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Are These 5 foods REALLY Unhealthy?

Are These 5 foods REALLY Unhealthy?

by | Sep 26, 2023 | Blog, Diet

STOP labeling foods as “good” or “bad.”

First off, foods do not have any moral value and assigning them one onlyends up making us feel guilty for eating specific things.

And that guilt is often what truly sabotages our results and prevents us from creating sustainable habits and lifestyle changes.

Because foods are NOT just healthy or unhealthy….as much as we want to put whole, natural foods on a pedestal and demonized processed foods.

And what foods are right for you may be different than what foods are right for someone else.

Every food has upsides and downsides to it – both benefits and risks.

That’s why I wanted to share the UPSIDES to 5 foods we often don’t see as healthy and that we should cut out from our diet if we want to lose fat!

(Want to learn more about the foods you need to reach your goals? The Dynamic DNA Nutrition Test)

 

The first food I often hear people say they need to cut out, yet crave sooooo much, is…

CHOCOLATE! 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard something like…

“I struggle to lose weight because of those chocolate cravings, especially at night…they get me!” 

Well I’m here to tell you something amazing…

You don’t need to cut out chocolate to see amazing results and if you’re going through menopause or perimenopause, a little chocolate in your diet as your dessert may even have a beneficial impact! 

I know we often feel like we need to cut out things like chocolate because it is potentially sugar and fat, but chocolate does contain micronutrients that may improve our health.

And often us trying to restrict things we enjoy instead of striking a balance sabotages our long-term consistency and results.

So instead of cutting out chocolate, add your dessert in first if you’re tracking macros. 

Of course, the devil’s in the details and the TYPE of chocolate you consume does have an impact on the benefit. 

You do want to include chocolate that is 70% or darker to truly get the benefits. 

But by consuming 70-80% dark chocolate as part of your dessert, you are going to add a variety of micronutrients and antioxidants and even some additional fiber into your diet. 

For example, the flavanols in dark chocolate can help improve your heart heath and lower blood pressure.

Flavanols have even been shown to reduce insulin resistance, which can be helpful for women during menopause, especially where we can tend to become a bit more insulin resistant, leading to weight gain around our middle. 

Dark chocolate also has magnesium, which can help improve the quality of our sleep.

This can make it a great dessert during perimenopause and menopause when we may suffer from more sleep disturbances and struggle to get those quality z’s. 

Dark chocolate is also a good source of phosphorus, which can improve our bone and teeth health. 

As we get older, we want to do everything we can to keep our bones healthy to avoid falls and fractures!

So if you love chocolate, try including bars that are 70% or darker into your dessert. 

Even breaking it up into greek yogurt with some fruit for a filling protein dessert with great health benefits!

The second food that is so often villainized is Red Meat. 

But this is where we have to look at the nuance to each food as all red meat isn’t created equal!

There is a very big difference between processed and unprocessed red meat and even a huge variation in the exact nutritional breakdown of different cuts of meat from the same animal! 

So often though all red meat just gets lumped together.

But there are leaner and fattier cuts of red meat that we can include to not only hit our macros to lose weight but promote optimal health for us personally.

And red meat is a great source of creatine, heme iron, zinc and vitamin B12. 

If you’re working hard to build muscle, even as you lose fat, you may find that adding red meat into your diet is key because it can help you increase your creatine intake naturally. 

Especially as we get older, it becomes harder to build lean muscle.

So increasing our intake of creatine can help us promote more optimal muscle growth. 

Not to mention the micronutrients found in red meat are beneficial as well.

The form of iron, heme iron found in red meat, is a more bioavailable form, which means it can be better absorbed by the body. 

Iron contributes to proper brain function, energy metabolism and the formation of red blood cells. 

Getting enough iron is especially key as we get older to help us prevent osteoporosis.

And during menopause if you’re not getting enough iron, you may experience greater levels of fatigue.

Zinc and B12 are also essential for us as we get older improving our bone, eye and even heart health.

B12 may also play a role in slowing the aging process and keeping our tissues healthy.

And during perimenopause and menopause, when the hormonal changes can impact our mood and energy, getting enough Vitamin B12 and zinc are even more key! 

If you’re going to include red meat, consider grass-fed options and even look at different cuts to adjust your fat intake based on what you need! 

The third food that is often written off, but I think can actually be a weight loss super food is…

POPCORN. 

People often see popcorn only as something devoid of nutritional benefit loaded down with movie theater butter.

But not only does popcorn have nutritional benefits, containing fiber, antioxidants and a range of micronutrients, it also is a great way to help yourself maintain your calorie deficit and stay consistent.

If you’re hit with a craving for a salty snack, popcorn is a great high volume, low calorie option to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

The number of handfuls and bites you get with popcorn can be super satisfying and help you stay consistent.

It can also make for a fun treat on the weekends when watching TV or a movie with the family. It can help you not feel like that person on a diet while everyone else indulges! 

And popcorn contains a whole range of B vitamins as well as Vitamin A, E and K.

It also contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants that have been linked to better blood circulation and digestive health, as well as a potentially lower risk of certain cancers.

Keeping our digestive system and gut healthy can even lead to better weight loss results!

Just make sure if you include popcorn, you’re making it at home or aware of the additives that can come with buying it premade. 

And if you are really focusing on portion control, single serving packs to make are a great option!

The 4th food I wanted to discuss because it is so often demonized yet not consuming enough can have a negative impact is…

SALT. 

Salt has gotten a bad rap as being responsible for blood pressure issues.

But including enough salt is key to proper hydration and a balance of electrolytes to support a healthy nervous system. It’s not just about increasing our water intake.

Salt is also needed to form stomach acid, digest food, and absorb nutrients properly.

However, not all forms of salt are not created equal.

Often when we’re getting too much salt, we’re getting it from processed foods and not quality salt sources.

And this is part of the problem.

Instead we want to focus on things like sea salt or pink himalayan salt that can both have a beneficial impact, improving the quality of our sleep because they contain many helpful electrolytes and trace minerals for regulating hormone levels. 

We also need to stop demonizing something just because it is bad for a specific population and health concern.

Too often this leads to healthy individuals restricting something they should be including in their diet.

I mention this because recent research has even shown that low-salt diets have been linked to promoting insulin resistance in healthy individuals.

And that people who consume a moderate amount of salt were in the lowest risk category for heart problems and death, even lower than people who ate less salt.

The “moderate” sodium intake used in this study was about 4,000 – 6,000 milligrams per day.

So realize that the quality and source of the food you’re including can have an impact and just because it isn’t right for one person doesn’t make it not right for someone else!

The 5th and final food I wanted to discuss is…Bread. 

Often when people want to lose weight, they think they need to cut out all carbs, and bread is among the first they list to go. 

