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Why You Gain Muscle Before Losing Fat (And Why It Works!)

Why You Gain Muscle Before Losing Fat (And Why It Works!)

by | Jul 17, 2025 | podcast

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Change Requires CHANGE

If you’re feeling stuck and know deep down that you could be doing better, don’t wait any longer. Your life is not going to change until you take action and make a bold move towards your goals. If you’re ready to take control of your life and start moving towards the results you want let us help you achieve your goals. ⬇️

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Change Requires CHANGE

If you’re feeling stuck and know deep down that you could be doing better, don’t wait any longer. Your life is not going to change until you take action and make a bold move towards your goals. If you’re ready to take control of your life and start moving towards the results you want let us help you achieve your goals. ⬇️

APPLY NOW

Transcript:

Open Transcript:

Cori (00:00):
Welcome to the Redefining Strength Podcast. Everything you need to succeed on your health and fitness journey, even the stuff you don’t want to hear. Have you ever thought, I’m gaining muscle, but it feels like my muscle is covered by just that little bit of fluff that won’t seem to budge. I want to explain why we can actually gain muscle before losing fat, even if we’re starting on a weight loss or fat loss journey. And this all comes back to previous poopy dieting practices. Sorry to put it that way, but it’s true. Things that we even thought worked to help us lose the weight in the past might be now why we’re struggling. What do we blame instead? Our age, our lifestyle, our willpower. But often it is the previous dieting practices that have created metabolic adaptations, which are now being, yes, potentially made worse by an unideal hormone environment due to perimenopause or menopause or getting older and seeing more insulin resistance or even less ability to use protein as efficiently or even other lifestyle factors like we’re not as active.

(01:04):
So yes, all these things can compound those metabolic adaptations, but a lot of them have been created by how we’ve dieted in the past and then the way we maintain our weight. And because of this, we can sometimes see when we start to feel properly and implement these proper training and guiding practices, not to say that your things were bad, so to speak, but just potentially misguided or out of alignment with what you needed. This is why we can see ourselves gaining muscle before we actually lose weight, even when we feel like we have 50, 60, 70 plus pounds to lose. And especially with that last little bit, we might find that by gaining muscle, we look leaner. So all this can be incredibly frustrating because a lot of us come in saying, I want the scale to budge and I want it to budge down. And it’s not only not budging at all, but it’s potentially going up.

(01:53):
It’s where you can even see inches being lost, clothing fitting looser in specific areas, a little bit of tone in specific areas, but then other areas not changing at all. And often the areas we want to change the most will be the last to go. So why are we gaining muscle before we’re losing fat? It’s often because when we come in and we’re doing the proper diet practices, the fueling with macros, eating enough, yes, not under fueling and then strength training. We are giving our body all the stimulus that needs to really create that muscle growth. And through that muscle growth, we will build our metabolic grade back up. But so what’s happening is you eating potentially, let’s say 900 a thousand calories before and not losing with increasing calories, you are technically putting your body into a calorie surplus to start because your body has downregulated, other processes, it’s turned off light switches, so to speak, to save energy, and now you’re starting to turn those things back on.

(02:47):
That’s why you’re seeing that muscle come back on. But it’s also why you might see the scale go up a little bit. Things might feel a little bit tighter to start because you’re also going to be storing glycogen and water weight in the muscle tissue that you’re now building. The more muscle you have, the more storage capacity you have. So as you’re increasing your calories, which is why we like to do it slowly, because if you increase it really quickly, you put yourself into a greater calorie surplus from what your body’s functioning off of. But your body will slowly start to rebuild all those processes, turn those light switches back on, use the energy efficiently, and that’s where you might see if your hair hasn’t been growing, your hair start to grow, your nails start to grow, you might start to feel more energized, not that afternoon lull.

(03:23):
You might not wake up at three or 4:00 AM in the morning when you usually find that you do wake up, you might see your stress levels even decrease. All these things can start to change as these processes reregulate, and you start to use the calories as efficiently. And then you might even start to become hungrier as your metabolic rate increases, which might mean that you have to still boost calories. All of this allows you to then build muscle so you can see that muscle coming on while you haven’t yet lost fat because your body doesn’t yet trust that it’s getting the energy and getting it consistently, and it’s still, again, learning to use that calorie surplus. At some point though, you’ll find that you balance out, you start to see those inches really going down. And if you’re lucky, and if your body hasn’t been too adapted for too long because the length of time we’ve spent undereating under fueling, doing the improper practices potentially at our set point, the longer it’s going to take to break that.

