on and on here. But what’s important is you’re intentional about adding motivation to your day. It’s not enough to just eat less and move more. You have to feed your brain as much as you feed your body.

So: create a motivation training plan. Watch a show during every workout (or after). Put your goals everywhere. Don’t just want to lose weight. Lose it. You can do it. You are the person who achieves goals. Find that inner animal, feed it, and lose the pounds. You’ve got this!

Some Good Weight-Loss Shows

Find more to add! But that’s months of content.

You only have 1 lesson left! The last lesson is a summary of everything we’ve talked about, a way for you to simply put it all together in a daily plan.

👉See the Conclusion for more details.

📌Notes to Keep From This Lesson 📌

• • Feeding your brain is just as important as feeding your body.
  • I plan to consume this content three times a week _____________________