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Why You’re Not Losing Weight (3 Mistakes You Might Be Making)

Why You’re Not Losing Weight (3 Mistakes You Might Be Making)

by | Mar 4, 2021 | Blog, Diet

“I’m eating so clean and training hard every day. Why am I not losing weight?”

There is nothing more frustrating than feeling like you’re working super hard and doing all of the “right” things but not getting the results you deserve.

It can make you feel like something is wrong with you.

But often it is very SIMPLE habit changes, those boring basics, that make the difference.

Too often we overcomplicate things in our search for a quick fix, instead of dialing in the fundamentals first.

We get focused on doing more and working HARDER over simply working smarter.

That’s why I want to share the 3 most common reasons people don’t see the weight loss results they want and how to correct them.

But first, I also want to discuss why you don’t want to let the scale dictate how you view your results.

The scale doesn’t tell us the full story.

It tells us how much we weigh on any given day at any given time.

But our weight isn’t just muscle and fat.

It’s glycogen and water storage.

It’s impacted by inflammation and food still left to be processed and disposed of.

The scale will fluctuate daily, not to mention even hourly.

While I know we can often want to see a specific number on the scale, we have to remember that the scale doesn’t really show us the full picture.

And often striving for faster weight loss on the scale will backfire.

The scale is a very poor indicator of body recomposition.

Your weight could stay the same while amazing body recomposition results are happening.

If you lose a pound of fat, but even gain 2lbs of muscle?

Guess what?

You could end up looking leaner BUT actually even see your weight increase.

Because as much as we say “I want to lose weight” what we really want is to lose fat.

And the scale as a data source for fat loss is very limited

So even if you are trying to lose weight, consider another form of measurement to help you truly track your body recomposition – whether it is a form of body fat testing, progress picture or even body measurements.

Now…What Are The 3 Most Common Reasons We Aren’t Seeing Results?

Often we need to focus on those BASICS and dial in those fundamentals first.

While they aren’t sexy or fun, they are often the reasons we succeed or fail!

Supplements, fancy moves may be the things we want to focus on, but we have to remember that what we measure, can be MANAGED!

If you don’t have a clear picture of what you’re doing, a clear plan in place? You can’t make accurate changes to your routine.

Reason #1: You’re Not Tracking And Measuring

I know I know…tracking sucks.

It’s boring and tedious and no one likes doing it.

But it gives us an unbiased picture of what we are truly doing so that we can adjust.

It’s a great learning tool to truly understand how to best fuel your body so your calories and macros are dialed in specifically to YOUR needs.

Because….

1. We are often very bad at estimating our own portion sizes, no matter how good we think we are at it.

And 2. You can still overeat healthy foods. It’s why you may be eating clean and NOT seeing results.

It’s easy when you’re hungry or simply even WANT the food to end up letting that portion size get a bit bigger.

I don’t know about you, but a tbsp of peanut butter gets exponentially bigger depending on how much I want it that day or even what I’m putting it on.

And with calorically dense foods like that, it’s easy for those calories to add up each day, not to mention over the week and throw us out of the deficit we need to see for results.

Not to mention, those calories can distort the macros we are actually hitting that day, which can dramatically impact our results.

And if you’re a snacker?

It’s easy to end up letting a snack or two here or there become 3 or 4 and add up to more calories throughout the day than we realize.

It’s why tracking not only holds us accountable, but measuring gives us an accurate picture of what is going on so we know what to change.

You may not do it long term. But why not set yourself up to truly understand your diet by having a clear picture of what you’re consuming so you CAN get better results without having to do more?

Reason #2: You’re Focused On Doing More

When we do more, we feel more in control of our progress.

We feel like we can speed up our results.

But doing more can often backfire.

It can lead to burn out.

Extra frustration because we are pushing so hard yet NOT seeing the results we want.

The simple fact is we simply can’t out exercise or out diet time.

And the more we try to? The more we often create habits that aren’t sustainable that we can’t be consistent with.

Too often we overestimate how much we can accomplish short term while underestimating what we can accomplish long term.

Not to mention, those fast fad results we sometimes do see happening?

Well those seemingly amazing results are often why we get caught in the same annoying weight loss cycle…losing and regaining the same weight over and over again.

We slash our calories ridiculously low as we add in extra cardio and spend hours in the gym.

We may then see a huge initial drop of 5lbs in those first few days or even the first week.

But guess what? That isn’t all fat that we lost.

It’s water weight. Glycogen depletion. Maybe a pound of fat.

BUT also a pound of muscle.

So while it may feel satisfying, it won’t keep up. Or we have to keep doing more and more in an attempt to keep the results rolling in as quickly.

And in our attempt to see those faster drops on the scale, we end up sacrificing muscle not to mention create metabolic adaptations and hormonal imbalances that hold us back.

