3 Mindset Shifts That Helped Me Lose 70+ Pounds and Keep it Off

Statistics about weight loss success are very sobering. Newspapers and magazines claim “diets don’t work” and many people think success is out of reach. We all know someone who has lost a lot of weight only to gain it all back and then some; in fact, it’s often cited that 95-97% of people who successfully lose weight regain it within 3 years. Even more common is the person who always appears to be on a diet but never seems to lose any weight.

Me at my heaviest, shortly before I decided to lose weight.

My personal story bucks this trend. After struggling with my weight for at least 6 years, my heaviest BMI placed me in the obese category. It took me six months to lose the first 60 lbs and several years longer to lose another 10-15 lbs. Although I still experience weight fluctuations, I have for the most part successfully kept off these 70+ lbs for 6 years and counting.

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Me 70lbs lighter, 5 years later.

What has been the secret to my success? Although I totally changed my eating habits and got serious about exercise, I ultimately don’t believe the specifics of my diet or training plan were most important. Rather, a few key mindset shifts helped me overcome obstacles, stay the course, and ultimately change my entire lifestyle for good. I want to share three of these mindset shifts with you this week in the hopes that you may find inspiration for your own weight loss journey.

Accept that you’re in it for the long haul.

I’ll never forget the first week of my initial journey to lose around 60 lbs. I had a sobering annual checkup with my doctor during which she informed me I was prediabetic and would need to make some serious changes to avoid a descent into full-blown Type-II diabetes. As a 19 year old, this scared the shit out of me. I had my whole life ahead of me and had no interest in managing a chronic condition that was totally avoidable.

It was just after this appointment when a friend of mine shared her aunt’s cooking blog on Facebook. The blog is unfortunately no longer running, but the thing that stuck out to me was a post from the author detailing the 10 steps she used during her own weight loss journey. These steps included things like managing calories, tracking food intake, cooking your own food, combining strength training and cardio, and reducing consumption of refined and packaged foods. For whatever reason, the simple steps on this list (most of which were things I already knew I should probably be doing) clicked for me in the moment. I finally felt I had a concrete, realistic plan I could follow that would almost certainly result in weight loss if I stuck with it.

Most importantly, I fully understood it would take me a long time to lose the weight I needed and wanted to lose. This acceptance did not feel overwhelming; on the contrary, I felt liberated from the pressure to see dramatic success right away. Something inside of me recognized if I just kept doing the right things, I would ultimately get where I wanted to go. Accepting that I was in it for the long haul gave me the courage to take the first steps forward.

Takeaway: Practice patience. Changing your physique often takes way longer than you expect. You can’t give up if you don’t see immediate results within the first few weeks. Remember that regardless of whether you make any changes, time is going to pass anyway. Wouldn’t you rather be slightly leaner and healthier after a year than to remain where you are or gain more weight?

You don’t have to change everything at once. Small, incremental changes maintained consistently will have big payoffs in the long run. Determine what your biggest problem areas are and attack those first. Once you master those changes or if progress slows, look for further changes you can make.

Be nice to yourself.

Like many people who have struggled with their weight, I used to have severe body image issues and terribly low self-confidence. I was constantly comparing myself to my (I thought) thinner, prettier friends. I told myself I was fat and ugly and would always be that way no matter what I did. Of course none of this ever helped me make positive changes. Contrary to what some believe, shaming others or yourself is not an effective way to motivate long-term change. Rather than feeling bad about themselves or their decisions, people need to believe they have the fundamental capacity for change.

As I lost weight, I developed a new kind of negative self-talk. Each time I “screwed up” on my diet, I felt powerful feelings of guilt and self-loathing. I would beat myself up for days about my poor decisions. I would force myself to dramatically reduce calories in the following days, sometimes even fasting for extended periods of time. Other times I would punish myself with grueling workouts and extra cardio. All of this extra work only fueled a negative cycle that ultimately pushed me into problems with disordered eating.

Takeaway: If you fall off the wagon, be nice to yourself. Remember your success is based on the sum of many weeks and months of decisions. One bad meal, bad day, or even a bad week does not mean you are doomed to failure assuming you make good choices most of the time.

After a screw up, I encourage you to take a “clean slate” approach and get right back to your normal plan as soon as possible. Don’t worry about doing penance for your mistakes – simply focus on nailing the good habits you have been working on.

Accept that failure and screw ups are an inevitable and necessary part of change. Always look for ways to learn from your mistakes so you can handle similar situations differently in the future. Reframe failure as success – you are now a bit wiser and farther along the path than you were before. The people who experience the most success long-term are those who keep picking themselves up and continuing on after they make mistakes.

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Embrace the Process

When I think about my life now compared to when I was obese, I see a lot of big changes:

I used to exercise rarely, now I do some kind of activity 5-6 days per week.
I used to eat until I was stuffed at every single meal, now I monitor my portion sizes to ensure I’m eating only the amount of food I really need.
I used to binge on junk food all the time, now I center most of my eating around protein, vegetables, fruits, and healthy carbs and fats. I am absolutely not perfect and struggle just like everyone else, but the majority of the time I make healthy choices.

These changes have allowed me to keep off the weight I lost while still enjoying life for many years.

I did not make all of these changes at once; I took things one step at a time. I tried to take a big-picture view and didn’t let myself get caught up in the daily scale fluctuations or the larger fluctuations caused by periods of upheaval and periods of calm and focus. I was not always successful with this, but over time I learned to love the process of taking care of myself. I love to train and cook. I love the way my body feels when I treat it well versus when I make poor choices. I am fully invested in the day-to-day practices that got me to this point. This is the biggest secret to my lasting success.

Takeaway: The secret to maintaining physique changes is to continue doing many of the things you did in order to lose weight. This is the hardest part for many people because they think about dieting all wrong. For some people, as soon as they get to their goal weight they celebrate with junk food and missed workouts because they “earned it.” Over time, returning to these old habits takes you back to the same old overweight you.

Long-term success requires you to embrace systems of healthy eating, training, and stress management which you can sustain on a daily basis once the diet is over. These need to be flexible enough to provide some freedom but rigid enough to keep you on track most of the time.

One more note on embracing the process: I encourage you to separate yourself from hard goals centered around losing x amount of lbs by y date. The unfortunate reality is you cannot control specific outcomes. Instead, focus on what you can control – the daily habits and practices which compound to ultimately create a leaner, healthier body. Instead of thinking of your goal weight as a destination, think of the rest of your life as a long arch moving toward better health. You have plenty of time and will never truly arrive, so relax and enjoy each step of the journey.

If you want help finally losing weight and keeping it off for good, please reach out to me here to find out more about my online training program.

October 31, 2017October 14, 2019

3 Strategies to Successfully Navigate Holiday Eating

Today is Halloween, which I consider the unofficial start of another holiday season. This time of year is filled with celebrations and gatherings. Along with this comes an endless supply of rich, sweet, and savory foods. All of the year-end holidays center around some kind of feasting and most people have many weekends in a row filled with parties and events for work, family, and friends.

For many people, the joy of this time of year is overshadowed by anxiety surrounding food. This is especially true for anyone who has been working hard to build healthy eating habits or who has recently lost a lot of weight.

You may be asking yourself:

How can I navigate the next few months when I am constantly bombarded with less-than-healthy foods?
Will I gain tons of weight and cancel out the hard work I’ve been putting in the rest of the year?
Will holiday feasts trigger dormant disordered eating habits like bingeing?

I know my clients and I struggle with these questions year after year.