Bread has also gotten more hate as going gluten-free has become more and more popular even though many of us will have no issues consuming gluten and bread could be an enjoyable way to increase our carbs to create that anabolic environment for growth. 

And not only can bread be included in our diet, but there is so much variation in the health benefits different types of bread may provide.

Not only are there more whole-grain variations of bread that contain more fiber, but even sourdough bread can provide more health benefits than we realize. 

While it isn’t gluten-free, sourdough bread may even be tolerated better by those with IBS or a gluten intolerance or sensitivity.

And because of the unique fermentation process for sourdough bread, it can help improve our gut health and unlock more of the B vitamins in the bread.

Sourdough is also usually made with fortified flour, which can bump our iron and folate intake! 

So just because there are some very processed breads out there that may not provide as much nutritional benefit, we shouldn’t just demonize all breads but find the ones that help us enjoy our meals and create a sustainable and healthy lifestyle!

While not all of these foods may be right for you and your dietary preference, we want to recognize the benefits of including a diversity of foods in our diet to create a healthy, sustainable lifestyle balance.

There are always downsides and upsides to everything we include and the more we understand the nuance to everything, the more we can find what we need to reach our goals and feel, look and move our best!

Want to learn more about the foods you need to reach your goals?

–> The Dynamic DNA Nutrition Test

STUDIES:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30061161/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5539137/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22301923/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2017.00036/full
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22110105/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21036373/

7 Bad Habits That STOPPED Me From Losing Weight

7 Bad Habits That STOPPED Me From Losing Weight

by | Sep 17, 2023 | Blog, Diet, Exercises

I’ve made all the mistakes when it comes to trying to lose fat, gain muscle and create a sustainable lifestyle.

But I like to think all of my…interesting experiments…weren’t for nothing.

Because I’ve made so many I can help my clients avoid making those same mistakes and wasting time.

That’s why I wanted to share 7 bad habits that kept me from losing fat for the longest time!

And I’ll be honest…most sabotaged my success because they were simply unsustainable and created a mindset of restriction and deprivation.

Because while achieving our goals does mean making sacrifices at times,
we also have to learn to create a balance, meeting ourselves where we are at.

And that’s why I think this first bad habit is something many of us have had sabotage our results…

Focusing On Eating Too Clean. 

I literally ended up curled up on the bathroom floor of a hotel in San Diego. I was pasty white, in a cold sweat and looked like death. 

All because I’d been eating only chicken and broccoli and extremely clean, one ingredient foods for weeks before the vacation. 

One spicy sangria and a couple of appetizers later and I was sick. 

It’s because I’d created these extreme limitations on myself that not only had left me miserable for weeks, while not seeing better results faster, but they led to me being sick at the first deviation from my clean eating plan.

Too often we try to make ourselves feel guilty for not hitting some arbitrary standard of clean.

But this mindset of good and bad foods not only assigns moral value to foods that don’t have any, leading to GUILT when we eat one thing we aren’t supposed to, but it also can sabotage our results and long-term consistency. 

This extremely restrictive clean mindset can lead to an obsession with food.

It can also lead to us creating nutrient deficiencies.

And it can lead to us ultimately feeling so miserable and deprived we give up. 

And then we feel that reaching our goals is impossible and we just don’t have the willpower. We start to even DREAD the idea of making diet changes.

And all because we’re trying to force something unsustainable.

Instead of focusing on “eating clean,” focus on small swaps to foods and ingredients based on what you’re currently eating. 

Realize that whole natural foods are key BUT that you can and SHOULD include the foods you love.

However, this does bring me to bad habit number 2….

Including Too Much Food Diversity. 

After attempting to cut out all unclean foods, and the massive backfire I suffered…not to mention I literally couldn’t even look at chicken and broccoli for awhile… 

I went to include as much diversity as humanly possible.

I thought it was a great idea to include things to keep my meals interesting and get micronutrients from a diversity of sources. 

And while we do want to include a diversity of foods for optimal health to get vitamins and minerals in different forms…

Trying to include too much diversity can be overwhelming and lead to actually more cravings!

The more we give ourselves, the less of a routine and habit we get into and the more we WANT.

It becomes then a slippery slope of more and more foods creeping in. 

And the less nutrient dense they are and the more processed, the easier it becomes to overeat and feel hungry even when we’ve eaten enough calories.

Not to mention it can make grocery shopping, meal prepping and hitting those macros more overwhelming when there are so many more pieces to the puzzle. 

Simplifying and focusing on a set grocery list and meal plan with a few key ingredients each week can help us stay consistent and not be overwhelmed as we make changes! 

Studies have even shown that we are less likely to overeat when eating the same things repeatedly, making it easier to maintain our macros and calories to lose the fat!

It leads to fewer cravings and a better shut off mechanism when we’ve consumed what we need! 

The 3rd bad habit is a hard one to change when we want results as fast as possible…

It’s Always Going Hard And Never Cycling Intensity.

Sometimes less is more.

And sometimes if we back off when we aren’t motivated or proactively give ourselves a break, we actually stay more consistent overall. 

If you’ve been dieting and in a deficit for a while, you may both physically and mentally start to feel the impact of the lower calories.

Your body does want to fight the weight loss process as weight loss is seen as a threat to your survival.

So you will find that cravings go up even as you get leaner and your mind fights against what you know you “should” be doing. 

You may even feel demotivated to train in the way you need.

This is where potentially a deload week or a dieting break may come in handy.

The key is doing these things strategically and with a plan not just eating everything in sight while you lay on the couch for a couple of weeks doing nothing. 

But give your body a break from the calorie deficit, maybe including even a few foods you’ve wanted but haven’t had.

Just be strategic in giving yourself guidelines to eat at maintenance calories and even hit easier macro ratios.

Don’t let this become a free for all. 

And then you may find you’re more motivated to train with the increase in fuel or that a deload week allows your body a break to repair and rebuild while also giving you a mental break from the strain of constantly pushing that progression. 

But be proactive if you’ve been dieting for awhile and give yourself that strategic break. You may be surprised by how much it even helps you bust through a plateau!

The next bad habit is one I think many of us fall prey to that prevents us sticking with the habits we need to see the body recomp we want…

And it is – Only Using The Scale To Measure Progress. 

I think the scale can be a great tool. And I think it can even be a good thing to weigh daily.

But the scale also doesn’t show us the full picture.

It can make you feel like you’re actually even losing ground when results are truly building. 

And this is because the scale just tells you your weight in that moment on that day.

It doesn’t tell you if you’ve gained weight because you’ve gained muscle while losing fat or if you’ve lost weight by losing muscle and even gaining fat.

And seeking to see faster results on the scale, can actually sabotage your fat loss efforts, especially your long term maintenance.

