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15 FAT LOSS TIPS That Changed My Life

15 FAT LOSS TIPS That Changed My Life

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

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

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

CHECK OUT THE FULL VIDDEO BLOG BELOW:

1: Working In Foods You Love First

For me this is dessert.

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

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

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

2: Quality Does, And Doesn’t, Matter

Obviously whole natural foods are best for our health.

But you can STILL overeat healthy foods.

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

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

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

And remember, portions still really matter!

3: It’s Not Forever

Nothing works forever.

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

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

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

4: Keep It Simple, Butthead

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

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

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

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

5: Stop Overcorrecting

We’re human.

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

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

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

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

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

Just move forward.

6: Focus On Strength Training Over Cardio

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

Training is about becoming functional stronger and moving our best.

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

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

7: You Can’t Just Listen To Your Body

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

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

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

You’ll feel hungry.

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

But change requires change.

8: There’s No Quick Fix

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

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

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

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

9: Recovery Is Key

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

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

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

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

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

10: Avoid Restriction

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

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

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

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

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

11: Be Active

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

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

So get moving.

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

But get active and stay.

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

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

12: Macros Over Calories

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

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

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

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

13: You’re Not An All Or Nothing Person

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

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

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

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

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

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

14: Stop Doing More

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

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

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

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

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

And I saved the best for last…

15: Tracking

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

But what we measure, we can manage.

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

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

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

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

SUMMARY:

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

We just often need to get that ball rolling!

Ready to create your own recipe for results?

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

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

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

by | Mar 27, 2022 | Blog, Diet

I’d always wanted defined abs.

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

And ultimately rebound.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Plain and simple.

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

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

Nope.

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

Same thing goes for creating a recipe for aesthetic results.

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

Tip #1: Go High Protein.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip #3: Precision Is Key.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BREAKFAST:

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

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

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

SIDE NOTE – During My Workout:

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

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

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

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

LUNCH:

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

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

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

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

DINNER:

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

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

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

DESSERT:

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

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

SUMMARY:

This puts my total for the day at….

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

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

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

My 3-Step Fat Loss Formula…

–> LEARN MORE!

How To Lose Fat In ONE SECOND…

How To Lose Fat In ONE SECOND…

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

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

Just stop!

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

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

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

But there is no magic pill.

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

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

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

#1: Stop Cherry Picking From Programs.

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

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

But results come from stepping outside our comfort zone.

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

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

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

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

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

But don’t waste your own time this year.

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

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

Change requires change!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#3: Don’t Ignore Weekly Averages.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SUMMARY:

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

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

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

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

–> 1:1 Coaching Application

 

Why You’re Not Losing Fat (3 Step Plan)

Why You’re Not Losing Fat (3 Step Plan)

by | Dec 26, 2021 | Blog, Diet

Are you being honest with yourself?

It’s not that we intentionally “lie” to ourselves about things, but all too often we are looking back at our habits with rose colored glasses.

We miss the inconsistencies.

We let hard work be mistaken for training with purpose.

We’ve focused on doing MORE over following a strategically designed plan and systems.

As much as we want there to be a magic pill, there isn’t one.

And there is no one magical move, magic macro ratio, magic ANYTHING that is going to give us instant results.

That’s why I wanted to share with you the main reason I feel we so often don’t see the results we want and how to overcome it, but I do just first want to remind you how important it is we take that step back to honestly assess.

It’s easy to get caught up in how we “feel” we are doing.

But feelings aren’t data.

Especially because we CAN actually be working really hard and not seeing the results we want.

Working harder though doesn’t translate always into CONSISTENCY with that hard work though.

Too often we are “good all week” only to end up falling off on the weekends.

And that inconsistency can really add up.

One day can throw you out of a deficit if you’ve been trying to create a smaller deficit throughout the week.

Missed workouts, when you’ve DESIGNED for a specific schedule, can really add up.

We need to be honest with ourselves and our implementation of systems.

It’s why tracking to give us that outside perspective can be key.

This honest assessment can also help us stick with our plan for long enough for results to add up.

Because simply not sticking with something for long enough is truly why we most often don’t see the results we want!

We simply can’t out exercise or out diet time.

And so often we give up on a plan or program before we’ve truly given results time to build.

