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FIX 93% Of Your Problems With 4 Diet Changes

FIX 93% Of Your Problems With 4 Diet Changes

by | Oct 13, 2024 | Blog, Diet

The changes we least want to make are the ones we need the most.

And often we already know the answer to the question of “What diet changes do I need to make to see results?”…we just need to be REMINDED of what to do.

We need to be reminded to take our ego out of the equation and go back to basics.

We need to be reminded to Suck It Up Buttercup and do the hard habits that lead to results.

That’s why I’m going to start by telling you the change you need to make the most but will most want to avoid, and probably have even listed out tons reasons not to do like…

It’s restrictive
I don’t want to be obsessive
It’s too time consuming
It’s too hard
I can’t because I cook fresh
I can’t because I eat out and travel
I can’t because I have a family
I can’t because…

You can probably come up with 100s of reasons why you don’t need to do this and shouldn’t have to…

But guess what?

All of those reasons haven’t moved you forward toward your goals.

They’ve held you back from making the change you need the most to see your hard work in the gym and your “healthy” diet paying off in the fat loss and muscle gains you want…

And that change is…

Tracking what you’re eating.

Tracking gets a bad rap for being restrictive and obsessive.

But guess what?

It’s not.

We may have a restrictive or obsessive mindset when tracking, but we can have that mindset without doing either.

Eliminating whole food goods while not tracking is restriction.

Fearing foods and believing you can’t eat “unclean” foods or that foods are bad for you can become an obsession.

Neither of these revolves around tracking and can happen even if you aren’t.

And the more we recognize that it is our mindset and how we’ve used the TOOL of tracking in the past, like to cut out foods and make ourselves feel guilty, not tracking itself that is restrictive, the more we can take back control and use this tool to our advantage.

That being said, one form of tracking isn’t right for everyone, BUT we’ve got to see the opportunity in the options.

Because what gets measured gets managed.

If you don’t accurately know what you are consuming and the portions you’re consuming those foods in, you can’t make an accurate change.

And this is where we can get frustrated FEELING like we’re doing everything right when actually our calories and macros aren’t in line with what our body needs right now.

This can be over eating or even undereating.

But we don’t know unless we track.

And while yes, measuring out everything and recording it isn’t fun, it truly helps us create a repeatable recipe for results and ultimately NOT over restrict.

So if you’ve been frustrated by your lack of results while trying to eat clean, while trying to increase protein or lower your calories…

Stop wondering what is and isn’t working.

Record your food and see the opportunity in small changes you can make off of what you’re currently doing.

It can often help us actually stop cutting out foods we love as much and even see small portion size changes or swaps that can pay off so we can build a lifestyle we enjoy!

It can even help us fuel to feel more energized and address food intolerances we may have, leading to other symptoms such as bloating or hormonal imbalances!

Which brings me to the second change we often need to make…

And that’s to stop demonizing foods and whole macronutrients.

Too often when we think about making changes to our diet to “fix” problems, we think there are magic foods to include and magic foods to cut out.

We start to DEMONIZE foods even, which ultimately just leads to a whole bunch of food guilt and self sabotage.

Are there foods that are healthier and less healthy?

Are there macro ratios, such as lower carb or lower fat, that work better or worse for certain people?

Are there foods that people can have intolerances to so we need to eliminate them?

Yes and yes and yes.

But one size doesn’t fit all.

And even what may be bad for someone else may be GOOD for you.

No, I’m not arguing that doritos chips are healthy for anyone…

BUT they may be part of your 80/20 balance so that you are actually consuming more nutrient rich food overall.

Having a little of something less nutrient dense actually allows you to stay more consistent overall and WANT to eat more fruits and veggies.

It helps you avoid feeling guilty for foods because they are “bad,” which only leads to one off plan indulgence completely derailing your healthy changes.

That guilt we create for eating specific foods or macros that have been demonized is what keeps us stuck in this horrible yo-yo dieting cycle where we feel we just don’t have the willpower to maintain the habits we “should.”

But a lifestyle balance looks unique to each person.

And our activity level, previous dieting history, age, goal and genetics, among so many other factors, can have a huge impact on what is right for us and right for us even just RIGHT NOW.

For example, low carb may be better for someone, especially if they are less active or going through menopause, while holding you back if you are super active and working on building more muscle as you lean down.

Going low carb may sabotage your body recomp efforts and even lead to thyroid issues and hormonal imbalances because your body isn’t getting the fuel it needs.

Yet carbs are so often demonized.

They are just simply labeled as evil and blamed for belly fat especially.

But that simply isn’t the case.

Macros must match our needs even as our needs shift.

We need to stop this all or nothing attitude toward foods and instead learn the upsides and downsides to things to strike our own balance.

Because even healthy foods can be “bad” for some with food intolerances too them.

Need a low FODMAP diet? You may find there are lots of supposed “healthy” fruits and veggies you even can not eat!

Another change most of us avoid that everyone needs to make, even though one size doesn’t fit all…

Is to focus on PROTEIN.

Many of us know this. But we still fight against it.

And while increasing and focusing on protein will look different for each person, this focus on quality protein is key.

That’s why I’m giving you this reminder…

Because often we need to be reminded more than we need to be taught.

The more we know the basics, the more we get distracted from them thinking we are above them and need some other 1% improvement.

When really, we just need to make small adjustments to those basics as our body, needs and goals change.

Especially as we get older, a focus on protein becomes even more key.

And if you aren’t focusing on protein and finding your healthy diet isn’t yielding the recomp you want?

Time to start tracking your protein.

Honestly, if you just track your protein and your calories, letting carbs and fats fall where they will, you’re probably going to see steady and sustainable results.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the changes you COULD make, start by just focusing on tracking protein.

You’re already hitting all three things on this list…

Tracking.

Not demonizing foods as anything can fit and your carbs and fat can fall where is enjoyable.

And focusing on protein.

And when I say, focus on protein, make it the star of every meal.

Map in that portion of protein first and diversify what you’re eating. Check out different cuts of chicken to see the fat to protein content.

Embrace learning about plant-based options for seitan to tofu to tempeh.

