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The Best Meal Plan To Lose Fat Faster (TRY THIS!)

The Best Meal Plan To Lose Fat Faster (TRY THIS!)

by | Jan 30, 2021 | Blog, Diet

No matter how much we may try, we can’t out exercise our diet. Trust me, I’ve tried.

If we want the best, and fastest fat loss results possible, we need to dial in our diet to complement our workouts.

That’s why today I want to take you through a typical day of eating that helped me transform from this to this, but before I do, let’s take a look at what truly makes a diet effective for fat loss….

Now the question is, what diet is the BEST when it comes to fat loss?

Daily it seems a new diet arises claiming to be the secret to all of our struggles. They promise us fast fixes. Instant results.

But if it sounds too good to be true?

Guess what, it is!

No matter what dietary preference you choose, from Paleo to Vegetarian to Low Fat to Keto, macronutrients and how you create your calorie deficit through your macro breakdown, is what makes the diet truly work.

There are no magic fat loss foods.

And cutting out whole foods groups just because someone said to isn’t a sustainable plan, especially if you happen to love the food you have to cut out!

If you want lasting fat loss results, you’ve got to dial in your macros to create a calorie deficit that keeps you feeling fueled while still allowing you to enjoy the foods you love.

Because if your diet feels like a horrible chore and if it doesn’t fit your lifestyle?

No matter how healthy it is? You aren’t going to be able to stick with it.

And fat loss requires consistency with your plan!

The key is finding something that doesn’t cause you to feel super restricted so that you want to rebel.

As you create the perfect plan for you, consider these 4 key things…

KEY FACTORS FOR CREATING YOUR MEAL PLAN:

#1: Create a smaller calorie deficit.

While it’s so tempting to try to do more to speed up results, like working out harder while eating less, this aggressive calorie deficit will ultimately backfire, especially the closer you are to your goal.

Not only can it lead to us feeling hungry and moody, or as I like to say HANGRY, but it can also cause us to catabolize more muscle tissue and actually lose fat slower.

It can lead to hormonal issues and quicker metabolic adaptations.

And often, simply the fact that we always feel hungry, can cause us to give up on the plan.

So if you want to maximize your fat loss while minimizing muscle loss, don’t go too aggressive with the calorie deficit.

While conventional wisdom says to cut your maintenance calories by up to 500 per day to lose 1lbs per week (which is safe and sustainable weight loss), you may start with a more moderate deficit especially to start of only 250 calories.

Even consider adjusting your macro ratio BEFORE you really start slashing calories lower because as much as we are told they are, calories are NOT all created equal.

#2: Focus on protein first.

While yes, weight loss in its simplest form is about calories in vs calories out, only focusing on a calorie deficit, can often lead to lackluster results.

Studies have shown that not only can increasing protein lead to better fat loss results, even while in a calorie surplus, but increasing protein can also help you retain and even GAIN muscle while in a deficit.

By focusing on getting more protein with each meal, you can help yourself achieve better body composition while feeling full and fueled in part due to the higher thermic effect of protein, which helps increase energy expenditure and create that calorie deficit.

So don’t fear getting “bulky” by adding in more protein. It may be what you need to actually look leaner!

#3: Adjust carbs and fat based on your workout routine and what you enjoy.

While so many popular diet emphasize adjust carbs or fat, studies have shown that, when protein is kept constant, neither a lower fat diet or a lower carb diet is really superior. That actually what impacts the results seen in the studies is the amount of protein, with the higher protein ratio almost always coming out superior.

How you adjust your carbs and fats may be dependent on the type of training you do, your overall activity level and simply the types of foods you enjoy. Specific medical conditions may even make one optimal for you and your health.

The key is making sure you feel fueled and that you can SUSTAIN the plan you choose. Choosing to go no carb if you love carbs will ultimately backfire.

And you’re an endurance athlete, for instance, you won’t want to cut your carbs super low. Whereas if you aren’t really training intensely, or even at all right now, you may want to decrease carbs and instead go slightly higher fat.

#4: Plan in foods you love.

When most of us start making diet changes, often the first thing to go is the food we love the most – our salty snack or sweet treat.

We cut this food out because we know it isn’t good for us.

