think your scan results are telling the truth? they’re not.

in this episode of 100% real with ruby, we expose the inaccuracies in body fat testing—from DEXA to InBody to those dodgy bathroom scales. these tools promise precision but deliver confusion, making you question progress that’s actually real.

you’ll learn:

• why your "lean mass" isn't just muscle

• how carbs, hydration, and timing screw with results

• why gym challenges use misleading data to sell success

• what actually matters if you want to change your physique and feel better in your body

you’ll walk away knowing exactly why these metrics lie—and how to measure progress in a way that empowers, not derails you.

stop letting skewed data run the show. your body is smarter than the tech trying to track it.

follow ruby on instagram @transformxruby

free resources + coaching: DM me on Instagram or transformxruby.com

hashtags: #bodyfatlies #ditchthescale #fitnessmindset #performanceoverperfection #buildnotshrink

Eating less but not seeing results? Learn why your body isn’t responding and what it actually takes to get leaner, stronger, and finally feel in control again.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m barely eating... so why isn’t anything changing?”—this episode is for you.

Because the truth is, eating less doesn’t always lead to weight loss. In fact, for many women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, it’s the very thing keeping you stuck.

Today, we’re diving into what you were never taught about metabolism, suppressed maintenance, and why 1500 calories isn’t your magic number—it’s your red flag. I break down the real reason your body isn’t responding, even though your calories are already low and you’re training 4–5x per week.

We’ll talk about:

• The difference between unintentional vs. strategic maintenance
• Why you feel like you’re in a deficit… but your body doesn’t agree
• How weekend habits, stress, under-fueling, and training mismatches keep you plateaued
• What your body actually needs to build shape, definition, and finally respond again
• Why reverse dieting isn’t the “fix”—and what works better
• The mindset shift that helps you stop fearing food and start seeing results

If you’re training hard, eating clean, and wondering why the hell nothing’s changing—this is the missing link. You’re not broken. You’re just not being told the full story.

🎯 Listen now if you want to finally get out of the calorie trap and build a body that actually feels good to live in.

👉 DM me "MAINTENANCE" on Instagram @transformxruby if you're ready to fix what’s keeping you stuck.

ready to learn the truth about suppressed maintenance, metabolic adaptation, and why your fat loss plateau is NOT about your body being f*kd. its not/ If you’ve been tracking, training, and under-eating without results, this is the episode you need. lemme show you the smarter, more strategic way to build muscle, support your metabolism, and finally see change—without slashing more calories.

she did it all “right.”

ran herself into the ground.

trained 7 days a week.

powerlifted. ate low carb. cut calories.

but nothing really changed.

her strength stalled. her back hurt.

and she was exhausted by 3pm most days.

she blamed age.
until she stopped.

and started eating carbs.

and she’ll tell you straight:

→ overtraining didn’t build muscle

→ low carb didn’t make her lean

→ all-or-nothing made her miserable

for years, she did everything “right”

until nothing worked.

until her body said: “i’m done.”

until she finally tried the thing that scared her most—eating more.

and that’s when it clicked.

we didn’t just give her more food.

we gave her structure. purpose.

a plan she could actually recover from.

and a body that could finally respond.

now she trains less and lifts more.

she eats carbs. she has energy.

she’s stronger, leaner, and more empowered than ever.

and most importantly?

she’s free.

➝ if you’re done doing everything but still getting nowhere...

you know where to find me.

its not a real plateau!!

and heres how you can break it....

the real dieting dilemma is this; where by and Tom go all in on one of the most misunderstood topics in the fitness world: maintenance calories. Spoiler? If you’ve been stuck at 1500 calories for months and still feel flat, tired, or like your body is holding onto everything… that is not your maintenance—that’s your body surviving.

We break down the difference between true maintenance and the plateau trap, why you’re not “doing something wrong” by eating more, and how metabolic suppression sneaks in when you stay in diet mode too long. You’ll learn what foundational habits actually look like, how to fuel like someone who trains, and why your fear of eating more is keeping you stuck.