Look at the diversity of seafood, and dairy and cuts of beef and pork and even vegetable amino acid profiles out there.

Have some fun finding new recipes and tweaking them to add just an ounce more protein when you make them.

But realize that your body is LITERALLY made up of proteins and increasing protein, especially as we get older and are less able to utilize it as efficiently, is not only key to amazing body recomp results but even more important for our brain, bone, immune and even cardiovascular health!

Now, how you go about increasing protein, how you go about finding your balance, how you go about tracking…
That will all depend.

Yet all too often we don’t consider what we need to reach our goal and where we are at currently.

We just search for a perfect macro ratio. A perfect workout. A perfect plan to get us there.

We force a mold.

And this prevents us from ever creating LASTING changes.

Because we can’t just constantly willpower our way through changes that really don’t meet us where we are at.

Think about the things you are most likely to push through the hard with?

They are things that are either somewhat enjoyable? That you truly see the value in to prioritize…

Things that somehow FIT the pain you are willing to embrace.

They are changes that you are comfortable being uncomfortable with.

Which is why, as weird as this sounds, change number 4 I recommend is a mindset one in how you approach dietary adjustments…

I call it Grit is Fit.

We are more willing to embrace the hard of something that somehow “fits” us and our lifestyle.

Want to increase protein as a vegetarian? You’ll never make that change if I tell you that you have to eat meat.

But to have you add nutritional yeast to things? Increase your portion of tofu or tempeh?

Those changes you may be more willing to embrace even if you find it uncomfortable to adjust your portions overall and would rather eat more fruit or rice or potatoes.

Same thing goes for tracking.

Full tracking and measuring and weighing may be something you just can’t sustain…that doesn’t feel doable.

But maybe it is the way you are tracking.
Instead of just writing off the tool and principle, what’s a way you could embrace and use tracking that you’d be willing to do even if not your favorite thing?

Could you write down what you’re eating on a piece of paper and use a visual portion guide such as sections on your plate?

Could you take pictures of everything you eat for the record to give you perspective and accountability?

What is something you can embrace the discomfort of to push your comfort zone and start making changes that add up?

But we need to be open to exploring the versions of habits that are the best fit for us.

Because when we find habits that “fit” we often have the ability to have more “grit” and push through with them to make changes that snowball.

We need to realize the power our diet has in building our leanest, strongest body at any and every age.

Because we can’t out exercise our diet and as our body changes, needs and goals change, our diet needs to adjust as well.

What you do to reach one goal, isn’t what you’ll do to reach another or maintain your results.

So be open to constant evolution and realize the power these 4 diet changes have to make sure you’re meeting yourself where you are at no matter what!

Ready to build your leanest, strongest body and create your lifestyle balance?

—> Learn more about my Metabolic Shred

FHP 658 – The One Minute Productivity Hack

FHP 658 – The One Minute Productivity Hack

by | Oct 8, 2024 | podcast

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TRANSCRIPT

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OPEN TRANSCRIPT

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey guys, this is Cori from Redefining Strength. Welcome to the Fitness Hacks Podcast. This is the show where I share all my free workout and nutrition tips. I’m not going to ever fill this episode with sponsorships or ask you to buy anything. All I ask in return is if you’re enjoying the podcast to leave a review or leave a five star rating or even better share it with somebody you think it might help. This will only take a few minutes and would mean the world to me and possibly change the life of someone. So let’s jump right in. I’m going to tell you the secret to creating lasting habits. The secret to creating discipline. And it’s not a magic macro ratio. It’s not a magic trick or a workout or willpower even that I’m going to tell you you need to have. It’s actually one single thought, and the thought is just do one minute.

(00:50):
So when we hear just do one minute of something, we think, what can I accomplish? In one minute it goes to even saying, just read one page, just cut up one food. Just do one exercise. But all of these things lead to us doing a whole heck of a lot more, but they get us over what’s often the hardest part to truly creating new habits, new routines, success, which is getting started so easy. So often, it’s easy to let ourselves off the hook to not even do anything. And the more you do, the more you do. When we don’t do anything, we tend to do more of nothing. When we do things, we tend to want to add on other habits because we start to feel successful with those habits. So the thought, just do one minute. Even if you set that timer for legitimately one minute and do something for it, that is going to make progress.

(01:36):
And a lot of times when we do that one minute, we end up doing a lot more than that. One minute, I can’t tell you how many times I said, okay, just do one minute of the workout. If you really want to stop after that, you can stop. Generally, I would say there’s probably only a handful of times where I’ve actually stopped after that one minute because I just didn’t have the time or mentally there was something else going on. And even then when I stopped at that one minute, I generally didn’t skip the workouts the rest of the week versus when I’ve not done something, it’s really easy to let one day become 2, 3, 4. But I did that one minute and was like, I pushed as much as I had right today. And that alone made me feel good. It made me feel successful, made me want to do more.

(02:11):
I stuck with my macro still that day. I did all the other habits that I need to do. I mean, I hate folding laundry, and if I tell myself, just fold laundry for one minute. Once you have the pile out there and you’re starting to do it, you do a lot more. Same thing goes for workout, same thing goes for meal prep. Same thing goes for all these different things. Once we get over that hurdle of getting started, we often do exactly what we wanted ourselves to do, but we need to lower that barrier to entry and even give ourselves permission of like, Hey, if really this is all you have for today, you did something. And that success does allow us to build a lot more easily and often keeps us in other habits a lot more easily than if we did nothing. Because our motivation, our momentum can shift that quickly.

(02:50):
So if you have that thought, just do one minute. Think about how that workout feels, even when you’ve pushed through that workout that you told yourself, you only have to do one minute and you end up doing the entire thing. A lot of times you feel even fricking better about that than you did about the workout that you did because you felt good and you wanted to do it that day. You feel better about that and you feel more successful. And that’s where we see confidence and strength really built. And that’s where you tend to want to do a lot more. You dial in those habits a lot more intensely. You start to see that discipline happen because you start to remember how good you even felt pushing through that hard and pushing yourself just a little outside your comfort zone. But that one thought too can get you to do so many different things.

