#IIFWhyI'mNotdoingIt... for now (IIFYM)

It's been almost a year since I stopped logging all food...ALL food (except carbs for a week or so to make sure I was at a decent level for myself).

I had to take a break! I logged for so many years, learning about it in college when learning how to calculate nutrition, and then doing it for muscle building and fat loss over many different phases. A few competitions of calculating and weighing and stressing and playing Tetris with my food (which I actually really found fun most of the time, yes, I'm weird)...I was done.

I logged for a few weeks post-competition because I had accountability to my coach and I didn't want to blow up (...see below!)  but over 3 weeks I began to relax, and my mind wasn't there anymore. I had a 4 year old and a 10 month old, I was traveling for a few weeks, I had 2 holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas no less!) and I just needed to take time off of weighing food and myself. I could feel my body going nuts, my hormones were going out of whack.. I had night sweats, my hair was falling out and my skin was so dry...among other things. I was still nursing but that didn't have anything to do with it because I was fine the rest of the time. It was my cortisol and thyroid, I thought, turned out it was low by blood test, but really I had adrenal fatigue.   I've written about that before... many people who live high stress, busy lives with kids and jobs and friends and family and... (you get the point!) can have it. It's fairly common, and fixable.

I took my doc's advice and paired it with the knowledge I had from my education in nutrition and fitness and got to work. BAM! #StressLessFatLoss was born and 1 year later, I still haven't logged food and I'm in a better place mentally and so much better physically.
** The final picture below is after a 12 week round and then round 2 which incorporates heavy lifting days again..woo hoo!)

Counting macros was so helpful when I was "bulking" and putting on muscle, and it was great for "cutting" rapidly...but for me, a busy mom, I needed to do something different and just be happy with who I am, where my body is and my health.

If you're a regular person, and not a bodybuilder/competitor, then you get this. It's about health first, then looks, or at least it should be. If you work on health first, the fat loss comes SO much EASIER.

1 year of  not weighing a morsel
The best part: not sucking in in the last picture,
sucking in the middle one (see: face)

Went from this to THAT ---> in 2 months

StressLess Fat Loss is a style of fitness and health that I've used with many clients, those with goals that it is similar to. Most of my clients still log food (IIFYM) because it's a WONDERFUL tool to help you learn what to eat, how much and a good balance. Because, let's be honest, many people don't really know WHAT they eat on a weekly basis. But when something that is supposed to be helpful, isn't...there's your sign.

Check out the StressLess FatLoss Program I have online, it's a revolving door so you can start when you can and follow the video workouts in order, using the calendar and the nutrition advice e-book and video and our FB group.  It's all about balancing time, energy and hormones. So Protein and Veggies are the main focus for most of the program with the theory that you will learn to eat the right foods that are NUTRIENT DENSE and you'll fill up. Then over time, cravings for sugary/starchy things will subside and you can go back to eating Protein and veggies while mixing in fun foods on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. But i'm honest here, it takes TIME. Look at how long it took me, and I'm in nutrition and fitness for life. 

YOU CAN DO IT. I'D LOVE TO HELP.

www.stresslessfatloss.com

Balanced for Fat loss. Is the life possible? 5 ways to start.

Living a balanced lifestyle is a great place to be, but what does that even mean?
(keep scrolling for my list)

We have all heard that stress is one of the worst things for our bodies in terms of fat gain, heart problems, gut health and overall wellness.  Health-conscious people talk about living life in balance to help get your body in order and I completely agree with that sentiment. So does it work? How do you do it?

My New Years goal this year, 2016, was to be more "balanced"...I'm checking in on that now that we're well over half way through the year. I think I've definitely done a BETTER job at it but I'm certainly not going to claim I'm fully well-balanced!  My kids, husband and business are not well balanced, is anyone's??  If yours is, please, pass on the secret....I beg of you. I do have to say, I'm so much closer now than I was last year at this very time.
        I've been able to balance fitness and life for better success in my goals. *score!*

I believe living a "balanced lifestyle" is VERY important but I actually believe it is more about mentally feeling balanced than physical balance (aka food and fitness).


