The Mindset Diet

Most women are chasing “tone” with the wrong plan. In this episode, I break down what toned actually means, the workouts and diet habits that are wasting your time, and the clear path to visible muscle definition you can sustain.

Episode highlights

👉 Apply for Coaching Here
📩 Email: iman@builtbybalancefitness.com

Most women don’t struggle to lose weight. They struggle to keep it off. In this episode of The Mindset Diet, I break down the Balance phase of my 3-phase method (Build → Burn → Balance) so you can maintain your results within 3–5 lbs without living on a diet. You’ll learn how to transition off tracking, navigate events and vacations, and build the identity and habits that make maintenance feel normal.

Webinar invitation
I’m hosting a free live workshop, How to Lose 20+ lbs in 6 Months Without Dieting, on Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 7 p.m. ET...

Most women think fat loss means cutting out carbs, skipping meals, or eating 1,200 calories a day. Those approaches don’t work long-term — they leave you hungry, frustrated, and stuck in the same cycle of losing and regaining weight.

In this episode of The Mindset Diet, I’m breaking down how to set up a Burn Phase the right way — a structured fat loss phase that actually gets results without feeling miserable or restricted. You’ll learn step by step how to eat in a way that supports your metabolism, preserves muscle, and still leaves room for flexib...

If you have lost weight and gained it back, it is not a willpower problem. It is a setup problem. In this episode, I explain Phase 1 of our program, the Build phase, and why skipping it makes results short-lived. You will learn how to prime your metabolism, dial in habits, and know exactly when you are ready to enter a fat loss phase with confidence.

👉 Apply for Coaching Here
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📩 Email: iman@builtbybalancefitness.com

You are doing the workouts. You eat pretty well. Yet the scale stays stuck and your body feels like it is fighting you. In this conversation with Coach Megan, we dig into why high-achieving women often plateau even when the strategy looks “perfect,” and how nervous system regulation, trauma healing, and learning to soften can unlock fat loss, better sleep, and a calmer mind.

What we cover

In this episode of The Mindset Diet, I sit down with my client Jordan to share her full journey — from where she started to where she is now. We go beyond the quick wins and talk about what it really takes to lose weight and keep it off, even when life throws curveballs.

Jordan opens up about her struggles with food, consistency, and motivation, and how she was able to push through those challenges with the right structure, coaching, and mindset shifts. Together, we break down the phases of her journey and highlight the exact habits that ma...

You probably think you need more willpower, discipline, or motivation to finally lose weight and keep it off. But the truth is, what you actually need is psychological flexibility.

In this episode of The Mindset Diet, I break down what psychological flexibility is, why it’s the missing link for so many women, and how a rigid “all-or-nothing” mindset is keeping you stuck in the same start-over-Monday cycle. You’ll learn how to stop letting perfect be the enemy of good, and how to start making flexible choices that move you forward even on your busiest days.

I’l...

Most women overcomplicate weight loss during menopause. This episode is your reminder that the most powerful changes are often the simplest. I’m sharing the story of my neighbor who lost 20 pounds through menopause without extreme diets, hours of cardio, or expensive supplements—just two smart, consistent habits that worked with her hormonal shifts instead of against them.

If you’ve been spinning your wheels with cardio, restrictive eating, or inconsistent habits, this episode will help you get back to the basics that actually move the needle.

Who Should Listen:
Women in perime...

If you’ve ever felt stuck, like you know what to do but still can’t seem to follow through, this episode is your reset button. I’m sharing a 5-minute mindset exercise that has completely transformed the lives of my clients—and I don’t say that lightly. This isn’t about motivation or willpower. It’s about identity. And when you shift how you see yourself, your habits follow.

One of my clients did this and immediately made a bold decision she’d been avoiding. Why? Because she finally stopped waiting to feel empowered and started acting l...

If you’ve ever said, “I know what to do, I’m just not doing it,” this episode is going to hit hard. In today’s episode of The Mindset Diet, I unpack a powerful psychological trap called the GI Joe Fallacy: the idea that knowing is “half the battle.”

Spoiler alert: it’s not.

