fat loss tips Archives Page 4 of 14

10 Harsh Truths You Probably Need to Hear

by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 22, 2024 | Blog, Mindset

Progress is never linear. Achieving results is hard even when it looks easy.

And the more we even oversell the negative and prepare for the setbacks and struggles, the easier it is ultimately to overcome the obstacles and keep going.

That’s why I want to share 10 sucky truths you need to own if you want to see better results faster.

1: Simple doesn’t mean easy.

Every time I post something about the fact that success is struggle or change is hard…

I get at least one comment of…

“No, it’s simple! Just do this!”

But that “simple” thing they say to do…

A. Isn’t easy for everyone.

B. Isn’t simple for everyone.

And C. Is it an oversimplification or not the habit someone else needs for results ultimately leading to others feeling like something is wrong with them because that isn’t easy for them to do…

Because what is “simple” boils down to us FINDING the change that meets us where we are at.

And it takes time to find that for some of us.

Not to mention…knowing isn’t doing.

And getting ourselves to DO the simple thing isn’t easy, especially if the simple thing is very different from what we’re doing now.

Instead we need to focus on not some ideal, not something “simple,” but instead something that seems so easy we could do it on our worst of worst days.

Focus on the smallest of small habit changes that meets you were you are at.

This isn’t sexy. But this is how results build!

2: The habit changes we need the most are the ones we fight against the hardest.

Think about how many habits you’re told to do that you immediately find reasons NOT to do.

And the later, when you’ve finally embraced the change you think…

“Why didn’t I do this sooner?!”

It’s because often those changes are far outside our comfort zone. And we simply don’t want to do them.

I see this all the time, especially when I tell people to increase protein or cut out cardio for fat loss…

They find all of the reasons why high protein isn’t good or cardio is essential.

We seek out reasons to validate our own desire not to act or make the uncomfortable change yet what we’re doing currently isn’t working.

This desire to find a reason NOT to do something should instead trigger us to know that this is EXACTLY the change we probably need to see a new and better result.

Instead of finding ways to reinforce what we don’t want to do, we need to assess WHY we’re pushing back against the changes so much.

We need to ask ourselves, “Why am I so resistant to taking this action?”

Then instead, we should research all the reasons WHY it would be good for us and break down the change to meet ourselves where we are at!

Often we can lower our defense against the change by taking action to build the habit that meets us where we are at and is closer to our comfort zone!

3: We stand in our own way.

It’s cliche but true – whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right.

We tell ourselves things aren’t possible.

We tell ourselves we don’t have the willpower or self control.

We doom ourselves with doubt.

We don’t commit 100% to a change and ignore our own deviations and inconsistencies, letting ourselves off the hook.

We CHOOSE not to make a hard choice and take action, keeping going when it would be so easy to quit.

We are ultimately the one in control of our own success and our own failure.

We are the only ones that can prove what is truly possible by taking a risk and taking action to try to move forward.

We are the only ones that can act.

But that means we need to stop telling ourselves no and limiting ourselves and instead say…

“Hey, let’s do this and see what is possible!”

4: Success is failure.

The most successful people have often also failed the most.

This is what makes them successful.

They learned from those experiences as often our mistakes are the ones that teach us lessons that really stick with us.

Now don’t get me wrong…It sucks to make a mistake. To feel bad at something. To feel like you look stupid even.

But those things we deem as failures are really just learning experiences with a side of frustration.

Those experiences are often the most essential to our success.

Because we don’t succeed despite failures…we succeed because of them…

That is as long as we choose to learn from them.

So don’t run from the discomfort of learning and making mistakes. Embrace this as opportunity.

Make sure that every time something happens that didn’t go as planned you pause to reflect.

Because often that reflection is what truly teaches us and moves us forward, helping us even achieve more than we thought possible.

5: Nothing works forever.

We are constantly changing whether we realize it or not. Nothing in life is ever standing still.

Our goal is to recognize this and evolve to meet ourselves where we are at to control the direction of that change.

Yet too often we get complacent with things and cling to habits and routines that now don’t fit what we need to move forward.

Instead we need to embrace that nothing works forever and what helped us even reach one goal may be holding us back from the next.

The more we are open to change and don’t get so married to a tool or tactic it becomes a part of our identity, the more we allow ourselves to always grow and move forward!

6: Effort doesn’t equal outcome.

Effort relates to how a habit or change feels. Not to the actual magnitude of the change and how much it is moving us forward.

Like we could be tracking what we’re eating and feel like we’re doing so much to lose weight because it feels like a challenge to track while not actually having changed our food portions at all.

So while something feels hard, it doesn’t always mean we’re doing enough or truly making a change to achieve a goal.

Not to mention so often we do overwhelm ourselves in how we make changes in our attempt to see results faster.

We do so much we kill our motivation quickly and then all of the habits feel like too much. So we give up when results aren’t happening fast enough.

We need to be aware of all of this and how our feelings of effort can sabotage us.

This is why sometimes LESS IS MORE!

We need to assess what is actually realistic for us right now and what changes even feel EASY to make and start there.

Because the more you do, the more you do. And as you make changes you’ll feel more motivated to add on over feeling overwhelmed and like you want to do less!

And don’t be afraid to even REASSESS what feels doable at different times.

Sometimes LIFE can make what did feel good feel like too much effort.

And the more we own this to back off and take ownership of what matches what we need now, the more we actually keep moving forward!

7: Someone always has it easier.

Yup. The thing is…that doesn’t matter.

But I won’t tell you not to compare. Comparison is in our nature.

We just have to recognize when the comparison isn’t serving us and isn’t relevant.

Or if we find ourselves comparing, see the opportunity in learning all we can from what that person did.

