Join Becca and Liz in this insightful episode of The Food Code as they uncover the truth about calorie deficits, dieting, and realistic weight loss progress. Struggling with slow progress despite your efforts? This episode is for you! Discover the long-term effects of dieting on metabolism and thyroid health, and learn how to set realistic expectations for weight loss and body composition changes. Understand why the scale isn't the only measure of progress and how to effectively track it with photos, measurements, and weekly averages. We also delve into the impact of stress, life commitments, and seasonal planning on your diet, as well as weight fluctuations and the influence of your cycle. Finally, we discuss how to prepare your body for a successful diet by building healthy habits. ***Tune in to learn:[00:00:28] - Setting the Record Straight on Calorie Deficits and Dieting[00:04:16] - The Reality of Weight Loss: Slow and Steady Wins the Race[00:04:59] - The Impact of Long-term Dieting on Metabolism and Thyroid[00:06:36] - Defining Progress Beyond the Scale: Inches, Photos, and Inflammation[00:09:16] - Preparing for a Diet: Healthy Habits and Calorie Baselines[00:10:31] - Evaluating the Best Time to Diet: Stressors and Life Commitments[00:13:00] - The Challenge of Long-term Healthy Living: Slower Progress[00:17:30] - Tracking Progress: Photos, Measurements, and Weekly Averages[00:24:40] - Weight Fluctuations and the Impact of Your Cycle on Progress***Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast! Share this episode with friends who need to hear this important message.***Have a question you want us to answer live? ASK HERELooking for high quality, therapeutic grade supplements? If so, join our practitioner portal, Fullscript, and purchase quality supplements 15% off!Our favorite nontoxic skincare is FRE Skincare. Their breakthrough dual action formula that fights breakouts and the signs of aging with high impact natural ingredients. Use code LIZROMAN at checkout!Get a FREE Sample pack of LMNT! LMNT is a electrolyte drink mix that is formulated to help anyone with their electrolyte needs and is perfectly suited to folks following a keto, low-carb, or paleo diet AND it is soo tasty - great for flavoring water and helping you drink more!***CONNECT?️ Liz on Instagram / Facebook / TikTok? Becca on Instagram / Facebook / TikTok? Join FITMOM™️society (our private community)▶️ Watch the podcast on YouTube? Subscribe to the newsletter***SAY THANKS? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts✳️ Leave a rating on Spotify***Produced by ? brandhard