Sometimes we’ve even seen results but don’t feel like they are happening fast enough so go in search of another, faster, fix.

And this constant hopping from thing to thing is what prevents results from snowballing.

Because often when we don’t “feel” like things are happening, they are!

And over time those small changes build upon themselves to lead to big results.

So if the true problem is that we don’t get consistent with something and stick with it for long enough, how can we help ourselves actually commit to a plan long enough for time to work its magic?

Here are 3 tips to help you stay consistent and give results time to snowball:

#1: Give yourself end dates.

We don’t do well with “forever.”

Not only does it lead to us often not feeling motivated to get started, but it makes it easy to slack when there is nothing driving you to have a specific result by a specific time.

If you think about the times you truly were the most committed, it was when you had a big event you were working toward.

By setting those end dates we motivate ourselves to fully commit and commit until that day in time.

We can then, at that point, reassess how everything is going.

Even if you don’t have a big event you’re working toward and you know your ultimate goal will take awhile, set strategic end dates to give yourself a chance to assess how everything is going.

If you know you’re going to stick with something until that point, it will make it easier to even trust the process and not be looking to change things up before then.

#2: Set goals that aren’t just your ultimate goal and track progress toward them.

Many of us have been told we need to set habit goals. We need to celebrate completing the boring daily tasks that we know we need to do if we want to reach our ultimate goals.

But it’s hard to stay motivated by these simple tasks, especially after you do them for a week or two.

That’s why you want to set goals you know will complement your ultimate goal while being quicker to complete or see progress toward.

If you have 50lbs to lose, and you know you often struggle to stay motivated to go to the gym, set a gym performance goal.

What is one move you’d like to be able to do?

Would you like to be able to lift a certain amount? Run a certain distance? Cycle at a certain pace?

Set a performance goal that you know will motivate you to want to do the habits that will lead to faster progress toward your weight loss goals!

Then make sure to track your progress with a set plan in place!

You need to have that clear progression to know what is and isn’t working and then you want to track your progress toward your goals so you can see those changes over the week!

That progress forward will help keep you motivated to do what you know will lead to your other goals as well!

#3: Stop the all or nothing attitude.

Often in our desire to see results faster, we try to do a billion things at once.

We try to work harder and do more over finding something sustainable we can do long-term.

If you want to help yourself stick with something long enough to see results, you need to honestly assess your lifestyle, needs and goals and base your routines and habits off of them.

As unsexy as small changes are as they don’t often lead to the immediate earth-shattering results we want, they are what ultimately add up to the greatest results long-term.

Too often we overestimate how much we can accomplish short-term and underestimate what we can accomplish long-term with consistency.

So as much as you want something now, realize that attitude is what has ultimately lead to you never sticking with something long enough for results to truly snowball.

Yes you see those dramatic results, but then you also see that quick plateau or weight regain.

Find ways to make small changes based on what you’re currently doing and even at times embrace doing the minimum when you otherwise would do nothing!

Remember that it isn’t just about going full steam ahead when times are perfect, which, let’s face it, with life they often aren’t.

It’s about also finding ways to be BETTER than you would usually during the times you aren’t motivated and can’t do the perfect plan.

SUMMARY:

So often we hold ourselves back by simply not sticking with a program long enough. And then we also start to ignore the inconsistencies that happen.

Take an honest step back and reflect on what you’re doing.

Then set some end dates to constantly assess your programming and keep you motivated while allowing results to build. In each of these time frames, outline some performance goals you know will keep you consistent in those habits and working toward your ultimate weight loss goal. And then embrace doing the minimum. Be realistic instead of feeling like it has to be all or nothing.

Remember, you simply can’t out exercise or out diet time!

Eat the foods you love, train with a routine that fits YOUR busy lifestyle, and see the fabulous results you deserve…It’s that simple! (Note that doesn’t mean “easy.”)

LEARN MORE…

–> The RS Formula And 3 Pillar System

#1 Fat Loss Tip That Changed My Life

#1 Fat Loss Tip That Changed My Life

by | Sep 20, 2021 | Blog, Diet

The simplest solution is often the right one.

Now note, simple doesn’t mean easy because change requires change.

And anything we haven’t currently been doing is going to feel weird and awkward and uncomfortable.

It’s going to be “hard” to some extent.

Often there is also a learning curve to get everything dialed in even when the solution is those boring basics.