(03:29):
And that’s where discipline’s really built. It’s not that you want to do things all the time, you don’t. It’s not that we always have motivation. It’s not that we don’t let certain habits slide, but often we let a lot less slide and we see that habit stack happen where we’re doing a lot more of those basics and they become a lot more ingrained because we have that thought of just do one minute. We have to recognize where the hurdle is. It’s not often that we don’t have enough time. It’s not often that we can’t, it’s simply that it’s really hard to bust out of where our momentum is going and do something get started. So if you want the secret, have that thought. Anytime you don’t want to do something, just do one minute. Just do one thing. The easiest thing that almost feels ridiculously silly, simple to do, it’s not going to add up to anything. But over time would a snowball. But B, will also get you a lot of times over that initial hurdle to do more, and then you’re going to feel even better about it. And a lot of times that can keep the momentum going so much more forward or even help you find that motivation again. So what is your just do one minute thing that you’re going to focus on for this next week.

(04:32):
Thanks for listening to the Fitness Hacks Podcast. Again, this is the place where I share all my free work, workout, and nutrition tips. I’m never going to run sponsorships or ask you to buy anything. All I ask in return is if you’re enjoying the podcast to leave a rating, review or share it with somebody you think it might help. This will only take a few minutes and it would mean the world to me and possibly change life of someone.

How to Get Your *FIRST* Pullup! (From 0 to 10+ FAST!)

How to Get Your *FIRST* Pullup! (From 0 to 10+ FAST!)

by | Oct 6, 2024 | Uncategorized

So you want to achieve your first pull up and quickly build up to even double digits….

Then pull up practice is a must!

The only problem is, you can’t just keep practicing the same assisted pull up variation if you want to progress.

Ever even notice how, when you work on pull ups doing an assisted variation, you feel like you’re just getting stronger at that variation but never really moving forward?

Like maybe you can do another rep or it feels easier, but when you go to try a full pull up you still barely budge?

This is because doing assisted pull ups is necessary but only focusing on improving our pull ups by doing more assisted pull ups is also what keeps us stuck.

That’s why I want to share 7 “secrets” so you can improve those pull ups faster and not only build up to that first full one but be busting out 10 reps before you know it!

And the first two secrets I’ll share work together and have to do with how you progress your pull up practice.

#1: Don’t keep just adding reps. And #2: Use different types of modifications or assistance.

If you only ever practice pull ups with a specific amount of assistance or modification, you’re just going to get better at that assisted variation.

You’ll find that full pull up never gets any easier. You feel like you’re never getting any closer to your chin over that bar.

And this often happens because we just focus on doing another rep of the same modified pull up, which makes us stronger but only at that modified variation.

Instead of shooting for 5-10 reps of a modified pull up, shoot for 1-2 and keep focusing on advancing the version you’re using.

Do fewer reps and more rounds, using rest to your advantage to help you keep that same advanced variation as long as you can.
If you want to do 10 reps, use cluster sets of even just 1-2 reps with 15-20 seconds of rest in between to hit that total number.

Even error on way lower volume but pushing the variation of the pull up you use.

While you may think, what’s the point of 1 rep?!

That constant focus on doing ONE with a harder variation is truly what helps you progress.

And the more you see opportunity in even different modification techniques to help you progress, the more you can account for the weakness in each.

Bands give you the most assistance at the bottom when they are stretched.

This can be helpful if you can’t seem to pull up at the bottom BUT it also prevents you from learning that initial engagement of your back to pull up.

It’s why you may feel like if you could just jump to start, you’d be able to do just one.

Whereas the foot assisted pull ups, can be a great way to apply more even tension throughout, but also often lend us to struggle with clear progression and even use our legs unconsciously more as we fatigue.

But both of these can still leave you feeling like you can do another rep of the modified variation but can’t yet try that next step up.

This is where secret #3 comes in handy….

#3: Try eccentric only pull up variations to progress.

Whether you’re working on that first full pull up, or building up to 5, 10 or even 15 reps, focusing on eccentric only variations or even slow eccentric full reps will be key.

The eccentric portion of an exercise, is the elongation of the prime mover, and, in the case of the pull up, it is the lower down.

We are often strongest in the eccentric portion of the move, which means we can also often perform a harder variation of a movement if even for just this one portion of the exercise.

So if you’re struggling to break through to that next step in the pull up progression, lower assistance, trying to emphasize the eccentric is key.

You may even find this is how you first start performing the full pull up without any extra help – by only doing the lower down.
You will jump or use your feet or assistance to set up at the top of the pull up then slowly, taking at least a 3-5 count, lower down to full extension. Then repeat.

You’ll be surprised by how much stronger you feel and able to conquer a harder variation by just doing this lower down.

But by learning to control the move through even just a portion of the exercise and really create that mind-body connection as you build strength, you’ll be surprised by how much more quickly you see progression in your other modified pull up work.

And if you can’t yet take on your own bodyweight, you can still keep assistance to slow the lower down. You’ll just find you need less of it.

So include modified pull up work to start one workout a week with a second workout using the eccentric pull up variation as your skill work instead!

Again the more variations and modifications you can use, the more you can improve your pull ups from every angle.

Secret #4 Use holds at stick points will also help with this!

Isometrics, or holds, can be a great way to build strength, stability and control, especially at points we struggle with in exercises.

It can help us really focus on what we feel working and establish that mind-body connection which is so key to muscle activation and essential if we want to build up our pull ups.

We aren’t focused on trying to get through the movement. We are just focused on what we feel working and on engaging the correct muscles as we hold at the point we set to – we’re trying to create that shakeage!

Pull up holds can be used at any point we feel we fail or can’t get past.

Struggle with that initial engagement to pull up? Set right at that point with your back engaged at the bottom of the pull up and hold.

Struggle to get your chin just over that bar? Hold at the top.

Find you struggle midway up? Hold there.

And if you’re truly struggling with the full rep, complement your other two days of pull up work with the modified variation and eccentric pull ups with a day where you start your workouts with a few rounds of holds in each spot!

