Your 2026 Self Is Built in 2025 and How You Become Your Best Self Now for A Healthy New Year

[00:00:00] Emily Field: Hello everyone. Welcome back to Macros Made Easy. I’m Emily Field Registered Dietician, and today’s episode is for anyone closing out the year, feeling something. Maybe you’re proud of how this year went, you found your groove with food, your workouts, your mindset, or maybe you’re just feeling done, you’re sick of your own excuses, tired of half trying, and just ready to wipe the slate clean wherever you fall on that spectrum.

[00:00:25] Emily Field: Proud of your progress or painfully aware of where you fell short. You’re not behind, and you’re certainly not starting from scratch. Your 2026 self, the woman that you wanna become, isn’t built by some magical version of you that wakes up January 1st with a perfect plan and ironclad discipline. She’s built by the version of you sitting here today, listening, reflecting, deciding to keep showing up.

[00:00:50] Emily Field: So in this episode, I’m gonna speak to both of those women, the one who’s exhausted and fed up, and the one who’s quietly proud of what she accomplished. This year we’re going to explore how each of them can use what this year taught them to build something even better in 2026. So let’s start with a version of you that’s just done.

[00:01:11] Emily Field: If you’re listening to this and thinking, Ugh, I’m just so sick of myself. Sick of saying you’re gonna start fresh only to fall off track a week later. Sick of opening chronometer more times than you actually logged anything in it. Sick of making almost healthy meals, but never quite hitting your protein targets.

[00:01:29] Emily Field: Sick of knowing what to do, but not doing it. You are not alone. This part of the year tends to magnify those frustrations. You scroll social media and see the finished strong messages and meanwhile you’re like, finish strong. I’m just trying to make it to Friday without crying into a bag of popcorn. You might’ve said I’ll start Monday more times than you care to admit.

[00:01:51] Emily Field: You might feel like this year is just one long game of falling off and trying to get back on, and that’s not just exhausting, that’s demoralizing. But here’s the thing I want you to really hear. Feeling this way doesn’t make you a failure. It doesn’t mean that you lack willpower or discipline. It simply means that you’ve outgrown the old way of doing things.

[00:02:11] Emily Field: You’ve hit your limit with the white knuckling, the rigid plans and the self-blame. And that’s a good thing because it means that you’re ready for a different approach. Inside my coaching program, eat to Lean. I work with women all the time who arrive at this exact breaking point, and they’re not new to health and fitness.

[00:02:27] Emily Field: They’ve done the logging, the fasting, the tracking, the overthinking. What they haven’t done is build a sustainable system that meets them where they are and gives them the tools, support and structure to keep going. Even life gets lifey. So if you’re feeling tired of your own excuses, if you’re burned out on trying to be perfect and never quite sticking with it, let’s call this moment what it is, a pivot point, not a place to give up.

[00:02:52] Emily Field: A place to rebuild. Not with more shame or stricter rules, but with more clarity, more structure, and more self-compassion. You’re not starting over. You’re starting differently. So let’s talk about how the first step is to start with some emotional realism. This time of year can stir up a lot of frustration.

[00:03:11] Emily Field: Again, you’re scrolling through social media and everyone’s talking about finishing strong, showing their December prs, their color coded planners, their hashtag goals list. And meanwhile, you’re thinking, I can barely finish this week. And if that’s you, I want you to know that I see you and you are not alone.

[00:03:28] Emily Field: There’s something about December that makes a lot of women feel like they’re failing, not because they are, but because they’re juggling. So much. And if you’re in that midlife group, midlife already feels like a pressure cooker. You’re managing your own energy work, deadlines, hormones, holidays, maybe aging parents, maybe teenage kids.

[00:03:48] Emily Field: And yet you’re supposed to somehow also be meal prepping, drinking water, getting your lifts in, and staying positive. Let’s just take a breath, because the truth is this season doesn’t just stretch our schedules. It stretches our emotions, especially if you’ve been walking through something personal. And I’ll share, honestly, this time last year, I was in one of those.