However, this often backfires as it’s also the thing we want the most and we therefore miss having it in our diet.

So when we do indulge because we can’t take the restriction any longer? We often overeat.

That’s why it is key we find either healthy alternatives that satisfy us OR even start by planning in that food we love first.

The diet that will be most sustainable, and ultimately help us achieve the best results, is the one that helps us lead a healthier version of OUR lifestyle – not one that tries to live up to someone else’s standard of “clean.”

Because I’m a dessert person, I will often plan in the dessert I’m craving FIRST and work backward from that meal. That way I can hit my ratios, make tweaks to other meals but also not feel restricted.

So when first starting out, strike that balance and don’t feel you have to cut out things you enjoy. Work around them while maybe adjusting things you aren’t as attached to.

So what does a typical day of eating look like for me?

(Ready to create a sustainable plan based on YOUR needs and goals? Book a strategy call with Redefining Strength TODAY! –> Book Now)

A Typical Day Of Eating:

When cutting I like to cycle ratios every one to two weeks. Often I will repeat 40/30/30 or 40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fat a few times throughout my fat loss phase. I like to set a calorie range from 1600-1700.

This means I consume between 160-170g of protein, 120-128 g of carbs, 53-57 g of fat per day.

I like to keep meal prep simple, repeating a handful of meals over the week. This keeps grocery shopping and even planning ahead quick and easy.

Studies have even shown that potentially more variety in your diet is associated with overeating and weight gain.

Plus, when you repeat the same meals and can even prep ahead of time, you have quick and easy options on hand when you’re stressed or busy and often tempted to reach for something not as healthy or inline with your goals..

I will even include a few restaurant meals in my planning so that I can have quick and healthy swaps when on the go.

One other quick side note about MEAL TIMING I’d like to mention…

You have traditional bodybuilding on one side that swears by 6 small meals a day. On the other side you have Intermittent Fasting and diets that often will even promote 1-2 meals a day to help you create that calorie deficit.

Both claim that their specific meal timings is key for fat loss.

My personal stance is to focus on fueling based on YOUR schedule. If you workout first thing in the morning at 5 am, fasting till 1 pm may be a horrible idea.

While forcing yourself to eat breakfast if you like sleeping late and skipping it, may also just lead to you overeating.

For me, I often like to fast till after my workout and then consume 2 smaller and 2 larger meals during the day. However, I never force myself to skip a meal if I’m hungry.

Pre-Workout:

My day of eating starts with just a black cup of coffee.

I’ll usually drink a cup or two an hour or so before I workout as caffeine has been shown to enhance training performance both for cardio and strength workouts.

It’s the only energy “supplement” I will personally ever take or ever even promote to clients if they ask about a pre-workout.
Coffee not only can give me that boost for my workout, but it has also been shown to aid in fat loss, increasing your metabolic rate. Studies have shown that consuming caffeine can promote better weight loss through thermogenesis and fat oxidation.

After my workout, I’ll eat my first meal. I usually try to eat this within an hour of finishing my training to make the most of that post-workout anabolic window.

Meal #1 (Post workout):

Because this is a post workout meal, I focus on a quick digesting protein as well as a great carb source to replenish muscle glycogen and promote better muscle protein synthesis.

While your overall macros for the day are the most important, this is a great way to optimize your recovery while maintaining muscle in a calorie deficit.

My go-to is Oatmeal, a scoop of whey protein and berries. This meal is filling while getting my muscles what they need. And it’s an easy one to take on the go as well.

Meal #2 (Lunch):

For lunch I like to have something prepped ahead of time so I don’t have to cook midday.

One of the best tools out there for meal prep, is the slow cooker. Set it and let it do the cooking for you for the week.

You can prep a ton of meat ahead of time to use in different things.

lazy chicken cookbook

I love to prep a 5 ingredient Slow Cooked Chicken Fajitas from my Lazy Kitchen cookbook. I can then use the meat for tacos, in a burrito bowl with rice on a salad or even on a baked potato depending on what other meals that day I’m pairing it with.

For 40/30/30 I really love the baked potato because it is also super filling. I’ll top that mixture with 2 tbsp of guacamole for some added healthy fats.