(04:12):
But you might find that all of a sudden you are starting to now see that fat loss or the scale go down. So if you’re lucky, that’s great, but if you’ve seen the scale go up or stay still and you’re building muscle vanes and fat, this is why. Okay, so from here, once you’ve rebuilt your calories to a certain point and you’ve been doing the strength training, really pushing that progression, whether adding weights, advancing movements, trying to do a few more reps, even changing up workout designs and different tools and techniques, and you’ve been pushing that muscle growth, you’ve seen those muscle gains, this is where you can then potentially use a small calorie deficit or even adjust your macros further. So in that rebuilding process, high protein is incredibly important. Over 30% I would say is the minimum, but you might even find that in that rebuilding phase, as you’re increasing your calories, your protein is at 40 or 45%.

(04:56):
And part of that is to help avoid gaining fat in the process as much as possible as you’re increasing or putting your body into a calorie surplus before it adapts. But then that will also help you as you start to shift and even see that calorie surplus or once was that surplus become a deficit because as you build lean muscle, as your metabolic processes increase, as you’re turning on more of those light switches using more energy, that once what was a surplus becomes that deficit. So that high protein will then help you preserve that lean muscle mass. And so you want to think about really focusing on protein as you’re increasing the calories before. Then, once you hit sort of that maintenance level calories, you’ve increased ’em at least hopefully 500 from where you were. That’s where you can start to use little mini cuts where you may go into a deficit of even just a hundred to 200, which is a little less than I would usually put someone in for a big mini cut if they’d been eating at maintenance or even in a true surplus for muscle building for a while, and they’ve been at their goal weight.

(05:49):
But you might do a very small surplus for only one to two weeks, which is where the mini cut component comes in with higher protein. But that’s where you can start to use some of the fat loss once you’ve rebuilt, but you’ve got to rebuild, and this is why we can see that muscle coming on. It can be a frustrating process because we’re reversing a lot of what has happened to our body to get our body to function optimally. Okay? So if you’re seeing yourself gain lean muscle, but not yet losing the fat, I know it’s frustrating, and I know you wanted to fall back into all those practices, but that’s only going to make matters worse and worse, and your body composition become worse and worse over the years. You’ve got to embrace building that muscle first to then lose the fat, and you’ve got to embrace increasing calories to then be able to create that deficit.

(06:30):
Otherwise, you’re going to end up eating 600. You body’s going to function off of it. You’re going to have a whole host of things that you see going on that are not good. You’re not going to feel energized. You’ve got to learn to fuel. So if you’ve been gaining muscle and not losing fat, embrace that reverse dieting process, increasing those calories over time, even 50 to a hundred per week for a few weeks. And even then using that higher protein. And you can cycle macros as you stay at different calorie levels to help your body adjust. But it is a slow process. But take those progress pictures, take those measurements, celebrate success in all the other ways so that you can see success leaving clues so that you can then help yourself at the right time, go back into that fat loss phase, but not rush the process.

 

*Note: This transcript is autogenerated there may be some unintended errors.

MINI CUTS – The Smartest Way To Lose Fat Quickly

MINI CUTS – The Smartest Way To Lose Fat Quickly

by | Jul 13, 2025 | Blog, Diet

Want to look leaner and always feel fabulous for that big event or vacation?

Well I’m going to share how you can actually accomplish this and stay leaner all year around.

And it’s not a cleanse or detox. It’s not a magic pill…

The secret is MINI CUTS.

In this video I’m going to explain what mini cuts are, why and when to use them and how to design your own.

Because they are the perfect way to kickstart your fat loss progress when you’ve hit a plateau or even when you want your muscle definition extra on point to feel your most fabulous.

Now a word of warning…

Mini cuts are NOT sustainable.

They’re not easy or fun.

They’re not the time you include the foods you love or strike a lifestyle balance.

They’re intensive and restrictive with a purpose.

You’re going to feel hungry. You’re going to feel a bit fatigued.

They aren’t meant to be done long term but as that quick fat loss phase that really pushes you to that next level of body recomp.

And they’re done for 1-2 weeks, 3-4 max.

While they can be amazing for that fast progress, doing them longer than a month will sabotage your success and backfire.

Their magic is in their short duration.

But if you need to see that quick progress on the scale for motivation…

Want to strike a balance around vacation and even to feel extra fabulous in your swim suit…

Or want to lose a bit of fluff you’ve put on after focusing on a muscle building phase for a bit…

Mini cuts are the perfect way to strike a balance.