Because the faster we seek to see results on the scale, the more we often end up losing muscle mass and NOT just fat.

So if you want to focus on truly losing fat to look leaner, you need to track your progress by taking body measurements and progress pictures. 

Especially progress pictures of areas you don’t even care about changing. 

Because often the places we want to lose from the most are the LAST to go.

So by taking multiple angles and areas, we can see fat loss occurring in other places to know to stay the course! 

The next bad habit is one that I’ve found personally the hardest to break…especially because I always enjoyed training…

It was – Trying To Out Exercise My Diet.

Many of us fall into this habit because it actually does work…to start! 

But relying on this is also what ultimately keeps us stuck in this yo-yo dieting cycle, struggling to lose more and more as we get older.

It works because most of us are more comfortable being uncomfortable in our training than we are with making nutritional changes. 

We also can create that calorie deficit to start by doing MORE in our workouts.

And it makes us feel really in control to push hard. 

We feel good about our hard work. 

But working hard doesn’t mean we’re working hard in a direction that moves us forward.

And over time, our body adapts to the training stimulus, which means we aren’t then creating the calorie deficit we once were. 

So at that point either our diet needs to change or we need to train harder and longer.

At some point, trying to only do more with our workouts will burn us out, lead to injury or even ultimately result in metabolic adaptations that make it harder and harder to lose as we get older.

The simple fact is, our nutrition has to match our goals. 

And by adjusting our diet we can see our performance in the gym even improve as we achieve fabulous body recomp.

We will truly see the hard work and sweat we are putting in during our workouts PAY OFF! 

And I think it’s really key we recognize that at times…it WON’T feel like our hard work is paying off.

We won’t see linear progress toward our fat loss goals. 

But this is why I think this next habit is so key to break…

Treating Your Workouts Only As A Means To Lose Weight.

While we do want to design our workouts and our nutrition to work together toward a singular goal, I also think it is key we set complementary goals that further motivate us to do the habits we need to see results. 

And that’s why I found that a secret to consistency and success in losing fat and keeping it off is actually Setting Performance Goals while also NOT seeing my workouts as just a chance to burn more calories and lose faster.

By focusing on a specific performance goal, like improving my push ups, conquering a skill, lifting more weight in a specific lift, addressing an imbalance…even training for a competition…

I help keep myself more motivated to train hard. I have more purpose for each workout. 

And then I have something to track in the gym to see my hard work building toward. 

This ultimately also helped me lose fat because it kept me doing the habits I needed.

I wanted to eat to fuel and feel my best, which resulted in better body comp. 

I wanted to do the recovery I needed to be able to train hard. 

By setting complementary goals, like performance goals for our workouts, we better help ourselves to stay motivated to do the habits we need even when fat loss results are slow or we hit a plateau. 

It allows us to celebrate other wins to keep moving forward!

And the final bad habit I think sabotaged for years and kept me stuck losing the fat to only regain it and feel like I was starting over every January with a new cut was…

Not Doing SOMETHING When It Was Better Than Nothing. 

Every holiday season I would make an excuse not to track. “Oh I know the portions I need to eat.”

“Oh I can find balance I’m not being that off plan.”

“Oh I can take today off.”

And every holidays I would pack on the pounds.

I realized that, while there are times of year I don’t track and stay consistent, the holidays was not one of those times. 

But I also knew the habits I enjoyed when motivated in January wouldn’t fit the holiday season. 

That’s when I realized the power of 1% improvements.

Just being a little more consistent, focusing on doing a minimum, could help me move forward even during a time I didn’t care as much or have the motivation and focus. 

Too often we try and rely on a perfect 21 days or 6 weeks. 

But doing the ideal only during those times doesn’t allow for true habit changes or results to snowball. 

So it’s key we stop the all or nothing habit changes and realize that sometimes something is better than nothing, embracing doing the minimum at times! 

If you’ve been struggling to make consistent and sustainable changes, and have fallen into these bad habits, focus on making one change today!

We need to keep constantly learning and remember that small swaps and changes add up!

Ready to create sustainable habits that help you achieve your leanest, strongest body EVER and maintain those results till your final day on this planet?!

Join my Dynamic Strength program!

Can’t Lose Fat? Here’s The #1 Reason Why

Can’t Lose Fat? Here’s The #1 Reason Why

by | Sep 10, 2023 | Blog, Diet

“But I was good all week!”

Have you thought this after stepping on the scale Sunday morning to weigh in only to be disappointed by the result?

Many of us have….we feel like we’ve worked hard all week to not see the results we feel we deserve!

That’s why I wanted to share the number one reason you aren’t seeing the weight loss results you want…

Which is honestly…you weren’t as “good” as you thought you were.

Now before you give an angry look and click off this video saying I’m wrong…

I want to go over the hidden inconsistencies I often see in clients’ diets that sabotage their weight loss results.

But I also do just want to first mention…

The scale doesn’t show us the full picture! 

Just because you didn’t lose that week doesn’t mean results aren’t building.

The scale just shows us our weight in that given moment. But our weight isn’t just fat and muscle.

It’s glycogen being stored, water weight, inflammation, poop…

So a hard workout the day before, a little more sodium with dinner or even eating slightly later than usual could all impact our weight the next day.

We may even have seen losses had we weighed the day before a hard workout that made us sore while seeing increases on our weigh in day.

That’s why we never just want to jump ship because of the scale not immediately showing us the results we want.

It’s why taking pictures and body measurements are so key.

Because the scale also doesn’t show us body recomp happening at times.

If you gain 2lbs of muscle and lose 1lbs of fat, you’re going to gain on the scale while looking leaner.

So it’s key we aren’t just only basing results off changes on the scale.

We also need to recognize that progress is never linear. 

While we often hear it is possible to lose 1-2lbs a week, this doesn’t mean it is realistic for us or that we will achieve this every single week.

It often means that when you look at averages over time, that it is a realistic, but challenging rate at which you COULD lose.

But week to week, may vary, including weeks where you actually gain a pound before losing 3.

We also have to remember that while something is “realistic” it doesn’t mean it will happen for us.

How long we’ve had the weight on, how much we have to lose, how aggressive we are being with our plan, even our age and training and dieting experience can all impact how fast is realistic for us to see results.

So as frustrating as it can be, you need to track progress in multiple different ways and also step back to assess trends over time.

And if you aren’t seeing results snowball, consider whether or not you’re actually being as “good” as you think or if these 5 underlying issues are popping up…

Issue #1: Weekend Eating Blowing Your Calorie Deficit

The “but I was good all week” feeling comes from us working really hard Monday through Friday afternoon.

We’re precise in our macros. Really cutting out foods and dialing in our calories.

We’re meal prepping.