But ultimately we have to put the blinders on and stay focused on just what WE need.

Like a race horse. Put the blinders on and RUN. Because no one else has an impact on the time YOU run the race in. Just on their own.

Focus on meeting yourself where you are at to move forward.

What matters for your success is your current situation, the goal you want and the actions that will take you from point to point B.

8: There’s no one best thing.

Not only is there no one best thing out there…no one magic move or magic food…

But searching for a single habit or tactic that will fix everything is often what holds us back from realizing how everything in our lifestyle needs to work together.

Because results are built off of systems not habits in isolation.

And one size doesn’t fit all!

It’s built off the boring basics done daily and creating a plan we can be consistent with.

Your diet has to match your workouts and both have to work together with your recovery and schedule if you want to create something that allows you to put in the work and build.

Because what worked for your friend, may not work for your lifestyle. 6 days a week of workouts may be fabulous, but not if you can realistically do 3.

There is no perfect plan, just the perfect plan for us.

So stop searching for a new best thing…some ah-ha magical epiphany.

Instead focus on small tweaks you can make to make everything fit a little bit better together!

Go back to those basics even and search for 1% improvements you can make over something new!

9: You have to think outside the gym. Outside your plate.

Simply put, your mindset matters most.

We want to take action. We search for new things to do and want to know WHAT to do and so often try to skip the WHY.

I even get that comment on videos often, “Just tell me what to do.”

But this quest for just WHAT to do keeps us stuck, never really making changes that are lasting.

Heck it even causes us to make changes that are ultimately a ton of wasted effort because they weren’t really what we needed…they were just “best” for someone else.

Instead we need to take a step back and look not only at our mindsets and beliefs about things, but even take a look at our lifestyles as a whole.

We need to own our priorities and lifestyle because, if we don’t, these things so often become our excuse.

They make changes to our diet or workouts harder.

Not to mention they make us ignore other things that are important to us and other areas of our lifestyle that may need changes and adjustments like our sleep or recovery.

So don’t get caught up in only looking at the actions you can take to adjust your diet and workouts if you want lasting results.

10: Do it anyway.

Yup. Do it anyway.

When you hit something you don’t want to do…

That day you really don’t want to do what you should…

Do it anyway.

Because those days are the days that matter most.

And you’ll feel so good for conquering that hard.

Those days are what create success and discipline.

Those days are what build your strength and confidence.

So on those days you really don’t want to, think, “I’ll just do one minute.”

That’s often all you need to get started and do even more.

Just remember, there is a cost to every reward.

There isn’t success without sacrifice.

But if we embrace these sucky truths and own them, we’re setting ourselves up to acheive better results faster and navigate the ups and downs along the way!

Build your leanest, strongest body at ANY age…and if you need that PUSHY trainer and straight shooter to help…

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The 3 Phases Of Fat Loss (And How to DO IT RIGHT!)

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 24, 2024 | Blog, Diet, Exercises

To lose fat you don’t just do one thing the whole time. There are phases and cycles.

Your diet and your workouts should EVOLVE.

That’s why I want to go over 3 different phases you can cycle through during your fat loss journey to see amazing results that LAST and know you’re progressing over time.

Because we have to trust the process…but that is easier said than done.

Not to mention our body needs and goals evolve over time and we have to meet them where they are at, which means at times what was working may not work based on what we need right now and we need to adjust.

That’s also why these 3 phases aren’t just a step 1, 2, 3 kind of thing.

You may go in and out of these phases based on YOUR progress and even desire for faster results at times over more of a lifestyle balance.

And you may return to even phase 2 at points as you even maintain your new lean, strong look!

So the 3 phases I’m going to go over are….

The Lifestyle Build

The Mini Cut

The Diet Break

Let’s start with the main Fat Loss Phase where you’ll find you spend most of your time…what I call the Lifestyle Build.

I just want to be clear about one thing…

What you do to reach your fat loss goal is not what you will do to MAINTAIN your results.

There is a transition to maintenance which I’ll go over more with Diet Breaks.

But you DO want to be creating sustainable habit changes as you lose fat because you can’t just do one thing to lose then go back to what you were doing prior.

And so often our desire to lose faster leads us to doing practices that also ultimately backfire in metabolic adaptations and mental burnout.

This is so often why we end up just losing weight to regain it and even more right after.

That’s why I recommend you most often START with this phase and spend most of your time in the Lifestyle Build.

With this phase, you’re slowly tweaking your nutrition and workouts in a way that truly meets you where they are at in a way that is based off of 1% improvements.

You’ll often track your current diet and workouts first.

You’ll focus on what feels like a realistic schedule to train based on what you easily can do right now.

You’ll take a hard look at your current habits and truly OWN what you’re doing now to adjust.

Then select a small change that feels like it is so silly simple you could do it on the worst of worst days even.

Too often we base changes off what we can do when life is perfect.

But because life often is NOT perfect, we create habits we can’t maintain over ones that we can get disciplined with quickly because they are just only slightly pushing our comfort zone over completely outside it.

This then builds momentum to do MORE and see results snowball faster and faster.

But it helps us ease in over overwhelming ourselves with habits we’re willpowering our way through.

Because too often we do so much we overload ourselves and mentally rebel.

We feel restricted. We feel like nothing will work for us because it’s too much.

The excuses pop up because we have other priorities fighting the changes.

In this phase, you’ll want to start even with a minimalist macros approach and a very small calorie deficit.

Once you see what calories you’re maintaining, or gaining weight with by tracking your current diet, you will cut out 100-200 calories and focus on nutrition by addition and adding protein.

You want to work to get your protein to 30-35% of your calorie intake to start.

This focus only on calories and protein simplifies with a clear focus.

It also helps us find our balance including foods we love while also fueling our body in the way it needs.