[00:04:11] Emily Field: Floating seasons myself, I’ve been riding the waves of fertility treatments desperately wanting to become a mom, and each cycle brought a rollercoaster of hope and disappointment. There were many moments in my journey where I felt like I was stuck in this exhausting loop. I get a negative test and think.

[00:04:28] Emily Field: Okay, I guess I’m not pregnant. Might as well go back to tracking. Might as well lift heavy. Might as well get back into my routine. But even as I was doing that, there was this voice in the back of my head saying, wait, what if this cycle it works? Should I be backing off? Is that too much? What am I doing wrong?

[00:04:44] Emily Field: It felt like I was always caught in between two gears. Trying to move forward, but also afraid I might mess something up if I push too hard. Trying to trust the process, but constantly second guessing if this was the month I needed to change everything. It was a constant push and pull, wanting structure, but also fearing it, wanting to feel strong, but worrying that that strength might come at a cost, wanting to track and take care of myself, but not wanting to get my hopes up again.

[00:05:10] Emily Field: I’d find myself half committing. Logging for a few days, skipping a whole lot of others, lifting heavy one week and then pulling back the next, not because I was lazier and consistent, but because I was in limbo. And limbo is such a hard place to live, especially when your body feels like it’s carrying both hope and grief at the same time.

[00:05:30] Emily Field: I felt like I was constantly starting over physically, emotionally, mentally. Honestly, there were entire stretches where I just didn’t feel like tracking my food because I was too sad to care, or I didn’t wanna lift because I didn’t trust my body. And I share all this because I know so many of you are also living in that in-between where the habits that used to feel energizing and supportive now feel really heavy when you’re trying to hold yourself accountable.

[00:05:57] Emily Field: But self-compassion feels just out of reach, let’s call it what it is. Emotional fatigue. And if you’re just trying to keep your head above water this season, this episode is for you because the answer isn’t another push to get back on track. It’s a new foundation, a new structure that actually supports the season you’re in, not the one that you wish you were in.

[00:06:19] Emily Field: We’re gonna talk about how to build that at a start 2026 in a way that your 2027 self will be so grateful for. Let’s talk about why this time of year can feel so hard, even if you’re someone who’s done the work, built the habits, and knows what to do. The truth is that most women have spent years in what I call a diet culture mode.

[00:06:40] Emily Field: You’ve been so conditioned to associate change with punishment. You hear, get back on track, and your brain immediately pulls up memories of food, rules, restriction, guilt starting over on Monday, or swearing off carbs until after the holidays. So it actually makes sense that when things feel messy or inconsistent, your brain offers you a path that feels most familiar.

[00:07:03] Emily Field: I’ll start over in January, and honestly, there’s something really enticing about that idea, a fresh start, a total overhaul, clean slate, new planner, full reset. It gives your brain a dopamine hit because control feels comforting. But here’s the thing. Most women that I work with have done this cycle for decades, and they’re still not where they want to be.

[00:07:28] Emily Field: Not because they’re lazy or undisciplined, because they’ve been taught the wrong pattern. The pattern of mess up, restart, restrict, repeat, and that’s why you’re so frustrated, because deep down, you know you’re capable of more. You’ve had glimpses, you’ve had days or even seasons where it all clicked. You tracked your protein, you hit your workouts, you felt more energized, and you thought, why can’t I just do this all the time?

[00:07:52] Emily Field: That frustration isn’t a failure. It’s actually a signal that you’re ready for something different. And that’s exactly where most women find me, right at the point where they’re done with the quick fixes and ready to actually build something that lasts. So here’s what I wanna offer, instead of the usual new year, new you mentality.

[00:08:11] Emily Field: The thing that actually works is not a dramatic overhaul. It’s a messy start. It’s showing up before you feel ready. It’s going through the motions, even when it’s clunky or inconsistent. Each time you half track a day of eating, you’re still collecting data. Each time you show up for two out of four workouts, you’re still reinforcing a pattern.

[00:08:33] Emily Field: Every time you don’t quit. When things get chaotic, you’re building a new association in your brain. One that says, this version of change doesn’t hurt me. This version of change supports me, and that’s the goal. Because when you normalize imperfect effort, you finally build something that’s strong enough to last through real life.

