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15 FAT LOSS TIPS That Changed My Life

15 FAT LOSS TIPS That Changed My Life

by | Apr 17, 2022 | Blog, Diet, fat loss-featured

Struggling to lose weight? Need that little tip to kickstart your results?

Well let me save you a lot of wasted time and effort experimenting to find what works and share 15 tips I’ve found to make all the difference in my results.

CHECK OUT THE FULL VIDDEO BLOG BELOW:

1: Working In Foods You Love First

For me this is dessert.

Often the thing we love most is the least healthy for us so we cut it out first. But we need to do the opposite and actually PLAN IT IN FIRST to work everything else around it and create a lifestyle balance.

When we cut out the foods we love, we sabotage ourselves. Restricting them just leads to us wanting them more and ultimately binging on them and falling off our plan.

Work in the foods you love so you want to stay consistent with the healthy lifestyle you are building!

2: Quality Does, And Doesn’t, Matter

Obviously whole natural foods are best for our health.

But you can STILL overeat healthy foods.

If you’ve been frustrated not seeing weight loss results while thinking “My diet is healthy and clean,” realize that your portions could still be off.

And we also need to stop making ourselves feel guilty for enjoying some not so quality foods as we strike the balance right for us.

Follow the 80/20 rule, consuming whole, natural, nutrient dense foods 80% of the time while still enjoying the not as quality foods you love.

And remember, portions still really matter!

3: It’s Not Forever

Nothing works forever.

While we want to make true habit and lifestyle changes, we need to realize that our needs and goals will change with time and our diet and exercise routines will need to adjust and adapt as well.

You’re building a foundation with the changes you’re making but you can’t get so tied to something you aren’t willing to adjust with time.

Focus on truly LEARNING the fundamentals and basics so you understand how things work for you so you can adjust as you need when your lifestyle and goals change.

4: Keep It Simple, Butthead

It’s so easy to get caught up in all of the options out there. And it isn’t stupid to want to overcomplicate things.

But we do need to keep it SIMPLE if we want the best results. As the more details we add all at once, the more our attention gets divided and the harder we make it on ourselves to dial in the big picture plan, which matters most.

We’re being a butthead, and I mean that as a slight term of endearment, if we start worrying about details like meal timing and supplements and best foods for fat loss before we first simply get consistent with our workout routine while dialing in our overall macros and calories for the day.

So set a few big picture things to start with and get consistent with before you worry about anything else!

5: Stop Overcorrecting

We’re human.

There will be days that don’t go as planned, days we just aren’t motivated, days that we just “mess up.”

But instead of feeling guilty, instead of trying to do more the next day to make up for it, we just need to get right back to those habits.

We need to do what we can as soon as we can to just MOVE FORWARD.

It’s like if we get a flat tire, we don’t slash the other three! Nope. We fix the flat or call a tow truck so we can get moving forward as fast as possible. Don’t make the situation worse.

Don’t try to do more to correct it as that will also often backfire.

Just move forward.

6: Focus On Strength Training Over Cardio

Our workouts should be about more than just burning calories. So while we may burn more calories in a single cardio session over a strength session, this shouldn’t really be our focus.

Training is about becoming functional stronger and moving our best.

And if we want to really improve our weight loss efforts, we need to focus less on how many calories we burn in a single session and more on how we can increase our lean muscle mass to raise our metabolic rate and burn more calories even at rest.

So focus on strength training to actually see better results faster, especially as we get older. Since it becomes harder to build and retain lean muscle, we want to do everything we can to promote better muscle hypertrophy!

7: You Can’t Just Listen To Your Body

We wouldn’t be struggling to lose weight if we could just eat intuitively. Intuitive eating needs to be learned.

So if you’re trying to achieve body recomposition, you won’t be able to just listen to your body and eat according to its cues.

Our body don’t like change and they believe the state they’ve been in, the weight you’ve been at, is normal. So your body will resist any weight loss efforts.

You’ll feel hungry.

There will be mental struggles as you make changes to habits you’ve always done.

But change requires change.

8: There’s No Quick Fix

Plain and simple, change doesn’t happen overnight. And even expecting to reverse 10 years of weight gain in a single year, is truly overnight results.

The longer we’ve had the weight on, the longer we’ve been repeating habits that don’t work, the longer it will take to see changes.

And often the closer we get to our goal, the slower the progress will be especially if we are trying to see true fat loss and not just quickly lose weight on the scale through glycogen depletion and water weight being lost!

So get ready to focus on consistency over doing more to get results faster. We can’t out exercise or out diet time!

9: Recovery Is Key

Often we try to do more by training longer and harder and cutting out more from our diet.

But often the MORE we really need is more rest and recovery.

Those “easy” recovery sessions, when we relax and sleep and de-stress, that is when we are actually repairing and seeing the benefits of our hard training sessions and changes in macro ratios.

Without recovery time, you are just going to keep beating yourself down instead of ever allowing your results to build up!

So prioritize sleep. Plan in rest days. Do that rehab work! It may not “feel” beneficial but it is truly what makes your hard work add up!

10: Avoid Restriction

Often we cut out more in an attempt to get results faster. But all this does is make our habits unsustainable.

It’s what makes us feel like we just don’t have the discipline, self control or willpower to see the results we want.

When really we just aren’t being realistic. We aren’t basing things off of our needs and goals.

Don’t focus on cutting out. First focus on small swaps that feel like the smallest changes and realize there can be a balance.

Even start by doing the MINIMUM, knowing results will snowball.

11: Be Active

The more you do, the more you do. And when we stay active, we often want to do more things that keep us moving in a positive direction.

It’s much easier to get lazy and eat extra crap when you’re just lazing around.

So get moving.

Go out for walks. They’re a great way to burn more fat and get in more movement without stressing your body.

But get active and stay.

Especially the leaner you get and closer to your goal you get, as you’ve been in a deficit for longer, the more your body may actually move less to conserve energy.