This week, I want to share 3 strategies for dealing with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and all the other upcoming holidays. After reading this post, I hope you will be able to arm yourself with the mindset tools you need to enjoy a stress-free holiday season.

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Option 1: Stick with the plan and don’t indulge.

How it works

This option requires you to refrain from indulging in treats during the holiday season. Essentially, you will continue with your current eating plan. This means no Halloween candy from the break room, no pumpkin pie, and no extra drinking at office Christmas parties.

At big holiday feasts, you will need to stick with protein, vegetables, and carbs and fats that fit within your macros or meal plan. In the most extreme cases, you may need to bring your own food to certain functions when you know you won’t have options available to fit your plan.

Who it works for

This is the best option for anyone who needs to stay in great shape this time of year for upcoming events including physique competitions, photo shoots, weddings, beach vacations, etc.

It may also be the best option for people who have struggled with severe disordered eating. Sometimes the best course of option is total abstinence from trigger foods. If you chose to abstain from certain foods year round, the holidays may not be the best time to reintroduce them to your diet.

Problems

I don’t recommend this option for several reasons.

If you bring your own food to family gatherings, you may be mocked or receive disgruntled looks from other guests. Expect to deal with lots of stress and difficult decisions about which events to attend and which you may need to skip.

Telling yourself you will abstain also sets you up for failure because it is very difficult to follow this course of action. When you inevitably do decide to treat yourself, it is much more likely you will succumb to the all-or-nothing mindset and slide into an episode of binge eating.

The reality is this level of discipline is impractical and totally unnecessary for most people. Holidays are about celebrating and food has always been an important part of celebrating. Removing yourself from the festivities creates unnecessary stress and tension between you and loved ones.

Option 2: Choose your indulgences and set clear guidelines

How it works

With this option, you need to plan and make decisions regarding how you will handle the holiday season. Think about the holiday foods you most enjoy and those you can do without. Honestly evaluate your own tendencies with food and set guidelines that will allow you to enjoy yourself while still preventing you from eating everything in sight.

Here are a few example guidelines you could use:

Limit yourself to one plate of food. Take a little bit of everything you want to try rather than loading up your first plate and having to return for seconds.
50% of your plate veggies, 25% protein, 25% other carbs and fats. This ensures you are eating a well-balanced meal while still getting to sample whatever you want.
Be picky with your indulgences. Only eat foods that taste amazing. Your grandma’s pecan pie, an unusual cocktail at a fancy party, or a favorite hometown speciality you rarely eat would be good choices. Grocery store sheet cake, Halloween candy in the break room, and other generic treats you can have anytime are not worthy indulgences.
Follow the “law of first bites.” Stop eating a food when it ceases to taste just as amazing as it did when you started. You don’t have to finish everything on your plate.
Choose to indulge in some types of foods but not others. For example, if you don’t really have a problem with alcohol but you always overeat sweets, set some guidelines for desert but allow yourself to drink whatever you want. You may choose to totally abstain from certain trigger foods but freely eat other foods.
Eat slowly. Enjoy your food. Take a sip of water in between bites. When food is in your mouth, your fork should be on your plate.

Who it works for

This is the best option for people who have been working hard to change their bodies and improve their eating habits. It allows you to relax the reins a bit and enjoy a well-deserved mental break without totally losing control or diving into a mountain of deserts.

If you want to relax a bit this holiday season but don’t have a long history of making good food choices, establishing some guidelines to prevent things from getting out of hand is the best plan of action.

Problems

There aren’t any obvious drawbacks to this option, but it can take a lot of work and requires constant self-evaluation. As you are moving through the season, check-in with yourself periodically to see how you are doing.

Questions for self-evaluation include:

How is this plan working for me?
Am I feeling myself start to lose control?
What am I handling well?
Where do I need to tweak or modify my plan?
If I messed up, how can I learn and do better at the next holiday meal?

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Option 3: Eat whatever you want, but let go of guilt

How it works

With this option, you release yourself from all rules surrounding food for a while. You can truly eat whatever you want, whenever you want it. What I’ve found is although people who follow this approach eat a lot of junk at first, those who have truly adopted a healthy lifestyle will still make good choices most of the time.

The most important caveat to this option is you must let go of all guilt and shame surrounding your food choices during the holiday season. Indulging in lots of less-than ideal food and then beating yourself up about it afterwards is terrible for your mental health and peace of mind. If you want to indulge, indulge. But tell yourself you won’t tolerate any negative self-talk after the fact.

Who it works for

This option works for people who have a rock-solid relationship with food. If you are the kind of person who can eat one serving from a bag of chips or a candy bar and then put it away, this option could work well for you.

If you don’t think you can handle this, I recommend following option 2 and establishing some guidelines to help when you are most vulnerable.

Problems

If you haven’t done the work to develop a healthy relationship with food, this option can lead to disaster. I learned this the hard way.

Last year, I decided I would treat the week of Thanksgiving as a total diet break. Over the course of five days, I went completely overboard with my eating. Every night I went to bed so stuffed I was in physical pain. I ate everything I possibly could just because I told myself it was ok. Often times, I didn’t even truly enjoy what I was eating.

After the week ended, I had an emotional breakdown. I felt totally disgusted with how out of control I had gotten during the week. After a lot of back and forth texting with my coach and a few weeks of normal eating, I returned to my pre-Thanksgiving weight with some important lessons learned.

One good thing to come out of this experience was the realization that feeling guilt and beating myself up over my “screw-ups” was counterproductive and ultimately detrimental to my progress. These days, if I make poor food choices I rarely engage in negative self-talk. Instead, I give myself a clean slate the next day and get right back to plan.

Reduce holiday stress

As with most things in your health and fitness journey, successfully navigating the holiday season requires preparation and planning. Remember that you don’t need to be 100% on plan year-round in order to look and feel great. Scheduling some relaxed periods that coincide with other events in your life (such as holidays and vacations) gives you a much needed mental break and may actually help your progress long-term. Be honest with yourself about what you need to put yourself in the best position for success.

If you want help navigating the holiday season this year, please fill out an application for my online training program here.

September 19, 2017May 5, 2020

How I Lost 30 lbs Without Counting Calories

My fitness and weight loss journey began in the summer of 2011. There have been many ups and downs and numerous phases along the way. I’ve lost weight, regained it, and lost it again more times than I can count. Every time, I learn more about myself and the process of coaching others through challenging behavior changes.

I’ve written previously about my recent experiences working with Bryan Krahn to reach my leanest level ever and about my battles with disordered eating.

However, not many people know about one of the most successful periods of my journey when I lost 30 pounds without counting calories, weighing myself regularly, or stressing out about food. This occurred in 2014 and 2015 when I spent a year living in San Francisco.

Me at the start of the year, at my heaviest since my initial weight loss

How was I able to effortlessly undergo a pretty dramatic transformation while still exploring one of the world’s best food cities and having tons of fun?

I unconsciously established a healthy routine and followed it religiously while still allowing myself room to enjoy life.

This article examines the four key areas that helped me achieve this success. Think about the ways these four areas play into your own ongoing health and fitness journey and use my experience to consider tweaks you could make yourself.

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Me at the end of the year, thirty pounds lighter.

Food

The most important component to my success was falling into a regular eating routine that put me in a caloric deficit.

I say this was relatively effortless because I honestly didn’t put a lot of thought into designing my meals or weekly eating structure. I combined my past successful experience dieting with my basic nutritional knowledge to find meals that were easy to prepare and I genuinely enjoyed. I ate these same meals at the same time most days of the week for many months in a row. This made shopping, cooking, and planning an absolute breeze after just a couple of weeks.