You may need assistance to hold, but focus on even shorter holds and a more advanced variation as you can.

But focus on those weak links in the movement to strengthen them.

Especially if you are using bands, holds toward the bottom to work on that initial scapular engagement or the movement of your shoulder blades down and together to unshrug your shoulders can be key!

The pull up holds are not only building strength and stability though. You also want to make sure you’re conscious when doing them of feeling your shoulder blades move and your BACK power the hold…

Not just your arms!

Because scapular control or our shoulder blade movement is really so often overlooked when we’re working on our pull ups.

That’s why secret number 5 is to…

Focus on scapular mobility and stability.

Ever end up just feeling your arms when doing pull ups or back work?

Elbows and neck constantly sore as you try to progress?

Often this is because we don’t have proper scapular control and aren’t effectively using our back to power the pull.

And this partly stems from the fact that most of us spend far too much time hunched over in our cars, at our desks or even just scrolling our phone on instagram.

This constant forward flexion or rounding forward often creates changes to how our body moves and leads to us not having proper scapular control.

We need to include moves in our warm up to work on opening up our chests while working to help us learn to control both the movement of our shoulder blades toward our spine but also down and together as if pulling them toward our butt.

Consider foam rolling moves for your chest and even levator scapula, muscles that can restrict this proper movement.

Consider stretches for your chest and even to work on thoracic extension or spinal extension.

Then do some activation work such as mini pull ups or band flies to focus on feeling the muscles that power those shoulder blades moving down and together.

This combination will help you get your back truly working to not only avoid elbow and neck pain but surprisingly improve the power you feel when you do pull ups.

This alone may skyrocket your strength as the right muscles are being used to the correct extents more efficiently!

And then once you have the correct muscles working, you need to strengthen them!

That’s why secrets number 6 and 7 involve strengthening two key muscle groups…

Secret #6 Include accessory moves to strengthen your back.

And secret number 7 Do hanging core work.

Build a stronger back and you’ll be able to pull more. So the stronger you get, the easier pull ups will become.

Focus on not only other vertical pulling exercises like lat pull downs but even horizontal pulls like bent over rows.

These moves help you truly work your back and focus on that scapular movement to engage the muscles correctly from every angle.

Even isolate that scapular movement and strength further with things like back flies that will also target your posterior delt to keep your shoulders healthy.

A bonus upper body move, often ignored but a game changer for your pull up progression, can also be the pull over.

This move not only works your lats, which are the key muscle powering your pull ups, but also works your pecs, serratus anterior and triceps…all of which have a bigger impact on our pull ups, or even chin ups, than we realize!

It truly isn’t just a back move!

That’s why you also can’t ignore core work when you want to improve your pull ups.

And I even love HANGING core work especially.

This will work not only your abs but your entire core and even help you learn to engage your back as you bring your knees to your elbows or toes to the bar, but also improve your grip strength which is key to adding pull up reps.

Now if you’re thinking, “I can’t do hanging abs!”

You can still modify them to the pelvic tilt hanging or even a foot assisted pelvic tilt or bicycle.

And if this is still too much, holding on to a bar, bench or edge of bench overhead as you pull down on it to tuck your knees or legs up can be a great starting point.

This still teaches you to engage your back as you work your core and even start to work on grip strength.

But that core work while also engaging your back is so key to also include in your workouts!

Using these 7 tips over the course of your week, with a set schedule you follow to track progress will help you see those pull up gains happen faster!

Just make sure to be intentional with the work you do in the gym and not just rush through moves!

Want amazing workouts to help you build that full body strength and mobility?

Check out my Dynamic Strength program!

–> LEARN MORE

 

7 Tips To Start Back in the Gym After a Layoff

7 Tips To Start Back in the Gym After a Layoff

by | Sep 29, 2024 | Blog, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Pain Relief, Workouts

Starting back to working out is HARD.

It’s easy to do too much too fast and prevent ourselves from getting into a routine or even end up injured.

It’s hard to regress to progress and even check our egos to do less than we were doing before.

But meeting ourselves where we are at to rebuild is key.

That’s why I want to share 7 tips to help you avoid the common training mistakes I see people making when starting back so you can rebuild even stronger and get that momentum going so results snowball!

And I will warn you…as you build back, it can be hard at times to not compare to where you were at before.

But this comparison can kill our gains.

Which is why tip number 1 is to remember every move is EARNED!

It’s tempting to try to go back to what you once did before you took time off.

But that is a recipe for injury or at least soreness that may sideline you for weeks, holding you back from getting consistent.

You have to build back. You have to earn those moves again.

And often it isn’t enough to just think “do less.”

You truly need to focus on modifying to match where you are at now.

It may mean taking more than one or two steps back to focus on fully re-establishing those movement patterns and that mind-body connection.

So when you first start back, go back to those basics. 

Focus on what you feel working with fundamental moves you can then build off of.

Even film your movements to check form.

Take pride in earning those exercises and weights back with slow progression.

But enjoy re-learning to move well first.

And note…I said SLOW progression with earning those moves.

A common mistake we make when building back is not only not having earned the moves we include and simply doing what we’d done before…

But also doing too much too fast.

We go 0-60. 

We jump off the couch and expect to be back to running half marathons right away.

Instead we need to take the approach of doing just enough that we CRAVE more and feel we could have done more.

This will help us ultimately not make ourselves so sore we can’t be consistent or compensate due to fatigue so we end up with injury.

We have to remember that everything is sort of NEW again.

And that new again can make us sore.

Being too sore can stop us from doing our weekly workouts as they are laid out, which can make it hard to build that routine and momentum.

Not to mention, being sore can change our recruitment patterns, impacting how muscles engage in other moves.

This can lead to us not getting the most out of our workouts or ending up injured so we’re starting over again.

So remember less is more starting back. Do just enough that you’re craving doing more but DON’T until you have a few weeks under your belt!

And make those progressions in moves incremental, tracking them over the weeks!

Which leads me to tip #3…Don’t jump to adding weights first.

Adding weights or using a form of resistance is the easiest way to progress a move often.

So our first thought as we build back is to simply load moves down.