[00:08:52] Emily Field: And this is exactly what we practice inside of E two Lean. It’s not about forcing perfection, it’s about creating flexible structure. It’s about using nutrition, movement and mindset as tools for support, not weapons for control. And that brings me to the core concept I wanna teach you today, the idea of build year.

[00:09:12] Emily Field: So let’s get into it. Let’s talk about what it actually looks like to move toward the version of yourself that you wanna be, the 2026 version who feels strong, confident, energized, and balanced in her body. The truth is that before you arrive at that version, you need a build ear and not enough people talk about this.

[00:09:33] Emily Field: The build year isn’t glamorous. It’s not about perfect macros or streaks of progress that never get interrupted. The build year is messy. It’s full of trial and error. It’s where you track inconsistently. You learn your patterns, you fall off, and then you learn how to get back on without shame. It’s where you show up when motivation is low.

[00:09:52] Emily Field: It’s where you realize, oh wow, I don’t need another restart. I just need a system I can return to. This is the season where most eat to lean clients find themselves. They’re done chasing intensity, they’re craving sustainability, and that’s where our coaching meets them. Not with restriction or guilt, but with a framework that flexes with their life.

[00:10:12] Emily Field: We like to break the build year into three parts or three options, and I’ll call them anchors. The first is a skill building year. In this phase, you’re learning how to track macros effectively, but more than that, you’re also learning how to understand your body. What meals keep you full? How much protein do you need to feel strong?

[00:10:30] Emily Field: What are your gaps? It’s the year you open chronometer and just try. You start noticing trends like I skip breakfast and then I overs snack at night. You learn how to plan ahead without obsessing. You realize you don’t need to log perfectly to get useful data. It’s about building awareness, and it’s okay if it looks clunky at first.

[00:10:50] Emily Field: Skill Building always does. The second option is a metabolic building year. Most women who enter eat to lean are under fueled overtrained and overstressed. They’ve been living in a calorie deficit, either intentionally or unintentionally for far too long. In a metabolic building season, we focus on eating enough to support your energy, hormones, and strength, prioritize recovery, sleep, rest, hydration, and mineral support.

[00:11:17] Emily Field: Getting strong in the gym instead of always chasing a smaller body. Letting your body heal from years of chronic dieting or nutrient gaps. This is where we stop earning our food and start respecting our biology. The third option is a mindset building year. This might be your most important one because if you don’t shift your mindset, all the tracking protein and strength training in the world will not stick in a mindset building season.

[00:11:44] Emily Field: You’re questioning the voice that says You messed up. Start over on Monday. It replaces shame with curiosity. You practice self-talk. That sounds like a coach, not a critic. You learn to measure consistency by patterns, not perfection. This is where we help you detach from the all or nothing thinking and choose persistence over punishment.

[00:12:07] Emily Field: So here’s what I’d love for you to do right now or after the episode. If you’re on the go right now, ask yourself, what was this past year really about for me? What theme kept showing up? Was it a skill building year? When were you finally started tracking? Was it a metabolic year? Were you prioritized, fueling and strength?

[00:12:27] Emily Field: Was it a mindset year? Were you let go of some food guilt or some perfectionism? Or maybe it was just a chaotic year one where life didn’t go to plan, that you still managed to learn something about yourself. Whatever it was, I want you to name it because sometimes putting a label on your season helps your brain file it away in a healthy, empowering way because now you can launch forward from it.

[00:12:50] Emily Field: 2025 didn’t have to be your perfect year, but it can be your build year one that lays the foundation for your most grounded, consistent, confident self in 2026. So let’s keep going. Let’s take a minute to step out of the information mode and into the integration mode. If you’re listening to this episode while driving, folding laundry, walking the dog, wherever you are, I want to invite you to reflect with me just like I would with a client on a Zoom call.