This was the exact eating schedule I followed 5-6 days of the week:

Breakfast: 3 – 4 whole eggs with sauteed spinach, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and garlic, all cooked in ½ – 1 TBSP kerrygold butter
Lunch: ½ lb extra lean grass fed ground beef (or sometimes chicken breast), cooked as a bunless burger. Steamed broccoli or brussels sprouts. Baby carrots. One piece of fruit like an apple or an orange
Dinner: 2 or 3 grilled chicken thighs. ½ -¾ dry cup jasmine rice served with ½ – 1 TBSP olive oil. Side salad with red onion, tomato, avocado, bell pepper, lime juice, cilantro, and avocado oil. One piece of fruit, usually a pear.

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I loved this dinner and ate it almost every evening.

One thing you may notice is all of these meals follow Precision Nutrition’s hand portion control system. Each meal has about 2 palms of protein, 2 fists of veggies, 1-2 cupped hands of carbs, and 1-2 thumbs of fat.

Each meal was balanced and covered all of the important food groups. Overall this eating plan fits into a higher protein, moderate carb, and moderate fat blueprint. I found if I didn’t eat a healthy amount of carbs at dinner (usually in the form of white rice), my performance in the gym and energy levels throughout the day suffered. But I also didn’t shy away from healthy fats and consumed a moderate amount with each meal.

On the weekends, I ate out 1 – 3 times. I never paid much attention to what these meals were and used them as an opportunity to enjoy the amazing food in the city.

Frequent meals included burritos, ramen or other asian food, and enormous deli sandwiches. Most weekend mornings I met some friends for a full-fat latte and expensive piece of toast at Trouble Coffee. If I wasn’t eating out, I usually ate fewer and lighter meals than during the week.

In short, I left myself enough wiggle room on the weekends to enjoy great food and treat myself without going overboard.

I ate a lot of burritos.

Takeaway: Although I have used calorie counting a great deal in my weight loss journey, you don’t really need it to see dramatic transformations. The important things are to use a system to monitor your portion sizes and to balance out higher calorie meals on the weekends so overall you set up a caloric deficit throughout the week.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to eat the same meals most days of the week. This removes guess work, reduces hunger and cravings, and helps make your food prep significantly easier.

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This article wouldn’t be complete without a photo of my Trouble order.

Training

Just as I did with my nutrition, I found a training routine and stuck with it diligently throughout this process.

I used several free or low-cost programs written by fitness pros I respected. Once I decided on a plan, I followed it all the way through, which was usually around 3 months.

Conveniently, the end of each program usually coincided with a vacation or trip which allowed me to take a week off of training. Afterwards I jumped right into the next program.

This is the exact program I found for free on T-Nation and followed for the first ten weeks of my transformation. As you can see, the program includes 5 days of challenging workouts. There is an alternating emphasis on heavy compound lifts and lighter, high rep pump work. The program also includes a lot of interval training using bodyweight movements, throws and jumps, and sprints on the bike and rowing machine.

I followed this plan religiously and didn’t miss a single workout during the 10 weeks. I saw noticeable improvements in my strength, endurance, and muscle definition. At the end of the program I was able to squat 225 pounds; this was only the second time in my life I ever successfully hit that number.

Later in the year I ran through Bret Contreras’ Strong Curves (my second time going through the program) and a muscle-building program from Nia Shanks. (*Note – I purchased this program from Nia’s website and intended to link to it but it appears she is no longer selling it. I’ve loved Nia’s work for many years and am sure any other program on her site that seems right for you would be a great choice).

With each of these programs I was training hard 4-5 times per week, focusing on slowly improving my performance on everything I did. Each program placed a premium on strength training and used supplemental accessory lifts to build muscle in strategic areas.

Takeaway: Find a program that makes sense for your ability level and goals and follow it all the way through. You can also hire a coach to tailor-make a program for you. The most important thing is to train consistently and to constantly push yourself to improve your performance and test your limits.

On a personal note, I have always made the biggest changes to my physique when I was training 5-6 days per week. The workouts don’t all need to be hard lifting workouts. However, if you really want to see dramatic physique transformations and you have some previous training experience, are healthy, and recover well, you may want to consider increasing your training frequency.

Non-exercise activity

In addition to hard training, I led an extremely active life in San Francisco.

I walked everywhere. I was constantly exploring new neighborhoods and parks in the city. Some days I would walk several hours getting to and from my obligations and checking out my surroundings. On the weekends I walked to the beach or spent lots of time on my feet. I went out dancing at night and took weekend hiking trips throughout the Bay area.

Although it may seem like such activities burn relatively few calories, altogether they really add up over the course of weeks and months.

Takeaway: Don’t be sedentary. Find ways to walk as much as possible. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther away, walk or bike somewhere instead of driving, and spend your free time participating in active hobbies. It may not seem like much, but all of this low-intensity activity really helps when trying to lose fat and improve your overall health.

Sleep

During the year I lived in San Francisco, I made sleep a very high priority. I got around 9 hours during the week and only a bit less on the weekends.

I accomplished this by setting fairly rigid bedtimes and wake times. If I was feeling a bit behind, I found a park and took a 20-minute power nap. I also took longer naps on Friday and Saturday evenings if I knew I would be out late at night.

I cannot overstate how awesome I felt getting this much sleep. I felt sharp and focused on all of my tasks and had plenty of energy to train hard, be active, and enjoy my life. It was also easier for me to resist food temptations as I experienced very few daily cravings.

Takeaway: Don’t underestimate the power of sleep when trying to change your body or get healthy. Sleep makes it easier for your body to recharge and repair itself. Getting enough sleep helps you feel energized, focused, and well-prepared for everything life throws at you. Adequate sleep can also help you resist cravings and better manage hunger during a diet.

I totally understand sleeping for this long may be impractical for most people. These days, I am lucky to get 7 hours of sleep with my work schedule. However, you can get some of the same benefits by following a regular sleep routine. Set a bedtime and/or wake time and stick with them as much as possible. If you fall behind, set aside some time for a short nap to refresh and recharge.

Routine = Freedom

I learned some very powerful lessons about weight loss and healthy living during my year in San Francisco:

You don’t need to count calories to lose weight. Instead, find a way to monitor portions and account for excess calorie intake on the weekends. Cook most of your own meals, don’t snack or drink too often, and get into a consistent routine.
Find a training program or a coach and follow instructions precisely for several months. Train hard, but listen to your body and never compromise good form for higher numbers. Focus on strength training but don’t neglect cardio. If you can train more often (while still being smart), you may see more dramatic results.
Be as active as possible outside the gym. This is great for both physical and mental health.
Prioritize sleep, stress reduction, and other recovery methods.

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Me at the start of the year, at my heaviest since my initial weight loss.

Most importantly, my year in San Francisco taught me that routine allows you more freedom when dieting or trying to live a healthier life. Following a rigid eating and training schedule most days allowed me to stress less about what and when I would eat, while still allowing me sufficient freedom to explore and indulge in an amazing food city. Sleeping well and moving often helped me recover well and made the entire process run smoothly.

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Thirty pounds lighter while still enjoying life.

I am still looking for ways I can learn from this experience to make the current leg of my fitness journey easier and more sustainable. I hope you can apply some lessons to your own situation. If you want help building sustainable healthy habits and gradually moving toward your fitness goals, please contact me here.

