I want to begin the New Year by explaining something very important… the fat loss coaching framework we use with professionals in Ho Chi Minh City and across Asia who want results that last long-term.
A new year naturally makes people reflect on their health, energy, and performance.
For many high-performing professionals, the frustration isn’t a lack of effort… it’s that despite trying hard year after year, nothing truly sticks. Every January brings more training, stricter dieting, and better intentions, yet the results rarely last once work and stress ramp up again. This doesn’t happen because people lack discipline. It happens because most approaches try to fix everything at once, without a system.
If you sprint into the new year trying to be perfect…
miss in one area…
decide they’ve failed…
and then by March, they’re back to square one.
At Body Expert Systems, in our THRIVE programs, we take a different approach. We build structured systems in a deliberate sequence, so results don’t disappear when life gets busy. This framework is the same one we use with our private clients to lose significant body fat, restore energy, and upgrade performance.
What I’m about to walk you through is the exact performance framework we use with our clients… a step-by-step system where each layer builds on the last.
It’s the same system that helped:
— Jessica lose 6kg, 9cm off her waist, and 6% body fat in 6 weeks
— Matt lose 7kg and 8.1cm off his waist in 6 weeks
— Hendrik lose 16.9kg and 11.9cm off his waist in 12 weeks
— Kim drop 15 pounds and 3 dress sizes in 4 weeks
But more importantly… they didn’t just change their bodies – they upgraded their energy, clarity, confidence, and performance.
This isn’t a weight loss plan or a New Year resolution…. It’s a lifestyle intervention.
Done properly, in a short amount of time, people won’t recognise you. You might not even recognise yourself… in the best possible way.
Ready? Let’s go.
If You Want the Best Shape, Energy & Focus of Your Life… Do This:
Step 1: Assess Your Current State
Before you change anything, you need to know where you actually stand.
Track your health like a CEO tracks KPIs:
— Daily weight (7-day average)
— Weekly waist measurement
— Skinfold site measurements (monthly)
— If possible, a DEXA scan
— Bloodwork every 6 months
— Hunger, cravings, energy levels
— Monthly photo
Most people skip this because it feels uncomfortable. But you can’t optimise what you refuse to face.
Clarity must come first… the more information you have to begin with the more educated decisions you can make
Most people operate on assumptions rather than facts. They believe they’re eating “pretty well,” training “hard enough,” or carrying “about 20% body fat.” These estimates are rarely accurate and small errors here create massive errors downstream.
Assessment removes emotion and replaces it with reality. By tracking objective markers such as weight trends, waist measurements, progress photos, body composition (especially site specific data), and bloodwork, while also recording subjective aspects like perceived effort, hunger, energy, cravings, etc you move from guessing to understanding. This clarity allows you to identify the real constraints holding you back rather than chasing symptoms.
This stage matters because it prevents wasted effort and WASTED TIME. When people struggle to lose fat or regain energy, it’s rarely due to lack of effort… it’s because their effort is misdirected.
Assessment ensures that every action moving forward is anchored in reality, based on science and results driven. It also creates accountability. Once progress is measurable, decision-making becomes rational rather than emotional. This alone dramatically improves results and therefore consistency. Consistency is the path to long-term improvement in quality of life.
Step 2: Fix Your Metabolic Health (The Foundation)
This is where 90% of people get it wrong.
Health is the priority… an unhealthy body will struggle to lose fat and build muscle… you cannot sacrifice health for anything… health is the foundation of everything that follows.
Most people want to talk about VO₂ max, strength % and biohacks…
while their insulin sensitivity is broken and their hormones are a mess. First priority:
Get lean. Get metabolically healthy. Full stop.
That means:
- Nutrient-dense, high-protein nutrition
- Structured meal timing
- Reducing visceral fat
- Normalising lipids, inflammation, deficiencies, and hormones
When this is in place:
- Energy skyrockets
- Brain function improves
- Hunger stabilises
- Your body becomes responsive again
Metabolic health determines how efficiently your body processes food, manages blood sugar, regulates hunger, handles stress and produces energy. When it’s compromised, fat loss feels like a constant battle, energy fluctuates wildly, and motivation disappears.
At this stage, the priority is not optimisation… it’s normalisation. Excess body fat is reduced, insulin sensitivity improves, inflammation comes down, nutrient deficiencies are corrected, and hormonal signals begin to stabilise. Nutrition becomes structured and intentional rather than reactive or restrictive.
Health matters because a metabolically healthy body behaves differently. Hunger becomes predictable instead of overwhelming. Energy becomes steady instead of volatile. Fat loss becomes consistent instead of frustrating. Most importantly, your body becomes responsive again.
Many executives and entrepreneurs in Saigon and across Asia attempt to layer advanced training, restrictive diets or biohacks on top of a metabolically unhealthy foundation. This almost always backfires. Fix the foundation first, and everything else becomes easier. Get healthy first. Then we optimise.
Step 3: Build Your Recovery Systems
High performers don’t burn out. They recover intelligently.
This is especially relevant for high-performing professionals and entrepreneurs living and working in Ho Chi Minh City and across Asia, where stress, travel, and long work hours sabotage most fat loss plans.
This means:
— Aligning with circadian rhythms
— Controlling light exposure, meal timing, and evening routines
— Prioritising sleep quantity first, then quality
— Actively managing muscular & mental stress
One extra hour of quality sleep can change your body composition, mood, and productivity.
I’ve seen clients break fat loss plateaus, fix energy crashes, and regain mental sharpness simply by fixing recovery.
It’s not sexy.
It’s extremely effective.
Chronic stress, poor sleep, irregular schedules, and constant stimulation keep the nervous system in a state of overdrive. In this state, fat loss slows, cravings increase, motivation drops, and cognitive performance declines… regardless of how “perfect” training and nutrition appear on paper.
