Functional Total Fitness

03/29/2023

Happy Monday!!!

TEAM BFF Client Win!!
Meet client Caroline who is coaching with Team BFF

She’s glowing!!!!
Left pic is March 2023 and right is Nov 2022

This is what she has to say!

After just a few short months of working with Brooke I am more confident in my eating, my movement and my overall choices.

I know that I am working to consistently lay the groundwork to achieve my goals and to have a sustainable way of eating/living that allows me function at my best.

The check-ins are so helpful, the workouts are perfect timing and allow me to see progress and all the tools make day to day easy to do.

The biggest lesson, so far!, is that consistency pays off. Being “ruthlessly consistent” gives me the roadmap for success and isn’t restrictive at all - it actually allows me more freedom!

I could not be happier and excited to continue my journey.

We are super proud of you!!

Keep Crushing it!

Love, Team BFF

01/16/2023

My clients are so amazing!

CLIENT WIN

Caroline has been working with for the last few months and is down 8.2 pounds and is seeing a lot of changes in her own body.

Not only is she an extremely kind and caring person, but she’s been working so hard to improve her relationship with food and she’s been really enjoying setting small, weekly goals.

She’s feeling more confident about her nutrition choices, she’s been improving her relationship with food and she is really enjoying strength training.

She’s absolutely crushing it and we’re so proud of you!

We Can Do Hard Things

Love, Coach Beth

06/02/2021

Nobody is going to do the work for you.
You can have all the resources and tools in your toolbox, but if you don’t utilize them you’re not going to get the results you want.
Doctors are there to give you data, resources, answers and guidance regarding your health.
Ultimately, the quality of your health depends on you and what you do with that information.
You can go to the most prestigious university but that doesn’t mean you’ll get a degree or learn anything if you don’t put forth the effort.
You can hire a trainer, a strength coach or buy a gym membership but you’re not guaranteed results, “just because” you did so.
That’s not how it works.
“Just because” doesn’t produce results.
You need to recognize the intent of your actions, determine if it aligns with your goals and do the work to make your dream a reality.
If you’re under the care of a doctor, be an active participant and a collaborative patient.
If you want to learn something, you have to study, ask questions and do your research.
If you have a fitness goal, you need to do things necessary to reach that goal.
Nothing worth having comes easy.
You have to buckle down, get to work, be patient and use the resources provided.
I hope this helps. Always remember...
You got this 💪🏼🔥

04/11/2021

You can’t be in a fat loss phase forever.
First of all, you only have so much fat you can lose, and second, if you’re in a prolonged fat loss phase and not seeing results, there’s a problem with your plan (if you have one).
I often reflect back on the first time I stopped pursuing fat loss.
I frantically thought, “What if I lose all my progress? What if I don’t like the way my body looks? What if I end up back where I started?”
There comes a point where you have to be honest with yourself and ask, “Is what I’m doing really working?”
When I consult with new clients and ask them what their goals are, the most common answer I get is, “I want to lose fat and build muscle.”
There are two instances where this can happen simultaneously.
One, if you’re brand new to strength training and two, if you’ve returned after a prolonged period of time off.
These are called, “newbie gains” but eventually your body will adapt. Pair that with a calorie deficit and BOOM, fat loss and muscle gain.
But what happens when adaptation occurs? You need to be strategic.
As mentioned above, you can’t lose fat forever. Maybe it’s time for a diet break or a maintenance phase. Maybe it’s time to go into a surplus and build some muscle.
Have you ever gone through a fat loss phase or dieted down to realize your body isn’t quite what you envisioned?
Did you expect to have more muscle definition or for your abs to resemble a washboard?
Well, in order to achieve those results you have to BUILD muscle and that takes time.
In fact, it takes more time than it does to lose fat, but I can assure you it’s well worth it.
Building muscle and losing fat is best done in separate phases with structured nutrition planning and structured strength programming.
It’s like patting your head and rubbing your tummy. Sure, you can do both at the same time, but it’s much easier to excel at one or the other separately.
Quit trying to do everything at once or always trying to lose fat. You’ll miss out on the beauty of the process.
My advice to you is set a specific goal, be strategic and have a plan, execute that plan and always remember...
You got this ❤️💪🏼