We create issues that end up backfiring and we’ve built habits that are unsustainable.

So what happens?

All that doing more leads to us regaining the weight we worked so hard to lose. And often, we end up worse off because, when we regain the weight?

We aren’t regaining muscle.

So the next time we attempt to lose weight? The process may feel even more hopeless.

This is why we need to stop doing more and instead create a plan that is truly realistic for our lifestyle.

There is no perfect workout schedule. No one perfect diet.

The key is making small changes and doing something that truly fits the time we have.

If you only have 3 days a week to workout? Start with that schedule and design workouts that fit that routine.

If you’ve never tracked your food before? Just start by logging without other changes.

These small swaps allow you to build momentum and truly make lasting changes.

Reason #3: You’re Not Focusing On Strength Training

Yes, for weight loss diet is key.

I don’t think there is anyone at this time who hasn’t heard the phrase “Abs are made in the kitchen.”

But so often we don’t dial in our workouts in a way that truly complements our nutritional plan and works toward lasting results.

Most of the time when someone says they want to lose weight, they also say they plan to add in more cardio.

And this association between cardio and weight loss arose because often cardio workouts do burn more calories per session than strength workouts.

But thinking of our workouts only as a chance to burn more calories is really not utilizing them to maximize our results.

We also have to remember our body adapts.

It’s why we get stronger. Why we can run faster and ride further.

But because of these adaptions, we don’t continue to burn as many calories from our steady state cardio training sessions as we did to start.

It’s why we can feel like we just need to keep doing more.

It can also lead to us trying to out exercise our diet to create a great calorie deficit.

Instead we need to see our workouts as not only a chance to burn more calories but as an opportunity to keep our overall body healthy and avoid metabolic adaptations.

If you want to look leaner? You want to build muscle.

That’s why strength workouts are so key.

If you want to avoid more metabolic adaptations and burn more calories at rest?

You want to include strength workouts to build muscle.

So while you can and should include cardio training if you enjoy it, and for your overall wellness, we need to stop turning to cardio for weight loss.

Focus on lifting heavy and challenging your body through heavier loads and more advanced movements! Make more out of less time so you can even create a routine that is sustainable long term!

SUMMARY:

If we want to see amazing weight loss results, you can’t ignore the basics.

Stop spinning your wheels just trying to do more.

Instead think of how you can do less and get better results.

Start tracking and logging as you focus on creating a sustainable routine that includes strength training.

The BEST results happen when our diet and our workouts WORK TOGETHER!

Learn to eat and train according to YOUR needs and goals:

–> Macro Hacks 

Why You SHOULDN’T Eat Clean – Do This Instead!

Why You SHOULDN’T Eat Clean – Do This Instead!

by | Feb 19, 2021 | Blog, Diet

“This guy lost 27lbs on the Twinkie diet.”

“I read about this person who ate only junk food for 30 days and lost like 11lbs!”

“This guy lost 56lbs in 6 months just eating McDonalds!”

Isn’t that to some extent what we all want? To eat whatever we want and see fabulous weight loss results?!

Heck yes!

But is this all a hoax?

Some magic pill scam?

Don’t you have to eat CLEAN if you want to see results?

Before I dive into why I think the “eat clean” principle is actually holding you back from the long-term weight loss and fat loss results you want, I want to talk about what “eating clean” really means…

That’s actually the main problem with the idea of eating clean….

It doesn’t really doesn’t have one single definition.

Sure in general it means “whole, natural foods” but it doesn’t really stop there.

For some it means avoiding grains. For others dairy. For some it means cutting out fruit or specific types of vegetables or protein sources…

Honestly if you went down the rabbit hole of all of the things out there that people have labeled as “dirty” or “bad,” you wouldn’t be able to eat ANYTHING – you’d be looking at well…water.

I think that’s the only thing agreed upon that is clean.

I also think that forcing arbitrary standards of what is clean, because there really is no one size fits all proven list, is slightly a cop out way to get people results instead of taking the time to TEACH them a balance or how to create a healthier version of THEIR lifestyle.

Let’s face it, most diet plans don’t really care if you fall off and have to start another program in another 6 weeks when you’ve not been able to sustain the restrictive standards.

So while the idea behind “clean eating” of trying to get us to focus on more whole, natural foods is a good one, I think we need to stop this focus on labeling foods as “clean” or “dirty” if we truly want to create a lifestyle.

I think this focus on eating clean is often what actually SABOTAGES our results.

How can a focus on clean eating sabotage our progress?

The second you start making foods off limits and labeling them as bad?

That’s often the second you not only want them MORE, but you also start feeling GUILTY for simply enjoying something you love.

It’s like if I told you not to think about a delicious, vanilla frosted, sprinkled with chocolate, marshmallow filled rice krispy treat right now….

