Perfectionism is Secretly Wrecking your Progress

Did you know that women who obsess over being perfect with food are significantly more likely to spiral into disordered eating patterns?

Perfectionism promises control. Results. Discipline.

But when it comes to food, fitness, and health, perfection often leads to the exact opposite.

That “all-or-nothing” restriction mentality?

It often backfires, leading not just to burnout and binge cycles, but actual weight gain due to both physiological changes and the mental whiplash of rigid thinking.

Let me introduce you to Sarah.

Sarah had all the tools:

✅ A solid nutrition plan

✅ A habit tracker

✅ Even a cute new water bottle that reminded her to hydrate

For about six days.

Then she had a night where she stress-ate half a bag of chips and skipped her workout because she was exhausted after all long, crazy day at work.

And just like that, she stopped.

Why? Because that little voice of perfectionism in her head said,

“Well, you blew it. Might as well start over next Monday.”

Sound familiar?

I get it. I’m a recovering people-pleasing perfectionist. This was my exact MO for years.

Perfectionism Sounds Like This:

• “I messed up, so I’ll just start over… later.”

• “If I can’t do it 100%, I won’t do it at all.”

• “One ‘bad’ choice ruins the whole day.”

And every time you listen to that voice, you fall into the same cycle:

✨ Start strong → hit a bump → spiral → start over → repeat.

Perfectionism makes you believe the only way to be successful is to be flawless.

But let me lovingly call BS on that.

Here’s What Actually Works:

👉 Consistency over perfection.

Showing up imperfectly, but regularly, will take you further than any all-or-nothing cycle ever could.

👉 Compassion over criticism.

Talk to yourself the way you’d talk to your best friend. That kind, honest voice? It gets you back on track faster.

👉 Resilience over restarts.

A setback isn’t a sign to quit. It’s a chance to practice bouncing back. And that is a skill that will serve you for life.

So what happened with Sarah?

We worked on her mindset.

We unpacked her all-or-nothing thinking.

She started tracking her consistency, not just her “perfect” days.

Guess what?

She didn’t just stick with her habits longer .... she felt better doing it.

She wasn’t living in constant fear of failing. She was building confidence with every small, imperfect step.

And that’s exactly what I want for you.

Let go of perfect.

Hold on to progress.

And watch how everything shifts.

If this hit home, I’d love to hear from you. 💬

Or better yet ...let this be your reminder that you don’t have to do it all perfectly to be successful.

If you’re tired of starting over, stuck in the all-or-nothing loop, or just ready to feel better in your body and your mindset…

Join me and Annie from All Day Coach in our joint coaching program Rewire, Reclaim & Reboot—a space where nutrition meets mindset, and progress actually sticks.