[00:13:16] Emily Field: Ask yourself, what’s one pattern you’re ready to stop repeating in 2026? Maybe it’s skipping meals all day and then crashing at night. Maybe it’s getting five days into a new habit and giving up when things don’t feel perfect. Maybe it’s saying yes to everyone else’s needs before you’ve even checked in on your own.

[00:13:34] Emily Field: Whatever it is, I want you to name it and then ask, what’s one thing you know works for you that you haven’t been consistent with? Maybe it’s lifting weights twice a week. Maybe it’s eating a high protein breakfast before the chaos of the day. Maybe it’s pausing before you scroll or stress snack, and just take a breath.

[00:13:53] Emily Field: Here’s the truth that we often forget, especially if we’re burned out or overwhelmed. You’re never starting from scratch. Even if this year felt inconsistent, you’ve collected something incredibly valuable. Data on yourself. You know what works. You know what doesn’t. You’ve seen patterns. You’ve tested different approaches, and even if the results weren’t perfect, you’ve gathered some information that your future self can use.

[00:14:19] Emily Field: When a woman joins, eat to Lean, I never ask her to erase everything she’s tried. Instead, I ask her to bring it with her because that history is super useful. It’s where we start. We refine it, we repurpose it, we build around it. Because what didn’t quote work in the past might have just needed a little bit more context support or timing.

[00:14:40] Emily Field: So even if this year felt off, you don’t need to write it off. You can just use it as a launchpad to build something stronger, more aligned, and more sustainable in 2026 and that version of you in 2027, she’ll be really glad you did. So if you’re in a place to write these down, grab a journal. If not, say them out loud or make a note in your phone.

[00:15:00] Emily Field: One thing I’m proud of from 20 25, 1 thing I’m ready to release, one habit I’ll carry forward into 2026. These aren’t just journal prompts, they’re guideposts for a year ahead, and they’re powerful reminders. That progress doesn’t start with a perfect plan. It starts with some self-awareness, with choice, with agency.

[00:15:21] Emily Field: So with that in mind, let’s shift gears because maybe this wasn’t your build year. Maybe this was your breakthrough year. Maybe you’re already on the path and now it’s time to build on what’s working. Let’s take a moment to acknowledge a completely different kind of end of your energy. The kind where you look back and think, I actually did that.

[00:15:40] Emily Field: I finally made progress and it felt real. If that’s you, I want you to soak it in because it’s far too often that we skip that part. We’re so quick to move the goalposts that we forget to pause and say, I built that. I earned that. That was me. Maybe this was the year you finally started hitting your protein target.

[00:15:59] Emily Field: Not perfectly, not every day, but most days, and that most days added up to better energy, better recovery, and a better relationship with food. Maybe this was the first time you took a trip, enjoyed the food, skipped logging a few meals, and still came back home feeling in control. You didn’t spiral, you didn’t punish yourself.

[00:16:17] Emily Field: You picked up right where you left off. Maybe you stopped labeling food as good or bad and just focused on balance. You realize that your kids’ birthday cake and a kale salad both have a place in your life and neither defines your worth or your willpower. Maybe you finally got stronger in the gym. Your clothes fit differently.

[00:16:35] Emily Field: The scale didn’t move much, or maybe it did, but either way, you know in your bones that you feel better and that you are better. These are not small wins. These are identity shifting wins. They are signs that you didn’t just follow a plan, you became the kind of person who can show up consistently, even when life is busy, even when the results take time.

[00:16:57] Emily Field: And now it’s time to layer intention on top of those habits to take what worked and elevate it. Because momentum is on your side. You’ve already done the hardest part. You got started and you kept going, so don’t burn it down with some all new overhaul in January. Instead, let’s talk about how to stack on top of what already is working.

[00:17:19] Emily Field: If you’re sitting there thinking, actually, I had a great year. That’s amazing and rare. By the way. Most people skip this part. They jump right into what’s next without honoring what they built. But you showed up, you made shifts that actually stuck. And before we talk about how to grow, I wanna pause and help you reflect on just how much that matters.