04/08/2021

Simple swaps can save you calories!
When I first became aware of calories and nutrition tracking I was blown away at how many calories I didn’t know I was eating.
You see, these aren’t things you inherently know. It’s very easy to underestimate how many calories you’re eating.
Most people associate whole, minimally processed foods as, “healthy” and don’t bother paying attention to those calories.
Sauces, dips, dressings and other condiments often get overlooked and add up quickly.
Here are some simple swaps that can save you some calories...
Sour Cream, Mayonnaise, Buttermilk, Cream Cheese ➡️ Plain Greek Yogurt (low or nonfat)
Calorie dense condiments and dressings ➡️ Zero/low calorie condiments and dressings
Increase amount of vegetables at each meal (1/2 plate) or replace 1 meal with a big ass salad with protein.
I hope this helps, and you can always save it and refer back to it later!
Always remember...
You got this ❤️💪🏼

03/28/2021

I once believed in conspiracy theories.
I was a self proclaimed Netflix and YouTube documentary connoisseur who believed anything these biased and absurd productions spewed to the public.
You could present me with outstanding evidence to argue what I believed was false, and I still wouldn’t believe you.
It’s wild, right?
I believed that instead of counting calories, people should focus on counting chemicals (though you should still eat nutritious foods), and the law of energy balance was a ploy the FDA created to keep people buying ultra-processed food.
At one point, I believed vaccines and other medications caused an array of health issues, neurological conditions and that big pharma was attempting to take over the world, one medication at a time.
I believed that everyone was out to get me; even if science proved me wrong.
It wasn’t until I hired a coach who was not only patient with me and my dogmatic views, but educated me with the absence of judgment and criticism but instead with empathy and tolerance.
“Don’t knock it til you try it,” she said with a smirk.
That’s when I began counting calories and learning more about energy balance and nutrition science.
If this was true of fitness and nutrition, what other fallacies did I believe?
The message here is so your due diligence and don’t believe everything you hear, or at least do your own research using credible sources.
Trust those who’ve dedicated their life’s work to keep you safe and healthy.
Always remember...
You got this ❤️💪🏼

03/16/2021

I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been feeling myself over the past few weeks
I have to be honest with you; I’ve been burnt out and left feeling depleted.
A year ago today I found out my business was being shut down, my son was out of school and life as you and I knew it was completely turned upside down.
Over the past few weeks, memories from a year ago have been popping up on various platforms and it has been overwhelming and eye opening.
We’ve had to learn to be resilient, empathetic and patient.
(At least some of us anyway.)
We’ve had to overcome struggles we’ve never expected to deal with.
But ya know what?
It’s made you and I a helluva lot stronger.
There have been many times I felt like life as we knew was stolen from us.
Then I remember one important thing.
It could be worse. It can always be worse.
During this time, I’ve met an incredible online community of like-minded people and coaches who genuinely want to see me succeed and push me out of my comfort zone (for my own good).
I’ve started to become more myself and better mother and spouse to my family.
I’ve reconnected and mended friendships that I neglected and took for granted.
I spent time to focus on me and my mental, physical and emotional health.
I learned to never stop learning and always look for ways to improve even when the situation isn’t ideal.
Lastly, I feel compelled to apologize for being MIA the past few weeks.
This year is catching up with a lot of people and it caught up with me too.
I’m trying to create some more balance in my life and if you’re a parent, partner or even have a busy ass job, you get that the balancing act is rarely effortless.
I just want you to know that if you’re struggling, it’s okay and sometimes it’s okay to not be okay. Just always remember you’re not alone and...
You got this ❤️💪🏼
📸