Be conscious of this and make sure to make an effort to stay active throughout the day!

12: Macros Over Calories

Macros matter most for sustainable results. The ratio you use may impact the calories right for you and impact how full you feel.

And higher protein ratios can help prevent unwanted fat gain if you are in a surplus while helping aid in muscle mass retention during a deficit.

Actually high protein ratios are the only ones shown to even help you build muscle while in a deficit.

So let your macros then dictate how you dial in your calories. Don’t just focus on calories in vs. calories out!

13: You’re Not An All Or Nothing Person

Often we think if we can’t do everything at once, there is no point in doing anything.

This not only gives us an excuse not to start but it makes us feel like we’ve failed if one thing doesn’t go as planned.

But results don’t happen because of what we do when we are perfect. From doing more for a week.

They happen because we stick with the minimum consistently day after day.

Remember that small changes build. And that the more we can ingrain one habit, the easier it becomes to replicate even on days we don’t feel like it.

So focus on those small changes and set some minimums you know you can hit so results can snowball.

14: Stop Doing More

The simple fact of the matter is, you can’t out exercise or out diet time.

And often the more we try to rush results, the more we simple deplete our self control and willpower so we can’t stay consistent long term.

Many of us have repeated this restriction, binge, guilt cycle.

We do so much, burn ourselves out with the restriction, end up binging, feel guilty, fall off, then can’t get back on track for a bit and even dig ourselves more of a hole to crawl out of.

Focus on small sustainable changes. Realize results simply take time and get ready for the long haul celebrating those daily habits as wins themselves.

And I saved the best for last…

15: Tracking

I know people hate on tracking for being restrictive, tedious, boring, annoying, time consuming, frustrating.

But what we measure, we can manage.

Tracking gives you an accurate picture of what you’re doing both diet-wise and in your workouts so you can make accurate adjustments.

If you want to create the right portion sizes for you without having to cut out the foods you love, you need to track.

If you want to make sure you’re getting stronger and progressing in your workouts, you need to track.

So as unsexy and annoying as it is to start, it truly is the best way to avoid wasting time and know what is and isn’t working!

SUMMARY:

So if you’ve been struggling to see results, start with even just one of these tips as your focus and BUILD. Because the hardest part is getting started and the more you do, the more you’ll want to do.

We just often need to get that ball rolling!

Ready to create your own recipe for results?

–> The 3-Step Recipe For Fabulous Fat Loss Results

Meal Plan To Lose Stubborn Belly Fat (3 TIPS PLUS MEALS)

Meal Plan To Lose Stubborn Belly Fat (3 TIPS PLUS MEALS)

by | Mar 27, 2022 | Blog, Diet

I’d always wanted defined abs.

I would diet. Be super restrictive. Lose weight. Get skinny.

And ultimately rebound.

I came to the conclusion I just would never truly get definition.

I had muscle, but just felt abs were never going to be possible for me.

That’s when I finally stopped making excuses and embraced tracking macros.

Through tracking macros, I learned exactly what I needed to get defined abs.

If you’ve ever tried to get your abs to show I think you’ll agree that the struggle is real! It took consistency past the point where you want to quit.

In this video I’m going to show you 3 tips you can implement to see YOUR abs.

But first first things first you might need a mindset shift. You’ve got to get over the mindset that you can’t track. That it’s too tedious and boring and overwhelming and simply impossible to do every day.

I get the whole mindset against it. It’s a big change. And it is annoying to track everything you eat.

But it’s data you NEED to achieve something you’ve never achieved before.

Plain and simple.

Think about it this way, if you’ve never made a cookie recipe and aren’t a baker, you wouldn’t just randomly throw things into a bowl hoping cookies come out of the mess.

You wouldn’t even eyeball portions of ingredients on the list.

Nope.

You’d weigh and measure everything if you wanted to guarantee the cookies turned out.

Same thing goes for creating a recipe for aesthetic results.

As annoying as it is, tracking helps us have the data we need to get the results we want.

So embrace the suck of tracking so you don’t have to suffer through the frustration of never achieving your goal!

Now what are 3 tips to help you lose that stubborn belly fat and how do I implement these into a full day of eating?

 

3 Tips To Dial In Your Macros For Stubborn Belly Fat Loss:

With clients I like to cycle ratios, and ultimately the ratios and calories they use will vary based on their metabolic rates, their activity levels, their needs and even their previous dieting histories.

BUT, no matter what, I implement these 3 tips when they’re struggling to overcome that hurdle and lose that last bit of stubborn belly fat to reveal abs.

Tip #1: Go High Protein.

If you want to get super lean and achieve ab definition you’ve never seen before, get ready to increase your protein.

High protein helps us build and retain lean muscle while in a deficit. Because it preserves lean muscle mass, which is metabolically costly to maintain, aka you need more energy to maintain your muscle mass, you will tend to burn more calories even at rest and your metabolic rate will stay higher.

Protein also keep us feeling fuller for longer, which is key when we’re eating in a deficit.

And protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs or fat.

The thermic effect of food is the calories you expend to digest and process different macros.

Protein takes the most energy to digest with about 20-30% of the total calories in protein eaten going to digesting it. Then carbs take about 5-10% while fats take 0-3%.

Studies have shown protein to have a thermogenic effect 5 times greater than carbs or fat!

And unlike carbs or fat, protein’s thermic effect is much more constant regardless of your current body composition. While fat’s thermic effect may be LOWER in obese individuals, protein’s is not.

It is also important to note that consuming more protein can increase levels of glucagon, a hormone in your body that can help control body fat.

When glucagon is released, the liver breaks down stored glycogen into glucose for the body to use.

It can also help liberate free fatty acids from fat tissues aka provide fuel for cells and make that body fat do something useful instead of hiding our six pack.

And the final reason you’ll want to use macro ratios that really favor protein is simply because your calories have to come from somewhere.