[00:17:38] Emily Field: Let me give you an example that might sound familiar. One of my clients came in to eat, to lean after years of trying to eat clean, but barely eating enough to sustain her energy, let alone support her performance or fat loss goals. She was terrified to increase her food, especially carbs. She told me white foods make me gain weight, bread, pasta, rice.

[00:17:57] Emily Field: I just can’t handle them. She looked at the numbers I recommended and asked, how can I be sure I won’t gain weight eating this much? It wasn’t about the macros. It was totally about fear. Fear of undoing, years of dieting, fear of losing control, fear that more food meant more weight. But here’s what happened.

[00:18:16] Emily Field: When she chose to trust the process anyway, she started eating enough, she began tracking the things at. Actually mattered to her, like how much weight she could deadlift, how fast she recovered between workouts, how her pants fit, and how much energy she had to live her life. She stopped obsessing over the scale and started collecting real data, and that data told a completely different story.

[00:18:38] Emily Field: Her strength skyrocketed. Her endurance improved. She shaved minutes off her mile pace. Her body composition changed not because she ate less, but because she finally fueled more. Her scale weight stayed the same, but her body composition told the truth. More lean muscle, less body fat, better performance.

[00:18:57] Emily Field: And much more confidence. That’s what it looks like to have a build year that turns into a breakthrough year. It’s not perfect, it’s not linear, but it’s yours and it’s real. So if you had a good year, if you finally gave yourself permission to eat, to train, to rest, to enjoy food without spiraling, I want you to celebrate that you’ve done something that diet culture trains us not to do, and that’s trust your body.

[00:19:21] Emily Field: And now. Now it’s time to take those wins and stack on top of them. You don’t need to burn it down and start over. You just need to get even more intentional with what’s already working. A lot of women think that growth has to come from a big change, like starting over, starting a new diet or trying a whole new training program, but that’s diet culture, talking.

[00:19:43] Emily Field: The more effective, sustainable way to build the body and the lifestyle you want is to start with what’s already working for you, and then layer on, let me give you a few examples to show you how powerful this mindset can be. If you nailed protein this year. Next year, don’t chase a bigger number. Just get more strategic with your timing.

[00:20:02] Emily Field: Maybe this year you finally started hitting 130 grams. Most days that’s huge, but now you wanna feel more stable during the day. You wanna lift heavier or stop crashing at 3:00 PM your next layer might look like spreading your protein more evenly across your meals. It could be front loading your protein earlier in the day, or making sure you get a high protein snack post-workout to support muscle repair.

[00:20:25] Emily Field: Same target, but a smarter strategy. If you strength train this year, maybe next year, your stack is progressive overload. This year, you got to the gym three to four days a week, most weeks outta the year, you followed a plan, you got stronger. That’s a win, especially if you’re in midlife. But if you want even more visible changes to your physique or bigger strength gains, you might need to train intentionally heavier over time.

[00:20:50] Emily Field: That might look like tracking your weights week to week. It might mean adding a rep, increasing the weight, or slowing down your tempo. We do this inside Eat to lean with our coaching partner, mark Breeden. His program helps our clients shift from just showing up to training with purpose. You probably don’t need more workouts, just more strategy in the ones that you’re already doing.

[00:21:12] Emily Field: Maybe you learn to eat more this year and next year. You just need to learn to eat more strategically. This year you finally stopped undereating. You ditched the fear of carbs and stopped eating like a bird during the day. That’s a huge shift in behavior and mindset. So what’s the stack? Now that you’re eating enough, you might begin to match your nutrition to your training, fueling before workouts for energy and after workouts for recovery.

[00:21:37] Emily Field: You might introduce macro phasing, eating slightly more or slightly less depending on your phase or your performance goals throughout the year. This is what we call metabolic alignment inside of coaching, when your food is actually working for your goals, instead of just meeting a number. Each of these examples highlight something important.

[00:21:56] Emily Field: You’re not starting from scratch. You’re compounding your winds. This is exactly how change sticks by building one sustainable habit at a time and then layering on the next and the next and the next. It’s not flashy, it’s not overnight, but it’s what works in Elene. We walk through this together instead of throwing everything at you all at once.