And if we can do a weight, we add more!

But just because you can lift a weight doesn’t mean your body is truly ready to.

While you may be strong enough, we have to remember that our connective tissues aren’t as fast to heal and build.

So not only do you want to take your time and slowly add loads to give your body fully time to catch back up, but you may want to start with other forms of progression first.

Progression or advancement in moves can be achieved through the same but different!

Consider first increasing your range of motion for a movement. This can help you build mobility and stability as you progress.

Or work up toward the top of your rep range over hitting the bottom to create that strength but also muscular endurance.

Even consider adjusting the tempo of the move, speeding moves up to work on your mind-body connection and fast recruitment patterns and even power or slowing moves down to focus more on strength and control.

But don’t just jump to adding weights.

Too often we do this and then ego even starts to get in the way pushing us to do more than we’ve earned!

Then tip #4: Focus on what you feel working! Don’t just rush through!

Establishing that mind-body conenction to make sure we’re moving WELL is key.

We’re laying that foundation off of which we will build our future training.

This is an opportunity to make sure this foundation is extra strong.

Not to mention, the better we are able to activate muscles, the stronger and more powerful we will be.

This focus on muscle activation will also help us ultimately see better muscle gains more quickly!

So as you start back, stay intentional with the moves. Ask yourself, “What do I feel working?” doing each exercise.

Don’t just go through the motions. Just don’t rush through.

And if you don’t feel the correct muscles working, modify the movement. Swap in a different variation. Regress to progress.

Even assess if other mobility work, especially in your warm up is key to help you get the correct muscles working, especially ones that may be underactive from previous injuries or your desk job posture.

Which is why tip #5 is to prioritize your warm up.

Too often we want to skip our warm ups  to get to the “good stuff.”

We focus just on the calorie burn and muscle building benefits.

But our training sessions are a time to learn to move well and even address postural distortions we have from previous injuries and our desk job postures.

Especially when we’re just starting back, we want to build that strong foundation.

We don’t want to ignore cracks that will only add up more and more as we progress.

So especially as you’re starting back, prioritize that mobility work and get in the habit of a warm up that focuses on foam rolling, stretching and activation.

You want to foam roll to relax tight muscles and start to mobilize your joints. Foam rolling can even help you disrupt that mind-body connection to muscles that tend to want to take over when they shouldn’t, like your hamstrings for your glutes in bridges.

You then want to include dynamic stretching to further mobilize your joints and improve your muscle flexibility, stretching out tight muscles.

This dynamic stretching also begins to activate underactive muscles before you finish your warm up with activation exercises.

These activation moves isolate muscles to help you really feel them working.

This mind-body connection then allows you to better activate these muscles in the compound exercises you use in your workout. 

Like say for instance doing a fire hydrant in your warm up to activate your glutes before then having reverse lunges in your workout. You’ll be surprised by how much more you really feel your glutes working and see better muscle and strength gains faster because of it!

But your mobility work doesn’t stop at your warm up.

Not only do you want to then include moves to strengthen through a full range of motion, but you also want to make sure your workouts include exercises that move you in every direction!

Often when we start back we include those fundamental movement patterns which are key, but we also get stuck moving in really only one plan of motion.

This ultimately can fight against us truly improving our mobility and stability but also hold us back from becoming functionally more fit and building muscle as quickly as possible.

The more directions we press and lunge and pull in, the more we are hitting every aspect of a muscle group and really using a joint through a full range of motion.

And sometimes these simple tweaks in posture and direction can make a basic move harder.

You may find by including a side lunge, you feel your glutes and adductors more while improving your hip stability…all while even using lighter loads than maybe you could for something like a reverse lunge.

With a focus on moving in different directions we will also improve our core strength, including rotational and anti-rotational moves.

All of this is key to building back more quickly while creating that solid foundation from the get go!

It can also allow us to challenge ourselves with less volume and loads to truly address any weak links we may have!

And with all of this…tip #7…Stay consistent!

It is tempting when starting back to get distracted by all of the options out there and to want to try all of the different moves and tools.

Don’t.

Stay focused on your goals. Have a clear plan in place.

Avoid jumping around too much as this can lead to injury and results not building…not to mention you constantly feeling sore and like you aren’t progressing!

While you don’t want to repeat the same moves every single day, you do want to have a weekly schedule you repeat for even 3-8 weeks straight.

This will help you slowly progress moves week over week and be able to track your progress.

You will also find your body adapts more quickly so you can ultimately see changes faster.

We have to remember that we get good at what we consistently do…and this applies to our training and movements too!

So if you’re starting back to training, focus on meeting yourself where you are at, progressing moves with intention and purpose while following a clear plan that keeps you consistent and earning every move you do!

For more workouts designed to help you rock those results no matter your fitness level, check out my Dynamic Strength program…

–> Learn More

FHP 657 – MEAL PREP Tips & Tricks (You Need To Know)

FHP 657 – MEAL PREP Tips & Tricks (You Need To Know)

by | Sep 26, 2024 | podcast

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OPEN TRANSCRIPT

Cori (00:00):
Hey guys, this is Cori from Redefining Strength. Welcome to the Fitness Hacks Podcast. This is the show where I share all my free work on and nutrition tips. I’m not going to ever fill this episode with sponsorships or ask you to buy anything. All I ask in return is if you’re enjoying the podcast to leave a review or leave a five star rating or even better share it with somebody you think it might help. This will only take a few minutes and would mean the world to me and possibly change the life of someone. So let’s jump right in. Failing to plan is planning to fail. I’m going to butcher this morning. It’s going to be good, but we’re talking about hacking meal prep because it’s so important that we really do plan out how we’re going to hit our macros if we want to see results to start, because often we aren’t necessarily naturally hitting them. It’s a learning process. So I’m super excited to be joined by Julia, my fabulous registered dietician today to talk about hacking meal prep and really making sure that you’re hitting your macros efficiently and effectively For all of us. People who especially like me, are slightly lazy. So Julia, thank you for joining me.

Julia (01:04):
Of course. Thank you for having me. I am so thrilled to be here and so excited to jump on in and talk all things meal prep today.