What happens?

All you can now think about is a freaking amazing rice krispy treat! Even though you hadn’t even been thinking about rice krispy treats before!

This is exactly what happens when we start creating these clean eating food restrictions and labeling foods in a way that makes some “good” and some “bad.”

These labels create far more stress around food than there needs to be. It creates the feelings of deprivation and even of guilt.

It makes dieting so much more confusing than it needs to be because no one agrees.

It can even make us feel paralyzed about taking action because who the heck is right?!

Honestly the stress over eating clean is what leads to yo-yo dieting and us becoming frustrated that we work so hard never to truly see the results we want.

The more you stress over cutting things out and avoiding things on the bad list?

The more you are likely to at some point give way to the pressure.

And when you do it isn’t even the simple overindulgence in calories or incorrect macro ratios that lead to problems…

It’s the fact that we beat ourselves up and feel BAD.

This guilt leads to us often throwing up our hands in frustration at ourselves and our lack of willpower so that we end up eating foods on that bad list in excess for multiple days after.

Basically it’s like we got a flat tire, but instead of fixing it or calling for help to get it sorted so we could be on our way? We decided to slash the other three.

Which ultimately only makes the situation worse!

This is what leads to us not only regaining the weight we’d previous lost, but potentially ending up worse off and fatter than where we’d started.

Actually yo-yo dieting like this is what can make any following attempts to lose weight even HARDER.

Not to mention when we do search for the next “best diet,” we fall right back into the same clean eating trap….just with a new set of arbitrary restrictions.

We need to stop assigning a moral value to foods.

So what should you do instead if you want the best possible weight loss and fat loss results?

The simple answer that no one wants to hear because it’s incredibly unsexy?

You need to focus on balance, consistency and a healthier version of YOUR personal lifestyle.

3 Tips To Create LASTING Diet Changes

Here are 3 tips to help you create lasting changes to your diet and actually see better weight loss and fat loss results long term….

Tip #1: Focus On YOUR Lifestyle.

If you’re currently drinking Frappuccinos and eating burgers and french fries and pizza every day?

Following some clean eating guidelines that only allow you chicken, broccoli and brown rice isn’t going to be sustainable for more than a few days…if even a few hours.

So no matter how healthy it may be touted to be?

You’re just not going to stick with it.

It’s too much all at once.

Change alone is hard.

And while we all know that results happen outside of our comfort zone, sometimes it’s key we take just one small step forward at a time.

Instead of cutting out all of the foods we love, why not add in a side of veggies with our pizza. Why not try a smaller sized Frappuccino. Why not bake french fries and grill burgers at home instead of going out to get them?

These changes may seem small, but they are tweaks to build momentum in a sustainable way.

They get the ball rolling so we can see progress and WANT to make other changes instead of feeling restricted and deprived and FORCED into things too quickly.

Tip #2: Put Macros First.

The simple fact is, you can eat foods completely devoid of nutritional value and see weight loss, and even fat loss, results, especially if you dial in your macros and focus on protein.

Do I recommend this? NOPE!

And as much as your brain may be screaming at you about all of the evils of processed foods, if including some helps you hit your macros so you can see results and stay motivated to keep making changes?

It may be what you need to get started!

By dialing in your macros, you can achieve amazing body recomposition without having to hit some arbitrary standard of clean.

There was also an interesting study done that actually showed that a focus on macros may even help your micronutrient intake. (*)

Clean eating can actually become so restrictive we aren’t meeting our micronutrient intake or getting the nutrients we need from a diversity of sources.

By instead focusing on macros, we can enjoy a diversity of foods while making sure our nutrition matches our needs and goals in a sustainable way.

No food is technically off limits, BUT we have clear guidelines of what we need to achieve aesthetic results.

Now if you’re thinking about all of those delicious looking oozey, gooey macro creations we see posted on instagram and wondering how they can possibly eat that while hitting their macros?

This is where that BALANCE comes in. That is just one meal in a day where the person also probably had a lean protein and veggie based meal.

Most of the time to indulge in something not as healthy, there has to be a balance with other meals that are more nutrient dense.

But that’s why a focus on an overall macro breakdown for the day can help us create the sustainable balance of indulging and whole natural foods right for us!

Tip #3: Add In And Swap!

By focusing on macros, you aren’t making any specific food off limits.

You can even make tweaks to current recipes and meals you love!

To hit those ratios and create a healthier version of your lifestyle, focus less on cutting things out and more on what you can add in or swap slightly to make the changes.

To increase your protein? Add in an extra ounce of protein to your quesadilla to hit your macros instead of cutting out the quesadilla.

Or make swaps to meals you love that allow you to still enjoy the dish.

Try a whole grain bread over a white bread on a sandwich. Or maybe even change it to a whole grain wrap!