August 24, 2017

What Does Fitness Do for You? Part 2

Part 1 of this post provided my favorite exercise to get in touch with your deeper goals and how exercise can help you along the way. In part 2, I want to dig a bit deeper into the most common goals I hear from new clients. I explore why these goals are valuable, what they may mean on a deeper level, and some unexpected benefits you get from focusing on each.

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“I want to feel healthy.”

Health is at the heart of many people’s motivation for exercise, but each person has their own idea of what it means to be healthy. For some, exercise is a way to manage or prevent certain medical conditions. If your family has a history of heart disease, exercise combined with proper nutrition can help reduce your risk of a heart attack. Certain bone and joint problems are better managed with regular movement. There are numerous other examples. If a particular medical condition is an important part of your goal, be sure to communicate with your doctor about potential limitations and what kinds of exercise will best assist you and your unique situation.

For many people, feeling healthy means having more energy and focus throughout the day. It seems counterintuitive, but the more active you become, the more energy you will have. When I was very overweight, I noticed I actually had much more energy on the days I made it to the gym for a short elliptical session. If I stopped going regularly, my motivation to exercise and my general energy levels plummeted. Getting into a regular exercise routine, no matter how light at first, is crucial to help you escape this vicious cycle.

Improved mental health is another powerful benefit of exercise. The gym (or your house, the park, or anywhere you exercise) can become a place of peace where you work through aggression or negative energy from your day. Finding activities you enjoy and a supportive, engaging fitness community can also help transform exercise from a chore into something you cherish. Our brains evolved to be connected to our bodies in primal and powerful ways, and regular movement can help regulate your mood.

“I want to get stronger.”

I’m always thrilled when a new client expresses interest in getting stronger. Becoming physically strong carries over into all areas of your life. You’ll have a much easier time performing basic tasks like climbing stairs, carrying grocery bags, and hoisting a suitcase into an overhead compartment. Strength is the most basic physical adaptation, which means getting stronger can help you run faster, jump higher, and perform other athletic tasks with greater ease.

As a woman, getting strong has allowed me to become very independent. I know I will never have to rely on another person to help me perform basic physical tasks. It’s incredibly empowering to push my body to perform feats I never imagined possible. For those of you who struggle with body image issues, pursuing strength goals is a great way to challenge your body and build confidence without obsessing over your weight or the way you look.

Physical strength also helps you build mental and emotional strength. Learning to push through challenging loads, maintaining composure under stress, and continually striving to improve your performance are all valuable tools to help you deal with personal and professional trials.

“I want to lose weight or look like XYZ.”

These days, aesthetic goals are frequently poo-pooed in the fitness industry as a vain and harmful distraction. However, I find chasing aesthetic goals can be incredibly fun, rewarding, and empowering. Be advised that an aesthetic goal should always start from a place of self-love and self-improvement rather than self-loathing or guilt. If you don’t like yourself now and think that will change when you lose weight or build muscle, you are in for a big letdown.

Changing your body can bring about a powerful confidence boost. You may feel more comfortable in your own skin, less awkward in social situations, and more likely to speak up at work or with your friends.

For me, losing weight allowed me to feel comfortable on a dance floor. I always dreaded school dances because I hated shopping for dresses and felt super uncomfortable dancing in my bigger body. This was my own issue to work through, but losing weight helped me feel much more confident in my own skin and taught me to care less about others’ opinions of me regardless of how I looked. These days, dancing has become my favorite hobby and my reduced fear has allowed me to build many meaningful relationships.

For many people, this is the true power of chasing aesthetic goals. The way you ultimately look is less important than the increased confidence and reduced anxiety and fear of social situations. Like building strength, the long and challenging process of building the body you want also teaches you the power of patience and helps you build habits that can create success in other areas of your life.

The real payoff of regular exercise

The biggest benefit of regular exercise is an improved quality of life. Few of my clients explicitly communicate this goal initially. In time, however, it becomes the most powerful reward.

All of my clients experience unexpected improvements from exercise. Regular exercise helps you perform daily tasks with less pain and greater ease. It gives you more stamina to play with your kids or participate in your favorite hobbies and activities. You will have more energy and greater focus so you can enjoy your days more. And you will be more likely to able to do these things well into your old age, while others in your life are forced to slow down. As I mentioned earlier, exercise helps you build confidence and connect with your body in ways that encourage you to live a more active, vibrant, and fulfilling life.

There are so many reasons to start exercising today or recommit to a routine if you’ve fallen off the wagon. No matter where you are at in life, it’s never too late to move forward with fitness. Please reach out to me if you are unsure of where to begin or need some accountability to help you along the way.

August 22, 2017

What Does Fitness Do for You? Part 1

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There’s so much more to fitness than losing 10 pounds. Many of the most powerful rewards of regular exercise manifest in small, daily improvements in your quality of life.

What is Your “Why?”

I encourage all of my clients to complete an exercise to help them get in touch with why they are coming to see me. Sometimes clients come in with specific goals and we talk through this process together. Other times, especially if someone is new to exercise and doesn’t really know what they want, their motivations reveal themselves over time as the client starts to reap the rewards of a regular exercise routine.

Ask yourself what you want out of exercise. Some common reasons include improved health, increased strength, and weight loss or other physique goals. These are broad, surface-level statements that need to be explored further. What exactly does this goal mean to you? Why is it important? If you accomplished this goal in a year, what would your life look like? How would things be better? How would life be worse if you stayed where you are at now or moved farther away from your goal?

I find people often know deep down inside what they want to accomplish and why, but they feel embarrassed or worried their reasons aren’t the “right” reasons. They then express goals they don’t really care about but they think I or other people want to hear. Don’t let anyone tell you your goals are bad or wrong. Furthermore, remember your initial goals don’t have to remain your goals forever. You will almost certainly have new goals arise as you progress further along your fitness journey. As you age, your priorities will also shift. This is all totally fine.

After you identify some possible motivators, you have two final steps. First, establish metrics for success. How will you know you’re doing a good job or moving forward? I like habit goals because they encourage you to take things one day at a time and focus on the process rather than the outcome. For example, instead of measuring success only in pounds lost, focus on making healthy food choices and monitoring portion sizes every day. Ultimately we cannot control our outcomes, only our behaviors. I encourage you to look for ways to measure success aside from hard data and numbers.

Finally, set realistic expectations and commit to the long haul. This is an area where many new exercisers set themselves up for failure. If you plan to do ALL OF THE THINGS right away, you will almost certainly fail. Start small and build on your initial successes. Avoid setting hard deadlines for your goals (there are exceptions of course, such as getting in shape for a wedding or training for some kind of event). Instead, get comfortable with the idea of building a lifelong practice of regular movement. Be open to experimentation and shifts in priorities.

In part 2 of this post, I will dig a bit deeper into the most common goals I hear from new clients. I explore why these goals are valuable, what they may mean on a deeper level, and some unexpected benefits you get from focusing on each.

July 25, 2017October 14, 2019

You Don’t Need an Extreme Diet or Program

During my initial period of weight loss several years ago, I adopted some pretty extreme nutritional practices.

I ate in certain ways because I believed it was the only way to achieve true health and reach my ultimate weight loss goals. I got these ideas in my head after doing lots of self-guided research and from reading advice from people I thought were nutritional experts. I thought I had discovered the secret key to weight loss and everyone who didn’t eat like me was making a big mistake.

As you might imagine, I became pretty miserable to be around during this time. I’ll never forget going home to visit Omaha and going out for sushi with my family. At the time, I was following a very strict paleo diet and refused to eat grains of any kind. I ordered a sashimi platter and ate it all by myself while I enviously watched my family members enjoy rolls, sushi, and other items with rice. They thought I was crazy while I battled with conflicting anxieties: I felt left out but was terrified of what would happen to me if I succumbed and ate grains.