It’s about true changes to our lifestyle over forcing ourselves into a mold and demonizing foods.

From here you may begin to cycle macros and even adjust carbs and fat.

You want to adjust macros over cutting calories further, using those changes in energy source and even higher protein, up to 40%, to help you continue to see fat loss happen.

However, if you find your current calorie intake, while you aren’t losing and even gaining, is 1200 or below, you may want to start with phase 3, a diet break first!

And with these diet changes, you will also focus your workouts on a balance of strength and cardio.

We can’t out exercise our diet, but both need to work together to help us lose fat while not losing muscle and avoid metabolic adaptations.

Cardio especially with this deficit may be more focused on sprint intervals and walking while we focus on still lifting heavy.

We don’t want to turn to cardio only!

During this phase, you will also want to continue to push and challenge yourself with weights in the gym. Doing everything you can to build muscle while in a small deficit will help you better maintain your results.

Workouts may be slightly more metabolic strength though with things like circuits or even some interval strength training.

Now how can you know things are going well…

I will tell you the scale is NOT necessarily going to be your friend.

Because you’re after fat loss, not just weight loss. And slow progress on the scale doesn’t mean you aren’t losing fat – it means you’re not losing muscle too and creating unsustainable changes.

So often when we start our fat loss journey, we do so much we deplete our body completely, leading to fast scale results, only to see every little deviation from our diet or workouts lead to massive gains.

And of course, we regain the weight…which is what has brought you to this video to finally see the fat loss results you deserve.
So with seeing true fat loss results you can expect to see these signs during the Lifestyle Build…

#1: You will see inches being lost while the scale will be SLOW to change.

#2: You may lose up to 1lbs per week but no more.

#3: Your energy can dip then level off as you adjust to changes in your macros and that initial little deficit. Your calorie deficit will be small so you shouldn’t be starving if you do this right! You may even feel FULLER with the change in macros!

#4: Workout numbers should still consistently improve.

But you shouldn’t see massive swings in how you feel or like you’re starving. So often we try to lose fat, end up hangry and just then binge on whatever we can find when we can’t stand the restriction any longer.

That won’t happen if you do this right because you’re creating that very small calorie deficit!

Just note…tracking is key! And one day off plan, the “I was good all week” to fall off on the weekends, can have a massive impact because you’re creating that smaller calorie deficit over the week.

So be aware of those patterns to make small adjustments!

But also note, results are consistent but fat loss isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight.

If you do know that you need that initial bigger change to stay motivated, while you will spend most of your journey in this phase to prevent metabolic adaptations especially through a higher calorie intake and balanced training, you may start with phase 2…

The Mini Cut.

The Mini Cut is an intensive fat loss protocol…

And not fun.

It is more restrictive, going to be tougher macros and a bigger calorie deficit.

It is a kickstart or plateau buster.

It is a short term, quick fat loss sprint to be used strategically.

While I prefer to start with the Lifestyle Build to ease in to change and create more motivation to do more, sometimes we need that extra little push to see results happen then dial things back to embrace the process.

We need the motivation of that quicker result to help us want to keep going.

That’s where Mini Cuts come in.

Generally done for 7-14 days, these kickstarts will put you in a 500 calorie deficit off what you’re maintaining your weight at.

They will also mean tracking EVERYTHING PRECISELY and adjusting your protein, carb and fat with a full macro breakdown.

They are not fun ratios either. Your protein is going to be 40% at minimum and often up to 45-50%.

Your fat and carbs will often be in that 20-30% range.

And food quality matters. This isn’t the time to work in foods you love. Or to include your alcohol or lifestyle balance.

This is a CUT.

Your energy may take a hit.

This won’t be the time to focus on performance goals.

Mentally this will be harder. BUT you know it is short term.

And unlike fad diets, this is still based off the fundamentals of macros and a training progression and you have an EXIT STRATEGY.

Your workouts should also shift away from cardio during this time aside from walking.

The big deficit puts you at risk for losing muscle, which is why protein goes up and intensive cardio goes down.

Workouts should be very focused on strength!

And rest between rounds will be key. Don’t cut it out.

Then after your Mini Cut 7-14 days, you will slowly increase calories over the weeks, 100-200 at a time to get back to either your maintenance or small Lifestyle Build calorie deficit as you drop your macros back to something more sustainable.

Mini Cuts are a great way too as you reach your fat loss goals to maintain the level of leanness you want year around.

Because even as you maintain, you can throw one in if you’re going to travel or have been a little lax around the holidays.

They can be that push for balance with the ebb and flow of life.

If you do a Mini Cut…some signs you’re doing it right…

#1: The scale may change up to 5 pounds during this quick protocol.

#2: Bloat will go down fast.

#3: Energy may dip.

#4: Workout numbers may not improve.

#5: Some hanger and cravings may pop up but remember it is a short sprint!

While Mini Cuts can be satisfying in the faster progress you see on the scale, doing MORE of them will backfire and not lead to faster fat loss and even potentially metabolic adaptations where you see weight creep on as you eat less and less.

So be conscious not to extend them out past 21 days and to slowly increase out of them.

And do not do them if you’re currently eating 1200 calories or in a big deficit already.

If you are in a deficit already of 100-200 calories, consider cutting no more than 300 off and even consider a Diet Break before or after!

Which brings me to Phase 3…Diet Breaks.

Sometimes the best thing we can do is do less to achieve more.

Slow down to speed up.

Sometimes our body, and mind needs a break!

This is where Diet Breaks can be key.

After an extended time in a deficit, our body adjusts.

And too often we cut calories lower when this happens. But then we adjust again. And unless we end up eating nothing, we can’t keep cutting calories lower and lower.