We feel like we’re working really hard.

Then on Friday night we feel like we DESERVE that cocktail.

Those chips and guacamole.

On Saturday morning, we wake up feeling a bit lazy and wanting to relax.

And after indulging the night before, we find it easier to want to not eat according to our plan that day as well.

Which often spills into starting over Monday…

We think, “Well it’s still only a couple of day off plan while I was good all week. 5 days vs 2 IS consistency.”

But what we don’t realize is how much even those couple of days can throw us out of a deficit and really impact our weekly macros.

Especially because often we don’t log those days to see their impact.

But it’s easy for meals out, extra serving of dessert to create a calorie surplus over those weekend days that destroys our deficit from the week, especially if we are trying to create a smaller deficit to feel energized and protect our lean muscle mass.

Those weekend meals are also often carb and fat heavy and pretty low on protein.

This can dramatically change the macro ratio we are actually hitting over the week.

It’s why we can feel like we are working so hard, being so good, and overall consistent, yet not seeing those results snowball.

It’s why, starting out, it can be good to track EVERYTHING.

That way you truly know what your weeks and even months are averaging out to to be able to adjust accordingly.

Maybe it does mean adjusting your macro or calorie goals to slightly accommodate different habits on the weekends.

Or maybe it means finding ways to make more macro-friendly versions of the weekend meals you usually enjoy.

But so often we just aren’t aware of how much of an impact a couple of days can have on our results!

Consistency isn’t just the number of days but the impact of each day on the total!

Issue #2: Having “Free” Calories. 

I know many popular diets say you don’t have to log certain things…like you can only track net carbs or not log certain sauces, fruits or vegetables.

And over time you may not log certain things because you know the calorie impact for you is low.

But the more you don’t log, the more calories can be adding up that you aren’t aware of.

The more you don’t have fully accurate data to work off of and make changes from.

Plus, it goes back to MINDSET.

Excusing not logging certain things, makes it easier to not log other little extras!

So no matter how minimal the calories may be, or even the argument that we don’t actually absorb the calories say from fiber,we should log everything to start when we are wanting to reach a goal as fast as possible.

When it comes to veggies, often people argue against logging them because they are very low in calories.

But most of the time we aren’t eating them plain.

Too often the sauces or oils we put on them DO have calories that add up on top of the calories from the veggies themselves!

And when it comes to tracking only “net carbs,” we often only make this excuse to be able to consume MORE CARBS.

While tracking net carbs may be key for specific health concerns, for weight loss, don’t subtract fiber.

When you set your calorie intake and deficit, you are assuming that you ARE eating foods with fiber.

You aren’t creating that deficit planning to eat no fiber!

So counting only net carbs can throw off the numbers you are actually hitting.

As painful as it is to start, LOG EVERYTHING!

What gets measured, gets managed!

Issue #3: Not Logging Bites, Licks And Nibbles. 

This goes back to logging everything to start as these small little things add up over the day and weeks.

A couple of nuts or crackers here or there, the bite of leftover food off a kid’s plate…These things really add up.

And the less we are aware of them, the less we hold ourselves accountable for them, the more we tend to do them.

By pushing ourselves to log everything, we can often break patterns of mindless snacking. Snacking out of boredom even or stress.

And we can start focusing on fueling better. We can change even our relationship with food.

But focus on being conscious of your tendency to take little things throughout the day.

Make an effort to log them and be accountable.

You may find you then stop this pattern OR at least know the actual calories you’re consuming.

And you may be surprised by how much those little things have added up to an extra couple hundred of calories over the week on top of other habits throwing you out of the calorie deficit you thought you were consuming!

Issue #4: Not Truly Measuring

Our portion sizes easily get distorted.

How hungry we are, the size of the full portion served at a restaurant, how much we want it, how stressed or tired we are…

So many things impact what looks like a portion to us.

And it is so easy to let emotions lead to you scooping out a little bit extra of that peanut butter than you know is right!

Even the size of what you’re adding an ingredient to can impact how we see the portion.

A bigger piece of toast can make a serving of peanut butter look oh so pathetic!

That’s why, especially as we are really learning what portions we need to fuel and reach our goals, we need to get accurate measurements of everything we eat.

Tedious, boring, frustrating? YUP.

But this is the way you can really learn how distorted your portions may have been!

And this is the way you see results as efficiently as possible.

It’s just like baking a cookie…A little too much or too little of an ingredient can dramatically impact how ooey gooey or crispy that cookie is!

You don’t want to just wing it and hope when you’re craving those cookies! You weigh and measure everything so they come out exactly perfect.

This is exactly why you want to measure everything.

Results require a recipe. Help yourself know exactly what you need!

Whether you use measuring cups or a scale, weigh and measure everything, even saving recipes or meals to reuse quickly in the future.

Issue #5: Not Entering Ingredients. 

A common excuse people make for not tracking everything is that they cook from scratch at home. Which is actually a funny excuse as cooking from scratch makes it EASIER to log everything than eating out.

You know exactly what you included and can measure out everything to log each ingredient accurately!

Too often we make a lasagna and simply select “lasagna” in the food tracker.

But we don’t know if that recipe was the same as ours. Or even if another person entered it manually and the macros and calories are correct.

Whenever possible, create your own recipes and meals in your food tracker, entering ingredients and portions.

This gives you the most accurate numbers to make changes off of!

And when you eat out, do your best to find something close to what you got.

Even check restaurant websites for nutritional information as many now list the breakdowns so you can enter them into your food log!

But the more precise we can get with everything, as hard and annoying as it is to start, the more we can help ourselves know we are doing what is needed to move forward over feeling frustrated when we step on the scale and aren’t sure why results aren’t snowballing!

So if you’ve stepped on the scale and thought, “But I was good all week.” Step back and ask yourself…

“Have I actually been as precise in the habits I should be doing daily as I think I am?”

Reflect on whether or not there is room for growth and opportunity in realizing some of these issues may be popping up.

Because often there is always a little bit more we can do to better implement our current plan over jumping ship and starting over!

Ready to dial in your diet and your workouts to see amazing body recomp results at ANY and EVERY age?

Learn more about my 1:1 Coaching!

 

The Diet And Fitness Industry LIED To You (4 TRUTHS)

The Diet And Fitness Industry LIED To You (4 TRUTHS)

by | Aug 20, 2023 | Blog, Diet, Workouts

The diet and fitness industry has lied to you.

I’m not talking about the false magic pills and quick fixes when I’m saying you’ve been lied to when it comes to your diet and workouts.

Actually I see the problem as something else…

The disconnect between many trainers, coaches, dietitians and professionals and the people they want to help.

What keeps us stuck in this yo-yo dieting cycle is oddly the gap between what we “should” ideally be doing and what is realistic for our lifestyle.