And if you can’t stomach the idea of not having your favorite bread?

Start by eating a half sandwich, half salad for lunch so you’re still getting the foods you enjoy but with the added nutritional benefit of a nutrient dense side to hit your macros.

While yes, by default you will cut things out, this helps create a mental shift in how you approach your diet, making you focus less on restricting and more on creating a balance!

Small changes go a long way!

SUMMARY:

Most of us don’t need to hit some arbitrary and restrictive standards of clean eating to get results.

And trying to do so?

Well, it often holds us back from not only making a change in the first place, but from actually seeing any sort of sustainable results long term.

Ready to create a healthier version of your lifestyle and achieve fabulous results you know how to MAINTAIN LONG-TERM?!

Check out my 3-Step Recipe For Results!

(*)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29140151

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

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

by | Jan 30, 2021 | Blog, Diet

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

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

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

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

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

But if it sounds too good to be true?

Guess what, it is!

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

There are no magic fat loss foods.

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

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

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

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

And fat loss requires consistency with your plan!

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

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

KEY FACTORS FOR CREATING YOUR MEAL PLAN:

#1: Create a smaller calorie deficit.

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

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

It can lead to hormonal issues and quicker metabolic adaptations.

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

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

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

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

#2: Focus on protein first.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#4: Plan in foods you love.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Typical Day Of Eating:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pre-Workout:

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

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

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

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

Meal #1 (Post workout):

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

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

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

Meal #2 (Lunch):

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

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

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

lazy chicken cookbook

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

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

Meal #3 (Dinner):

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

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

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

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

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

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

fish meal prep

Meal #4 (Dessert):

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

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

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

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

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

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

CLOSING THOUGHTS:

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

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

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

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

STUDIES:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Curious About Counting Macros, But Scared? This Is How To Start!

Curious About Counting Macros, But Scared? This Is How To Start!

by | Dec 6, 2019 | Blog, Diet

What gets measured, gets managed.

Our diet is the exact same way.

If we know what we are truly eating, we can make the adjustments we need to create change.

If we don’t know what we are ACTUALLY eating, we may be making random changes that lead…well…nowhere.

Too often we set all of these restrictions and create these extreme diets depriving ourselves of all of the foods we love, only to NOT achieve the results we want, especially not long term!

And all too often when we arbitrarily restrict things, we can’t maintain those restrictions so end up stuck back in that horrible yo-yo dieting cycle.

If you’re sick of not getting the results you want, of not knowing what is or isn’t working, you’ve got to start Counting Macros!

Here are 4 Tips To Help Make Getting Started Counting Macros Less Intimidating!

(And if you are looking for a program to help you get started, check out my Metabolic Shred. It has 3 different macros methods to help you ease in to tracking or even transition from tracking to more of a lifestyle balance!)

4 Macro Hacks:

Just a quick recap of macros…Macros or macronutrients are proteins, carbs and fat.

How much of each macro we consume can affect the results we get from our diet.

It’s why you can feel like you’re eating “healthy” and not seeing the aesthetic changes you’d like.

By simply adjusting the amount of protein, carbs and fat you consume, you can help yourself get better weight loss or fat loss results or even build muscle.

By dialing in your macro ratios, you can also fuel yourself better for your endurance races and avoid the dreaded weight gain often associated with menopause.

But all of this means making a change to your diet.

And change…well…sucks.

So here are 4 tips to make that change easier so you can get the lean, strong body you’ve always wanted!

#1: DON’T Start By Cutting Out The Foods You Love

 

 

 

 

 

(You don’t need to “run away” from the foods you love!)

Often the thing we love the most is also the worst for us.

That salty snack. Or sweet treat.

And knowing that thing is the worst for us, it is also often the thing we cut out FIRST.

But this restriction backfires on us all too quickly.

It makes us feels deprived and often leads to us becoming even more focused on what we CAN’T have.

So when you’re first starting to track macros, do NOT cut out the foods you love the most first.

Honestly, plan AROUND those treats to start.

Yea sure…you’d like to cut out some of the crap and eat only whole, natural foods. But small steps to get there helps us create lasting habits.

So don’t start by first cutting out the foods you love most.

Adjust other meals so you don’t feel deprived and can strike a balance!

Start by planning in those “treats” first and build your meals around them to hit your ratios.

#2: “Practice” – Build A Solid The Foundation

The best way to get better at something?

PRACTICE!

So as you get started tracking and logging with specific ratios in mind, see it as “practice.”

It sounds weird because really practicing is just doing it, BUT sometimes having the mentality that we are just “practicing” before officially “starting” can help us jump in and make the changes easier.

It often allows us to be more “forgiving” of mistakes because…well…we expect mistakes when we are just first learning and practicing!