Cori (01:12):
So let’s start out just talking about what the benefits of meal prepping really are.

Julia (01:17):
Sure. So I mean, first off, we know that it saves us a lot of time and money. We’re not having to eat out throughout the week. We kind of have those meals planned out and we’re able to actually utilize that food that we’re getting and we’re just buying what we need so no food is going to waste. It also reduces that midweek stress. So for people who again, have a really busy schedule, they’re not able to plan as well, this can really help you have that plan in place so that you don’t even have to think about it. It also helps us to increase our nutrient density in our diet to add in more produce vegetables, protein, foods that you may otherwise not really grab for in a pinch. And then it also ensures, like you said, that we are meeting our nutrition goals. So failing to plan is planning to fail, so it really just puts us ahead of the game ready for that success and also dismisses the question of what to eat when you are hungry because it’s already there ready to grab and go so you’re not having to scramble around.

(02:13):
Ultimately though, I think everything connects is that it really sets us up for success in the long term.

Cori (02:21):
It it makes a change because usually when we are working to hit macros, we are changing ratios, we’re making a change to our diet, we’re working towards a specific goal. It makes it easier because the more you’re having to think about things and try and adjust in the moment, the harder it really is and it’s easy to get busy and fall back into old habits. So with that being said, who do you recommend meal prep for? Besides lazy people just like me.

Julia (02:46):
I mean especially for anyone who is very busy, if you work long hours, if you are a busy parent or just anyone with a really packed schedule who may find it hard to find that time to sit down and cook a meal throughout the day, like you said, for someone who is struggling to hit their macro goals. So if you know that you are someone who struggles with that, planning ahead is really going to be key for that success. And then finally, if you feel like you’re someone who maybe you just snack throughout the day and you don’t really have that meal structure, it’s really hard to make good decisions in the moment when we let ourselves get really hungry. I tell my clients all the time, I would be the worst dietician if it wasn’t for meal prep because I wouldn’t make the best decisions in that moment. But it is really all about setting yourself up for success so that when you have those moments where you are hungry, your body’s telling you that you need to fuel yourself, you have that option ready to go right there, and it gives you that meal structure that you need.

Cori (03:38):
Often in making habit changes, it’s like trying to bring to light old patterns as we create new ones and it’s stressful, it takes a lot of willpower. We’re having to use a lot of mental capacity, and part of what meal prep really does is it makes things a little bit more mindless. We don’t have to think about what we’re eating, we don’t have to think about where we’re going to go to get it. We don’t even have to think about the macros or any of those different things. It also not only makes things more mindless, which makes it easier and less stressful to make the changes, but it does shift our environment. It allows us to have those foods on hand so we’re not necessarily defaulting back into old patterns going to the cabinet when we’re stressed. We know we have something in the fridge, which holds us a little bit more accountable too, versus if we don’t have anything, it’s easy to be like, well, let me have these other things going off of that before we dive into some tips to really get started, meal prepping if you haven’t done it before, if you are a parent, I think often we get into this thing of like, I’m prepping meals for other people.

(04:32):
How do I prep for myself as well? So with getting started and even potentially making meals for other people, what tips do you have? How can you really find that balance so you can hit your macros, not have to make a bazillion different dishes, but also make things easier and get started with it?

Julia (04:48):
Yeah, that’s an awesome, awesome question. I feel like it’s a really common struggle is that people feel like they see meal prepping, they see the demands of it and they’re not sure how they can adapt it to really fit their lifestyle. If you are someone who you are a busy parent, definitely customize it to your needs. So there’s not a one size fits all when it comes to meal prep. Don’t be afraid to play around with certain recipes and portion sizes if you need to maybe give your child a little bit more rice and if you want a lower carb split, you can maybe take that away and add some avocado on top to add a little bit more fat and just make those little tweaks, but you still can have those similar meals laid out. Ultimately, I think just strategizing and knowing what your needs are, knowing what your pain points are, right?

(05:30):
So if you are someone who maybe you struggle to get in enough vegetables, then you can strategize. Choose recipes that are really rich in vegetables, things like stir fries, salads, soups, or even utilizing frozen or pre-cut vegetables. If you are someone who maybe you struggle and you don’t have time to cook on the weekends, you’re a busy parent, you’re running around, you have kids soccer games a lot on your plate, make extra meals ahead for the weekend that you can save and freeze and just pop in the microwave real quick or plan your meal prep around the weekend and make those your eat out meals. If you are someone who you struggle to hit your protein goal, choose meals with really easy protein sources. Things like Greek yogurt, eggs, deli meats, rotisserie chicken or just prep some proteins in advance. We kind of call that like a bulk meal prep where we just pick some things like chicken or a shrimp and just have that on hand, ready to throw in salads, bowls and ready to go. If you are someone who maybe struggled with breakfast, you have a busy day ahead of you with work, then prepare something the night before that you can just grab and go, but whatever it is, I think these are all very different examples, but they all show that you’re identifying what your weaknesses and where you can really optimize your meal prep and get ahead of the game.

Cori (06:44):
I love those tips because I found that I use a variety of them even depending on the time of year or what goal I’m working towards, where there are times where I want more recipe based things and I make those recipes even casseroles and then I cut them up. But there’s also times where I want a little bit more flexibility in the meals I’m eating because I’m not as sure of other meals, and so having that bulk prep of just vegetables on the side and different options of vegetables or different options of carb sources or different options of proteins, I can then combine ’em in different ways, whether I do make the salad or the stir fry out of the chicken or I add it to tacos or whatever else, I have things that could be used in multiple different ways even based on how the rest of my day went, which I find super helpful. So it is really key. We find those different ways of meal prepping that fit our lifestyle and realize there’s opportunity in all of these options that meal prep doesn’t just mean one thing, but if we are going into a meal prep session and we are really looking to hit specific macro ratios, how would you recommend that someone approach breaking down those meals to even determine what type of recipes they might need or what type of meal prep might work best for them?