And before I go into how to do one I want to touch on WHEN to use them.

I do NOT recommend using a mini cut if you’ve already been in a calorie deficit especially for an extended period of time.

Slashing your calories lower when you’ve already been in a deficit can lead to metabolic adaptations.

If you’ve been in a calorie deficit for a few months, consider a diet break BEFORE using a mini cut.

This is also why mini cuts can be great even after a vacation when you may have been eating more at maintenance and with more relaxed macros.

This is also why mini cuts are great during a maintenance or muscle building phase for that little extra shred to stay leaner overall.

But ideally you are using a mini cut after eating at maintenance at least for 1-2 weeks.

And you will even want to build BACK to maintenance after a mini cut for a couple of weeks before returning to your regular calorie deficit.

Now how do you determine what calories and macros to use for a mini cut?

You are going to use an “extreme” deficit and intensive, high protein macro ratios for 7-14 days ideally, but you can use them 21-30 days max. Just note that longer isn’t always better.

For this short timeframe, you want to push your calorie deficit without going past the point of diminishing returns.

That means you want to consider cutting 300-500 off your maintenance calorie level.

If you aren’t fully sure where maintenance is for you and you have more weight to lose, multiply your goal bodyweight by 10.

If you are leaner already and extremely active, this may be more like 11-12 x current bodyweight.

You will then want to cycle macros every week, using 2 ratios over your 2 weeks.

While these ratios may vary slightly based on your activity level and needs, you want to use ratios that are about 45-50% protein.

Two common ones I use are:
45% protein, 25% carbs, 30% fat
50% protein, 30% carbs, 20% fat

This keeps protein extremely high but helps avoid any hormonal issues during this quick sprint by cycling fat and carbs slightly up and down.

These ratios are extreme. It’s part of why you are NOT using this long term.

Carbs and fat are not evil but for fast body recomp, keeping protein this high while pushing the calorie deficit works magic.

Preserve lean muscle as you lose fat.

It’s a huge win but NOT a fun diet to do.

So pick one ratio after setting your calories to start with and use that for 7 days. Then switch to the other for the second week.

You may notice a huge drop not until the end of the mini cut or even once you actually finish it and start bumping calories back up.

To return to higher calories, add 100 calories to your daily total and increase each week as you cycle your protein down to 30-40%.

Now a few more tips to make this work so you go in 100% prepared for the challenges and see the results you want from this quick fat loss protocol…

#1: You have to be precise.

You can’t allow for 1% deviations. You can’t excuse fluctuations day to day.

You want to be within 5 grams of your macro numbers DAILY and no more than 50 calories plus or minus.

This precision is key.

It may be a good time to really meal prep, keep prep simple and NOT plan in meals out.

Precision really is key.

Again, this is NOT a time to focus on sustainability or balance. It is a time to go all in so you can then go back to more of a fat loss lifestyle balance after or even return to maintenance.

#2: Plan ahead.

These ratios aren’t easy. Precision is key. And you’re going to be hungry.

So you need to plan ahead to help yourself navigate the challenges.

Plan more carbs around your workouts and even if you usually train fasted, consider a small snack prior so you aren’t starving after.

This also helps you protect your lean muscle during this quick protocol.

But plan ahead to make sure you’re getting a balance and not getting to the point of being so hungry you cave and overeat.

#3: Be boring and focus on high volume meals.

While you may love diversity in your meals, now is probably not the time to make meal prep more complicated. It only makes things more challenging.

And studies have even shown that reducing food diversity during a fat loss phase can help cut back on cravings.

You don’t necessarily want more of the boring foods you have to eat. While adding in more diversity can make you want more of…well different things.

So consider simplifying meal prep and really focus on those low calorie foods that fill your plate and make you feel fuller.

Lots of veggies, low carb fruits like berries, lean proteins and such are key. The more bites you get, the more you’ll find you stay satisfied while in this intensive deficit!

#4: Don’t do this if you aren’t ready to track macros meticulously.

If you’re not a macros math person already, don’t force yourself to start with one of the hardest macro protocols out there.

This mini cut works best if you are super comfortable adjusting and hitting macros meticulously and not going to be frustrated figuring out what fits.

These ratios are HARD. They don’t allow for a ton of fun foods or flexibility.

And precision is key.

So if you aren’t an advanced macro tracker, this may not be the place you start.