Balanced means something different for everyone. A balanced lifestyle is different for every person so you truly need to find your own balance. But here's my list of how I'm trying to live a more balanced life for fat-loss and lifestyle.
* I'm not a psychologist so if you're looking for mental stability/balance, I think you'll have to check in with one
... but I can tell you how you can start the process physically....  :)

1) Wake up and drink water...it will refresh you, start your day off with something good in your body and keep you on track to staying hydrated.

2)  Don't spend hours working out. You don't need to.

• Workout should be on your calendar, just like an appointment, even a 15 minute one.

 3)  Get out of the gym!

• Walk, if you have time to facebook, snapchat or watch a 30 minute tv show, you have time to walk. You can even Facebook or snapchat while walking...just walk in the morning and/or at night for 20 minutes or more. It will help you think about your day, think about your next day and lower your cortisol...which will help you lower your midsection fat stores.

 Spend time with the family, spend time with yourself, that is part of living balanced. 

4) Eat well 90% of your meals for the day. Protein and Veggies should be at every meal...then stop thinking about your food.

5) Ultimately:   Don't think about the other things you need to do while doing the current thing you are doing.

•  It will cause stress for you to think about work when you can't be working. Don't think about kids' laundry while getting in a 20 minute workout.  Don't think about cooking dinner while eating lunch...  *This is a hard one but just try!

Balance comes from what YOU feel works for YOU. But you can't be balanced if you're stressing about being balanced. So de-stress yourself.

PS. keep an eye out in the next 2 months for the exact workout and nutrition plan I used from the start to get more balanced in my life...it works..it's working for others too! Their success is happening as we speak. #stresslessFatLoss

Healthy mindset, food rewarding...What's a parent to do?!

So my kindergartner came home yesterday and said they got candy at school for listening to something and missing recess...

Her: "don't they know I have candy from the other days I already don't eat because I have too much? They give too much candy."
          *thoughtful pause*
"They should give homework instead of candy, that'd be better!"
I definitely laughed because it's kind of ridiculous😅.....

I doubt many would agree with her...but I bet a sticker would make her happy! My kiddo loves sugar like normal kids but apparently she knows her self-imposed limits...PLUS they get other treats and ice cream WEEKLY...yep, weekly #brainfood?? I in no way blame the teachers....My family is full of educators, I put no blame on other for what happens in my life, it's up to us to mold our children's choices and life skills.

🍦 I'm not worried about obesity or childhood health issues because we eat well rounded meals and move, run, jump and play sports. I hope other families do too......but I worry about 2 worse consequences:
1) the sugar crash and subsequent bad attitude at home! I'm thankful I don't worry about childhood obesity, I hope we all learn to make our kids move and feed them right so you don't worry either. And those sugar attitudes?! We all need help with those....

But my other worry:




🍦 🍦 What about teaching a healthy reward system, both internal and external?! Reward good behavior with sugary food and they'll grow up feeling like food is a reward. Food is delicious and fun but should we start thinking of it as a reward or punishment then it takes a different meaning as a young adult or grown woman, especially one who struggles with food/ weight issues.... it starts young. Reward a kid for having a good naptime with candy (yep, it happend) and when she grows up she may feel it's a great reward to have pie every night because she had a great day at work (her edible smile or tasty pat-on-the-back). But then if she has weight issues she may need to cut back a bit... but how can she feel the success if that was her "good day" edible pat-on-the-back?!
(not an end of the month "I smashed my work goals" treat...as those can be rewarded because it should be 👊)

We can FEEL greatness without having to feed it. Each day should be celebrated but, in my opinion, save the treats for the big times.

📍 It starts young. Habits are too hard to break, set good ones first.

This treat below was frozen fruit with a stick jammed in it. 

They handed them out around our pool to the kids free during the day and the smiles and cheers were to DIE FOR. They get happy over the simplest things! Let's teach them what's good brain food from the beginning. It really does start at home. Be their leader, teacher and example.