Hey Mama, You and I both know losing weight & living a healthy is about the food but it's not really about the food. We have been conditioned from a young age to conform into these tightly wound up balls of untruths, processes and ideals that are not ou
Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resourcesPlanyway
Mama,Women have been taught for years that the key to weight loss is to eat less and exercise more. And for generations, we've followed that advice. But Mama, let me ask you a question; How's that working for you? Have restrictive diets gotten you to your goals? Has spending hours working out worked? It didn't work for me! I stuck with it for years and never reached my goals! It took shifting my perspective and eating more food for me to finally lose the baby weight!The science behind eating less and moving more to lose weight isn't wrong, but most women misunderstand it! You should only cut calories if you're already overeating. But most women who've been dieting for years aren't overeating. They're undereating.If you've been trying to follow a 1,200-calorie diet for months or years, then you're most likely undereating! And if you undereat for too long your body stops losing weight because it needs the nutrients!However, what do women usually do when their weight plateaus? They dig in deeper, cut more calories, or do extra workouts to be in a bigger calorie deficit.The problem is that you're just creating more stress on your body, so it stores even more fat!It's a vicious cycle! But the best way to break it is to understand where you're at in your nutrition and then decide if it's time to increase your food intake to repair your metabolism.How to know if you're undereatingSome signs of undereating are easy to spot. You'll probably feel tired. You may experience hair loss and your skin may begin to wrinkle or look duller as you deplete collagen. Undereating can be the source of low energy, brain fog and headaches.Other symptoms of undereating are less visible. When your body is starved for fuel, it starts to break down muscle and organ tissue. Your immune system becomes weaker, so you're more likely to become sick. You may also develop osteoporosis or anemia. It can even affect your mood!As we've already talked about, your weight might plateau or you might start gaining weight. Your metabolism has slowed down to conserve energy and undereating is actually having the opposite effect that you want.You really should only diet, or eat in a calorie deficit, for a few months at a time. If you've been dieting for more than 3 months that could be a big reason you're struggling to lose any more weight. To kickstart your metabolism again, you're going to need to slowly increase your calorie intake.How to increase your food without gaining weightIt's not as easy as it sounds to eat more food. A lot of times we swing so far into undereating that we end up overcorrecting when it comes time to increase our food. But the key to losing weight while eating more is to live between the two extremes.The best thing you can do to live a healthier life is to invest in nutrition education. When you start to understand how your body processes food and what balance looks like for yourself it changes everything! Inside my Macros Made Easy Program, I teach busy mamas exactly how to do this! If you want a detailed plan designed just for you, check out my program.For now, I'm going to give you a few easy tips to start increasing your food that won't make you put on fat in the process.Start tracking what you eatFood accountability is the most important part of a healthy lifestyle. The best way to be accountable for your food choices is to start tracking what you eat every day.I always advise my clients to track their normal eating patterns for a week before they try to make any adjustments. Doing this will help you to make changes that keep you from gaining weight. But if you try to “be good” instead of accountable for your current choices, then you'll end up skewing your data and messing up your results.Instead of hiding your late-night cookies and ice cream, own it! Once you start seeing what you're eating, or not eating, you can decide if it's serving you or hurting you.Increase protein firstProtein is one of the most satiating macros. It will keep you fuller longer and it plays a role in literally every part of our bodies, including the production of new cells. Our bodies need so much more protein than we give them!Include protein in each meal and snack. If you need high-protein ideas check out my guide on High-Protein foods to have on hand. I share some of my family's favorite protein foods in that post! It's seriously gold!Keeping quick and easy sources of protein on hand will make upping your protein so much easier!Determine if you want big or small mealsSome people like to eat a lot and some people don't like a big meal. You need to know which kind of person you are so that you can figure out how to get the nutrients you need without feeling deprived or like you're eating all day.If you are a volume eater (you like a lot of food on your plate) you can eat fewer, bigger meals. This usually means eating lower-calorie foods so you can have more of them. For example, if you're eating a burrito bowl you'll want it to fill your whole plate. So you could add a lot of lettuce and chicken, but then go lighter on higher calorie foods like rice, guacamole, cheese, etc. You'll still get the feeling that you're eating a lot because you filled the plate with lower-calorie foods.However, if you don't enjoy eating a lot of food you can eat higher-calorie foods. Taking the same burrito bowl example, you could load up on rice, chicken, guac and cheese but have a smaller portion of it. That way you're getting all the calories you need in but you don't have to stuff yourself.Don't cut out carbs or fatCarbs and fat are always made out to be the villains, but they aren't! Carbs and fat play essential roles in a healthy diet. And they aren't going to make you fat as long as you eat them responsibly!Carbs are your body's first source of energy. You need them to power your brain and give you the energy to get up off the couch, so don't avoid them! Whole foods are the best place to start if you've avoided carbs for a while. But you can have a slice of bread or a bowl of pasta without gaining weight! Again, it comes back to being accountable for your carbs!The same goes for fat. Women need fat to sustain healthy hormones and to lock moisture into our hair, skin and nails. Fat doesn't make you fat, but it's best to shoot for more nutritious forms of fat. Avocados, nuts, seeds, cheese and dark chocolate are all great sources of fat!Mama, if you've lived with the idea that less food equals less weight, but you aren't seeing the results you want, then it's time to change your perspective. Because you can eat more and lose weight. I can help guide you through that process because I know it can be scary.I can't tell you how many times I've stunned my clients by increasing their carbs and having them drop weight that's been stuck for years! It always starts with apprehension and turns into excitement as they add things like bagels, pasta or even just a slice of bread back into their diets!If you want to learn how to eat more and lose weight then let's talk. Schedule a healthy mama blueprint call with me to see how I can help you lose weight and rebalance your diet.Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,One of the things I hate about traditional diets is the idea that you can't go out to eat, or that you can't eat anything fun because you're dieting. I'm a busy mom and I honestly don't want to cook dinner every night - not to mention I'm out running kids to practices until like 9 p.m. most nights. Sometimes I need to run through the drive-thru! That being said, I don't want to gain weight just for one night of eating out. And I don't! I cracked the code on how to eat out at restaurants without gaining weight!Mama, It's 100% possible to enjoy a night out, to eat foods you love and to stay on track with your diet. It's all about balance!Whether you need to grab Chick-fil-A on your way to the next kids' practice, you want to go out for date night with the hubby or you just want to grab lunch with a friend I'm going to show you how to eat out without gaining weight!Have a plan before you head to the restaurantI know I'm going to sound like a broken record, but having a plan is the best way to stick to your health goals and avoid gaining extra weight when you go out.Every night I plan out my meals for the next day, especially when I know I'm going out to eat. That way I can enjoy my meal out without stressing about how it will affect my weight.I always start by planning my biggest meal for the day. If I'm going out to eat out, then that's the meal I start with and after that's in, I plan the rest of my meals around that meal out.For example, if I'm going out on a date with my husband, I'll look over the menu of the restaurant we want to go to and I'll choose my meal.When I'm eating out I like to think about two things:What do I really want to eat?How can I get the most protein at this meal?Eating out should be fun! Don't get a salad because you think it's what you're “supposed to do.” Look at the menu and order something that's going to make you happy!If that's some fettuccine alfredo, a burrito or a burger, that's fine! All of those are acceptable choices!However, once you've decided what you want, you should try to think about how to get the most protein at that meal!Protein is one of the most undereaten macros, but it's also one that our bodies need a lot of!If you're getting the alfredo, add some grilled chicken on the side! Can you get a steak burrito that has a lot of protein? Can you add extra protein to your meal at all?Once you've decided on your main course, take a look at your sides too! How can you balance your meal? A burger is going to be higher in fat, so maybe instead of traditional fries can you add fresh fruit or veggies to your meal.Once your meal is planned out, fill in the rest of your day. You may have to adjust what you normally eat to allow for the meal out.For example, one of my clients told me about how she had been craving Taco Bell for days, and she finally decided to make it work in her meal plan.She wanted two foods that were going to be fairly high in carbs and fat. So she put them into her meal plan and then ended up needing to eat some high-protein, low-fat foods the rest of the day to make it work. So, she put a big bowl of fat-free, Greek Yogurt in her meal plan and was able to eat at Taco Bell without throwing off all of her goals.I'm going to say it one more time, if you have a plan, you can do anything with your food!Don't let food guilt get to youThere's a lot of food guilt around eating out or indulging in food that has been deemed “bad.” But Mama, let me ask you a question, why is that food you want to eat bad?Probably because someone else told you it was! Food isn't “good” or “bad.” Sure, some food is more nutritious for you than others, but if you love something and it brings you joy - even if it's full of sugar - then that food serves a purpose.Sometimes we eat food to nourish our bodies and sometimes we eat it to nourish our souls! Going out to eat doesn't have to be something you feel guilty about! I actually believe it's healthy to eat out so that we can enjoy things beyond food!Spending time with people over a meal is a great thing for our mental and emotional health. When you learn how to drop food guilt and embrace making the best decision for the situation, you're going to feel so much better mentally and physically!One other thing that makes us feel food guilt is when decadent food doesn't live up to our expectations.Maybe you ordered something that sounded amazing, but after the first few bites, it didn't live up to your ideals. You just spent money on it so you feel like you have to eat it.But you don't.Because your body is not a garbage can.Growing up, my parents taught me not to waste food. Anytime I didn't want to eat something, they pulled out the old "there are starving kids in Africa" guilt trip.For years, I lived with this guilt anytime I didn't want to eat something or couldn't finish a meal - especially if I was eating out. So, I'd ignore the full feeling I was getting and power through until my plate was clean.And then I'd feel gross and I'd be mad that I hated my meal.It took me a while to learn that being a human trash can wasn't something to be proud of! It was hurting my health!Eating food that doesn't satisfy your mind or your body is just going to lead you down a road of shame and regret and that's going to take you even further away from your goals. And it does not help a hungry child. It does not help somebody in a third-world country who is hungry. It only hurts you.Instead of forcing yourself to eat food that isn't hitting the spot, don't eat it! You might waste a little bit of money, but you're going to save your health in the process!Remember, one off meal won't ruin your resultsJust like eating one salad doesn't allow us to lose 10 pounds, eating outside of our boundaries for one meal won't make you gain 10 pounds.That being said, after eating out you may see the scale jump up for a bit. This does not mean you gained fat!Let me repeat that for the mamas who have been trained to freak out when the scale goes up (It's me, I'm that mama.)Just because the scale moved up a day or two after eating out does not mean you gained fat.The scale will move up for a few reasons, but fat gain is most likely not one of them.When we eat out we usually consume more sodium, which causes us to hold onto extra water, and that shows up on the scale.If you drank alcohol, your body is still processing that out. In order to process out alcohol, the body has to stop burning fat. So it may increase your scale weight for a few days - again not a fat increase; just your body doing its thing.To gain a pound of fat you would have to eat 3,500 calories per week. It takes repetition to put on weight, which is why the best way to avoid gaining weight when eating out is to simply go back to your normal eating at the next meal.Most people think they've ruined all their results or fallen off the bandwagon when they eat out. But if you follow the advice I've given you here, you'll be able to eat out without “falling off the bandwagon,” without feeling bad or guilty, and without gaining fat.If you aren't sure what your normal eating should look like to lose weight, then let's chat! I help busy mamas understand their nutritional needs so they can lose weight without having to cook separate meals from their families, eat boring diet foods, or take diet pills or shakes.All you have to do is schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint call and I'll help you get on a personalized plan to reach your health goals! Let's do this, Mama!Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Spring break is just around the corner and I don't want you to get stuck in the typical vacation cycle.The typical vacation dieting cycle looks something like this:Before vacation, you start restricting yourself. You cut your calories, you spend hours trying to burn extra calories. You lose 5, 10 maybe 15 pounds if you're lucky.Then, you go on vacation and you eat and drink your little heart out. You say yes to everything you've been saying no to for the last few weeks. You have so much fun and love every bite of food.Then you get home. And you hop on the scale only to watch it go up, up, up. Not only did you gain back all the weight you'd lost before vacation but there's an extra five pounds just as an extra little vacation present. *eye roll*And you're frustrated. Because you spend so much time and energy losing weight only to have it come back with a vengeance. Now, you have two options, go back to that diet that drove you crazy, or give up.And giving up sounds so much easier! So you do it. Until your next vacation or event that forces you to diet again.Mama, I used to be stuck in this cycle too. I was stuck in this cycle for years!I would restrict, restrict, restrict myself so I'd look just right in my bikini before we'd go on a trip. And then, over the five days we were gone, I'd stuff myself. I'd indulge in everything I had told myself not to eat for weeks, and I'd drink until I wanted to hop on the bar and dance.I thought this was the perfect arrangement! Diet for a while, and then go on vacation and cut loose! It seemed easier than trying to eat healthy all the time.I thought the fun of vacation eating was worth the restrictive diets and extreme self-control. But I ended up having to do it again, and again, and again and I never moved forward. I was stuck in this frustrating loop and had no idea how to get out of it!It wasn't until I learned about nutrition and how it didn't have to be miserable or restrictive that I was able to lose weight, go on vacation, enjoy myself and not gain weight.Mama, we're heading into spring break which for most of us means some sort of vacation. And I want to give you this freedom! I want you to go on vacation with your kiddos and have a blast without gaining 10 lbs.So, I'm going to give you four seriously easy steps to go on vacation for spring break where you can have fun and be healthy!Plan meals & snacks for spring breakThe first step is always to make a plan. If you want to stay on track with your nutrition, then you have to have a plan.I know planning your meals and snacks for vacation doesn't sound fun, but trust me, from one busy mama to another, it's so worth it!When I go on vacation for spring break, I don't want to think. I spend 90% of the year thinking, planning, organizing and scheduling. So when I go on vacation, I want a break from that.Unfortunately, vacation calories count just as much as at-home calories so unless I want to undo all my hard work, I still need to think about what I'm eating.But, if I think about it ahead of time, then I can still take a break on vacation!Before spring break, I'll plan out exactly what and how much I'll eat at every meal, but when I'm on vacation I want more flexibility. Instead of making exact plans, I'll make a basic outline and try to stick to that.I always try to start my vacation breakfast with lots of protein. I do this for two reasons.Starting your day with protein will help curb cravings for the rest of the day. This helps me make better choices throughout the day even if I go off