Breaking the Diet Cycle: How Macronutrition Can Transform Your Relationship with Food

In a world of fad diets, restrictive eating plans, and confusing nutrition advice, finding a sustainable approach to health and weight management can feel impossible. On a recent episode of my podcast, I spoke with Shar Cheung, a former IT project management consultant turned macronutrition coach who helps women break free from yo-yo dieting and transform their relationship with food.

After losing 25 pounds and maintaining it, Shar left her lucrative corporate career to help other women experience the freedom that comes with understanding macronutrition. Her journey from burnout to balance offers valuable insights for anyone struggling with their weight, relationship with food, or seeking to make a significant career transition.

Let's explore the key principles Shar shared about sustainable nutrition, the mindset shifts needed to break free from diet culture, and how these lessons can transform not just your body, but your entire life.

Understanding Macronutrition: The Foundation for Sustainable Change

For Shar, the discovery of macronutrition was transformative. After years of trying various diets—from severe calorie restriction to keto—she found that understanding the macronutrient composition of food provided the freedom and results she had been seeking.

"When I hired my macro coach, it was initially to lose weight. But I didn't realize how bad my relationship to food was until I started to understand macros and that I really didn't have to restrict foods."

What are macros? As Shar explains, macros (short for macronutrients) are the calories in your food broken down into three categories: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Understanding the right distribution for your body can help you thrive physically and mentally.

Unlike most online calculators that provide generic recommendations, effective macronutrition plans consider individual factors:

• Autoimmune conditions: People with conditions like Hashimoto's or hypothyroidism often need higher fat intake
• Hormonal phases: Women in perimenopause or menopause benefit from higher fat diets
• Activity levels: Your exercise routine and daily movement affect your macronutrient needs

Perhaps most importantly, Shar introduces a concept missing from most diet discussions: nutritional periodization.

"When people are trying to lose weight, they just think that they can diet for like the whole year until they meet their goal weight. The truth of the matter is that your metabolism will adapt to that lower caloric intake, which leads to metabolic adaptation."

Instead of continuous dieting, Shar recommends cycling through different nutritional phases:

• Fat loss phase: Limited to 12-14 weeks
• Recovery phase: 4-8 weeks
• Maintenance phase: Where you should spend most of your time

This cyclical approach prevents metabolic adaptation and supports sustainable results rather than the typical diet-regain-repeat cycle many women experience.

Breaking Free from Diet Culture Mentality

One of the most powerful shifts Shar experienced was moving away from the restrictive mindset that dominated her relationship with food. This transformation began with a striking moment of clarity involving her young son:

"My six-year-old son knew that we were doing keto and he'd hear us say carbs are bad. And we're at this party and he's like, 'Mom, well, why aren't you eating? Why don't you have some fruit? That's healthy for you.' I said, 'Well, honey, there's like carbs and fruit and carbs are bad for you.' And he looked up at me and he's like, 'Well, mom, if they're so bad for you, why are you giving them to us?'"

This moment helped Shar realize she needed to change not just for herself, but to be a better role model for her children. Her approach now focuses on several key principles:

Remove Labels from Food

"One of the main things we focus on is removing all labels from food. So we don't say it's healthy or unhealthy or bad or good because as soon as you think it's unhealthy or bad, we subconsciously punish ourselves."

When we view food as fuel rather than assigning moral values to it, we can make choices based on how foods make us feel rather than arbitrary rules.

Apply the 80/20 Rule

Sustainable nutrition isn't about perfection. Shar recommends making room for fun foods every day:

"I pretty much have chocolate every single day because I love chocolate and that's my fun food. On weekends it might be a dessert or I might go to McDonald's."

This balanced approach prevents the restriction-binge cycle that derails many diet attempts.

Focus on How Food Makes You Feel

As her journey progressed, Shar naturally gravitated toward more whole foods—not because they were "good" or "clean," but because of how they made her feel:

"My food evolution just kind of naturally progressed to more whole foods and just how it made me feel. I feel so much better with choosing more of the whole foods than the fun foods, but I always get my clients to have their fun foods."

This intuitive approach creates sustainable habits that aren't based on willpower or restriction.

From Corporate Burnout to Passionate Entrepreneurship

Shar's nutrition journey paralleled a significant professional transformation. Despite being a successful IT project management consultant working with major North American utility companies, she found herself deeply unhappy:

"I was at the height of my burnout, like I was losing hair. My nutrition was on point, but I was losing hair. I was barely sleeping. Most of my teams were based in India. And although I was taking care of myself nutritionally, I wasn't taking care of myself holistically."

The decision to leave her lucrative career wasn't easy. As the breadwinner during a home renovation, the financial implications were significant. But a pivotal moment came in December 2021:

"They wanted to offer me a multi-year six-figure contract... I said, 'I know this is not what you're expecting, but I'm actually going to give my notice today.'"

What gave her the courage to make this leap? Shar attributes it to three key factors:

1. A deep belief in her ability to help others: "I truly believed in the services that I had to bring to the world for the women who have struggled just like me."
2. Financial preparation: "I did have some finances set aside to keep me going for a few months, even longer if needed."
3. Support system: "The support of my family and my husband meant the world to me."

The transition wasn't without challenges. Shar describes a "grievance period" of leaving corporate life that lasted about a year, as she adjusted to entrepreneurial rhythms and the freedom of setting her own schedule.

Yet the rewards have been immeasurable:

"It's been the most rewarding job ever. I've implemented some multi-million dollar projects and none of them have felt as rewarding as helping other women succeed."

Living a Balanced Life as a High Performer

As a self-described "hyper achiever," Shar brings data-driven strategies and systematic approaches to both her coaching practice and personal life. But she's learned that true high performance requires balance.

"For me, it's just having clear boundaries, and making time for myself. So many of us, especially as moms, we put ourselves on the back burner."

Her strategies for maintaining balance include:

• Scheduling self-care: "I schedule my workouts in my calendar. I schedule time for me in my calendar."
• Creating clear boundaries: "When I have my door closed, they know not to interrupt me. If it's open or propped open, they know that they can come in."
• Finding community: "Finding other like-minded entrepreneurs to surround yourself with, because it's not always sunshine and rainbows and unicorns over here."

This balanced approach has allowed her to be more present for her family while continuing to grow her business. Her 12-year-old son now asks her to write workouts for him—evidence that her example is influencing the next generation in positive ways.

Conclusion: Transforming Your Nutrition, Transforming Your Life

Shar's journey from restrictive dieting and corporate burnout to balanced nutrition and entrepreneurial fulfillment offers valuable lessons for anyone feeling stuck in unhealthy patterns.

Whether you're struggling with yo-yo dieting, considering a career transition, or simply seeking more balance in your life, her story demonstrates that transformative change is possible when you:

1. Focus on understanding your body's needs rather than following arbitrary rules
2. Remove moral labels from food and prioritize fueling your body effectively
3. Recognize when burnout is signaling a need for change
4. Trust your abilities and passions when considering significant life transitions
5. Establish clear boundaries that protect your wellbeing

As Shar puts it: "Nutrition in my mind is literally the foundation to everything, and that's why I use the tagline 'Transform your nutrition, transform your life' because it truly is life-changing."

The journey to transformation begins with small, consistent steps—not with perfection or restriction. By focusing on sustainable nutrition and listening to your body's needs, you can break free from the diet cycle and create lasting change that impacts every area of your life.