So while something may be simple it may not come naturally to you and you may need to work at it and embrace some new habits to truly create the sustainable change.

I mention this because my number one tip, my body recomposition secret is one of those oh so boring basics that no one wants to do…

If you want to lose fat while retaining and even building lean muscle, you need to TRACK MACROS.

And I honestly rebelled against this solution for YEARS.

I HATED the idea of tracking.

That’s why I want to share the 4 tips that helped me embrace the simple solution that made all the difference in my results.

But before I dive into 4 tips to help you get started tracking macros for body recomposition I want to discuss the LIE I often hear spread around….

The lie that you don’t need to track macros to lose fat and gain muscle.

Yes it would be amazing if we could all just know the correct portions and only eat to fuel our body.

But that’s not the relationship most of us have with food.

Food is so much more than just fuel and that isn’t a bad thing.

It does however often mean we need to re-learn what proper portions are.

I know some of you may now be thinking, “But tracking is soooo restrictive and I could never do that forever.”

But tracking isn’t restrictive. The only thing judging your nutrition is YOU.

Tracking is a learning tool to better understand how to fuel your body.

It isn’t telling you to cut anything out.

And it may even help eat MORE instead of slashing your calories super low in an attempt to get results faster.

It’s also a way you can find a balance where you DON’T have to restrict any specific foods and CAN eat the things you love.

Tracking is a way to educate yourself about how different foods impact YOU and YOUR results.

So anyone telling you that you don’t have to track?

They just honestly don’t want to have to deal with teaching you because they know it’s not a fun thing to do.

It’s tedious. And boring. And confusing to start.

It’s HARD and we all want that quick fix.

However it’s also the SIMPLE answer as to what to do if you want the best body recomposition results as efficiently as possible.

It’s the best way to retain and even build lean muscle as you lose fat.

It’s the best way to know what is and isn’t working so you can make small tweaks as you go.

Also…so often those people claiming you don’t have to track?

Well they often ultimately just tell you to track in some hyped up way.

The simple fact is…Tracking is the tool to a better understanding of your nutrition.

Not only does one size not fit all but our needs and goals change over time.

While we’re ultimately looking to adjust our nutrition and make those changes a lifestyle, we have to recognize that our lifestyle is constantly evolving so why wouldn’t our diet change as well?

Only when you truly understand the foundation of nutrition can you adjust your intake to meet your ever changing needs and goals.

So if you want to achieve amazing body recomposition results and sustain those results long-term?

It’s time to suck it up and learn how to track your macros.

Here are 4 Tips To Help You Start Tracking Macros:

These tips are ones that help me finally accept the fact that I had to track and have helped my clients embrace counting macros even when they’ve been overwhelmed by the process in the past.

Because we have to remember that the simple solution isn’t always the EASIEST one.

Tip #1: Just Start By Tracking Your Current Diet

There is a big push in the dieting industry to “eat clean” and cut out all processed foods from your diet.

And while this is great in theory, it’s unrealistic long-term for most of us in practice.

I give you a huge round of applause if you never want ice cream or cookies or pizza or anything not 100% meant to better your health.

But as a person who WANTS and ENJOYS those things, I know long-term I’ll never cut them out.

And trying to only backfires.

I ultimately feel deprived and revert back to old habits.

It’s why I personally would rather find a true balance so I can eat healthier overall.

It’s why when I work with my clients the first step in learning to track is simply to log what they are currently doing.

No cutting anything out.

No restricting specific foods.

Just an honest picture of our current lifestyle so we can then make small changes based on what is natural to us.

Too often when we first start to make changes, we cut out the foods we love the most because they are often also the ones we know are the “worst” for us.

And this is often why the changes are short lived.

Instead take a different approach this time if you want to achieve the body recomposition results you’ve always dreamed up.

First just learn how to track.

Get that true picture of what you’re currently doing.

Even learn how to enter recipes and save meals so tracking becomes quicker and easier as you DO start to tweak things.

Then focus on small changes you can easily maintain once the motivation and initial willpower wears off.

Pick one thing to adjust. Pick even the EASIEST thing to cut out or add in.

Small changes add up to sustainable habits.

Tip #2: Learn Your Triggers And Plan Around Foods You Love

So many people want to push their personal version of a healthy lifestyle on us.

