Dynamic Edge NW

09/26/2018

I’ve never felt that I had any serious negative responses to food, but the more I’ve dialed in nutrition and become self aware of how my body responds to fuel, the more I realized that some symptoms were popping up and I couldn’t pinpoint the cause. One way of addressing is to do a random, broad elimination diet to figure out which foods are causing potential problems. It’s tedious and time consuming, so to make life easier with a better starting point, I recently took a food sensitivity blood test. This would give me a good idea of which foods could be causing issues and I could start from there. Knowledge and technology are your friends! 🤓
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To note: a food sensitivity is different from an allergic reaction. It’s usually a delayed reaction & includes various symptoms (rather than a more life-threatening allergic response)
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Symptoms of food sensitivities can include:
🌱Eczema/psoriasis
🌱Nausea
🌱Diarrhea
🌱Bloating/inflammation
🌱GI distress or ‘Gut Rot’ as I call it 🙂
🌱Arthritis, aching joints
🌱Headaches
🌱Fatigue
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Food sensitivity testing entails analyzing blood & how it responds when exposed to specific foods or ingredients by checking for an antibody known as immunoglobulin G, or IgG.
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It’s important to note that you may not experience symptoms with all reactive foods that are identified, but it is a great tool to find a starting point. The premise is that we remove reactive foods that may be inflammatory for a minimum of 30 days, make food quality & gut health a priority, fix other lifestyle issues, then reintroduce foods to see if symptoms are still there.
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The shocker in my results was that the majority of the high/moderate reactive foods, were things I ate & enjoyed on the regular! Like.EVERY.DAY! (Except for green peas… Ain’t nobody got time for that toddler ickiness.) I cut most dairy out because I had noticed I don’t feel great after having it, even though I love it! But EGGS, ALMONDS, CASHEWS… 😱😩
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It’s easy to brush off symptoms and chalk them up to other reasons, but what if the foods consumed are causing them? Do we necessarily have issues with all the foods identified as reactive? Maybe or maybe not - but if we temporarily remove what’s been identified as inflaming us, we can likely remedy our issues quicker.
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I’ll keep y’all posted on how the next steps go with food elimination and then reintroduction.✌🏼

08/30/2018

Hey! Did you see the recent news regarding coconut oil? Does it make you confused at what you should be eating? Here's the deal, the dramatic headlines are a tactic to spark interest. With that being said, you can have too much of a 'good thing'. Total calories matter and the composition of total daily fats are important. There are some legitimate concerns regarding total saturated fat intake. There are also some great benefits with the types of fats you are consuming, especially MCTs (medium chain triglycerides).

This further emphasizes the need for moderation/balance in any type of eating/food choices and also the identification of an INDIVIDUAL's specific needs. Plus, eating a variety of types of foods helps with a healthy gut biome. The extremes or lack of variety
will never win the long game.

Take a read. Great info., but her take-home message at the end is a great nugget to note.

After Harvard professor Karin Michels’ presentation called “Coconut Oil and Other Nutritional Errors” went viral on YouTube last week, dozens of media outlets have taken up the mantle to decry coconut oil as “pure poison”. The myopic view of coconut oil as harmful due to its high saturated...

03/02/2018

And our third macro cheat sheet via

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Remember in the ’90’s when Time Magazine painted fat as the devil?
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…Only to have a few years go by and we now know that was a total $$-funded joke on society?
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(Or maybe you don’t & you’re still afraid of eating fats - well, now ya know)
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Dietary fats are the BUILDING BLOCKS to produce hormones
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Aka estrogen, progesterone, & testosterone
Bonus: Some fats (like fish & coconut oil) also have anti-inflammatory properties
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Don’t be so quick to run off & eat your weight in piggy strips though - type and source matter!
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Ideally, we want most of our fats coming from quality sources, like avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, salmon, etc
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Worried about cholesterol?
Cholesterol is more related to consuming an abundance of sh*tty fats + sugar + processed foods/carbs
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Think: greasy burger, bun, and fries for lunch VS salmon, rice, veggie, avocado ->
Same amount of protein/carbs/fats - two totally different health outcomes
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How Much Fat SHOULD You Eat?
Depends on time of year & your goals
▪️Typically when dieting, we keep carbs as high as possible (so gym performance doesn’t tank)
▪️That means mostly cutting cals by eating LESS fat (for the moment)
▪️But after dieting for 8-12 weeks, we NEED to come back to maint. calories & bring those fats back UP to restore hormone function (our thyroid also loves fats!)
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Don’t forget about digestion though!
Think about if you put peanut butter in a bowl.
You try to rinse & the PB is like HAHA, NOPE - It’s similar in our gut
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We want out GI to be a big ol’ Slip N’ Slide -
Enough fat to “grease the groove”, but not TOO much to bog down digestion
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Esp if eating large quantities of carbs on the daily, too much fat = carbs fermenting in our gut = feeling super puffy/bloated😐
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We also want happy hormones. Slow digestion = potential for excess estrogen to re-absorb back into the body rather than be excreted
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What about nuts?
Aren’t those a source of good fat?
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Double-edge sword: Can be great fat source
BUT also cause a lot of people GI distress
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Also, please stop eating peanut butter & putting moldy nuts in your mouth🥜
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Research your nuts & upgrade to almond butter ✌