02/24/2021

Your results are only as good as the effort you put in.
I used to be the person who wouldn’t take action and then bitch and complain that I wasn’t seeing results.
I figured because I hired a coach that results would appear even though I was half-assing my workouts and eating like I didn’t give a f**k.
It took me awhile to realize my victim mentality was the problem, and nothing else.
I would blame my surroundings for my lack of success.
My child, my job, and even my friends and family as to why I wasn’t seeing progress.
I would use other people and circumstances as a scapegoat so I wouldn’t have to take responsibility for not doing my part.
I would get pi**ed when my coach would (kindly) call me out and that’s when I would start making excuses.
“I was too tired,” “But they were maple bars,” “I was going to start again Monday,” “I forgot to track,” “I was too sore,”...etc.
The audacity of my coach doing their damn job...🙄
It wasn’t until I became a coach that I saw how common this is and something a lot of people do.
If you want to make excuses and not put in the work it takes to reach your goal, that’s on you. It’s okay to not be ready right now.
But do not, I repeat, DO NOT get mad at not having results you did not earn.
If you want to see results, crank up the intensity in all areas of your life that will elevate your success.
Dial in your nutrition, bring intensity to your training and instead of finding reasons why you can’t do something, start figuring out how you CAN.
Do the work, and the results will follow.
Always remember...
You got this ❤️💪🏼
📸

02/20/2021

Are you trying to crunch your way to a 6-pack?
If so, you’re wasting your time if you think that’s going to create ab visibility solely through exercise.
Body fat is the veil covering those abdominals of yours.
Can you do exercises in your programs that will make your abs grow and get stronger? Absolutely.
But the way to make them seen is through your nutrition. Fat loss, specifically.
It’s always a good idea to do core exercises for strength, stability, pain reduction, etc. but if you’re trying to crunch or plank your way to a 6-pack you’re going to be disappointed.
Focus on your fork, focus on building strength and stability in your core and always remember...
You got this 💪🏼🔥

02/14/2021

I do not want to see your “Inspo Pics”
I can’t tell you how many times people have sent me these pictures saying, “I want to look like this!”
Is it okay to be inspired by other people? Of course! I am everyday.
But it’s important for you to understand that sometimes the person in the picture doesn’t even look like that.
I mean, if you see in this post there’s a side by side picture of me with and without an Instagram filter on and though subtle, the changes are noticeable.
Not to mention there are apps out there that can drastically change appearance, enhance or minimize features and of course, the good ole photoshop.
It’s also important to point out that you and the person in the picture may have completely different builds and genetics.
If you’re 5’3” with short arms and short legs and you bring an “inspo pic” of someone who is 6’0”with long arms and long legs, you will never look like that.
I don’t know of any exercise that will lengthen or shorten your limbs or your torso...sorry 🤷🏼‍♀️
If you do feel the need to have an “inspiration picture” it should be a photo of YOU at a weight you were comfortable and HEALTHY at.
It should be a time in your life where you had a better relationship with food and a weight or composition you can maintain.
There’s only one YOU on this earth, don’t spend it wishing you looked like someone else.
Always remember...
You got this ❤️💪🏼

02/10/2021

You don’t have to lose weight to have a fitness goal.
I know I talk a lot about fat loss and weight loss and what not, but it’s not the only goal you can achieve in fitness.
It’s just an incredibly common goal for a lot of people.
As a society, we’ve been conditioned to constantly be pursuing weight loss and thinness. Especially women and those who identify as women.
This happens to men too. The expectation of being jacked and shredded with a 6-pack and the biceps the size of Texas year round is spewed all over social media.
However, it’s not realistic to walk around looking like a fitness model or a physique competitor all the time.
It’s totally cool to have physique goals, but it’s also okay to have other fitness goals too.
You might want to go through a muscle building phase and gain mass.
You might have a strength goal like being able to do a push up or hit a certain number on your deadlift.
Your fitness goal could also have to do with functionality like maintaining independence as you age, or being able to play with your grandkids.
It doesn’t always have to be about weight loss.
Your goal should be whatever makes YOU happy.
If that’s weight loss, great.
If it’s not, also great.
As long as you’re striving to be the best version of yourself, that’s all I want for ya.
Time is going to pass either way, so you might as well spend it chasing goals you actually give a s**t about.
Always remember...
You got this ❤️💪🏼

