Welcome back!

Have you ever felt like you’re doing everything right — eating healthy foods, watching your portions, following all the “good” advice — yet the scale just won’t budge? You’re not alone. In this episode of More Than a Number, we dive into a real conversation I had with a new client (one that I have with people all the time!) about why “eating healthy” doesn’t automatically equal weight loss.

We’ll break down one of the most overlooked truths in nutrition: you can eat clean and still eat too much. Healthy foods still contain calories, and if we don’t have a sense of balance, we can easily drift into a surplus — even with the best intentions.

But this isn’t about restriction or perfection. It’s about awareness, balance, and strategy — knowing how to structure your meals so that your nutrition actually supports your goals and your satisfaction.

• Why “I eat healthy but can’t lose weight” is more common than you think

• The truth about calorie balance (and why it’s not as scary as it sounds)

• Sneaky “healthy” foods that may be sabotaging your progress — like nuts, avocado, and olive oil

• Why tracking can be helpful even temporarily to build awareness

• The PVC plate method — my simple framework for meal balance: Protein, Veg, Carb

• Five practical ways to reduce unintentional calorie surpluses without restriction:

  1. Increase lean proteins to stay full longer

  2. Add more fiber-rich foods, especially non-starchy veggies

  3. Include complex carbs (don’t fear them — just balance them!)

  4. Portion healthy fats like nuts, seeds, and avocado

  5. Eat in order: protein first, veggies next, carbs last

This episode is for anyone who’s frustrated by stalled progress and ready to finally understand why the “healthy” approach they’ve been taking hasn’t worked yet. You’ll walk away with tangible, doable strategies that don’t require counting every calorie — just a bit more awareness and a fresh way to structure your meals so you can feel satisfied and actually see results.

Healthy eating isn’t just about what you eat — it’s about how you eat, how much, and in what balance. When we align our daily habits with how our body actually works, results stop being random — and start being reliable.

🎧 Listen now to hear the full conversation, learn how to implement the PVC plate method, and discover small changes that can make a big difference in your progress.

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• Join my free email list for weekly inspo, first dibs on new offers and recaps of the week’s podcast episodes: https://sambaronenutrition.myflodesk.com/morethananumber
• Need more of an individualized 1 on 1 path to reaching your weight loss and maintenance goals through accountability and evidence-based solutions? Click here for my 90 Days to Nourish Well program: https://sambaronenutrition.myflodesk.com/e9av8hib2c
• Have questions about my 1 on 1 program, 90 Days to Nourish Well? Click here to schedule a complimentary 20 minute virtual session to chat about it: https://SessionwithSam.as.me/Discoverysession

I'm so glad you're here!

In this episode of More Than a Number, we dig into one of the most powerful mindset shifts for lasting weight loss: identity-based habits. Instead of seeing ourselves as someone who’s trying to be healthy, we step into the truth that we are healthy people who show up for ourselves daily.

I share my own story of living like “two different people” — disciplined during the week but self-sabotaging on weekends — and the wake-up call that helped me bridge the gap between who I said I was and how I was actually living. We’ll talk about the disconnect many of us feel when our habits don’t line up with the person we want to be, and how shifting our self-talk can change everything.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about aligning our daily actions with our true identity, so we can build trust, consistency, and confidence within ourselves.

What We’ll Cover in This Episode

• Why our identity shapes our habits more than motivation does
• The danger of “work hard, play hard” thinking and how it holds us back
• How to bridge the gap between who we say we are and what we actually do
• The power of language: “I’m trying to exercise” vs. “I’m someone who moves my body daily”
• Lessons from James Clear’s Atomic Habits on identity-based change
• How to handle food pushers and social pressure without guilt
• Why declarations like “I am trustworthy” and “I am a healthy person” build lasting self-confidence

Your Action Step

Ask yourself: Who do I want to be? Then declare it daily. Instead of saying, “I’m trying to eat better,” say, “I am someone who nourishes my body.” Instead of “I should work out,” say, “I am someone who moves my body every day.” These small shifts in language will shape your mindset, your habits, and ultimately your results.

👉 If you missed last week’s episode on consistency, go back and listen — these two episodes go hand-in-hand.

Resources & Links

• Book recommendation: Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Free Habit Tracker: Email me or sign up for my newsletter to get it delivered to your inbox
• Related Episode: Forget Motivation: How Consistency Builds Lasting Weight Loss

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• Join my free email list for weekly inspo, first dibs on new offers and recaps of the week’s podcast episodes: https://sambaronenutrition.myflodesk.com/morethananumber
• Need more of an individualized 1 on 1 path to reaching your weight loss and maintenance goals through accountability and evidence-based solutions? Click here for my 90 Days to Nourish Well program: https://sambaronenutrition.myflodesk.com/e9av8hib2c
• Have questions about my 1 on 1 program, 90 Days to Nourish Well? Click here to schedule a complimentary 20 minute virtual session to chat about it: https://SessionwithSam.as.me/Discoverysession

Hey Friends!

In this episode, we dive into one of the most important truths about health: motivation won’t get you where you want to go—consistency will.

I share some personal stories (yes, even about eyelashes and unfinished books!) to show why waiting to “feel motivated” keeps us stuck in cycles of starting over. I’ll walk you through why discipline, structure, and small daily habits matter so much more than motivation, and how those little actions add up to lasting change.

If you’ve ever said “nothing works” or beaten yourself up for lacking willpower, this episode will encourage you to reframe that thinking and give you practical strategies to finally build the consistency that keeps weight off for good.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why motivation is fleeting (and why you don’t need it to succeed)
• How small, repeatable actions compound into big results
• The difference between short-term intensity vs. long-term consistency
• How I use habit stacking to anchor new routines into my daily life
• Why I see discipline not as punishment, but as a reward
• How habit tracking builds trust and confidence within yourself
• My favorite action steps you can start TODAY

Your Action Step

Pick one small habit and commit to it for the next 7 days using a habit tracker. If you’d like mine, sign up for my email community and I’ll send it your way!

👉 https://sambaronenutrition.myflodesk.com/morethananumber

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Join my free email list for weekly inspo, first dibs on new offers and recaps of the week’s podcast episodes: https://sambaronenutrition.myflodesk.com/morethananumber

Need more of an individualized 1 on 1 path to reaching your weight loss and maintenance goals through accountability and evidence-based solutions? Click here for my 90 Days to Nourish Well program: https://sambaronenutrition.myflodesk.com/e9av8hib2c

Have questions about my 1 on 1 program, 90 Days to Nourish Well? Click here to schedule a complimentary 20 minute virtual session to chat about it: https://SessionwithSam.as.me/Discoverysession