Julia (07:51):
Well, first off, if you are someone who you are tracking macros, just taking a look at what those macros look like and maybe even dividing them by the amount of meals and snacks that you want to have throughout the day just to get a rough estimate of what that looks like. So for example, if you goal is 130 grams of protein, maybe you can divide that by three or four to account for at least three meals or one to two snacks throughout the day, and that gives you roughly 30, 35 grams approaching that you want to aim for at each meal. From there, you can begin to look at recipes that really match those macros, and the same for carbs and fat. Obviously it doesn’t have to be perfect meal to meal, but it really just gives you kind of that blueprint that you’re working with to hit those goals because we can meal prep in advance, but it’s not as beneficial for hitting our goals if we’re not making sure that we’re choosing recipes that are really working with those goals and then going off that just making it as simple and as realistic for you as possible.

(08:45):
So don’t throw in a bunch of new recipes at once. I always say just try to introduce one new recipe a week. If you love it, your family loves it, that it’s one of your staple recipes as we it, and you can cycle that in week to week, but definitely make it as realistic for you as possible. Like we said, don’t be afraid to play around with portion sizes if you need to for your family and just make it as realistic for your lifestyle as possible.

Cori (09:11):
And as you do that too, and even if you bulk prep some different things, think about family meals like the taco bar or the salad bar, all those are options where you can have all the ingredients prepped and bring them out for your family and everybody can sort of make something that hits their own macros, but I love that dividing up to really see what you would need at each meal because you can even then start to think about different ways that really make it fit what you need. I know I want to work in certain snacks or certain desserts or certain things, and so then I can work other meals around it even being like, okay, I’m not going to divide protein and carbs and fats evenly. I know sometimes people will be like, well, what’s a really high protein snack? And I’m like, I don’t use protein at my snack.

(09:49):
I try and keep carbs and fat for my snack and then work my other meals around it. So within having that breakdown of what you need to hit at each meal, you can start to say, Hey, maybe I’ll shift a little bit more here or a little bit more here to work in things that I love. What are some other suggestions you have for people if they’re really looking to make meal prep work for their lifestyle and find that balance? Because we don’t want to just be forcing some mold on ourselves that really isn’t sustainable, that we’re just dreaming of going back to what we used to do because then we’re not actually going to have the habit stick and we’re going to lose all the results we’ve worked hard to build.

Julia (10:20):
Yeah, I love that question because again, I think we see meal prepper, we hear it, and we think of all those containers laid out for every single meal throughout the day, and that can seem really overwhelming and not realistic for someone who isn’t able to do that. So again, just going back to the drawing board and adapting it to your lifestyle, remembering that there is no right or one way to meal prep, like you were saying, it’s all about identifying what works best for you. So this can look really different person to person. This can be prepping one to two recipes and eating the same meals for several days at a time. This can be, like you were saying, prepping several staple items, so maybe a ground Turkey, a rice, maybe some hard boiled eggs, maybe chicken salad, and then using them interchangeably throughout the week where you need to.

(11:03):
This can also look like just doubling the recipes that you’re making. If you’re making a dinner for your family, maybe you’re just going to double that so that you can have that for lunch for the next day or the next few days to have on hand or even prepping as you go. This can be as simple as you’re going to throw a crockpot recipe in there in the morning or you’re going to prep something for breakfast the next day. You’re going to have your smoothie ready to grab and go in the freezer, or you’re going to have an overnight oo on hand that you can grab and run out the door. So it doesn’t have to be as complex as we may think it is. It’s all about kind of finding out what your lifestyle needs are and how do adapt it to that so that you really can optimize and hack your meal prep

Cori (11:46):
And in that bulk preparation and keeping things simple, which I personally think is so key. I can eat the same meal over and over again for a certain period of time, and then I get really bored and then I’m like, I can’t look at this again. But for people not like that, I’ve even found where I can bulk prep things and use that simplicity and then freeze them and I don’t have to eat that the rest of the week. If I do tend to get more bored, like more food diversity, I can freeze that and use that the next week or the week after that. So there is even some flexibility to create diversity while creating that simplicity in that you can then have a ton of different things frozen in different ways to pull out when you’re in a pinch or even to allow yourself more diversity over that week.

(12:25):
Off of that. When you’re thinking about meal prep and we’re thinking about some of those things, right? Prepping for ourselves might be good, but in the freezer I also have meal prep I’ve purchased or cooked items I purchased because I am at times that lazy that I don’t even want to cook the things, which is great, right? It allows me to be lazier, but it can also add some cost. If someone was looking to potentially cut costs with meal prepping, what recommendations would you have to make sure that this is really budget friendly as well?

Julia (12:55):
First off, if you are buying for a family or just wanting to meal prep, similar things, buying things in bulk. So again, even buying a bag of rice or oats will be so much cheaper than buying it in a smaller container. If you’re going to have these recipes on repeat, that can be super, super helpful. Even things like canned foods, nut butters, just easy things that you can buy in those large amounts and they won’t go bad. Also, not being afraid to take advantage of the frozen section. So I know frozen produce kind of gets a bad rep, but it’s usually harvested and frozen when it’s rip, meaning that it contains more nutrients for a fraction of the price than the fresh fruits and vegetables that we’re seeing. So do not be afraid to utilize that to throw that into things like chilies, soups, stir fries like we were saying, and really take advantage of that.

(13:42):
Also, of course, shopping the sale. So if you are someone who may be on the weekend or whenever that time looks like for you that you are going to plan out when you’re going to meal or prep and you’re writing out that grocery list, look up the store near you and look up what their sales are and see how you can incorporate those foods into your meals throughout the week to save you money. Another great tip is shopping this store brands. So for items like nut butters, like we were saying, there’s a lot of things that you can find that are similar ingredients if not the same ingredients of those name brands for a fraction of the price again. And then finally just prioritizing the perimeter in ear shopping. So we hear this all the time, and that’s because the perimeter is packed with those whole foods, which often offer a lot more micro and macronutrients than prepackaged foods in the middle aisles, again for a fraction of the price. So making sure to kind of work them into your recipes, and again, this is a huge benefit of meal prepping is that we can really be intentional about it and it chooses recipes beforehand and work these foods in.