While that sounds weird, it’s the simple fact. You need enough calories to not start catabolizing your muscle tissue, and protein helps prevent this. But because of the thermic effect of protein, you are also keeping your daily energy expenditure higher while getting to eat more.

So basically, since your calories need to come from somewhere, protein is a “safe” somewhere to have them come from to promote better fat loss results so you tap into those fat stores!

Tip #2: Embrace The Deficit. Realize Your Mind Will Try To “Trick” You.

Your body doesn’t like change. And you’re going to feel hungry, not only due to the changing source of energy with the macro ratio change, but also because you DO need to be in a deficit to really cause your body to tap into those fat stores.

Now you want to be conscious to increase this deficit slowly and not then try to out exercise your diet further or you’ll create metabolic adaptations that work against you.

But because your body adjusts to the fuel it’s given, over time you will have to adjust your calories.

Do this slowly and even find that balance of occasionally lowering your calorie intake from food, but also at times by making sure you’re moving more in general as we do tend to fidget and move less as our energy intake goes down.

Our body adapts and becomes more efficient and that can mean moving less to conserve energy.

But however we are doing it, we do have to embrace that deficit and know that hunger will be a part of it especially as our body adapts to a new energy intake and even macro breakdown.

And the leaner you get and get closer you do tread toward that essential body fat line, not to mention the longer you’ve been in a deficit, the more your body and mind will start to work against you.

Your body wants to survive and you’re taking it to a leanness level it has NEVER been at.

You’re going to get more cravings for things and be tempted to overeat even when you don’t truly need as much as you’re craving.

I think it is key to recognize this and have strategies in place to help you handle it.

Whether it is knowing it may be time to back off the deficit and do a diet break, include the occasional cheat or drink extra water and push through, you need to recognize that there will be points you will be hungry and have cravings to start.

Focus on finding a balance though too in your ratios, including very nutrient dense foods that give you a lot of volume, but also macro-friendly variations of treats or dishes you crave so you don’t add to those cravings!

Tip #3: Precision Is Key.

As much as I’m a big believer in creating something sustainable and balance and focusing on progress over perfection, if you want to see abs for the first time, you need to be precise.

This is NOT the time to focus on the lifestyle balance but work toward your goal, knowing that using macros you can transition into maintaining your results in a healthy and sustainable way.

But if you have this goal, you need to be precise and consistent past the point you want to quit.

You need to weigh and measure everything. No bites, licks or nibbles can go unlogged. You want that tedious perfection and precision to make sure you have 100% accurate data.

You want to be able to know you’re doing everything right not only to achieve results but to stay mentally focused on those things when you feel like results aren’t building.

Because there WILL be a dead zone where you even feel like things look worse because you’ve lost off of areas you don’t care about or don’t see and the areas you want to change haven’t yet.

So often we simply don’t see the results we want because we give up before they’ve had time to snowball.

That’s why you need to track everything to KNOW you’re being precise for results to build.

So What Does A Full Day Of Eating For Fat Loss Look Like?

I’m going to share with you a ratio that I’ve found works best in these situations. It’s extreme and not fun but what’s often needed to get rid of that belly fat that just won’t let go.

And that ratio is 50% protein, 30% carbs and 20% fat. Depending on the client I may switch the carbs and fat, and I will cycle this every 1-2 weeks with other ratios to maintain hormonal balance and even prevent more than necessary mental drain. But this ratio is almost always in that 6-pack cycle for clients no matter what at some point.

Now I want to show you what a meal plan for that may look like.

For calories you need to consider your activity level, previous dieting history, genetics, age and so much else. Too often we say a calorie intake is too low or too high judging what someone else is using without realizing that some of us are metabolically more or less efficient or may have even created metabolic adaptations from previous dieting practices.

So stop the judgment and figure out what you need! Often for cutting I will do 10-12x goal bodyweight for a client. If they don’t have a “goal” we may start with current weight even.

I will show a full day of eating for 50/30/20 at 1400 calories, which is over 12 x my weight.

For me, perfection in hitting those macros is no lower than 49% protein with 2-3% deviation from the ratio.

I shoot for 175 grams of protein, 105 grams of carbs and 31 grams of fat.

BREAKFAST:

While I love fasting, I will often break my fast prior to my workout when on this ratio to make sure I have that little boost in energy and get some protein in prior to my training for fuel.

I love having a pre-workout, or breakfast, Coffee Protein Shake. The extra boost of caffeine never hurts and the whey is quickly and easily digested to fuel muscle repair and growth from my lifting session.

I’ll combine water with whey and shake to make sure it’s fully combined. I’ll add ice then two shots of espresso or coffee from the Keurig with even a little sugar free flavoring. I’m about creating meals that taste good and strike that 80/20 balance. I don’t want to restrict myself focusing on someone else’s arbitrary standards of eating clean!

SIDE NOTE – During My Workout:

During my workouts when I’m cutting, I’ll often also include BCAAs in my water. I’ll be 100% honest here…I love the taste of my personal ones and it encourages me to drink more water which is key with high protein and part of why I do it.

But I find it also valuable to improve my recovery because I’m more aggressive with my calorie deficit.

And while some feel that BCAAs aren’t beneficial if eating high protein already, when you’re in a deficit instead of a surplus, often you aren’t getting too much of anything. So bumping up your amino acid content to only aid in recovery and repair is never a bad thing!

Muscle is metabolically costly and helps us avoid metabolic adaptions so I want to use every tool I can to maintain and build it!

LUNCH:

Post workout I may have a shake, but often because I train late morning or mid-day I’ll simply eat lunch right after.

I try to include more carbs post workout with higher protein and lower fat in that meal. This allows me to replenish my glycogen stores post workout and aid in better recovery. And the lower fat helps allows for faster digestion and absorption of nutrients.

I love having fish or seafood whenever possible so I’ll do something like halibut with rice and a veggies like broccoli or Brussel sprouts. I try to include a diversity of protein options, and actually carb sources and veggies as well for a better micronutrient diversity.

