15 FAT LOSS TIPS That Changed My Life

15 FAT LOSS TIPS That Changed My Life

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

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

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1: Working In Foods You Love First

For me this is dessert.

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

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

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

2: Quality Does, And Doesn’t, Matter

Obviously whole natural foods are best for our health.

But you can STILL overeat healthy foods.

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

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

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

And remember, portions still really matter!

3: It’s Not Forever

Nothing works forever.

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

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

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

4: Keep It Simple, Butthead

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

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

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

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

5: Stop Overcorrecting

We’re human.

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

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

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

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

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

Just move forward.

6: Focus On Strength Training Over Cardio

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

Training is about becoming functional stronger and moving our best.

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

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

7: You Can’t Just Listen To Your Body

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

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

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

You’ll feel hungry.

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

But change requires change.

8: There’s No Quick Fix

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

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

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

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

9: Recovery Is Key

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

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

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

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

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

10: Avoid Restriction

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

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

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

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

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

11: Be Active

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

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

So get moving.

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

But get active and stay.

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

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

12: Macros Over Calories

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

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

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

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

13: You’re Not An All Or Nothing Person

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

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

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

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

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

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

14: Stop Doing More

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

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

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

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

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

And I saved the best for last…

15: Tracking

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

But what we measure, we can manage.

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

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

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

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

SUMMARY:

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

We just often need to get that ball rolling!

Ready to create your own recipe for results?

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

The Worst Diet For Fat Loss – Why Intuitive Eating Doesn’t Work For Fat Loss

The Worst Diet For Fat Loss – Why Intuitive Eating Doesn’t Work For Fat Loss

I was in a discussion about weight loss with a couple of people and one of my clients was listening in.

One person said that they believe the best way to lose weight is to listen to your body and eat intuitively.

When my client and I walked away, she said to me…

“What if my body is intuitively telling me to eat ice cream, pizza and cake every day?”

While she was joking, it did really highlight a key issue with the promotion of Intuitive Eating as a weight loss strategy.

Let’s face it…most of us honestly have destroyed any intuition we have about what we need to fuel.

And processed, hyperpalatable foods only create another challenge to “eating intuitively” as they are designed to work against our natural cues.

Now yes, you could say that we shouldn’t be eating those foods anyway, but the reality is, most of us WANT TO and ENJOY processed foods and will plan to include them long term in our balanced diet.

So we need to understand how to balance them in.

While the idea behind intuitive eating is a good one, and it has a very specific purpose and design, saying to just intuitively eat to lose weight is a recipe for disaster.

One that ultimately leads to a lot of frustration as we don’t get results and aren’t sure why.

It’s why we can even feel like we’re eating healthily and not seeing the results we want.

Because the simple fact of the matter is…most of us need to RE-LEARN how to eat intuitively.

And you can’t just do that by “listening to your body.”

So if you’re just starting your weight loss journey, the worst thing you can do for yourself is expect yourself to just instinctively know what you need. Because let’s face it, what is instinctual and easy is what got us to the point we’re seeking out something to lose weight.

That’s why I wanted to share 3 tips to not only help you lose weight but actually learn how to keep it off by re-learning what proper portions and dietary practices are for you so can eat according to your needs and goals, even as they change over time.

But before I dive into those 3 tips, I do want to remind us to STOP the guilt around eating certain foods.

Too often what also derails our weight loss efforts is the feeling of guilt we inflict upon ourselves when we eat something “unhealthy” or “unclean” or “off plan.”

Let’s face it, so many of us eat for reasons other than purely fueling…socializing and having fun or even out of stress. And while we always want to work to understand our personal relationship with food to establish a healthier balance, we do also want to avoid making ourselves feel bad when we aren’t perfect with our plan.

Because it’s often those feelings of guilt that lead to us ultimately failing, not the one indulgence or overindulgence. The guilt makes us self-sabotage even more.

It’s like we get a flat tire and instead of calling a tow truck or putting on the spare, we slash the other three tires. And that ultimately is what holds us back from moving forward faster.

I know there are those clean eating crusaders out there who make you feel like a horrible person for not just eating healthy foods every day, but the fact of life for many of us is that we enjoy foods that aren’t the best for our health.

And finding our own personal balance for our lifestyle is key.

Because we have to be able to be consistent long-term. And constantly having to drain your willpower to fight your urge to have anything you enjoy just isn’t sustainable. It ultimately leads to us eating more crap over the year than if we’d just struck a balance in the first place.