Don’t set yourself up for failure trying to force something not realistic for your lifestyle…yet.

If you’re looking to take your results to that next level, or simply want to feel extra fabulous for a big event, consider implementing this advanced macros technique.

It’s a great way to strike balance over your year especially around times you may be more lax to avoid falling back into the yo-yo dieting cycle!

Not everything we do is meant to be a lifestyle but through adjusting as we go we can overall create an amazing balance!

Want a plan to help you rock a 14-Day Mini Cut? Check out this amazing special on my Mini Cut Challenge!

–> LEARN MORE

7 Things I Wish I Knew About Eating More Protein

7 Things I Wish I Knew About Eating More Protein

by | Jun 22, 2025 | Blog, Diet

Changing your portions is hard. You can’t just eat meals the way you’ve always eaten. That does require some planning ahead to start.

And protein isn’t often the thing we just have lying around or want to snack on.

That’s why these 7 tips can help you start to adjust your macros, increase your protein and all while meeting yourself where you are at to still include meals and foods you enjoy!

Because the more foreign a change feels to start, the more resistant to repeating it we’ll be.

That’s why tip number 1 and where I like to start with increasing protein is simply to add an ounce of the current protein I’m eating.

If I want BBQ chicken and fries for dinner? Instead of feeling like I can’t have a meal I love, I add an extra ounce of chicken.

Small changes made this way lower our resistance to the change in general. And they add up.

Too often we do these massive overhauls over seeing the tweaks we can make.

So at your next meal, take your current protein and add an ounce.

Doing this to multiple meals in a day may surprise you by how much it adds up.

From there, you may find it easier to make bigger changes and even find new recipes that increase your protein intake!

But increasing protein doesn’t mean having to cut out dishes you enjoy!

Small changes to other ingredients in your meals can also help you boost protein.

That’s why tip #2 is to Protein-ify those carbs!

Swap your normal pasta for edamame or lentil pasta. Swap quinoa for rice. Try even buckwheat noodles.

You’ll be amazed by how many options there are to sneak in protein to other components of your dish to boost your amino acid intake, while even getting in other micronutrients.

And you can find swaps that allow you to still enjoy recipes you love, and that your family won’t mind even, while hitting your macros.

Even swapping your normal bread for something like an Ezekiel Bread made from sprouted whole grains and legumes can boost your protein as well as your fiber (win win in my opinion).

And again, you can still enjoy the meal you love to create lasting changes.

You can also sneak in those extra grams while boosting your micros and the flavor of your meals with tip #3…

Use protein sprinkles and seasonings.

No I’m not talking about some fake processed protein powder seasoning…I’m talking about things like nutritional yeast, parmesan cheese and even hemp, flax and chia seeds.

These things are easy to throw in so many dishes and use in different ways. And while small protein increases, they add up.

And they often pack in more micronutrients while adding flavor and diversity to our diet. All of which only help us create lasting changes while improving our health and results.

Nutritional yeast can be great to season your main protein source and add a cheesy flavor while being plant-based.

Parmesan cheese adds that cheesy flavor while adding that bit of salt as well.

And chia, flax and hemp seeds are great to add to smoothies or even salads for a nutty flavor and amazing fiber and healthy fat boost too.

Don’t ignore the value that those grams can have.

And then don’t write off dairy either.

If you’re lactose intolerant, this tip may not be your go-to, but you may also be surprised by how many lactose-free options there now are for you too!

So yes, tip #4 is to boost your protein by using dairy!

Things like too good cottage cheese not only come in lactose-free options, but they pack a protein punch while also helping us keep our gut healthy with probiotics.

Cottage cheese and even things like greek yogurt can be used in both savor dips or dishes but also sweet treats.
The options to use these dairy products, and even have individual serving packs to grab and go, make them a great way to easily bump your protein, especially for snacks.

I know personally I love making dips with them for veggies to snack on or even a sweet cheesecake type dip for fruit.

But use dairy to your advantage as it can often be easily combined with other protein sources as well to increase your intake without boredom!

Which brings me to tip #5: Double up that protein at meals.

By doubling up, I’m not saying to double your current source of protein at a meal and eat 8 ounces instead of 4.

That’s what creates protein fatigue and us hating having to increase our protein.

What I mean by doubling up is focusing on two different protein sources at a meal.

Like take adding in dairy to a dish. Combine that cottage cheese with hardboiled eggs and mustard for a high protein egg salad you can eat with pita chips or as a sandwich.