plan.It leaves more flexibility for eating out later in the day! If I've had plenty of protein early in the day I feel more comfortable having fun with my food later in the day.After I have breakfast planned, I can decide if we're going to eat out for lunch, dinner or both. If the answer is both, then I try to choose healthier options at the restaurant; subbing out fries for fresh fruit, or getting grilled chicken instead of fried.If we're only eating out for one meal I'll allow myself to have more freedom with my meal out. I still try to eat something more nutritious for my other meal, but I still make sure to have fun with it!I also like to plan out a few snacks each day so that I can snack without going too crazy. I like to try and sneak in some extra protein so I'll pack protein bars or protein shakes with me. I also love to enjoy fresh fruit and veggies on vacation so I'll plan to have those as snacks as well.The goal is to eat well 80% of the time and then have more decadent, fun foods 20% of the time. If you can get this balance down on vacation, you'll be able to have fun without gaining a ton of weight!Prepare your food before leaving for vacationAgain, I want to actually be able to relax on vacation, so I take time before vacation to prepare anything I want to eat on vacation.If you're driving, then prep for your trip by making a quick grocery run for anything you want to take with you and then pack it in a cooler and throw it in the car!If you're flying somewhere, then you can pack a few things or grab groceries when you get to your destination. I love to use grocery pickup when I'm traveling because I can land, grab groceries on the way to the hotel, and then I'm ready to go once we check in!Whenever we travel, I try to make sure all of our snacks are prepped ahead of time too! If you have baggies of fruits & veggies ready to go or yogurt cups in the fridge, it's easy to grab that instead of hitting up the vending machine - plus my kids don't have to bug me every time they're hungry! There's already food ready to go for them.Even though it takes a little bit more work, prepping things before you go on a trip is absolutely worth it! In the long run, It's going to save you money, and time so that you can spend your vacation relaxing instead of feeding everyone! And Mama, you deserve that!Protect your plan so you protect your goalsLike we talked about earlier, the “vacation calories don't count” or “just let loose” mindset is almost second nature for most of us. If you have that mindset, then you need to prioritize protecting your plan.Protecting your nutritional plan is going to be hard. I wish it was easy, but because so many people think that letting go on vacation is the best way to live, you're going to face a lot of peer pressure to eat outside of your plans or to drink more than you told yourself you would.I want you to think of yourself as a teenager when you're faced with these challenges. If you were talking to a teenager what would you say when their friends tried to get them to do something they didn't want to?Would you say, “Yeah, give in! Do what your friends want you to do! It's not that big of a deal!”Or would you say, “Hey, it's OK to not go with the grain. It's OK to make choices that are best for you, even when it's not what everyone else is doing.”I bet it's the latter one. That advice is good for our kids and it's good for us too - even if our kids or spouse are the ones pressuring us.Because Mama, no one else has to live in your body! No one else is going to have to live with the hangover you will have if you over-drink. No one else is going to feel uncomfortable, bloated and gross if you overeat.You're the one who has to deal with the consequences, so you should get to be the one who makes the choices.One thing I love about learning to protect your nutrition is the lesson it teaches you: that you can trust yourself.I used to use excuses like “Oh, I just couldn't help myself” or “It was too good to stop eating” to justify why I broke my promise to myself to not overeat or over-drink. But any time I used that excuse I was left feeling guilty and frustrated and usually a few pounds heavier.When I started to protect my nutrition I realized that I was in full control. I could stop whenever I wanted. I could eat what I wanted. And because I was in control I didn't have to deal with the consequences like I had before. And I'm so much better off for it! Because I know how to enjoy myself without going too far.Get back on track ASAPI've saved the best for last! This is the most important part of having a healthy and fun spring break: you need to get back to your normal eating as soon as you get home!The reason that most people gain weight over vacation isn't because they ate outside of their normal boundaries for a week. It's that they don't stop eating that way when they get home!Traveling in and of itself can cause weight fluctuation. Flying or driving can cause you to retain water and that will show up as a weight increase on the scale. That being said, you probably didn't gain fat.However, when people step on the scale after a vacation and see that increase they get frustrated or annoyed and throw in the towel.Instead of getting back on track and seeing that weight come back down, they keep eating like they're still on vacation and that weight never goes away.Which is how you get stuck in that yo-yo dieting cycle I talked about before.To avoid this I have my clients do two things:Don't weigh up for a few days after vacation. Typically I recommend waiting a week. This gives your body time to come back to normal after eating out and traveling.Get back to your normal eating at your first meal home. When you get back to your normal eating as soon as you get back you don't let your brain freak out and convince you to give up.One of the best ways to get back on track once you're home is to have a meal plan already in place.I like to put in a grocery order for pickup when I'm on my way home so I have fresh, healthy groceries as soon as I get home. Another great option is to have a meal in the freezer so that when you get home you can whip something up that is a normal meal for you.However you choose to do it, getting back on track as soon as possible is the best way to not let your vacation eating trickle into your real life.I've given you the exact steps I teach inside my Macros Made Easy Program to help busy mamas lose weight without feeling restricted. But if you need help learning how to implement these tips and have some accountability on your weight loss journey, then let me help you!My blogs, podcasts and social media channels are great for providing basic advice, but mama you aren't basic! Your nutritional needs are not going to be the same as anyone else's so if the free advice I share here isn't enough for you, then schedule a Healthy Mama Blueprint Call. We can chat about where you're at and where you want to go.Then, when you join the Macros Made Easy Program I'll create a customized plan that will get you to your goals. And we'll work together to help you learn how to do things like going on vacation without gaining weight! Schedule your free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call today!Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,I hate talking about willpower. It's one of those words that instantly turns people off because they feel like they don't have it. “I don't have the willpower to stick to a diet! I love cookies too much,” or “I don't have the willpower to wake up before my kids,” or “I don't have the willpower to get to the gym every day, it's just too tough.” However, I know I need to talk to you about willpower because it's so misunderstood!From my experience as a young mom, and talking to hundreds of moms, I've learned one of the biggest problems mamas face with our health is mindless snacking.Whether that's grabbing an Oreo from the sleeve every time you pass through the kitchen, eating bites of leftover mac and cheese when you're clearing your kids' plates, or mindlessly eating a whole bag of chips at the end of the night, snacking is hurting your health.And I bet you've tried everything under the sun to stop snacking.You did a kitchen clean out and threw out all the “bad” foods.You tried to get the kids to trash their food before bringing their plates to the sink. (This one never works, but it's a valiant effort! Bahaha!)You stopped buying chips, cookies and ice cream.You punished yourself when you ate snacks.But none of it worked. And you probably thought, I just don't have the willpower to do it. And you were right! You didn't have the willpower.Because willpower is a belief. The secret to having willpower is believing that you're capable of it!You have to start believing that you have willpowerI talk about thoughts and feelings a lot, and for a really good reason: everything, literally everything starts with a thought.Quick caveat, I'm about to talk a lot about chips and how to avoid mindless snacking on them, but that doesn't mean that chips are bad. They're not good either. They're neutral. They're food. So you can eat them, or you don't have to. This is just an example! We'll go into this later but food accountability is more important than good vs. bad foods!Ok, back to our example.Before you put a single chip in your mouth, you have to have several thoughts.Thought 1: “Ooo, chips!”Thought 2: “That sounds good!”Thought 3: “Should I get a bowl or eat straight from the bag?”Thought 4: “Nah, I'll just grab a handful.”Thought 5: “Oops! Better pick that chip off the floor before the baby gets it.”Small, simple thoughts lead to bigger actions and results than we realize. “Ooo chips!” was a small, insignificant thought. But it can lead to eating a whole bag of chips, the result of which is gaining weight!If you want to have more willpower, then you have to start paying attention to how your small thoughts are causing unwanted results. Then you need to flip that and use your small thoughts to create the results you want!If you want to increase your willpower, start filling your brain with thoughts that result in more willpower!Now, Mama, I'm not going to leave you alone to create new thoughts on your own because that's harder than it sounds! It takes practice to start controlling your thoughts. But I want to help you get started.Here are a few new thoughts or affirmations that you can use to increase your willpower around snacking.I'm strong enough to eat the foods that will help me reach my goals.That sounds good, but it's not in alignment with my goals.I'll have that later if I'm still craving it.I'm in charge here, and I'd rather have something that fills me up.I've already made a plan, and this food isn't in it. I'll have it tomorrow instead.Chips are great, but they're not what I need right now.I'm listening to my body and while chips sound good, I know that it's craving something more substantial.The key to using these affirmations is picking something that sounds true right now, and building on it.Right now, “I'm strong enough to eat the foods that will help me reach my goals.” might not feel true to you. You might feel really weak around snack foods. So try, “I'll have that later if I'm still craving it.” instead.As you get used to thinking, I don't need that snack food/craving food right now, you'll grow into some of the stronger affirmations. Taking this bit by bit is how you're going to create the willpower to stop mindlessly snacking!How will we do that?Set boundaries around snacking to increase your willpowerNow that we've covered the mental part of willpower, I want you to start creating physical boundaries so that you can implement your willpower!I want to start with food accountability. When we first started talking today, I mentioned how you may have done a kitchen clean out, stopped buying snacks or treats, you get it. Those things didn't work for you because you thought you needed to restrict your access to snacks.But you don't.Weight loss and general health aren't about restriction, it's about moderation. Being able to enjoy things like chips, cookies, ice cream, whatever you love without having to eat it all.When I started macro tracking with my own macro coach, she told me to include a treat in my day. And it stunned me.I thought I was supposed to sacrifice everything to lose weight. I thought losing weight should be difficult and as close to miserable as you could get.I thought I needed to eat salads, boiled chicken and broccoli for every meal.When my coach told me to eat a bagel or have an ice cream sandwich (my favorite treat at the time) it didn't sound right.But the truth is that all those restrictive diets I'd done for YEARS hadn't gotten me any close to my goals. So I was willing to try something new and I had the ice cream sandwich.But, and this is key, I made it work within my nutritional boundaries.I didn't eat 5 ice cream sandwiches. I didn't avoid them until it drove me so crazy that I had to binge eat them. I just planned for it.And because it was a part of my nutritional plan I was able to enjoy my treat without feeling bad about it AND I lost weight.Food accountability is about owning up to your choices and making them fit into your boundaries instead of ignoring the fact that you ate something “bad.”And I say “bad” with quotation marks because food isn't good or bad! Food doesn't make choices, it's just food. It's neutral.Yes, some food is more nutritious than others but that doesn't make it bad. All food has its place in our diets. Sometimes food is just fun and tastes good and that's ok!As long as you're accountable for it you can have it! And I've seen time and time again that the women who hold themselves accountable for their food choices have so much more success than the women who try to ignore or hide it.So how do you know what your boundaries are?That's the part no one ever teaches you, right?Everyone says “eat in moderation” but what the heck does that mean?The hard thing is it's different for everyone. You have to learn how much food makes you lose weight, gain weight and maintain weight. And then you can make choices that fit into those boundaries.I can't tell you right now exactly how much you should be eating because there are so many factors that play into that. (Height, weight, exercise levels, age, gender, dieting history, Mindset, old habits thoughts and patterns etc.) But you can learn more about your nutrition needs inside my program, Macros Made Easy, or if you prefer a DIY method, check out my ebook!Learning about your nutritional needs is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health! Especially if you've been dieting for years and you're still struggling to reach your goals!The coolest part about learning what your nutritional boundaries are is being able to enjoy foods you've deemed bad or off-limits!I had a client who loved Wheat Thins crackers, but along her health journey she decided she couldn't eat them because they were “bad.” But after being in my program she learned that Wheat Thins weren't bad, she just didn't understand how many to eat or how to fit them into her diet.Now they're always stocked in her pantry and she can eat a few as part of her lunch without feeling bad about it! She's able to reach her goals and eat the food she loves.If you are tired of restricting your favorite snacks but still want to lose weight, let's chat! Schedule a Healthy Mama Blueprint call and together we'll discover your nutritional boundaries!Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Being a mom is amazing. I love it. But if we could get super honest for a minute, there are a few things that have been difficult about being a mom, and losing my libido was one of them. It's hard to feel sexy and in the mood when you're knee-deep in dirty diapers, sleep-deprived, and don't recognize your body anymore.When I first started losing weight, looking good naked and improving my libido were at the top of my list. I was so tired of feeling fluffy and frumpy. I wanted to feel strong and confident again.And while losing weight, and putting on muscle helped me look better it didn't completely fix my desire problems. So, I did what we all do, I hopped on Google and searched “how to increase my libido.”I got lists and lists of things to eat to improve my drive; like dark chocolate to increase endorphins and beets to increase blood flow.However, upon further research, I was going to have to be eating chocolate and beets by the truckload to see any benefits.When I realized that adding a few libido-boosting foods into my diet wasn't going to do the trick, I gave up on Google and went to get real help.I got together with my friend, Dr. Kris Wallace, a naturopathic physician who specializes in balancing hormones in men, women and adolescents, and we found four proven strategies to increase your libido - no aphrodisiacs needed!1. Make sure your hormones are in orderTricks and hacks only go so far. If you want to increase your libido then you need to know what's going on inside your body. That means going to the doctor and having your hormones tested.Testosterone is the most common cause of low libido in women. If your testosterone is low, or any other essential hormones, your doctor can help you find the right solution.I do recommend working with a naturopath because, in my experience, naturopathic doctors aren't looking to give you a quick fix. They want to help you understand your body and will help you get to the root of the problem.Once you've gotten a plan from your doctor to rebalance your hormones, you can implement these behavior changes that will also improve your sex drive.Have a heart-healthy dietDiet plays a huge part in your overall health and sexual drive. If you want to have a healthy libido, then you need to be focusing on more than aphrodisiacs. You need to have a healthy diet all the time! I've narrowed down three areas of your diet that can improve your sex-life.Omega 3 Fatty AcidFat plays an important role in balancing hormones. This is why getting enough fat is essential to a healthy sex drive. Omega 3 Fatty Acids, a type of fat, have been shown to help men and women improve sexual desire.Omega 3's reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. Inflammation and oxidative stress cause damage to blood vessels and nerves necessary for sexual function.Most people use supplements to reach their Omega 3 goals, but it's also naturally found in fish.FiberFiber is great for keeping you regular, but did you know that it can help