Solving Ruth’s Puzzle: Why Health Is Never One-Size-Fits-All

How many times have you set out to achieve the right result, only to find yourself ending up with something less—or worse, something completely different?

If that’s happened to you, you’re not alone.

Someone working on a jigsaw puzzle.

Nobody sets out on a health journey believing they’ll fail. You simply wouldn’t start if you thought the destination was pointless. We begin with good intentions, a strong belief that we’ll get there. Some people assume it’ll be straightforward and enjoyable, others brace themselves for a hard slog. But either way, we all believe it’s possible.

So why do only a few of us eventually get where we want to be?

Ruth’s Story

When Ruth first came to me, she wasn’t short of effort or determination. She had followed countless plans over the years—low carb, fasting, gym memberships, apps that tracked everything from calories to steps. Each one promised results, and for a short while, some of them delivered. She’d lose a little weight, feel a little fitter.

But then life got in the way. Work deadlines, family commitments, unexpected stresses—before long, she slipped back into old habits. She told me, “Chris, I feel like I’ve got all the pieces of the puzzle, but I don’t know how to put them together.”

That struck me because that’s exactly how I see health coaching. Every client is a puzzle. All the pieces are there, but no two puzzles are the same. My job is not to give someone a pre-packaged picture, but to help them see how their unique pieces fit together.

Mindset First

With Ruth, the first piece we worked on wasn’t diet or exercise—it was mindset.

When she first started, her inner voice was full of “I always fail” and “I can’t stick to things.” And when you tell yourself those things often enough, they become your truth.

We flipped that script. Together, we focused on three elements of mindset:

• Knowledge – understanding what to do, how to do it, and most importantly, why.

• Support – surrounding herself with the right “pit crew” of people who encouraged her rather than judged her.

• Accountability – making commitments that weren’t just private thoughts, but shared with others who would keep her focused.

As Ruth began to believe she could succeed, the rest of the puzzle started falling into place.

Nutrition Made Simple

Like many, Ruth had been sold the idea that nutrition was complicated. Track every calorie, weigh every portion, cut out whole food groups.

Instead, I got her to strip things back. We started with one simple principle: eat foods that are as close to nature as possible—things our ancestors could have hunted or grown. Foods with one ingredient. She was surprised by how freeing it felt.

No weighing. No spreadsheets. Just food she enjoyed that nourished her body.

And most importantly—it was food she could see herself eating for life, not just for a six-week challenge.

Exercise You Actually Enjoy

Ruth admitted she hated the gym. The machines bored her. The classes felt intimidating. Yet she kept forcing herself to go because she thought that was “what you’re meant to do.”

So we stopped all of that. I asked her: What do you enjoy?

The answer surprised her—walking. She loved long walks, especially with friends, or even alone with a podcast. So we built her exercise around that. Daily movement she looked forward to, not dreaded. And because she enjoyed it, she stuck with it. Week after week. Month after month.

Lifestyle in Balance

The final piece for Ruth was lifestyle. She’d been running on stress for years, rarely resting, rarely giving herself permission to slow down.

We worked on sleep—building a consistent routine. We talked about recovery, not as laziness but as fuel. And we revisited her purpose—reminding her of the bigger “why” behind making these changes in the first place.

Bit by bit, Ruth started to live in a way that wasn’t about pushing harder, but about balancing stress with recovery.

Putting It All Together

Ruth’s journey wasn’t about discovering some revolutionary new health plan. It was about realising that her health puzzle had to be solved in a way that worked for her.

• Her mindset had to shift from self-doubt to belief.

• Her nutrition had to be simple and enjoyable.

• Her exercise had to be something she loved, not endured.

• Her lifestyle had to balance recovery with effort.

And once those pieces came together, she stopped chasing short-term fixes and started building long-term resilience.

The Takeaway

Every single person’s puzzle is different. That’s why one-size-fits-all solutions rarely stick. What worked for Ruth won’t work for you exactly as it is—and that’s the point.

The right process is always the one that fits your life, your mindset, and your purpose.

So if you’ve tried and failed before, don’t beat yourself up. It’s not that you’re broken or weak—it’s that you’ve been trying to solve your puzzle with someone else’s pieces.

The real journey begins when you start fitting together your own.