Or if you’re making an omelet? Add shrimp AND steak.

That even helps you get more protein with 3 different types so you don’t feel like you’re just chowing down on the same boring thing!

Think about ways you can split the amount you need between multiple protein sources to avoid that protein fatigue and allow you to add ounces more easily.

You may be surprised by how hard it felt to eat 4 ounces of the same protein but how easy it is to get 6 ounces at a time when you only have to eat 3 of each!

And then embrace the different forms of protein and cuts of meat you have available to you. 

Have you ever felt like every time you try to increase your protein your fat goes up to?

This is where looking at the opportunity in different cuts of meat can help!

Chicken breast vs chicken thigh has very different macros. Even the type of ground chicken you can get can vary.

Ground beef can be everything from 80% lean to 96% lean.

This is opportunity! You can still include proteins you like whether you vary the cut fully or even combine two different options.

Knowing that different proteins have different ratios of fat to protein, you could combine a fattier cut of steak or chicken with shrimp to overall balance out fat.

Or you may swap your usual ground beef for a lower fat option at times.

The key is you can find different cuts that work for you. Even with seafood.

Want more fat and love fish? Try salmon. But want to lower your fat? Try cod.

See the options in different types of similar proteins by learning more about the different cuts to use that to your advantage.

And that last but not least, tip #7: Eat it early!

I don’t know about you, but I love my dessert. And I’m sorry, ounces of chicken doesn’t count.

I make sure I’ve planned in my favorite carb and fat heavy treat to the end of my day and gotten my protein in early.

What really helps with this too is getting a bigger portion at breakfast or lunch.

Whether it’s starting my day with a greek yogurt parfait and even a coffee protein shake or omelet, I’m getting 30-40 grams in that first meal.

The more you plan to get in more protein earlier, the less behind you feel and the more flexibility you give yourself later.

This allows you to easily include meals you truly want and enjoy, especially if they’re meals with the family that may be out at restaurants or more carb and fat heavy.

This allows you more wiggle room and less stress when you aren’t fully in control of what you’re eating later in the day!

Planning ahead gives us the power to create that lifestyle balance while also reaching our goals.

So don’t leave yourself a chunk of plain protein to have to eat at the end of the day.

Plan it in first!

And use all 7 of these tips to meet yourself where you are at and make sustainable changes that allow you to increase your protein, adjust your portions and reach your goals!

Dial in your diet to match your workouts and build your leanest, strongest body ever with my Metabolic Shred…

–> LEARN MORE

Tracking Macros for Fat Loss (10 Tips That Make it EASY)

Tracking Macros for Fat Loss (10 Tips That Make it EASY)

by | Jun 8, 2025 | Blog, Diet

Tracking macros is tedious. It’s boring and can definitely feel overwhelming to start.

But it is also the most effective way to understand your diet and be able to adjust based on your needs and goals.

What gets measured gets managed.

That’s why I wanted to share 10 macro hacks that have helped me track more easily to see the results I wanted over the last decade.

These tips have saved my butt over the years when I’ve wanted to give up.

They’re how I’ve gotten consistent and stayed consistent with my nutrition to get leaner and stronger and feel my most fabulous!

So Tip #1: Plan in what you want FIRST!

Usually when we think about making a change to our diet, we think about what we need to cut out.

Often that’s the thing we love most.

This is why we keep going ON a diet to only FALL OFF our diet.

We restrict over finding balance.

When I changed my approach to include the thing I wanted, especially to start, I found changes were easier to embrace.

I then realized if I did cut something out, it was fully my CHOICE.

I didn’t feel deprived and I could strike a balance.

So plan in something you love then work backward to plan in other meals around it.

You’ll be amazed at the balance you can strike and how changes don’t have to feel like choosing between results and enjoying life.

Tip #2: Track without changes.

This tip also helps you find a true lifestyle balance and evolve your diet over time to match your needs and goals even as they change.

Because there is no one single ideal ratio or calorie intake.
Too often we also try to force dietary changes that don’t even seem to be in the same galaxy as what we are used to, which makes them feel even more impossible to hit.

So instead of trying to shoot for some goal ideal, focus on tracking what you’re currently doing to then adjust.

But even just tracking alone creates some accountability and often makes us realize some easy changes we even WANT to make.

It shifts our mindset about tracking to make it feel more doable as well.

It makes tracking not about restriction but just about understanding.

And once we know where we are starting from, we can then adjust!

Tip #3: Buy frozen and canned ingredients.