Because food is not just truly fuel any longer.

It’s social. It’s celebration. It’s emotional. It’s enjoyment.

Yet instead of recognizing this and striking a balance, weighing the cost and rewards of everything for ourselves, we seek to be perfect and hit some arbitrary standards of clean eating only to create unsustainable habits which ultimately backfire.

These unsustainable habits keep us stuck losing the weight only to regain it and more as we fall back into old lifestyle patterns and try to do things we enjoy.

We never learn to create the healthiest version of our personal lifestyle.

That’s why I want to go over 4 common diet and exercise MYTHS I see pushed far too often in the health and wellness realm.

One size doesn’t fit all and we need to accept the opportunity in options to find our balance.

How we build our 80/20 balance will be unique!

Myth #1: X food is evil. 

Pick a food and you can probably find a video, blog, article…even study…about how it is bad for you.

According to a commenter on one of my videos even water is bad for you.

And honestly, almost every food DOES have a downside to even the upsides it may provide.

That doesn’t make a food evil. It doesn’t even mean the food may not be part of our lifestyle balance. 

But we just have to go in knowing how it will impact our health and overall wellbeing.

And sometimes the risk is worth the reward.

Sometimes something “unhealthy” we may choose to include because we ENJOY it.

It helps us relax. Enjoy social gatherings. 

Or even just serves as that treat on a stressful day while keeping us overall on track working toward our goals.

Because stress overall can have detrimental effects, it’s sometimes more important we include something that doesn’t add to our stress or even takes away from it over restricting a food because it isn’t as nutrient dense or beneficial as something else may be.

We have to remember that all stress goes in one bucket.

While we may see stressors in our lives as in separate categories…

Stress at work, stress to change habits, stress at home or stress on our body from lack of sleep….all impact our mind and body compounding together. 

So sometimes finding little ways to not add to our stress to overwhelm ourselves is key so we can actually make healthy changes to our lifestyle overall.

Sometimes it is that we need to pick the lesser of two evils to meet ourselves where we are at to make changes. 

So stop demonizing things and trying to force someone else’s standards of “healthy” and balance on yourself.

Because one size doesn’t fit all.

Even healthy foods can be unhealthy or not right for certain people.

For example, cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage..) have been linked with many health benefits, such as a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease. 

BUT…

These same nutritious vegetables we all believe to be AMAZING contain compounds called thiocyanates which can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb iodine. 

This may contribute to hypothyroidism and is why many with thyroid issues may be told not to eat too many of these supposedly super “healthy” food.

Same thing can be said for those with dairy intolerance, gluten intolerances, and issues with FODMAPs. 

Foods that may be healthy or right for one person may not work for someone else to address their health concerns.

But we don’t need to demonize something just because it isn’t right for someone else!

That may hold us back even from getting the nutrients or fuel WE need!

Stop seeing foods as just good or bad. Weigh the costs involved to find your balance!

Myth #2: Weight loss is just about calories in vs. calories out.

Yes. You need a calorie deficit to lose weight. I’m not saying calories don’t matter.

But this oversimplification is truly what so often keeps people stuck on this dieting roller coaster. 

They cut calories. Lose the weight. Can’t stay in a deficit forever…

So they go back to eating more and their old lifestyle habits only to regain the weight and even more. 

Before they again cut calories to try to lose.

However, it gets harder and harder each and every time due to this sole focus on calories in vs. calories out.

Why does it get harder?

Because often when we only focus on cutting calories, we slash them as low as possible to lose weight as fast as possible.

And in the process we throw our hormones out of whack, create cravings that lead to us overeating, leading to even extra weight gain and we’ve often also created metabolic adaptations in the process which means our body even runs more efficiently off of fewer calories than it did before. 

This is often due to us slashing our calories super low, or trying to train longer and harder to create the deficit because we’re only focused on calories in vs calories out. This extreme deficit to lose faster on the scale results in more muscle being lost over us controlling as much as possible to lose fat while maintaining our muscle.

So as much as yes, the simple answer is create a calorie deficit and you’ll lose, this oversimplification keeps us stuck and is why we often struggle more and more to lose weight as we get older, and especially once the hormonal changes of perimenopause hit.

If we want to set ourselves up for success, we need to embrace the learning process and focus on the macronutrients in our foods – the portions of proteins, carbs and fats that we are consuming. 

Because through adjusting these portions, we can help ourselves feel more fueled, retain lean muscle to keep our metabolic rate higher and we can help ourselves be prepared to transition to MAINTAINING our new results. 

You can’t do one thing to lose the weight then go back to what you were doing. And you can’t stay in a deficit forever.

Through a focus on tracking macros, you can help yourself retrain your body to return to a new maintenance level calorie intake so that all of your hard work to lose doesn’t go to waste!

Myth #3: HIIT is the best form of training for fat loss. 

HIIT or high intensity interval training is an efficient and intense form of training. It is definitely a great option when we are short on time.

And as the term is used these days, it can refer to a variety of different interval breakdowns and include a diversity of exercises. 

BUT as much as I even love HIIT personally and do use it with clients, I think it is key we recognize that there are downsides to every technique or tool.

The more we recognize both the good and the bad instead of just seeing things as either or, the more we can adjust our training and fueling to match our needs and goals as they even evolve over time.

Too often we also “fall in love” with a technique then start to see our results slow or issues pop up, yet we eliminate some other change we’ve made assuming causation when there was none. 

We can throw out something we should keep doing instead of adjusting something we’ve always done prior just because we like it or it FEELS like it is working.

And HIIT is often one of those things.

While definitely an option to consider when you’re short on time, too often we do MORE HIIT style training while also trying to increase our calorie deficit to lose fat. 

As a result, we not only can see our energy levels tank so we aren’t able to push as hard and get as much out of our training, but we can also start to see more muscle mass being lost and cravings increase.

By trying to do more intense training sessions while in a calorie deficit already, we can make it harder on ourselves to maintain the nutritional changes we are trying to make. 

So we always need to consider the systems and how they are working together.

We may need to change up a HIIT cardio session for a slower strength workout with longer rest periods. 

We may need to adjust the intervals of work to rest in the interval workout we are doing.

Or even knowing how depleting HIIT can be and the fact that for some it can make them FEEL even hungrier while increasing cravings for carbs, you can plan for those downsides in your fueling.

HIIT isn’t something you have to do to lose fat. It isn’t also something you shouldn’t do. The point is learning more about the techniques and workout designs we include so we can plan all of our systems to work together.

While it can feel satisfying to have sweated and worked hard in our workouts, we also want that hard work to be moving us forward instead of being wasted effort!

Myth #4: Workouts are about burning more calories. 