Because I wasn’t armed with the skills to discern good advice from not-so-good advice, I became a bit of a zealot and fell prey to a kind of “all-or-nothing” mentality. I would fast for extended periods of time and when I did eat, entire food groups were 100% off limits.

Ultimately, this approach fueled my problems with disordered eating. When I couldn’t keep up my extreme eating habits, I fell into epic binges where I would eat as many of the forbidden foods as I could get my hands on. Afterwards, I would return to my long fasts and tell myself that I was going to get back on the wagon. Every few weeks this vicious cycle would repeat itself. The very advice I thought was the key to losing weight and being healthy was taking me farther away from either of those goals.

One of the reasons I got into the fitness industry was to help people experience success while avoiding some of the painful mistakes I made during my own journey. For this reason, I want to give you a few pieces of advice on how to detect and avoid extreme advice on eating and exercise. Adopting a sane approach to exercise and divorcing food from fear will go a long way toward maintaining or developing a healthy relationship with food and your body.

There is no magic bullet.

You know those sidebar advertisements promising “one weird trick to six pack abs?” You may roll your eyes at these ads, but they are powerful marketing tools because they prey on our insecurities and desire for instant gratification.

We are used to getting what we want right away with very little effort on our part. With health and fitness front and center in many people’s minds, it’s not surprising that companies are trying to capitalize. Wouldn’t it be great if you could take a single pill or remove one food group and lose weight without diet or exercise?

Unfortunately, the body doesn’t work this way. It takes a long time and lots of trial and error to make noticeable, lasting changes to your physique or improve your health. The sooner you accept you’re in this for the long haul, the quicker you will move down the path of successful change.

Be cautious of any product, service, or website promising you better results in less time. This is especially true of supplement companies who are allowed to make claims about the effectiveness of their products without clinical trials or government regulation. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

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How to interpret science and studies

One of the methods people use to verify the legitimacy of health information is with scientific studies and references. Unfortunately, simply citing studies is not really enough to guarantee the accuracy of information anymore.

Anyone on the internet can write about science or cite studies without the education, qualifications, or knowledge needed to critically interpret what they are citing. It’s easy to cherry-pick one or two studies to back up just about any claim. When you actually read the studies themselves, you will likely find that some “experts” completely misrepresent the contents or conclusions of a study in order to push their own agenda.

Educate yourself on how legitimate scientific studies are put together and what conclusions you can draw from certain types of evidence. Learn to think critically and ask deep questions about what a study is actually saying and what other factors could be influencing its conclusions. Understand what a peer reviewed study is and how study sponsorship can influence conclusions.

A common logical fallacy is to extrapolate causation from correlation. Just because two items are positively or negatively related on a graph does not necessarily mean one thing causes the other. For example, nutritional studies often ask people to record their food intake and then look for certain health markers. You may then see sensationalist headlines like “Eating an Egg is Equivalent to Smoking 5 Cigarettes” or “Diet Soda Causes Dementia.” In fact, these studies merely indicate that there is a correlation between a certain diet or food and a health issue. These studies in no way prove that eating a certain diet causes the problem. There may be many other factors that influence the outcome.

Look for authors who rely on meta-studies, rather than individual studies. A meta-study is an analysis of many different studies on the same topic. Meta-studies are much more reliable than individual studies as they draw from multiple experiences and have more data and trends to back up any conclusions. You can make a stronger scientific argument when you compare multiple studies examining the same basic question.

Seek the middle ground.

I learned the hard way that following a restrictive approach to eating and exercise rarely works in the long term. With the exception of elite athletes or people pursuing challenging performance or physique goals, the average person does not need to follow an extreme eating or training approach to look, feel, and perform at their best.

Beware of blanket statements, especially from people who claim their way is the only way to achieve a particular goal. For example, many diets claim removing certain foods, food groups, or macronutrients is essential for weight loss and optimal health. There are also numerous examples of blanket statements in regards to exercise. Some people claim cardio will kill your gains and should be avoided at all costs. Others claim any exercise that isn’t “functional” (whatever that means) is a waste of your time.

While these claims may work for many people, they are unnecessarily restrictive. You can lose weight and be healthy eating a wide variety of foods. You can get strong, lean, and powerful by consistently following a basic training program without running yourself into the ground or relying on circus tricks. The dark side to following these approaches includes anxiety, burnout, eating disorders, and injuries. Restrictive approaches are usually not sustainable long-term.

Moderation and simplicity aren’t sexy, but they are the key to establishing lasting healthy eating and exercise habits. It is much more valuable to learn how to eat well and exercise while still living a normal life than it is to force yourself to give up things you love or completely overhaul your life. Seek out experts and resources that promote moderation, consistency, and balance in your quest to look great and live a healthy life. Experiment to find approach what works best for your environment, body, and values, or hire a qualified coach to help guide you through the process.

(Note: Some fitness pros that are especially awesome at promoting a sane, moderation centric-approach to food and exercise are Jill Coleman, Nia Shanks, and Precision Nutrition)

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Getting in shape is simple, but not easy.

Just to be clear – I don’t claim that getting in shape is an easy or relaxing process. Just the opposite. Many people need to make big sacrifices or change a great deal about their lives to look and feel better. However, this does not mean you need to follow an extreme eating or exercise regimen that leaves you miserable, anxious, and in no way fits in with your current lifestyle.

Success comes from mastering the following things:

The right calorie balance needed to achieve your goal
Eating a diet rich in nutrient-dense whole foods that you enjoy, with some leeway to enjoy occasional treats
Following a safe, smart, and progressive training plan tailored to your goals
Managing stress and prioritizing sleep
Having fun and building a lifelong love of exercise and healthy eating

If you can do these things consistently, you will never need to follow an extreme diet or fork over hundreds of dollars on crazy supplements. You can make better choices while still enjoying your life and avoid my path into disordered eating and misery.

If you need some help sorting out the good information from the noise or want a specific plan catered to your needs and goals, please fill out an application for my online training program.

July 5, 2017October 14, 2019

Beat Emotional Eating

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Do any of these situations sound familiar?

You’re having a rough day at work and finally find a few minutes to step away from your desk. Once you get to the break room, you struggle to resist the temptation of all the snacks sitting out on the counter. You grab a few fun-sized chocolate bars and half a donut.
You didn’t get an expected promotion at work, so that night you tell yourself you deserve to treat yourself to half a pizza and a pint of ice cream (or an entire bottle of wine).
It’s 10:30 at night, and you’re watching a boring episode of your partner’s favorite tv show. You mindlessly reach for some chips and before you know it, the entire bag is gone.

Emotional eating is insidious. It comes in many forms and usually happens without our conscious knowledge or consent. Frequent emotional eating episodes can derail your efforts to lose weight or build healthier habits, even if you do everything else well.

I have personally struggled with emotional eating and binge eating for many years. Through a combination of mindfulness, slowing down, learning more about myself, and going to therapy, I’ve made great strides in combatting this challenging problem.

Many of our struggles around food aren’t actually about food at all. If you need some help managing your emotions, or if you suspect you may be suffering from an eating disorder, I strongly encourage you to seek professional help and speak with a therapist.

If you just want to cultivate more awareness and learn some strategies to stop emotional eating, read on for the tools that are most helpful for me and my clients.

Notice, name, and respond to emotions.