Frozen and canned goods can be clean ingredients that don’t spoil. Just look for quality brands.

Frozen fruits and veggies are even often picked at the peak of ripeness so super nutrient dense.

And they don’t go bad so we can slightly over buy to never run out.

Knowing you always have staples you can quickly even heat in the microwave makes it easy to have pre-planned options that you can go to in a pinch or when short on time.

They even make for quick meal prep on the busiest of busy days.

So buy things that are always there for you and have go-to recipes for them to bust your own excuses of you don’t have healthy foods on hand or something to quickly grab!

Tip #4: Bulk prep single ingredients.

Bulk meal prep also helps you always have something on hand.

But too often we see meal prep as only fully prepped boring meals we repeat daily for an entire week…

And too often we end up not wanting to eat what we made and sabotaging ourselves going off plan.

Instead of prepping full meals, bulk prep basic ingredients.

Bake a ton of chicken breast or another protein to have on hand.

Make it simply seasoned so you can add sauces and other things to it based on what you want that day.

Then set a grocery list to have other staples to add diversity.

Maybe you put it one day with frozen sweet potatoes you have and broccoli.

Or you prep it into tacos with the corn tortillas you have.

Or you put it in a burrito bowl or stir fry.

But you can easily have some sides and sauces on hand to add diversity while simplifying meal prep to have something quick always on hand!

Tip #5: Plan in protein first.

I mentioned bulk prepping protein on it’s own specifically too because protein truly is key. And increasing protein is often the hardest part.

But the more you have it prepped and even planned into your day first, knowing what portions you would need at each meal to rock your macros, the more quickly you will feel successful with macros and the easier you will find balance.

Around those portions you can then tweak your carbs and fats to build out different recipes.

And you may even find that at times you only focus on a protein goal and calorie cap.

This minimalist approach can lead to you ultimately tracking more consistently even through busy or stressful times when you usually wouldn’t track at all…and often turn to some self sabotage with your diet!

Tip #6: Tweak before you freak!

There will be days you don’t plan well.

Days you forget your meal prep.

End up going out to lunch with friends.

Have that random event or party pop up.

And all of a sudden, your macros are a bit out of whack.

Don’t freak…tweak!

Adjust later meals to see how you can still get close over feeling like you’ve ruined the day.

That’s where even that bulk protein prep can come in handy to tweak your carbs and fat around it with different dish ideas.

Maybe even adjust your expectations and only focus on your protein and calories if your carbs and fats will be off to still hit a minimum.

Heck even just log it and stay within calories for the accountability and later go back and adjust the day to see how you could work something like that in in the future to have a game plan for next time.

But no matter what, don’t feel guilty.

Learn from it and use it as an opportunity to tweak and adjust and see what you can do.

Even if you don’t end up exactly hitting your macros, the feeling of you adjusted to do what you could often is enough to keep you on track, consistent and in the frame of mind to move forward over sabotaging yourself with guilt!

Tip #7: Get creative!

When we think “eat healthy,” “count macros,” often we think BORING FOOD.

But that doesn’t have to be the case at all.

We don’t have to be chowing down on chicken and broccoli as our family enjoys a delicious meal.

Instead have some fun being creative thinking about meals and events you enjoy.

Want to make a taco dinner for your family? Why not make it a build your own taco bar? That way you can measure out exactly what you need while all enjoying a fun dinner together?

Or always have pizza on Friday night?

Instead of avoiding it, why not try a make your own? Or why not adjust your meals earlier to be lower in calorie and higher in protein so you can have a slice or two even with a side salad?

Instead of just restricting, get creative in how you can also enjoy things even if the exact way you do things evolves.

Even find fun new ways to involve in cooking new recipes that work for all of you.

Or even enjoy dinners out by planning them in first like I recommended with tip #1!

But see opportunity in something new over focusing on how what you used to do doesn’t work in exactly the same way!

Tip #8: Find restaurants to pre-log.

Like going out to dinner? Don’t always want to cook? Have some friends you just seem to always be eating out with?

Instead of feeling like the person always on a diet or like you can’t go out to eat and always have to cook, instead find some staple places you can plan around with dishes you enjoy.

Many restaurants have nutritional information now on their websites. And for those that don’t, look up a common recipe with macros for the dish you want and enter that so you can work backward around it to plan your day.

But the more you have some things already mapped in and even dishes at restaurants you know you can make work, the more you’ll see the freedom tracking can provide while also holding you accountable and moving forward toward your goals.