02/07/2021

There are going to be times where you’re progressing even if it doesn’t feel like it.
It’s still progress and you’re allowed feel whatever emotion comes up about it.
If you’re discouraged that the scale hasn’t gone down, feel it, own it, but also try to look at the facts and remain objective.
If you’ve built the habit of consistently going to the gym when before you didn’t go or weren’t consistent, you need to acknowledge that progress.
If you’re not losing weight on the scale, but you’re losing inches around your body, you need to acknowledge that progress too.
You can feel discouraged and still remain objective. You shouldn’t let a fitness coach on Instagram tell you how to feel, or anyone for that matter.
But I will tell you not to unpack your s**t and live there and have a pity party.
In order to be successful, you have to celebrate the wins, acknowledge the feelings that arise, and look at your progress through a logical lense.
You may be progressing beautifully, losing weight, inches, killing it in the consistency department and STILL feel like you’re not doing good enough.
Again, feelings are not facts; lay it out with you’re progressing, acknowledge the facts, give yourself credit where it’s due and keep moving forward and know it’s okay to feel that way, just don’t sulk in it.
It can be hard to be objective when feelings want to hijack your journey but it’s an important tool to develop.
Always remember...
You got this ❤️💪🏼

02/04/2021

Did you know there’s more than one way to track your nutrition?
The best method to tracking your nutrition is finding the one that works for you that you can do consistently for the long term.
Some people have an issue with counting calories and others like myself, don’t mind it.
Some people find it easier to control their portions by using their hands to help determine their portion sizes and that’s great too.
In order to achieve your goal, whatever it may be (fat loss, muscle gain, etc.) you have to track your nutrition in some way, shape or form to make sure you’re well...on track.
So what are some ways you can do that? I’ll explain below...
👉🏼 Calorie/Macro counting- this is one of the most accurate ways to track but does have more of a learning curve in the beginning.
👉🏼 Meal Prep & planning- preparing your meals in advance and at home can help you not only stay prepared throughout the week, but also know exactly what’s in your food.
👉🏼 Handwritten Food Log- writing everything down in a food journal or even the notes in your phone can help you get better at tracking and staying on track.
👉🏼 Photo Food Journal- taking photos of everything you eat whether you save them in an album in your phone or you can download an app like
👉🏼 Hand Portion Control- this is a simple way to manage your portions using just your hands! Palms for protein, a fist for carbs, and a thumb for fats. For men, double it!
👉🏼 Scale/Utensil measurements- you can use measuring cups to measure higher calorie foods like peanut butter, oils, nuts and more calorie dense carbs like pasta, rice and quinoa to name a few.
A “calorie deficit” isn’t a diet. It’s the balance of energy you input and output. People lose weight on diets because they’re put into a calorie deficit.
These are just a few ways you can make a deficit work sustainably for you.
Always remember, I’m here to help.
You got this ❤️💪🏼

02/02/2021

When you add a negative connotation to the foods you eat, you open the door to engage in negative behavior.
I’m gonna keep it real with you. I used to have cheat meals which turned into days. I also used to allow my clients those meals when I was a very young and inexperienced coach and there’s SO much I’ve learned since then.
Think about it like this; you go Monday through Friday grinding away eating “clean” and living for your “cheat” meal.
Then, there it is. The holy grail of meals for the week, but it just can’t stop there. You’re not gonna get this for another week so you might as well have dessert, which turns into snacking on the foods you’ve deprived yourself of until you’re stuffed. You finish up and tell yourself you’ll get back on track the next day.
You wake up the next day still feeling full from the over indulgence the night before and you don’t feel like you just cheated on your diet, you feel like you straight up blew it. So f**k it. You decide to start again Monday and live your best life til Monday rolls around.
Cue the overeat and over restrict cycle.
It’s a slippery slope when you start to associate things with a negativity.
When you refer to something as a “cheat” it implies that what you’re doing is bad.
A similar example are folks that say pulling a deadlift in the sumo stance is cheating.
There’s nothing bad about the variation, but you’d think so from the use of the word cheating.
There should absolutely be some structure around nutrition but you don’t need to be dogmatic or living for your cheat meal.
In my own experience, these meals led to some serious binge and restrict behaviors because of the shame of associating what I was doing as bad and a sin against my dogmatic and religious approach to nutrition.
Those foods you want to cheat with? Figure out a reasonable way to incorporate them into your diet without feeling guilty or ashamed.
After all, it’s just food and when eaten in moderation, life will be much more enjoyable and guilt free.
Always remember I’m here to help...
You got this❤️