Meal #3 (Dinner):

For dinner, I’ll often focus more on just a simple protein and veggie based meal.

Each week I try to include a couple of meals with fish or fresh seafood for not only the healthy fats, but also micronutrient benefits, including Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Iodine, and Selenium.

While we can see amazing results hitting our macros even if we include some…well…not as quality fuel, we promote optimal functioning of our body and therefore the best possible results when we focus on not only our macros but also our micronutrient intake.

Salmon is one of my favorite fish to include. I like to blacken it in the airfryer with even some basic garlic steamed broccoli.

Steaming vegetables is a great way to help them maintain as much of their nutritional value as possible.

Because I don’t like cooking fish often, I may even go out to one of my favorite local spots, Bear Flag to get this meal done for me. Having those quick go-to meals out is a great way to stay on track while still getting to relax and not have to worry about meal prep!

fish meal prep

Meal #4 (Dessert):

I grew up having dessert every night. And in the past when I would go on a diet, this would be the first thing to go. But that’s why nothing was ever sustainable.

Now I always include dessert to strike that balance right for me.

To start I would even work backward, planning in dessert first to make sure I could hit my macros with my other meals.

Right now I’m loving vanilla greek yogurt with granola and peanuts. I don’t worry about when I eat this at night. I know there’s a popular meal timing myth saying you’ll gain fat if you eat late at night, but that simply isn’t true.

If you hit your calories and macros for the day, it doesn’t matter if you eat them later at night!

I find this last meal of the day helps me avoid getting hungry and allows me to fast till my workout the next day.

CLOSING THOUGHTS:

Remember the key to losing fat is creating a diet plan you can be consistent with.

Don’t slash your calories so low you become hungry.

And make sure to focus on hitting your macros while including foods you enjoy.

For quick and easy recipes, that all scan into my fitness pal, check out my cookbook collection at RSChef.com!

STUDIES:

– https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/103/3/738/4564609
– https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22150425/

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4022420/

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4617900/

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC524030/ 

– https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/87/5/1558S/4650426

– https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29466592/ 

– https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22935440/ 

– https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul1273325.pdf

– https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28409508/ 

– https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28537195/ 

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30629046

– https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30335479/

– https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7369170/

– https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16076989/

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6142015/

– https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-015-0109-4

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6642616/

Can’t Do Pull Ups? Just Do This!

Can’t Do Pull Ups? Just Do This!

by | Jan 28, 2021 | Blog, Pull Ups

The pull up is an amazing, and challenging, bodyweight back exercise.

And too often we simply throw up our hands and say “I can’t do a pull up” then completely avoid the movement.

Or we say we’re too old, too heavy, our arms are too long…pick an excuse….we make it!

But there is an amazing way to modify this move to practice that vertical pull and build up your grip, arm and back strength while working on your scapular mobility.

And NO it’s not the band pull up.

So what variation of the pull up do I love to use and why do I avoid the band pull up if possible?

And what are three key moves to help you build up to that first full one?

Avoiding the Band Pull Up:

So often we turn to bands for assistance. But band assisted pull ups have one major drawback…

They give you assistance in a way that you don’t have to learn that initial scapular movement and engagement of your back.

They put you ABOVE that dead hang so that you don’t learn how to initiate scapular depression to go from that dead hang to engaged.

It can also be hard to really adjust the tension fully to exactly what you need, especially as you fatigue.

That’s why I prefer the Foot Assisted variation.

Why I Love The Foot Assisted Pull Up:

foot-assisted-pull-up

Using just your feet, you can provide only as much assistance as you need to feel your back working. And as you fatigue, you can adjust.

While you don’t want to turn this into a lower body move, using your toes to assist can allow you to reduce the resistance on your upper body to focus on your back pulling.

AND you can work through that full range of motion, applying more or less resistance at stick points in the exercise.

It can also allow you to slow down the tempo or use just the foot assistance on the way up before performing a slow eccentric lower, even without using your feet!

Focusing on the eccentric can allow you to use a more advanced variation to build up than you may be able to control for the full movement because we are generally stronger during the eccentric portion of a lift!

And when you slow down the tempo, you can spend more time under tension to improve your strength and control!