Cravings are often triggered by emotions that have nothing to do with hunger. Some of the most common culprits are boredom, anxiety, stress, and loneliness. Many of us learned to use food to cope with these uncomfortable emotions at a young age, which makes emotional eating a difficult habit to unlearn.

First, you must learn to accurately identify your emotions. The next time you feel a craving, stop and ask yourself “what’s really going on here?” Precision Nutrition calls this practice “notice and name”. Practice labeling different emotions based on how they feel in your body or brain. Write them down if necessary (more on this below).

Next, determine how you can respond to this emotion in a way that doesn’t involve food. Many of the best responses are physically active, mentally stimulating, or promote relaxation or connection. Engaging in a fun activity, calling a friend, tackling an important work task, going for a walk, or meditating are all possible options to address boredom, anxiety, stress, and loneliness. These actions not only prevent emotional eating, they can also help you become a happier person.

Distinguish between true hunger and cravings

There is a difference between craving a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and being genuinely hungry for dinner. In order to combat your emotional eating habits, you need to learn the difference between these two sensations.

One of the best ways to identify true hunger is to set a timer for 20 minutes when you notice a craving. During this time, if possible, remove yourself from food and find something else to do. Oftentimes, once you get back to work or start doing something fun the craving will pass completely and you will realize that you aren’t actually hungry. If after the timer rings you are still hungry (or even hungrier than before), then you can decide whether to satisfy the craving, grab a healthy snack, or eat a full meal.

Another useful mind trick is to consider what types of food you are craving. If a plate of chicken and broccoli (or one of your go-to healthy meals) sounds appetizing, you are probably actually hungry. If you are only hungry for sweets or a greasy burger, you are probably experiencing a craving.

Keep a journal.

Keeping a food journal is a great way to get more in touch with your natural hunger cues. I don’t mean logging your caloric intake, although that can be helpful. This kind of food journal tracks hunger and craving levels throughout the day and around meals.

Rate your hunger and cravings levels on a scale of 1-10 (10 = totally stuffed/not at all hungry or no cravings, 1 = extremely hungry and craving everything in sight). Record these numbers when you wake up, before and after meals, and before you go to bed. For most people, allowing yourself to get to peak hunger between meals is a recipe for overeating. Aim to keep your hunger levels between 3-6 before meals and no more than 8 after meals.

Those of you who struggle to get in touch with your emotions may benefit from keeping a different kind of journal. At the end of every day, write down a short account of your day. Describe the various emotions you felt, how they affected you, and how well you handled them. Practice giving names to these emotions and, where applicable, make special note of how they affected your hunger and craving levels.

Journaling is also useful to help you figure out what went wrong after you binge or succumb to emotional eating. Think back to the sequence of events leading up to the binge and try to identify as many triggers are you can. These could be anything from being extremely hungry, to walking by a particular restaurant, to getting in a fight with your partner. Write as many details as you can remember so you can try to handle the situation better next time it comes up. When we commit to writing these things down, we start to see unhelpful patterns in our thoughts and behaviors.

Change your environment so it supports your goals.

In Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, Chip and Dan Heath explain that when trying to make changes, what seems like a people problem is often a situation problem. People are highly susceptible to certain behaviors based on environmental triggers. Therefore, you can work to tweak your environment so emotional eating is more difficult.

If you are prone to emotional eating, stress eating, or binge eating, you should not keep any junk food in your house. It doesn’t matter if the food is yours or belongs to your partner or kids: if it is in the house, you are at risk for eating it at any time. Sometimes trigger foods are not overtly junky. Things like peanut butter, protein bars, dried fruit, and nuts are common “healthy” foods many people still overeat. If you have a problem with a particular food, healthy or not, remove it from your house or workspace and don’t buy it again.

Slow, mindful eating is an incredibly powerful tool to increase your enjoyment of meals and help you combat emotional eating. Make a habit of devoting your full attention to meals. This means when it’s time for dinner, you set the table, eat a full meal, and avoid electronic distractions. When the meal is over you “close” your kitchen and nobody gets to grab anymore food for the rest of the night. This is especially helpful if you have a bad habit of mindlessly snacking in front of the tv after work or late at night. Train yourself to eat only at meals and spend the rest of your day working, playing, or relaxing without constant snacking.

Finally, whenever possible avoid situations that trigger overeating. If you know you are prone to binging when you allow yourself to go too long between meals, keep a healthy snack with you at all times. When you have to face your triggers, come armed with a plan to help you deal with the situation. A journaling practice can help you better understand emotions or situations that trigger unwanted eating.

Practice self-compassion.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my fitness journey is to be nicer to myself when I mess up and succumb to emotional or binge eating.

Although it is useful to analyze your behavior to find ways to better handle difficult situations in the future, it is not helpful to wallow in guilt or punish yourself with negative self-talk and over restriction.

Precision Nutrition has a practice called the “clean slate”: when you have a bad day of eating, you start fresh the next day without any baggage or guilt about your actions. Building a healthy lifestyle is a process with many ups and downs. Learn from your mistakes, treat yourself with love and respect, and continue taking steps towards a happier and healthier future.

If you want help taking charge of your eating habits, please fill out the application for my online coaching program.

June 12, 2017February 4, 2019

What Should I Do When I Come to the Gym?

It’s Monday at 11:45am and you heading to the gym for a quick lunchtime workout. Your last meeting left your head spinning and all you can think about is the work you need to complete that afternoon. You throw your things in your gym bag and race over to train.

When you get to the gym, you walk out onto the floor and totally blank on what to do. You hurry through a few sets of bench press, chest flyes, curls, and crunches. Everything feels rushed and you are unable to focus. You return to your desk feeling like you accomplished very little.

Wednesday finds you in the same situation, except this time you complete a handful of different exercises. The rest of the week you are so swamped with work and unmotivated from your lackluster workouts you don’t make it into the gym at all.

This cycle repeats week after week.

This story exemplifies how many busy professionals approach their training. You don’t have a plan or know how to maximize your time. Instead, you bounce haphazardly between the exercises you know and like. You may try to follow a multi-day body part split, but fail to make it in for all of the workouts. This not only wastes time and results in no progress towards your goals, it can lead to imbalances and potential injuries.

I want to suggest a better way to build workouts, even on the fly.

Legendary strength coach Dan John explains that there are five major movement patterns: squat, hinge, push, pull and carry. Full-body workouts that focus on these five major movement patterns are an effective, efficient, and enjoyable way to train. This article looks at each pattern and provides exercise examples and progressions for each one.

You can use this basic framework and the exercises included to quickly assemble a safe, effective, and challenging workout. At the end, I include two sample full-body workouts based on these principles.

Squat

The squat is a lower-body movement that uses lots of flexion at the ankle, knee, and hip joints. Think of a squat as sitting down into a chair.

There are many different ways you can train squats at the gym. Start with bodyweight air squats or box squats. Next, progress to front-loaded variations including goblet squats, double front racked kettlebell squats, and barbell front squats.

Once you have mastered basic squat form, you can add in barbell back squatting. I don’t have all my clients back squat. Most people can get the same benefits from front-loaded squat variations, which tend to have a lower risk of injury.

I also include single-leg exercises under the squat category. Everyone should do some single leg exercises throughout the week. This is especially true for runners or athletes.

The most basic single leg exercises include step ups and stationary split squats. Once you are more comfortable, you can progress to various lunge variations (reverse, forward, walking, side, or deficit), rear-foot elevated split squats (also called Bulgarian split squats), and single-leg squats.

Hinge

The hinge is the second major lower body movement and it involves lots of flexion at the hip, minimal flexion at the knee, and almost no flexion at the ankle. Think of a hinge as picking something up from the ground.