Even if you don’t set a specific ratio but just start by LOGGING to see where you are currently at, you’ll be practicing that habit of tracking. Which can then make other changes easier since you won’t also be mastering the act of logging itself.

Log what you’re currently doing and make small changes based off of that instead of feeling like you have to go from 0-60 all at once.

Set small daily goals so you can consistently work to move forward.

Build a foundation and tweak from there!

Too often we try to jump into these massive changes when really small tweaks over time to what we are currently doing will add up enough to get results.

And smaller adjustments make change easier. Because, let’s face it, most of us don’t like change. The idea of it can even be so intimidating we never actually start!

So focus on small adjustments based on what you’re currently doing and be patient with yourself as you learn! Remember, at the start you are just “practicing!”

#3: Stop Giving Yourself The Excuse That Tracking Is “Annoying” Or “Restrictive.”

food tracking

One of the biggest “hold ups” people have when it comes to counting macros is they don’t want to track.

They tell me it’s annoying. Boring. Tedious. And well…restrictive.

But there are lots of “necessary evils” we have to do daily to get results.

I mean do you really want to wake up with an alarm?

No. You don’t. But it’s the best and most effective and efficient way to GUARANTEE you wake up on time.

That’s the same reason you track.

If you want to GUARANTEE you’re eating the correct portions to match your goals, you need to track.

Because eating intuitively “works” until we “intuitively” want to eat more out of stress or because it tastes good or because the portion at a restaurant is so large eating less than the full thing is still too much!

Honestly, “intuitive eating” is learned…and it’s learned through first logging and tracking to understand what our portions really should be!

Anyway….like any change, you get used to tracking and even become BETTER at it the more you do it.

It becomes more “natural.”

It’s also really about changing our MINDSET toward the activity over even the activity itself.

I’ve had clients say to me, “It seems so restrictive to weigh and measure everything. It seems so restrictive to judge everything that goes into my mouth.”

That again is a mindset shift you have to make.

If you want a recipe to turn out the first time you make it, you measure everything you put in, right?

That is all you’re doing with your tracking.

You’re measuring the ingredients you’re adding so diet turns out the way you want it to.

AND if you create that “recipe” and save it in your food log to enter again later, it won’t be as much of a process the next time you eat that dish!

Logging and tracking isn’t judgement. It’s a way to guide yourself.

Just like we log our workouts, the weights we lift, the reps we do, the lengths or our runs and the times of our rides so we can improve upon them and even adjust them, we need to log our food to see how it impacts our training and our results.

YOU are the one judging yourself when you log – not the tracker.

So start by just even logging what you’re currently doing and adapt from there.

AND if you find it stressful logging as you go, plan out a day ahead of time.

That way you aren’t judging what you’re eating, but actually supplying yourself with a meal plan to guide yourself!

#4: Accept There Will Be Times You’re Less Dedicated

Starting out, you think you’re going to be super motivated forever because you’re motivated at the moment.

But motivation fades oh so quickly.

It’s why you want to take advantage of it when it happens. It’s why if you’re motivated you should put a plan in place now!

(Hence me putting a link here to my Metabolic Shred to help you right NOW…HINT HINT…hehe)

And once the motivation fades, all too often, because we’ve been “winging it” we fall off our plan.

Or even if we have a plan in place, we “slip up.”

But we have to stop seeing those “slip ups” as failures.

We have to remember the road to results is NOT a straight line.

You will not always be as motivated and focused on your goals.

And it’s ok to admit that sometimes, well, you just DON’T care as much and you can’t force yourself to.

I think it is key that we accept that there will be ups and downs and times we are naturally not going to be as dedicated.

When we can accept that, we can also find a balance.

Because even when we aren’t as dedicated to press forward, we don’t have to LOSE progress. We can still be CONSISTENT!

For those times you aren’t as dedicated, focus on the basics.

Go to a ratio you enjoy the most that is easiest to hit. Focus on just hitting your protein.

Or even just focus on logging to stay accountable.

I know it seems strange to mention this when you’re just starting out, but I like people to go into changes with their eyes wide open.

This even applies when we are first starting out because that initial motivation can fade quickly – especially if the change feels overwhelming.

So start small and find simple habits you can stick to even during those times you aren’t as motivated.

Accepting and recognizing that everyone goes through ups and down is key!

So if you’re considering starting to count your macros, use these 4 tips to make those changes easier and start getting results!

And if you need guidance to help you TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR DIET, check out my Metabolic Shred!

Why Macros Matter MORE!

Why Macros Matter MORE!

by | Jul 26, 2019 | Blog, Diet

We need to stop saying that losing weight or gaining muscle is simply about calories in vs calories out.

Because that deficit or surplus we create, and the results we get from it, can be DRAMATICALLY impacted by the make up of our foods – by the macros.