No it may not be exact, but the more you do consistently, the more you can adjust and tweak.

So if you love Mexican food but go to different restaurants, find a staple dish you enjoy, like chicken fajitas, and a recipe with macros to use to log.

That way you can have a game plan and even have restaurants to suggest when friends want to go out for dinner!

While it may not be as precise as eating at home, the consistency of it will add up but also allow you to find a balance long term.

Too often we don’t find what we can do for long enough for results to snowball.

We just try to out restrict ourselves which is why we always end up regaining the weight and more!

You can’t sprint to start a marathon or you’ll potentially sabotage yourself from ever finishing!

Tip #9: Make leftovers.

Leftovers can not only simplify tracking as that dish can be saved for quick logging next time, but leftovers are also a great way to have meal prep always on hand.

Now if you don’t like eating the same thing multiple days in a row, you can still use leftovers to your advantage – just find ones that freeze well.

I love freezing meals to save for when I know I’ll be super busy even a week later and potentially want the dish again.

You can even prep your meals so your leftovers aren’t saved as just one meal but individual ingredients to repurpose in different ways.

Making that stir fry for dinner, prep ingredients, with leftover portions separately, to throw together all at the end. That way you can even freeze the cooked chicken or sliced vegetables in separate containers to use in different ways next time.

But if you’re cooking, make extra! It can make hitting your macros easier and keep you on track even during busy times!

Tip #10: Give yourself fun challenges.

Hitting your macros can get boring after awhile…which is funny since it can be so overwhelming to start.

We also don’t really do well with the idea of doing the same thing forever.

We get the itch for new or better.

So as you track, give yourself other little areas to focus on.

Maybe you try to include more fruit and vegetable diversity.

Or you focus on fiber more.

Or you focus on different micros.

Or maybe you focus on better food quality one week or working in more foods you love the next even if they aren’t as healthy.

All of this creates balance and enjoyment.

Maybe one week you challenge yourself to make all new recipes while the next you see how lazy you can be with meal prep.

The key is finding ways to make things fun, mix things up and even address what you mentally need at that time.

Our lifestyle is always shifting, evolving our diet to match can be key.

Don’t push a ton of effort to meal prep if you’re worn out because work is busy. See the opportunity here in challenging yourself to find more restaurant dishes you enjoy that can work!

Or if you’re really into holiday baking, how can you work that in?

But create challenges that make you even enjoy tracking more or give you another focus to have fun with!

Tracking macros gives us the power to adjust and fuel to feel our best, but we have to see opportunity in it over just focusing on the obstacles.

Use these 10 tips to help you embrace counting macros and see those results snowball!

Dial in your diet to match your workouts and build your leanest, strongest body ever with my Metabolic Shred…

–> LEARN MORE

Do You Stay This Lean Year Round?

Do You Stay This Lean Year Round?

by | Jun 1, 2025 | Blog, Diet

“Do you stay this lean year around?”

I’ve gotten asked this question and I want to set the record straight…

Yes and no.

Like any person, my motivation, my goals, my schedule and life all evolve. So there is an ebb and flow.

You can see in my videos shifts leaner and less lean at different times of year and even as I experiment with different techniques and macros.

BUT over the years, I’ve gotten leaner and stayed leaner.

It’s not from more discipline. Or better perfection.

It’s actually from trying to work less hard and instead constantly seek to evolve and meet myself where I’m at for balance.

I’ve focused on consistency with that long-term viewpoint.

And the longer you maintain, the easier it gets.

So what I’m doing now, isn’t what I did to start maintaining. And it’s not even what I did to get to this point.

What you do to reach your goal is not what you do to maintain it, but you also can’t go back to old habits.

I mention this because too often we copy just what someone who’s been maintaining their goal is doing over starting back at the beginning of the journey.

We miss all the steps that built to this point and don’t recognize how long it takes to make habit changes and have those changes stick.

That’s why I want to share the 3 fundamental facts I’ve learned that will help you stop repeating the yo-yo dieting cycle and maintain your results consistently forever.

And the first fact is that true and lasting changes DON’T always feel sustainable to start.

Because guess what?

They aren’t what you do forever!

It takes 3–4 months to build a habit. You’re practicing till you get it right.

Then it takes 16–18 months to build a lifestyle. You’re practicing till you can’t get it wrong.

Finally, it takes 3–4 years to transform your identity. You’re practicing till it’s part of who you are!

Do you remember learning to brush your teeth daily?

