If you’ve ever found yourself doing everything ‘right’ – eating clean, working out consistently, cutting back on calories – and still wondering why that stubborn lower-belly fat won’t budge, you’re not alone.
According to Queensland sports nutritionist and scientist Rachael Attard, that formula is missing a crucial piece of the puzzle – and it has nothing to do with willpower.
Rachael, who specialises in training women to build lean, strong legs and does all of her workouts from home, says the real shift happened when she stopped treating fat loss as a punishment and started treating it as a nervous system conversation.
Her approach replaces bootcamp-style intensity with a deeper understanding of biology.
It shifts the focus away from relentless ‘push harder’ messaging and toward a more strategic, sustainable way of working with the body rather than against it.
These are the five fat-loss shifts she says transformed not only her results, but the way she understands women’s bodies altogether.
‘I did everything right and still wasn’t losing body fat,’ Rachael said.
‘What finally changed it for me wasn’t more workouts or less food (which used to work in my 20s). It was fixing the real fat-loss mistakes most women never get told about.’
According to Queensland-based sports nutritionist and scientist Rachael Attard, struggling to lose weight has nothing to do with willpower
Stop training like your nervous system is bulletproof
Many high-achieving women pride themselves on their capacity to push through: they run businesses, parent, juggle mental loads that never switch off, sleep less than they should; and then they layer intense HIIT sessions on top of it all.
Rachael says that’s often where things go wrong.
When your body is already under psychological or emotional stress, piling on back-to-back high-intensity workouts can keep stress hormones elevated.
Chronically high cortisol makes fat loss – particularly around the waist and lower belly – significantly harder.
Instead of punishing workouts, she recommends three to four moderate-intensity resistance sessions per week, with the rest of your movement coming from zone two cardio such as walking.
If your nervous system feels constantly overstimulated, your body doesn’t feel safe enough to let fat go.
It interprets the stress as a threat and holds onto energy – which, biologically speaking, means holding onto fat.
It’s a common trap for driven women who believe more effort always equals more results. In reality, sometimes restraint is the smarter strategy.
‘This is one of the biggest mistakes high-achieving women make. Trust me, I’ve been here!’ she said.
Rachael, who specialises in training women to build lean, strong legs and does all of her workouts from home, says the real shift happened when she stopped treating fat loss as a punishment and started treating it as a nervous system conversation
Fix your blood sugar before you try to eat less
Most women assume their struggles with cravings are about discipline – but Rachael argues they are often about blood sugar.
When meals are built around quick carbohydrates without protein or fibre, blood sugar spikes and crashes follow.
That crash drives reactive hunger, afternoon energy dips and late-night cravings that feel almost impossible to resist.
‘From now on, never eat carbs on their own,’ she advised.
‘All meals should contain carbs, protein and fiber. And especially, breakfast MUST contain protein.’
Stabilising blood sugar early in the day lowers cortisol, reduces cravings later and supports the hormonal environment needed for effective fat loss. Instead of white-knuckling hunger by mid-afternoon, your body feels steady and fuelled.
Eat earlier, not less
One of the most persistent dieting habits is restricting calories during the day only to find yourself ravenous by 9pm.
Rachael says that pattern backfires metabolically.
Late, heavy dinners keep insulin elevated at night, digestion active when it should be winding down, and sleep quality compromised. Poor sleep then increases hunger the following day, creating a cycle that feels frustrating and unfair.
Rather than fasting or dramatically slashing intake, she encourages women to eat more of their calories earlier in the day and make dinner the lightest, easiest-to-digest meal.
‘You don’t need to fast. You need to stop asking your body to do its hardest metabolic work at 9pm,’ Rachael said.
Rachael’s approach shifts the focus away from relentless ‘push harder’ messaging and toward a more strategic, sustainable way of working with the body rather than against it
Sleep is your secret fat-loss tool
Sleep is often treated as optional when it comes to body composition – but Rachael says it should be non-negotiable.
Poor sleep increases hunger hormones, increases insulin resistance and reduces recovery from training. It also heightens emotional reactivity and stress sensitivity the next day, making you more vulnerable to cravings and fatigue.
She recommends keeping a consistent sleep and wake window, lowering lights at least an hour before bed to support melatonin production and resisting the urge to scroll in bed.
‘If your sleep isn’t protected, weight loss becomes harder than it needs to be,’ she added.
You cannot out-diet a disregulated nervous system
Perhaps the most confronting insight is this: if you are constantly rushing, constantly switched on and constantly mentally loaded, your body reads that as an ongoing threat.
That state pushes the body toward fat storage, higher appetite, and lower metabolic flexibility.
Rachael suggests building a daily nervous system reset into your routine – and it doesn’t have to be complicated.
The fitness trainer recommends a slow walk outside, gentle breathing with a longer exhale, lying on the floor with your legs up the wall, or light stretching.
‘Five minutes can be enough,’ she emphasised.
For women navigating hormone fluctuations, low energy, stress or chronic sleep disruption, traditional dieting advice can feel like it simply doesn’t work
The bigger picture
For women navigating hormone fluctuations, low energy, stress or chronic sleep disruption, traditional dieting advice can feel like it simply doesn’t work.
Rachael’s philosophy reframes the conversation.
Instead of asking, ‘How can I eat less?’ the better question might be, ‘How can I make my body feel safe enough to let go?’
In a culture that celebrates hustle and extremes, her message feels quietly radical: slow down, stabilise, sleep, nourish.
Sometimes the secret to losing stubborn body fat isn’t about pushing harder – but about finally stepping out of survival mode.
