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PSA: MOST OF YOUR CALORIES AREN’T BURNED IN THE GYM
Most of the calories we burn in a given day aren’t during our workouts, and the majority of the differences in most people’s activity levels are unlikely to be just from that hour or so most of us are used to spending in the gym.
THE LEANEST AND THE STRONGEST: MANAGING EXPECTATIONS THROUGH ALL SEASONS OF LIFE
Most people have some time in their life when they think they performed or looked their absolute best, and then wonder why they weren’t able to hold onto that forever. But, if you take a moment to reflect on all of the pieces of the puzzle that had to come together for that brief moment, it’s unlikely that everything can stay aligned that way for long.
NAVIGATING THE FAT LOSS JOURNEY
We already know that a calorie deficit is the most important factor at play when it comes to pursuing fat loss goals. But, for most, staying in a consistent calorie deficit is a lot more challenging than “just eating less and moving more.”
EATING FOR FAT LOSS GOALS
If your goals are geared towards changing your body weight, body shape, or body composition, your focus should be on fat loss and eating in a calorie deficit.
SKIP THE CHEAT MEAL; YOUR WEEKENDS do MATTER
If your focus begins on Monday and ends on Thursday, you’re really only working toward your goal 4 out of 7 days per week. Even if you only loosen up on Saturday and Sunday, you can still cause your progress to lag or even stall out, depending on what your weekend intake looks like.
INTERMITTENT FASTING & TRACKING MACROS
Intermittent fasting can be used as another tool to help manage hunger and work towards fat loss goals. Curious about what intermittent fasting even is and if it may be a helpful strategy for you? Read on!
3 KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL FAT LOSS
A summary of last week’s Live Class: 3 Keys to Your Most Successful Diet. This live class wasn’t about the one secret to dieting or how to lose fat fast. Rather, it was about 3 principles that, if followed, will result in successful fat loss no matter how old you are, how active you are, or what your lifestyle is.
YOU DON'T NEED A CHEAT MEAL
We don’t cheat on tests or our partners, so why do we cheat on our health? Learn how your cheat meal may be sabotaging your progress, and how flexible nutrition can help you overcome the cheat day mentality.
FAT LOSS FACTS: BUSTING DIET MYTHS WHEN TRACKING MACROS
There is an overwhelming amount of nutrition and diet information available all around us. It can be difficult to wade through what is fact and what is fad, especially when the idea of what is the “best” diet is constantly changing. Today we’re simplifying the topic of fat loss with five facts that may answer some of your common diet-related questions.
QUICK FIXES VS. REAL RESULTS
Quick fixes turn us into quitters. Learn how to skip the quick fixes and focus on real, lasting changes.
HUNGER IN A CALORIE DEFICIT: ELIMINATING FEELINGS OF DEPRIVATION WHILE DIETING
Let’s get one thing straight: fat loss isn’t supposed to be easy peezy. It requires hard work and some sacrifices, but it doesn’t mean you have to be completely miserable. Today we’re talking about the changes you can make to your diet to help you manage hunger, eliminate feelings of deprivation, and increase your chances of successfully reaching your fat loss goals and, more importantly, maintaining those changes long term.
MANAGING HUNGER WHILE DIETING: EATING FOR VOLUME
No one wants to feel hungry. But if you are dieting, there will probably be a point where your calorie deficit grows and hunger becomes an issue. Eating a diet that keeps you full will not only help increase your chances of successfully reaching your fat loss goals, it will also help you maintain those changes long term.
PREPARATION VS. WILLPOWER
Most of us have lived for years believing that the key to successful fat loss is willpower.
If we just resist our cravings and suppress our hunger, we will be successful dieters. If we just stick to our plan, eat the same food every day, and say no to every treat and drink offered, we will finally lose that weight.
That’s not the case.
A (NOT SO BRIEF) LOVE LETTER TO TRACKING MACROS
Macro-tracking success: hear from a client who has made incredible changes in both her body composition and her relationship with food.
SKIP THE QUICK FIX AND FOCUS ON LASTING CHANGE
The fitness industry thrives on quick fixes. From challenges promising you’ll “lose ten pounds in a week” and “melt fat in 21 days” to fitness products guaranteeing a six-pack overnight. But here’s the problem: quick fixes turn us into quitters. We don’t need short timelines and restrictive rules; creating lasting change requires knowledge and skills that allow you to make small changes, consistently, over time.
HAVING A COACH THROUGH “MAINTENANCE MODE”: INSURANCE FOR LONG TERM NUTRITIONAL SUCCESS
A maintenance phase is arguably the most important season of our nutrition since it’s where we can best focus on the habits that help us find harmony with our physical, mental, emotional, and social health. Without the prioritization of changing our bodies, the other aspects of our lives that we value can better be at the forefront. However, that doesn’t mean that body composition can’t remain in the periphery. The foundational habits that we develop before or alongside a focused fat loss phase, with the goal of long-term physical change, continuously support small aesthetic changes over time.
3 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR MEALS MORE FILLING: MACRO-FRIENDLY TIPS FOR SATIETY
If you’re in a calorie deficit and working towards fat loss goals, a main goal should be minimizing any feelings of restriction or hunger so you can maximize adherence to your deficit. This is why we, as coaches, take a strong stance against aggressive and unsustainable deficits. If our hunger is through the roof each day, it’s not very likely that we’ll be able to adhere to that calorie deficit for long. Luckily, there are tools that can help us minimize hunger and, luckily, those same tools also keep us well-fueled and promote our overall health as well.