Before you start arguing against this, take a second to be open and read the argument.

Also, start to think about it this way…

Yes, do you need to eat less than you expend to lose weight?

Yup.

Do you need to eat more than you expend to gain?

Yup.

But saying that calories should be the focus over macros is like saying, “SURE! You have no idea what you are doing, but you can go deadlift heavy weight. I mean if you can pick it up, it must be fine, right? Who cares about form!”

You would NEVER say that!

Because you know that while you may be able to lift it, it’s a sure-fired way to end up injured and NOT getting the results you want, even if you might see immediate benefits just from doing some sort of work out.

Saying that someone only needs to pay attention to calories is the same thing!

Maybe you’ll see some immediate results, but you’re basically setting yourself up for failure.

That’s why MACROS should be your primary focus.

And through focusing on macros, you’ll find so many other pieces of the puzzle, including your caloric intake, fall into place.

There are 3 reasons I think macros matter more than focusing on only the calories in vs. calories out…

And all 3 reasons relate back to the fact that a calorie isn’t really simply just a calorie…from how our body uses it to how we feel eating it.

A calorie isn’t simply a calorie because…

  1. Consuming the “right” foods requires more energy.
  2. A calorie deficit leads to weight loss, macros lead to lasting body recomposition.
  3. Macros can help you avoid weight loss plateaus and help you avoid dramatic weight rebounding after dieting.

Now let me break down why these 3 things matter and just all of the reasons why you should make your primary focus on macros over just your calorie intake.

#1: Foods have different thermic effects and require different amounts of energy to be used by the body.

Have you ever heard that celery is “negative” calories?

It’s because celery requires more energy to break down and use than it contains.

Now I’m not telling you to just go eat a ton of celery, but the point is…

Different foods require different amounts of energy to be processed and used by our body!

The more energy that is required to break down and use the foods we eat, the fewer net calories you are really going to end up truly consuming from those foods.

On average people use about 10% of their daily energy expenditure processing food BUT this number can dramatically differ based on the ratio of each macronutrient you consume.

Because each macro has a different thermic effect! (1)

Protein actually has the highest thermic effect at about 20-30% (meaning about 20-30% of the calories are used to digest the food).

While carbs have a thermic effect of about 5-10% and fats 0-3%.

You can see why adjusting the macronutrient breakdown you consume could now dramatically impact how many calories you should be consuming overall.

Researchers have even proposed we change protein from 4 calories per gram to 3.2 calories per gram because the thermic effect is so great. (Carbs are 4 calories per gram and fats 9 calories per gram.) (2)

Not to mention, studies of higher protein diets have even shown that when people consumed a hypercaloric diet, aka not only did they NOT eat in a deficit but they actually ate in a SURPLUS, they did not gain body fat.

So eating higher protein kept them from gaining weight even when eating 800 calories more than the lower protein group! (3)

Still think a calorie is just a calorie!?

This could mean if you ate higher protein, you may need to create what seems to be a “smaller” deficit and get better results than if you cut calories lower!

Plus, when you adjust our macro break downs, we also often dial in the QUALITY of our foods.

I know it’s become popular to see meals that “fit your macros” that aren’t so healthy, BUT what you often aren’t seeing is the veggie and protein meals being eaten to allow those people to then fit those treat meals in.

There is a balance going on there (that social media doesn’t always show). And this balance is key to getting lasting results with something that can become a lifestyle.

So by focusing on macros, often the quality of the foods you consume, in order to hit those ratios, also changes.

(Again why I think macros should be the first thing you focus on as other things will fall in line with them.)

The point is…the quality of your food ALSO matters!

Because whole, natural foods have a higher thermic effect than processed foods! (4)

Even something as simple as a more natural bread and a more natural cheese over more processed bread and cheese can make a difference (as shown by the study linked out in the (4) reference).

So even just based on this little bit…You can see that a calorie is NOT simply a calorie!

#2: Calorie deficits can lead to weight loss, but macros lead to lasting and SUSTAINABLE body recomposition.

I managed to maintain a healthy weight by counting calories. But macros changed my physique!

Most of us may say we want to “lose weight” but we don’t just want to lose weight truly…we want to lose FAT.

If you simply cut calories, you may lose weight. But that weight lost on the scale is more than likely not just going to be fat – it’s going to be muscle as well.

And while some muscle loss is to be expected when you lose weight, especially when if you have 50+ pounds to lose, or you cutting for a shoot or competition, you can minimize the amount of lean body mass lost by dialing in your macro ratios (specifically increasing your protein)! (5)

By focusing on protein, you can not only minimize muscle loss, BUT even GAIN muscle while in a deficit.

No way, right!?

Most of us have been told it isn’t possible to lose fat and gain muscle at once.