01/27/2021

Sometimes you need to focus on what you can add rather than what you can take away.
A lot of people don’t only suffer from self limiting beliefs, but also self limiting behavior.
There’s a time and place when it comes to restriction, but before you even contemplate that, ask your self what habits you can build before taking things away. Even then, that’s more restraint vs restriction. The two are very different things.
For example, can you create the habit of having more veggies at every meal before completely eliminating “processed” foods?
Technically all food is considered processed, but that’s a topic for a different day.
Before eliminating a food group, maybe try focusing on creating better portion control habits.
Instead of having small snacky foods that are low in calories that still leave you hungry after you eat throughout the day, try creating the habit of having bigger meals that will keep you fuller longer.
Find ways to make healthier habits and build off of that before you start taking things away from yourself.
Add a daily walk to your routine, more protein to your plate, or more water in your drinking glass.
Build off of the foundation you already have because it’s a marathon not a sprint.
Always remember...
You got this ❤️💪🏼

01/23/2021

Do you have your mind made up without giving other ideas a chance?
A lot of people have their mind already made up about nutrition tracking without actually doing it.
“It’s too obsessive,” “It’s too tedious,” “It causes disordered eating habits and patterns.”
What I’ve noticed, is often times individuals that make such claims are often the same people who will go to great lengths to try and find any research to support their fad diet or lifestyle.
Some people make up their mind about tracking after not doing it long enough to get used to the learning curve that comes with any new skill.
Can some people get obsessive with it?
Sure, if they’re trying to count every single calorie or macro gram they put in their body.
But that’s not a majority of people who track, and don’t forget there’s more than one way to track nutrition. Some other ways include...
👉🏼 Use a handwritten food journal
👉🏼 Take pictures of your food with a photo tracking app
👉🏼 Prepare meals in advance. Know what you’re eating ahead of time.
👉🏼 Use the hand portion control method
👉🏼 Use measuring utensils to measure more calorie dense foods
If you’re willing to spend hours trying to find research that favors your bias, your mind is already made up and you’re doing yourself a great disservice.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to learn was to be open minded and to try new things. If not, you’re never going to broaden your horizons.
Always remember...
You got this ❤️💪🏼

01/23/2021

Sometimes doing the bare minimum is doing your best...
Don’t feel bad if you’re going through a funk and you hit the gym and your nutrition targets just to check some boxes.
You can’t go hard all the time; believe me.
It can be a real kick in the pants when you’re busting your buns in the gym and crushing your workouts, and then have it transition to showing up when you want to be anywhere but there.
Burn out happens to the best of us.
That doesn’t mean you’ve failed or you’ll be stuck there forever. It just means you’re in a funk and you’ll get out of it eventually. You just have to keep showing up.
Find something you can incorporate to help get you excited about exercise again. This can be things like...
👉🏼 Trying a new form of exercise that you’ve been interested in
👉🏼 Buying a new workout outfit or some new gym shoes
👉🏼 Putting together a new workout playlist to get you pumped
👉🏼 Working out with a friend who busts their butt in the gym
It’s important for you to understand that sometimes doing the bare minimum is doing your best. And your best is good enough.
The most important thing to remember is no matter what, just don’t quit.
Always remember...
You got this ❤️💪🏼

01/22/2021

Walking is one of the most underrated and therapeutic exercises out there.
People are often flabbergasted when they ask me why type of cardio they should be doing and I tell them to walk.
You can certainly do other forms like cycling, running or whatever your heart desires. But walking can be so much more than cardio.
It can be used as a stress reliever and even a meaningful bonding experience.
Long walks on the beach anyone? 🏖
But most importantly, it gets you moving.
Increasing your daily step count can raise your BMR which will effect your daily expenditure which can help aid in fat loss (along with a calorie deficit 😉).
People also ask “How many steps a day should I get in?” Spoiler alert 🚨 there’s nothing magical about 10k. But it’s good to have a goal!

If you have an activity tracker, find your average steps per day and challenge yourself to beat the number of steps than the day before, or challenge a coworker or a friend to see who can get the most steps...Make it fun!
Here are some ways to increase those daily steps...
👉🏼 Schedule your walk into your calendar. Plan for it just like you would a workout.
👉🏼 Walk on your lunch break after you’ve eaten and take a break from your desk.
Park farther away at the grocery store and get some extra steps in.
👉🏼 Ditch the elevator and take the stairs.
Walking will benefit your health in more ways than one, so make sure you take some time to enjoy the benefits.
Always remember...
You got this ❤️💪🏼