02/26/2018

Let’s quit with the anti-carb these days. We really need to understand body systems, type of training, and individual needs!! Fuel your body the way it needs to be fueled with high quality food sources.
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Friends don’t let friends CrossFit on vegetables. Tag your friends who need this cheat sheet🍍
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You think this is a joke but seriously, welcome to 2018:
▪️pizza is a vegetable 🍕
▪️kids eat TidePods
▪️sedentary people (that live in cubicles) love inhaling carbs🍪
▪️and yet the people spending 2-4 hours in the gym on the daily are afraid of potatoes and rice
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Can we stop the carb-phobia already?
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It’s VITAL to understand energy systems in your training modality so that we can properly meet the physical demand of your training.
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CrossFit is a GLYCOLYTIC sport (as is Orange Theory, Spin Class, etc) and thus MUST be fueled by CARBOHYDRATES.
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Someone that is Bodybuilding may or may not need as many carbohydrates since the exercise modality is a different kind of stress on the body
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Weightlifters/powerlifters need for carbohydrates tend to fall somewhere in the middle🏋🏼‍♀️
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Important Things to Note About Carbohydrates?
▪️Fruit breaks down to FRUCTOSE which is preferentially stored as LIVER glycogen (NOT MUSCLE glycogen — limit to 1-2 servings a day!)🍉
▪️We want sources of MUSCLE GLUCOSE for exercise (aka plenty of potatoes, rice, oatmeal, etc) 🍚
▪️Carbohydrates are necessarily for optimal thyroid and hormone function
▪️We hold onto 3g of WATER for every gram of glycogen we store (so yes, scale may vary depending on our diet and how many carbs we eat. It’s just water weight!)
▪️Glycogen stores take 24-36 hours to replenish. This means we are always fueling exercise off the day BEFORE, not necessarily the day OF (although day of is certainly important too. If you feel j***y)
▪️The body tends to respond best to gradual increases in carbohydrates (aka don’t go from 150c daily to 300c the next, it probablyy won’t go well)
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Not sure how many carbs to eat? Consider hiring a coach 😉

02/15/2018

Thanks Laurie for the pretty graphics. 😉Protein is even more important as we age peeps so take a hard look at what your actual intake is. I bet protein is less than adequate.


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Protein is arguably the MOST IMPORTANT macro that’s also somehow also VERY under appreciated (females, I’m lookin’ at youuu!)
To quote , “The act of training and exercising is catabolic: We are literally breaking down tissue in an attempt to create adaptation”
In English? Bicep curls don’t do sh*t if you’re hopping off the gainz train by slacking on protein intake, CONNIE**
Strive for bodyweight or target body weight in grams of protein.
For ex: 5’3 130 lb & fairly lean, crush 130g of protein - If 5’3 & 150 lbs, aim for 120-130g protein.
Males can typically synthesize protein more efficiently than their female counterparts, so you could elect to go 1.1 or 1.2x BW
Our ability to synthesize protein DECLINES as we AGE, so don’t be afraid to adjust up goals a little accordingly💪🏼
Cheap meat is typically ridden in antibiotics, hormones, and other junk. Strive for grassfed-beef, organic chicken, pastured eggs, and wild caught sea food as much as possible✌🏼
Tag your friends who track their macros (or tag and help out your friends who don’t eat enough protein)
**if you don’t get the “Connie” joke, it’s because you’ve never come to a L1 - you probably should...