[00:22:17] Emily Field: We guide you through structured phases like skill building, metabolic alignment, and mindset shifts. So you never have to wonder, what should I be working on next? Okay, now the version of you in December of 2026, the one who feels strong, steady, and sure of herself. She’s not doing anything radical or unrealistic.

[00:22:36] Emily Field: She’s not suddenly waking up at 4:00 AM prepping all her meals and tracking every gram perfectly. She’s simply doing what you started this year with a little bit more consistency, a little bit more trust in the process, and maybe even a little less effort because now it’s second nature, she’s still using the same tools, the same basic strategies, but she’s doing them with more clarity and more confidence, and the only reason she got there is because you chose to keep going.

[00:23:03] Emily Field: Even when it felt messy or slow, you showed up, you stacked habits. You started believing that change doesn’t have to feel like a punishment. Let’s take a moment to slow down together. You’ve listened, you’ve thought, and you’ve probably already identified a few things that went well this year and maybe a few things that didn’t.

[00:23:21] Emily Field: And that’s exactly where we wanna be in reflection mode, not reaction mode. So if you’re in a place to pause and journal, or if you wanna come back to this part later, I wanna guide you through a few powerful prompts. You can open a notebook, type it in your phone, or even speak them out loud. I’ll give you some space to think.

[00:23:39] Emily Field: Prop number one is around what worked. Write down three habits or routines that helped you feel your best in 2025. This could be something simple. You pre-loaded your breakfast each morning. You kept water by your bed and actually drank it. You walked after dinner with your partner. You brought protein bars on vacation.

[00:23:59] Emily Field: You lifted weights twice a week even when you didn’t feel like doing it. Whatever helped you feel clearheaded, energetic, strong, or grounded. It counts. So I’ll give you a couple seconds to think here.

[00:24:15] Emily Field: Prompts number two, what shifted. Write down one mindset shift that changed how you approach food or fitness. This might be something like you stopped thinking you had to earn your food. You stopped viewing tracking as punishment and started using it as data. You let go of all or nothing thinking and embrace the middle ground.

[00:24:35] Emily Field: You stop believing that lower calories equal better results. These are huge wins. Mindset changes are probably the most powerful kind because they affect every decision going forward. So I’m gonna pause here. I want you to think about what changed in the way you think about your health this year.

[00:24:56] Emily Field: Prompt number three, what protected you? Write down one boundary that protected your energy. Did you say no to plans when you were maxed out? Did you stop entertaining negative self-talk in the mirror? Did you set phone free zones to protect your sleep? Maybe you decided not to comment on other people’s bodies or let them comment on yours.

[00:25:16] Emily Field: Boundaries are a form of self-respect. They’re not selfish. They’re essential to you, especially the woman in midlife when your capacity may look different than it used to. So I’ll pause here. What is one boundary that you set this year that helped you stay grounded?

[00:25:35] Emily Field: These might seem like just little journaling prompts, but they’re not, again, they are guideposts for your year ahead. They help you move forward with awareness instead of anxiety, because you’re not going into 2026 empty handed. You’re bringing every rep, every track day, every skipped workout, every messy meal, every hard conversation, all of it, and it all matters.

[00:25:55] Emily Field: Progress doesn’t start with a plan, it starts with awareness. So let’s carry that with us as we move forward. I want you to picture yourself one year from now, it’s December, 2026. Where are you? Maybe you’re wrapping gifts or setting the table for a holiday dinner. Maybe you’re traveling, maybe you’re home in your cozy socks with your favorite mug in hand, but more importantly, how do you feel?

[00:26:18] Emily Field: Not just about your body, but about your relationship to your body, your energy, your habits, your food choices, your confidence. Let’s imagine this version of you together. You feel strong and capable. You trust yourself to navigate parties, trips and routines. Without spiraling. You don’t need to micromanage every bite or to burn out at the gym.

[00:26:38] Emily Field: You just know how to pivot. You stopped starting over and you started building on. That version of you didn’t get there by doing something dramatic or extreme. She didn’t finally find the willpower. She got there by doing the same kinds of things that you’re already doing just a little bit more consistently, with a little bit more patience and a whole lot more self-trust, that version of you exists right now.