Everyone regardless of age, experience, or injury history needs to train the hinge. You don’t want to be the person who throws out their back helping a friend move or picking up their child at the playground. Learning to move from your hips and load your legs without risking your spine is an incredibly important skill.

The deadlift is the king of hinge exercises. You can perform a variety of deadlift variations depending on your skill, strength, and injury history. Choose a deadlift variation that allows you to get into the longest position without any rounding of the spine. For example, if you are one of the many people who lack the flexibility to perform a great barbell conventional deadlift from the floor, try pulling from a sumo position, elevating the bar on blocks or doing rack pulls, or using a trap/hex bar. You can also use dumbbell or barbell Romanian deadlifts to practice moving into a hinge from a standing position, which requires much less coordination and flexibility.

Other hip hinge exercises include the cable pull-through, back extension, goodmorning, and kettlebell swing. Experiment with different exercises and implements to determine which choices are best for your skill level and body.

Push

Upper body pushing and pulling movements are divided into vertical and horizontal categories. As a general rule, most people should perform more horizontal pushing and pulling than vertical pushing or pulling. People with shoulder injuries or very tight upper backs should use caution or avoid vertical pushing and pulling altogether.

Horizontal pushing includes pushup and chest press variations. Pushups are a tremendously efficient exercise that builds upper body strength along with core strength and stability. If you can’t complete pushups from the floor, elevate your hands on a bench or smith machine and work your way down.

Chest press exercises include standing cable or band chest press, flat bench press, incline bench press, decline bench press, floor press, and single arm presses at any angle. Start with dumbbells or kettlebells and then progress to the barbell.

Single-arm landmine pressing is a great half-way option for people who want to train their vertical press but don’t want to or can’t get into a fully overhead position. Complete these in a half-kneeling position for an extra challenge for your core and legs.

Vertical pushing exercises include different types of overhead pressing. If you include vertical pressing in your program, start with light weights and use implements such as dumbbells or kettlebells that allow less restricted movement of your shoulders. Once you are strong and sure of your form, you can progress to barbell overhead presses such as military press or push press.

Pull

Horizontal pulling is also known as rowing. You can row using barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, bands, cables, machines, and even your own bodyweight. Beginners should begin with bands or cables (low row, single arm cable row, face pull) and machines (chest supported row) before progressing to dumbbells and kettlebells (bent over rows or chest supported rows). As with all movements, the barbell is the most advanced progression and should only be used if you are sure of your form and have built a solid foundation of strength.

Trainees of all ability levels can benefit from bodyweight inverted rows using a TRX or a smith machine. Elevate your feet or add a weighted vest to make these more challenging.

Vertical pulling includes chin-ups and pull-ups using a variety of grips and implements. You can also perform lat pulldowns if you aren’t strong enough for pull-ups or want to supplement your vertical pulling training. Check out the video below to see a TRX progression I use to help my clients work up to their first bodyweight chin ups.

Carry

Carrying is perhaps the most basic of all the movements included in this program. No matter who you are or what you do, you will need to complete carries on an almost daily basis. Common real-world examples include carrying groceries, children, pets, or moving objects for your job or hobby.

My favorite carry is the basic farmer carry. Grab two heavy weights, stand up with tall and tight posture, and walk around. You can mix up your carries by holding weights in front of you (front rack carry), overhead (waiter carry), or by pulling or pushing a heavy sled or box.

With this framework, you can easily put together an effective full-body workout even when you are crunched on time.

Pick one exercise from each category and complete 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps each.

Use supersets (two exercises paired together) to save time. Pair hinge with push and squat with pull.

Finish with a few rounds of carries and call it a day.

I provide two examples of workouts catering to beginner/intermediate and advanced lifters below.

Beginner Workout

Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Smith machine elevated pushup

Step ups

TRX inverted row

Farmer carry

Advanced Workout

Barbell front squat

Chin ups

Dumbbell bench press

Kettlebell swings

Waiter carry

Putting it all together

May 15, 2017May 14, 2019

Traveling for work? Here’s how to stay on track with eating and exercise.

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Over the years, I’ve worked with dozens of clients who regularly travel for work. Some take short trips once every few months; others find themselves pulled away for weeks at a time. In any situation, regular travel can be disruptive to a healthy lifestyle. Planning ahead can make all the difference to help you exercise and eat well on the road. Here are some strategies my clients have used to successfully stay on track even with demanding and unpredictable travel schedules.

Before you leave

Learn about where you will be staying before you pack for your trip. Ask if the hotel has a gym and if so, what kind of equipment it contains. Some hotel gyms will only have a broken-down treadmill while others contain cardio equipment, dumbbells, and cable machines. Get this information before your trip so you can pack and plan accordingly. Don’t forget to bring workout clothes and shoes.

If you travel regularly, invest in a couple small pieces of exercise equipment to enhance your hotel workouts. A small band or two and a jump rope (if you tolerate jumping) take up little room in a suitcase and can greatly increase the intensity of a hotel workout.

Always bring some healthy snacks to keep you satisfied when you don’t have good food options available. Protein bars, raw vegetables, fruit, 100-calorie packs of nuts, and jerky work well as snacks.

Call the hotel and see if your room has a fridge and a microwave you can use. If you’re taking a longer trip, use google maps to scope out grocery stores and pharmacies near your hotel. Visit these places when you arrive to fill up your mini-fridge with pre-cut vegetables and fruits, deli meats, and hard boiled eggs for quick. healthy meals and snacks.

Make good choices at the airport

Finding healthy food at the airport is not as challenging as you may think. Restaurants and booths in many airport terminals offer numerous pre-packaged and made-to-order salads, fresh fruit, and pre-cut vegetables. In the morning, coffee shops such as Starbucks usually offer oatmeal and breakfast sandwich options. Even fast food places such as McDonalds offer lower-calorie options such as grilled chicken sandwiches and salads.

Ask for water, coffee, tea, or diet soda when the complimentary beverage cart rolls down the aisle of the plane. Keep some healthy snacks in your carry-on luggage in case you get hungry during the flight.

How to work out at a hotel

Exercising on the road keeps you on track with your health and fitness goals and helps you let off steam during stressful work trips. Win win! If your hotel has a gym with weights, you may be able to complete a variation of your normal workout. I like to use intensity techniques like drop sets, 1.5 reps, and giant sets to make the most of limited weights and equipment.

If your hotel doesn’t have a gym or only has minimal equipment, you can still complete a workout in your hotel room. Try to do this first thing in the morning when you are unlikely to have conflicting work or social obligations.

Fast-paced circuits make the best hotel room workouts. To create your own circuits, first make a list of all the bodyweight (or band if you have one) exercises you know and group them into lower body, upper body, and core categories. Keep this exercise list on your phone so you will always have it with you.

For each circuit, pick 1-3 exercises from each category and complete 2 – 6 sets of each exercise. Most of these exercises will work best in the 10 – 20 rep range. Try to move through the circuit with as little rest as possible. Get creative with your circuits and make them as short or long as needed according to your schedule.

Example circuit, complete 2-6 rounds:

Bodyweight squat x 15

Push-up x 15

Alternating reverse lunges x 15 each side

Band pull apart x 20

Dead bug x 15 each side

Jump rope x 100 turns

Healthy eating on the road

Eating out is one of the biggest challenges of travel. It’s one thing to go on vacation and enjoy the local food with friends and family. It’s another thing to try to make the best possible decisions during regular work trips. If every trip becomes a special occasion, it’s tough to stay on track with your health and fitness goals.