There isn’t anything wrong with tracking your calorie burn from your activity to watch your trends and hold yourself accountable. 

But too often we just seek to get that number higher over truly training with purpose and intention.

This often leads to us turning even our strength workouts into more cardio sessions.

Less rest, feeling more out of breath often leads to a higher heart rate on our trackers, which then results in more calories being burned.

And always focusing on doing more and making our training more intense can cause some to suffer increased cravings and a harder time sticking with the dietary changes they need. 

Not to mention, it can work against any muscle gaining efforts we may have.

It can also lead to us unknowingly eating in a surplus over a deficit. 

It’s key we realize that these trackers are NOT ACCURATE! The calorie burn is going to be off especially as we adapt to our training.

And while it may not seem like a big deal to only be 50-100 calories off in some cases, that can really lead to us eating over our deficit especially if we are trying to create a smaller one to help achieve better fat loss results!

Not to mention we make it harder to truly track what is and isn’t working if our intake is fluctuating all over based on what our trackers says day to day.

STOP seeing the purpose of your workouts as just a way to burn more calories. 

Remember, you can’t out exercise your diet.

Trying to create more of a calorie deficit through your training will lead you to either overtraining or ultimately overeating.

You will either keep having to do more as you adapt to burn the same amount calories you once did.

Or if you let your watch dictate how many calories you get, you’ll start overeating because often our watches won’t fully recognize we’ve become more efficient at the training routines. 

And our workouts should be about building lean muscle while training our body to move well. 

We want our workouts to help us stay strong for LIFE so we can remain independent and capable.

Not to mention, a focus on strength work helps us build that muscle mass which helps us burn more calories at rest since our metabolic rate and energy demands will be higher. 

So while you want to do forms of training you enjoy to stay consistent and active, you also want your workouts to have long-term benefits so you can tackle any challenge you want in every day life!

Too often we view things as solely good or bad instead of looking at the cost and benefit of each thing we include.

When we don’t view the opportunity in each option, we don’t allow ourselves to truly create something sustainable. 

And this, while good for the diet and fitness industry, is not helpful for us to see the results we want.

Seek to learn about what you need and be open to new perspectives so you can adjust your fueling and training to match your needs and goals even as they evolve over time!

Ready to dial in your workouts and your diet to acheive the best results as fast as possible?

Schedule a coaching consultation to learn more about how we can help you create the systems you need to succeed!

–> Schedule A Call

Is It Menopause? Perimenopause? The Symptoms and 4 Nutrition Tips

Is It Menopause? Perimenopause? The Symptoms and 4 Nutrition Tips

by | Jul 31, 2023 | Blog, Diet, Exercises

“I feel like my hormones have been super out of whack.”

“It’s freaking frustrating I’m gaining weight around my middle! I’ve never gained fat there before!”

“I just don’t have energy to do anything and my sleep has been HORRIBLE!”

“I don’t know what’s going on with me!”

“But…I’m too young for menopause!”

The struggles and symptoms we often blame on menopause can start over a decade before as our hormone levels begin to change with PERIMENOPAUSE.

That’s why I want to share some common symptoms of perimenopause and how you can best manage them with 4 nutritional tips.

Because…

The changes are REAL.

And it can be hard to navigate them and focus on controlling what we can control if we don’t understand why we’re gaining weight, and in different places, feeling demotivated and fatigued, and even struggling with anxiety and self confidence!

What Is Perimenopause And What’s Happening To My Body?

Peri-menopause has earned the nickname “midlife puberty.” 

This is because of the hormone fluctuations and emotional and physical rollercoaster it can feel like we’re on. 

While we think of menopause as something that most often starts in our 50s, perimenopause can start as early as our late 30s although most often it will start in our 40s.

It can last anywhere from 2-10 years. 

Perimenopause is truly a transition not just an “event.”

And while it can feel like our bodies are starting to go berserk, this is the PERFECT opportunity to learn how to manage the changes we see with menopause so we can learn how to adjust our nutrition to match what our body will need moving forward.

Perimenopause hits everyone differently and there are a wide range of symptoms we can experience. Basically all the good stuff about having your period and going menopause:

PMS
Sleep disturbances
Hot flashes
GI disturbances
Food cravings
Joint pain
Menstrual irregularities
Longer cycles
Missed cycles
Heavy cycles
Mood disturbances
Depression
Fatigue
Mental Fogginess
Decreased libido
Weight gain (even shifts in where fat is stored)
Water retention

Exciting, right?

NO…it’s really not…

BUT while we can’t prevent this hormonal change from occurring, we can make some dietary changes to help us manage these symptoms as best as possible. 

The more informed we are about what is going on and what actions we can take, the more we can make sure we’re adjusting our fueling and training to see results and be lean and strong at any and every age.

And while you may be feeling down right now, and that may be due to the hormonal changes, yes this can impact our anxiety levels, confidence and even body image, we have to remember that 1% improvements add up. 

The more we focus on making the changes that can benefit us the healthier we will be no matter what.

Studies have actually been conducted as well to show the impact our MINDSET has on aging.

It was found that women who were more comfortable with aging and didn’t find it shameful actually suffered less from perimenopausal symptoms. 

So MINDSET MATTERS!

Of course it is easier said than done to change our mindset about things that make us feel down but the more we can stay focused on the habit changes we can make the better.

So what are 4 nutritional changes you can make to help manage those symptoms of perimenopause?

#1: Drink More Water

Increasing your water intake during perimenopause is key.

Estrogen and progesterone influence your body’s hydration levels, and when the two are fluctuating dramatically during perimenopause, increasing your water intake can be helpful as you may find even your skin is drier.

Making sure you are hydrated can help you manage hot flashes, reduce GI disturbances to keep you regular and reduce gas and bloating and even reduce fatigue.

It can even help you avoid the dreaded menopausal weight gain and lose weight while retaining lean muscle.

We often ignore the importance of hydration for fat loss but the body needs water to burn fat.

So not only is staying hydrated key to better lipolysis or fat loss, but it also improves your workouts and helps us maintain our lean muscle, which promotes more optimal body composition. 

When cells aren’t properly hydrated, they break down protein more quickly and build muscle more slowly.

This can hinder us from seeing the full benefits of our training. 

Not to mention dehydration can lead to us fatiguing more quickly with our training so we aren’t able to work at our full capacity to see results!

While it is often recommended to get 50% of your body weight in ounces, I’d recommend at least 70% of your body weight in ounces during perimenopause.

This higher intake can address these hormonal changes and also help especially if you’re training hard, increasing your protein and trying to lose weight!

#2: Love Your Fats. Focus On Omega-3s

During perimenopause, our estrogen levels drop which can not only impact where we start to store fat, leading to more belly fat being gained even if we never used to gain around our middle, but it can also mean we become more insulin resistant. 