I love mapping in a meal of 8 ounces of halibut, 5 ounces of white rice and about 200g of broccoli because when I’m feeling lazy I can easily get this same plate at a local fish spot and actually sit out looking at the ocean! Not a bad mid-day break!

DINNER:

For dinner I love a slightly fattier protein source since I generally fast and skip breakfast. I may use steak or ground beef even. Sometimes making a quesadilla using a low carb tortilla or even a dish in the air fryer with veggies and potatoes.

I’ll usually do about a 6-10 ounce portion of protein, in this case steak. In the air fryer I may also do sweet potato and a veggie like asparagus.

I even like pre-cooking and prepping these things at times to just then reheat in the air fryer when I’m short on time!

DESSERT:

Often I will plan in the thing I want most first. Because I love dessert, this is often dessert. Although I now have a few go-tos I like to cycle and pick one based on even other meals I really want that day.

While a staple has always been my greek yogurt with granola, I’ve fallen in love with the MegaFit protein snacks. Today because I wanted a bigger portion of rice at lunch and potatoes at dinner, I went with 2 protein balls for dessert. Just a nice little balanced way to end the day!

SUMMARY:

This puts my total for the day at….

TOTAL:
1405 172p 105c 30f (51/30/19)

The key thing to remember is we need to work in things we enjoy while focusing on those nutrient dense, high volume foods that keep us feeling full and satisfied. There is something to be said for meals that have more bites when really trying to cut that body fat!

But just remember, if you’re going to push your body to achieve a level of leanness you’ve never achieved before, there is going to be some sacrifice. You need that precision in tracking your macros while focusing on protein to get rid of that stubborn belly fat for those of us who tend to carry our weight around our middles!

My 3-Step Fat Loss Formula…

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Lose Weight And Keep It Off FOREVER! Try These 3 Tips

Lose Weight And Keep It Off FOREVER! Try These 3 Tips

by | Mar 6, 2022 | Blog, Diet

The faster we want to see results, often the more we set ourselves up for long term failure.

Because we ultimately implement habits and routines that simply aren’t sustainable.

And by trying to rush our results we also often create metabolic adaptations and hormonal changes that work against us or make rebounding back to what we started at even easier.

And while our lifestyle can, and should, change as our goals evolve, we have to stop going to extremes and instead focus on creating the healthiest version of our PERSONAL lifestyle.

In the end, this leads to not only the best results because we allow those results to compound and snowball, but also the most sustainable results.

Because we don’t want to look and feel our best for just a day! We want to maintain those results long term.

That’s why I wanted to share 3 tips to help you lose fat and create those habits that will help you KEEP the weight off!

But before I dive into the tips to help you make sustainable habit changes I do just want to point out that making any change to start may not feel easy, comfortable or even sustainable.

Often changes feel exactly the opposite no matter how much they may evolve into our new routines and habits.

It’s because what feels easy, what feels sustainable and instinctual is what we’ve always done.

And what we’ve always done hasn’t moved us forward.

If we want a new and better result, we have to make a change and that means we have to embrace being a bit uncomfortable.

We have to give those changes time to become our new normal.

And then to KEEP that result, we have to keep replicating those habits. You can’t just simply achieve your goal then go back to what you were doing.

And that’s why these 3 tips are really so key.

They help you implement changes in a way that helps you build while also staying focused on what is realistic for you to do LONG-TERM so that the foundation of the new lifestyle you want to create is there.

Tip #1: STOP Saying Food Is Just Fuel.

So often when we’re striving for fat loss, we try to see food as just fuel. We eat for function. We willing cut out things and restrict.

We even except super bland meals and tell ourselves to “suck it up” and eat things we don’t really enjoy.

And while food for sure is fuel, that isn’t truly all it is for most of us.

It’s consumed because it often tastes good and is part of our social gatherings and events.

It’s part of the fun of traveling and experiencing a new place.

And honestly there shouldn’t be guilt for eating food for enjoyment purposes.

The more we try to deny that food is more than just fuel in our modern society, the more we hold ourselves back from creating a true lifestyle balance.

And that’s why ultimately often our fat loss results are short-lived.

We don’t know how to balance eating to just fuel, eating for function, with actually living the life we enjoy.

So at some point, when we either…

A. Can’t stand it any longer or

B. Have reached our goal and want to go back to normal…

We end up indulging in foods that don’t fall on an arbitrary clean “approved list” and then can’t reign things back in.

We almost REBEL against the restriction we’d self-inflicted.

Instead we need to recognize and understand what role food plays in our life.

Do we like having that happy hour out with friends on Friday?

Do we enjoy cooking for our extended family as we get together and celebrate around the table?

Do we enjoy a date night out with our special someone?

We need to strike that balance between aesthetic goals and the lifestyle we ultimately want to lead if we not only want to lose fat but KEEP IT OFF.

And while your exact balance will shift as your goals shift, the key is not forcing restrictions on yourself that only lead to rebellion later.

We need to LEARN how to work in the things we love.

Sure we may find there are foods we can’t have just one of so don’t include those as often, or we may find more macro-friendly variations at times to work into our macros, but we’ve got to embrace a balance.

Instead of restricting, work in things you love FIRST to your macros to balance everything else out around it.

This can help you not feel deprived of the things you love while embracing the ratios and habit changes along the way.

It can help you learn to include your bread or dessert to actually build a lifestyle change you know you can maintain!

Tip #2: Build Off Of Your Current Lifestyle.

Stop searching for a fad diet. A quick fix.

Stop just cutting out foods because someone said to.

If you have an allergy or intolerance, sure, you may not include certain foods in your diet.

But too often we cut out foods in a desire to “eat clean” to ultimately only end up eating more of those things over the year after feeling so deprived of them and restricted.

We feel guilty because we aren’t hitting someone else’s standards of what a healthy diet should look like.

But we’ve got to stop caring what other people think.