Three Key Accessory Moves:

As you work on your pull ups, these are 3 key accessory moves that can help you target imbalances, improve your scapular control and strengthen your grip and abs! They are perfect moves to include in your circuits or sets after your intial pull up skill work.

1: Mini Pull Ups

hanging scapular retraction

If you’ve ever thought, “If I could just jump over that initial part, I could do one.” You need to include mini pull ups in your routine.

This is the perfect way to learn how to depress your shoulder blades and engage your back so you power the pull with your back.

Do not rush this move and really focus on leading with your chest.

Do not bend your arms to try to make the movement bigger. Often we want to use our biceps to power the pull, but this move helps us avoid doing that.

Focus on engaging your back and drawing your shoulder blades down toward your back pockets. Think about slightly opening your chest up toward the bar as you think about unshrugging your shoulders.

And if you need to modify to control the move, try a foot-assisted variation!

2: Single Arm Lat Pulldown

lat pulldown

Strengthen your back and improve your scapular control with this unilateral move that will also help you correct any imbalances.

Especially if you’ve ever had a shoulder injury, this is a key move to help you avoid injury as you work on your pull ups.

I love using a band for this move as it will apply more resistance where your lats are strongest. It applies more resistance at the end range of motion.

Just make sure you don’t push down on the band as you perform the move and turn this into a tricep exercise. Think about driving your elbows back and toward your hip. Feel your shoulder blade move down as you pull.

Then fully extend out as you reach back overhead to take your shoulder blade through a full range of motion.

You want to make sure too that you’re mimicking a vertical pull. Don’t turn this into a row. Focus on that hinge and thoracic extension so your arm moves in line with your spine.

3: Hanging Abs

hanging-knees-to-elbows

Often we don’t recognize how core intensive the pull up is.

But if we want to improve our pull ups, we need to build up our core strength.

Hanging abs are a great way to do just that. They can improve your grip and core strength at the same time. They even can help you work on that initial back engagement.

Make sure to engage your back as you perform these hanging ab exercises. It will also help you prevent yourself from swinging a ton.

If you need to start by modifying because you can’t control the move, you can do a variation lying on the ground, holding on to a pole behind you. This will allow you to still engage your back and better activate your abs as you raise your legs or tuck your knees in.

Using these three moves, and the foot assisted pull up variation, you can improve your pull ups and start working toward that first full one!

Ready to rock those pull ups? Take my 30-Day Pull Up Challenge!

FHP 303 – pobody’s nerfect

FHP 303 – pobody’s nerfect

by | Jan 26, 2021 | podcast

EVERYONE has doubts, fears, times of insecurity. We all need reassurance at points. Feel down about our progress. 

We all have a better and worse.

I know it can seem like someone else has all of the answers, never has a moment’s doubt about themselves. But I’m sorry. 

We’re human.

Pobody’s Nerfect.

I was musing over this the other day when one of my coaching clients was talking about feeling down about her recent progress. Talking about how she still sees the areas she really wants to change.

And I said I totally get it.

Cause we were on a zoom call I could see her fascial expression of, “Uh huh.”

You will always want to improve something. It’s human nature.

Even if you reach the goal you think will make all the difference, even if you really like your results, you’re still going to have better and worse days. You’re still going to have times you wish you could change or improve something.

You’re still emotionally human and have those insecurities.

Being happy all of the time. Feeling perfect? It just doesn’t exist.

I mean we have flaws, some of which make us both amazing and really difficult human beings at the same time. You can just ask Ryan!

I think we just have to remember that when we get a bit down about how things are going and start the comparing game.

The grass is always greener on the other side.

Social media only shows one angle. It’s the scrapbook often.

There is always hard work and struggles going on behind the scenes. 

Here are 3 tips to help you embrace the process of change, loving your journey but always wanting more:

# 1. Just being AWARE. I think admitting to our fears and doubts is key. Recognizing that they are THERE and real. We also need to recognize that with any positive quality comes a dark side. The more you want to strive to improve? The more you’ll get out of life BUT also the more you’ll have to quiet the internal doubts. The internal hater so to speak. 

#2: Results will never happen fast enough nor be linear. You’re always going to be tempted to focus on the things that “still aren’t there yet.” You’re always going to feel like someone else got there faster. 

