Exclusive: Celebrity Nutritionist Christine Lusita Reveals How She Ditched Fad Diets & Turned Her Life Around: 'I Appreciate The Hard Work I Put In'

For years, Christine Lusita's weight would fluctuate after testing many fad diets.

"I had tried everything — butter in your coffee, Weight Watchers, fasting, the cabbage diet, the Atkins diet. And I just was like, 'Why am I so unsuccessful?' My famous quote was, 'I'll start again on Monday.' Every holiday I felt like I was always on a diet. I could never really eat and enjoy holiday food or indulge on my birthday. I always felt like I had to have like a small sliver of cake because I never wanted to be overweight," the health expert exclusively tells Morning Honey.

Finally, the author of the best selling book The Right Fit Formula was "so tired of comparing myself" to others and hated when people would ask if she was pregnant every time she would gain weight.

"I didn't have confidence. I thought not being able to be successful on my diet was seen as a failure. But instead what I learned is that I'm resilient and trying and failing builds resiliency, which turns out to be my best attribute," she notes. "When I discovered that, it was like the biggest weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I threw away every diet book, measuring scale and measuring cup."

From there, the brunette beauty started going to the gym and took up running. "I was training myself," she says. "I knew if I could mentally get through one block to the next during my run, I could push through the hard moments in life, it would be worth it. Exercise taught me discipline."

In addition to exercising, Lusita cut out the bad carbs because they made her hungrier, and instead, she started eating slower and more mindfully.

"I took the time to cook instead of takeout and eat a higher protein diet," she explains. "I also tried to have a fruit or vegetable with each meal — that one small change significantly reduced my waist by half the size. I was filling up on high fiber foods, and so naturally, I wanted to eat a lot less junk food. As soon as you start moving, it changes everything. I increased my water intake, I followed a Mediterranean diet. I took my time, and I did it slowly, because if I didn't, then it would never have been a habit that has stuck with me for 15 years.""

Now, TV design expert is the "happiest" she's been. "I started really honoring my individuality, and I started seeing and recognizing myself for not only my strongest attributes, but also never giving up on things," she shares. "I'm so happy because I can appreciate the hard work that I put in, and I try to stay consistent — I never want to lie to myself. I'm happy I've made these habits effortless because they are honoring who I am."

When Lusita sees clients, she first has them take a personality quiz, which is available here, to match them to the best diet and workout plan for their personality type. "Once I understand more of who they are, I help them lay out five or six diet plans that all lean into their natural tendencies," she says of the process. "We immediately start with small changes. The first thing I have anyone who is embarking on a weight loss journey is to simply get moving. There's no perfect way to exercise, it's just about establishing a positive physical connection to their body — not about punitive hard core workouts."

Lusita then increases their water intake, in addition to cutting their portions in half, depending on what people are eating. Since it takes about 21 days to create a habit, Lusita tries to instill easy swaps into their lives in order for them to succeed. "It's not about a diet, it's about what can I sustain? Diets don't succeed, people do," she says.

"If you make these healthier habits familiar, you're going to go back to them," she adds. We always go back to what's familiar. Everything is about a creating a routine — people thrive in a routine."

Ultimately, Lusita loves helping and inspiring others, and she hopes to continue seeing transformations.

"I want to inspire everyone to honor their own individuality," she declares. "I want them to stop trying to fit into other people's mold of perfection and instead honor who they are, where they are in their journey and celebrate who they are. That's my goal and and intention with every client I meet."

For more information on Lusita, click here.