We recently connected with Concita Thomas and have shared our conversation below.

Concita, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

I got my first job in the fitness industry as a direct result of solving my own problem. At the time, I was a new engineer working in the automotive industry, still carrying the weight I had gained throughout college. Year after year, I tried different workouts, hired personal trainers, and followed all the advice I could find, but nothing stuck. Each attempt ended in frustration when I couldn’t maintain the progress I made.

One day, in a mix of desperation and determination, I signed up for a personal training certification, not because I wanted to train others, but because I was determined to crack the code for myself. That process led me to uncover what had been missing all along, which was proper nutrition. Once I made the necessary adjustments, I finally achieved my goal weight with a process that felt sustainable at the time. .

Even though I was still working as an engineer, I had become a regular at the gym. The trainers there knew I had earned my certification, and I often found myself talking to them about my journey. When a position opened up, one of them encouraged me to apply. At the time, I saw it as an exciting way to spend my spare time—something fun and fulfilling outside of my demanding career.

Little did I know that taking that part-time job would set me on a completely different path. What started as a side job quickly turned into a passion. The more I worked with clients, the more I realized how much I loved helping people break free from the same struggles I had faced. Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful that I took that leap. It was the first step toward a career that is far more fulfilling than I ever imagined.

Concita, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

While my entry into the wellness space may seem coincidental, I believe I’ve been preparing for this work my entire life. As a child, I instinctively trained other kids in the gym’s childcare area while my mom worked out. Later, I faced my own weight loss struggles, trying and failing with restrictive approaches. My background in Mechanical Engineering honed my ability to conduct meaningful experiments and draw accurate conclusions, skills that ultimately helped me crack the code to sustainable weight loss.

Today, I specialize in coaching women over 40, especially those juggling demanding careers and family responsibilities, on how to lose weight and keep it off without giving up carbs or sweets. My approach is rooted in a blend of scientific rigor, personal experience, and deep empathy. I understand the frustration of feeling like weight loss success is only possible when it becomes your top priority, a reality that isn’t sustainable for most busy women. That’s why I focus on helping my clients integrate changes into their real lives in a way that feels natural and achievable.

What I’m most proud of is my ability to help women break free from the cycle of losing and regaining the same 20-30 pounds. Many of my clients come to me feeling defeated, believing they lack discipline when, in reality, they’ve just been following methods that were never built to last. Through our work together, they discover a way to lose weight that aligns with their lifestyle—one that doesn’t feel like another job. The moment they realize they can enjoy their favorite foods and still see results is incredibly powerful. Many of them say they feel unstoppable, and the confidence they gain spills over into other areas of their lives, leading to achievements beyond weight loss.

While I coach on food and fitness, my true mission is to help women unlock their full potential. Seeing my clients reclaim their energy, confidence, and sense of control is more rewarding than anything I ever designed as an engineer. This work isn’t just about weight—it’s about helping women show up fully in their lives, and that’s what makes it so fulfilling.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn was the belief that if you do the right things the right way, you’ll always get the outcome you desire. This mindset was ingrained in me through traditional schooling, where every math problem had a right and wrong answer, and the correct process led to the correct result. That approach served me well academically—I studied hard, earned top grades, got into my desired college, and landed an amazing job as an engineer.

However, in my personal life—specifically with my weight—that formula didn’t hold up. I was doing everything I believed was right, yet I kept failing. I’d lose weight through restrictive methods, only to regain it when I couldn’t sustain the approach. I thought I just needed more discipline, but in reality, the problem was the rigidity of my mindset.

I had to let go of the belief that there was one perfect way to achieve my goal. It wasn’t until I stopped seeing French fries and chocolate as mistakes and instead made space for them within a sustainable approach that I finally achieved lasting results. That shift didn’t just change my personal journey, it shaped the way I help others.

Through this experience, I learned that respecting the fundamental science behind achieving any goal is essential, but there is tremendous latitude in how you apply those principles. And even more importantly, success often depends on how you navigate the factors beyond the fundamentals, the personal preferences, mindset, and lifestyle that make any plan sustainable in the long run.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Building a reputation in my market has come from consistency and dedication over decades. While the programs and services I offer have evolved, my core method and message have remained the same: sustainable weight loss without extremes. As trends come and go, I’ve helped my clients integrate the elements that appeal to them in a way that’s grounded in science, so they avoid the cycle of short-term results followed by rebounds.

Beyond that, my personal experience with weight loss has allowed me to approach my clients’ journeys with deep empathy. I can anticipate the pitfalls they’ll encounter before they get there and prepare them to navigate those challenges successfully. My own success with losing weight, which was achieved without cutting out carbs or sweets, makes me highly receptive to my clients’ desires to keep enjoying the foods they love. I don’t force a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, I help them strike a balance that allows for both satisfaction and results.

Additionally, as a certified Behavior Change Specialist, I understand how habits are formed and broken. I normalize slip ups so that my clients aren’t caught off guard or disappointed in themselves—feelings that often lead to giving up too soon. I teach them that our challenges are actually guides that help us construct a highly customized approach that lead to lifelong results. This combination of science-backed strategies, lived experience, and behavioral expertise has allowed me to build trust and a long-standing reputation as a leader in sustainable weight loss.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://concitathomas.com/mealchecklist
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/concitathomas
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/concitathomas
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-225519303