You’ll learn why simply collecting more information (another guide, podcast, or challenge) isn’t helping you make progress, and what to focus on instead. I walk you through relatable real-life examples, the science behind why your brain defaults to comfort...

You’re eating clean. You’re working out. You’re tracking (most of the time). And still… the scale won’t budge. So naturally, you start wondering if your metabolism is broken or if your body is just “resistant” to weight loss.

In this episode, I break down the real reasons why your deficit might not be working, even though it looks good on paper. These are the blind spots that sabotage so many women on their fat loss journey, especially if they’ve been dieting for years and feel like they’re doing “everything right.”

You'll learn:

If you’ve ever skipped a workout because your back hurt...
 Or told yourself you “just have a bad knee”…
 Or felt like your body is falling apart after 35...

This episode is for you.

Dr. Brandon Parker is a chiropractor and strength coach who’s changing the conversation around pain, posture, and movement. In this episode, he breaks down what’s actually going on when you experience pain, and how to work with your body instead of against it.

We cover:

In this episode of The Mindset Diet, I sit down with Coach Brian Parana—a seasoned nutrition coach and father of four who has traveled to all 50 states and multiple continents—to talk about how to stay on track with your health goals while traveling or celebrating holidays.

With over 20 years of coaching experience, Brian knows exactly how to balance real life with real results. Together, we explore:

In this raw and honest episode of The Mindset Diet, I sit down with Sarah Krieger—coach, speaker, and the unapologetic voice behind Consistency Over Perfection Fitness. Sarah brings the heat as we dive deep into what’s really keeping women stuck on their weight loss journey, especially those who feel like they’re doing everything right… but still not seeing results.

We talk about:

If you feel like your body is working against you—like what used to work for weight loss no longer does—this episode is for you. I’m breaking down what’s actually happening to your hormones after age 35, the most common mistakes women make that make it worse, and five evidence-based ways to naturally support your body so fat loss becomes possible again. No detoxes. No gimmicks. Just straight-up science and sustainable habits that actually work.

This is one of the most valuable episodes I’ve ever recorded, especially if you’re a high-achieving woman who feels stuck...

In this episode, Iman breaks down the five biggest reasons women struggle to lose fat, even when it feels like they’re giving it their all.

These five reasons are pulled directly from Iman’s brand new Fix Your Fat Loss Quiz, designed to help you figure out what’s really blocking your progress, so you can stop spinning your wheels and start seeing results.

What You’ll Learn:

🔹 Why pushing harder might actually be backfiring
 🔹 The metabolic “must-haves” your body needs before it will drop fat
 🔹 How to know if you’ve been die...

If you’re over 35 and feeling frustrated with your lack of progress, even though you’re eating healthy, working out consistently, and doing everything right, this episode is for you.

Today, I’m breaking down the three most common mistakes I see women making in their 30s, 40s, and 50s that keep them stuck in a cycle of effort with no results.

We’ll talk about:
 • Why your workouts might be hurting your results
• How “eating healthy” is different from eating strategically
• The reason your body isn’t changing (even when you feel like yo...

You might think it's your metabolism, your crazy schedule, or your unsupportive family holding you back from losing weight… but what if it’s actually something as small as forgetting your gym shoes?

In this episode, I’m walking you through the real reason your progress is stalled ( spoiler alert—it’s not because you’re lazy). It's because you're letting tiny, avoidable things pile up and derail your momentum. We're calling out the small, seemingly innocent excuses that secretly keep you stuck, and more importantly, I’m teaching you how to work around them instead of letting them w...

Most women who struggle with consistency on their weight loss journey are not unmotivated or broken, they’re just asking the wrong questions.

In this episode, I share a concept inspired by something I heard on a business podcast that I immediately knew I needed to bring to you. It’s the idea that your stuckness — your “I always fall off,” or “I just can’t stay consistent” — is often just a statement standing in the way of a better question.

Because when you ask better questions, you get better results.

If you've been making defini...

You’re uncomfortable in your body. Tired. Frustrated. Maybe even in pain.
 And yet… you keep putting off the very things that would actually move the needle.