One size doesn’t fit all. And while I hear a ton of people preach that, I see those same people trying to make people feel guilty for eating foods they enjoy that aren’t as healthy.

And all this does is hold people back from ever making any sort of change.

We have to meet ourselves where we are at.

If we’re eating fast food for every meal and pizza, we’re only going to set ourselves up for failure by trying a diet that cuts all of that out immediately and forces us to eat chicken and broccoli.

Instead we need to take a look at our current lifestyle and make small swaps and changes to that.

To get the best results and then keep the weight off we have to stay focused on creating the healthiest version of OUR personal lifestyle.

This is why I encourage clients to stop just cutting out whole food groups but instead embrace the learning process and count macros.

By tracking what we are currently eating to start, without even making changes, we can see things we can tweak and adjust.

And then, from there, instead of cutting out the thing you love the most first, think about adding in something good. Or swapping out something easy.

The easier the changes are to start, the more we can get that momentum building through feeling successful in our implementation of the changes.

When we feel successful in making changes, we then want to do more.

Because it really is a case of the more you do, the more you do. And this can be both in a positive and a negative direction.

If we instead just made sweeping arbitrary changes completely unrealistic for our lifestyle, we may ultimately end up doing nothing or failing at the thing we try to ultimately do more of nothing.

As silly as it can feel, start with small changes based on what you’re currently doing so you can slowly build.

This allows us to create routines that are realistic for us and that we aren’t just constantly forcing ourselves to maintain through willpower.

So consider your current lifestyle as you being to make tweaks!

Tip #3: Set End Dates And Evolve.

I dislike saying that my diet or exercise routine is a lifestyle.

Because I feel like so often that is interpreted as I’m going to do this same thing forever.

We feel this pressure to embrace a way of eating as the thing we’ll do forever.

But nothing in our lifestyle is ever standing still.

Our routines and habits should change just like our needs and goals do!

We also aren’t really motivated to take action by the idea of doing something FOREVER.

So as you work toward your fat loss goals, set progressions and macro ratios you plan to cycle. Set “end dates” at which you’re going to assess and adjust and maybe even slightly tweak your goals.

This can help us stay focused and give us motivation to start today.

It can also help us be more patient in waiting for results to build because we know we can change at a specific point anyway.

It’s also why having a goal for your workouts and understanding macros is so key.

When you have a goal for your workouts you have that focus to drive you forward. Especially when there is an end date at which you want to have hit that performance goal.

And as much as we know “abs are revealed by what we do in the kitchen” being motivated to train and push hard will only help us get better results, especially when focused on building muscle.

It also generally keeps us motivated to do other healthy habits that lead to fat loss, like being conscious of how we fuel.

And by taking the time to learn about macros, we can learn what we need even as our needs and goals change over time.

So while losing fat, we may cycle specific ratios based on even how our training evolves.

But then when we work to maintain, we can adjust ratios and calories again.

Macros, and how we adjust them, are truly at the heart of every diet out there.

And when you understand macros, you can implement low carb, low fat, high protein in any way YOU need to not only create a sustainable lifestyle but see the fat loss results you want and then maintain those results long term.

Because not only can different ratios help you work toward different goals, but you may find that with different types of training, you need to fuel differently to maintain your results.

Or as we get older, we need to adjust again because we become less able to utilize protein as efficiently and struggle more to build and retain lean muscle.

Or if you’re going through menopause you may even find you need to tweak things again because of those hormonal changes.

The point is, if we take time to really learn the foundation of nutrition and understand macros, we then have the power to evolve.

And being conscious that nothing works forever, is what can help us adapt over time so we can KEEP the fat loss results we worked hard to achieve!

SUMMARY:

We have to remember that we can never stop doing what made us “better” and that even maintaining our results is a process with ebbs and flows.

So if you want to lose fat and keep it off, remember one size doesn’t fit all.

Take time to build habits off of your current lifestyle and don’t be afraid to set end dates at which you assess your results and adapt and evolve your routines!

Need help getting started?

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The Worst Diet For Fat Loss – Why Intuitive Eating Doesn’t Work For Fat Loss

The Worst Diet For Fat Loss – Why Intuitive Eating Doesn’t Work For Fat Loss

by | Feb 20, 2022 | Blog, Diet

I was in a discussion about weight loss with a couple of people and one of my clients was listening in.

One person said that they believe the best way to lose weight is to listen to your body and eat intuitively.

When my client and I walked away, she said to me…

“What if my body is intuitively telling me to eat ice cream, pizza and cake every day?”

While she was joking, it did really highlight a key issue with the promotion of Intuitive Eating as a weight loss strategy.

Let’s face it…most of us honestly have destroyed any intuition we have about what we need to fuel.

And processed, hyperpalatable foods only create another challenge to “eating intuitively” as they are designed to work against our natural cues.

Now yes, you could say that we shouldn’t be eating those foods anyway, but the reality is, most of us WANT TO and ENJOY processed foods and will plan to include them long term in our balanced diet.

So we need to understand how to balance them in.

While the idea behind intuitive eating is a good one, and it has a very specific purpose and design, saying to just intuitively eat to lose weight is a recipe for disaster.

One that ultimately leads to a lot of frustration as we don’t get results and aren’t sure why.

It’s why we can even feel like we’re eating healthily and not seeing the results we want.

Because the simple fact of the matter is…most of us need to RE-LEARN how to eat intuitively.

And you can’t just do that by “listening to your body.”

So if you’re just starting your weight loss journey, the worst thing you can do for yourself is expect yourself to just instinctively know what you need. Because let’s face it, what is instinctual and easy is what got us to the point we’re seeking out something to lose weight.

That’s why I wanted to share 3 tips to not only help you lose weight but actually learn how to keep it off by re-learning what proper portions and dietary practices are for you so can eat according to your needs and goals, even as they change over time.

But before I dive into those 3 tips, I do want to remind us to STOP the guilt around eating certain foods.