But we each enjoy different foods and different eating habits and schedules.

We need to create a healthier version or our personal lifestyle and that doesn’t happen by restricting all of the foods we love.

It comes from striking a balance – a balance where we include some of the not so healthy treats we enjoy but also healthier variations of foods that hit our macros.

It’s all about finding the balance between eating according to our aesthetic goals while fueling to feel our best while enjoying life!

For me, that means including dessert every single day.

And even planning in that thing I want FIRST to strike a balance with other meals.

But it also means knowing the desserts I can eat in moderation and the things I know I won’t have just one of.

Like ice cream. If you think a pint is a single serving, it may be best to not have that in your fridge until you plan to enjoy the whole thing.

It may be better to find a swap like yogurt and granola with chocolate chips, or even a lower calorie ice cream like Halo Top, that satisfies your sweet tooth but allows you to still eat according to your goals.

We each have to know our “triggers.” Are there foods you can’t eat in moderation? That once you start you won’t stop?

Once you know those foods you can either choose to plan them in when you want or even find find healthier alternatives that satisfy your cravings BUT that may be easier to work your macros around.

All about finding that balance so we don’t feel restricted, but embracing that we don’t need to cut out the foods we love and probably SHOULDN’T if we want to be able to stay consistent with our nutrition long term.

Tip #3: Increase Protein First

Strictly talking about body recomposition…protein is what matters MOST.

I’ve heard people say you can’t lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.

But this isn’t entirely true.

It’s just why we can’t avoid tracking macros and need to focus first on increasing protein in our diet.

A higher protein diet is especially key when in a deficit to help us preserve and build lean muscle as we lose fat.

Maintaining muscle mass not only helps you look leaner as you lose fat but it also keeps your metabolic rate higher to make the whole body recomposition process easier.

Not to mention it helps all of your hard work in the gym truly pay off.

Even if you DO eat in a surplus, a higher protein diet has been shown to actually help prevent unwanted fat gain, which can give us a bit more “wiggle room” on our exact calorie intake.

And, as we get older, it’s even more key we emphasize increasing our protein intake because we become less able to utilize protein as efficiently and effectively.

Now I also realize this is the part many of us struggle with most and find the most overwhelming to change.

But focus again on those small adjustments to your current lifestyle.

Add one more ounce of shrimp or chicken or tofu or tempeh to your salad or tacos or casserole

Swap in greek yogurt for your regular yogurt.

Add in edamame or quinoa to your usual stir fry.

Try hardboiled eggs as a quick grab and go snack.

And while supplements should be supplemental, we can find things that also help us create sustainable habits when we are busy or on the go.

Try even whey protein in your overnight oats or even collagen in your coffee.

But think about how you can even make one small change to a meal to create a small increase and build off of that over time!

Tip #4: Weigh And Measure EVERYTHING. Yup…It’s Annoying

Weighing and measuring everything is tedious, boring, annoying…insert really any adjective to give yourself an excuse not to do it.

Let’s face it…it’s not fun.

But if you don’t weigh and measure everything, you don’t have an accurate picture of your portions.

And trust me, portions become easily distorted.

One tablespoon of peanut butter gets waaaay bigger when you simply want it!

Little bites can add up more quickly not only over the day, but also over the week.

They can dramatically impact the macros we are actually hitting each day not to mention our overall calorie intake for the week.

So often I see people claiming “tracking doesn’t work” when really they aren’t logging a good portion of what they’re consuming.

They aren’t giving themselves a clear picture of their fueling to then make accurate adjustments.

What we measure, we can manage!

So while it may be annoying, it’s truly the simplest way to really understand the portions you are consuming.

Remember simple isn’t always easy!

But the more you do it to start, the more you’ll learn what you need to be able to carry on the habits long term!

SUMMARY:

Tracking macros is a change many of us want to rebel against to start, but if you want the best body recomposition results as fast as possible, it is the simple answer.

Stop trying to search for a way to avoid doing something hard and instead embrace the learning process so you can create a sustainable healthier version of your personal lifestyle while feeling and looking your best.

Ready to FINALLY see the results you’ve always wanted and learn how to maintain those results LONG-TERM?

Check out my RS Formula!

–> The 3-Part RS Formula To Achieve LASTING Results