We also cover:

• The illusion of maintenance vs. real fuel needs

• Why most women confuse survival with success

• How training effort must match intake

• What to do when fat loss stops working

• Why maintenance is a strategy, not a break

Whether you’ve been spinning your wheels for months, terrified to eat more, or just confused about why “doing everything right” still isn’t working—this episode will call you out and call you forward.

Because real progress doesn’t come from tracking less—it comes from training better, fueling more, and finally choosing a phase that works.

instagram.com/transformxrubytransformxruby.com100% Real with Ruby Podcast

in this episode, ruby joins nikias to dismantle one of the biggest paradoxes in fitness: how your constant pursuit of fat loss might be the very thing keeping you stuck. if you’ve ever felt like you’re trying your hardest—but the scale won’t budge, your body won’t change, and you’re exhausted from tracking and starting over—this conversation is for you.

we dig deep into the psychological traps behind chronic dieting, accidental maintenance, body image identity, and the fear of gaining fat. you’ll learn why eating more doesn’t always lead to weight gain, why most women aren't building the body they want (even in a deficit), and how to finally create a system that actually works long term—without extremes.

expect tough love, real-life analogies, and a perspective shift that could change the way you train, eat, and think about progress forever. if you’ve been feeling stuck despite doing everything “right”—this episode will help you understand why, and what to do next.

want long term results? this is what noone tells you about finding your "why"

wanting goals and knowing how great is is for you isnt enough to get you consistently doing the thing

If you know what to do but still can’t stick to it... this episode is for you.

You keep saying you want it. You keep starting over. And you’re tired of feeling like you’re the problem.

In this episode, I talk with Dal about what really holds women back—even when we want it so badly. We dive into why motivation isn’t enough, why you keep sabotaging even though you know better, and why trying harder just leads to more burnout.

This isn’t about finding a better plan. It’s about looking at what’s underneath the patterns that keep pulling you off track.

In this brutally honest and refreshingly human episode, Ruby sits down with Dal to unpack the real reasons women stay stuck—even when they’re motivated, even when they "know better," and even when they’ve done all the right things before.

Dal shares how she lost over 100 pounds without starving, without shame, and without burning herself into the ground. She reveals the identity shifts, scheduled maintenance phases, emotional unraveling, and deep mindset work that led her to long-term success.

If you’ve ever felt broken for not being able to "just stick to it," this episode will leave you seen, grounded, and ready to focus on the real work that actually creates change.

What we cover:

• Why 1500 calories isn’t your maintenance
  

• Why cycle syncing & fasting advice often hurts women
  

• How the nervous system makes or breaks consistency
  

• Why "finding your why" doesn't help if you're still dysregulated
  

• Emotional eating, overtraining, self-trust & what actually works
  

This episode blends education, empowerment, and emotional truth—without fluff or performance.

Keywords: female fat loss, emotional eating, muscle gain for women, nervous system and fat loss, self-sabotage, cycle syncing myths, carbs and training, consistency struggles, diet culture recovery, maintenance mindset, weight loss plateau, women's strength training

CTA: Share this with the women in your life who keep starting over. And if this hit home? Take a walk and really sit with it.

You thought you were ready to diet. You felt strong, focused, and "mentally there." But somehow, despite your best intentions, you're stuck. You’re tired, nibbling more, lifting less, and your body? Not responding like it used to.

In this raw, real episode, Ruby breaks down one of the most frustrating places to be as a high-performing woman in a fat loss phase: when your body slips into a suppressed maintenance, and you don’t even see it happening. It’s not a lack of discipline—it’s that you're unknowingly dieting in limbo.

We tackle the real reasons behind metabolic stalls, carb fear, recovery gaps, and why obsessively "tightening up" after results start to slow actually leads to burnout, not breakthroughs.

This is a must-listen if you’re:

• Afraid of increasing calories after seeing progress

• Confused by your cravings and constant fatigue

• Feeling like you’re stuck in a loop of trying harder but getting nowhere

• Scared to let go of dieting even when you know it's time to

You’ll leave this episode with permission to pause, pivot, and rebuild trust in your body again—with clear, grounded steps on how to get out of that unintentional maintenance trap.