Too often what also derails our weight loss efforts is the feeling of guilt we inflict upon ourselves when we eat something “unhealthy” or “unclean” or “off plan.”

Let’s face it, so many of us eat for reasons other than purely fueling…socializing and having fun or even out of stress. And while we always want to work to understand our personal relationship with food to establish a healthier balance, we do also want to avoid making ourselves feel bad when we aren’t perfect with our plan.

Because it’s often those feelings of guilt that lead to us ultimately failing, not the one indulgence or overindulgence. The guilt makes us self-sabotage even more.

It’s like we get a flat tire and instead of calling a tow truck or putting on the spare, we slash the other three tires. And that ultimately is what holds us back from moving forward faster.

I know there are those clean eating crusaders out there who make you feel like a horrible person for not just eating healthy foods every day, but the fact of life for many of us is that we enjoy foods that aren’t the best for our health.

And finding our own personal balance for our lifestyle is key.

Because we have to be able to be consistent long-term. And constantly having to drain your willpower to fight your urge to have anything you enjoy just isn’t sustainable. It ultimately leads to us eating more crap over the year than if we’d just struck a balance in the first place.

So stop worrying about someone else’s version of a healthy lifestyle and start first by focusing on small sustainable changes to what you’re currently doing!

Now what are 3 tips to help you start to lose weight and ultimately understand how to eat according to your personal needs, goals and lifestyle?

#1: Embrace The 80/20 Rule.

Those processed foods you love, the candy, chips or other treats? They are designed to make you crave more and even overeat. They basically disrupt our natural hunger cues.

Let’s face it, they’re empty calories. And because they don’t really fill you up, you can consume more calories you need without feeling full. They also have a lower thermic effect than whole, natural foods, which means you won’t burn as many calories to process them.

Now you may be expecting me to say you have to cut them out to lose weight. But I don’t believe in doing that.

I believe in the 80/20 rule to eating well.

80% of the time you do focus on those nutrient-dense whole, natural foods. But 20% of the time, you just don’t care as you enjoy those foods and mentally they’re satisifying.

Within that 20% you do want to understand what foods you can have in moderation and those that just trigger more cravings.

If you find you just want more of a specific thing, since processed foods are designed to make you crave more, you may decide to keep that treat to specific days to strike an overall lifestyle balance.

Or you may even experiment with more macro-friendly variations of that treat, say Halo top over Ben and Jerry’s or even greek yogurt with granola, that satisfy the craving but without triggering your desire for more.

Also, I honestly believe the more you tell yourself you can’t have something, the more you want it. And the more you’re having to FIGHT against eating something, the more you ultimately just drain your willpower, eventually give in and then ultimately even overeat what you would have consumed to start.

Heck, often just telling yourself you can have something, even if you ultimately don’t eat it, makes you feel like you have the choice and over feeling forced to not eat it.

And then if you do want it, by focusing on macros you could work it. Plan in something you’re craving even first and work backward around that.

Ultimately, we strike an 80/20 balance because, to still hit our macros because we need to include a lot of nutrient dense, high volume foods around the processed treat.

And those other volume foods keep you feeling full even when enjoying the processed treat that doesn’t trigger make you feel full even when it’s more than enough calories.

You may even find you ultimately choose NOT to have the treat because the way you’d have to adjust other meals isn’t “worth it.” But the point is you are choosing your balance and creating something sustainable.

You need to assess your lifestyle and make small adjustments to that if you want them to be sustainable.

Small changes can add up.

Even swapping white bread for whole grain and a process cheese for a less processed cheese can increase the thermic effect of the foods you eat.

And as you make those tweaks you want to realize that processed foods may be a part of your balance BUT that they won’t make you feel full while being calorically dense and are hyperpalatable foods that make you want to eat more and more!

#2: Don’t Start By Making Changes

It may sound strange to tell you not to make changes when you’re first starting your weight loss journey, but too often we just jump into these all or nothing programs without assessing whether they will even be sustainable.

And part of what ultimately works for us is what will allow us to dial in our macros and our calories to meet our needs and goals long-term.

One size doesn’t fit all.

It’s why your friend could do really well on Keto while you feel horrible and ultimately gain weight.

If you want to create a sustainable version of your lifestyle and ultimately learn what you really need fuel, you need to create changes based on your current lifestyle.

One of the most eye opening things is to just track what you’re currently doing.

And the accountability of tracking helps us automatically start to make changes that aren’t forced.

Tracking begins to make us more aware of how we’re truly fueling and can even help us start to assess how certain foods make us feel.

It gives us true feedback as to what we are doing and the results we then get based off of specific habits.

And then from here we can make realistic and sustainable changes personalized to our needs.

Too often I hear people say, “I just don’t have as much willpower or discipline as (insert person/friend/family who got results).”

We feel like we don’t have the willpower someone else does because we aren’t creating small changes that allow ourselves to engrain the habits and mindsets need.

We cut out something we love most first. And feel deprived.

We create so many changes we’re constantly fighting against everything that is habitual and instinctive, even if it isn’t “right.”

The key to actually building lasting results isn’t some sexy extreme fad diet.

It’s small changes over time that build and allow us to make those habits so engrained they don’t really take willpower to replicate. They are our new normal.

So don’t start to try to lose weight by following some all or nothing plan.

Start by determining what your current lifestyle is and then make tweaks to it. For some that may mean setting a calorie cap or calorie intake range based on their goals. Even just 100 calories under what they’re currently doing.

For others it may be making small macro changes, increasing protein while not worrying about where carbs and fats fall.

For others it may mean making one simple swap and including veggies at a meal. The key is first assessing where YOU personally are currently to make small changes you can build upon.

#3: Realize that change is uncomfortable.

Most of us simply don’t like change. It’s hard going against what has become instinctual and easy even if we know its for the better.

But change requires change and that means stepping outside our comfort zone.

It’s why this idea of eating intuitively and whatever you want is false.