01/19/2018

Good share !!🙌🏼
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Tag a friend who loves their booze!! 🍷🙋🏼‍♀️
Our beloved “liquid courage” is occasionally referred to as the “fourth macronutrient” (the other three macronutrients obviously being protein, carbs, and fats).
The good news: It’s OKAY to occasionally snag a drink and it probably won’t ruin your progress
The BAD news: The key word there was OCCASIONALLY and there’s some deets you should know so you can indulge responsibly
Did you know the body DOESN’T metabolize and break down protein/carbs/fat in the presence of booze? Aka any food eaten in the presence of alcohol basically gets stored as fat?
Did you know that alcohol also negatively impacts muscle protein synthesis? In other words… regular booze consumption impacts your ability to build muscle?
(Oh Jiminy Christmas, look at your favorite beer over there just tryna steal all your gains!)
Did you know alcohol raises estrogen in the body?
It increases SHBG (s*x hormone binding globulin), which lowers free testosterone, depletes zinc levels, and results in a lower testosterone production.
It also impacts liver function temporarily, which means hormones in your body that may have been ‘scheduled’ for removal get re-circulated back into the bloodstream.
Lower testosterone levels and a tip towards increased estrogen levels in both males and females - yikes!
Well okayyyy, fun-sucker🍻
So how do we minimize the damage?
-Get in a solid workout in earlier in the day
-Try to keep food and alcohol separate.
-Consume a protein & veggie-intensive breakfast (and lunch if possible) so there’s a little wiggle room if you accidentally get white girl wasted and go ham on some (less than ideal) food
-Set a goal *PRIOR* to drinking and set a limit for yourself. -Choose high quality drinks and liquors & skip the sugar
-Got pushy friends who live to party? Ask the bartender for some club soda & lime, nobody will even know the difference.

01/16/2018

The best diet is long-term sustainable & works for your lifestyle!!

01/11/2018

Well stated by Cody!! Do you need some guidance on your health & nutrition? DM me.

.boomboom
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💪🏻How Do Results Happen?🧐
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You stress the body.
The body adapts.
Rinse and repeat.
This is literally the process of progression.
Whether we’re striving to lose fat, build muscle, get stronger, improve conditioning, or a combination of multiple things.
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You NEED to stress the body to elicit change.
That’s a pretty obvious concept that most people understand and apply.
Plus, training can be pretty fun and exciting. It makes you sweat, your muscles burns, and it pushes you mentally.
Then, afterwards, you have that great sense of accomplishment.
In other words, it’s pretty easy to get motivated to train.
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But the part most people neglect, is the part after that stress has been created... the part your body NEEDS in order to create results.
This part, is Adaptation.
And without this adaptation phase,
No REAL progress is made (at least not long-term).
So what does “adaptation” look like?
👉🏻 Sleep, Recovery Protocols (Sauna, Float Tank, Cryo, etc...), Nutrition, Some Supplementation...
You know, the stuff that’s not very fun, doesn't make us sweat or our muscles burn, and doesn’t really provide a great sense of accomplishment afterwards...
Which is why so many people under recover and over glorify intensity, then wonder why the hell theyre not seeing results.
Well... Their bodies literally cannot catch up and fully recover, in order to create adaptation.
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So it’s important to stop and truly look at what MATTERS when you’re working to see results.
Stress ✔️
Adaptation ✔️
Results‼️
Don’t neglect what’s needed.

12/19/2017

4 great tips here to manage this season!! These are the conversations I’ve been having with clients the last couple weeks. 🙌🏼

When it comes to blogging, I like to be original. And what would be more original than writing a “Holiday Survival Guide” – complete with detoxes and cleanses, and likely lots of cardio to help you burn off all of those holiday calories…….LMAO, riiiiiiiight Despite being sick at the moment...

