You can hear Susie’s whole episode here:
When most people begin a weight loss journey, they expect quick wins — fast drops on the scale, strict food rules, or a “perfect” plan that magically fixes everything. But real transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It happens through honesty, awareness, consistency, and support.
In this week’s episode of the Tailored Coaching Method Podcast, Coach Arielle DeYampert sat down with longtime TCM client Susie Semler to talk about what sustainable change really looks like — the mindset shifts, the frustrations, the breakthroughs, and the deep personal growth that come from learning to navigate food, fitness, and life with confidence.
Susie’s results didn’t happen because of a diet.
They happened because she changed her relationship with food, redefined her boundaries, and learned how to balance flexibility with intention — with coaching, support, and accountability guiding her every step.
Here’s her story.
From Active Lifestyle to Unexpected Weight Gain
Susie has always lived an active lifestyle. Hiking, fitness classes, being outside — movement was never the issue. But like many adults in their mid-30s, she began experiencing slow, steady weight gain that didn’t seem to match her day-to-day habits.
It was confusing.
She felt like she was “doing everything right,” yet her body wasn’t responding the way it used to.
She had tried different diets and even worked with other coaches, but nothing truly stuck. Everything felt temporary, restrictive, or unclear. She knew she needed something more sustainable — something tailored to her as a person, not just her calories.
That’s where Tailored Coaching Method came in.
Why Coaching — and Why TCM — Made the Difference
When Susie started working with TCM, she quickly realized this wasn’t just another diet or cookie-cutter method. What she needed wasn’t a temporary fix — she needed structure, education, and accountability.
The first step was learning what was actually happening in her day-to-day nutrition.
Most people think they’re eating “pretty healthy”…
But as Susie learned, a little bit adds up — and it swings both ways.
Small untracked bites, a drink here or there, extra snacks, weekends that are “mostly healthy”…
It all seems harmless until it compounds over time.
Tracking her food for the first time didn’t just show her what she was eating — it gave her awareness, clarity, and control. It also explained why her results had stalled and what needed to change.
And instead of treating tracking as a punishment or stressful task, Susie approached it with curiosity.
She wanted to understand her habits, not hide from them.
This shift set the foundation for everything that came next.
The Mindset Shift: Fat Loss Isn’t a Lifestyle — It’s a Phase
One of the biggest breakthroughs in Susie’s journey came when she learned the difference between fat loss and maintenance.
Like many people, she once believed she needed to be in “diet mode” forever in order to keep her results. But with TCM’s guidance, she realized:
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Fat loss is temporary
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Maintenance is where you live
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And both require different strategies
This mindset changed everything.
She stopped seeing fat loss as punishment.
Stopped seeing maintenance as “getting lazy.”
Stopped tying her worth to a number on the scale.
Instead, she began seeing her journey as a series of intentional phases, each with a purpose:
Fat Loss Phase
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More structure
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More tracking consistency
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Clear boundaries
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Intentional choices
Maintenance Phase
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More flexibility
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More social freedom
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More lifestyle balance
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Continued awareness without rigidity
This framework gave her freedom.
It wasn’t about being “good” or “bad” — it was about choosing the right phase for the right moment in her life.
Boundaries That Support Your Goals — Not Restrict Your Life
As Susie moved through her phases, she learned how to set boundaries that weren’t restrictive, but empowering.
She embraced phrases like:
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“I can have a cookie.”
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“I can have one drink.”
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“I just choose not to have all of them.”
For her, boundaries weren’t about saying no — they were about saying yes to her long-term goals.
This is one of the biggest mindset breakthroughs most clients experience.
Losing weight isn’t about eliminating joy.
It’s about knowing how to enjoy life and feel good in your body at the same time.
Susie learned that she didn’t have to avoid social situations, holidays, or family gatherings — she just needed strategies.
And with each event she navigated successfully, her confidence grew.
Navigating Holidays, Social Events, and Real Life
Before coaching, holidays and social events triggered anxiety. Would she lose control? Would she undo her progress? Should she avoid certain foods altogether?
With TCM, she built a new reality:
She could show up anywhere, enjoy the food she loved, and still stay aligned with her goals.
She learned:
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How to plan ahead
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How to portion intentionally
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How to eat mindfully
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How to enjoy treats without spiraling
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How to get right back on track
And most importantly — she learned how to trust herself.
“It doesn’t feel like a battle anymore.”
That line from Susie is one of the most powerful in the entire episode.
It reflects what happens when food is no longer the enemy and you’re no longer at war with your own habits.
This is what real transformation looks like.
Support and Accountability: The Cornerstone of Growth
Susie didn’t transform just because she tracked her food or followed a plan.
She transformed because she had support, accountability, and guidance throughout the entire process.
She had a coach who:
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Asked questions
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Checked in regularly
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Challenged her assumptions
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Encouraged her during setbacks
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Redirected her when she felt stuck
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Educated her on what actually matters
That level of support kept her consistent — even when life got busy or motivation dipped.
For many people, accountability is the difference between drifting and progressing.
Susie experienced firsthand what happens when someone is in your corner, helping you make sense of the hard moments and celebrate the small wins.
Personal Growth Beyond the Scale
What’s beautiful about Susie’s journey is that the physical changes were only part of the story.
The real transformation was in:
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Her mindset
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Her confidence
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Her awareness
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Her relationship with food
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Her ability to regulate emotions and behaviors
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Her belief in her own ability to succeed
She stopped relying on motivation.
She stopped feeling guilty around food.
She stopped doubting whether she could maintain her results.
She stepped into a version of herself that felt empowered, capable, and grounded.
This is the kind of growth that impacts every area of life — not just fitness.
What You Can Learn From Susie’s Story
Whether you’re just getting started or have been on and off the dieting cycle for years, Susie’s journey teaches a few powerful lessons:
1. A little bit adds up — in both directions.
Small overeats matter.
Small wins matter too.
Awareness is everything.
2. Tracking isn’t punishment — it’s information.
It gives you clarity, not control.
It builds confidence, not obsession.
3. Fat loss is a phase, not a lifestyle.
You’re not meant to diet forever.
Maintenance is where you thrive.
4. Boundaries create freedom.
Not restriction.
Not guilt.
Freedom.
5. Accountability accelerates everything.
Support helps you stay consistent.
Coaching helps you stay intentional.
6. You can enjoy your life AND reach your goals.
Social events don’t have to derail you.
Food doesn’t have to stress you out.
Balance is a skill you can build.
Final Thoughts: Your Journey Is Yours — But You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
Susie’s story is powerful because it’s relatable.
She didn’t start her journey perfect.
She didn’t have everything figured out.
She didn’t know exactly what she needed.
But she took the first step — and the next — and the next.
With coaching, clarity, and mindset shifts, she transformed her relationship with food, her confidence, and her entire lifestyle.
If there’s one takeaway from her journey, it’s this:
You can change — sustainably, confidently, and without giving up the life you love.
And with the right support, you’ll get there faster, easier, and with far more clarity.