[00:27:02] Emily Field: She’s real and she’s already in motion, and she’s not asking for perfection. She’s asking for today’s commitment. So in the excuses, creep in when the holidays feel overwhelming, when you’re tempted to put it all off until January. Picture her picture, your December, 2026, self grounded, steady, radiant in her self-respect.

[00:27:23] Emily Field: And let her be the one who guides your next choice because she’s thanking you right now for the choices you made when it wasn’t easy, when the schedule was packed, when the emotions were heavy, and when no one else was watching. And if you let her lead, you’ll look back a year from now and be so proud of the foundation that you laid right here, right now in December, 2025.

[00:27:45] Emily Field: Now that you’ve connected with your future self, the version of you who feels calm, confident, and capable, it’s time to clear the roadblocks that could still be holding her back. Because sometimes it’s not a lack of information or effort that stalls us out. It’s the stories we keep telling ourselves.

[00:28:02] Emily Field: Let’s be honest. This time of year there’s a lot of sneaky myths floating around old patterns, cultural scripts, assumptions that sound reasonable, but actually keep you stuck. So before we close out this episode, I wanna walk you through a little MythBusters moment, a rapid fire reality check to challenge some of the most common end of year lies I hear from midlife women.

[00:28:24] Emily Field: No shame, just truth because awareness is the first step towards momentum. Let’s bust through a few of the most common lies we tell ourselves at the end of the year. These are the thoughts that sound reasonable, but quietly sabotage your future self. Time to clear the mental clutter and tell the truth.

[00:28:41] Emily Field: Myth number one, I’ll start fresh in January. The truth is that you can start fresh today. January 1st isn’t magical. The real magic is starting before you’re quote ready, because starting now means you’re already building momentum for the next year, while everyone else is still planning. Myth number two.

[00:29:01] Emily Field: I need to lose weight before I invest in support. The truth is that you need support while you’re building habits. Waiting to be further along before you get help is like saying, I’ll call on a coach after you win the game. Support isn’t a reward for results, it’s how you get results. Myth number three, if I didn’t stick with it in 2025, I probably won’t in 2026.

[00:29:23] Emily Field: The truth is that’s only true if you keep doing it alone. Consistency doesn’t come from willpower. It comes from systems structure and support. What didn’t work alone might work beautifully with guidance. Myth number four, I need a better body truth. You need better systems. The body isn’t the problem, the approaches.

[00:29:45] Emily Field: When you shift from restriction to nourishment, chaos to clarity, chasing outcomes, to building habits, you become the version of yourself you’ve been trying to diet your way into. I wanna leave you with a short but powerful coaching exercise. One that you can do right now or come back to later with a journal, because it’s one thing to hear these myths.

[00:30:06] Emily Field: It’s another thing to realize you’ve been living by them. So take a breath and ask yourself, what story have I been repeating to myself that’s actually holding me back? Maybe it’s, I can’t be consistent. I always fall off track during the holidays. I need to lose weight before I deserve support. I don’t have time.

[00:30:27] Emily Field: Tracking never works for me. Don’t judge it. Just name it. Now, I want you to flip that. I want you to rewrite the same story in a way that’s empowering, true, and helpful. Like this. I’ve struggled with consistency in the past, but I’m learning to show up more often and that’s what matters. This season is busy, but I can still anchor to a few key habits.

[00:30:51] Emily Field: Support isn’t something I have to earn. It’s something that helps me grow. My time is limited, so I’ll focus on what matters most. Tracking hasn’t always worked, but I haven’t had the right guidance until now. You can even say these out loud like an affirmation, because the words you choose shape the identity that you step into.

[00:31:11] Emily Field: Remember your thoughts, shape your actions and your actions shape your outcomes. Let’s make sure the thoughts that you’re carrying into 2026 are actually helping you build the life and the health that you want. It may seem like these two types of women, the one who’s proud of what she did this year, and the one who’s sick of falling off track, are living completely different realities.