11/09/2017

KETO - (glorified) ATKINS - LOW FAT - PALEO
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Your body is an amazing machine and is highly adaptable. Everyone is looking for the next best DIET or quick fix to body composition goals or performance goals.
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As a nutrition coach, I don't believe there is one CORRECT diet for any mass of clients I work with. The BEST diet is the one that works well for the individual based on their goals and takes into account the INDIVIDUAL's medical history, previous dietary history, biofeedback response to current nutritional protocols, mindset, & has LONG TERM sustainability. PHEW!!! That's a lot to consider.
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In addition, after all the above is considered, the correct application is CRITICAL.
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Yesterday, I addressed the energy systems of the body. (See image in this post). If an individual has PERFORMANCE goals as a priority, then you must understand the energy systems of the body and the type of exercise/training they are choosing to do in order to find a nutritional protocol that will best fuel that type of training.
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For example: my choice of training is highly glycolytic (anaerobic) most of the time. Yes, I do tap into all the energy systems, but this is the bulk of my training. What fuel is utilized most with this type of training??? Glycogen - glucose - CARBS. This macronutrient would be critical to performance & recovery! It would be a gross misapplication for me to completely restrict carbohydrates if performance was my goal.
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Let's not get caught up in trendy, buzzword diets that are going around! Find the correct dietary protocol & application that will work best for your goals and is sustainable for your lifestyle.
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As always, let me know if I can help :).

10/18/2017

Food quantity is important, but so is food quality! Macronutrients + micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) are key for optimal nutrition. We want to be healthy from the inside out. 👩🏼‍🍳🗝
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Veggies are the best bang-for-your-buck in carb macros. (IMO) I have yet to find anyone who ‘overeats’ their veggies. They are filling. High in fiber. Plus, they are loaded with micros. I’m not a huge veggie fan, but I’ve learned how to make them more enjoyable. 🤗🤘🏼
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Tip 1: I tend to stock up on the frozen steamfresh bags so I can pull out of freezer any time & heat quickly for grab-and-go prep. They keep longer so when I’m out of fresh veggies from the fridge, I have a back up. Plus, I’m lazy & hate the prep work of cutting up, roasting, etc. 🥗🥕
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Tip 2: Stock up on a variety of spices. I love Flavor God. Buy what suits your taste palate. You can make your veggies taste like a whole new dish just by changing your spices for the meal and then veggies aren’t boring. I don’t need sauce, cheese or condiments for flavor, and therefore unnecessary macros, if I just mix up the seasonings. 🌱🌶

10/12/2017

Thanks for being so raw & real in the delivery here Chasity!! It needs to be heard.


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Let's get real!!! Everyone wants the quick fix... I want to go to the crossfit games and lose 10 lbs of fat.

I want to be a size 2 and I want abs.

I want to be stronger and leaner.

And I want all of this TODAY!

Here are the facts...

1. Progress takes time and is not linear!
You may have to slow down to speed up, or Fix your metabolism with a reverse diet before you can diet, or Lose some strength to change body composition then gain strength back.

2. Abs are muscles...it takes work to build them up and a surplus of calories to recover so they will build. Also once you have them and can see them, your waist line may be bigger. Maybe you don't really want abs. Maybe you just want a smaller waist.

3. Getting stronger and leaning out are two different goals. One takes a surplus and the other a deficit of calories (unless in reverse diet process)

So now get real with yourself...what is your goal? What do you want in the next month? 3 months? 6 months? Are you willing to do the work to achieve it? 📸cred:

10/06/2017

Hey there! So fall brings the love of comfort foods, soups, etc... If you are a casserole type person or your family likes that kind of stuff, this is a tasty macro friendly version that is family approved over the years. Easy to tweak ingredients for what you have on hand or need for your plan. A little Friday evening Spaghetti Pie in the oven now.

I found out multiple things over the weekend. The first one being I want to eat this recipe for the rest of my life. Seriously. It’s probably one of the best recipes I’ve ever made. Or tasted. I ate it for multiple meals and was extremely saddened when it was gone. And when it was, I had to eat cook...

09/25/2017

Seems like a simple concept, right?
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No one expects to be fluent in a foreign language after one class, or be able to execute a perfect ollie the first time stepping on a skateboard...
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But for some reason, we seem to think there's a "quick-fix" for losing weight? 🤷‍♂️
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Its not entirely our fault. Fitness marketers know all about our desire for easy fixes, so they sell us "10-Day Fat-Burning Detoxes" and "28-Day Fixes" to satisfy...
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And the thing is, most people know it's all a load of barnacles🙄. They know losing weight takes time because *gaining it* took time!
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Think about it 🤔 - no one wakes up one day suddenly overweight... they just finally realize it 💡. In reality, the whole process of gaining happens over the course of months and years 📆
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So with all that said, you have one of two choices ✌️you can make:
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1️⃣ continue buying sh*tty detox drinks and following unsustainable diets that, deep down, you know aren't going to work...
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Or, 2️⃣ suck it up and accept the TRUTH ✅, which is that every fitness goal — losing weight, building muscle, and improving your overall health — is going to take TIME ⏰
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What's more, focus on making changes that you enjoy and can see yourself doing for the rest of your life 👴👍
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There are no shortcuts or quick-fixes. There's just hard work and patience 💪💦
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Know someone who this will help?
Tag 'em below! ⤵️⤵️⤵️
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09/18/2017