Not to mention if we cut calories too low, our body will actually find ways to reduce our energy expenditure to match which is why we can stop losing and even start gaining as we eat less and less.

This is why I recommend cycling macros.

But if you’re finding that isn’t kickstarting progress and you’ve been in a deficit for 3-6 months, consider a Diet Break.

Especially before or after a Mini Cut.

A Diet Break is like a mini maintenance period.

You’re focus is on maintaining your current results while eating more and training harder.

It is not only a break for your body, but even mind.

Because while you’re trying to create sustainable changes in the Lifestyle Build, you’re still in a deficit.

You’re still pushing to lose and tracking and often doing workouts when you’d sometimes like to be lazy.

Achieving results is hard.

So sometimes we need the break to care less, even if just because life priorities have shifted so we’re feeling burned out.

But during this phase, you want to slowly try to bump calories up even by 200-500 from where you are. This may be done all at once, or you may do it slowly over a few weeks.

A diet break will range from 7-21 days.

You will often also return to the minimalist macros approach, working in foods you love and focusing even just on protein hitting 30% of your calories.

You want to work in foods you maybe haven’t.
You want to also cycle carbs and fats up if one has been lower.

And in your workouts, you want to combine strength and cardio, even using some steady state cardio especially if you enjoy it.

You want to focus on pushing in your workouts and you should really set performance goals during this time.

You’ll know you’re doing a diet break right because you’ll…

#1: See your energy increase and feel extra fueled.

#2: Feel like performance goes up and you’re lifting heavier and setting PRs.

#3: You may feel bloated to start as you increase those calories especially if you choose to do it in one go.

#4: You will first see the scale jump but even by the end see your measurements go down.

#5: You may see the scale fluctuate LESS daily.

Your body won’t be depleted of anything in this phase, that’s why you may see a jump in the scale to start especially the quicker you up calories.

But this will level off. And you may end up losing, but don’t be surprised if you do stay up in weight just slightly.

Take measurements during this phase as you may be surprised to see inches come off even while on a break. Gaining muscle as you lose fat during this phase often happens.

This is a great little muscle gaining phase even to help with avoiding metabolic adaptations and even help you LOOK LEANER as you lose.

Just eating at this level of maintenance or slight surplus can be the muscle boost you need and help you learn what maintenance will even look like for you after!

But embrace the balance to get remotivated and kickstart things when you go back to that Lifestyle Build even.

And if you’re thinking, “But I’m so far from my goals!”

We still will often need a diet break and even all the more because we will need longer deficits.

This also recharges us to keep moving forward!

Remember these phases aren’t steps to do in one order, but phases you will cycle through even many times over your fat loss journey.

Where are you on your fat loss journey? Which phase are you in or will you be moving to next?

Want guidance and support to navigate these phases and see the LASTING fat loss results and muscle definition that you want?

Learn more about my Private Online Coaching!

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5 Tricks To LOSE FAT (That Actually Work)

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 17, 2024 | Blog, Diet, Workouts

Stop believing that losing weight and maintaining your results has to be a full time job.

Because it doesn’t.

And the more we act like it has to be, the more we’re ultimately sabotaging ourselves.

We’re just creating unsustainable habits that, while they may yield some fast initial results, also lead to a quick plateau and us just regaining the weight and even more.

To help you stop this extreme dieting cycle I’d found myself also caught in for years, I want to share 5 weird but extremely effective weight loss tips to help you build your leanest, strongest body ever.

And I’m going to start by telling you the oddest sounding weight loss tip ever…

Stop focusing on losing weight!

That goal weight you have in mind, that you’ve tried countless times to get back to, is actually stopping you from losing weight.

It’s causing you to try to out exercise and out diet time.

It’s causing you to eat less as you train harder, which doesn’t make you actually lose fat any faster.

Our singular focus on the scale and that number changing leads to burn out and metabolic adaptations that make each weight loss attempt harder and harder.

Instead we need to focus on multiple ways of measuring success and even step away from the scale for a bit.

Because it isn’t that number on the scale we are truly after – it’s how we FELT at that weight that we want back.

And that FEELING isn’t truly attached to the number. It’s how energized we felt. The PRs we could set.

It’s how we looked in that dress or bathing suit or in those vacation photos.

We want to look toned and leaner and feel fabulous and strong and youthful.

That number just represents that time and FEELING for us.

But focusing only on that number being our only measure of progress often leads to us giving up on habits that are working…habits that would yield the results we want if we gave them time.

Because the scale doesn’t really show us true fat loss happening, especially as we retain and even gain muscle.

And the better our body recomp results, often the slower the scale will shift.

Because there is no rushing fat loss.

The scale only changes faster because we’re losing water weight or depleting our glycogen stores or even losing as much fat as muscle.

So if you want to truly FEEL the way you felt at your goal weight, step off the scale.

Start taking progress pictures and measurements.

Use an article of clothing you felt fabulous in to track progress based on how it fits.

But stop sabotaging yourself and giving up on the habits you need because the scale isn’t changing quick enough.

Results will NEVER happen fast enough.

But we need to celebrate the other signs of success, such as improved energy, better sleep, crushing our workouts and inches being lost, that show us the habits are working so we stick with them and results can snowball!

The next weird tip, and it’s more a way of thinking about how to make diet changes is to…

Build your diet based on meals you love.

When we think about adjusting our diet, we go to all the foods we “can’t” have and then find diet meals we now need to make.

This makes us honestly often feel deprived and really not enjoy our lifestyle. It makes us dream of going back to what we were doing.

And this is why the changes don’t stick.

We’ve got to evolve our diet to match our needs and goals.

So instead of focusing on diet meals, take meals you already eat and love and find ways to adjust them to match your goals.

Love pizza?