We’ve been told we need to pick one or the other.

And it’s because most of us have been told weight loss is simply about calories in vs. calories out.

Sure if you just count calories, it will be near impossible to do both.

But that’s why focusing on macros FIRST is key because then you CAN lose fat and gain muscle by including higher protein macro break downs! (6)

And not only can a diet higher in protein help you retain, and even gain, lean muscle while losing fat, but it can help increase adherence and even potentially improve your diet’s effectiveness.

Most of us want to lose weight and KEEP the weight off.

And part of doing that is finding something that doesn’t make us feel like we are starving all of the time.

A diet that keeps us feeling full and satisfied is going to be easier to stick with long term. And a diet higher in protein does just that!

(And I’m not just talking animal protein here…even vegans and vegetarians can increase their protein intake to improve their results!)

Not to mention, by focusing on macros in general, you’ll also often dial in the quality of your foods as I mentioned before.

Those more whole, natural foods will also help you fuel your body better to stay fuller feeling for longer!

If we give our body the nutrition it needs, guess what will happen?

It’s going to run better and function more optimally, which will only help us reach our goals more easily!

Also, by focusing on macros, you can make sure you get the carbs and fat you need to keep your hormones at optimal levels.

And by focusing on protein you can also keep yourself feeling fuller for longer while keeping your metabolism “healthy.” (7)

Many of us have heard that crash dieting can “hurt” our metabolism.

And while yes, extreme calorie deprivation will slow our metabolic rate, along with weight loss in general, this isn’t a permanent thing necessarily.

If you weigh less, and have less muscle, your body needs to use less energy.

Plus, when your body thinks it is “starving” it’s going to do all it can to conserve energy.

Both things result in a slowed metabolic rate.

And this is why balancing those macros can be so important over just counting calories.

When you focus on protein, you can prevent muscle mass loss to keep your metabolic rate higher AS you lose weight.

The higher protein, and macro focus, not only helps make the weight loss process easier, BUT it will also help you KEEP the weight off.

Because then as you start to adjust your calories to more of a maintenance mode range, you have the lean muscle mass on to keep you burning more calories even at rest.

You’ve set yourself up for long term success.

If you’d just focused on calories instead of macros to lose weight, when you actually hit your goal weight, you may find it is much more difficult to MAINTAIN your weight loss results!

It isn’t as simple as now just eating more because you want to MAINTAIN.

The idea that calories matter most may help us lose weight or gain it…BUT it most leads to a cycle where we are constantly yo-yoing between those two things over maintaining the results we’ve gotten.

Because it doesn’t truly teach us how to find that balance nor set us up with an ideal body composition to maintain progress!

#3: Macros can help you avoid weight loss plateaus and help you avoid dramatic weight rebounding after dieting.

Your weight loss has slowed.

So what do you do?

Either A. You give up. Or B. You try cutting calories even lower.

However, simply creating a bigger calorie deficit doesn’t always work.

And it can actually even BACKFIRE.

Ever feel like you’re barely eating anything, and are in a huge calorie deficit only to have the scale actually GO UP?

YUP…It can happen.

And this is due to many of the factors I’ve mentioned earlier.

But basically…

Your body simply is no longer burning as many calories at rest because not only have you lost muscle mass, which burns more calories at rest, but your body even “gears down” in response to the decrease in energy coming in.

You will tend not to fidget as much. Or be as active. Your workouts may even suffer.

Basically, you’re expending less so even as you increase your calorie deficit, aka cut your calories lower, that deficit may not be as big as you actually think and your body may be rebelling against further restriction.

So what happens?

The scale goes up?

And with more and more restriction often we mess with our hormone levels more and more.

This then makes our bodies scream at us to eat more, which often leads to the horrible yo-yo dieting cycle.

So how can you avoid all of this?

Guess what I’m going to say you should focus on instead?

MACROS!

If instead of cutting your calories LOWER when you hit that plateau, you simply adjusted your macro ratios, you may “kickstart” your progress again.

Our bodies adapt to what we give them.

So if we slightly adjust our energy sources, we can often avoid that adaptation and keep our results progressing.

And we don’t need to cut calories lower to do this, which can help us preserve that lean muscle mass and keep our hormones at optimal levels.

Even if you’re focusing on protein, you may adjust carbs or fats up or down to help ensure your body is functioning optimally.

Simply adding 5% to one macro, without any calorie change, can kickstart your progress, help you avoid weight loss plateaus, AND keep your metabolism “healthy” while preserving your lean muscle mass.

And you can include these variations in ratios each week or even over the course of weeks, depending on how complicated you want to make things or even on how experienced you are with macronutrients and tracking.