This doesn’t mean we should just demonize carbs and cut them all out.

But it does mean that a higher fat and protein macro breakdown may help us lose weight more efficiently.

Just be conscious not to overly restrict carbs if you are an endurance athlete or training super intensely. 

Those carbs help fuel our training and preserve our lean muscle mass, which is key as it does become harder to build and retain lean muscle as we get older! 

But focusing on getting more healthy fats in our diet is key, specifically focusing on increasing our Omega-3 intake. 

Increasing our omega-3 intake can help reduce hot flashes, especially night sweats, to improve our sleep, improve our mood, reduce anxiety, and even help with GI system disturbances like constipation by reducing inflammation.

The anti-inflammatory benefits of omega-3s can also help reduce joint inflammation and pain and improve our recovery while also helping us see better fat loss results. 

Because estrogen levels drop, inflammation increases in the body which is why many women going through perimenopause can start to deal with chronic inflammation to some degree.

This inflammation can impact not only our body but also our mind.

Reducing inflammation can help eliminate brain fog and improve our mood and cognition.

Inflammation can also make it harder for us to lose weight as our hormones fluctuate so make sure to get in enough omega-3s by including foods like salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, trout, walnuts, macadamia nuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds is key! 

And even consider a supplement during this time if you need the boost!

#3: Don’t Fear Fruits

Often when we lower our carb intake, we cut out fruits. 

We may have even heard that we should avoid fruits for weight loss because of the sugars.

But there are some key fruits we want to include during perimenopause that can help us manage the symptoms and even stay full and fueled. 

Fruits are a great way to get a diversity of micros, enzymes, and fiber while serving as a carb source that can be very filling and satisfying even curbing our cravings for sweets.

Consider including fruits like berries, kiwis and even pineapple. 

Berries are a great source of antioxidants and lower in carbs. They also are a high water content food, which can help us stay hydrated and increase our water intake without us even having to drink more water! 

Kiwis are great if you are suffering from GI issues such as constipation. 

Their water balance and the enzyme they contain actinidin help get things moving. Plus, they are a good source of fiber. 

They are also rich in Vitamin K which can help keep our bones healthy, which is extra important as we go through the hormonal changes of perimenopause.

Pineapple is another key fruit to help you reduce hot flashes and help with bloating. 

Pineapple contains bromelain – a protein-digesting enzyme that can relieve an upset stomach and digestive issues, which is extra helpful if you are increasing your protein during perimenopause to help with body recomp and to lose that stubborn belly fat! 

The final fruit I want to mention is a juice.

While I’m not usually a fan of juice because it is easy to over consume a ton of sugar and calories when we drink it, tart cherry juice can be super key if you are struggling to get quality sleep. 

It naturally contains tryptophan which is required for the body to produce melatonin, and it also does have naturally-occurring melatonin as well magnesium and potassium to improve the quality of your sleep naturally. 

Its antioxidant properties can also help reduce inflammation and improve your muscle recovery.

#4: Focus On Those Amino Acids. Especially Tryptophan And Leucine

Increasing your protein intake during perimenopause is key.

We are less able to utilize protein as efficiently as we get older, which means we need to increase our intake to support our training and help us build and retain lean muscle.

We want to do everything we can during perimenopause to focus on muscle as it not only keeps our metabolism healthy and prevents the slowdown we often associate with age and menopause, resulting in weight gain, but it also keeps our bones healthy and strong and helps us stay functionally stronger till our final day on this planet! 

But not only do you want to focus on getting about 1 gram per pound of bodyweight (you can use your goal bodyweight if you are working to lose weight or if you are overweight), you also specifically want to make sure you’re getting more tryptophan and leucine.

Tryptophan can help improve the quality of our sleep as well as our mood because it is involved in the production of melatonin and serotonin. 

A few great sources of tryptophan are turkey, chicken, tofu, milk, and pumpkin seeds. 

Leucine is also key for us to focus on during perimenopause to improve our protein synthesis and muscle gains.

Leucine taken in something like a BCAA or branched chain amino acid supplement can be a very calorie efficient way to get more of this essential amino acid. 

In combination with isoleucine and valine, BCAAs can help counter some of the central nervous system fatigue and brain fog that are common symptoms of perimenopause.

It also keeps amino acids we get from complete protein sources circulating and a higher level in our blood to work with the other foods we’re eating to stimulate better muscle protein synthesis.

But whether you do supplement or focus on increasing your protein overall, do not fear protein! It can really help you stay leaner and stronger through this phase!

The key thing to remember as you go through these hormonal fluctuations is that things will balance out.

This is a phase and one that will have ups and downs.

The more we track what we are doing to see how things are impacting us, the better off we will be.

Tracking our food especially during this time allows us to make changes to meet our body where it is at right now.

It can help us identify foods that may not work for us as well any more and even know how to best create the calorie intake and portions we need to stay lean and fueled while feeling our best. 

So as you implement these tips, track how you feel to see what works best for you!

Ready to learn how to address what your body needs NOW to see the results you deserve?

Schedule a coaching consultation today to feel your most fabulous!

STUDIES:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12150226/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4901052/

How To Increase Metabolism At Any Age (6 Tips)

How To Increase Metabolism At Any Age (6 Tips)

by | Jul 23, 2023 | Blog, Diet, Workouts

Our metabolism does slow down as we get older.

But so much of the metabolic slowdown that we blame on age is actually due to lifestyle factors we can CHANGE adding up.

We have to remember that nothing works forever.

And often what we “got away with” even when we are younger is now coming back to haunt us.

As our body and lifestyle evolves, we’ve got to adjust how we fuel and train.

That’s why I’m going to share 6 tips to help boost your metabolism to lose fat at any and every age.

First, Focus On Hydration. 

Many of us know we should drink more water. 

But the struggle is real to actually change this habit.

Not only is it confusing to know how much water to drink but it’s hard to stop yourself during the day to get water when it isn’t already a part of your routine or you’re not really thirsty for it. 

However, proper hydration becomes more important as we get older and even start the hormonal changes of perimenopause.

Especially if you’re training hard, you want to consider consuming MORE than the general recommendation of 50% of your bodyweight in ounces.

You want to even shoot for 70% of your bodyweight in ounces of water consumed every day.

While you may find setting out a filled water bottle by the coffee maker helpful to remind you to drink water even as you make your coffee, you can also improve your hydration levels by consuming more high water content foods over the course of the day. 

To help you hit this amount and stay hydrated, don’t just only focus on drinking more water, as key as that is.

Make a salad of cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes and lettuce – all high water content foods. 

Add berries to your oatmeal for breakfast to improve your hydration to start your day. 

Or try melons in your cottage cheese as a protein rich snack to stay hydrated. 