So stop worrying about someone else’s version of a healthy lifestyle and start first by focusing on small sustainable changes to what you’re currently doing!

Now what are 3 tips to help you start to lose weight and ultimately understand how to eat according to your personal needs, goals and lifestyle?

#1: Embrace The 80/20 Rule.

Those processed foods you love, the candy, chips or other treats? They are designed to make you crave more and even overeat. They basically disrupt our natural hunger cues.

Let’s face it, they’re empty calories. And because they don’t really fill you up, you can consume more calories you need without feeling full. They also have a lower thermic effect than whole, natural foods, which means you won’t burn as many calories to process them.

Now you may be expecting me to say you have to cut them out to lose weight. But I don’t believe in doing that.

I believe in the 80/20 rule to eating well.

80% of the time you do focus on those nutrient-dense whole, natural foods. But 20% of the time, you just don’t care as you enjoy those foods and mentally they’re satisifying.

Within that 20% you do want to understand what foods you can have in moderation and those that just trigger more cravings.

If you find you just want more of a specific thing, since processed foods are designed to make you crave more, you may decide to keep that treat to specific days to strike an overall lifestyle balance.

Or you may even experiment with more macro-friendly variations of that treat, say Halo top over Ben and Jerry’s or even greek yogurt with granola, that satisfy the craving but without triggering your desire for more.

Also, I honestly believe the more you tell yourself you can’t have something, the more you want it. And the more you’re having to FIGHT against eating something, the more you ultimately just drain your willpower, eventually give in and then ultimately even overeat what you would have consumed to start.

Heck, often just telling yourself you can have something, even if you ultimately don’t eat it, makes you feel like you have the choice and over feeling forced to not eat it.

And then if you do want it, by focusing on macros you could work it. Plan in something you’re craving even first and work backward around that.

Ultimately, we strike an 80/20 balance because, to still hit our macros because we need to include a lot of nutrient dense, high volume foods around the processed treat.

And those other volume foods keep you feeling full even when enjoying the processed treat that doesn’t trigger make you feel full even when it’s more than enough calories.

You may even find you ultimately choose NOT to have the treat because the way you’d have to adjust other meals isn’t “worth it.” But the point is you are choosing your balance and creating something sustainable.

You need to assess your lifestyle and make small adjustments to that if you want them to be sustainable.

Small changes can add up.

Even swapping white bread for whole grain and a process cheese for a less processed cheese can increase the thermic effect of the foods you eat.

And as you make those tweaks you want to realize that processed foods may be a part of your balance BUT that they won’t make you feel full while being calorically dense and are hyperpalatable foods that make you want to eat more and more!

#2: Don’t Start By Making Changes

It may sound strange to tell you not to make changes when you’re first starting your weight loss journey, but too often we just jump into these all or nothing programs without assessing whether they will even be sustainable.

And part of what ultimately works for us is what will allow us to dial in our macros and our calories to meet our needs and goals long-term.

One size doesn’t fit all.

It’s why your friend could do really well on Keto while you feel horrible and ultimately gain weight.

If you want to create a sustainable version of your lifestyle and ultimately learn what you really need fuel, you need to create changes based on your current lifestyle.

One of the most eye opening things is to just track what you’re currently doing.

And the accountability of tracking helps us automatically start to make changes that aren’t forced.

Tracking begins to make us more aware of how we’re truly fueling and can even help us start to assess how certain foods make us feel.

It gives us true feedback as to what we are doing and the results we then get based off of specific habits.

And then from here we can make realistic and sustainable changes personalized to our needs.

Too often I hear people say, “I just don’t have as much willpower or discipline as (insert person/friend/family who got results).”

We feel like we don’t have the willpower someone else does because we aren’t creating small changes that allow ourselves to engrain the habits and mindsets need.

We cut out something we love most first. And feel deprived.

We create so many changes we’re constantly fighting against everything that is habitual and instinctive, even if it isn’t “right.”

The key to actually building lasting results isn’t some sexy extreme fad diet.

It’s small changes over time that build and allow us to make those habits so engrained they don’t really take willpower to replicate. They are our new normal.

So don’t start to try to lose weight by following some all or nothing plan.

Start by determining what your current lifestyle is and then make tweaks to it. For some that may mean setting a calorie cap or calorie intake range based on their goals. Even just 100 calories under what they’re currently doing.

For others it may be making small macro changes, increasing protein while not worrying about where carbs and fats fall.

For others it may mean making one simple swap and including veggies at a meal. The key is first assessing where YOU personally are currently to make small changes you can build upon.

#3: Realize that change is uncomfortable.

Most of us simply don’t like change. It’s hard going against what has become instinctual and easy even if we know its for the better.

But change requires change and that means stepping outside our comfort zone.

It’s why this idea of eating intuitively and whatever you want is false.

Because we will keep just repeating the habits we are comfortable with, the ones that aren’t moving us forward and may even be causing us to gain.

So as you start to track, and learn about the impact of the foods you are consuming, realize that there will be times you don’t feel comfortable. That there will be times you don’t want to do what is needed.

There will be times that things that ultimately are sustainable don’t feel that way to start.

But new habits will become instinctual and easy if we give them time and base them off our current lifestyle.

The key is even realizing our mindset behind the new habits.

We can’t just take actions we don’t believe in. We can’t just fake it till we make it.

We’ve got to recognize that we are CHOOSING to make these changes and believe in the process.

Your mindset has to back the actions you’re taking or you’ll set yourself up for failure and ultimately fall into old patterns.

So even recognizing before you start to make changes that things WILL be uncomfortable can help you embrace the process more.

Too often we make these sweeping changes and try to tell ourselves they are easy when they aren’t. And then when they aren’t easy, we feel discouraged and give up.

Instead lower your defenses against the changes and even tell yourself they’re going to be challenging. Honestly, you’ll be surprised by how much easier it ultimately makes the process of change that you aren’t surprised when you do encounter a difficult time!

SUMMARY:

Change requires change and if we knew how to eat intuitively for our needs, we wouldn’t be seeking out a weight loss solution.

Learning to better understand what we need is a process.

So if you’re starting out on your weight loss journey, start tracking what you’re currently doing and be ready to be a bit uncomfortable as you make those changes that build toward results!

Ready to create the healthiest version of YOUR lifestyle?

Schedule a call to chat about the program right for you!

–> Schedule A Call

Why You Should STOP Counting Calories (And What To Do Instead)

Why You Should STOP Counting Calories (And What To Do Instead)

I know you’re hoping I’m going to tell you that you can stop tracking your food, but I’m sorry…if you want the best results?

You need to accurately know what you’re consume.

And most of us are really bad at estimating portion sizes and accurately remembering what we’ve eaten. Especially when we are first making a lifestyle change.

What is measured, can be managed.

If you don’t have data, you don’t know what to adjust.

It can make you feel like nothing is working without knowing exactly what to adjust.

When you track, you can make small changes based on what you’re ACTUALLY doing instead of guessing and feeling like you’re throwing spaghetti at a wall hoping something sticks.

However, I do think that a focus solely on calories in vs calories out when we track doesn’t yield the best results nor does it teach us to properly fuel our bodies for long term success.

Trust me…I’ve been down the calorie counting road.

It left me always feeling like I was starving and constantly trying to cut calories lower when my weight loss results stalled.

It led to me constantly yo-yo dieting because I didn’t truly understand the breakdown of my food and how to create a balance and a true change.

I’d create the deficit, lose weight, then increase my calories and regain what I’d lost.

And even when I lost weight, I never achieve the body recomposition results I wanted. I’d get skinny but never look leaner.

So if you want to feel fueled while also achieving amazing body recomposition results what should you be doing instead?

You should be tracking MACROS.

Now I know you’re probably thinking, “Hold up…Isn’t that the same thing as tracking calories?”

And while yes, by dialing in your macros, you will also impact your calorie intake, it honestly isn’t the same thing at all.

Purely counting calories puts the emphasis simply on calories in vs calories out over the QUALITY of those calories.

And the learning process to actually looking at the breakdown of your food is what yields LASTING results.

It’s amazing how much the amount of proteins, carbs and fats you consume can dramatically impact how fueled you feel and the results you get FROM THE SAME CALORIE INTAKE.

And it’s because we’ve also all fallen victim to the “calories are created equal” line.

While this line is a complete oversimplification of things and I know someone’s now going to say, “Calories actually are all created equal because they are a unit of measurement so one calorie equals one calorie…

The point of that statement is that purely counting calories isn’t taking into account the impact each macro, and even our food quality overall, can have on the results we get.

And that by changing the macros of those 100 calories, we can dramatically change how we feel and our long-term adherence.

The types of foods, and macros we consume impact how full we feel, but they can also impact our performance, recovery and overall hormonal balance.

Increasing your protein intake can increase satiety and help you feel fuller between meals.

And whether you’re plant based or an omnivore, increasing your protein is a key place to start.

Not only can it help keep you feeling fuller, but by increasing your protein you can help yourself build and retain lean muscle even while losing fat.

So if you’ve ever been told you can’t lose fat as you build muscle?

That’s just not the case. It’s just a process that requires us to be patient and track…something we don’t like to do.

And while I know carbs are often demonized in our current dieting world where Keto is all the rage, simply cutting carbs for some may not only hold them back from achieving the aesthetic results they want, as carbs can create an anabolic environment ideal for muscle growth, but also negatively impact their performance.

If you’re trying to train for an endurance sport while also trying to lose fat, you want to be conscious of the macros you’re consuming to make sure to get adequate protein to protect your lean muscle mass, as endurance training can be catabolic to muscle tissue, while also getting enough carbs for that instant fuel to perform.

Simply treating a calorie as a calorie could be why you always feel like you’re starving when training while also not losing any weight!

And simply treating all calories as if they are equal also ignores the differing thermic impact of not only each macro but also of processed vs unprocessed calories.

Each macro requires a different amount of energy to be digested and utilized, which isn’t taken into account when we just focus on calories in vs calories out.

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

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

That’s why you can feel so different on the same calorie intake based on the macros you’re consuming!

And then even how you dial in those macros can make a difference.

I know we all see those crazy food concoctions with hashtags about “if it fits your macros” and I’m a big believer in finding balance and working in those foods I love that I know aren’t as healthy for me because it helps me create a sustainable lifestyle balance right for me…

BUT when you track macros, while nothing is off limits, you’ll also find that often your food quality improves.

Not only are you able to include a diversity of foods to get vitamins and minerals from a variety of sources instead of following a restrictive list that can often come with a focus on “clean eating,” but you really aren’t able to just eat crap and hit your ratios.

While those posts may show crazy foods people work in, what you aren’t seeing is that lean protein and veggie meal they’re also eating to make it work.

And that balance not only allows for long-term adherence but can help you slowly focus more and more on whole natural foods even if your diet isn’t as focused on them currently.

By including more whole natural foods in your diet, you’ll consume more nutrient dense foods which will not only benefit you health wise, but also make you feel fuller.

Processed foods because of the caloric density easily lead to overeating. Not to mention because they are hyperpatable you tend to just want…well…more of them even when you ARE full.

Not to mention, processed foods have a lower thermic effect.

A study which actually just used two basic cheese sandwiches, showed that by simply even using a more natural cheese and whole grain bread made a difference in the thermic effect.

So even if these sandwiches both have the same technical calorie intake, because one has a higher thermic effect, your ultimate energy balance will be different.

SUMMARY:

This is why we can’t just focus on calories in vs calories out but instead need to track our macros!

You may be surprised by how changing up your macros, without even adjusting your calories to start, can get you moving forward to feeling fueled while achieving the lean, strong body you’ve always wanted.

And by taking the time to truly learn about the make up of your foods, you’ll be able to adjust over time as your needs and goals change.

Because maintaining your results can’t mean just going back to what you were doing before!

Learn More…

–> The ULTIMATE Guide To Macros… 

Macro Counting Excuse Busted | How To Eat HEALTHY When Your Family DOESN’T

Macro Counting Excuse Busted | How To Eat HEALTHY When Your Family DOESN’T

Often the excuses we make are valid. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to overcome them.

We just have to realize that change requires change and that means approaching things in a way we haven’t before.

One of the most common excuses I hear as to why someone can’t track macros is…

“It’s impossible to track macros when I’m cooking for my family, or spouse, and they won’t eat what I have to eat.”

I actually love this excuse because it’s one that is far easier to overcome than we realize.

Now if you’re thinking I’m going to tell you that you need to just prep a separate meal for yourself, you’re wrong.

Honestly, that’s the worst idea and often completely unsustainable, especially if you’re used to all eating the same meal.

Not only is that often added work we don’t have time for, but most of the time we also WANT to enjoy the foods our family or spouse is eating.

And we will only feel deprived if we have to watch them eating something we enjoy as we munch on our dry lettuce thinking that’s what we have to do to achieve our weight loss goals.

What I’m telling you is…You do NOT need to be prepping separate meals for yourself to see results!

I get that it FEELS like we can’t do something, like say track macros while cooking for a family, but that is simply because we haven’t done it before.

That’s why, to help, I want to share 4 tips to help you start adjusting your macros to see fabulous weight loss results while still enjoying family meals!

But first, I quickly wanted to share a bonus logging hack…

For meals that are casserole or dish based that seem impossible to log, enter the full recipes under the recipe section most trackers have. You will log all ingredients there. You can then enter the number of servings in that recipe and it will list out the macros per serving. You then just can add that recipe to your daily logs whenever you use it.

And when you serve the casserole, you can just weigh or measure out your portion!

#1: Log family meals FIRST.

Too often we try to adjust the thing we love the most or want the most first, instead of finding ways to work around it!

When there is something I want to eat, I plan that into my food log first and tweak other meals around it to hit my macros.

So whether it’s a traditional casserole or Taco Tuesday meal, plan that into your log first and adjust other meals and snacks to hit those ratios!

#2: Sneak in macro tweaks to those family dishes.

Often there are little tweaks we can make to family meals that our family won’t even notice.

Like a slight change in the protein source, going with a lower or higher fat option. Or even a little bit MORE protein in each serving, by adding an ounce more of the protein you’re using.

Sometimes you can even sneak in veggies to sauces by pureeing them to lower the fat or carb content while adding micronutrients.

Even look up different variations of your usual dishes to see if there are some healthy swaps you can make you feel your family won’t notice!

You can even swap your own personal tortillas for a lower carb option while your family may enjoy their usual type if you don’t feel deprived through the swap.

The key is thinking in terms of small changes over feeling like you have to make completely different meals.

#3: Adjust your personal portions.

Often we can hit our macros for the day by enjoying the same foods, just by adjusting the portions.

For instance, you could serve a pasta dish where you build your own bowl. That way you could use the portions of each ingredient you need, maybe adding more protein, lowering the amount of pasta and adjusting how many veggies and how much sauce you add.

Or on taco night you could do only 2 tacos instead of 3 with a little bonus taco salad on the side if you needed to slightly lower your carb intake.

You can find little ways to eat the same thing while adjusting the portions through not only how you serve dishes but even the sides you add.

Maybe if you’re having pizza, you have the pizza BUT instead of 4 slices have 2 and more of the side salad.

This way you aren’t feeling like you aren’t able to enjoy the family meals BUT you’re also making it easier to hit your macros through your meals the rest of the day!

#4: Change other meals FIRST!

Small changes add up. So when you’re first starting to track, don’t focus on adjusting that family meal at all. As I mentioned, log the family meal first.

Then think about ways you can tweak your portions at other meals to hit your macros.

Even try new snacks to make things easier.

If you know you even have a family meal out where it’s going to be very calorically dense and high in carbs and fats, focus on protein and going lower calorie earlier in the day to create a little “buffer.”

The key is change things you can more easily control first to strike a balance and not feel like you have to be sitting there not enjoying the delicious family meal you worked hard to make!

SUMMARY:

We have to remember that changes can always seem overwhelming to start because we haven’t done them. The more we can focus on small tweaks to start while working around the things we love and enjoy, the more sustainable the changes will ultimately be.

So if you’ve been worried you can’t track macros while cooking for your family or spouse, start using these tips!

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#1 Fat Loss Tip That Changed My Life

#1 Fat Loss Tip That Changed My Life

The simplest solution is often the right one.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I honestly rebelled against this solution for YEARS.

I HATED the idea of tracking.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It isn’t telling you to cut anything out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are 4 Tips To Help You Start Tracking Macros:

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

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

Tip #1: Just Start By Tracking Your Current Diet

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

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

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

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

And trying to only backfires.

I ultimately feel deprived and revert back to old habits.

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

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

No cutting anything out.

No restricting specific foods.

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

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

And this is often why the changes are short lived.

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

First just learn how to track.

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

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

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

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

Small changes add up to sustainable habits.

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

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

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

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

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

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

For me, that means including dessert every single day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip #3: Increase Protein First

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

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

But this isn’t entirely true.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Swap in greek yogurt for your regular yogurt.

Add in edamame or quinoa to your usual stir fry.

Try hardboiled eggs as a quick grab and go snack.

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s face it…it’s not fun.

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

And trust me, portions become easily distorted.

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

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

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

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

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

What we measure, we can manage!

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

Remember simple isn’t always easy!

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

SUMMARY:

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

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

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

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