Recovery is not passive. It’s a system… it’s INTENTIONAL. Aligning circadian rhythms, managing light exposure, massaging tight muscles, addressing mental stress, timing meals appropriately, and creating reliable sleep routines allow the body to shift out of survival mode and into repair.
This stage matters because recovery governs adaptation. Without it, training breaks the body down faster than it can rebuild. With it, the same training produces dramatically better results. Energy improves, hunger stabilises, stress tolerance increases, and plateaus often resolve without additional effort.
In many cases, one extra hour of quality sleep produces more change than another hour in the gym.
Step 4: Build Your Metabolic Furnace (Strength Training)
If you want longevity, performance, and a body that ages well… resistance training is non-negotiable.
2-3 sessions per week.
30–40 minutes.
That’s it.
The goal:
— Protect muscle while losing fat
— Build lean mass once healthy
— Improve function, strength, and resilience
Muscle is your anti-aging weapon.
Your injury insurance.
Your metabolic engine.
Strength training is the primary driver of long-term metabolic health and physical resilience.
Muscle is not just about aesthetics or calorie burn. It plays a central role in glucose regulation, joint stability, bone density, posture, injury prevention, stem cell activation and aging. As muscle mass declines, fat gain becomes easier, movement quality deteriorates, and metabolic health worsens.
This stage focuses on building and preserving lean mass through efficient, structured resistance training. The goal is not exhaustion or maximal soreness, but progressive improvement in strength and function (better movement).
Relative strength matters because muscle changes how your body responds to life. It improves body composition rather than just body weight. It enhances daily energy expenditure. It helps manage stress. It provides structural support as you age. Quite simply, muscle is one of the most powerful anti-aging tools available.
Step 5: Upgrade Your Cardio Engine
Cardio is not punishment.
It’s a performance tool.
We use two types:
- Daily movement – walking, cycling, easy activity
- One hard session per week – sprints, intervals, or intense conditioning
This improves:
- Heart health
- Brain function
- Training capacity
- Stress tolerance
Strong heart. Strong mind. Strong body.
Cardiovascular training is often misunderstood and misused.
Done poorly, it becomes a stressor that competes with recovery and strength. Done correctly, it supports both longevity and performance.
Low-intensity daily movement improves circulation, metabolic flexibility, and stress regulation. Periodic higher-intensity work improves cardiovascular capacity, mental resilience, and physical work tolerance. Together, they build an engine that supports both health and performance.
This stage matters because cardiovascular capacity underpins everything from training quality to cognitive performance. A stronger heart and more efficient oxygen delivery improve energy, focus, and resilience… in and out of the gym. Your VO2max is one of the major determinants of quality of life in your later years. How much daily movement you complete is a major determinant for body fat loss… it doesn’t have to be intensive to deliver amazing benefits.
Cardio should increase capacity, not drain it.
Cheat Code #1: Accountability
Let’s be honest.
You already know most of this.
The problem isn’t information.
It’s execution.
What you lack is consistency when life becomes unpredictable. Travel, deadlines, family obligations, and stress disrupt routines. Accountability provides structure during chaos. Coaching offers feedback, course correction, and perspective when motivation dips or circumstances change.
This is why supported programs consistently outperform self-directed efforts. Not because you lack discipline, but because you’re human.
At THRIVE, we don’t just give plans.
We coach, adjust, support, and problem-solve in real time. That’s the difference.
Cheat Code #2: Identity Shifting
This is where transformation becomes permanent.
We don’t just change habits.
We change identity.
We install a new health identity where:
- Training is normal
- Eating well is automatic
- Recovery is non-negotiable
- Performance is part of who you are
Lasting transformation is psychological before it is physiological.
When identity shifts, behaviour becomes automatic. And when behaviour becomes automatic, results become permanent.
The Critical Mistake to Avoid
Trying to do everything at once.
The THRIVE framework works because it is sequential. Each stage creates the conditions for the next. Skipping steps or stacking too many changes at once leads to burnout and regression.
The people who succeed long-term are not the ones who go hardest in the New Year. They are the ones who build systems that last.
Final Thought
This isn’t about losing weight or building biceps.
It’s about upgrading your operating system.
When your body supports your life instead of draining it, everything improves… energy, focus, confidence, performance, and longevity.
2026 isn’t about trying harder.
It’s about doing things properly.
If you’re interested in losing stubborn fat and optimising your performance with our science-backed, results driven system then contact us now
Additional Resources That Will Help You:
Checkout some of our previous articles on fitness and muscle building:
1 – Change of Thought (Free eBook): Change of Thought is a powerful mindset guide designed to help you align your conscious goals with your subconscious beliefs… the missing link behind sustainable results
2 – The Executive Guide to Killing Belly Fat (Free eBook): This ebook shows you exactly why belly fat is different, why most diets and workouts fail busy professionals, and how to build the biological conditions required to actually release it
3 – 3X Belly Fat Loss Program: A Science-Backed System to Triple Fat-Loss Efficiency – Stubborn belly fat isn’t about willpower… it’s about biology, hormones, and strategy. Most programs fail because they attack fat loss with random workouts and generic nutrition advice that ignores how the body actually works.
Connect with us:
We are here to help you make the best choices to #LIVEBETTER and THRIVE. Improve your quality of live by developing boundless energy, upgrading your brain, optimising your body and defy aging… for more information checkout our THRIVE Saigon Memberships – click here!
If you’re not in Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam but would still like us to help you improve your quality of life and live better GET IN TOUCH WITH US NOW or checkout our award winning Online Coaching Service: CLUB THRIVE.
For more great information, inspiration and tips on all things belly fat loss, performance and quality of life follow me on Instagram @THRIVEwithPhil