Guys! Somehow I missed the memo on these. A client let me know they are available in the freezer section of your local grocery store 😉. I love Kodiak cakes & these pre-made toaster ready waffles are quick & easy for this lazy cook! 🙌🏼 Go get them if you haven't already.

09/13/2017

🙌🏼

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Can meal plans work? Absolutely. If the makeup of the plan puts you in a calorie deficit and you have no problem adhering to such a rigid set of rules, then sticking to one can certainly get you results. While I think this approach can be a good short term tool for easing someone into a healthier way of eating, I often find they don’t have a very long shelf life. Sure we can white knuckle our way through deprivation and repetition for a period of time, but there will come a day when doing so is no longer realistic, or even necessary.

A major flaw with meal plans is the lack of variety and flexibility they allow for. While it might be easy to stick to during the week when you have less social obligations, what happens when friends invite you out to dinner or certain holidays roll around? If you’re an average person seeking fat loss, packing meals in a tupperware in an effort to stay on plan, while admirable, is simply unnecessary. And limiting yourself to such a short list of foods will eventually lead to a sense of deprivation that can only be remedied by eventually giving in and overeating the very food that you are so badly craving.

The problem with such extreme food restriction is that it makes us more susceptible to labeling those on the plan as “good” and those not on the plan as “bad”. This mindset can lead to developing an unhealthy relationship with food over the long term, which can be very difficult to overcome.

Lastly, meal plans prevent you from thinking for yourself and actually learning how to eat in a way that works for you. If all you focus on is eating exactly what is written, you limit your ability to hone in on the signals that your body is sending you. Perhaps you dismiss uncomfortable symptoms such as extreme hunger, cravings, fatigue, etc. because you believe following the plan to a T automatically means it must be right for you. Nor does it teach you how to adapt the plan for the times when you don’t have access to the food you need, resulting in panic and anxiety because you don’t know your other options.

09/11/2017

When your coach tells you to take a 'diet break' for the week... so you eat like a toddler. 🤷🏻‍♀️I don't know what to do without schedule & somewhat structure. I like routines. I may have a toddler temper tantrum. 😜

09/07/2017

💥Things To Check BEFORE Cutting Calories💥
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Seeing your weight go down on the scale is super motivating. But the reality is that's not always going to happen. There WILL be times when your body weight doesn't drop for one, two, heck, maybe even three weeks!
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Yes, it sucks 👎, especially when you're putting a ton of effort in day after day after day after day...
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And when your weight has been stalled for 1-2+ weeks, it's tempting to wanna cut your calories in half ✂️... the fewer calories you eat, the faster you lose weight, right?
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That might work at first, but dropping your calories by too much and too frequently will only set you up to crash & burn 😰🔥 later down the line...
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Plus, your body weight is only ONE way to analyze progress. So before you cut calories, here are a few things to check:
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Check Your Measurements & Progress Pics 🤳. The scale can be an excellent tool for looking at trends, but it does NOT always reflect progress.
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Check Your Food Measuring Accuracy ⚖️. If you've just been estimating portions and have never used a food scale, then there's a good chance your estimations are off. It's not a huge deal for some foods, but inaccurately tracking high-calorie foods (like oils & nuts) can easily add 200-300 sneaky calories without you realizing it.
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Check Your Food's Nutrition Accuracy 📲. If you're using an app like MyFitnessPal, make sure the food entries you're using are correct (because a lot of them aren't!). I always recommend double checking labels 📝 and looking up foods on USDA's online food database 💻
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Check Your Weekly Consistency 📆🔄. Many dieters will reward themselves on the weekend for sticking to their diet during the week. If the reward is controlled, it's usually not a huge issue... but trust me, it's not uncommon to see folks undo a week of hard work with 2-3 days of free-for-all eating 🍕😋🍻
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Know someone this could help?
Tag 'em below! ⤵️