Because dieting isn’t the goal—being fueled, strong, and thriving is.

If this hits, share it with the woman still white-knuckling her plan. Take a moment to reflect, breathe, and ask: is this still serving me?

Follow us on Instagram: @transformxruby @100realwithrubypodcast

topics: female fat loss, sustainable fat loss, carb myths, women over 40, fat loss over 40, muscle gain for women, recovery and fat loss, cycle syncing, fat loss for performance

do you keep telling yourself "i'll build muscle after this next fat loss phase"... but that phase never really ends?

: you can't out-diet poor training. and you can't shortcut the time it takes to actually build muscle.

• what if your "maintenance" calories are actually holding you back?

• why obsessing over the scale is stopping your physique progress

• how to break free from the bulk-cut-bulk-cut loop for good

this is the episode that will change how you see training, fueling, and results.

refocus on your training intensity—are you truly pushing close enough to failure?

fuel like you mean it—undereating doesn’t build muscle (and yes, carbs are your friend).

commit to a building phase that lasts longer than you think you need (12 months minimum).

stop measuring your worth by the scale—track your strength gains instead.

like this convo? share it with a friend who needs the tough love.

i want to hear from you—want to come on the podcast and talk about your journey? message me.

find me @transformxruby on instagram

ask podcast questions:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczwoVPaIPvsLDkqjnkvFy2MjCG2vwYj7u9Uq3bJLMTiS-q8w/viewform?usp=sf_link

apply for a free consult: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqaxMDfbPYPYVui3BgSClnDXTj4BWjRvPkbBHuK5CP7SQsIw/viewform?usp=sf_link direct link to

dm me on ig: https://ig.me/m/transformxruby

Find jeff here; https://www.instagram.com/jeffhoehn_/

scroll down for time stamps

• Building muscle requires a training stimulus, not just diet.

• Many women make the mistake of not eating enough to build muscle.

• Focus on performance metrics rather than just scale weight.

• Training close to failure is essential for muscle growth.

• Nutrition plays a critical role in optimizing training performance.

• Body composition is key to understanding fat loss and muscle gain.

• Mindset affects how individuals approach training and nutrition.

• Optimizing metabolism can enhance fat loss phases.

• Finding joy in training can lead to better long-term results.

• The scale should not be the only measure of progress. Your body needs fat to function properly.

• Training properly can lead to muscle growth.

• Nutrition must align with training for effective results.

• Quality food choices are crucial for muscle building.

• Managing stress is essential for muscle retention.

• Building muscle takes time and patience.

• You can maintain muscle without being in a surplus.

• Cardio can aid recovery and overall health.

• Tracking nutrition can help create awareness.

• • Stress management is key to achieving body composition goals.

  "You can't diet on muscle."

  "It's glorified yo-yo dieting."

  "You actually never give it time."

  "Women need to train differently than men."

  "We want fat loss, not weight loss."

  "Muscle growth is a slow process."

  "You're not made out of wood."

  "You can start to build muscle."

  "Nutrition needs to match training."

  "Training is super important."

  "Building muscle is a slow process."

  "You can't be in a deficit forever."

  "Eat enough for long enough to see changes."

  "Stress on the body is a huge factor."

  
  

• 00:00

  Introduction to Muscle Building and Nutrition

  02:51

  Common Mistakes in Muscle Building for Women

  06:07

  Training Techniques for Effective Muscle Growth

  08:50

  The Importance of Nutrition in Muscle Building

  12:06

  Understanding Body Composition and Fat Loss

  14:58

  The Role of Mindset in Training and Nutrition

  17:48

  Optimizing Metabolism for Better Results

  21:03

  Finding Joy in the Process of Building Muscle

  23:49

  The Relationship with the Scale and Body Image

  27:06

  Conclusion and Key Takeaways

  36:06

  Understanding Body Composition and Nutrition

  39:21

  The Importance of Inputs in Muscle Building

  43:09

  Training Techniques for Effective Muscle Growth

  49:42

  Balancing Cardio and Strength Training

  01:00:19

  Nutrition Strategies for Optimal Performance

  01:05:24

  The Role of Stress in Body Composition