[00:31:32] Emily Field: But here’s what I want you to hear. They’re actually more alike than you think. Both of you are standing on a threshold right now. One of you is feeling energized and ready to keep going. The other might be dusting herself off and trying to believe in herself again, but you’re both standing in the same place, the beginning of your next chapter.

[00:31:51] Emily Field: The truth is, you’re already building your 2026 self right now. Whether you feel like you’re rebuilding from scratch or you’re building on what’s already strong, the work that you do right now is what shapes the woman you’ll become a year from now. Every tracked meal, every intentional workout, every reframed thought, every moment you choose presence over perfection, it all counts.

[00:32:13] Emily Field: This is where transformation really happens, not from one perfect January or one intense reset, but from the quiet, consistent, often messy choices made when no one else is watching. So if 2025 is your build year, that might mean different things depending on your current reality. If you’re rebuilding, this is your year to learn to trust yourself again.

[00:32:35] Emily Field: You stop ghosting on your goals. You show up imperfectly and consistently at first, but you show up if you’re building on what’s already working. This is your year to learn to stack. You stop dabbling. You add intention. You get more precise, more consistent, more embodied. Either way, the message is the same.

[00:32:54] Emily Field: Your 2026 self is being built in 2025. Every rep, every mindset shift, every small act of self-respect is laying the bricks. And one year from now, you’ll either be so damn proud that you kept going or you’ll wish you started today. The difference isn’t luck or discipline. It’s a single decision you make right now to believe that you are worth the effort, even when it’s hard, even when it’s messy, even when you failed before.

[00:33:22] Emily Field: So let’s move forward from that place. Let’s close out this episode with a moment to reflect and a reminder that you are not behind, you are not broken, and absolutely not starting from scratch. Before we wrap, I wanna leave you with three quick prompts that can shape your mindset going into 2026. One thing that you’re proud of from 2025, maybe it’s hitting your protein target more often.

[00:33:44] Emily Field: Maybe it’s learning to rest without guilt. Whatever it is, own it. One thing that you’re ready to release. A mindset, a habit, a fear, a food rule, something that’s been keeping you stuck or small or overwhelmed. One habit you’ll carry forward into 2026, something that’s already working, something that you wanna double down on and build around.

[00:34:08] Emily Field: You don’t need a journal right now. Just pause and think. Say them out loud, text them to yourself. Maybe drop them into your notes app. Keep them somewhere visible because every small choice you make from here on out is casting a vote for the woman that you’re becoming. Whether you spent your year rebuilding from burnout or building a stronger foundation, the truth is the same.

[00:34:27] Emily Field: Your 2026 self is being built right now. So the real question is, do you wanna do that alone? If this episode resonated, if you’ve been nodding along, thinking yes, this is me, then I’d love to invite you into Eat A Lean My group coaching program designed for women who are ready to stop spinning their wheels with restrictive diets and finally build strength, energy, and confidence in their bodies.

[00:34:50] Emily Field: This is where we take all the messy middle, the trial and error, the tracking that didn’t go perfectly. The mindset shifts, the winds that didn’t show up on the scale and turn them into a sustainable system. And eat to lean. You’ll learn how to eat for your real life. Yes, including travel, holidays and hormone shifts.

[00:35:09] Emily Field: Understand how to fuel your body instead of constantly trying to shrink it. Get a custom macro plan and individual coaching feedback that evolves with you over four months and be surrounded by other midlife women who are tired of dieting and ready for strength, balance, and peace with food. This is not about resetting.

[00:35:27] Emily Field: This is about reclaiming your energy, your strength, your ability to feel like yourself. Again, applications are open now and you can find the link to apply in the show notes. If you’re listening later, you can still join the wait list and be the first in line for our next round. You don’t need to figure it all out before you begin.

[00:35:43] Emily Field: You just need to take the next right step. So as we close picture this you one year from now, it’s December, 2026. You’re feeling proud of your progress. You’re stronger, more confident, more yourself than you felt in years, and it all started with a decision to stop putting it off. I’ll see you in 2026, fueled, focused, and proud of the foundation that you built.