Bridget Jones was never the problem
- jason brownlie
- Feb 2
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
I rewatched Bridget Jones’s Diary the other night.
And honestly?
Bridget wasn’t the mess.
The pressure around her was.
The scales.
The calorie obsession.
The self-criticism.
The constant running commentary of:
“I should be better than this.”
That’s the part that aged… too well.
Because 20+ years later, I still coach women stuck in the exact same loop, just with better Wi-Fi and worse Instagram comparisons.
Different decade.
Same nonsense.
The “Should” Trap
Every week I hear some version of:
“I should weigh less.”
“I should eat cleaner.”
“I should have more discipline.”
“I should look different by now.”
That word, "should", is basically emotional sandpaper.
It rubs you down daily until your confidence looks like it’s been dragged through a hedge backwards.
And here’s the kicker…
Nobody ever feels motivated by “should.”
They just feel crap.
And when you feel crap, what happens?
You quit.
Or binge.
Or say “sod it” and start again Monday for the 937th time.
Bridget Didn’t Need Fixing
Think about it.
Bridget didn’t need:
❌ a new body
❌ a detox
❌ a personality transplant
❌ a 1,200 calorie plan and a Fitbit screaming at her
She needed:
✅ space
✅ kindness
✅ perspective
✅ to stop feeling like she was failing at life every Tuesday
She wasn’t broken.
She was just human.
Same as the women I coach every day.
Same as you.
Same as me when I eat half the kids’ biscuits “just to taste test them.”
(For quality control obviously. Very professional.)
Where Modern Fat Loss Still Gets It Wrong
Here’s the problem.
We’ve turned health into a bloody performance review.
Pass or fail.
Good or bad.
On track or ruined.
Miss one workout?
“Well that week’s screwed.”
Eat a pizza?
“Diet’s off. Might as well inhale the fridge.”
It’s madness.
No one talks like this about brushing their teeth.
You don’t miss one night and go:
“Right. That’s it. Never brushing again. Might as well book dentures.”
But with food and fitness?
Full meltdown.
What Real Progress Actually Looks Like
It’s not sexy.
It doesn’t sell detox teas.
It won’t go viral on TikTok.
But it works.
Real progress looks like:
• eating better without guilt
• moving more without punishment
• showing up imperfectly
• not quitting after one off day
• choosing consistency over drama
It’s boring.
And boring is brilliant.
Because boring is repeatable.
Repeatable is sustainable.
Sustainable is where fat loss actually happens.
Healthy Isn’t Becoming Someone Else
This is the bit most coaches miss.
Healthy isn’t about becoming some new, shinier, protein-shake-drinking robot version of you.
It’s about becoming…
A steadier you.
A calmer you.
A less “I’ve ruined everything because of one biscuit” you.
Steady beats perfect.
Every. Single. Time.
Perfect lasts 9 days.
Steady lasts years.
The Truth I Tell My Clients
You don’t need:
Another diet.
Another reset.
Another “this time I’ll be strict” speech.
You need:
Less pressure.
Better habits.
More compassion.
And a plan you can actually stick to when life gets messy.
Because life will get messy.
Kids.
Work.
Hormones.
Bad sleep.
Rainy Scottish mornings where the last thing you want to do is train outside.
(Ask my outdoor team at 6:15am 😅)
And if your plan only works when life is perfect…
It’s not a plan.
It’s a fantasy.
Bridget Jones wasn’t the problem.
And neither are you.
The problem is the story you’ve been sold:
“Be smaller. Be stricter. Be better.”
Nah.
How about:
Be consistent.
Be kind to yourself.
Keep showing up.
That’s how real change happens.
Messy.
Imperfect.
Human.
And weirdly?
That’s exactly what works.
If you found this helpful, share it with a friend who needs to read it.
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Here's to your success
Jason 'Keeping it real' Brownlie
Dad, Husband, Coach
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