How can you add a bit of protein to your pizza? How can you adjust the portion with maybe a side of veggies to lower calories and increase your micronutrient intake?

Love pasta?

Can you add in an extra ounce of protein? Can you swap the type of pasta to a chickpea or lentil that may boost protein?

Take the dishes you ultimately want to enjoy and find ways to tweak them so you aren’t feeling like everything you love is being cut out or that your meal prep and cooking habits all of the sudden have to shift so dramatically you’re miserable!

But stop making yourself extra miserable trying to completely overhaul your diet!

The third tip is something some of you may hate to hear and others may love…

Cut back on steady-state cardio!

So there is a lot to this tip…And first I want to address those of you who love endurance cardio sessions and want to mentally do everything you can to fight against this tip…

First, if you love running or cycling, I’m not telling you not to do it.

But if you’ve been struggling to lose weight and see the muscle definition you want, you may want to cut back on your mileage for a bit or really acknowledge the cost of doing this cardio and make massive changes to your strength workouts and diet to account for this activity.

For those of you who refuse to cut back on the cardio…

Slow down your other strength workouts and lift heavier with lower reps and longer rest periods while increasing your protein more than you want to and even de-prioritizing your endurance sports to focus on your lifting when you’re fresher.

Now for those of you who are thinking, “I don’t like cardio but it’s always helped me lose weight in the past.”

Think about that statement…you’re here because you need to lose weight AGAIN.

So as a long-term strategy, cardio didn’t work.

And part of the reason why is we’ve often used it to try to out exercise our diet instead of making dietary changes.

But also because we haven’t really built muscle and have even lost it in the process of eating less as we try to burn more. This negatively impacts our metabolic rate and how many calories we burn not only in our workouts but at rest.

And the more calories we burn at rest, the more muscle we have, the more toned we will look and the easier our results will be to maintain.

So instead of turning to cardio, focus on strength workouts. Whether you challenge yourself with bodyweight sessions or hit the gym to lift, focus on building muscle!

This next tip was one of the weirder realizations for me but also why I feel I’m able to stay leaner all year around…

Stop acting like the person always on a diet.

When we’re working to lose weight, we can feel like the friend who can never eat out. We can feel weird at parties or celebrations.

We can feel like we have to avoid the baked goods at work or office lunches.

We can feel a bit like we have to isolate ourselves and not really have fun.

No wonder most of us dread making diet changes and ultimately fall off the healthy habits we are trying to build.

But we often do this because we feel this need to be perfect. To eat clean based on what someone told us a healthy diet should look like.

We also don’t own who we are, our current lifestyle and what we want our lifestyle to look like.

We approach habit changes as being these very set things we have to do in one rigid form instead of finding ways to implement them to match what we need.

If your friend invites you out to dinner at your favorite restaurant, instead of saying no, instead of trying to deprive yourself of a meal you love, plan it in.

Maybe you go lower calorie and higher protein earlier in the day to then have flexibility at that meal.

Instead of feeling like you’ve ruined the day, just focus on that portion control and getting right back into your healthy habits the day after too.

Don’t let the dinner become multiple meals.

If you loved the baked goods someone surprised you with at work, maybe you have one.

But instead of feeling guilty for it so that you end up eating 10 or forgetting about your healthy meals the rest of the day, just enjoy it and even adjust your other meals to create a balance.

So often we try to force this perfection on ourselves over realizing that some LIFE being included in our habit changes is what allows us to actually create new healthy sustainable habits that allow progress to truly build.

And not only can we work in those things we love, but we can change how we spend time with family and friends.

Not every celebration has to revolve around food. Quality time with friends and family can be active as well.

Think about new things you want to try and explore other opportunities to spend time with loved ones that even supports the new healthy habits you want to create! You may be surprised by how much they enjoy exploring new activities too!

And the final tip I’ve found to be super key in not only achieving amazing body recomp but sustaining it over the course of the year is to take more movement snacks.

I think so often we put this emphasis on working out and working out intensely over just moving more.

But the more we are active, the more we want to be active. And the more active we want to be often the more we want to do other healthy habits to support the fact that we feel good!

The more we do, the more we do.

So throughout the day, include movement snacks.

Get up and do something if even just for a minute or two. Listen to a song or quick podcast and walk around your office.

Get up and stretch to reverse sitting hunched over.

Get up between episodes of your nightly TV shows and go roll out or even wash dishes quickly.

Do a quick post dinner walk.

But get up and move around.

The less we’re just seated, bored, lazing around doing nothing, the less likely we are to just indulge in mindless eating.

And often a big habit we have to break, on top of the benefits alone of moving more, is that mindless eating and especially the desire to eat later at night while watching TV.

But just trying to willpower our way through this desire can often lead to losing the battle when stressed because we haven’t shifted our patterns or environment.

That’s why these movement snacks can be key.

We aren’t focusing on what we shouldn’t be doing. We’re focusing on something good we want to do.

This mindset shift and focus helps as it feels positive over us feeling like we’re FIGHTING something.

Plus, moving more does mean we burn more calories at rest, helping keep our metabolic rate overall higher.

And while no, we don’t want to just focus on doing more to burn more calories, being more active does help our health and weight loss results!

But use these 5 tips to help meet yourself where you are at and make sustainable habit changes that build.

Stop trying to just force some cookie cutter plan on yourself and instead truly focus on how you can adjust your lifestyle and shift your mindsets around the habits that lead to you seeing the results you want!

And if you’re ready to build your leanest, strongest body at ANY age…yup NEVER too old!…schedule a coaching consultation call below. I’d love to help you see the results you deserve!