improve the three biggest sex-homrones: estrogen, DHT and testosterone too?Fiber helps bind a molecule called the sex hormone-binding globulin to estrogen, DHT and testosterone. When fiber binds to the globulin, it leaves behind more testosterone which increases libido!Fiber is found in carbs like leafy greens, beans and lentils, fruits and berries, vegetables, oatmeal, and other whole grains. Which means you need to be eating complex carbs as a part of your healthy diet!ProteinProtein can help increase testosterone levels and like fiber, protein binds to the sex hormone-binding globulin.Chicken, beef and pork are all great sources of protein. Vegetarians can also find nutrients to improve libido in whole grains, and dairy products like milk and cheese.When you aim for a balanced diet, you'll see that your hormones stay at optimal levels and your libido will increase.In honor of Valentine's Day coming up, I wanted to create a healthy, libido-boosting dinner menu! So I put together a free guide with three different dinner options. You can grab it in my free Facebook group, Busy Mom Simple Nutrition.2. Get enough sleepAnother huge part of a healthy libido is getting enough sleep! Sleep is usually one of the first things busy moms give up to do everything else on their plates, but if you want to feel sexier, you have to start prioritizing it!Sleep plays a vital role in sex-drive because when we're sleeping, our bodies are repairing themselves and our hormones are recouping!If you know that you're lacking in sleep, then create a bedtime and a bedtime routine for yourself! Plan out when you need to go to wake up and then plan your bedtime backwards from that. Make sure you're allotting at least eight hours of sleep and then stick to that bedtime!One hour before your bedtime you should start your bedtime routine. I recommend turning off all of your electronics, or at the very least wear blue-light-blocking glasses if you must look at electronics.You can also include the following activities in your nighttime routine:StretchRead a bookTake a magnesium supplement (helps with restlessness and insomnia)MeditateGet ready for bed (brush teeth, wash face, take a shower, etc.)JournalWinding down before bed can help you sleep better and signal your body that it's time to relax and rest.3. Reduce stressFinally, stress is one of the biggest causes of hormone imbalances and decreased libido. To reverse that, look for the stressors in your life and remove what you can. Then, you need to learn how to healthily deal with any stress that you can't remove from your life.Supplements and vitamins can help you reduce stress. One great vitamin to include in your diet is Vitamin C. According to Psychology Today, “People who have high levels of vitamin C do not show the expected mental and physical signs of stress when subjected to acute psychological challenges. What's more, they bounce back from stressful situations faster than people with low levels of vitamin C in their blood.”Another amazing tool to help with stress and your overall mindset is a gratitude journal. Practicing gratitude can help you see the good in your life, even when it is stressful! It can also help you see the good in difficult situations.Finally, if you're feeling stressed in the moment, move your body! As Elle Woods said, “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, and happy people just don't shoot their husbands.” Elle is 100% right! Going for a walk, dancing in the kitchen or heading to the gym can help you cope with stress!I've been using these strategies for years and they've been the best way to reignite the woman I used to be!Remember, living a healthy life is about more than just looking good. You should feel good in your body and if you don't, then you deserve to get help! (Plus, I'm sure if you tell your hubby that you're trying to increase your libido he'll be super supportive!)If you want help improving your diet so that you can feel better and sexier, then let's chat! Schedule a healthy mama blueprint call to get help designing a diet that can improve your libido!Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Welcome to another where we explore the challenges and triumphs of motherhood and find balance in our lives with our health and weight loss and nutrition.In today's episode/ session it's all about breaking free from the Martyr Mom mentality and prioritizing your needs as a mother.A few years back, I had a client named Suzanne who struggled with guilt when it came to spending money on herself. She was caught in the cycle of Martyr Mom syndrome, sacrificing her own needs to make others happy. Suzanne's story is a powerful example of the transformation that can happen when we prioritize self-care.So, what is Martyr Mom syndrome? It's when you give up everything for your kids, spouse, or others, neglecting your own well-being. Suzanne, like many others, grew up witnessing the women in her family selflessly giving everything they had. It took joining my program for Suzanne to realize that neglecting her own needs was affecting her health, particularly her struggle with weight.In an honest moment I had with Suzanne and with her permission I will share what she told me she said: "I've had so many mind-blowing realizations about how I treated myself. The shift I've made in just a few weeks has not only helped me but improved my relationships because I'm giving to myself as well."Suzanne's experience highlights the importance of letting go of the Martyr Mom mentality. It's not about sacrificing everything; it's about finding a balance that benefits both you and your family.Martyr moms often wear themselves down, feeling unappreciated and overwhelmed.Which then makes us bitter and cranky with the people we want to help and love on and please the most.Instead of being a martyr mom, it's crucial to put your needs at the top of your list. Think of it like the safety instructions on an airplane – secure your oxygen mask first before helping others. You can't care for your family if you're running on empty.I want to ask you a question…Have you ever considered what your needs are? Have you ever asked yourself this question or more importantly have you taken the time to listen? When we don't know we do things we don't even realize we are doing to cope when our own needs are not being met. We Self-soothing with food or shopping or we yell and allow bursts of anger to come up so that we can feel temporary relief. My sweet friend if that is you it's time to address the root problems.How? Well let's focus on three key areas: nutrition, mindset, and physical health.Host: Now, let's delve deeper into the three key areas that can truly transform your life when you prioritize them: nutrition, mindset, and physical health.Nutrition: Fueling Your Body Right**When we talk about nutrition, we're not advocating for strict diets or deprivation. Instead, it's about understanding what your body needs to function optimally. Consider it as providing the right fuel for your engine. Are you nourishing yourself with wholesome, nutrient-rich foods that sustain your energy throughout the day? Making informed choices about what you eat can have a profound impact on your overall well-being. Are you eating too much, too little? Do you know or are you in survival mode and eating the scraps before the next task? In my macros made easy program we get to the nitty gritty on this so you know for certain you are showing up in big easy for yourself ways that will have a long-lasting effect on your health.Mindset: Shifting Perspectives**Your mindset plays a crucial role in how you navigate the challenges of motherhood. It's not just about positive thinking but understanding and reshaping deep-seated beliefs. Many mamas, like myself and Suzanne, used to self-soothe with temporary fixes like food or shopping. Shifting your mindset involves addressing the root problems, embracing self-compassion, and fostering a positive outlook on your journey to well-being. Having tools to bring yourself back to base when old patterns creep in is key but also having deep compassion for yourself when you are in the rut and trying to figure it outPhysical Health: Investing in Your Body**Physical health extends beyond just the number on the scale. It's about embracing a lifestyle that promotes strength, vitality, and longevity. Prioritizing sleep, hydration, and regular exercise are foundational elements. Remember, you can't pour from an empty cup. Taking care of your physical health ensures you have the energy, STRENGTH and resilience to tackle the demands of motherhood.The synergy of these three areas creates a holistic approach to self-care, allowing you to thrive as a mama while setting an empowering example for your familySo, whether it's making mindful choices in your diet, reshaping your perspective, or investing time in your physical health, know that each step you take is a powerful stride toward becoming the best version of yourself.Investing time and effort into understanding these areas can lead to transformative changes. I've been there myself – from a run-down mom surviving on dino nuggets to a strong mama prioritizing sleep and water ans self awareness.Taking care of yourself has a ripple effect on your family. When you prioritize your health, you set an example for your children and create a positive shift in your family dynamics.Chelsea: "My entire demeanor has changed, everything has been more positive. My husband noticed a shift in my energy and attitude. He said, 'Babe, I think you need to keep going. Let's do it!'"Our families want us to be happy and love ourselves. It's not usually them stopping us; it's often our own limiting beliefs. It's time to say yes, give ourselves permission to invest in our health, and seek support if needed.If you're struggling and need guidance, consider investing in a coach. I had my own coach, and it changed everything for me. Now, I offer the Macros Made Easy program to address the unique challenges busy mamas face.Thank you for joining us on this journey to prioritize self-care and break free from the Martyr Mom mentality. If you're ready to learn what healthy looks like for you, schedule a Healthy Mama Blueprint Call. Until I see ya next week be well and I'll chat with ya soon!Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,You know that saying, “When you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” I completely believe that. When I talk to busy mamas who want to improve their health, they say they will do just about anything to lose weight, but when I ask them about meal planning, they say, they can't meal plan. Most people think meal planning takes too much time and isn't worth it, but I have an easy 3-step meal planning system that saves busy mamas so much time and it helps them lose weight!And I get it, mama, when you start meal planning it can feel so overwhelming. These are a few of the biggest roadblocks mamas have told me that they run into with meal planning.It's too time-consumingYou can't get your family to agree on one mealYou don't feel like eating what you plannedYou don't have the ingredients to eat what you plannedYou can't think of a single thing to makeI used to have these problems too! Then, I implemented my backward meal planning system and now I spend maybe 15 mins a week planning meals and grocery shopping. That's it! It's so simple and quick that it's easier than not meal planning.This system is one of the first things I teach my Macros Made Easy clients this system and it makes losing weight infinitely easier!“The biggest ‘aha' moment is planning dinners first, and working backward from there. I don't have to eat a separate meal from my family.”Joanne McmillenMama, I want to give you this system for free so that you can reach your health goals too! When you couple this meal planning strategy with macro tracking it makes the biggest difference in your health and weight loss!Plan your whole day - but start with dinnerWhen you think of meal planning, you usually just think about planning dinner, but I want to talk about planning for your entire day.Making a daily meal plan doesn't have to be overly complicated! I plan out my meals just one day before - with the exception of dinner. Once a week, I plan all of my dinners because dinner is usually my biggest meal and I want to make sure it fits into my daily meal plan.It's super important to me that my family all eat together and that I don't have to cook separate meals. By knowing what dinner is, I'm able to plug that in and then plan the rest of my meals around it.After I've planned my dinner, then I go back in and plan the rest of my meals and snacks for the day.If you're macro tracking, this is the best way to meal plan! If you're not macro-tracking but are just looking to eat healthier, I still suggest planning your meals like this because it saves you so much time!A lot of mamas don't make meal plans and then spend countless hours worrying about what they're going to eat. I used to do the same thing and it was exhausting! Until I started meal planning I didn't realize how stressful it was to go without a plan!If you start planning your meals you'll be able to build healthy meals and you won't fall victim to mindless snacking, or ordering Doordash because you don't know what else to do.How to put a healthy meal togetherOne of the biggest reasons people quit eating healthy is that it's too hard! Trying to find healthy recipes or cooking a complicated meal every night is too much work! Which is why I don't recommend that to my clients!In macro tracking, there aren't good or bad foods. Which means you don't have to eat certain foods to be healthy. You don't need a new cookbook or a bunch of pinned recipes that claim to be healthy. You can eat the foods you like! So I always recommend eating food you're already used to, and just tweak how you plan your meals.Start with proteinStart your meal planning by choosing what proteins you will serve for the week. Here's the key to making your meal-planning process simple: only pick 2-3 proteins for the week!You're still going to have a protein at every meal, but by choosing just 2-3 different types of protein, you're going to make your prep work so much easier!Instead of preparing a different protein each day, you'll bulk-cook your proteins and then add different seasonings or sauces to them depending on the meal. Bulk cooking is going to save you so much time in the evenings as well! It's been a game changer as a busy mom who is running around from the time school ends until bedtime.Let me show you one of my meal plans so that you can see how I bulk-prep my proteins and still have variety throughout the week.Say you choose pork, chicken and shrimp for your proteins. Here are the meals I would make with those proteins to switch things up.With the pork you could make:Shredded pork burrito bowlsBBQ Pork sandwichesI'll use the chicken inChicken shwarma saladChicken shawarma kabobsBBQ chicken nachosThen, I'll have a shrimp meal:Shrimp fajitasAdd sides to complete your mealOnce you have your proteins picked out and you've decided what you're going to make, then it's time to add sides to create a complete meal.When I'm adding sides I like to make sure that I add a fruit or veggie to the meal and a substantive carb. Most people think you need to avoid carbs, but they are incredibly important to a well-rounded meal.Carbs are the body and the brain's first source of energy so we need to have carbs as a part of our diet to feel energized and think clearly. If you don't like serving processed carbs to your family, that's totally fine! Opt for whole grains or whole foods, but don't cut carbs out completely.Going back to our protein examples, here's what I would add to them to make a complete meal.Shredded pork burrito bowls:LettuceSalsa2% CheeseSour creamTomatoesCucumbersBlack BeansPork BBQ sandwiches:BunsBBQ SaucePepperoncini'sAlexia FriesChicken shwarma saladButter lettuceTomatoesCucumbersRed OnionTzatziki SauceRed OnionFetaChicken shawarma kabobsTzatziki SauceCornSquashBBQ chicken nachosTortilla chipsCheeseSour creamAvocado/GuacamoleSalsaShrimp fajitasShrimpSeasoningJasmin RiceBroccoliMushroomsBecause I know that this strategy can be such a huge help for busy moms, I want to help you implement this in your families! If you join my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition Facebook group, you can grab a download of my Meal Planning System for free! It will walk you through this process so that you can quickly plan healthy meals for your family! And speaking of family…How to get your family involved in meal planning & preppingMeal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking are a lot for one person to be in charge of, so I strongly recommend getting your family involved in the process. Not to that all of these are vital life skills that your kids need!Kids are kinesthetic learners so it's important to get them in the kitchen working alongside you! When involving your family it helps to look at what kids at each age can do to contribute. Here is how your kiddos can start exploring the kitchen safely.2-4 year oldsSetting the tableLearning to match the silverware as you empty the dishwasherUsing the salad spinnerPicking the leaves off fresh herb stems4-5 year oldsStirring independentlyGreasing pans (with help)Assisting with measuringCounting6-7 year oldsDicing and mincing vegetables (use a pairing knife and start with soft foods like strawberries)Peeling raw potatoes with a peelerSlicing and scooping avocadosDraining and rinsing canned beansPouring liquids into containers8-9 year oldsUsing a pizza cutter or can openerScooping batter into muffin cupsUsing the stand mixerSkewering foodMake sandwiches and wrapsChopping most foods10-12 year oldsCook a full mealUse the Air-fryerUse a griddleFollow Recipes on their ownChop most thingsUse a cheese graterChoose produce at the grocery storeI also like to have each of my kids choose one meal a week. This helps them learn how to build a healthy meal and it ensures that there's at least one meal they like during the week.Having your kids (and spouse) help you with this is a win-win. It takes a lot of the burden of feeding the family off of you and it prepares your kids for the day when they become adults and need to do this on their own.Planning healthy meals for your family doesn't have to be overly complicated. You don't need a new recipe. You just need to do it! Meal planning can be one of the biggest obstacles for busy moms, but I know that if you use this system it can change everything!And if you're ready to include macro-friendly meals into your life to start losing weight without giving up your favorite foods, then let's chat! Schedule a Healthy Mama Blueprint call with me so we can set goals and get you started on a real lifestyle change instead of another diet.Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