Potentially not at this point, BUT at some time, you had to be reminded to do it. It didn’t feel sustainable.

Thankfully we are parented into that habit and have no choice in most cases.

And at sometime it just becomes so routine and a part of our environment, we just keep doing it.

It is a boring basic we don’t even notice.

Over time, other lifestyle changes become that way too.

You may not always when you’re tired WANT to brush your teeth, but you do.

Over time, those other healthy eating and training practices will become the same way but we have to recognize they won’t feel that way to start.

Because what we do to lose fat or gain muscle may be more intensive than what we have to do to maintain it, especially the longer we’ve been at that point.

I have way more food flexibility and workout freedom now than I did when I first got leaner because my body now wants to STAY at this set point.

Just like your body doesn’t want to lose right now because it wants to stay at its current set point!

This evolution is also really fundamental fact number 2 is…

Maintaining and building a lifestyle isn’t a set it and forget it thing.

You aren’t doing one thing forever.

Have you ever started a new program and thought some version of, “This is amazing! It can be a lifestyle!”

Only to then become frustrated with yourself and feel like you just don’t have the willpower to see results when you can’t ultimately maintain it?

This is because one thing doesn’t work forever. And we should be evolving our habits over not only the years but the course of the seasons.

Your lifestyle probably looks different right at the start of the New Year than it does during the Summer or even the Holidays.

Family obligations, work and travel may impact different seasons in different ways.

Your 6 day a week training schedule that is perfect from January till even June may not fit with your Summer vacation plans or all of the Holiday fun.

Yet so often we try to enforce the same standards on ourselves all year around and this is ultimately what sabotages us.

Instead, seek to meet yourself where you are at.

Embrace evolution in those habits to keep doing something.

Because what may feel like doing less is often the consistency we need to keep moving forward.

It’s also often a lot MORE than we would have done otherwise.

Too often when we can’t do everything perfectly, we do nothing.

And that nothing is what creates the starting over again in the New Year cycle.

With making changes don’t think that the thing you start has to be THE THING. Honestly, that probably means you’re falling for another fad you’ll fall off of.

Instead approach making changes like getting to design your dream home.

Create a solid foundation and structure learning about the fundamentals and boring basics.

Then see those fun adjustments in moves or foods you include or even exact training schedule and macros as the decorations you get to put in your house.

Those may evolve BUT the house structure, focusing on tracking your food and a workout progression, will be that outline you can adjust within to always be moving forward!

And third and final fact…and probably hardest of them all to embrace is that…

Mindset matters most.

There is no perfect macro ratio. No magic workout plan.

And over the course of your life, you’re going to use a variety of both as you not only have fun, experiment but also work toward different specific goals and focuses while working to build your leanest, strongest body at every age.

What matters is your mindset behind everything.

Because so often it isn’t that we don’t have the tools or tactics…

It’s that we sabotage ourselves with unrealistic expectations – wanting results too fast, making ourselves feel guilty for not being perfect or trying to force somebody else’s ideals on ourselves.

Own who you are. Own what you want.

Be true to your goals and also realize that mistakes will ALWAYS happen.

The call of our old identities, that emotional eating pattern you’d thought you’d broken…Will always pop back up and at times we least expect it.

The more we have the mindset we will always have ebbs and flows, the more we will keep moving forward through it all.

And that consistency is what keeps us rocking those results.

So even as you start your journey toward your goals, realize your goal isn’t to avoid breakdowns or failures or setbacks.

It’s to speed up the time it takes you to get back on track.

The quicker we notice we took a wrong turn and turn back, the faster we ultimately get to our destination.

So as you work to adjust your diet to fuel your goals and push hard in your workouts, make sure you’re working on your mindset and belief in yourself as well.

Make sure you’re not giving up each time you hit the hard.

Even seek to reframe those times you want to quit as even more reason to keep going.

Because often the simple fact that we have given up at that same point in the past is why we’ve been stuck.

Now I know you were hoping for some magic move or macro ratio in this video, but these are 3 simple fundamental facts that yield results.

There isn’t one magic thing.

It’s meeting ourselves where we are at and assess what we need at different points in our journey to keep moving forward.

It’s our ability to pause and reflect on how things are going and then find a way to move forward no matter what that is truly key!

Stop trying to out exercise or out diet time.

Instead realize this is a forever process!

And if you are just starting out and need where to start to adjust your diet, check out my video – The Most Annoying Nutrition Tips ( 7 Things That Actually Work) next.