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10 High PROTEIN Foods I Wish I Started Eating Sooner

by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 3, 2024 | Blog, Diet

I’m not going to waste your time in the video going over the obvious protein foods – chicken, beef, pork, fish, shellfish, seitan, tempeh, eggs, greek yogurt, protein powders…

Instead, I want to highlight all the foods we often don’t think about that are higher in protein and can be great ways to increase our intake while making meals delicious and helping us avoid that protein fatigue we can sometimes suffer from.

Not all of these may be right for you, but see the opportunity in the options to explore!

We have to remember that through diversity we can see results, get more nutritional benefits and even enjoy our meals and make those grams add up!

The first two foods I want to mention are both forms of dairy but not the common ones we go to.

Often we think cottage cheese and greek yogurt as protein boosting dairy products.

But Fairlife Milk and some forms of cheese like Parmesan Cheese can boost our protein intake more than we realize while making dishes more delicious.

And the best part is, we can select different options based on our macros even, going higher or lower fat as needed with both.

Fairlife Milk is a higher protein milk option, and lactose free if you were about to write off all these dairy options, that can add 13 grams of protein to your day.

It can make delicious smoothies and protein shakes, overnight oatmeals and even sauces for pasta dishes.

It can even be swapped into baked goods to add a protein bump to your favorite dessert to make it more macro friendly!

Cheeses are another great way to add flavor and protein, although you do have to be conscious that many cheeses can really pack a fat content punch.

But the great thing is you can often find lower fat variations and options if you need to hit your macros.

Options like parmesan cheese, swiss cheese, fat-free feta cheese can all be great. Honestly, things like parmesan cheese are basically protein salt.

It adds a ton of flavor without a huge impact on your macros.

And for snacks things like babybel cheese can be amazing to grab and go!

They can even make for a great snack plate with all-natural sliced deli meat, veggies with a greek yogurt dip!

A third food that can boost protein easily while adding flavor, and honestly is very similar to parmesan cheese as more of a salt or seasoning BUT great if you are plant-based too is, Nutritional Yeast.

You can sprinkle this on almost anything you want to add a cheesy flavor too and bump your protein by 5-10 grams. Sprinkle it on popcorn, mix it into greek yogurt, season your tofu or chicken with it.

Those grams can add up and help us prevent our meals from feeling bland or boring!

The fourth and next item I’d recommend adding to your grocery list to boost your protein intake is Non-Traditional Pastas things like – Chickpea pasta, Buckwheat pasta, even brands of mac and cheese like Goodles.

Too often we feel that we have to eliminate all carbs from our diet to increase our protein intake.

And this ultimately stops us from ever truly making lasting changes because we feel restricted and like we can’t enjoy the meals we love.

Instead of cutting out pasta, swap your traditional pastas for these higher protein variations. And many even pack in more vitamins and minerals to help!

Brands like Goodles are great if you’re plant-based and looking to bump protein. They are chalk full of amino acids and veggies!

You can have your pasta and hit your protein.

And to even combine a few of these tips and make this a killer protein combo, make your pasta sauce with Fairlife milk, chop up some chicken or tempeh to add in that you’ve seasoned with nutritional yeast and sprinkle on some parmesan cheese!

My 5th go to high protein food, that honestly has now become a grocery list staple for me, is egg white.

I love whole eggs and the yolk has nutritional value. I’m not saying to cut that out.

BUT having just egg whites to add into things, can often provide the protein boost we need with no added fat.

Egg whites are really easy to hide in dishes without changing the flavor but adding protein.

They can be good in stir-fries or fried rice.

They can be added to an omelet with even a full egg to bump protein.

They can also be used to bake your favorite dessert, or a breakfast oatmeal bake, lowering the fat of the baked good while keeping protein up!

If you’re a sweet treat person like me, even using them for a low calorie meringue cookie could help you stay on track and consistent while getting your fix!

They can also be used for savory dishes to make a crepe-like vehicle to roll veggies and hummus in or even to use as a sandwich wrap!

The 6th food, and it can be gotten fresh or frozen, is Edamame.

Whether you need a quick snack on the go and eat them with just salt or add them to a salad or stir-fry, edamame are a great protein boost.

One serving, or 85g, gets you 9 grams of protein and adds a great taste and texture to meals.

They are easy to combine with other protein sources as well to help you boost protein without getting bored just adding another ounce of chicken you have to chew!

And edamame also can be blended into a great guacamole or hummus substitute and used on veggies as well. It can even be a great spread for sandwiches to boost protein too!

And since sandwiches are an easy, on the go meal option, I think it is key we steer into how we like to prep and eat. This makes this 7th food a key staple to add that we often omit from our grocery list – Sliced Deli Meat.

Deli meats have gotten a bad rap. But not all sliced deli meats are highly processed bologna.

There are natural turkey and chicken slices. Great smoked salmon options. And I’d even add to this list cooked cocktail shrimp as an option.

But there are lost of all natural, pre-cooked and sliced proteins that can be easy to eat on their own as snacks or added to sandwiches and salads.

You can add them to omelets or egg cups too to make use of those egg whites as well!

They save on prep time and truly are portable. Plus, they are very easy to use with family meal prep lunches too!

Another very portal protein snack that I think is a must have especially if you travel a ton for work or are constantly shuttling kids from activity to activity is grocery list item number 8 – jerky.

No refrigeration and you can leave it in your purse or desk drawer, jerky is easy to always have on hand and stocked in your cabinet when you’re in a pinch.

But just like deli meat it has gotten a bad name and demonized as being too high in sodium and processed.

However, there are so many all natural options now and even plant-based alternatives jerkies. You can easily find everything from turkey to beef to fish made into jerky. And there are even lower sodium options.

But having this item on hand may be just what you need on a busy day to stick with your dietary changes and not go off plan.