Whenever possible, be the person who decides where to eat. Choose restaurants with plenty of healthy menu options including grilled or broiled proteins, salads, and healthy vegetable sides. Most chain restaurants include nutrition information on their websites, so you can make informed decisions that fit your plan.

If you do not have control over where you eat or find yourself surrounded by unhealthy food, there are a few tricks you can use to stay on track. Eating slowly is one of the best ways to avoid overeating. Take time to chew and swallow each bite before you move to the next one. Limit your meals to one plate of food and make sure that you are not eating more than 1-2 fist-sized servings of any one food. When the server brings out your meal, immediately ask for a box and set aside half of the food for later. Restaurants are notorious for serving extra-large portions, so this prevents you from consuming too many calories in one sitting. It also helps you stretch your food dollar and gives you another meal to enjoy later.

What to do about alcohol

One of the most challenging situations on business trips is dealing with alcohol. Drinking is a huge part of corporate culture and many of my clients struggle to balance their desire to limit alcohol consumption with the pressures placed on them by peers and colleagues in social situations.

If you do want to drink, practice moderation and make smart choices. Set a drink limit for yourself before you get to the bar or restaurant and stick to that number. If necessary, you can pretend to drink more by ordering virgin beverages such as plain diet pop or seltzer with lime.

The best drink selections are dry wines and clear liquor with a calorie-free mixer such as soda or diet pop. Dark liquor, also with a calorie-free mixer, is the next-best choice. Beer should be consumed sparingly if you’re trying to lose weight or improve their body composition (I know, this makes me sad too). Avoid sugary mixed drinks such as frozen margaritas or tropical cocktails.

Fill in the gaps with supplements

Travel can put lots of stress on the body, especially if you don’t get enough sleep or eat poorly. Regular travelers can use supplements to fill in any gaps from their diet:

A greens powder or whole foods supplement can provide many of the micronutrients found in vegetables and fruits.
Drinking a scoop or two of protein powder daily will help ensure that you are hitting your protein target.
Many people benefit from taking a high quality multivitamin and fish oil supplement both at home and while traveling.
If you have a hard time sleeping in a strange bed, you may experiment with taking melatonin or a zinc-magnesium supplement before bedtime.

Remember, all of these products are only supplements to your diet and aren’t substitutes for making the healthiest possible choices. Always purchase supplements from a respected company that uses third-party testing to verify the quality of their products.

With a bit of planning and flexibility, you can maintain a healthy lifestyle even with a grueling travel schedule:

Learn about the facilities at your hotel.
Seek out restaurants with healthier options.
Pack workout clothes and equipment, snacks, and supplements.
Create a few go-to hotel workouts that you can easily complete no matter where you are.

Most importantly, get to know yourself and your struggles so you can formulate plans and build habits that will help you thrive in spite of lots of traveling.

Looking for some additional support to help you nail your fitness goals despite a crazy travel schedule? Online training is a great option for people who frequently find themselves on the road. Learn more and fill out an application for my program here.

May 8, 2017October 23, 2018

How to Pack Your Lunch

Most of my clients are busy professionals. The biggest nutrition downfall for this group is constantly eating out for lunch. My clients repeatedly tell me about their struggles to find time or inspiration to pack lunches from home and the huge temptation of hundreds of restaurants right outside their office. This often leads them to consume excessive calories, ultimately preventing them from losing weight or feeling their best.

Like all changes to your eating or exercise routine, bringing lunch from home is a habit that requires planning, practice, and consistent execution to master. This article summarizes the benefits of bringing lunch from home and outlines my two favorite approaches to building this habit.

Packing your lunch has several benefits. First, preparing your own food gives you more control over what you eat. You can pack appropriate portions and ensure all of the ingredients in your meal work for your body and your eating plan. This makes it much easier to make healthy choices and avoid temptation. Second, bringing your own lunch can help you save hundreds of dollars over the course of a month. You may be surprised at how quickly the cost of restaurant lunches adds up, especially if you are eating out everyday of the week. Grocery shopping gets you much more bang for your buck.

Meal Templates

Many people want to bring lunches, but struggle to develop the habit of preparing food day after day. There are two ways to make this process easier. The first is to use meal templates to eat similar meals every day.

A meal template provides the basic construction of a meal while allowing some flexibility with individual ingredients. Templates can be based on anything. Some popular ideas center around a type of dish (salad, soup, chili), ethnic cuisines (taco Tuesday, Indian food, Mediterranean food), a particular protein (steak, fish, pork), or a certain method of cooking (slow cooker, Instant pot, sheet pan dinner). Meal templates help you avoid decision fatigue while still providing diversity to avoid food boredom. The preparation and primary ingredients remain the same as you rotate seasonings, sides, added vegetables, cooking fats, or other minor components of the meal to change up the flavor or character of the dish.

My Favorite Templates

Rather than coming up with a complicated meal plan consisting of different lunches every day, choose one or two meal templates that you enjoy and are easy to put together. I have used two simple meal templates to successfully pack my lunches for years.

The first is a salad. Every salad consists of some kind of chopped lettuce or greens, protein (usually canned chicken, tuna, or salmon or leftover protein from dinners), a variety of chopped vegetables, and a homemade dressing made from an oil, an acid (lemon or lime juice, vinegar, etc.) and seasonings.

The second template I use regularly is grilled protein with steamed vegetables. I use my George Foreman Grill to rapidly cook beef, turkey, or chicken burgers; chicken breasts or thighs; or lean pork chops. I always have a few spice blends in my pantry for easy and delicious seasoning. My vegetable side alternates between steamed broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, asparagus, and carrots.

Both of these meals take minimal time to put together and allow enough variety that I don’t get bored. For example, my favorite salad is inspired by southwestern flavor and includes lime juice, avocado oil, cilantro, red onion, tomatoes, bell pepper, and chicken. Another salad is much sweeter, using spinach, strawberries, mushrooms, red onion, tomatoes, salmon, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. The preparation time and method for these meals is exactly the same, but they taste very different.

Leftovers

Another way to easily pack lunches without a lot of extra effort is to take advantage of leftovers. Instead of cooking just enough food for one dinner, try doubling or tripling the recipe so you have enough food to take for lunch the next day. To maximize your cooking time, consider setting aside an hour or two on the weekend to cook a large dish that you can portion into daily lunches. This works especially well with one-pot dishes like soups, chilis, stews, roasted vegetables, and baked dishes. Grains like rice, oats, and quinoa are also much easier to prepare in large batches.

If you get food boredom easily, repurpose your leftovers into different meals for some variety. I like to use leftover protein in salads and scrambled eggs. You can also add cooked ingredients to sandwiches, soups, pasta, or grain bowls. The possibilities are truly endless if you are creative and open to new food combinations. You may be surprised at what foods work well together as you stumble upon some new favorite lunches.

Lose weight, Save Money, Feel Better

Packing your own lunch is one of the best ways to improve your eating habits and general health. You will also save money so you can spend more on truly meaningful meals and social outings or enjoy other things in your life.

If you struggle to bring lunch, start by cooking more at one or two dinners each week so you have a couple of leftover lunches. Once you succeed with that, pick a meal template to use for the remainder of the week’s lunches. Don’t be afraid to eat the same things every week or to experiment with totally new dishes and combinations of food. Remember, success with healthy eating requires you to adopt habits you can realistically sustain over the long term.

If you want more practical advice, check out Eleven Easy Meal Templates. I compiled my personal favorite meals into this totally free PDF guide. Sign up using the box below.