In this week’s episode…

• I’ll discuss breaking those annoying patterns of sabotage
• I’ll chat with Michelle about how fad diets can be addicting
• I’ll give you the low down on BCAAs and why, when and how to use them
• I’ll share a delicious, plant-based, granola recipe everyone will love
• I’ll help you improve your prehab with this simple shift in focus
• And I’ll help you maximize this oh so important movement pattern! 

Lemon Tahini Granola

Makes 8 Servings

I love to eat this with even greek yogurt to boost protein. And sometimes to pack an extra protein punch, I’ll even mix my yogurt with protein powder before topping with the granola

You can do this even with a coconut or other non-dairy yogurt and vegan protein powder as well!

Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Blend 1 tablespoon of water with the pitted dates. The amount of water you need will depend on how dry your dates are, so start with 1 tablespoon and add more as required.

Add the date paste, tahini, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest to a large bowl, and mix until well combined. If your paste is very thick add 1 tablespoon of water to thin it. It should be easy to mix but thicker than cake batter.

Add the rolled oats, nuts, seeds, coconut and cinnamon. Mix well to combine and transfer the granola to the baking sheet. Spread it out into an even layer and press down with a spatula.

Bake in the hot oven for 15 minutes, then carefully flip over and continue to bake for a further 10-15 minutes until golden brown, being careful not to burn the granola.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it aside on a wire rack to cool. The granola will firm up into crunchy pieces as it cools.

15 minutes to prep. 30 minutes to cook

Macros: 

238 calories

13 g Fat

25 g Carbs

8 g Protein

Hey Guys it’s Cori from Redefining Strength! 

In this new season of The Fitness Hacks Podcast I’m going to be bringing you all new segments.

In this episode we’ll cover…

1) 3 tips for kickstarting the new year, 

2) Get some amazing goal setting advice from my lead dietitian Michelle, 

3) Discuss 3 Key Macro Hacks

4) Go over a delicious one pan chicken recipe

5) Talk about an amazing training technique and then talk about dealing with hate as you work toward your goals.

One Pot Spanish Chicken and Rice Recipe

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. (450g) skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into pieces 1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp. black pepper
1⁄2 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (160g) long grain white rice, rinsed
1⁄2 tbsp. smoked paprika
11⁄2 cups (360ml) chicken broth
1 cup (240ml) tomato sauce pinch of saffron
1⁄2 cup (70g) green olives
1⁄2 cup (8g) cilantro, chopped 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes until slightly brown.

Add in the onion, red bell pepper and garlic and cook for a few minutes until they slightly soften. Now add the rice, stir to combine and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

Next add in the paprika, chicken broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low. Add the saffron, cover the pan with a lid and cook gently for 25 minutes until the rice is ready.
Season with a little more salt and pepper to taste, and stir through the olives and cilantro.

Serve with lemon wedges.

4 servings (macros listed PER serving)

370 Calories | 11g Fat | 43g Carb | 27g Protein

New Year…New Podcast Format!? HECK YES! Over the years, there have been a few evolutions of the Fitness Hacks Podcast as I work to provide better information and tips in ways that hopefully help more and more.

That’s why this year, I want to start a new format with more videos but also new segments. In the past I’ve focused a lot on mindset and motivation tips. And this is partly ​because mindset matters so much and I’m able to cover more on macros and workout tips on my YouTube and my blog.

But nothing is ever enough, RIGHT?! That’s why I wanted to create new segments that dive more into the questions, comments and concerns you all have. I want to go over macro hacks, meal prepping, recipes, workout and exercise tweaks, prehab tips and more.

I also want to invite GUESTS onto the show to share their expertise and help us all see another new perspective to keep moving forward. So as I plan out the episodes for this year, I’d first love to hear from all of you! ​​Comment below about what you’d like to learn about and even who you’d like to hear from on the show! Here’s to a fabulous 2023 and season of the Fitness Hacks Podcast!

If you want to lose weight and keep it off for good, you’ve got to face some cold hard facts…

As much as we like to just get excited about a new goal when we are motivated and even tell ourselves that it will be “easy,” to help ourselves embrace the change, this actually sabotages our long-term success.

Because there will be challenges. And the more we can prepare for them, the better off we will be!

#1: You get good at, and used to, what you consistently do.

Results come not from what we do every once in awhile, but what we do daily.

However, what feels natural is also what we’ve trained our body and mind to see as natural.

Often we have to UNLEARN old patterns and habits before we can learn new ones.

For example, you may find you can track for a few weeks and then fall off. At some point, you have to push through this hurdle. You have to acknowledge the hard and believe your goals are worth the sacrifice.

#2: There is no ideal plan.

One size doesn’t fit all.

What worked for you before, may not work for you later.

Because we are constantly evolving – our bodies, needs, goals and lifestyles are constantly changing.

So in order to create the perfect plan or you, you have to know where you are currently at to accurately adjust.

Meeting ourselves where we are at allows us to make small changes so we aren’t dependent constantly on willpower.

So we don’t get overwhelmed.

So we can actually create habits that stick.

It helps us create a lifestyle so we then think, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?!”

#3: Your body fights the weight loss process.

The longer you’ve had the weight on, the longer you haven’t been at your goal, the harder the process will be because your body doesn’t like change.

And then as you try to get your body to even do something it’s never done, lose those last few pounds for instance, it is going to rebel more and more.

The longer even you’ve been dieting, the more you’ll start to feel things adding up.

Realizing this and planning in other ways to measure success, or even strategic breaks, is key!

#4: It’s going to be boring and hard.

The things that work aren’t the sexy 1% tweaks. They are the boring basics done daily. And at times, it will be hard to want to do them.

We never want to do what we should 100% of the time.

BUT these things are what allow us to enjoy life in the way we want.

These are the little sacrifices we make to do more of what we love!

#5: Your mindset matters most.

You can have the exact macros you need, the exact workout plan in place, but if you don’t implement it, if you don’t trust in it, you’re not going to fully use it and see results.

Too often we doom ourselves with doubt.

We have a plan that would work, but we just don’t fully take action or trust in the process long enough for results to build.

We doubt it will work and then we don’t truly make the changes consistently but convince ourselves we have so we give up when we don’t see the results we feel we deserve.

Even sometimes causing ourselves to fail because we’ve done MORE…which, in our head, feels like it should have worked out better.

But if you’re going to do a program, DO THE PROGRAM.

Believe in it and expect to LEARN even if you don’t hit your exact goal as fast as you’d like.

Because often, as skeptical as we can be, we can ultimately see better results faster when we go all in and do trust the process knowing we will get something out of it no matter what!