Too often when we don’t have something macro friendly easily available, we reach for comfort foods or foods we shouldn’t and then we let one little deviation become 10.

So stocking your cabinet with a variety of jerkies and keeping them handy just in case can really help!

Pair that with some veggies and greek yogurt and you’ve got a great little snack too that’s high in protein!

Item number 9 is a very well known plant-based protein source, and one I could have listed at the start of the video but didn’t, because I wanted to highlight the different uses it can have whether or not you are plant-based.

And this high protein option is Tofu.

I wanted to mention Tofu as a great grocery list item because it can not only be added to stir fries and fried rices and so much else even with chicken or beef or shrimp to prevent protein fatigue and add another flavor and texture, but also because it can be used as a protein source in sweet treats like smoothies and baked goods as well.

I see it so often only used by plant-based clients or in savory dishes I did want to highlight it more.

Especially because often when we make dietary changes, we cut out things we love instead of seeing ways to tweak and swap to make things fit.

And especially with protein we can feel more restricted and feel like our desserts have to go.

But tofu can be a great way to bump protein and make delicious cakes, mousses and even ice creams.

It can also be a great add to smoothies if you can’t have dairy or don’t enjoy protein powders!

And the 10th and final grocery list item I want to mention to boost your protein is hemp seeds.

I want to mention hemp seeds because they often are underutilized compared to chia or flax seeds but with similar benefits.

And while we may be focused on boosting protein, we also want to get in all the nutrient diversity we can. And hemp seeds are a great way to boost those micros and pack in a ton of antioxidants.

They can be sprinkled on salads, made into pestos or even added to smoothies. They are a great alternative to flax or chia seeds with more protein per tbsp.

And like with all of these items, they can help us add flavor to our meals and boost our protein without dishes becoming bland or boring or getting that protein fatigue.

Even just picking one or two of these items to add to your grocery list can help you start increasing your protein intake this week.

Love to hear your ideas to even COMBINE a few of these for amazing protein packed snacks and dishes in the comments and I’ll share a few of my favorite recipes as well!

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10 Unique Healthy Habits I Wish I Knew Sooner

by Cori Lefkowith | Oct 20, 2024 | Blog, Diet, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Mindset

I’m not even going to waste your time with an intro…Here are 10 Unique Healthy Habits I Wish I’d Started Earlier….

Habit #1: Stop labeling foods as good and bad.

I pressured myself to eat clean…in a whole host of different variations for the longest time and sabotaged my own success.

And every time I went on another diet that cut out some “bad” food, I would ultimately be consistent for 30 days or 6 weeks, see some results, then feel so deprived and restricted I would ultimately fall off.

And then I’d feel guilty.

So of course, since I’d already ruined the day or week, I’d eat everything bad for me possible to only have to “start over Monday.”

Then Monday would come and I’d restrict again.

But this labeling of foods as good or bad stopped me from finding balance. And it ultimately led to me eating more foods not as nutrient dense over the long term.

Not to mention it stopped me from seeing results.

Now instead, I focus on an 80/20 balance. I work in foods I love 20% of the time and fully enjoy them. Then focus on whole natural foods 80% of the time.

I never now feel guilty and realize if I don’t include something it is my CHOICE, not something I have to do to hit someone else’s arbitrary standards of clean eating!

Habit #2: Reflection breaks.

I’m a do’er. I get something I want accomplished and I just want to get to taking action.

But this approach leads to a lot of wasted time and energy and often a lot of frustration as we work harder without moving forward.

It’s why I think it is so key we realize the importance of reflection breaks.

Times we step back and actually look at our habits, how we’re truly implementing them and then assess our progress.

Because often we are doing a lot of things we don’t need to be doing and not paying attention enough to the habits we do need to be focusing on.

We’re letting little deviations in our nutrition creep in. Ignoring missed workouts. While putting a lot and time and energy into other things that aren’t as essential.

But honest reflection can help us notice a gap between what we say we want and what we’re doing.

And even help us assess what we’re actually optimizing our habits and lifestyle for.

Because we won’t stumble our way into results. We have to be clear on where and what we’re spending our time on and why!

Habit #3: Set end dates.

Any time I create a plan, I set an end date. This also helps me take time to reflect, making that second habit easier.

And not only do end dates give us that time to reassess and adjust but they help us embrace and trust the process when trying new things.

We know there is a point we can make a change if things aren’t working.

End dates also give us motivation to start now. It’s easy to say, “I’ll start tomorrow.” when there is no deadline.

It’s also easy to feel overwhelmed by the idea of FOREVER.

We honestly get BORED with that idea.

We want to test out new workouts. We want to try new foods. We like searching for some improvement.

Instead of shying away from that, set those end dates to give yourself the opportunity to make tweaks and still have fun testing out new things while keeping yourself focused.

Habit #4: Cycling macros every few WEEKS.

I tried carb cycling, variations of daily cycling of macros and calories.

I tried sticking to one thing for months upon months.

The first led to my energy being all over the place and frustration trying to hit different numbers while prepping different foods daily.

It was too much work. Made me feel sluggish.

And it made it so hard to know what was and wasn’t working.

When I switched to sticking with one thing for extended periods, I found I got bored. Results weren’t as fast.

And if my workouts or activity level shifted, I found myself either starving at times or even gaining fat because my fueling didn’t match.

That’s why I began cycling every 2-3 weeks most consistently with small changes over cycles.

It allowed me to simplify meal prep. Keep my energy consistent. Adjust with changes in my workouts. Use different macro ratios to work toward different goals.

And I could even use the ratios to build better off of each other to take advantage of the different impact going lower carb after higher carb or higher carb after lower carb could have on body recomp goals!

It was my balance of diversity with consistency.

And without being too complicated or requiring the extreme precision cycling daily, like carb cycling, required!