In this episode, I’m giving you the honest truth about what’s really slowing you down. It’s not a broken metabolism. It’s not a lack of time. It’s a mindset.

This episode is for the woman who:

Let’s clear something up once and for all…

That protein bar?
 That “keto-friendly” cookie?
 That $13 green juice?

Are those things actually healthy?

In today’s episode of The Mindset Diet, I break down the confusion around what makes a food “healthy”, and why so many women are stressed, bloated, and stuck in all-or-nothing thinking because of what wellness culture has taught them to fear.

You’ll walk away with a better understanding of how to define healthy food for your body, plus learn how to spot sneaky marketing tactics designed t...

If working out is the way you know how to manage stress... this episode is for you! 

In this episode, I discuss whether or not working out is a good way to manage stress. I share my own story of learning the truth the hard way, plus I walk you through:

Who Should Listen:

This episode is a must...

In this raw and honest episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what the first few months of 2025 have looked like for me, and how they’ve led to weight gain. From sleep struggles to travel to unexpected family emergencies, it’s been a season of curveballs. But instead of panicking or overcorrecting, I’m choosing a different path, and I want to help you do the same.

Whether you’re currently in a stressful season, coming out of one, or know one is on the horizon, this episode will help you navigate it with more self-compa...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by fitness coach Bryce Hamilton for a deep dive into one of the biggest struggles my clients face—motivation. We’ve all been there—waiting for that spark of inspiration to get us moving, only for it to fizzle out a few days later. But what if motivation isn’t the real problem? And what if chasing it is actually holding you back?

Bryce shares his personal journey into the fitness industry and why he believes motivation is overrated when it comes to long-term success. Together, we discuss:<...

Episode Summary:

In this episode of The Mindset Diet podcast, Iman is joined by Chase Smith and Chris Bealhen for an eye-opening discussion on how identity shapes your weight loss success. They break down why so many people stay stuck in cycles of dieting and self-sabotage: they haven’t shifted their identity to align with their goals. If you’ve ever labeled yourself as an “all-or-nothing person” or felt like you were destined to fail at weight loss because of past experiences, this episode is a must-listen.

Who Should Listen:

This week’s episode of The Mindset Diet is a little different—it's the recording of an Instagram Live I did with my friend and fellow coach, Rudy. We had an open, no-BS conversation about what it really takes to lose weight and keep it off. If you're tired of the noise in the fitness industry and want straight talk on what actually works, this episode is for you.

Who Should Listen:

If you’ve ever thought that eating less and doing endless cardio is the only way to lose weight, this episode is going to be a game-changer for you. Erin McDonald joins me to break down exactly how she went from years of yo-yo dieting, under-eating, and over-exercising to fueling her body properly, building muscle, and finally achieving the toned, strong look she always wanted—without feeling miserable.

We talk about how the ’90s diet culture still haunts women today, the shift from obsessing over being "thin" to getting strong, and why most women accidentally sabotage their...

In this episode, Iman shares two real-life conversations that perfectly illustrate why some women successfully lose weight and keep it off, while others stay stuck in the cycle of yo-yo dieting. Through the contrasting experiences of “Rachel” and “Mandy,” you’ll learn the key mindset shift that separates those who struggle from those who succeed.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re spinning your wheels with weight loss—jumping from diet to diet, searching for the magic fix—this episode will give you the clarity and practical steps you need to finally break free and start seeing real, lasti...

Ever feel like you're eating "healthy" but still not losing weight? You're not alone. In this episode, Iman dives into whether or not you really need to track your food to see results. Is it necessary? Does it lead to obsession? Is it the key to breaking through a plateau? She's breaking it all down today, including the biggest misconceptions about tracking, who should (and shouldn’t) track, and how to make food tracking easier if you decide to try it.

Hey, It's Iman! 

I have a special invite for you...

If you feel like you’re doing everything right—tracking your food, working out, staying on track—but still not seeing results, stress might be the reason why. Most people think weight loss is just about calories and workouts, but chronic stress can sabotage your progress in ways you don’t even realize.

In this episode, I’m breaking down: