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#1 Fat Loss Tip That Changed My Life

#1 Fat Loss Tip That Changed My Life

by | Sep 20, 2021 | Blog, Diet

The simplest solution is often the right one.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I honestly rebelled against this solution for YEARS.

I HATED the idea of tracking.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It isn’t telling you to cut anything out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are 4 Tips To Help You Start Tracking Macros:

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

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

Tip #1: Just Start By Tracking Your Current Diet

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

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

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

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

And trying to only backfires.

I ultimately feel deprived and revert back to old habits.

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

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

No cutting anything out.

No restricting specific foods.

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

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

And this is often why the changes are short lived.

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

First just learn how to track.

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

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

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

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

Small changes add up to sustainable habits.

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

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

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

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

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

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

For me, that means including dessert every single day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip #3: Increase Protein First

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

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

But this isn’t entirely true.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Swap in greek yogurt for your regular yogurt.

Add in edamame or quinoa to your usual stir fry.

Try hardboiled eggs as a quick grab and go snack.

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s face it…it’s not fun.

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

And trust me, portions become easily distorted.

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

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

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

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

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

What we measure, we can manage!

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

Remember simple isn’t always easy!

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

SUMMARY:

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

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

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

Check out my RS Formula!

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

3 Fat Loss Myths Holding You Back

3 Fat Loss Myths Holding You Back

by | Jun 19, 2021 | Blog, Diet, Workouts

The simple fact is, one size doesn’t fit all. And so many things can work for so many different reasons.

And ultimately what leads to our success, especially when it comes to fat loss, is something that we can do consistently LONG-TERM.

Even then, the exact diet or workout routine we follow will constantly be evolving because nothing in life ever stands still.

Your needs and goals change and so should your routine.

Yet, especially with diet, people become very “passionate” about their specific beliefs. It often stems from their own dietary preferences or unique needs based on specific health issues.

They start to demonize specific lifestyle things and tell others they should too.

And these things can turn into fat loss myths that ultimately hold us back from achieving the balance and sustainable routine WE need to see results.

What worked for your friend may NOT work for you. And trying to fit everyone into the same mold leads to disaster.

That’s why today I want to bust 3 fat loss myths and help you dial in your workout and diet routine so you can truly achieve results through a plan that matches YOUR needs and goals.

Myth #1: Carbs make you fat. Fat makes you fat.

Carbs don’t magically make you gain fat. And neither does fat.

So all of those low carb advocates or low fat advocates that say it’s the only way to lose weight?

It’s just because they’ve found the macro ratio right for them and their body and lifestyle.

But no one macro is evil or bad. Each plays an important role in the optimal functioning of our body.

And depending on our needs, goals and training routine? We may need more or less of one or the other to achieve our ideal body composition and lose fat.

Now if you’re about to be that person to comment about all of the evils of carbs or fats (because I guarantee there will be one of each) and all of the health issues they can cause…

Do you not realize the irony in the fact that you will both not agree on which is actually evil?

There are so many factors that may make eating more or less of a specific macro better or worse for us PERSONALLY.

Now if you have a specific health issue?

You may need to eliminate or limit specific things.

That may help you even to lose weight too.

But just to demonize that macro completely if you don’t have any health concerns COULD actually lead to health issues not to mention hold you back from the fat loss results you want.

Now you may be thinking, “But when I cut carbs I lose so much weight on the scale so quickly!”

But that isn’t true fat loss.

When you cut your carbs, you deplete your glycogen stores and lose water weight.

So, sure, you’ll see a quick change on the scale. But it isn’t fat being lost.

And the second you add carbs back in?

You’ll likely gain all of that weight back and more.

Plus this restriction, especially if you love carbs and want to include them at a future date, doesn’t teach you how to actually create a sustainable lifestyle change.

And something we can do consistently is ultimately what helps us achieve the best result.

So don’t demonize a macro because someone else said so. Consider your specific needs and even your training routine.

If you’re less active? You may not need the immediate fuel of carbs so going low carb may help you lose fat.

However if you’re super active and training intensely lifting and doing cardio? Cutting your carbs super low may actually hinder your fat loss results.

Instead you may find going higher carb and lower fat ultimately allows you to feel fueled while achieving your ideal body composition.

It’s why focusing on protein while not demonizing carbs or fat but simply even potentially cycling them based on your training may be best!

Myth #2: Cardio Is Better Than Strength Training To Lose Fat

As much as I love training, as much as I think it can assist in the looking better as you lose fat…

You don’t technically need to work out at all for fat loss.

Working out in general can make the process easier, help us maintain our results long term and can help us create that calorie deficit, but we can’t out exercise our diet.

And often in our attempts to create more of a calorie deficit through exercise, we sabotage our fat loss results.

The focus of our workouts shouldn’t be on how many calories we burned. It should be on moving better and building muscle even so we look leaner, stay healthier and even help ourselves avoid metabolic adaptations as we do lose fat.

So if our workouts aren’t really a tool for fat loss, why are we told we need to do more cardio if we want to lose weight?

Studies have shown you burn more calories during a cardio session. And because of these studies, mainstream media started touting the benefits of cardio for weight loss.

You may even have seen those benefits yourself when you started running after a long time off.

Simply increasing our activity helps us burn more calories. So even without changing our diet at first, we begin to lose weight from those extra calories being burned.

And cardio, especially to start, burns more calories on average than strength training sessions.

However, over time you adjust and adapt to those cardio sessions. It’s why you can run or cycle further faster without fatiguing.

But those gains in your endurance also mean you don’t need or use as much energy.

So even though your watch may say you still burned a ton of calories, your body has become more efficient and you aren’t utilizing as much energy as you did when you first started.

It’s why you may feel like you’re not getting the same results as you once did from those same cardio sessions.

Not to mention, if you’re constantly trying to do MORE in order to burn more calories, you may be holding yourself back and actually creating more metabolic adaptions as you diet and lose weight.

Steady-state cardio can be catabolic to muscle tissue and losing muscle mass can negatively impact our metabolic rate.

Muscle takes more energy to maintain AND it becomes harder to build and retain lean muscle mass as we get older, which may be why we feel like it gets harder to lose weight the older we get!

This is why focusing less on cardio and actually more on strength can be so key.

Not only is it easier to constantly create progressive overload in our strength workouts, BUT we can also help ourselves build lean muscle which will help us keep our metabolic rate healthier and burn more calories even when at rest.

Fighting to maintain that lean muscle even while working to lose fat will help you achieve better body recomposition results and maintain those results long term.

So while you may have turned to cardio in the past, you may actually see better fat loss results by cutting back on cardio as you get leaner while focusing more and more on strength work.

Of course if you love cardio, you do not need to cut it out and the best results happen when we create a sustainable routine, but it may be a reason, besides even better performance for the cardio activities you love, that you do include some strength training in your routine!

(For even more on Is Cardio Key For Weight Loss?, check out this Fitness Hacks Podcast.)

Myth #3: Tracking is restrictive

Tracking is not fun. It’s tedious. Boring. Overwhelming to start. Annoying.

All of those things.

But it isn’t restrictive.

What IS restrictive is our MINDSET toward it.

It’s because we don’t recognize that the tracking is just data.

Just like you measure out ingredients so your cake turns out instead of looking like a burnt mess, you want to measure your food to create the recipe that leads to your body recomposition results.

We aren’t measuring necessarily to cut things out. But simply to make sure we get the right portions to match our needs and goals.

Tracking isn’t just for weight loss. It can help us gain muscle, fuel better. Recognize foods that may even be giving us digestive issues.

We can track to make sure we’re even optimally fueling for our sport to set a PR in our next race.

So we need to separate tracking from restriction in our minds.

Because that food logger isn’t judging – you are!

(For more on why Tracking Is Key, click HERE!)

SUMMARY:

We have to remember that we are each unique and one size doesn’t fit all. So don’t fall prey to fat loss myths that would lead you to create restrictive diets or train for hours upon hours doing cardio.

Focus on smalls sustainable changes based on your current routine and get ready to be consistent as those results take time to add up!

If you’re ready to dial in your workouts and your diet so they work together to get you the best results possible, check out my Macro Hacks!

–> Macro Hacks

Can’t LOSE Fat? Try These 2 Tips

Can’t LOSE Fat? Try These 2 Tips

by | May 21, 2021 | Blog, Diet, Exercises

Trying to lose weight as quickly as possible on the scale is a completely different focus than fat loss.

And often the faster we strive to see weight loss, the more we really don’t control for fat loss nor optimize our body recomposition.

Actually the more we can negatively impact our body recomposition results!

Because often in our attempt to lose weight faster, we slash our calories super low and try to exercise more.

This results in, yes more weight being lost, but this weight is not only fat but also MUSCLE.

It can also cause us to create metabolic adaptations and hormonal changes that can make us look SOFTER, which is the opposite of what we want to happen.

And this is especially the case when we’re working to lose those last 5 to 10 pounds.

You simply can’t out diet or out exercise TIME.

And while, yes, calories in vs calories out matters, we can’t focus on purely trying to starve ourselves by slashing our calories super low or creating more of a deficit through our training.

Actually we need to stop focusing on our training as a way to burn calories at all.

And we need to stop purely focusing on our calorie intake if we want the best fat loss results possible.

These improper weight loss practices, and even at times extreme deprivation diets and overtraining, are what lead to that horrible yo-yo dieting cycle.

They lead to potentially rapid weight loss on the scale, but also that weight rebound.

Through these fad diets, we create unsustainable habits, thrown our bodies out of whack and often create metabolic adaptations that make it even harder to lose the weight the next time we attempt to.

So if you’ve ever thought to yourself, “My age just makes it so much harder?”

Or “It’s so much harder than it used to be to lose weight!”

Well that might have less to do with getting older, and more to do with the improper dieting practices you’ve implemented previously!

The great part is though, we CAN reverse much of the “damage” we’ve done.

We can retrain our body to eat more and lose fat while restoring our metabolic health.

But we have to stop looking for a fast fix.

Instead we sort of have to do the OPPOSITE of what we’ve been told to do…

We need to focus on these two key things…

1. Macros
2. Strength Training

And then we need to focus on something we can truly maintain long-term.

Because motivation and willpower are fleeting.

We need to use those times we are motivated to put in new healthy habits that are sustainable. Because through those routines and habits that don’t take as much willpower to implement, we will keep doing what we need to do to get results even on those days we aren’t as motivated.

We need to focus less on creating a calorie deficit and more on doing the things that keep our metabolic rate higher while learning to fuel in a way that leaves us feeling energized while needing to utilized stored energy aka fat to fuel.

And that means we need to focus on macros and strength training.

So why are these two things so key?

First let’s talk about MACROS…

Before you even adjust your calorie intake, I recommend you focus on your macronutrient ratios – what portion of your calories come from proteins, carbs and fats?

How you adjust your macros can impact your energy levels and your fat loss results without you even consciously adjusting your calories.

It can even impact the number of calories you feel you need to be fueled while creating a small deficit just because of the differing thermic effects of each macronutrient.

When we fuel properly too, we help prevent unnecessary metabolic adaptations and we keep our body running efficiently.

Not to mention we maintain our energy so we want to live the lifestyle we enjoy!

When first focusing on macros, start by adjusting your PROTEIN intake.

Honestly, if you want the best fat loss results, protein is the main thing that matters.

A review of studies, showed that really protein intake is what determined what ratio worked best for weight loss. Whether you went high fat or low fat, high carb or low carb, the ratio that always produced the best results was the one higher in protein.

And it’s because protein can keep you feeling full and fueled.

Not to mention the thermic effect can only further aid in fat loss without you needing to create any more of a technical calorie deficit.

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

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

Basically you burn more calories to utilize protein than the other two macros!

Increasing your protein can also help you build and retain lean muscle mass even while in a deficit.

Studies have shown that a high protein diet is the only diet to help you do so. Not to mention it can even help you prevent gaining fat when in a calorie surplus!

It’s so key we do EVERYTHING we can to avoid muscle mass loss, not only to age well, but to keep our metabolic rate higher and avoid the metabolic adaptations we often see with extreme diets.

Retaining lean muscle mass will help you burn more calories at rest not to mention, muscle makes you look LEANER as you lose that fat!

And the cherry on top of all of this, and just another reason to focus on protein…

Consuming protein can increase levels of glucagon, a hormone in your body that can help control body fat.

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

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

Ok so you’re sold on focusing on macros…now why should you focus on strength training over cardio?

We focus so much on the calories we burn from exercise and trying to create a deficit through our training.

Which can be great for beginners just starting out looking to make a lifestyle change who find moving more, or adding in some workouts, easier to start than looking at their diet.

Just by adding in more activity they will create a calorie deficit without changing their diet.

This focus on a calorie deficit is also why many people turn to cardio when they want to lose weight. It has a higher calorie burn per session.

But our bodies adapt over time, meaning we don’t burn as many calories from these sessions (no matter what your very inaccurate fitness tracker tells you). And unless you keep training longer and harder, which there is a limit to, you won’t be able to out train your diet long-term.

So you WILL inevitably need to make dietary changes. Sorry. Trust me I’ve tried out training your diet.

It never leads to lasting results and often leads to burnout and injury.

Also, endurance training can be catabolic to muscle tissue, especially if you aren’t very conscious of your fueling.

So while you may be burning a few more calories in your training sessions by doing cardio especially to start, you aren’t doing anything to raise your resting metabolic rate, which impacts the calories you burn throughout the day.

And your resting metabolic rate has way more potential to help you burn more calories on a daily basis long-term and create LASTING results and long-term fat loss maintenance.

Not to mention you may only perpetuate muscle loss, especially if you’re slashing your calories super low, which will result in worse body composition and potentially metabolic adaptations that make it harder and harder to lose weight as we get older.

And this is why strength training is so key.

Not only can you increase your resting metabolic rate by building muscle because muscle requires more energy to maintain than fat, BUT you also are going to be functional stronger, look leaner AND preserve that muscle mass more while in a deficit and trying to lose fat.

If you want to eat more, look leaner and prevent a lot of the adaptations we often associate with getting older?

You need to be focusing your training on STRENGTH TRAINING.

Now if you enjoy cardio, you don’t need to cut it out.

But just STOP focusing on workouts as purely about the calorie burn from that single session.

Stop focusing on trying to do more to leave yourself feeling slaughtered.

Stop trying to out train your diet.

And instead see your workouts as a chance to build the lean physique you’ll reveal by how you fuel.

Use your training sessions to build lean muscle to keep your metabolism humming and look leaner long-term. Use your sessions not for that quick fix, but to help you better maintain your fat loss long term.

SUMMARY:

I know it’s tempting to want to do MORE to get results faster, but we have to remember that often the faster we lose weight on the scale, the less we are truly focusing on that body recomposition.

As much as it stinks to hear, slow and steady wins the race.

Focus on just those two key things of MACROS and STRENGTH TRAINING and find a routine you can follow consistently if you want amazing body recomposition results!

If you’re ready to dial in your workouts AND your nutrition to achieve amazing results with a plan that is actually SUSTAINABLE, apply to my 1:1 Online Coaching below.

–> Apply To 1:1 Coaching

 

Why You’re Not Losing Weight (3 Mistakes You Might Be Making)

Why You’re Not Losing Weight (3 Mistakes You Might Be Making)

by | Mar 4, 2021 | Blog, Diet

“I’m eating so clean and training hard every day. Why am I not losing weight?”

There is nothing more frustrating than feeling like you’re working super hard and doing all of the “right” things but not getting the results you deserve.

It can make you feel like something is wrong with you.

But often it is very SIMPLE habit changes, those boring basics, that make the difference.

Too often we overcomplicate things in our search for a quick fix, instead of dialing in the fundamentals first.

We get focused on doing more and working HARDER over simply working smarter.

That’s why I want to share the 3 most common reasons people don’t see the weight loss results they want and how to correct them.

But first, I also want to discuss why you don’t want to let the scale dictate how you view your results.

The scale doesn’t tell us the full story.

It tells us how much we weigh on any given day at any given time.

But our weight isn’t just muscle and fat.

It’s glycogen and water storage.

It’s impacted by inflammation and food still left to be processed and disposed of.

The scale will fluctuate daily, not to mention even hourly.

While I know we can often want to see a specific number on the scale, we have to remember that the scale doesn’t really show us the full picture.

And often striving for faster weight loss on the scale will backfire.

The scale is a very poor indicator of body recomposition.

Your weight could stay the same while amazing body recomposition results are happening.

If you lose a pound of fat, but even gain 2lbs of muscle?

Guess what?

You could end up looking leaner BUT actually even see your weight increase.

Because as much as we say “I want to lose weight” what we really want is to lose fat.

And the scale as a data source for fat loss is very limited

So even if you are trying to lose weight, consider another form of measurement to help you truly track your body recomposition – whether it is a form of body fat testing, progress picture or even body measurements.

Now…What Are The 3 Most Common Reasons We Aren’t Seeing Results?

Often we need to focus on those BASICS and dial in those fundamentals first.

While they aren’t sexy or fun, they are often the reasons we succeed or fail!

Supplements, fancy moves may be the things we want to focus on, but we have to remember that what we measure, can be MANAGED!

If you don’t have a clear picture of what you’re doing, a clear plan in place? You can’t make accurate changes to your routine.

Reason #1: You’re Not Tracking And Measuring

I know I know…tracking sucks.

It’s boring and tedious and no one likes doing it.

But it gives us an unbiased picture of what we are truly doing so that we can adjust.

It’s a great learning tool to truly understand how to best fuel your body so your calories and macros are dialed in specifically to YOUR needs.

Because….

1. We are often very bad at estimating our own portion sizes, no matter how good we think we are at it.

And 2. You can still overeat healthy foods. It’s why you may be eating clean and NOT seeing results.

It’s easy when you’re hungry or simply even WANT the food to end up letting that portion size get a bit bigger.

I don’t know about you, but a tbsp of peanut butter gets exponentially bigger depending on how much I want it that day or even what I’m putting it on.

And with calorically dense foods like that, it’s easy for those calories to add up each day, not to mention over the week and throw us out of the deficit we need to see for results.

Not to mention, those calories can distort the macros we are actually hitting that day, which can dramatically impact our results.

And if you’re a snacker?

It’s easy to end up letting a snack or two here or there become 3 or 4 and add up to more calories throughout the day than we realize.

It’s why tracking not only holds us accountable, but measuring gives us an accurate picture of what is going on so we know what to change.

You may not do it long term. But why not set yourself up to truly understand your diet by having a clear picture of what you’re consuming so you CAN get better results without having to do more?

Reason #2: You’re Focused On Doing More

When we do more, we feel more in control of our progress.

We feel like we can speed up our results.

But doing more can often backfire.

It can lead to burn out.

Extra frustration because we are pushing so hard yet NOT seeing the results we want.

The simple fact is we simply can’t out exercise or out diet time.

And the more we try to? The more we often create habits that aren’t sustainable that we can’t be consistent with.

Too often we overestimate how much we can accomplish short term while underestimating what we can accomplish long term.

Not to mention, those fast fad results we sometimes do see happening?

Well those seemingly amazing results are often why we get caught in the same annoying weight loss cycle…losing and regaining the same weight over and over again.

We slash our calories ridiculously low as we add in extra cardio and spend hours in the gym.

We may then see a huge initial drop of 5lbs in those first few days or even the first week.

But guess what? That isn’t all fat that we lost.

It’s water weight. Glycogen depletion. Maybe a pound of fat.

BUT also a pound of muscle.

So while it may feel satisfying, it won’t keep up. Or we have to keep doing more and more in an attempt to keep the results rolling in as quickly.

And in our attempt to see those faster drops on the scale, we end up sacrificing muscle not to mention create metabolic adaptations and hormonal imbalances that hold us back.

We create issues that end up backfiring and we’ve built habits that are unsustainable.

So what happens?

All that doing more leads to us regaining the weight we worked so hard to lose. And often, we end up worse off because, when we regain the weight?

We aren’t regaining muscle.

So the next time we attempt to lose weight? The process may feel even more hopeless.

This is why we need to stop doing more and instead create a plan that is truly realistic for our lifestyle.

There is no perfect workout schedule. No one perfect diet.

The key is making small changes and doing something that truly fits the time we have.

If you only have 3 days a week to workout? Start with that schedule and design workouts that fit that routine.

If you’ve never tracked your food before? Just start by logging without other changes.

These small swaps allow you to build momentum and truly make lasting changes.

Reason #3: You’re Not Focusing On Strength Training

Yes, for weight loss diet is key.

I don’t think there is anyone at this time who hasn’t heard the phrase “Abs are made in the kitchen.”

But so often we don’t dial in our workouts in a way that truly complements our nutritional plan and works toward lasting results.

Most of the time when someone says they want to lose weight, they also say they plan to add in more cardio.

And this association between cardio and weight loss arose because often cardio workouts do burn more calories per session than strength workouts.

But thinking of our workouts only as a chance to burn more calories is really not utilizing them to maximize our results.

We also have to remember our body adapts.

It’s why we get stronger. Why we can run faster and ride further.

But because of these adaptions, we don’t continue to burn as many calories from our steady state cardio training sessions as we did to start.

It’s why we can feel like we just need to keep doing more.

It can also lead to us trying to out exercise our diet to create a great calorie deficit.

Instead we need to see our workouts as not only a chance to burn more calories but as an opportunity to keep our overall body healthy and avoid metabolic adaptations.

If you want to look leaner? You want to build muscle.

That’s why strength workouts are so key.

If you want to avoid more metabolic adaptations and burn more calories at rest?

You want to include strength workouts to build muscle.

So while you can and should include cardio training if you enjoy it, and for your overall wellness, we need to stop turning to cardio for weight loss.

Focus on lifting heavy and challenging your body through heavier loads and more advanced movements! Make more out of less time so you can even create a routine that is sustainable long term!

SUMMARY:

If we want to see amazing weight loss results, you can’t ignore the basics.

Stop spinning your wheels just trying to do more.

Instead think of how you can do less and get better results.

Start tracking and logging as you focus on creating a sustainable routine that includes strength training.

The BEST results happen when our diet and our workouts WORK TOGETHER!

Learn to eat and train according to YOUR needs and goals:

–> Macro Hacks 

5 Reasons You May Be Struggling To Lose Weight

5 Reasons You May Be Struggling To Lose Weight

by | Jan 26, 2017 | Blog, Diet

There are a bazillion things pulling at us every day, demanding our attention and creating stress. We all seem to be doing a million things at once.

And we all seem to be stressed to the max.

So the last thing we need to do is add more stress into our lives – stress over eating well and working out.

Now that doesn’t mean you should simply skip working out and eating well (because both can also REDUCE STRESS, make you FEEL BETTER and INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY), but it does mean you want to make some changes to your diet and exercise program so that you can stress less and get better results!

Below are 5 Reasons You May Be Struggling To Lose Weight. These things can not only hinder your progress but even add to your stress so that you eventually fall off your program and re-enter that horrible yo-yo dieting and exercising cycle!

1. You’re too focused on working out longer and doing MORE.

People think they need to go do an hour of steady state cardio to lose weight. But guess what!?! Your body adapts to that. So to keep losing weight, that means you either have to go for longer or go faster. And often both of those aren’t really an option…Or if we do manage to one or both, we end up injured, burnt out or even stressed out because it becomes hard to fit in the workouts.

But what if you didn’t need that whole hour to get even better results than you could doing cardio for an hour? What if you could get results even just occasionally squeezing in 5 minute intense bouts?

Workouts like that would not only fit into your busy life better, but it would help you workout more consistently.

AND THEY WOULD HELP YOU GET RESULTS!

So instead of thinking about working out longer and doing more, focus on efficiency and going hard when you are working out.

If you up your intensity and pick compound exercises, you can get better fat burning and weight loss results from 15 minutes of interval and strength training than you can out of an hour doing steady state cardio!

Steady state cardio really only burns calories DURING the workout while interval work and strength training can help raise your metabolic rate and increase your calorie and fat burning for up to 48 hours after your workout!

2. You’re not focusing on PROTEIN.

People all too often get stuck worrying about how many carbs or how much fat. They argue over low carb or low fat.

But they never focus on the macronutrient that really makes the biggest difference – PROTEIN!

Focus on protein and you are going to see great results.

You don’t have to cut out carbs…Heck if you workout intensely you NEED some carbs. And you don’t have to deprive yourself of fat. FAT ISN’T EVIL! Actually, if you cut your fat too low, you are going to mess with your hormone levels and really slow down or even completely stall and prevent yourself from getting results!

But if you make protein your focus, you’re not only going to build lean muscle mass, but actually burn more fat and feel FULLER. If you want to grow stronger and look leaner, you need to get enough protein to build, repair and even MAINTAIN your muscle tissue!

Plus, protein has a higher thermogenic effect than the other Macros, meaning you actually burn more calories to process protein, making it harder to gain fat when your diet is high in protein (studies have even shown it to have a thermogenic effect 5 times greater than carbs or fat!).

Studies of thermogenesis have also shown that one of the most important roles protein plays in body weight regulation is due to the fact that it increases feelings of satiety or feeling full!

So if you aren’t getting enough protein that may be why you aren’t losing weight!

3. You’re not tracking what you’re doing.

We all hate tracking.  But this may be the single most important thing because if you don’t really know what you are eating, if you aren’t holding yourself ACCOUNTABLE, if you aren’t tracking what is working, you’re not going to see results!

Track what you eat and stick with a program. Then you can make changes as you go!

But if you don’t track, you don’t truly know. You can forget about things that are going on. You may not realize how low your protein is even when you feel like you are getting it at every meal.

Heck, you may even be surprised by the hidden calories and macro ratios in certain foods you eat…foods you can easily tweak if only you KNEW what was in them.

That is why you track. Try a fitness tracker like My Fitness Pal and log what you are eating. It will show you what is truly going on so you can make small changes and swaps instead of simply jumping from diet to diet!

4. You’re randomly adjusting your calories.

Often we think that losing weight means eating less. And yes…A calorie deficit is important.

But continuing to cut calories may not be the answer. If you cut out too many calories, your energy will drop. You can stall your metabolism. And your workouts will suffer, which will not only hinder your fitness progress, but potentially even your weight loss progress.

And on top of that, you may fall into HANGRY territory. Feeling hungry all the time doesn’t make anyone happier or less stressed.

Plus, if you constantly feel hungry at some point you’re going to run out of self control and end up binging. And binging leads to guilt. Which leads to more binging. Which leads to you ending up potentially worse off than where you started…And back in the yo-yo dieting cycle!

So while you need a calorie deficit, you don’t want to cut your calories too low! Stay energized. Stay feeling ready to tackle the day!

Because eating well should make you feel better NOT like you’re starving and constantly angry and tired!

5. You’re depriving yourself of the foods you enjoy.

I NEED dessert. Yes…I know this is an “excuse.” I will not literally die if I don’t have it.

But after dinner, if I don’t get a sweet treat, I just sit there thinking about how I want something. And I get bitter if I can’t have it.

And I end up binging on desserts the next chance I get.

So to avoid this, I have something sweet every night. I’ve found healthy swaps that fit my macros when I want. And other times, I indulge in that ice cream or those peanut butter cookies.

But I don’t DEPRIVE myself. Because that just isn’t realistic.

I was sick of “sprints.” And my clients were too. We were sick of going strict to only fall off and gain back some of what we’d lost. Only to have to “sprint” and go super clean again.

That is why I found macro cycling to be beneficial. You have ratios to hit, but you could still make room for the foods you love. You never had to cut out the things you love, which prevents binging.

And not feeling deprived helps make this a realistic lifestyle. You aren’t simply waiting for it to be over!

Take control of your diet without cutting out all of the foods you love! Get the lean, strong body you’ve always wanted with my Macro Hacks!

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