The Five Elements Podcast

On this week's episode of the pod, Coach Dylan and Coach Sam take another shot at dismantling one of diet culture's most famous narratives. After another edition of ✨ roses & thorns ✨ the coaches break down the potential problems with "clean eating" and how this mindset could contribute to a disordered relationship with food. Things we touched on: Dylan's tender MH growing pains, boundary crossings, and ceaseless rosy-thorns. Plus, an update on his latest passion project: the Five Elements Collective Exercise Trough Sam's namaste-empathy pain moment / feeling disempowered by our social systems, and learning to hold space for both, and: seeing through the eyes of the child Self & seeking radical joy bonus: who is your sense of disempowerment serving? the origins of clean-eating: from health fears to orthorexia and fat-phobia Dylan's experience // how clean eating turned disordered Sam's experience // orthorexia, food-phobia, ARFID & owning her insufferable self-righteousness / nutrition piety gluten-free, grass-fed, organic, non-gmo, soy-free, everything the infamous Wheat Belly scandal of 2013 how and why clean eating contributes to the binge/restrict cycle of compensation in defence of the white potato why the Wellness Industrial Complex is catered to middle-class white folks the unaffordable reality of the clean eating movement & your favourite word, "privilege" the great clean vs. dirty snickers debate understanding glycemic index the power of language: using a reference scale of more or less nutritious how to take the snickers off the pedestal the power of choosing the dial vs. switch approach tips to begin the process of destigmatizing food And for the love of all things good and holy – don't be so damn hard on yourself. As always, thank you for tuning in - we love and appreciate you! And if you feel the same way, please share this episode with a friend you think would benefit from some evidence based & empathy based support in their health journey. ☺️ If you're looking for someone to help you tailor, troubleshoot & individualize your strategy to your unique body and your goals, hit the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/online-coaching If you're looking for evidence based fitness content from the Weekly Recap, or some empathy based mindset help from the Friday Feels, sign up to our newsletter with the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on IG & TikTok: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching

Because what could be more relevant with all that New Years energy in the air? On this week's episode of the pod, Coach Dylan and Coach Sam jump into a big breakdown on all things habits: how we make them and how we break them, ideally without kicking and screaming. After an (always heavy) edition of ✨ roses & thorns ✨ the coaches take turns sharing their personal habit woes before coming in hot with some research driven guidance. ***this was recorded before the new year so.... thanks for time travelling with us?!*** Things we touched on: Dylan's limiting beliefs and finding the courage to tackle the hungry ghost within Sam's chronic eczema-covered winter-woes, tackling self-love and learning how to be her own best friend our biggest vice grip habits & how we overcame them why replacing an old habit with a new one might be a better strategy than going cold turkey the problem with white knuckling it & why it doesn't tend to pan out the way we think it will why relying on cognitive restraint is, more often than not, setting yourself up for failure factoring in total cognitive load (life stress!) neuropsych moment: explaining the role of executive function how mental health and neurodivergence play a role in habit formation/cessation why habits are harder for some than others - and can be easier/harder depending on life context what successful habit formation looks like the role of self-soothing and emotional dysregulation when it's time to refer out / seek a mental health professional strategies and tips you can apply to your own goals And for the love of all things good and holy – don't be so damn hard on yourself. As always, thank you for tuning in - we love & appreciate you! And if you love & appreciate us, please consider sharing this with a friend who you think would enjoy the podcast, or benefit from some evidence based & empathy based support in their health journey. ☺️ If you're looking for someone to help you tailor, troubleshoot & individualize your strategy to your unique body and your goals, hit the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/online-coaching If you're looking for evidence based fitness content from the Weekly Recap, or some empathy based mindset help from the Friday Feels, sign up to our newsletter with the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on IG & TikTok: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching

Coach Dylan and Coach Sam are finally back after a wild holiday season to talk all things New Years, goals, and self reflection... along with a *surprise* new segment! After all, we got your feedback loud and clear - you just like hearing us chat like a couple of yentas. Once they get through the holiday edition of ✨ all the roses & all the thorns ✨ the coaches jump straight into the big reflection deep dive. We chatted on: why we don't love the "new year, new me" vibe how basing your markers of success on external value / achievement / productivity / capitalism? ruins us all the immeasurable value of personal growth why "grinding" and hustle culture can be so harmful the importance of relationships, family & community why figuring out our relationships to our goals/values/wants/desires is integral for growth when your partner serves as a mirror Sam, butterflies, and the beauty of metamorphosis why your relationship with your Self is integral to your fulfillment Dylan's ignorance is not his bliss We hope this year, we can all "look through the lens of 'how did you grow'' not 'what did you make'" As always, thank you for tuning in - we love & appreciate you! And if you love & appreciate us, please consider sharing this with a friend who you think would enjoy the podcast, or benefit from some evidence based & empathy based support in their health journey. ☺️ If you're looking for someone to help you tailor, troubleshoot & individualize your strategy to your unique body and your goals, hit the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/online-coaching If you're looking for evidence based fitness content from the Weekly Recap, or some empathy based mindset help from the Friday Feels, sign up to our newsletter with the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on IG & TikTok: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching

The kids are back with their second contentious episode of the podcast! This week, Coach Dylan and Coach Sam dig into part two of the diet culture deep dive. Once they get through another edition of ✨ all the roses & all the thorns ✨ the coaches narrow in on the impact of growing up and residing within a culture that prizes thinness as a core value. ***TW: eating disorders/disordered eating*** From there, they get into: the impact of role modelling diet culture to children via parents the difference between direct/overt and subtle/covert messaging why children are becoming more obsessed with weight & size at an earlier age the role of social media in perpetuating diet culture how the comparison to perfectly curated images of perfectly curated bodies harms self-esteem the empty pursuit of the drive for thinness why video conferencing/facetime/zoom/selfies have contributed to being more image focused the rise of eating disorders during the pandemic the increase of eating disorders in even younger populations the drive towards plastic surgery & the increase in its prevalence among adults and youth why surgery perhaps could help self esteem, but not self image the harmful nature of body trends the impact of weight stigma fatphobia's sneaky way of internalizing within & the harm it causes why obesity doesn't fall within the realm of "personal responsibility" the questions you should ask yourself if you, too, feel that diet culture has embedded into your psyche Ooof. Another heavy one, and a long one - but also, a great one. As always, thank you for tuning in - we love & appreciate you! And if you love & appreciate us, please consider sharing this with a friend who you think would enjoy the podcast, or benefit from some evidence based & empathy based support in their health journey. ☺️ If you're looking for someone to help you tailor, troubleshoot & individualize your strategy to your unique body and your goals, hit the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/online-coaching If you're looking for evidence based fitness content from the Weekly Recap, or some empathy based mindset help from the Friday Feels, sign up to our newsletter with the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on IG & TikTok: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching

We are *finally* back - with our very first contentious episode of the podcast! This week (after an incredibly laborious amount of research and reading) Coach Dylan and Coach Sam dug into one of her big questions: what is the history or origin, of diet culture? Once they get through the quickest edition of ✨ all the roses & all the thorns ✨ yet, the coaches take you on a journey of dieting starting in Ancient Greece. ***TW: eating disorders, drug abuse*** From there, they get into: a *brief* (we tried?) history of the formation of diet culture, through to current day diet trends in the 18-1900's the revolutionary flapper era the intersectionality of race / the impact of euro-centric beauty standards the origin of the fat acceptance movement / body positivity Jane Fonda & the Atkins diet the 90's heroin chic / Kate Moss era the impact of social media why eating disorders aren't only a problem for "white women" the impact of diet culture on Coach Dylan the impact of diet culture on Coach Sam why eating disorders are prevalent in women with autism the Kardashians & the "slim-thick" era what to expect in part two Ooof. Both a heavy one, and a long one - but also, a great one. As always, thank you for tuning in - we love & appreciate you! And if you love & appreciate us, please consider sharing this with a friend who you think would enjoy the podcast, or benefit from some evidence based & empathy based support in their health journey. ☺️ If you're looking for someone to help you tailor, troubleshoot & individualize your strategy to your unique body and your goals, hit the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/online-coaching If you're looking for evidence based fitness content from the Weekly Recap, or some empathy based mindset help from the Friday Feels, sign up to our newsletter with the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on IG & TikTok: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching

We're back, with a listener Q&A - and it's a good one! Today's episode of the pod is all thanks to you folks for your interesting questions. After another edition of ✨ all the roses & all the thorns ✨ Coach Dylan & Coach Sam banter & drone on about: how to build workout consistency who we would both choose to speak with, dead or alive whether conditioning at the end of a training session is considered junk volume our favourite things about each other how we incorporate inclusivity in fitness - a historically exclusive space As always, thank you for tuning in - we love & appreciate you! And if you love & appreciate us, please consider sharing this with a friend who you think would enjoy the podcast, or benefit from some evidence based & empathy based support in their health journey. ☺️ If you're looking for someone to help you tailor, troubleshoot & individualize your strategy to your unique body and your goals, hit the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/online-coaching If you're looking for evidence based fitness content from the Weekly Recap, or some empathy based mindset help from the Friday Feels, sign up to our newsletter with the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on IG & TikTok: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching

Just in time for the weekend — on today's rather thematic episode of the pod, Coach Dylan & Coach Sam discuss managing and navigating fitness while going through a chaotic season of life. After another edition of ✨ all the roses & all the thorns ✨ Coaches S & D go over the switch vs. the dial approach, the need for self compassion, the cumulative impact of the stress bucket & practical ways to manage your output when the input feels a little too heavy. As always, thank you for tuning in - we love & appreciate you! And if you love & appreciate us, please consider sharing this with a friend who you think would enjoy the podcast, or benefit from some evidence based & empathy based support in their health journey. ☺️ If you're looking for someone to help you tailor, troubleshoot & individualize your strategy to your unique body and your goals, hit the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/online-coaching If you're wanting some extra fitness content & mindset tips, sign up to our newsletter with the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on IG & TikTok: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching

A day late but never early - on today's episode of the pod, Coach Dylan & Coach Sam dive into an episode dedicated to those who either can't or don't wish to track macros or count calories. After another edition of ✨ all the roses & all the thorns ✨ Coach D digs into some of the research backed methods to maintain some cognitive restraint without counting - while Coach S provides some practical anecdotal tips & strategies from coaching clients. As always, thank you for tuning in - we love & appreciate you! And if you love & appreciate us, please consider sharing this with a friend who you think would enjoy the podcast, or benefit from some evidence based & empathy based support in their health journey. ☺️ If you're interested in some hands-on reading material from this episode, hit the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/blog-2/simple-strategies-to-manage-your-diet-without-tracking-calories If you're looking for someone to help you tailor, troubleshoot & individualize your strategy to your unique body and your goals, hit the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/online-coaching If you're wanting some extra fitness content & mindset tips, sign up to our newsletter with the link below: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on IG & TikTok: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching

On this week's episode of the pod, Coach Dylan & Coach Sam get into the (mildly frustrating) research that explains why weight loss can be more challenging for some, and seemingly effortless for others. After another (backdated) edition of ✨ Roses & Thorns✨ - they discuss the strategies they use in order to make weight loss tailored to the individual - from data collection & expectations management, all the way to mindset & self compassion. As always, thank you for tuning in - we love & appreciate you! And if you love & appreciate us, please consider sharing this with a friend who you think would enjoy the podcast, or benefit from some evidence based & empathy based support in their health journey. ☺️ If you're looking for an additional resource to support your understanding of this episode, click below: https://www.five-elements.ca/blog-2/why-weight-loss-is-more-challenging-for-some-than-for-others If you're looking for someone to help you tailor, troubleshoot & individualize your strategy to your unique body and your goals, click below: https://www.five-elements.ca/online-coaching Thanks for listening!

Better late than never! Coach Dylan & Coach Sam are back for another episode - and this one's juicy. They break down the recently popularized concept of training in accordance to your menstrual cycle. Coach D gets into what the current research says, while Coach S brings insight via her lived experience of coaching women while navigating the complexity of fluctuating hormones. Thank you for listening! We appreciate you - and if you appreciate us or perhaps found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend who might love it too! If you want to read more about the menstrual cycle & training, check out this article: https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/the-menstrual-cycle-estrogen-and-performance-part-i/ If you want to read more about oral contraceptives & their impact on your gains, check out this article: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/oral-contraceptives/ If you want some help on your fitness journey & you're ready to stop white-knuckling it alone: https://www.five-elements.ca/online-coaching

On this weeks episode of the pod, Coach Dylan & Coach Sam get into a deep dive on progressive overload — what it is, how and why you should be applying it, and their favourite strategies for mitigating the ever-feared training plateau. As usual, this episode includes a few roses and thorns, but keep in mind that this was recorded months ago — so we are inviting you to do a bit of time travel with us! Here's a link to a great additional resource on progressive overload, authored by Coach D: https://www.five-elements.ca/blog-2/simple-strategies-for-applying-progressive-overload-to-your-programs And if you're feeling tired of doing it all on your own, tap the link below to see whether online coaching is the support you've been missing https://www.five-elements.ca/online-coaching Thank you so much for listening! If you found this episode helpful or want to support the show, please share it with a friend or leave us a review! We love reading them :)

After a completely unintentional hiatus, coaches Sam and Dylan are *finally* back! Today's episode denotes our official launch of season two — and goes in tandem with our upcoming launch. As we will soon be increasing our prices for online coaching, we encourage any inquiring folks to reach out asap! We will be back to our usual content, consistently, every Wednesday — so anticipate our voices in your headphones weekly

On todays episode of the pod, Coach Dylan & Coach Sam dig into a listener Q&A! Thank you so much for all of your questions & participation, as always! Roses & Thorns: - Sam's "intense little journey" she's been through recently: the most difficult seasons of life, overwhelm, the confrontational nature of unfolding the many layers of who you are, and holding space for the mess in being both grateful & exhausted - Dylan's courage in fostering deeper emotional connection, the complexity of family dynamics & trauma, seeing life through the lens of scarcity, and navigating our conditioning to tackle our mental health in adulthood The Q&A: What are our favourite mindfulness practices? For fat loss, is it better to drop calories or add in cardio when you hit a plateau? Is there anything I can do to improve my sleep hygiene? Why do some people build muscle quicker & easier than others? Interested in coaching? Tap the link below to apply. https://www.five-elements.ca/contactus? Wanting to join MacroFactor? Use our affiliate code for a 2 week free trial: fiveelements https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/macrofactor-macro-tracker/id1553503471 Tap the link below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on Instagram & Tiktok: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin

On todays episode of the pod, Coach Sam & Coach Dylan do a deep dive on living in alignment with our values, and how this applies to our health & fitness journeys. They discuss how they both found themselves in a position where they weren't living completely in alignment with their own values, how to figure out what your personal values are, how to decipher whether or not you're alignment with them, and what to do if you're not. Roses & Thorns: Dylan's courage to tackle his limiting beliefs, the discomfort of asking for help, the quiet stranglehold of engrained coping mechanisms, feeling frustrated with slow progress, & the power of catching yourself in a moment Sam's bittersweet homeostasis, the heartbreaking joy of being fully alive, the grief of slow impending loss, & the honour in reversing the roles to carry the aging family members who once carried you The Meat: how we often find ourselves living out of alignment with our values, especially when it comes to health and fitness why "know better, do better" fails us often why our environment here in North America is not set up in a way to make health promoting behaviours more accessible & easier to achieve having to go out of your way to pursue an active or health promoting life the challenge of practicing what you preach how boundaries can help us live our values Sam's example: valuing mental health -> valuing meditation as a good practice for mental health -> and still not meditating consistently :) why we can say we value our health, while still pursuing behaviours that show the opposite how we consistently self-sabotage without realizing that it's adding up in a direction we don't want to go in the power of looking beyond just today, and recognizing that each day adds up to become the big picture of our life why Dylan changed his tune on SMART goals: when corporate diatribe takes over the fitness industry the validity in the value of being a healthy person: pursuing health promoting behaviours today, for future longevity how to chunk down a broad goal or superordinate goal into an intermediate goal why identity based, value driven goals are the most integral the power in asking yourself "who do I want to be, and am I living those values?" what valuing health means to Sam: being able to stay independent, to take care of the people she loves & not putting the repercussions of health neglect on the people who love her (a hard lesson taught by her deeply missed father) the ability to extract yourself to be more objective, and view yourself from a 20,000ft view the importance of factoring in Future You every choice you make will push you in one direction or the other being honest with yourself about not just your values, but the values derived from your behaviour making two lists: one with your values / one with the values exhibited by your actions Why SMART Goals Are Overrated https://www.five-elements.ca/blog-2/are-smart-goals-overrated Interested in coaching? Tap the link below to apply. https://www.five-elements.ca/contactus? Wanting to join MacroFactor? Use our affiliate code for a 2 week free trial: fiveelements https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/macrofactor-macro-tracker/id1553503471 Tap the link below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on Instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin

On today's episode, Coach Dylan & Coach Sam dig into the nuance of "skinny-fat" - the how and why we get there, and the what-to-do if you're feeling stuck. Roses & Thorns: - Dylan's COVID induced numbness, the slow path to recovery, the perils of emotional maturity & the hardship of being a cycle breaker - Sam's frustration with being sick, being an impatient patient, taking our health for granted & the acknowledging the gratitude for health privilege The Meat: - why we feel “skinny-fat” is a problematic term - the difference between being over-fat & under-muscled - how diet culture contributes to the "skinny-fat" problem - Sam's perspective on her own "skinny-fat" realization - why when we lose the fat, we might still be unhappy from a body composition perspective - the difference in body composition while maintaining the same body weight: decreasing body fat %, while increasing muscle mass - why the scale isn't a great tool for progress measurement - how restrictive/crash dieting & excessive cardio (or the binge-restrict cycle) can contribute to the "skinny-fat" problem - "decomping" = losing muscle mass instead of body fat - why recomping is so painfully slow - WHAT TO DO: how to recomp - the composition of macro ratios: what will be most beneficial - why sleep is so important from a diet, lean body mass & recovery perspective - the hierarchy: 1. quality training 2. adequate protein intake 3. more manageable deficits 4. getting enough sleep 5. prioritizing recovery - what we can learn from physique competitions in body building competitions - knowing when to turn the dial up or down - why we reach for "hedonic" hyper-palatable foods when fatigued - setting yourself up for success instead of failure Dylan's article on body recomposition: https://www.five-elements.ca/blog-2/body-recomposition-can-and-should-you-aim-for-it Interested in coaching? Tap the link below to apply. https://www.five-elements.ca/contactus Wanting to join MacroFactor? Use our affiliate code for a 2 week free trial: fiveelements https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/macrofactor-macro-tracker/id1553503471 Tap the link below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on Instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin

On today's episode, Coach Dylan & Coach Sam dive into a listener Q&A. Thank you for all of your questions! Roses & Thorns: Dylan's PHD self-study glow-up, fairytale couple goals are dead, performing for love & the internalization of gender roles & how they contribute to harming our psyches Sam's self exploration through writing solely for herself - rather than for productive or performative purpose, feeling ill equipped to adult well, the pressure to have it all figured out, healthy striving & how we will forever be "the one who got away" for ourselves Q&A: How to get over the fear of going to the gym as a newbie? What's the difference between training for strength & training for hypertrophy? Slow digestion & constipation when in a calorie deficit - what can you do to help? Why do I keep self sabotaging & regaining all the weight I lost? Interested in coaching? Tap the link below to apply. https://www.five-elements.ca/contactus Wanting to join MacroFactor? Use our affiliate code for a 2 week free trial: fiveelements https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/macrofactor-macro-tracker/id1553503471 Tap the link below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on Instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin

This week on the pod, Coach Sam & Coach Dylan break down an article D wrote on how to make your own meal plan. They get into the nitty gritty of why meal plans don't work for long-term success, the important of "teaching a man to fish" and how to approach your own day to day meal planning. Roses & Thorns: Dylan's driving win, tackling limiting beliefs, the fear of asking for help, and the never-ending struggle of doing too much Sam's SAD and sick of winter, the 30th birthday existential fiasco, the pressure & expectations placed on women, and the grief of evolution Black History Month Recos: (yes, we're late, forgive us) “Somebody's Daughter” by Ashley C. Ford F.D Signifier on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FDSignifire The Meat of It Why we don't recommend them & don't find them to be effective Dylan's first & only meal plan experience People don't need to be told what to do, they need to be taught why they're doing it Why personal trainers aren't all the same, and definitely are not equally qualified Why there's no such thing as a magic number when it comes to your macros Maintenance is a range, and it isn't static The impact of flexible dieting on Sam's journey Why having a macro range instead of a set target might be more helpful Why we preach trial and error Why you NEED to understand energy balance to achieve flexibility + nutritional competence The reason why calorie calculators don't always guess your maintenance calories correctly How to find your maintenance calories without a calorie calculator - which will *actually* be accurate to your unique body Why accurately inaccurate is good enough Interested in coaching? Tap the link below to apply. https://www.five-elements.ca/contactus Wanting to join MacroFactor? Use our affiliate code for a 2 week free trial: fiveelements https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/macrofactor-macro-tracker/id1553503471 Tap the link below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on Instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin

On today's episode of the pod, Coach Sam and Coach Dylan do a deep dive on why they think the gym is one tool in the mental health toolbox - but not the only one. Through the lens of personal experience and professional guidance they've been given, they conclude that the importance of working on your mental health with a professional is integral to success. Roses and Thorns: Dylan's love of football, the excitement for the end of COVID lockdown, internalized patriarchy and the gruelling but necessary pain of feeling his feelings. Sam's experience with internalized misogyny, intense personal growth and the joy of stopping a thought spiral from consuming you whole. A very big, small win. Mental Health & Fitness: why we can't take out our mental health problems on our bodies Sam's moment of clarity that being smaller wasn't the answer Hedonic Adaptation: the bright shiny new-ness that wares off and fades rapidly The Arrival Effect: "I'll be happy, when..." the integral difference between happiness and fulfillment internal problems don't have external solutions it's only one tool in the toolbox, along with many others it's one tool in the toolbox, not the only tool the benefits of exercise and taking care of yourself are mental health boosters, but not solutions all humans need social support Dylan's moment of clarity Lean = happy The caveats of toxic positivity The powerful & heartfelt connection in sharing a meal or “breaking bread” How we use things outside ourselves to regulate dysregulated emotions The discipline tool in the tool box is the most overused Why we can't white knuckle our way through lifelong patterns, habits & behaviours How we need to develop the skill of self awareness to make long term change The impact of mental health on the nervous system Fight, flight, fawn or freeze The war on trauma How the gym does actually benefit our mental health: anxiety relief, endorphins, serotonin, feeling accomplished, gaining confidence, self efficacy Interested in coaching? Tap the link below to apply. https://www.five-elements.ca/contactus Tap the link below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on Instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin

Coach Dylan & Coach Sam reflect on "Why Women Should Train More Like Men" - an article written by Sam. They go into detail about the problematic marketing geared towards women, why gender roles don't belong in the gym, and how Sam learned this lesson the hard way. (The almost forgotten) Roses and Thorns: Dylan's gratitude for learning conflict resolution in relationship, frustration in the slowness of change, the peril of being toxically positive, and COVID lockdown fatigue Sam's exhaustion with pandemic life and collective despair, and her deep gratitude for the ephemeral (fleeting spiritual) moments that make her recognize the power & magic of the human body aka, her "meat suit" The Good Stuff: why we need to abolish gender binaries in favour of accepting unique human expression, however that may look like gender roles don't belong in fitness: men can do pilates, women can lift heavy one way the patriarchy hurts men: emotions are weakness one way the patriarchy hurts women: smaller is better why fitness marketing geared towards women comes from patriarchal ideology "being afraid to get too bulky" doing cardio between sets to burn calories Sam's (former) deleterious life goal of always "being smaller" the difference between muscle mass & fat mass how we go through the process of body recomposition cardio, toning & pink dumbbells the impact of diet culture: the ideology sold to women is based on always burning calories why chasing calories never works the power of exercise adaptation & how this concept is deeply misunderstood Strategically Lazy: strategizing your movement while honouring your rest with the same intensity Sam's short time as an endurance cyclist breaking through active rest periods to benefit your strength & hypertrophy training training for strength vs. training to burn calories the diet culture hamster wheel: always chasing, no progress, all misery why fostering too much control can be detrimental to seeing progress how sometimes the truest show of strength lies in seeking help acknowledging that sometimes, we're not ready to surrender control, learn or receive the impact of news/social media messaging surrounding women's bodies & weight you're not broken - the story you were sold was, as it was guaranteed to get you no where the sunk cost fallacy why admitting when you're wrong or not the expert is a superpower personal evolution comes from being the student, not the teacher growth often comes from failure Sam's biggest pieces of advice to anyone on the diet culture hamster wheel you're not the special snowflake or the special unicorn the problem with impossible, unachievable body standards appreciating your body for the way it feels to live inside of it, rather than because of the way it looks Interested in coaching? Tap the link below to apply. https://www.five-elements.ca/contactus Tap the link below to read the article this podcast is based on: "Why Women Should Train More Like Men" https://www.five-elements.ca/blog-2/why-women-should-train-more-like-men Tap the link below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://www.five-elements.ca/five-elements-newsletter Follow Us on Instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin

Coach Dylan & Coach Sam get into the highly contentious debate of carbs vs. fats. They touch on their experience, having both previously fallen prey to one camp or another. Afterwards, they dig into the research and provide practical tips for how to approach your diet without needlessly restricting any particular macronutrient. Roses and Thorns: Sam's COVID lockdown fatigue, fatphobic phrases & gratitude for the complex crux of life Dylan's infinite struggle with consistent meditation & the frustration that comes with slow progress The Meat & Potatoes: Past Sam's search for the magic, secret diet hack: how she got into high carb no fat vegan, vegan keto, & raw vegan The need to "cut something out" in order to lose weight Past Dylan's search for the magic, secret diet hack: how he got into low carb, high carb, metabolic typing & organic everything Why they avoid nutrition advice from charlatans & diet gurus Why you shouldn't take nutrition advice from Gwyneth Paltrow The power of nebulous terms & false diagnoses in marketing Research Review of Kevin Hall's "Obesity Energetics: Bodyweight Regulation and the Effects of Diet Composition" A meta-analysis of 32 controlled feeding (metabolic ward) studies of 534 diverse participants Calories & protein were matched between all subjects On average, the Higher Carb Lower Fat diets were shown to be better Why this result is statistically significant, but practically meaningless Fat Oxidation: why this term is extremely misunderstood & totally misused in marketing The power of mechanistic overreaching: EPOC/"afterburn effect", intermittent fasting, insulin The power of understanding energy balance, thermogenesis Why getting attached to a specific nutritional or dietary ideology leads us astray from biology & science How should you be eating? Sam's experience with a low/no fat diet: hormones, low satiety Sam's experience with a low carb diet: low energy for training, PCOS Why we don't seem to do well with extremes How to factor in satiety Meeting your fat intake minimum (1g per kg of BW) Meeting your protein intake minimum (1g per lb of BW) Why partitioning/budgeting your macros properly matters most during a fat-loss phase Research will never tell us what *everyone* should do The importance of trial and error Fat-loss never comes down to cutting out a macronutrient The intersection of toxic diet culture Why we all deserve the ability to feed ourselves with ease & confidence How it always comes back to no extremes, just the unsexy combination of balance & moderation The power of habit Why we all need a manageable level of cognitive restraint If weight loss were easy - our species wouldn't exist Looking for coaching? Hit the link & apply: https://www.five-elements.ca/contactus Follow Us on Instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin

Coach Dylan & Coach Sam do a deep dive on the role of boundaries within our health and fitness journeys. They get into the research on the impact of neglecting our boundaries during the holidays, and discuss the importance of figuring out where your personal boundaries lie so you can better uphold them. Roses & Thorns: Dylan's love for punch buggy, disdain for change and the challenge of self-worth Sam's big rosy-thorn reframe: life expectations, hardship, and being repeatedly “thrown from the nest” The importance of gratitude The Big Boundary Chat Holidays are a loaded gun, full of food + family Why weight gain over the holidays is so common How dieting during this season might be more detrimental than maintaining "The Effect of the Holiday Season on Weight Gain: a Narrative Review" The impact of utilizing some measure of cognitive restraint How the role of support might be the difference between success & setback The surprising role environment plays in our behaviour: the difference between friction & ease Sometimes support is the people in your life: the importance of community & feeling understood Why navigating the holidays used to be Sam's nightmare: the family commentary surrounding body image, weight, & food choices Changing the dynamic of relationship as we experience personal change Why those closest to us feel resistant to seeing us change The difference between personal boundaries + relational boundaries, internal boundaries + external boundaries Why setting a boundary isn't nearly as challenging as upholding the boundary The harm in commenting on someone's body or weight Why the holidays are exceptionally hard for those suffering with disorders eating The harm in commenting on what or how much someone's eating What to do when people can't seem to understand your lifestyle choices The necessity of being willing to disappoint others when you say no and stand up for you It's not our job to control the way people receive our boundaries Honouring the hunger & fullness scale (the RPE of your stomach) to be more mindful + intuitive The problem with teaching children they can't leave the table until they've finished all the food on their plate Setting boundaries inside your home, in relationship with your equal partner Why Dylan's pseudonym is "The Boundary Pusher" or "The Cupboard Hunter" When it's time to take away the scale Being a product of your environment Alcohol as a personal boundary When there's room to compromise on a boundary: the difference between rigidity & flexibility Intentionally scaling back on fitness goals during the holidays Upholding boundaries to make sure you're getting enough: it's not just about weight loss The importance of taking stock in order to set boundaries: finding out what means most to you, what your goals are, who you want to be "We don't rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems" - James Clear Why having boundaries can lead to less guilt & less resentment Happy Holidays from us to you. Enjoy them, guilt free! Looking for coaching? Hit the link & apply: https://www.five-elements.ca/contactus Follow Us on Instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin

Coach Dylan & Coach Sam dive into another listener Q&A this week. Thank you to our wonderful audience for the questions! On This Episode, We Cover Roses & Thorns: - Dylan's failed attempt at maintenance & finding a reprieve in therapy - Sam's navigating the heartache of an aging family & finding joy in small moments with the fur babies The Q&A: 1. What's an exercise you used to hate, but now love & why? - the impact of movement dogma & chasing perfection - the importance of biomechanics - individuality/structural anatomy 2. What are you guys most proud of since starting your fitness journey? - learning how to delay gratification & the benefits of slow progress - self reinvention, the power of identity, finding a lifestyle you love & changing your habits - the cost of weight maintenance - the power of education & support 3. What was your career before fitness? - how working in a career Dylan didn't love propelled him to find his passion - how Sam's passion for helping people overtook her passion for interior design - finding a greater sense of purpose + fulfillment - the limitations of helping someone change 4. What is your favourite thing about one another outside of work? - why Sam loves & hates Dylan's enormous heart - the problem with having a heart as big as Dylan's - the quiet power of intuition - Sam's dark, unfiltered, dry & sarcastic sense of humour - harnessing the snarky nihilist within 5. Tips for managing binge eating - the benefit of eating on a regular schedule/circadian rhythm - why under-eating always leads to the over-eating cycle - why journalling might be a helpful strategy, especially in combination with therapy - how community & support can be one of the best tools in your toolbox - the impact of habit, routine & environment - how chronically dieting can dysregulate your hormones and lead to bingeing 6. What's the difference between the varieties of protein power? - whey protein isolate, whey protein, casein protein, plant protein - why collagen protein falls short in comparison to standardized protein powder - how collagen protein doesn't trigger muscle protein synthesis - protein powder for people with lactose intolerance - why it's worth taking the time to find a product you love Looking for coaching? Hit the link & apply: https://www.five-elements.ca/contactus Follow Us on Instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin

Coach Dylan & Coach Sam dive deep into the world of fitness and restrictive eating. They explore whether or not you can get to a placed of being fully "healed" - a question posed by their lovely friend, @helenejafine. *WARNING* For the love of all things good and holy, please do not misconstrue this as medical advice. We are in no way shape or form experts in this field - we are merely speaking from our own perspectives. We are also *not* talking about clinically diagnosable eating disorders, and if this is a category you fall into, we highly encourage you to work with a professional (read: not a health or fitness coach - rather a therapist and/or medical practitioner) Should you be triggered by this topic, PLEASE tune out for this episode. We covered: 1. Roses and Thorns: Sam's grief, Dylan's dissociation, navigating relationship conflict and celebrating progress. 2. Restrictive eating impacts people across a broad spectrum, and you can't tell who based off of appearance. 3. Dylan's story: the binge restrict cycle, emotionally regulating with food, patterns in behaviour & coping mechanisms 4. *Brain fart: ignore the use of the word calamity :) 5. The broadened spectrum of disordered eating being acknowledged as problematic vs. the binary boxes of clinical eating disorders 6. Sam's story: orthorexia, body dysmorphia, under-eating & over-training. 7. Acknowledging & identifying body image triggers: comments, scales, 8. Being honest with yourself: is my behaviour serving me? 9. The impact of stress: stress eating & stress restricting 10. The practice of acknowledging a thought, and not reacting to it 11. How education can help teach you the consequences of your behaviour 12. Making better promises to yourself & keeping them 13. The danger of "I'll be happy, when..." 14. The power of vulnerability, sharing & community 15. Relapses, food fear, exposure and building self-trust 16. The things you miss out on while nurturing restrictive eating habits 17. The difference in behaviour in isolation vs. in habit 18. Your mind decides, your body follows 19. THERAPY, psychology & the impact of childhood 20. Where Sam's at today: acknowledging the voice in your head as a red flag & something to pay attention to, but not to act on 21. Where Dylan's at today: compounding complex emotions into the simple box of "feeling fat" 22. From fitness experts, clients and friends: being recovered doesn't necessarily mean being healed If you're interested in being coached by us, please head over to www.five-elements.ca Follow us on instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Recommendation for disordered eating/athletes: @reneemcgregor Post-production, music, & overall wizardry by @gonathanjavin in deep gratitude

Coach Dylan & Coach Sam dive into a listener Q&A this week. Thank you to our wonderful audience for the questions! We Cover: 1. Tips for Beginners at Tracking Macros - why it's a helpful educational tool - the importance of pre-planning meals - why eye balling portion size can be detrimental 2. How We Met - we cannot agree on this. Good luck listening - the benefits of "right place, right time" & being an opportunist 3. Can You Live at Maintenance Calories? - why Sam thinks maintenance is "beautiful" - how the traditional of model of bulking + cutting might be more detrimental than beneficial depending on the individual - why slow progress is the best kind of progress - the research behind body recomposition - the impact of bulking + cutting on mental health/mindset 4. Signs of Overtraining - how to identify the point of diminishing returns & negative returns - the significance of RED-S & low energy availability in female and male athletes - the impact of stress accumulation Follow Us on Instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin

In the third episode of the podcast, Coach Dylan & Coach Sam take a deep dive on the importance of goal setting. Some of the topics we cover: 1. The vulnerability that setting goals requires 2. How aimless we can be in our process if we don't know what our goals are 3. The difference between the on / off switch vs. turning the dial up / down 4. SMART goals & why we love them 5. The difference in driving forces behind our goals 6. Micro goals vs. macro goals & the importance of chunking it down 7. The problem with using numbers as feedback of either success or failure 8. Why having competing goals never goes the way you think it will 9. How your environment can determine your success or failure + setting boundaries 10. Anti-goals: what you don't want can help you determine what you do 11. The importance of peeling back the curtain and developing self-awareness 12. The impact of societal pressure or validation on body image & self-worth 13. Self-loathing vs. self-love: how the path to achieving your goals can be a punishment 14. You're chasing a feeling, not a result 15. Why you should have goals outside of fat-loss For coaching inquiries, head over to www.five-elements.ca Follow us on Instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin @gonathanjavin

In the second episode of the podcast, Coach Dylan & Coach Sam share the top mistakes they made in their ‘fitness journeys' that taught them valuable lessons. Mistake #1: not eating enough Mistake #2: overly focusing on the scale Mistake #3: being a weekend warrior Mistake #4: soft boundaries & the impact of environment on behaviour Mistake #5: not following a structured program Mistake #6: overtraining Mistake #7: getting fancy & chasing complexity Mistake #8: not having specific goals Mistake #9: lacking & misunderstanding intensity Mistake #10: all or nothing mindset, impatience, self sabotage & f*ck it mode For coaching inquiries, head over to www.five-elements.ca Follow us on Instagram: Coach Dylan @coach_dylandacosta Coach Sam @fiveelementscoaching Post-production, music & overall wizardry by Jonathan Gavin

A little introductory conversational episode about us + what to expect from the podcast. Topics Covered: How Dylan got into fitness How Sam got into fitness What the Five Elements are & why they're important Why discipline isn't the backbone of long-term change "You're not chasing a body, you're chasing a feeling" Why eat less + move more is over simplified advice & can be dangerous to Type A personalities What to expect: Q&A's, myth busts, interviews with other professionals & researchers, solo episodes breaking down research (Dylan) and focusing on women's health/physiology (Sam)