Cori (14:44):
We can make sure nothing goes to waste. We can buy in bigger bulk because we can prep and then even freeze it again to use over a longer period of time. We can buy those frozen things, which lasts a lot longer too if we are worried about something going bad. But there’s lots of ways to really make it work. Even in the recipes you pick, I’ll try and pick recipes that use the same sort of ingredients to be able to buy one thing that I use in multiple different ways, and that way I’m not having to buy more diversity, which can really add up now off of this. So we have the being very budget friendly, potentially having to do a little bit more work. It often comes with it, and then we have the being a little bit lazier. If someone’s on the lazier side and willing to spend a little bit more money on something, what would you recommend to give them some hacks to really make meal prepping that much more of a lazy person game? I’m selfishly asking. I have a few of my own, but I’m selfishly asking.

Julia (15:39):
Yeah, of course. Just really taking advantage of those kind of more convenience foods. So again, if you’re able to get things like precut vegetables or fruits, if you’re able to do things like rotisserie chicken and then maybe you’re just chopping that up when you get home and throwing that in salads, bowls, things throughout the week. Also, things like canned tuna, canned salmon, chicken, canned beans, those are awesome options. Again, you’re just drilling them out of the can and able to throw them in right away. Even buying things like hard boiled eggs, again, it just doesn’t have to be super complex things. You don’t have to sit there and cook these foods for hours. You can typically get them already precooked. Even the same thing with chicken. A lot of times stores will have it frozen grilled chicken that you can easily just heat up when you get home, pop it in the fridge and it’s there to grab and throw in meals throughout the week. So definitely just taking advantage of those convenience items and also knowing where your weak points are. If you struggle to maybe get in carbohydrates, maybe you’re going to lean on the prepackaged rice instead of having to cook it yourself every week, but just not being afraid to really take advantage of those foods

Cori (16:44):
And in knowing your balance where you are wanting to be a little bit lazier, you can potentially spend a little bit more and then budget for the other things. But I know the easy microwave rice, all those different things, they can save a lot of time and make it easier even as you’re easing in even if you don’t necessarily want to do that long term. So it’s remembering too that sometimes we have to lower that barrier to entry, get ourself taking that action and getting that momentum building to then do more. I also want to bring up eating out when it comes to meal prep because I think a lot of times we think this is only cooking stuff at home, but part of meal prepping is even planning in those meals out and knowing go-to restaurants where you can hit your macros and work those things in because that allows us in a pinch when something does come up where maybe we can’t have our meal prep that we even planned to be able to have those go-to items, but also find that lifestyle of balance. Do you have any recommendations if someone is looking to work in meals out to their meal prep and to hitting their macros?

Julia (17:37):
Yeah, I would say just trying to kind of have a weekly menu in place, as we call it. So even if that’s you sitting down maybe a Sunday morning or whenever it looks like for you that you had that time to at least write out a rough plan, and I’ll even do this where I’ll leave maybe like a Friday night or a Saturday night or something open. I know those are going to be meals that I’m going to eat out and I really plan my meals around those and kind of write out even when I’m going to have for breakfast maybe those days just to have that rough plan in place. And this is also something really great that you can do if you have a family and you can really make it a fun experience for everyone. Let your kids chime in and kind of see what meals they want to have throughout the week and then plan around that, see where you can add in your lunch, your breakfast, those types of things. But really just giving yourself that plan ahead of time that you have so that you know that can default to that, and you’re working in those fun food experiences as well. So it’s not like you get to a point where you’re upset that you have to continue to eat your meal prep. You’re still working in those fun experiences, which I think is so key to making it enjoyable and sustainable long-term.

Cori (18:40):
You can find that lifestyle balance like meal prep isn’t just about prepping chicken and broccoli and only having to eat chicken and broccoli. It’s really about, as you mentioned, planning out that weekly menu so that you can say, Hey, we love pizza and game night on Friday night. I’m going to plan that in. How can I work the rest of the week to make that work so that you’re not skipping those things. It is that plan in place to create that lifestyle balance. Off of that key takeaways, things that someone looking to get started, you want to give as key reminders for someone meal prepping who might start to feel like if we get habit fatigue at times, what would you tell them in terms of getting them motivated to do this meal prep, to use these tips to really make changes that add up?

Julia (19:20):
Just remember that it doesn’t have to be fancy. In fact, the more simple that we can make it, the more likely we are to follow through with it and at least stick with it at the beginning. But planning ahead is going to be what sets you up for that wary free week. I think a lot of the times we get overwhelmed with the work that we have to put in order to do meal prep, but when we look at the benefits that we get out of it and the time that we’re not spending throughout the week worrying, stressing, cooking, there are more benefits than there are cons to it for a lot of us. So just remembering, like you said at the beginning, that failing to plan is planning to fail. Just like you wouldn’t go into a test without studying, just like you wouldn’t buy a house without budgeting, all of your other goals require planning and preparation and so does hitting your macros.

(20:05):
So do not be afraid to take the time to sit down and plan it out a little bit. Even the most experienced coaches, everyone will tell you they utilize these meal prep and planning head stove because it is so, so key to success. So if you are someone looking to get started, you’re not sure where to get started, definitely check out our meal plan builder handout that we had dropped in the Facebook group. That is an awesome way to really show you the different options that you have when it comes to meal prepping and how to adapt it to your lifestyle,

Cori (20:33):
And I think that’s a key component. Adapt it to your lifestyle. When we’re talking about meal prep, we’re not talking about one specific way of doing it. There’s so many options and opportunities in that. So really think about what your lifestyle is, even maybe how you’ve approached meal prep in the past and what has and hasn’t worked and where you are right now to make it work for you because one size doesn’t fit all, and that applies to just about every habit that we’re going to implement, but the more we see the opportunity in the options, the better off we’re going to be. Thank you so much, Julia, for joining me today. Guys, I would love to hear how you use meal prep to help you hit your macros and what meals are your go-tos when you’re prepping ahead of time. 

*Please Note: this transcript is auto-generated and there may be some errors in the transcript