Finding my balance of diversity with consistency was key for me not only with my diet but also with my workouts.

Habit #5: Repeating a weekly workout progression.

It’s easy to want to jump around. Or even want to repeat things because they are comfortable.

But you need a balance of both and repeating workouts is key to creating progression.

It’s hard to track progress when there is no clear build and every workout, every day of every week is a bit different.

If you do pull ups one week on Tuesday when your back hasn’t been worked that week you may get out 10 pull ups in a row versus if you did them on Friday of the next week after doing rows on Wednesday, you may find you struggle to get 6.

You didn’t get weaker. The muscles were just fatigued from previous work.

You’d be able to track progress better if you repeated the same schedule and workouts weekly for a few weeks in a row.

And to keep this from becoming boring, implement diversity in your workouts over the week. Don’t just do pull ups multiple times or the same workouts multiple days in a week.

Use different types of moves and even different training techniques and workout designs and tools to create unique and fun sessions.

This combination of even different forms of progression will help you see faster results while helping you not get bored!

Habit #6: Do that prehab!

I wasn’t always the prehab or foam rolling, stretching and activation obsessed person I am today.

But injuries made me face the facts and I’m so glad I did.

Not only am I moving better with fewer aches and pains, but honestly my fat loss, muscle grains and lifting performance all improved by just committing to this system every single warm up.

And it doesn’t have to be a lot. Some days it’s barely just 5 minutes, but the consistency with that flexibility, mobility, and stability work pays off.

We get good at what we consistently do. And the more we stay consistent with this prehab work the less we have to do extra to address movement compensations and imbalance that build up.

That feeling that we used to get away with something just means we shouldn’t be trying to get away with it.

And the longer we try to avoid the prehab work, the more we’re just creating bigger issues that will sabotage us later.

So focus on that prehab work and be intentional with your training. Don’t just rush through. Don’t just think of your workouts as a chance to burn more calories.

Focus on moving well in your sessions and you’ll not only feel and move better but you will see the payoff in those aesthetic goals too!

Habit #7: Prioritize protein.

This habit was something I resisted just like prehab. But when I started prioritizing protein, I finally got to the leanness level I wanted while also FEELING my best.

I saw my workouts and strength improve as well as my recovery.

And this prioritization of protein, I know will serve me well in years to come so I can look, move and feel my best!

I think this focus on protein is essential as we don’t just want to train to look and feel good for a day…we want to feel our best till our final day on this planet!

To help myself focus more on increasing my protein, I began to log it first and build meals around the portions I needed.

I even researched different protein types to find opportunity in the options out there.

I also at first didn’t worry about my ratio of carbs to fats. I just focused on calories and protein.

This allowed me to start to learn how to increase my protein while also making meals I enjoyed.

And I stopped even just focusing on ONE protein source at a meal.

By seeing how I could use two different types of protein in a meal to hit my needs, I found I enjoyed my meals more and didn’t get that protein fatigue!

Habit #8: Embrace my laziness.

This sounds weird to say as a habit but I think it’s a key thing to point out.

Because too often with habit changes, we try to focus on hitting an “ideal.”

We don’t think about how the habits can be adjusted to realistically fit our lifestyle. And that’s often what makes habit change so hard.

We’re trying to force a habit mold.

Instead we need to think, “How can this adjustment work for me and what is one small step toward bigger changes that I can make even on my worst days?”

This focus on embracing what I call my “laziness” with things, allowed me to build healthier habits that have evolved more and more over time.

Like I buy tons of frozen veggies and fruits. I know they won’t go bad and they are easy to prep.

I’ll buy pre-cooked chicken breast. I’ll get frozen meal prep from places.

I’ll plan in restaurant meals out so I don’t have to cook.

I get canned goods.

I have 5 minute workout options or even home workout options when I just know I won’t be motivated or have the time to get to the gym.

The more we can embrace our own “laziness” or desire to not give MORE or prioritize something more, even if just not right now, the more we can actually make healthy habit swaps that add up!

Habit #9: Brain dump before bed.

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

The night before I make sure I have everything laid out for the next day.

This pre-planning, or last minute opportunity to adjust my plans, helps me make sure I have my to-do list set for the next day in a way I can accomplish the main things I need to do.

It helps me so that I’m organized in a way I’ll put first in my day the things that will get skipped if not done immediately.

It also helps me clear my mind before bed of anything that may keep me awake at night.

I don’t know about you, but if I’m not conscious to do a little brain dump of thoughts or tasks before going to bed, they’ll be spinning around my mind all night, making it hard to not only fall asleep but stay asleep.

So I use this brain dump into a list to close loops from the day to relax before bed while setting the next day up for success!

Habit #10: Take breaks.

I struggle HARD to not be doing something…like all the time.

So I honestly steered into that even with how I take breaks.

Because breaks don’t mean you aren’t doing something. They are really just a break from what we WERE doing.

So on weeks my body needs to back off the workout intensity, aka needs a break from the heavy lifting or killer cardio, I plan in things to do that are recovery.

I plan in a ton of mobility work and restorative movement. That way I don’t feel like a couch potato.

I use that time if I do shorten my workouts as an opportunity to even make other changes or habits shifts I haven’t had as much time to focus on.

I give myself a new focus while taking the break.

Because our body and mind can’t just go at 100% in the same way forever. And our priorities at times do need to shift.

And if we don’t own this, we never end up actually giving our all to anything.

We can also see our motivation completely fade and burnout hit.

It’s why sometimes even proactively scaling things back when you know priorities have shifted can be key.

So give yourself the break at times and shift your focus. It can help you feel like you’re still getting to take action but in a way that helps you stay motivated while giving your all to what you truly can!

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