#3: Don’t be afraid to admit your own insecurities. Too often we try to hide or bury negative emotions instead of dealing with them. I think sometimes admitting to the doubts and fears helps you face them and work through them. It even helps you change your thought processes behind them.

And then remember that sometimes you need to ACT AS IF.

Confidence comes from knowing you’re doing what you can. Taking the right actions. Not from being perfect. 

And the more you start doing the habits of the person you want to be? The more you FEEL like that person and become that person!

FHP 302 – Is Rest Overrated?

FHP 302 – Is Rest Overrated?

by | Jan 19, 2021 | podcast

Movement is medicine.

Now I’m not saying that if you have an injury to just keep pushing through, but too often we simply do NOTHING.

Then after some time off, we jump right back into what we were doing and wonder why we end up injured again. Why nothing changed.

And it’s because we never addressed what lead to the injury in the first place. We never addressed postural distortions, compensations and imbalances that lead to overload. We never addressed the mobility restrictions and muscle weakness.

If we want to move and feel better? We need to train our bodies to know how to move well. And that means returning to basics and focusing on that prehab work.

If we want to see a change? We have to make a change.

And simply resting changes nothing.
So if you’re injured what can you do to help prevent future issues and even get to still train?

 

1. Address the rehab work you need. Seeing someone is good if this isn’t just a minor ache or pain. But even with those, you need to include the proper prehab work. Like if your wrists hurt with push ups. Do the mobility work needed so you don’t just have to deal with that annoying pain any time you have floor work. You need to foam roll to relax overactive muscles, stretch to lengthen shortened muscles and mobilize your joints and then activate those underactive muscles so that weaker muscles not meant to handle the load don’t have to. We do this work to establish proper recruitment patterns to help make them automatic during compound, faster paced movements. 

2. And as you address the underlying causes? Modify around the pain. While we don’t want to avoid moves forever if possible, we do often need to work around as we correct the problem.

3. And then we need to REBUILD. We need to retrain those movements with tweaks to help us load the correct muscles. It may be using different cues, or slightly different variations. Or even just adjustments to form. Slow things down and focus first on what you feel working over just mimicking proper form. We want to learn how to control as many movement patterns as possible so we then don’t get injured twisting or turning in everyday life!

Need help with that prehab work? Check out my RStoration!
FHP 301 – New Year, Same You?

FHP 301 – New Year, Same You?

by | Jan 12, 2021 | podcast

While we want to work toward a new and improved version of ourselves, we have to remember…

IT’S STILL US.

Same flaws. Same struggles. Same reactions to things like restriction.

So we need to remember who and want we are to address our needs and goals as we work to create changes. 

We can’t go in thinking all of the sudden everything is just going to change because it is a new year.

I actually think this is often why our resolutions fail.

We aren’t basing how we do things off our “old” self.

So I wanted to share some tips to help you create a realistic program for yourself to start moving forward toward that new and improved you.

1. Assess thy self. Are you really an all or nothing person or does the slightest sign of restriction send you running for that food you now can’t have. If you KNOW YOURSELF, you can design a plan around this. You may be that person that cuts out everything at once. Or you may be that person that needs to make changes slowly. Don’t force a plan that doesn’t fit who you are.

2. Celebrate habit changes. You want a new you? You have to create a new mindset. One of VICTORY. You have to try to ACT AS IF you are the thing you want to be. And that means ingraining those habits. To build that momentum, it means seeing each habit you complete as a win vs just focusing only on those long terms goals. So if you set a goal of 10lbs to lose this year? Also really break down those action steps you need to take to get there and make those habit goals something you celebrate.

3. LEARN about what you’re implementing. When we understand the WHY behind things? We are more likely to trust the process, especially when results don’t add up as quickly as we’d like…because, let’s face it, they never do.

4. Don’t expect perfection. Focus on doing something. I know it can feel stupid to do something that’s half-assed or just 5 minutes. But often it is more the fact that we stayed in the routine, that we actually took action that matters more than exactly what we did. It just keeps us in the habit. It mentally makes you feel more successful. And 5 minutes is still more than no minutes. It’s what honestly keeps the ball rolling and gaining momentum even though you won’t see or feel instant dramatic results!