WHY YOU SHOULD DITCH THE SCALE WHEN WORKING TOWARDS WEIGHT LOSS GOALS
I think we all technically know that our weight is just an arbitrary number on a device that doesn't mean that much, but it can still be difficult to let go of the anxiety and frustration that this number sometimes carries. It's easy to step on the scale and either feel proud when we see the number has decreased or hopeless when it hasn't. This is because we have this idea that the number on the scale equates to our self-worth. Rather than just suggesting that you don't let the number on the scale bother you, I want to delve deeper into how we can utilize the number on the scale as a measure of progress alongside other metrics, or how we can step away from the scale entirely -- and how to decide which option is best for us.
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF RESTRICTION: HOW TO CREATE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD AND YOUR NUTRITION
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.
SIGNS YOU NEED TO REVERSE DIET: NAVIGATING CALORIE DEFICITS, MAINTENANCE, AND MORE
As someone who reentered the dating world a few years ago, I never fully understood the concept of red flags. And then, suddenly, I understood the dialogue. It seemed like I was in a parade, and red flags were readily available and in abundance. But dating doesn't have the monopoly on red flags. Our bodies often wave a giant red flag in front of us, and we seem to be colorblind to it. But I want to draw your attention to calorie deficit red flags, how a reverse diet can address those red flags, and whether a reverse diet may be appropriate for you.
THE INS AND OUTS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING: TRACKING MACROS, APPETITE MANAGEMENT, AND IF FOR MENOPAUSE
There is quite a bit of misinformation behind the idea of intermittent fasting. Some sources claim that it is the ‘best’ way to pursue fat loss, others boast mental clarity, and some boldly imply that it is as simple as skipping breakfast and then getting abs. The truth is that we all practice IF to some extent; when we sleep, we are fasting. This period of fasting is important for helping regulate blood lipids and blood pressure, reducing inflammation markers, and stimulating metabolism (all totally normal processes in our bodies). The claim that IF is a helpful fat loss strategy stems from these benefits, but doesn’t mean it’s the magic pill you’ve been looking for.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU STAY IN A CALORIE DEFICIT? EXPLORING CALORIE DEFICIT RED FLAGS
There is so much nuance in talking about the topic of a calorie deficit. From navigating a deficit in a sustainable way to recognizing if your body is even ready for a deficit, there are so many different factors to consider.
WHY YOUR NUTRITION NEEDS AN OFF-SEASON: PERIODIZING OUR APPROACH TO NUTRITION FOR LONG TERM FAT LOSS, PERFORMANCE, AND HEALTH GOALS
It’s just as important to develop strategies for times when you don’t have the capacity for laser focus as it is to maintain consistency when you’re aggressively pursuing a goal. Maybe even more so, because you will have times in your life where your nutrition-related goals have to take a back seat.
MAINTENANCE PHASES: WHY YOU NEED THEM & HOW WE CAN ADDRESS METABOLIC ADAPTATION
When considering fat loss, the number one thing we talk about is energy balance. In order to lose fat, it’s necessary to eat a calorie deficit (eating less calories than you expend). However, our bodies aren’t made to exist in a calorie deficit forever. Enter: the maintenance phase.
ALL ABOUT PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS: CHOOSING THE BEST PROTEIN POWDER FOR YOU
Protein is one of the harder macronutrients to incorporate into our diet because it generally requires storage and prep time and therefore it can be less convenient. However, protein powder is super convenient! There are A LOT of different types and brands of protein powder out there, and it can be confusing to know which protein powder you should buy. Here is how to choose the right protein powder for you and a list of some of our favorites!
HIGH VOLUME VS. NUTRIENT DENSE: ADJUSTING FOOD CHOICES TO YOUR APPETITE AND NEEDS
One part of our nutrition that I think can be really empowering is learning to address appetite through the typical ebbs and flows of life. This means when we’re sick, hot, busy, etc. and appetite is low (or gone completely); and when we’re more active or a little munchy and appetite is higher than normal. In either of these situations, knowledge of our nutrition allows us to tailor our food choices to how we’re feeling, so we can still honor our hunger and fullness cues and continue to fuel ourselves well.
RECOGNIZING PHYSICAL VS. PSYCHOLOGICAL (EMOTIONAL) HUNGER & WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
Recognizing our hunger cues and the impact our environment can have on those cues is especially important for goals related to our nutrition. Establishing a difference between physical and psychological hunger is the first line of defense against any feelings of guilt, shame, or regret surrounding our food choices.
A DEEP DIVE INTO METABOLIC ADAPTATION
In most general cases, we think of metabolism as the processes that convert food and drink into energy that we can use. It’s a hot topic in today’s nutrition sphere as it so closely correlates to fat loss and dieting, but in a broader sense, our human metabolisms are all of the processes that work in our cells to keep us alive, down to the cellular level.
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO YOUR NUTRITION GOALS: THE BASICS OF NUTRITION FOR FAT LOSS, PERFORMANCE, AND OVERALL HEALTH GOALS
If you want to reduce your body fat percentage, build muscle mass, reach a goal weight, or improve strength in the gym, tailoring your nutrition to your goals is absolutely essential to achieving those goals.
4 COMMON NUTRITION MISTAKES WE MAKE
After over seven years working as an online nutrition coach (and years in the fitness industry before this!), I want to share four major nutrition mistakes we often see as coaches working 1:1 with our clients. These mistakes aren’t because our clients are uninformed or wrong; they’re just often things we have been told (incorrectly) most of our lives.