Because we will keep just repeating the habits we are comfortable with, the ones that aren’t moving us forward and may even be causing us to gain.

So as you start to track, and learn about the impact of the foods you are consuming, realize that there will be times you don’t feel comfortable. That there will be times you don’t want to do what is needed.

There will be times that things that ultimately are sustainable don’t feel that way to start.

But new habits will become instinctual and easy if we give them time and base them off our current lifestyle.

The key is even realizing our mindset behind the new habits.

We can’t just take actions we don’t believe in. We can’t just fake it till we make it.

We’ve got to recognize that we are CHOOSING to make these changes and believe in the process.

Your mindset has to back the actions you’re taking or you’ll set yourself up for failure and ultimately fall into old patterns.

So even recognizing before you start to make changes that things WILL be uncomfortable can help you embrace the process more.

Too often we make these sweeping changes and try to tell ourselves they are easy when they aren’t. And then when they aren’t easy, we feel discouraged and give up.

Instead lower your defenses against the changes and even tell yourself they’re going to be challenging. Honestly, you’ll be surprised by how much easier it ultimately makes the process of change that you aren’t surprised when you do encounter a difficult time!

SUMMARY:

Change requires change and if we knew how to eat intuitively for our needs, we wouldn’t be seeking out a weight loss solution.

Learning to better understand what we need is a process.

So if you’re starting out on your weight loss journey, start tracking what you’re currently doing and be ready to be a bit uncomfortable as you make those changes that build toward results!

Ready to create the healthiest version of YOUR lifestyle?

Schedule a call to chat about the program right for you!

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How To Lose Fat In ONE SECOND…

How To Lose Fat In ONE SECOND…

by | Jan 9, 2022 | Blog, Diet, Mindset

I want to show you how I went from THIS (black and white picture in video) to THIS (other picture in color in video) in ONE SECOND…

Just stop!

I’m sick of these bullshit promises that ultimately lead to frustration and that yo you dieting cycle.

I know we all want results faster, and even I fall victim to chasing shiny objects at times.

I mean we’re human, how can we not hope there is a faster, easier, better solution?

But there is no magic pill.

And so often we hold ourselves back from achieving the results we deserve because we fall victim to plans that promise to be the magic pill we are searching for.

That’s why I want to save you a ton of wasted time and effort and share with you 3 habit changes you can make to actually see the results you deserve.

3 Habits Changes To Get The Best And Fastest Results Possible:

#1: Stop Cherry Picking From Programs.

So often we pull one thing from a program to do that fits our comfort zone or meshes with what we’re currently doing.

Other changes may be scary or intimidating or feel overwhelming so often we cherry pick the one thing that is still near our comfort zone.

But results come from stepping outside our comfort zone.

And honestly, most programs work because of how the systems all work together,.

There isn’t one magic move. Magic macro ratio.

Magic single piece you can pull out that will work on its own.

And so when we ultimately get frustrated that a program isn’t working, we have to realize we didn’t do it as the whole process.

We pulled out of it what felt safe and didn’t challenge us to change.

But don’t waste your own time this year.

If you’re going to start a program, actually DO the program as the plan is outlined.

That’s the only way to truly understand if something works or not. It’s the only way to truly learn how all the systems add up and work together.

Change requires change!

And a different result requires you to do something different than you’ve always done…not force a program to conform to what is comfortable and instinctual for you currently.

#2: Stop Trying To Reinvent The Wheel. Tweak Your Current Lifestyle.

I see this all the time. People start Keto or some diet that cuts out a food they love.

They feel amazing to start and even believe this is the solution they’ve always dreamed of.

It’s that relationship infatuation stage where everything seems perfect.

But A. That phase doesn’t last for ever. And B. They don’t consider one key thing…That the changes they are creating simply aren’t really recognizing who they are and the lifestyle they will ultimately want to lead.

They love bread and, at some point, want to add it back in. Or they do enjoy happy hours out with friends.

One size doesn’t fit all, and what may be sustainable for one person, may not be sustainable for us.

It’s why we’ve got to focus on assessing our starting point, our lifestyle and make tweaks off of that.

Instead of trying to reinvent your lifestyle and cut out the things you love, find a way to create a balance. Learn how to work them in.

Learn how to tweak what you’re currently doing to see changes in a way you can actually sustain.

Because to truly see fat loss results, we don’t need to hit some arbitrary standard of “clean” and there are a variety of macro ratios that can work for us.

The key is finding something we can do consistently enough to allow results time to build.

So start with one small change that’s almost even easy to implement today.

#3: Don’t Ignore Weekly Averages.

It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day and not see the inconsistencies over the weeks and even months.

It’s easy to work super hard on one day and feel frustrated when the next day the results don’t show it.

Results snowball and consistency is what allows them to add up.

Too often we work really hard for a few days, but then don’t notice the inconsistency that is really there.

We feel like we’ve been “good all week” and ignore how much the weekend eating can really impact our calorie deficit or surplus and our macro ratio averages.

So if you’ve been struggling to feel like your hard work is paying off, take a step back and look at those weekly and monthly numbers.

Were you truly consistent with your workout progression each week and not just training extra hard inconsistently?

Were you actually hitting the macros when averaged over the week? Or were those cheat days adding up more than you realized?

We have to remember we don’t get good at what we do every once in awhile. We get good at what we do consistently.

So focus on creating sustainable changes that allow those weekly, monthly and yes, even yearly, averages to be balanced!

SUMMARY:

There is no quick fix. No one second transformation. And we need to remind ourselves to run away from any promises of one.

The real way to lasting results is to focus on little tweaks to our current lifestyle while focusing on that consistency over time!

Results take time to snowball. Give them the chance by truly implementing those systems and plan!

And no pressure, but if you need help creating and implementing the systems that lead to results, apply to my 1:1 Online Coaching. I’m a pushy trainer that loves to help!

