The rules of energy balance may seem simple on paper (with all “name brand” diets driven by hard and fast regulations operating under the same umbrella): calories in vs. calories out. Follow the guidelines, achieve results. However, without a foundational belief that we are capable of overcoming and learning from the challenges that are bound to arise in the process and are deserving of the outcomes we seek, we are bound to struggle with any real, sustainable change. A growth mindset is the key to unlocking our potential to reach any and all of our goals.

When I start working with a client, they typically believe that they can't enjoy pizza AND eat “healthy” at the same time. Their experience tells them that pizza is a “bad” food, it’s a cheat meal, and it will definitely make them gain body fat. But often, that’s a fear of food and diet culture talking. By embracing a flexible approach to eating and incorporating some macro-friendly strategies, pizza can be part of a balanced approach to nutrition. Grab a slice, and let’s dig in!

We work within a framework of tracking macros to facilitate sustainable progress and, eventually, move away from tracking completely. However, while tracking, there are some ways we can make it easier on ourselves! In this blog post, we’re sharing our favorite tracking tips as “macro coaches,” experienced trackers, and coaches who help our clients make tracking work for them.

Of the adults who overeat unhealthy foods when stressed, 33% say they do it to distract themselves from the stress. The survey finds that these behaviors are higher in women, who are more likely to report unhealthy eating behaviors as a result of stress. The percentage of those skipping meals due to stress is also higher in women, in teen girls, and in millennials.  When referring to stress here, we’re not just talking about a hard day at work. Stress encompasses feeling lonely or emotional turmoil, and then also work stress, relationship stress or caretaking, etc. There’s nothing wrong with eating foods that are less nourishing sometimes, but it can become problematic -- to our health, to our relationship with food, to our trust around food --  if we consistently use junk food as the way to regulate our emotions.

Whether you’re a frequent flyer or only an occasional jet setter, staying goal-aligned with your nutrition during air travel can feel overwhelming with so many other aspects of your trip demanding your attention. Staying on top of your energy needs is a must though, so we’ve compiled a list of snacks you can grab at most major airports and ones you can source before your travel day and bring through TSA to help keep you fueled until you touch down at your final destination.

Disneyland and Disney World: the places where dreams come true and nutrition dreams go to die…or do they? As with any out-of-routine time including vacations, work trips, anniversaries, date nights, birthdays, and holidays, we have to ask ourselves: What is the experience that I want to have during this brief time? and Does your expectation of your time away match the reality of the environment where you are going? The way that you feel during or after periods of time outside of your regular routines does not mean that any permanent changes occurred. Whether the journey of your nutrition while on your trip includes macro tracking or not, the main focus should be on making confident choices even if those choices are less efficient than normal.

The cycle of perpetual restriction can look like throwing away the cookies your friend just brought over because you know that if you have just one, you'll spiral into eating every sweet treat in the pantry. It can look like not even keeping those “scary” foods in the house because you've labeled yourself as someone with no control. It can also look like an entire inner dialogue of categorizing “good” foods and “forbidden” foods and promising ourselves we'll only eat “clean” while also ignoring the fact we've never succeeded at this game in the past.

Camping is one of my favorite ways to vacation/travel, even though it involves more meal planning than other vacations. That extra required planning also means it can be friendlier to your nutrition goals, especially if you take the time to pre-track some meals to ensure you’re hitting your protein and other targets.

Whether you take it as gospel truth or just a catchy marketing slogan, chances are you’ve heard the phrase “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”  And it does seem like most people have some kind of strong opinion on breakfast — whether it’s related to its importance, overratedness, or which foods are acceptable breakfast foods.  When it comes to your nutrition goals, breakfast isn’t necessarily any more or less important than any other meal, but it can be used as an opportunity to get a headstart on your nutrition goals for the day.  

If you’ve spent any amount of time on social media, you’ve probably come across a plethora of content touting metabolism-boosting “hacks”: drinking cold water, green tea, and coffee; eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day; making your food as spicy as possible; cold plunging in ice water; wearing a weighted vest.  What’s worth implementing? What’s simply noise? Read this week’s blog to find out.

The idea of what is “healthy” is nuanced. A salad can be healthy as it’s filled with micronutrients, and a cookie can be healthy when we allow ourselves to enjoy it guilt-free. It’s important to note that fast food can be consumed in a way that isn’t as healthful if opting for super calorie-dense options that lack nutrients, but most fast food restaurants do have options that are more aligned with goals of eating healthfully.  Fast food is not bad, nor is any singular food bad or good, because they exist within the context of our goals and life circumstances.

Intentional out-of-routine times, like the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday, tend to cause panic around meals where panic need not be warranted. Nutritional and lifestyle habits might need to temporarily change but managing expectations, having flexibility with our choices, and giving ourselves the permission to intentionally get out of our routines can ensure that those occasional meals stay exciting (not stressful!). Understanding and establishing the intentions of our meals gives us more control over how our meals make us feel. Remember: we have the power over food, food does not have the power over us.

Ideally you are starting with a diet that is already well-rounded and focused on whole foods, then reducing/eliminating meat consumption and replacing animal based proteins with plant-based alternatives. The unfortunate side effect of a plant-based diet being a fad right now is that many people skip this part and move right to just cutting out meat and dairy.

With the surge of popularity of plant-based diets has also come the increase in plant-based marketing. Walking around the grocery store, you’ll find “plant based” whole wheat pasta, donuts, and chips - all foods that are generally free of animal products anyway, and foods that don’t become automatically healthy just because of a plant-based label.