With Macro Cycling, I have clients adjust every 2 weeks to not only keep things “fresh” mentally, but also help them avoid plateaus and keep their bodies functioning optimally (while also not overcomplicating things with multiple ratios in a single week).

They point is, by focusing on macros over simply counting calories, you can see better and faster results and even more easily avoid those weight loss plateaus.

Now…let’s just say, you did hit that plateau and did instead decide to cut calories further instead of focusing on your macros.

Let’s even say you saw some progress on the scale after you cut calories lower.

The question is…what will end up being the cost of this even more extreme deficit?

The cost of this deficit may be more lean muscle mass lost as your body uses anything it can to fuel your activity.

So while you may see the scale continue to go down, it won’t be only body fat you’re losing.

And this reduction in lean muscle mass can result in an even lowered metabolic rate as well as hormone levels that are all out of “whack.”

Our body can begin to believe it is “starving” and it will scream at us to eat…and even actually OVEReat.

So then what happens?

We gain back all of the weight we lost and, unfortunately, often even more.

And not only do we regain the weight, but our body composition may even end up worse off than where it started!

Yup…we may end up with even more fat mass and even less muscle mass than BEFORE we dieted.

How is that possible?

Well, when we lost weight, especially because we didn’t focus on macros to maximize lean muscle mass retention, we also lost muscle.

We catabolized our muscle tissue potentially even more by eating too little.

So then when we overeat and the scale goes back up, it isn’t going up because we’re gaining muscle….

Nope…We’re just regain fat.

That muscle mass we lost during the diet is gone.

So our body composition may end up worse than where we started.

This yo-yo dieting cycle is what also leads to us feeling like our metabolism is “damaged.”

Because we have less lean muscle mass, we’re going to burn fewer calories at rest.

And it does take some time for hormone levels to normalize and our body to realize it no longer has to try to conserve energy.

All of this can make the process of trying to lose weight again even more difficult!

It can be why it seems like each time you start a new diet the process of losing gets more and more difficult!

It’s again why you can’t just focus on calories in vs. calories out!

So…to sum things up….

A calorie isn’t simply a calorie. And the calorie intake you need can be DRAMATICALLY impacted by the macro ratio you use.

It’s why if you focus on macros first, the calorie deficit or surplus you need will be created in a way that will lead to not only BETTER, but LASTING RESULTS!

Whatever your goals…whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, get lean, fuel your training OR even avoid the dreaded weight gain often associated with menopause, MACROS MATTER!

And my Metabolic Shred is here to help!

References:

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC524030/

(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11299073

(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4022420/

(4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20613890

(5) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19927027

(6) https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/103/3/738/4564609

(7) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23107521

Chocolate Greek Yogurt Ice Cream

Chocolate Greek Yogurt Ice Cream

by | May 31, 2019 | Blog, Diet, Recipes

I have mixed feelings about eating “healthier” alternatives to the treats we love and sometimes crave.

I think it is important we know when we need those macro-friendly versions to keep us on track and even when it is simply better to indulge in the real thing.

And I will personally do both, depending on the situation and even the specific craving.

Because we can find a balance between indulging and staying on track toward our goals. What that balance is though, will be unique for each of us!

Like I LOVE dessert.

Do I need a sweet treat at the end of the night?

No.

But do I want one?

HECK YES!

And especially as the weather warms up, my cravings for ice cream increase.

But I know if I get a pint of…well…anything…that whole pint will be gone.

And then I’ll feel crappy and won’t sleep well from the sugar and have a crappy workout the next day.

Now, sometimes, despite the fact I know this will happen, I still indulge and enjoy. (Balance, right!?)

BUT often I find I just feel better, and stay on track toward my goals, when I swap in a satisfying, but more macro-friendly alternative!

That’s why I love this Chocolate Greek Yogurt Ice Cream.

I can make the one serving, satisfy my sweet tooth and even pack in 20 grams of protein!

So if you’re an ice cream fiend too, try this delicious recipe!

Chocolate Greek Yogurt Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 oz Fat-Free Plain Greek Yogurt
1/2 scoop Vanilla (or chocolate) Whey Protein
1 tsp Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp Stevia or sweetener of choice

Blend yogurt, protein powder, cocoa, stevia and almond milk thoroughly.

Place in freezer.

Take out the ice cream after an hour and turn it over gently with a spoon to avoid it becoming one big ice block. Do it again every 30 minutes until it has the right consistency (it should take about 2 hours total).

You can either eat it right away (after the 2 hours) or keep it in the freezer for up to a week. If you leave it in the freezer, take it out 5-10 min before you serve it to let it soften up a bit.

MACRO BREAKDOWN:
Calories: 130
Protein: 20 grams
Carbs: 6 grams
Fat: 2 grams

ENJOY!

Dial in your diet to match your needs and goals and build your leanest, strongest body ever with my Metabolic Shred!

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