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Why You Should STOP Counting Calories (And What To Do Instead)

Why You Should STOP Counting Calories (And What To Do Instead)

by | Jan 2, 2022 | Blog, Diet

I know you’re hoping I’m going to tell you that you can stop tracking your food, but I’m sorry…if you want the best results?

You need to accurately know what you’re consume.

And most of us are really bad at estimating portion sizes and accurately remembering what we’ve eaten. Especially when we are first making a lifestyle change.

What is measured, can be managed.

If you don’t have data, you don’t know what to adjust.

It can make you feel like nothing is working without knowing exactly what to adjust.

When you track, you can make small changes based on what you’re ACTUALLY doing instead of guessing and feeling like you’re throwing spaghetti at a wall hoping something sticks.

However, I do think that a focus solely on calories in vs calories out when we track doesn’t yield the best results nor does it teach us to properly fuel our bodies for long term success.

Trust me…I’ve been down the calorie counting road.

It left me always feeling like I was starving and constantly trying to cut calories lower when my weight loss results stalled.

It led to me constantly yo-yo dieting because I didn’t truly understand the breakdown of my food and how to create a balance and a true change.

I’d create the deficit, lose weight, then increase my calories and regain what I’d lost.

And even when I lost weight, I never achieve the body recomposition results I wanted. I’d get skinny but never look leaner.

So if you want to feel fueled while also achieving amazing body recomposition results what should you be doing instead?

You should be tracking MACROS.

Now I know you’re probably thinking, “Hold up…Isn’t that the same thing as tracking calories?”

And while yes, by dialing in your macros, you will also impact your calorie intake, it honestly isn’t the same thing at all.

Purely counting calories puts the emphasis simply on calories in vs calories out over the QUALITY of those calories.

And the learning process to actually looking at the breakdown of your food is what yields LASTING results.

It’s amazing how much the amount of proteins, carbs and fats you consume can dramatically impact how fueled you feel and the results you get FROM THE SAME CALORIE INTAKE.

And it’s because we’ve also all fallen victim to the “calories are created equal” line.

While this line is a complete oversimplification of things and I know someone’s now going to say, “Calories actually are all created equal because they are a unit of measurement so one calorie equals one calorie…

The point of that statement is that purely counting calories isn’t taking into account the impact each macro, and even our food quality overall, can have on the results we get.

And that by changing the macros of those 100 calories, we can dramatically change how we feel and our long-term adherence.

The types of foods, and macros we consume impact how full we feel, but they can also impact our performance, recovery and overall hormonal balance.

Increasing your protein intake can increase satiety and help you feel fuller between meals.

And whether you’re plant based or an omnivore, increasing your protein is a key place to start.

Not only can it help keep you feeling fuller, but by increasing your protein you can help yourself build and retain lean muscle even while losing fat.

So if you’ve ever been told you can’t lose fat as you build muscle?

That’s just not the case. It’s just a process that requires us to be patient and track…something we don’t like to do.

And while I know carbs are often demonized in our current dieting world where Keto is all the rage, simply cutting carbs for some may not only hold them back from achieving the aesthetic results they want, as carbs can create an anabolic environment ideal for muscle growth, but also negatively impact their performance.

If you’re trying to train for an endurance sport while also trying to lose fat, you want to be conscious of the macros you’re consuming to make sure to get adequate protein to protect your lean muscle mass, as endurance training can be catabolic to muscle tissue, while also getting enough carbs for that instant fuel to perform.

Simply treating a calorie as a calorie could be why you always feel like you’re starving when training while also not losing any weight!

And simply treating all calories as if they are equal also ignores the differing thermic impact of not only each macro but also of processed vs unprocessed calories.

Each macro requires a different amount of energy to be digested and utilized, which isn’t taken into account when we just focus on calories in vs calories out.

Studies have shown protein actually has a thermogenic effect 5 times greater than carbs or fat!

Protein takes the most energy to digest with about 20-30% of the total calories in protein eaten going to digesting it. Then carbs take about 5-10% while fats take 0-3%.

That’s why you can feel so different on the same calorie intake based on the macros you’re consuming!

And then even how you dial in those macros can make a difference.

I know we all see those crazy food concoctions with hashtags about “if it fits your macros” and I’m a big believer in finding balance and working in those foods I love that I know aren’t as healthy for me because it helps me create a sustainable lifestyle balance right for me…

BUT when you track macros, while nothing is off limits, you’ll also find that often your food quality improves.

Not only are you able to include a diversity of foods to get vitamins and minerals from a variety of sources instead of following a restrictive list that can often come with a focus on “clean eating,” but you really aren’t able to just eat crap and hit your ratios.

While those posts may show crazy foods people work in, what you aren’t seeing is that lean protein and veggie meal they’re also eating to make it work.

And that balance not only allows for long-term adherence but can help you slowly focus more and more on whole natural foods even if your diet isn’t as focused on them currently.

By including more whole natural foods in your diet, you’ll consume more nutrient dense foods which will not only benefit you health wise, but also make you feel fuller.

Processed foods because of the caloric density easily lead to overeating. Not to mention because they are hyperpatable you tend to just want…well…more of them even when you ARE full.

Not to mention, processed foods have a lower thermic effect.

A study which actually just used two basic cheese sandwiches, showed that by simply even using a more natural cheese and whole grain bread made a difference in the thermic effect.

So even if these sandwiches both have the same technical calorie intake, because one has a higher thermic effect, your ultimate energy balance will be different.

SUMMARY:

This is why we can’t just focus on calories in vs calories out but instead need to track our macros!

You may be surprised by how changing up your macros, without even adjusting your calories to start, can get you moving forward to feeling fueled while achieving the lean, strong body you’ve always wanted.

And by taking the time to truly learn about the make up of your foods, you’ll be able to adjust over time as your needs and goals change.

Because maintaining your results can’t mean just going back to what you were doing before!

Learn More…

–> The ULTIMATE Guide To Macros…