But focus not only on ways to drink more water but even improve your hydration through fruits and vegetables that also pack in the micronutrients to your diet as well!

Second, Eat 30-40 Grams Of Protein Per Meal. 

Increasing your protein is key.

And while most of us have heard we can only consume 20-30 grams of protein at one sitting, this just isn’t the case. 

While 20-30 grams may be the max we need to specifically utilize to build muscle from one sitting, this is also based on studies of protein supplements. 

The other macros consumed at a meal will impact the rate of digestion, slowing the process even to better let us utilize more at a time.

Not to mention as we get older, we are less able to utilize protein as efficiently, meaning we need more to see the same results. 

That’s why increasing our intake to 30-40 grams per meal, especially in our post workout meal can be super beneficial.

The harder you train, the more you want to focus on a higher protein intake to make sure you’re able to repair and recover more efficiently from your training. 

If we aren’t able to recover and rebuild properly, we may see our hard work in the gym not pay off the way we’d like in terms of strength gains and muscle growth, which can impact our metabolic health. 

And protein is not only key because of its muscle building benefits but also because it keeps us feeling fuller if we are in a calorie deficit to lose weight. 

This can make sticking to our nutritional plan easier long-term which allows consistency and time to work their results magic.

Plus, protein has a higher thermic effect than the other macros, meaning your body burns more calories to digest and utilize it for other bodily functions and to keep the tissues of your body strong and healthy.

It’s also important to find your food quality balance.

I’m a big believer in working in the foods you love. 

I love having a rice krispie treat or Reese peanut butter cup or ice cream as dessert.

And I will plan these things in first when I want them.

I also think we too often sabotage ourselves with this clean eating pressure where we feel we can’t have things we enjoy and eliminate foods arbitrarily that aren’t even necessarily an intolerance we personally struggle with. 

BUT we do need to find a balance.

Quality fuel helps our body function best. And we always want to seek to balance enjoying life and functioning optimally! 

We need those essential micronutrients to not only feel our best and stay healthy, but even to keep our metabolic rate higher and help us lose fat. 

A few micronutrients you may want to focus on more if you are working to lose fat and rev that metabolism are choline, magnesium, vitamin D, selenium and zinc. 

Choline is involved in the process of lipolysis, or fat loss, helping to break down fat into smaller pieces to be burned as energy. 

Eggs, beef, red potatoes and kidney beans are all great sources to include. 

Magnesium is involved in nearly everything, but when it comes to fat loss and metabolism, it helps control insulin and glucose, which both impact fat storage. 

It also can help with water retention and bloating, especially as you are increasing protein and making other dietary changes. 

Pumpkins, chia seeds, almonds and spinach are all great sources of magnesium.

Vitamin D is also key to include although harder to boost through our food consumption.

Even if we try to get out in the sun daily, as we get older we want to make sure we are boosting our intake even with a supplement. 

Studies have shown that low levels of vitamin D are linked to higher rates of overweight and obesity.

And both selenium and zinc are key for proper thyroid functioning. Impaired thyroid function will lead to a slower metabolic rate.

To increase your intake of selenium include foods like brazil nuts, yellowfin tuna and halibut and to increase zinc consider oysters, pumpkin seeds, pork loin or even oats. 

While I’ve talked about 3 key nutritional tips, the best results happen when our diet and our workouts work together.

That’s why you can’t ignore the importance of your training for your metabolic health. 

When designing your workouts, stop just doing body part splits.

(Looking for workouts designed strategically to help you reach your goals? Check out my Dynamic Strength App!)

Design progressions that Work Your Upper And Lower Body In The Same Workout. 

Full-body workouts or anterior/posterior splits can be beneficial if you are looking to keep your metabolism healthy as you get older without having to spend hours in the gym 6 days a week. 

Not only are these workouts more efficient, but you will target multiple big muscle groups each and every workout to more effectively build muscle while also burning more calories per session.

While I never like to focus on training as just a time to burn more calories, this extra calorie burn because you’re working more big muscles per session to build more muscle isn’t a bad added bonus! 

And by doing these splits, you can also increase your training frequency for each area over the week.

Training a body part 2-3 times per week over simply doing more for an area in a single session may help you see better muscle gains. 

That training frequency for especially hard to grow areas of 2-3 times per week has shown to yield the best results.

It can also help you train the area at a higher intensity each session, performing a higher overall quality of work, as too often we simply include more training volume in a workout that becomes wasted as we fatigue over the session. 

So consider designing workouts that allow you to target different areas every workout while hitting both big muscle groups in your upper and lower body each session!

The next training tip is to Focus On Low Reps And Heavy Weights. 

Too often we turn to more cardio or metabolic workouts when we want to lose fat. They make us feel out of breath and like we worked hard. 

But muscle is what stokes that metabolic fire.

To build that muscle we need heavy loads and progression in movements that challenges our muscles to tear them down so they have to rebuild stronger.

This is why you want to work down in reps and up in weights during your training.

And while using a diversity of rep ranges is ideal, do not ignore that maximal strength rep range of 1-5 reps even if muscle hypertrophy and fat loss is your goal. 

Increasing our strength allows us to then move more weight overall during our training, resulting in better muscle gains.

So while you may have heard that 6-12 reps is best for muscle hypertrophy and you do want to include this rep range, working lower in reps with even heavier loads will ultimately make you stronger to lift more for those exercises done in the 6-12 rep range.

Consider including a single heavy compound lift at the start of your workout for 4-5 rounds of 3-5 reps, resting 3-5 minutes between rounds. 

Follow that up with other compound accessory exercises in the 6-12 rep range to target specific muscle groups you’ve already started fatiguing with that first lift! 

The final tip is to Sprint More.

That high intensity interval work is so key to our conditioning and metabolic health. It is a great way to burn calories in an efficient way as well.

And if you perform short intervals of work of even just 10-20 seconds with 3-5 times the rest, you can really train speed. 

Just don’t get caught up on doing a bazillion rounds.

You don’t want to feel beat down from these short sessions. Less is more. Think even just 8-10 rounds of sprints. 

Go all out and fully recover. You want to train speed which means not doing a work interval again until you’ve recovered.

When you include sprints in this way, not only can you help keep your metabolic rate higher, even increasing your calorie burn after the sessions, but you’ll help improve your mind-body connection to even get more out of your lifting. 

This explosive power work helps you more efficiently recruit muscles which can lead to better strength gains.

These short intense bursts also help us see better results from our other workouts because they improve our conditioning and therefore our ability to recover more quickly between rounds of work. 

Better recovery means better quality of work during our training!

Using these 6 tips you can improve your metabolic health to lose fat at any and every age. 

Just remember the best results happen when our diet and our workouts work together!