If busy mamas want to hit their weight loss goals they just have to do one thing! Be more selfish!Did alarm bells just go off in your mind? NO! NO! NO! I have to make sure my kids have what they need! I need to take care of the house! I have to show up for work! I need to pour into my relationship! I don't have the time or energy to think about myself on top of that!All of those are valid thoughts. But the problem is that mamas are too selfless.We give, and we give, and we give until we're left feeling worn out, sick and alone. And that's not how we build a happy life, a happy family or a happy marriage!We build beautiful lives by prioritizing our needs, taking care of ourselves and then pouring into the people we love, aka being a little selfish.Give yourself permission to do something for you.Before you can achieve your weight loss goals you need to give yourself permission to do something just for you.I love the idea of getting healthy for our kids. It's a huge part of my mission with my business, but you also have to be willing to get healthy for yourself.Because at the end of the day, you're the one living in your body. Your kids don't have to deal with you feeling uncomfortable in your jeans. But you do. Your spouse doesn't have to deal with the gross, bloated feeling you have when you overeat. But you do.At the end of the day, you need to give yourself permission to get healthy for you.And Mama, if you're struggling to give yourself permission to put your needs first, then I'll give it to you.It doesn't make you a bad mom, or wife, or friend, or daughter to put your health first. In fact, I'd argue it makes you a better mom, wife, friend, daughter, etc.One of my favorite analogies for this is what you hear on the airplane. Before any flight, the flight attendant will tell you that in case there is an emergency an oxygen mask will drop down. You should always apply your mask before helping other passengers with theirs - including children.When we hear these instructions, we know why they say that. Because if you can't breathe and you pass out then, you can't help someone else! You have to be able to breathe to take care of the people around you.And Mama, that applies to every other aspect of your health. You can't take care of everyone else around you if you're unhappy, or you don't feel good!However, once you do feel good, once you're confident in who you are in your health, then you can show up better than ever for the other people in your life.Be selfish enough to stay committedIt's one thing to say you're willing to prioritize your health, but it takes effort and mindfulness to stay committed to your health. And honestly, staying committed is a huge struggle for women, especially busy moms!One of the biggest roadblocks I see my clients hit, is prioritizing their nutritional goals when other people interrupt their plans. That could be your family asking to eat out, being invited out with friends, or having someone drop a treat by your house.A lot of women struggle when someone else asks them to abandon their plans and join theirs instead because they want to make everyone else happy.They're being selfless.But then they go out to eat, and they end up overeating or eating something that they know is going to hurt their goals. And they come home and are frustrated, disappointed and ashamed because they didn't stick to their goals.They were selfless. They did what everyone else wanted. And they're left feeling sick because they ate something that wasn't great for them. Or they're disappointed because they didn't get to do what they wanted.Which is why it's OK to be selfish with your health!It's OK to say no to people when you don't want to go out! It's OK to go out with your girlfriends and not drink if it's going to take you away from your goals. It's OK to not eat something that doesn't align with your nutritional boundaries.No one else has to live with the consequences of your nutritional decisions, but you do, so be selfish!Being selfish doesn't mean that you can't eat out or have any treats ever again. Inside my Macros Made Easy Program, I teach busy mamas how to handle these situations so that they can enjoy their food and still stick to their health goals.Focus on your mindset to reach your goalsI want to leave you with one last thought because as mamas it's easy (and a lot of times expected) to give up what we want to accommodate others. The best way to be comfortable with being selfish is to focus on your mindset.Living a healthy life is 20% nutrition and 80% mindset. And it's the piece that is left out of traditional diets! But it makes the biggest difference!!One of my clients, who is a mindset coach herself, noticed the same thing.“Mindset Matters! The people who I have seen have the most success in my 2.5 years of being in the program are the ones who figure out early on that it's not about the food.”-Nicole TurnerThe way we think and feel about ourselves, our food, our choices, our families, our responsibilities all dictate how healthy we are. And if you ignore all of that, then you're never going to reach your goals.But if you have tools to help you address your thoughts and work through your feelings you're not just going to reach your weight loss goals, you're going to become an amazing mom, wife, friend, daughter and woman.That's why I want you to be a little more selfish.And a lot of times being a little bit selfish now, means you're able to be more selfless later. You don't have to become self-obsessed to be healthy. But you do have to prioritize your needs and if that's something you struggle to do, we need to talk.I help busy mamas just like you lose weight without feeling shame or guilt. And in turn, I get to help generations live healthier lives. If you want to lose weight, prioritize yourself and still be a great mama, then let's hop on a Healthy Mama Blueprint Call. We can chat about where you're at and where you'd like to be! Then if it's a good fit for both of us, we can get you started on your health journey within a week! Get started by scheduling your Healthy Mama Blueprint Call!Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Are you ready for an unpopular opinion from someone in the health and weight loss industry? I don't believe that we need to skip events, parties, or traditions in the name of being healthy. Food plays a huge role in our culture and missing out on the holiday treats and drinks doesn't sound like something I want to do - even when I want to lose weight. Instead of telling myself that I can't go to a holiday party because I might be tempted to eat something “bad;” I've learned how to trust myself so I can enjoy the holidays without overeating or overdrinking.Every year, my girlfriends and I have a huge Christmas party. We get together and spend a few days partying and catching up. It's a ton of fun, but it also usually involves eating and drinking like we're in college again.When I started my weight loss journey, I didn't want to give up these parties. This meant I either had to say no to eating and drinking with my friends because it wasn't part of my diet, or I would toss everything out the window and stuff my face. I was either all in or all out.And what usually happened was that I would say I was only going to be good and have one drink or one bite of the chocolate cake someone brought, and then without realizing it, I'd downed 4 Moscow mules and eaten three pieces of cake.The next morning when I realized what I'd done, I'd beat myself up for falling off the wagon. But then I'd just keep doing it. I'd eat whatever I wanted and feel guilty later. That cycle would last for a few months until I was ready to diet again.Having that all-in or all-out mindset wasn't working for me. It didn't matter if I was “good” and stuck to my diet because I'd be miserable missing out on the fun my friends were having. And if I was “bad” and enjoyed myself I was miserable because I felt guilty and regretted going overboard. I was so tired of living a life that made me feel bad all the time!When I started macro tracking, there weren't food lists of “good foods” vs “bad foods.” Instead, I learned how to balance healthy food with fun food. I didn't have to choose one over the other, I could have both!Now I can go to my annual holiday party and I just have one drink - because I know that I can and I don't feel like I have to go crazy! I can have one piece of cake knowing it's not forbidden. I don't have to feel guilty about anything afterward! I can enjoy the experiences with my friends, I can enjoy eating good food and go home without an ounce of guilt, shame or regret.Mama, I don't want you skipping out on holiday meals or traditions because you're worried about gaining weight! That's no way to live.Instead, I want to teach you how to enjoy the holidays while still being able to focus on your health goals.Eat well before a holiday partyNot overeating at a holiday party doesn't start at the party when you fill up your plate. It starts when you wake up that morning. The best thing you can do to not overeat at a party is to eat well before the party.Most of our favorite holiday foods are higher in fats and carbs, both of which are important parts of a balanced diet, but it puts us out of balance with the three macronutrients: protein, fat and carbs.Because we know that one meal is going to be off-balance, I encourage my clients to eat more protein earlier in the day.Protein is the slowest burning macronutrient, which means that protein will keep you full for longer. By eating high-protein foods throughout the day, you'll feel fuller and you'll be less inclined to stuff yourself at a party!One of the best ways to set yourself up for success is to eat a high-protein breakfast. Not only will a high-protein breakfast keep you fuller throughout the day, but when you start your day with protein it influences the choices you make for the whole day!A few of my favorite high-protein foods are:Eggs - especially egg whites!Cottage cheeseYogurtTofu (makes a delicious scramble!)Turkey bacon or sausage (having a low-fat breakfast meat will leave you more space for holiday treats later in the day)Deli meatsChickenBeans and lentilsYou can still eat carbs and fat before a party but try to choose whole foods over processed foods. Whole foods are going to be lower in calories, and higher in nutrients like fiber so that you will still feel good even if you indulge in treats at the party.Decide ahead of time how much you'll drinkThe absolute best way to avoid overdrinking at a party is to have a game plan going in!Most of the time we don't overdrink on purpose. We always say that we're going to “be good” but we don't define what good is. Then the drinks start pouring and we end up drinking more than we wanted to.It's a slippery slope. This is why I teach my Macros Made Easy Mamas to decide ahead of time how much they're going to drink.Ultimately, I don't care how much they drink (or how much you drink) but you need to learn the skill of staying committed to yourself. If you say you're going to have five drinks, that's cool! Just stop after five. If you only have to have one drink, that's cool too. It's up to you.But no matter what you choose, you need to stick to that. Not because it will guarantee you don't gain weight, but because when you set a limit for yourself and then stick to it you build trust in yourself.When you get to the point where you only want to have one drink, and your friends are begging you to drink more, you will have taught yourself that you can be trusted to do what you want - not what everyone else wants.Despite being adults, peer pressure is still a real thing - especially when it comes to drinking!If you want to learn more about how drinking affects your health so that you can make the best decision for yourself, check out this blog about alcohol!Make smart food choices at the partyIt's easy to eat well and make a plan for drinking at a party, but it's another thing to make good choices when you're at the party surrounded by temptation.Remember, it's perfectly OK to enjoy yourself at a party. Don't let food be your entire focus or you'll miss out on so much!My goal for all of my clients is for them to learn to eat intuitively, but before you can get to that point you have to relearn how to listen to your body and use its cues to start or stop eating.Most of us ignore our hunger or full cues until we reach the extremes. As mamas, we tend to cruise past hungry, ignore the hangry signs and are teetering on the edge of starving before we think about food.Then we eat, and eat, and eat. We don't stop when we feel content. We don't stop when we feel full, We only stop when we can't even think about putting another bite in our mouths.This starving-to-stuffed cycle can get us into trouble when we're eating out, or at a party, because we don't recognize the difference between content and overly full. We think we are supposed to feel crazy stuffed to be happy.In reality, if we ate when we first started to feel hungry and stopped when we felt content, it would help us avoid gaining weight any time we ate outside of our normal boundaries.Before you attend your holiday parties, think about what cues your body gives you when you're hungry and full. Think about what the two extremes look like. Then choose what cues tell you it's time to eat and when it's time to stop.While you're at your holiday party, pay attention to your body. When you have the thought, “Man, I'm getting hungry” start eating! Because you aren't starving, you're less likely to grab too much food. Then when you start to feel content - maybe you have the thought, “That was so good, I enjoyed my meal.” - stop eating.If there's still food on your plate when you start to feel full, that's ok! You can cover it with a napkin, pass it to your spouse to eat off of, or get up and throw it away.If alarm bells just went off in your head when I said throw it away, I want you to listen up! It's OK to throw food away! It's OK not to finish every morsel of food on your plate. I need you to realize that you don't have to be a human garbage disposal just to avoid being impolite or because you think it's wasteful.Your health is more important than the last few bites on your plate. You aren't going to feed a hungry kid in Africa by stuffing yourself. You are the one who has to suffer the consequences of overeating. Be kind to your body and don't feel guilty for putting your needs and your health before anything else.If you follow these tips, I know you'll be able to attend holiday parties without overeating or overdrinking. And as a bonus, you'll learn how to be more present during the holidays. It won't be so focused on what you can or can't eat. It will be about spending time with friends and family and making memories.And Mama, that's what life's really about. I've learned that I want to focus on making smart health decisions not because I want to look good in a bikini, but because I want to be around to make memories with my family for as long as I can.If you want more support with your health goals during the holiday season, let's chat! I offer a free Healthy Mama Blueprint call where we can chat about your goals and see if my Macros Made Easy Program would be a good fit for you. If it is, you can start making strides toward your health goals within a week. You don't have to wait until the new year to get started on your goals. Your health matters now!Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,After I had my three kiddos, I set a goal, like most postpartum mamas, to get my body back. It was a long journey, but not only did I get my body back, but I also pushed it further than I ever had before. I even competed in a body-building competition and was told countless times how amazing I looked. The problem was that underneath it all, I still wasn't happy with my body.For generations, women have been unhappy with their bodies. It doesn't matter if we're skinny or fat, we're constantly told that our bodies aren't good enough. And we repeat that back to ourselves. No matter how much weight we lose, or how skinny we look, it's never enough.And it took me losing a ton of weight, constantly pushing myself in the gym, and tracking every gram of food that I put in my mouth before I realized that being healthy isn't about the food. It's not about the gym. It's not about being skinny. It's not about the number on the scale.Women are frustrated with themselves and with diet culture because they don't realize that being healthy is about happiness. It's about how we look at ourselves and how we talk about ourselves. And no number on the scale can give us that.Food and exercise aren't the biggest factors in healthWhen I was preparing for my body-building competition, I was meticulous about what I ate and how much time I spent in the gym.And from the outside everyone assumed I was the healthiest I had ever been. I was super ripped. I had an amazing six-pack. I had big, lean biceps. I looked like I had it all, but I was probably the most unhealthy that I had ever been.I was so consumed by my food and workouts that it led to really unhealthy behaviors. I would have huge binge sessions, where I'd spend $100+ on fast food, eat it all and then hide the wrappers so no one would know.After the competition, I was supposed to start working my way up into eating more food, but I didn't want to because I was so focused on how I looked. I couldn't give up the abs I'd worked so hard for. I needed them to prove that I was good enough. That I was strong enough. That I deserved to be in the weight loss industry at all.When I started dodging calls and texts from my coach because I didn't want her to know what I was going through, it hit me that I was headed down a dangerous path.Maybe you haven't been through a body-building competition, but I bet you can still relate to my story.Maybe you've set a goal to lose weight, but it was hard and when things got too hard, you went to food to make yourself feel better. But you didn't tell anyone. You hid the evidence so no one could be disappointed in you.Maybe you dodged the question from your family or friends about how your diet was going.Traditional diets focus so much on food and exercise. They tell us that we have to burn more and more calories so that we can lose weight. And we keep trying and keep trying, but it's not working!It's not working because that's not what it takes to be healthy.That's not even helpful advice if you want to be thinner!Your body has one main focus: to keep you alive.It doesn't care if you want to weigh 135 pounds. If it feels like it's not safe it will hold onto every ounce of food you give it to sustain life. And if you've been dieting for years, then cutting calories isn't going to do it anymore.Your body needs to know that it's safe and you can show it that it's safe by giving it a consistent amount of food.That might mean moving out of a calorie deficit. That might mean not restricting during the week and binging on the weekends. I don't know what that means for you, yet.But I do know how to help get you and your body out of stress mode and into safe mode so that you can eat more, and still lose weight.There's a way to balance your food so that your body recognizes that it's safe to start burning fat again. And I want to help you with that because it's a really important part of your health, but it's only half of the solution to weight loss.Loving yourself and your body unlocks fat lossIt took me a while after my body-building competition to realize that even though my abs were awesome, they didn't define my worth and I was just as good of a person with or without them.This realization didn't happen overnight. It came through a lot of mindset work.When I dove into weight loss, I thought if I just found the right diet I could do it. With my athletic background, that was true. I knew how to push myself to achieve success. But even when I hit the perfect physique or the number on the scale I'd been pursuing for years, I discovered that's not what I was actually looking for.I was looking for acceptance and love from myself. But that doesn't come through dieting or even reaching a goal.Self-love and acceptance come from changing how you think and feel about yourself along the way - not just when you get there.When I added in mindset work it unlocked the results I was looking for!I'm no longer at the same weight, muscle mass or fat percentage as I was when I was body building, but I'm so much happier.Instead of fighting my body for a number on the scale, I know what weight feels good for me. If I want to shed a few pounds, for a trip or a photoshoot, I have strategies to help me to do that.And I have strategies that help me process days where the scale goes up a little (like when I'm leading up to my period, or on a day I over ate a little bit.)But having the knowledge and mindset tools I teach inside my Macros Made Easy Program, helps me remember what's most important to me, me! And it's not a number on the scale.Mama, if you've been on a weight loss journey and you feel like no matter what you do, you'll never reach your goals or feel comfortable in your skin, then I want you to reevaluate your goals. Is the number on the scale the most important thing or is loving yourself more important to you?If loving yourself is your true goal, then we need to work on your mindset while helping you develop healthy eating habits. I offer a free Healthy Mama Blueprint call to anyone who wants to learn how to combine macros and mindset to achieve their goals, and I think it would be a good fit for you. Schedule a call if you want to love yourself more, eat more and still lose weight!Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Normally, I like to keep things positive around here. I like to give busy mamas helpful tips for leading a healthy life, but today, I want to switch things up. Today, I want to show you some of the most ridiculous pieces of advice for a healthy Thanksgiving that I've seen on the Internet. I found three things you absolutely don't need to do to have a healthy Thanksgiving Dinner!I will help you rework this straight-up bad advice into actual healthy advice so that you can have a healthy and fun Thanksgiving that doesn't feel restrictive!But, one quick note for you before we dive into the bad advice. It's OK if you don't want to have the healthiest Thanksgiving! It's OK to enjoy holidays - that doesn't make you unhealthy. It's just one day. Just like eating salad for one day won't make you healthy. Enjoying Thanksgiving won't make you unhealthy.You can enjoy all the food on Thanksgiving and still be a happy, healthy person! In fact, that's what I do! I don't track my food on Thanskgiving because I've spent so much time learning how to eat well every other day of the year! And that knowledge helps me enjoy Thanksgiving without gaining weight.Do you remember in high school when your English teacher would teach you a grammar rule but then show you how you could break that rule in certain cases? But when you asked her why you had to do it the “right” way, she would say, “You have to understand the rules before you can break them.”That's exactly what it's like to live a healthy life! You can't just go around eating whatever you want any day of the week. You have to learn what the “rules” are before you can break them. Once you understand how to nourish your body, how food and alcohol affect your body and how to get the scale to do what you want it to, then you can have fun with your food!Now let's get back to the bad advice - and what I recommend doing instead!Bad Advice #1: Serve mashed cauliflower or swap out unhealthy food for healthier onesMama, let's get one thing straight, you never have to eat a food you don't like in the name of health! And this applies double on Thanksgiving!I love a good Thanksgiving dinner swap (I have lots of great ideas if you need them) but if you don't like mashed cauliflower, don't serve it! And that goes for any “healthy” swaps.Instead of forcing yourself to eat food you don't like, I always recommend picking your non-negotiables and then swapping or not having food that you're not as excited about.For example, if your favorite food is mashed potatoes, then have them! But if you're not a fan of green bean casserole, swap that out for plain green beans or a different veggie that you like! You don't have to waste calories on foods you don't like, just because it's a tradition!Just because a swap is “healthier” it doesn't mean you have to use it! Instead, prioritize the foods that are important to you and swap or leave out the foods you don't care about!Bad Advice #2: Spend hours in the gym working off what you ateI am a huge fan of working out! I was a two-sport college athlete and still love going to the gym every day, but I don't do it to “work off” what I ate. I do it because it makes me feel good to move my body.The same idea applies on a holiday. You don't need to restrict your food before a holiday meal and you don't need to workout crazy hard to “afford” to eat Thanksgiving dinner!You can eat Thanksgiving dinner with or without working out on Thanskgiving day. That doesn't make you good or bad.Now, is it a good idea to move your body when you know that you're going to be eating more than normal? Of course! Movement is amazing for your health. But I don't want you using movement as a form of punishment or to “undo” what you're eating. Move to be healthy, not because you were “bad!”I like to find ways to move that are fun on a holiday. It could be going for a family walk or bike ride. It could be playing touch football with friends. Or signing your family up for the local Turkey Trot (or creating your own!)However, you choose to move your body, make sure it's fun for you! That's the best way to ensure you're enjoying movement instead of punishing yourself for what you're eating.Bad Advice #3: Wear restrictive clothes so you don't overeatMama, I've saved the best for last. I absolutely hate this piece of advice: wear restrictive clothes so you can't overeat. Cue the biggest eye roll. If you want to make yourself feel bad about anything you eat, then do this, but if you want to feel good in your skin and your clothes, then toss this piece of advice in the trash where it belongs!I never want you to feel guilt, shame or regret about your food choices. Because guilt, shame and regret don't get you to your goals! If they did, we'd all be skinny, fit, supermodels because we know how to feel bad about ourselves. Instead, I want you to freaking love who you are.So, Mama, please wear clothes that make you comfortable. If that means dressing up in a cute dress and putting on your favorite boots, then do it! If you prefer to wear joggers and a Thanksgiving t-shirt so you're comfortable no matter how much you eat, that's cool too!Instead of relying on how your clothes feel to not overeat, I want you to pay attention to your full and hunger cues. This can be difficult because most of us have trained ourselves to ignore our full and hungry cues. So I want you to start practicing this leading up to Thanksgiving.Grab a piece of paper and put a zero in the middle, then on either side of the zero, write each number from -10 to 10.You're going to assign each number a feeling or trigger of your hunger.Zero is going to be your neutral zone. You're not hungry, you're not full, you're just perfectly content.Positive 10 is going to be you're beyond stuffed. You can't even think about food or you'll burst at the seams.Negative 10 is going to be you're starving and you can't wait another second or you're going to eat your own arm.The goal is to live between two and negative two. Typically, I think of positive two as I'm satisfied and content. I've eaten enough to not be hungry but I'm not crazy full either. Negative two is where I've noticed I'm getting fairly hungry and I need to start making food.If I go beyond negative two, I know that I'm going to be too hungry to make smart food choices. And if I go beyond positive two I'm going to need to unbutton my pants so I don't pop. The 2 to -2 is the perfect range to enjoy my food without going overboard either way.When you start to feel full, you can take your plate to the sink, cover it with a napkin or just get up from the table so that you don't keep munching.If you apply this idea to your Thanksgiving eating you're able to enjoy your food without going too crazy and you can be comfortable in whatever you choose to wear.Mama, I want you to have a wonderful Thanskgiving! I hope that using some of these tips will help you focus on family and memories instead of food. Because at the end of the day, that's what Thanskgiving is about!If holidays like Thanksgiving get you overly focused on food or stress you out, then let's talk. I'm helping mamas learn how to be in control of their food so that they can enjoy the holidays. If this sounds like something you're interested in, schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call with me!If my program is a good fit for you we can get you started this week and you'll lose weight over the holidays instead of gaining - all without feeling restricted!Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama, are you thinking about the holidays yet? I seriously can't believe we're already heading into the holiday season! It's crazy. There's so much to plan and do during the holidays, but one thing most women aren't thinking of during this time is their health.Well, that might not be exactly true. We're already aware of how all the Halloween candy, Thanksgiving sides and Christmas treats are going to make us gain weight. And in the back of our minds the stress is building up around that, but what we don't think about is how we can prevent holiday weight gain altogether!We don't think about avoiding holiday weight gain because we also think that means we have to say no to all of the fun foods that we associate with the holidays. And, Mama, I get that! I love me a Twix on Halloween. I always have my mom's mac and cheese at Thanksgiving. And I wait all year for this one Christmas party where me and my friends party all night! I don't want to give any of that up.And I don't want you to either.I don't want you to miss out on the food, or the memories, or any part of the holiday season! Those are special times, and a healthy life doesn't mean you have to be a recluse or say no to everything that brings you happiness - in fact, I'd argue that's a pretty unhealthy life!Instead of living in the two extremes: I can't eat anything good if I want to be healthy or I'm going to eat everything because YOLO! I want you to learn how to explore the middle ground.And the absolute best tool I have for finding that middle ground is getting in touch with your future self.Get in touch with your future selfIf I just freaked you out and you thought, ok this lady's a little too woo-woo for me, I want you to give me one more minute to explain!I promise this isn't as weird or woo-woo as it sounds. Have you ever daydreamed about where you'll be in the future? Have you pictured what you want your life to look like? What your family looks like in 5, or 10 years? Your career?If so, you've gotten in touch with your future self! See, not that weird!Now, I just want you to apply that to your health.If in 2, 5, or 10 years you were the healthiest version of yourself what would that look like?What would you like to eat? (It's ok if your answer isn't salads!)How would you move your body each day?Would you like to be able to be on the floor with your kids, or hiking mountains with them?How would your marriage or relationships look?What are the words you'd use to describe yourself when you looked in the mirror?And this is a big one: What would success in your health look and feel like? How would you know when you've “made” it?When you start answering these questions you can shape the future you. And it propels you into the next step: having the answers to all your problems.Use future you to solve your problems.There are always two versions of you. The Now You and the Future You.Now You is where you're at right now, obvious right? Now You might feel broken, frustrated or annoyed that no matter how hard she tries she can't seem to figure out how to reach her goal weight, or even just feel good about what she eats.Now You doesn't know the answer or even where to turn for answers!And then, there's Future You. She has accomplished everything you want to. She knows the way. She knows how to overcome every obstacle that Now You will face because she's already been there!Most of us were never taught to look to our future selves for answers, but that's exactly what we need to do, especially when we're feeling lost in all the noise we see online about how to eat healthier or what the best workouts for fat loss are.Mama, if you're looking outside of yourself for all the answers to your problems, then you're never going to reach your goals!If you are the problem, then you have to be the solution too.That's why eating the same meals as that Instagram influencer didn't work. It's why doing all the TikTok workouts didn't work. That's why the pill and shakes have failed too.Those weren't made for you! They were made for someone else.If you want to reach Future You, the healthiest version of you, then you have to understand where you're at, where you want to go and how to fit that into your life.You need a custom approach. One that you create - but with some guidance!You need a teacher to guide you through and teach you everything you need to know about nutrition so that you have the tools to set up your diet.And that's where the Macros Made Easy Program comes into play! I teach you what nutritional boundaries look like. I teach you how to handle all the twists and turns that you will eventually face along your health journey.But then, you lead the charge in choosing what fits into your boundaries! If you want to eat pasta every day, we make it work! If going out for drinks with your friends once a week is a priority, I'm not going to make you cut out alcohol! If you can't imagine giving up baking cookies with your kids and then enjoying one with a glass of milk, that's doable!When you start finding and creating the solutions to your health you will find a sustainable way of healthy living. And that's what I want for you! I don't want you to have to rely on me forever! I'm your guide, and once you've learned what you need to learn, then you have the power to take over and lead yourself!Where do you want to be three months from now?Let's pull back a little bit and look at the not-so-distant future. Instead of thinking a few years ahead, I want you to think about a few months from now. In January of 2024, where do you want to be in your health?Do you want to have eaten everything you ever craved, drank every drink someone put in your hand, and see a few extra pounds on the scale?Or, do you want to have created boundaries that allowed you to eat well, but also didn't add to your weight gain?What is the path Future You would tell you to take?If it's the second path, then let's talk. You can schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint call with me, where we'll talk about where you're at in your health and what your goals are. And we'll see if the Macros Made Easy Program is a good fit for you.If it is, then we can get you started within a week so that you can avoid the holiday weight gain without having to deprive yourself over the holidays. If it isn't the right fit or the right time for you, that's fine too! I'll try to suggest something else that fits your current needs.Either way, taking the step to book a call can help you start living as Future You - the healthiest version of you. Take that step mama.Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Every time a busy mama is indecisive or avoids making a decision that leads her to a healthier life, she isn't staying in the same place, she's falling behind. And I know that even hearing that you're falling behind can make you feel awful, or stressed out, but I'm here to tell you it's not too late. Just because you're behind doesn't mean you can't reach your health goals.Mama, how many times have you seen an exercise or nutrition program that you thought could be really good for you, but you just couldn't commit to it? A million and one times, right? Can I get a hand raise in the comments if this is you? (Cause it's been me too!)You justified not making a decision or taking time to think about it because you didn't think there was a cost to waiting. But there was.Every moment you spend in indecision, you're racking up debt.Maybe not financial debt, but you're racking up health debt. And guess what? It's weighing you down unnecessarily! It is distracting, annoying, overwhelming and sabotaging you before you even give yourself the chance to try.It's taking you further and further away from your goals without you even realizing it. As bad as it sounds, it doesn't mean you can't ever get out of debt.You can get out of doubt by taking action instead of waiting.Stop waiting around to see what happens when you don't do anything.You have to stop waiting around to see what will happen if you don't do something, and you have to start making decisions that lead you toward the place you want to go!Start making proactive decisionsOne of the ways women, especially busy mamas, avoid making decisions is by saying they need to check in with other people first.They want to run things by a spouse, or they want to examine the pros and cons with a friend, etc.And Mama, I get that! My husband and I like to make decisions together too.But the problem with saying you need to think it over or talk about it with someone is that nine times out of ten you don't do that! Right?Instead, you talk yourself out of it! You tell yourself all the reasons that you shouldn't do it. And you never even bring it up to your partner!And that indecision caused you to rack up some serious debt! Every time I wait, you put yourself further away from your goals than before!You keep eating poorly, even though you know better.You avoid working out, even though you know you could get stronger.You break more promises to yourself which leads to mentally beating yourself up.Mama, you know talking it over isn't getting you anywhere, you have to stop it! You have to take the leap - even if you're scared.Instead of waiting for someone else to weigh in or give you permission to do something you already want to do, what if you asked yourself: Will this move me toward my goals? And then decided to choose or take action on the things that were a resounding yes?How would that change your life?Think back on a program that you wanted to do a long time ago but never signed up for.What would your life look like today if you had said yes? Would you be closer to your goals?When you change the question from “Can I do this?” or “Do I deserve to do this?” to “Will this move me toward my goals?” it makes making a decision so much simpler!Start small when reversing your health debtI talk to mamas all the time who desperately want to decrease their health debt, but they don't know where to start. And I always tell them the same thing: start where you're at and then make small adjustments.The amazing thing about our health is that it's never too late to reverse it. You're never too far gone.If you're ready to commit to a program, then take the leap and do it! Having a coach guide you through tried and true methods will get you the quickest results.But, if that's too big of a step right now, then start small! Choose one thing that could make a big impact on your health and start working on creating that habit.If you don't know where to start, here are a few of my favorite ways to help busy mamas start focusing on their health.Eat protein at every mealGo for a daily walkRead a mindset book (I recommend starting with The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins or Atomic Habits by James Clear)Drink half your body weight in water every dayGet 8+ hours of sleep.Have veggies at every mealSet up a morning routine that fills you up mentally or physically!I love this quote by James Clear from Atomic Habits (seriously, go read this book!) “Every step you take is a vote for the person you wish to become.”As you take action toward healthy habits that lead you toward your goals, you'll see that eventually, you become that person! The debt decreases every time you choose to eat healthier, or move your body, or work on your mind! Each tiny step moves you forward instead of backward.You'll discover that you're worth not just the little changes you've been making, but the bigger changes you want to make.You might be nervous about making a big decision like joining a nutrition program now, but you'll soon discover that you're worth it! You do deserve to live a happy, healthy life! And sometimes spending money or time to learn how to do that is worth it.I help busy mamas, who are stuck in this indecision debt reach their health goals without feeling guilty. If you're feeling pulled to focus on your health but are struggling to make a decision, then let's talk. I offer a free Healthy Mama Blueprint call, where we can discuss your goals and see if I can help you reach them.Mama, don't let any more time pass before you start taking action on your health, even if it's not with me! You deserve to feel good in your body without feeling guilty!Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Have you found yourself in the pantry, stressed out and eating Oreos, chips, or whatever you can get your hands on? One of the most common coping mechanisms for stress or overwhelm is emotional eating.However, just because you're an emotional eater doesn't mean that you can't lose weight or can't break the habit! It just means you need to learn more about yourself so that you can break that cycle! The first thing emotional eaters need to learn is that it's not really about the food.I used to be an emotional eater.My son was born with a lot of health problems. He had to have a few surgeries as a baby and it took a toll on me. Any time I felt anxious, stressed, worried, sad, or even relieved, I ate. I knew it wasn't good for me but I couldn't stop myself.When I would emotionally eat, I would blame it on the food. The cookies sounded good. A neighbor brought over brownies so I had to eat them. The kids didn't finish their food and I was too tired to make my own, so I just ate their leftover mac and cheese or nuggets.Food was always the scapegoat. I told myself that food was the problem. Cravings were my problem. Self-control was my problem.But none of those were the problem. I always say, it's about the food, but it's not really about the food and this is so true when we're talking about emotional eating.Emotional eating doesn't start with a craving. It ends with it. Emotional eating starts with an emotion or feeling.Feelings lead to actions. When you find yourself mindlessly eating, it's not because you're hungry it's because you're avoiding dealing with a feeling that you're having.I found that happening so much with my son. I didn't want to face my fears so I would ignore them and head for the fridge.I'd eat, self soothe, and feel better for a minute. But then the tidal wave of guilt, shame and regret crashed down on me.I would feel guilty for eating so badly.I'd be embarrassed by how much food I ate.And I'd regret it, swear to never do it again.Until the next big emotion hit and I didn't know how to deal with it and I'd repeat the cycle all over again.After a while, I decided I had to do something about this. I knew emotional eating wasn't a habit I wanted to pass down to my kids, so I dived into learning about emotional eating, why we do it, and how to stop.And I learned that being able to recognize your emotional eating cycles and wanting to change it is a huge sign that you're ready to overcome it.The most important thing is to learn your triggers. And I know, triggered is an overused word these days. But, it's actually very important to realize that everything starts with a trigger. Nothing starts from nothing, right?Something has to spark the thought, feeling, or action. So yes, literally anything can trigger us, but we need to understand what triggers us to take actions that serve us and what triggers us to take actions that hurt us.During one of my Macros Made Easy Program calls, I was talking with a Mama who had fallen off track for a few weeks and then got back on track. I asked her these two questions:What triggered you to get off track?What triggered you to get back on track?Answering both of these questions is vital to understanding our habits and tendencies.If you're an emotional eater and you want to change it, I want you to answer those two questions and reply to me with your answers! We can work through them together!Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call Here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,When I talk to women on my Healthy Mama Blueprint calls, 99% of the time they desperately want to change their health, but they're worried about how it will impact their families.Will they be taking money for themselves when their kids might need it?Will they spend too much time worrying about themselves when they could have devoted more time to their relationships?Will they get support from their family or will it be a constant fight?Will they have to cook two meals, one for them and one the family will actually eat every night?But in the back of their mind, there's still that desire to want to feel good in their skin. And it's constantly nagging at them.Mama, I know how you feel. I have felt all of those things: the longing, the fear, the overwhelm, the frustration. It's a lot to carry on one woman's shoulders!But what if I told you that your family desperately needs you to take control of your health? What if taking care of your health was to the benefit of your family? Because, it absolutely is!Families need someone to teach them what healthy looks likeI really wish that in high school (or honestly, earlier!) there was a class that taught us how our bodies worked, why they worked the way they did, how to fuel them and how our metabolism worked.Instead, nutritional knowledge is passed down from generation to generation. And most of the time it's passed down by mothers.That being said, a lot of our mothers and grandmothers weren't properly educated on nutrition either! And the knowledge they passed down to us isn't that helpful. That's why we're stuck in the diet hamster wheel and we never feel good.What if you could stop that cycle? What if you could learn how to eat a truly balanced diet? What if you could step out of the binge, restrict cycle you've been in all your life and prevent your kids from ever having to go through that?Would that be worth the time and money to you?That's what I've been able to do with my kids. I was a two-sport college athlete and the second I stopped playing sports I had no idea how to eat without gaining a ton of weight. It got even worse when I had kids because I stopped trying altogether! I just wanted to survive!But, after a few years, I realized that I couldn't show up like I wanted to for my kids and I knew I had to change. So I spent a few years trying to find a diet that would give me the best results.I tried a lot of really unsustainable things, until I landed on macro tracking. I learned the importance of protein, fat and carbs. I learned how to eat enough to fuel my life and feel good. I learned how to control my weight.And now I'm passing all of that down to my kids. All three of my kids are athletes and they know how to fuel their bodies. They know to eat carbs so they have the energy to play in their games. They know to eat protein after practice to repair and build muscle. They know to eat fat when they're starving and nothing seems to satisfy them.My kids understand nutrition because I taught it to them.When they graduate from college they won't have to go through the same things I did. They won't gain a ton of weight and fall for every diet scam out there. They will know exactly how to be healthy at any stage because I took the time to understand nutrition and pass it down to them.Knowing that my kids don't have to deal with yo-yo dieting makes all the time and energy I put into nutrition so worth it.Families need a leader in healthy eatingMost mamas are in charge of grocery shopping and preparing meals, and while it may sound antiquated, it's a fantastic opportunity.If you are the one buying the food and preparing it for your family, then you have the ability and opportunity to uplevel the food your family eats.When I first started tracking my macros, I started preparing food a little differently. I used a little less oil, I upped the amount of fruits and veggies we were eating. It was just small changes for my family but it had big results.My husband wasn't trying to lose weight, but by eating the meals I prepared (like he had always done) he ended up losing 15 pounds!It's infuriating that it didn't take him any extra work to drop 15 pounds, but it's also a testament to the power mamas hold in their families.As I changed my habits, my family caught on. Now our family spends time together preparing healthy food. My family is involved in the process every step of the way.My kids help me plan healthy dinners.We all work together to prep our meals for the week. The kids help wash and cut fruits and veggies. My husband and I work together to prep meats for the week.My kids understand portion sizes and can put together their own lunches for the week that will keep them full throughout the school day and they can get snacks that fuel them for after-school sports.When it comes time to cook dinner each night, I can put it all together without feeling like I've had to do it all on my own.Leading my family in healthy eating started out with me educating myself on what healthy even looked like! Once I understood what it looked like for me I was able to help my family understand what it looked like for them too!Yes, it took time in the beginning to get everyone on board, but once they realized this was going to be how we lived - and they understood why it was so important to eat healthy, they got on board and it's just been how our family works.Families need to understand how to look at healthy living with a positive mindsetOut of all the things that I've done to prepare my family for healthy lives, nothing has been more important than mindset work.Physical health is important. No doubt about it. Nutrition and movement and crucial to a happy, healthy life.But that's only 20% of it. The other 80% of healthy living comes from our minds. How we think about ourselves, our food, our bodies.Mindset work, learning how to view myself as a work in progress, giving myself grace to make mistakes, learning how to encourage myself rather than beat myself up, changed now just my weight loss journey but the entire trajectory of my life.And it's been one of the most amazing things to pass down to my kids.Until recently, I didn't know how to deal with my emotions. Anytime I felt guilt, disappointment, betrayal, frustration, or anything “bad” I would try to run away from. I wanted to avoid the bad feelings, to get them to go away.I would emotionally eat to get rid of the feelings.I'd go shopping to try and get a hit of happiness.I'd drink to forget about my problems for a few hours.I would turn the TV on to distrace me from the “bad” feelings.But my problems weren't solved that way. Once the distraction passed, I'd still feel guilty for eating something I “shouldn't have.” I'd still look in the mirror and point out what was wrong with my body.I could see this pattern continuing in my kids. If they missed a goal in a soccer game, they'd beat themselves up or completely shut down. If they had a bad day at school, they wanted to self soothe with food.I knew how these habits were going to play out in their lives and I knew I needed to be the one to forge a new path for them.I read books, took courses, went to therapy - I even became a certified life coach! And while it's helped me tremendously, I did it for them.Now, I am giving my kids the tools they need to process through their emotions and come out feeling like they want to. They can sit in sadness or frustration or even pity for a little bit. But then they work their way out of it and learn and grow. And that's by far the best thing I could have done for them.Mama, if you want to lead your kids in their physicall and mental health, then it will take some of your family's resources. You have to be willing to invest in the education to get you to where you want to be.But, I promise that it will be worth the investment. I have never regretted one dollar I've spent to get to this point. Being able to lead my family like this has been everything I've dreamed of as a mama.If you're ready to lead your family toward a healthier life, then let's chat. Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call to see how the Macros Made Easy program can get you to your goals.Schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Every week, I talk to mamas who desperately want to regain their health, but something is standing in their way. The biggest roadblock is that they can't justify the cost. But Mama, you need to understand that your health isn't a sunk cost, it's a family investment.Too often, moms see spending money as selfish. We say that we would do anything for our kids - we would take a bullet and die for them! But are we willing to live as long as possible for them?I see so many mamas get stuck in an unhealthy, unhappy life because they think that they don't deserve to spend money on themselves. Maybe you've felt that too. But there's a solutionMom guilt keeps women stuckLet me tell you about one of my clients, Stacey. Stacey felt the pull to focus on her health for years but was nervous about spending money on herself.Stacey has three boys earthside and one angel baby. And because she's an amazing mother, she always wanted to put her family first. Showing up for her kids and her husband was supposed to be making her happy, and in some ways, it made her extremely happy. But she also felt miserable in her body because she wasn't taking care of herself.Grief had created a lot of unhealthy habits in her life.In 2018, she had lost her baby boy at 38 days old. She was able to shed most of her pregnancy weight, but the grief of losing her son led her to not care about her nutrition or health. She avoided exercising and ate whatever made her feel better. Understandably, she put on some weight. Then in 2020, she got pregnant again.After the birth of her youngest son, she started to realize that her health wasn't allowing her to be the kind of mom for him, and her older boys, that she wanted to be.Her older boys had been in the same soccer leagues as my kids for a few years and she'd seen me around the field and noticed that even with three kids in sports (a life that she was also destined for) I was keeping up with my health and sticking to my goals.One day, we were chatting and she broke down and told me everything she was frustrated with.She desperately wanted to join my Macros Made Easy Program, but the thought of spending that much money on herself was paralyzing her. She told me that, “Mom guilt-had a strong grip on me.”Mamas have to understand their worthEven though she was scared, Stacey knew that it was time to do something about her health. She realized that showing up as a healthy mom was crucial to living the life she wanted. And that meant spending money on her health.She was also very blessed to have a husband who wanted this for her too! He encouraged her to invest in herself. So she finally did what she had wanted to do for so long and joined the Macros Made Easy Program.But that mom guilt hadn't quite gone away. Immediately after hanging up the phone with me, she thought, “How dare you spend that much money on yourself and not your kids!”She could have used mom guilt as an excuse to back out, but instead, she used it as fuel to get the absolute most out of the program. She saw fantastic progress in her first few weeks. She started changing her habits. She showed up and did the work. And on days when grief hit and she wanted to give up and self-soothe with food, she tapped into the mindset work.A year after starting the Macros Made Easy Program, Stacey was down 65 pounds. While that in and of itself is amazing and worth the initial investment, it is nothing compared to how her choice changed her family.When mamas invest in themselves they create growth for their kidsStacey almost immediately started passing down her new-found healthy habits to her family. Unlike traditional diets, Stacey wasn't starving herself at home and killing herself in the gym. She was eating a healthy amount of food, and building muscle!Her son watched her get stronger and fitter and asked her to help him get ready for soccer season. Now they go to the gym together and she can help him fuel for training and games so he can play his best.Her middle son is also starting to pick up his mama's healthy habits and likes to work out with her.Stacey's toddler gets a mama who can play and run with him! And they enjoy so much time together.What Stacey once viewed as a selfish way to spend her family's money ended up improving everyone's lives.And her impact isn't going to stop with her immediate family. One day, she'll get to see her grandkids and hopefully, great grandkids benefit from this knowledge too.That's the amazing thing about investing in growth and knowledge. It doesn't stop with one person, it gets passed down for generations. And you can be the one to start the chain!Now, Stacey's guilt is completely gone. Not once has she told me that she regrets spending the money to learn about her health! After that initial investment, she didn't struggle to keep investing in her health because she saw the difference it made.Now, she's guilt-free and healthier than she's ever been.Mama, if you're in a position like Stacey was and you don't think you can sit by and continue to feel the way you do, then it's your turn to invest! Schedule a healthy mama blueprint call. You're worth it! And you'll see the dividends of that investment for years to come!http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,When Rebekah first started her health and weight loss journey, she knew that to lose weight, she needed to burn more calories than she ate, so she started tracking her calories. She entered all her meals into MyFitnessPal and used another app to track how many calories she burned working out to ensure she was in a deficit.According to the apps, anytime she worked out extra, she could eat extra. So whenever she was going to go out for dinner or wanted more dessert, she'd just fit in another workout. It seemed like a great trade-off! However, after months of tracking her food and her workouts, she wasn't making a lot of progress.She was frustrated because she was working out so much, eating so little, and still didn't look or feel the way she wanted to.When Rebekah started working with me, this workout more, eat more ideology, often called calorie or carb cycling, was one of the first changes we made.The theory behind calorie cycling is that by occasionally increasing or decreasing your calories or carbs it can speed up weight loss.But most of us are doing it wrong! Just like Rebekah, we think we can and should change our daily calorie intake. There's a place for carb cycling, but this constant adjusting isn't it. Plus, it doesn't help with fat loss, so I don't use it with my clients.Instead, I teach my clients to use these tools to burn fat and enjoy their food!Set your calories and macros by your average energy expenditureThe reason that I don't have my clients changing their calorie intake every day based on how many calories they burn is that it usually doesn't make enough of a difference to put in the extra work!We all burn calories in two ways: actively and passively. Active calorie burns come from workouts, where we're moving our bodies to purposefully increase calorie burn. Passive calorie burning comes from day-to-day activities like walking, breathing, maintaining body temperature, and even digesting our food.Most people place a big emphasis on active calorie burning, but 60-75% of our daily calorie burn comes from the passive things we do!This is why I don't see a big difference in calorie cycling! Unless you're running a marathon or doing a huge workout, your passive calorie burn stays the same, so you don't need to adjust your macros or calories to lose body fat.Another big reason I don't recommend calorie cycling is because more often than not it creates an unhealthy relationship with working out.When Rebekah was fitting in extra workouts to “be able to” eat out, she was focused on using the gym to “undo” any bad eating. And when you view the gym like that for too long you start to resent it!Exercise should be used for your growth! You should work out to build muscle, feel stronger, and feel happier or more energized. (We all know that “exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy and happy people just don't shoot their husbands,” thanks Elle Woods,)Instead, I like to set my clients up to create healthy relationships with food, the gym and themselves!When I start working with clients, the first thing I have them do is track a normal week's worth of eating and exercising. I want to see what kind of calorie deficit or surplus they're already in.Then, I'll set their macros based on those numbers. This is a really important step that most programs and coaches don't do because when people start a new program they want to make changes! They're motivated to cut calories or start working out.But after working with hundreds of women, I've seen that slow and steady beats a single sprint every single time.By starting my Macros Made Easy Mamas where they're at and making gradual changes they lose more fat and keep the habits they learn in the program. It's the opposite of traditional programs where you make huge changes that only last a few weeks.Use refeeds to boost weight and fat lossAfter I get my Macros Made Easy mamas eating a consistent amount of food, then we can use carb cycling strategically to help overcome any plateaus that might come up during the process.During a weight loss journey, you will hit points when fat loss and weight loss slow down. A lot of people believe that if their weight doesn't go down consistently, then they've hit a plateau.A real plateau happens when your weight does not go up or down for 4-6 weeks. You may see some slight variations during that time, but your average weight shouldn't move if you're in a real plateau.Don't try carb cycling if your weight stays at the same point for a week or two! Only use this when you know that you've been stuck and you need to kickstart your metabolism again.When I want to help my clients overcome a real plateau I'll give them a refeed day. In a refeed, we increase carbs to help give the metabolism a little push to rev up again.There are a few differences between a refeed and traditional carb cycling.First, a refeed, it's a one-time increase in carbs. Whereas with carb cycling your carb or calorie intake could change every day. The body craves consistency, so when you're carb cycling you're confusing your metabolism by not telling it how much it's going to get each day.Whereas, with a refeed, your metabolism is used to getting a certain amount of carbs, but then you increase it for a day and it realizes that it has too much energy and starts to burn off the excess again.Once your refeed is over, you go right back to your regular calories or carbs and the metabolism keeps burning from the refeed.Second, you don't increase exercise during a refeed. The point of the refeed is to boost the metabolism and if you're putting extra strain on your body it's going to want to use the extra carbs you're eating to fuel that workout.The overall lesson with carb cycling is that it's more work than it's worth! When Rebekah started eating a consistent amount of food, exercising 4-6 times a week and working on her mindset around food and nutrition she finally started seeing the results she was looking for!Not only has she lost almost 20 lbs, but she's also been able to increase the amount of food she eats every day because she's more focused on building muscle in the gym than working for her food!If you're tired of trying to figure out all the ins and outs of nutrition on your own and you want to start seeing real results, then let's chat!I help busy mamas create nutritional plans that fit their needs without having to restrict their food or spend all their free time at the gym. Schedule a Healthy Mama Blueprint call to get your individualized nutritional plan!Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,One of the biggest myths in the health and nutrition world is that everything is black and white. You're either in or you're out. You're on track or you're off track. But that's not how being healthy actually works.If it did, every single person would be unhealthy! We all have something that we do that's “unhealthy.”I used to post about what I ate on social media, and any time I drank a diet soda or used sugar-free syrups in my coffee, I would get ripped apart in the comments section.“Diet soda is worse for you than regular soda!”“Sugar-free things are loaded with horrible chemicals!”“I can't believe you're teaching people to eat like this!”No matter what I did or said I couldn't be “right” for everyone, and that's when I really learned the lesson healthy living isn't one-size-fits-all.It would be awesome if we could all eat the same things and work out the same and be fit and healthy. But that's not how humans work!We're messy and complicated and unique. And it's our uniqueness that makes life beautiful! So instead of trying to conform to fit into someone else's definitions of healthy, you need to discover what that is for yourself.I want to show you how to get out of that black-and-white thinking and start finding the beauty in your weight loss or healthy living journey.Weight loss doesn't require perfectionI am a recovering perfectionist. I used to think that in order to love my body I had to eat nothing but organic veggies, and free-range chicken breasts. I also thought I had to hit the gym for a minimum of an hour a day and I had to work out until I was either drenched in sweat or couldn't move anymore.I believed perfection was the only way to achieve my goals. And I lived like that for a while. I competed in a bodybuilding competition. I meticulously watched every single thing I ate or drank. I spent hours training and perfecting each muscle. I did everything “just right.”I thought this perfection would make me happy. I finally looked the best I ever had and according to what I had been told, I should be happier than I had ever been. A perfect body equals loving your body, right?But I didn't love myself. I kept pointing out everything that was still wrong with my body - just like I had before the competition.Perfection hadn't brought me happiness. But it had brought me burnout. I was so tired of having to be perfect that I wanted to just give up completely and eat whatever I wanted and never work out again.But I knew that wasn't going to make me happy either. What I needed was a balance between doing everything perfectly and completely throwing in the towel.So I did something crazy, I allowed myself to be imperfect.Now, that doesn't mean I stopped caring and did whatever I wanted. It just meant that I didn't need to be 100% perfect all the time.I aimed for close to perfect. Instead of striving for 100%, I strived for 80%. I wanted to be within my nutritional boundaries 80% of the time and the other 20% of the time it was ok if I was off.Mama, this was not easy! The need to be perfect is strong, but I needed to see for myself if imperfection could still get me the results I wanted, and it did.When I stopped trying to get it just right, it got easier. I released so much stress and pressure that it made it infinitely easier to start seeing results.What I learned was that perfection isn't required for weight loss but consistency was.Reframe your efforts to build yourself upWhen you're in an all-or-nothing, black-and-white all-in, all-out mindset, you don't always realize that you are actually making progress toward your goals. But when you're making consistent effort, you do make progress.We usually make failure mean we didn't hit our goal completely. But, what does failure actually look like?If you set a goal to “eat healthily” what would failure look like? Would eating out once a week be a failure? Would having a cupcake, brownie or cookie mean you failed?If you're stuck in a perfectionist mindset, one “unhealthy” or “off” choice would mean you failed, right?But what if you were looking at it through an 80/20 mindset? Then one meal that didn't align with your goals wouldn't be such a big deal, right? One off-meal would actually mean you went above your goal! You hit 90/10, instead of 80/20.True failure is a big, fat zero. It's not doing anything that moves you toward your goals. Anything above that is progress! So if you even hit your goal once a week, you've made progress on your goals.Mama, please give up this all-or-nothing perfection mindset that is keeping you stuck! Every time you make healthier choices than you would have before, it's a win! When you start looking at your life through that frame you'll be surprised how much easier it is to stick to a healthy diet!If you don't think that you can get over your perfection mindset on your own, then let's work together! I've been through that challenge and know how to help you get through it too! Schedule a free discovery call if you're done beating yourself up and ready to enjoy a healthy, guilt-free life.Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,The scale is a powerful object. It's supposed to be a tool that helps you reach your goals but sometimes it's the thing standing in your way. When stepping on the scale in the morning becomes the determining factor behind having a good day or a bad day, it means you're too focused on losing weight.Too focused on losing weight? It sounds contradictory coming from a nutrition and weight loss coach, right? But I see this happen all the time!Women get so focused on the scale that it starts hurting them. If stepping on the scale becomes something that starts the dialog of “I'm such a failure,” or “Why can't I just lose the weight already?” or “I hate myself,” then you're way too focused on weight loss.So let me ask you a question, mama. Why did you want to lose weight in the first place? Was it just to see a number on the scale? Is that what is driving you to work so hard?I bet it's not the real reason. You're probably looking to lose weight to feel more comfortable in your skin, or to show your kids the importance of a healthy body. You might be losing weight to feel sexier or stronger.You may think that those feelings will come when you hit that special number on the scale, but that's not true. Those feelings should be part of your process, not just your outcome.The biggest mistake I see busy mamas like you make is focusing just on the outcome, the number on the scale or the size of her pants, instead of focusing on loving the process. I want to show you two ways to start seeing the results you want without putting so much pressure on the scale.Change your focusI want you to think of a time when your kids bugged you day in and day out for something they wanted. My kids are in to shoes right now. They have to have all the latest shoes. They're constantly telling me about what shoes they want and why they have to have them.And it drives me nuts.I get it, the shoes are cool, but I don't want to hear about them for hours on end. Sometimes I get so annoyed that I never want to buy my kids shoes again! But, because I'm a loving mom, I don't scream out “If you ask me about those shoes one more time I'm never buying them for you!” It would feel good to say, but I don't do it because that's not how it works.Instead, I try to teach my kids how they can take control of the situation and buy their own shoes. They take on extra jobs around the house to earn money. They mow the neighbor's lawn - or they would if we had more neighbors with grass lawns in Arizona, but you get the point.They don't get what they want by begging for it or whining about it to me. They get it by doing the work. And it's the same for you and weight loss.You're not going to lose weight just by stepping on the scale and getting frustrated each day. You're going to get it by doing the work, developing the habits, and enjoying the process.So what is it that you really want? Do you want a number on the scale or do you want a healthy life and a body that serves you?If it's the latter, then let's define what a healthy life and body means for you.For me, healthy means fueling my body with adequate nutrients, moving my body, resting my body and being able to enjoy my body.When I focus on making healthy choices (protein first, plenty of fruits and veggies) and having something fun each day I feel good! I'm not sluggish or starving! I have the energy I need to run my business, crush it in the gym, run my kids all over town and do anything else my life requires of me.And when I consistently eat in a way that makes me feel healthy, I reach my goals! I tracked my macros for a long time, it's what taught me how to know how much food I needed to fuel my lifestyle. Then, I took a year off from tracking and I didn't gain any significant weight.Yes, my weight fluctuated day to day, but I didn't gain 15 lbs in a month because I went back to old habits. I stuck to the healthy habits I developed while I was tracking and I maintained my weight!The results came because I learned to love the process more than the outcome.The next shift to make is Stop saying “but” and just acknowledge your winsEvery week in my Macros Made Easy program, my clients check in with me on how they're doing. We start our check-ins with a win for the week. And one thing that I hear a lot is I had this great win (I ate within my boundaries, or I slept really well) BUT, I didn't see the result I wanted from it.Mama, stop with the but!! Let your wins be wins. When you add the qualifier “but” onto something you're basically discrediting all the good that has come or all the work you put in.Think about it this way, what if someone said “I love you, but;” would you hear the I love you, or would you just hear whatever came after the but? The thing that was “wrong” with you.You'd probably just hear what's wrong. So when you add a “but” on to anything you've done well in your health you're forgetting about how far you've come!One of the most important parts of weight loss is mindset. If you changed all of your habits, how you eat, drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, move your body, but you never change how you think about yourself, then you're never going to get the feelings you associate with weight loss - feeling strong, sexy, confident, etc.You have to focus on the thoughts that are going on inside your head. And the amazing part is that when you start focusing on your thoughts and how you talk to yourself. You can start feeling good before you ever reach the number on the scale that you want!Mama, if all you focus on for the rest of your life is losing weight, then you're going to be miserable. But if you focus on living a healthy life and making decisions that will help you feel good, then you'll not only reach your goals but you'll have fun doing it.I help busy mamas ditch the guilt, shame and regret of dieting and step into living their healthiest life. If that sounds like the kind of thing you want, then let's chat. Schedule a free discovery call today to see how you can enjoy the process and create a healthy life for yourself and your family.Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,If you hang out on the internet, talk to people or watch TV, then you are probably constantly being bombarded with “the best solution for weight loss.” There's a lot of noise in the weight loss industry and there's a lot of conflicting information, but I can tell you that there is only one thing you need to look for in a weight loss strategy: one you can stick with.I've spent eight years as a nutrition coach, and I've heard of just about every weight loss rule, gimmick or program out here.Don't eat carbs after darkOnly do fasted workoutsDrink shakes to get the nutrients you needEat high protein and fat with minimal carbsEat six, smaller meals a dayIntermittent fast and only eat for 4-6 hours a dayTake pills to limit your cravingsWhile there is some merit to these ideas, they don't need to be hard and fast rules for every single person. For example, the no carbs after dark rule came about to stop people from eating too much at night. Carbs are the body's first source of energy, so to optimize burning carbs rather than storing them it's better to eat them earlier in the day; when you need quick burning energy to keep up with life.But if you eat them later at night when you're more likely to be sitting or resting, then you don't get the chance to burn them as quickly, which can lead to storing more energy.While it sounds like great advice to not eat carbs later in the evening; it doesn't work for everyone.What about people who work night shifts, should they stick to that rule? Of course not! They need carbs at night when they're tired and need energy!Yes, it might be more optimal to eat carbs earlier in the day, but that doesn't mean your body is automatically storing it as fat every time you eat late at night. If you're gaining weight, it's more likely that you're overeating in general or you're just not eating the right balance of food.The one lesson I've learned along my weight loss journey, and in coaching hundreds of women, is that doable is always better than optimal.I can't tell you how many women that women have told me that they feel like a failure or like they just aren't meant to be healthy because they can't keep up with super restrictive fad diets.But it's not their fault! Traditional diets or anything that says it will provide quick results will set you up for failure because it's not doable long-term!Yeah, you might lose weight in a few weeks, but once you stop taking the pills, drinking the shakes, or eat a freaking cupcake on your kid's birthday you gain it all back!What is doable long-term is eating a balanced diet that doesn't restrict you. Finding a way of eating that allows you to have your favorite foods and drinks as a part of your healthy habits - not as a cheat day - will not only help you lose weight but you'll be able to maintain that weight too.Start where you're at - not where you think you should beOne of the reasons that so many people “fail” at dieting is that they believe that they should be able to do any diet perfectly from the time they start. But I promise you that the healthy people you're looking up to didn't start perfect and you don't need to either.One of the very first things I have my clients do, when they start my Macros Made Easy program, is to track their food without changing any of their current eating habits.And this is hard for a lot of people! They think that they're eating poorly and they don't want anyone to know about it. They think they're starting at a bad spot and they want to jump into whatever is healthy rather than where they're at.But the truth is that if I started everyone off with the same “healthy” macros it wouldn't work for anyone!Because no one's macros are the same! No one's nutritional needs are the same. We are individuals who need individual plans. And those individual plans start with where you're at right now.Sometimes mamas come to me who are overeating and the first step after seeing where they're at is to cut their food down a little bit.Other times, mamas come to me and they're undereating so the first step after seeing where they're at is to increase their food a little bit. (Believe it or not, this happens more than overeating!)We make small adjustments over time until they reach their goals. I don't ever ask them to go from eating 50 grams of protein a day to 150 grams a day! Because they wouldn't be able to keep that up! It's way too big of a jump and they'd want to hunt me down because they were miserable.Instead we up it by 5-10 grams at a time until we reach whatever a healthy amount of protein is for you.That's how you build healthy habits. You start where you're at and you make small, doable changes until you reach your goals. Those small steps are how you make your results last. You build up to your goals instead of trying to reach them all in one day.Learn how to be accountable for your food instead of restricting itPlain and simple, restricting food groups isn't healthy. Saying you're never going to eat carbs again for the rest of your life so you can weigh a certain amount isn't good for you! It's not good for your body - because your body requires all three macronutrients, protein, fat and carbs. And it's not good for your mind!On one of my client calls, I was talking to my client Rebekah about her win for the week, which was that she bought and ate her favorite crackers for the first time in years!She loves Wheat Thins but somewhere along her health journey, she got the idea that they were bad for her. So she stopped eating them. She never bought them because she knew she couldn't control herself if they were even in the house.She even held this belief as she was working with me and learned about food freedom and how to eat a balanced diet that included her other favorite foods like chocolate chip cookies and Dr. Pepper! But Wheat Thins were always off the table.Then, one day she was planning out her meals for the week and she had a chicken salad on her menu. She was trying to think of something that would go well with it and Wheat Thins popped into her head. She looked up the nutritional information on them and realized they would fit into her plan! Wheat Thins weren't bad, she just had to budget for them! So she bought a box, and she didn't binge on them! She didn't go crazy because it was a forbidden food anymore. She dished out the portion she wanted and got to enjoy something she'd been denying herself for years!Mama, there are no good and bad foods. Just food accountability.When you learn to be accountable for your food you don't have to follow all the “optimal” rules for weight loss. You can eat carbs after dark. You can fuel your body for a workout. You can eat carbs, fats and all the food you love!Once you drop all the restrictive rules from your nutrition you'll find that the weight comes off even faster because you're no longer attaching guilt, shame and regret to the food you eat!There's a massive connection between weight loss and how you think and feel about food and I teach busy mamas on the go how to find the nutritional and mental balance so that they can reach their goals.If you're tired of rules that leave you annoyed, frustrated and stuck then let's ditch them! Schedule a Healthy Mama Blueprint call today to find food freedom while reaching your health goals!Schedule a Free Healthy Mama Blueprint Session here:KmoreMacro Have a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group: Busy Mom Simple Nutrition | Facebook Love Free Resources Go Here:Incredible Resources Just For You!
Mama,I'm going to tell you right now why you're stuck and frustrated with your weight loss. Your results aren't matching up to your expectations. It's really simple, but knowing that doesn't fix things. I want to tell you a story about my daughter that can help put this in perspective for you.Four years ago, my daughter spent eight weeks of her summer vacation going to an intense soccer camp. She has been playing soccer almost her whole life, but she's always had to work at it. It hasn't been something that has just come easily to her.She spent her summer working incredibly hard to become a better soccer player. While a lot of her teammates and friends went on vacations or just had a fun summer, Kileigh was practicing. At the end of the summer, her team did a fundraiser where they had to make 25 goals.Kileigh had been practicing for this, but when it was her turn, she only made 13 of the 25 goals. And as she was setting up for the next kick after missing a few, I could see on her face that she felt completely defeated.When we got in the car, she broke down. She thought the eight weeks of soccer camps should have set her up for success. She wanted all the skills to be there after she devoted hours and hours to practicing while her friends were having fun. She thought she deserved to excel since she put in the work.And I knew exactly how she felt and I could almost hear and feel all the negative self-talk that was running through her head because I've experienced that too. That feeling of frustration and disappointment when you've worked so hard for something and you don't get it. You think: “I'm a failure.” “Why can't I do this?” “I'm broken.”She was learning, even though she didn't realize it then, that sometimes our expectations don't line up with reality. The results of our hard work don't always show up when we want them to.As a mom, it broke my heart to watch her learn this lesson. It's a lesson I've had to learn and a lesson I watch mamas in my Macros Made Easy program learn all the time. Even when we do everything right, and put in the work, sometimes our expectations don't match our reality.After she vented to me, I explained to her that just because she didn't get the outcome she wanted, it didn't mean it wasn't coming. You can't stop if you still want that outcome.Mama, if you're feeling stuck and frustrated in your weight loss, then you're probably at the same point Kileigh was. Your expectations simply aren't matching where you're at right now and it's causing you pain.The solution isn't to quit or to give up. The solution is to change your expectations. Today I'm going to show you the two places to change your expectations so that you can continue pursuing a healthy life.Stop putting time limits on your health journeyFor years and years, I was told that to achieve a goal, you have to set a timeline or a deadline. I used to think that was so important to goal setting. However, after being a nutrition coach for over eight years, I've realized that time-specific goals don't help you reach your health goals! They just frustrate you!Because you can't put a timeline on your health. There is no end point to healthy living! If you don't drop five lbs in two weeks, it's not that you're never going to drop the five pounds, it's just that it hasn't happened yet.Too often, when we feel like we aren't making progress fast enough, we have the urge to try something different or to give up completely. But that's not how changing habits works! It's not how losing weight works. And it's not how healthy living works.The only way to get through this is to let go of the time limit you put on yourself.But that's easier said, than done, right? This is why you have to work on your mindset so much when you're on a health and weight loss journey!There is one tiny, simple tool you can use when you feel like things are taking longer than you want and it's using the word yet.I've eaten healthy all week but I haven't lost any weight…YET.I've been working for eight weeks but I haven't hit my goal…YET.Using the word yet tells your brain that even though you have a goal that you're working on and you haven't reached it, it doesn't mean your efforts are in vain. It also doesn't mean that you're giving up on your goals.The words we use when we talk to ourselves matter so, so much. Make sure that you're supporting yourself by speaking encouraging words, especially when you're feeling stuck or frustrated.Start focusing on what you can controlMama, I have to drop a truth bomb on you. It's a frustrating one so be prepared. Here it is: You can't control what the scale says.You just can't.No matter how well you eat or how much you exercise, you are not in control of what the scale says in the morning.There are too many things that factor into weight for you to control it. These are just a few of the things that contribute to your weight:Water retentionMuscle massFat massBone densityIf you've had a bowel movementHow well you sleptNot to mention, just how finicky scales can be! Maybe it got bumped and that showed up as a two-pound increase in your weight. It's hard to know exactly how much you actually weigh when you hop on the scale.That being said, you are in control of how well you eat or how much you exercise! You're in control of when you go to bed and when you wake up. You're in control of how much water your drink.There are so many aspects of your health that you are in control of and when you stay consistent with the habits that lead to fat loss and muscle gain, you'll eventually see the results show up on the scale! It's impossible to do everything “right' and not see them, I promise.When you're playing the expectations game, you have to let go of what you can't control and shift your focus to what you can control.The good news is that I can show you how to control the general direction of the scale. I learned how to control my weight through macro tracking.Macro tracking taught me how to balance my food to maintain my weight, increase muscle, or lose fat. It has been one of the most empowering things I've ever done for myself! Taking the time and the money to learn and understand how food works with my body is by far the best investment I've ever made for myself or my family.And now, I'm teaching other busy mamas on the go how to balance their food so that they can control if the scale goes up or down and, most importantly, how to maintain their weight.If you're feeling stuck and frustrated with your health or weight loss, then I know, from experience, that this is something you need to invest in too.I want to come back to the story that I told you about my daughter Kiliegh. She put in the work that summer, and she didn't quite get the results she wanted. But she didn't stop there. She has spent the past three years continuing to learn, to practice what her coaches are teaching her, and she's worked incredibly hard on her mindset.And this year, she tried out for a really exclusive team and she made it. She was a leader on her team this past year. Everything she worked so hard for, is finally coming true.Mama, don't let one week, one month or one year's lack of results stop you from going after what you want: a healthy life. My program is only 12 weeks long. It's not meant for you to reach all of your goals in that time. It is meant to set you up with the skill, tools and knowledge to get you started.Once the program ends, you keep going. It's a sustainable way of living that you can keep doing after the 12 weeks are up. And if you do keep going, you'll get to your goals. You'll see the big results. And if you do need me, I'm always there to help you out!Mama, you have the power to change your health and your life. You just have to take the first step. Schedule a free discovery call and take control of your health once and for all. Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama, one of my favorite holidays is coming up: the 4th of July! It's the epitome of summer and I don't know about you, but I want to make sure I actually get to enjoy this holiday. I can't wait to relax and enjoy some good food. That being said, I also don't want this one day to completely take me away from my health goals and all the work that I put in every day to feel good in my body.Too often, we are told that enjoying a holiday and living a healthy life are contradictory. That you have to either say no to everything you want to eat or go crazy and binge anything and everything that sounds good. But this isn't true! You can be healthy and still enjoy a burger and a White Claw at your 4th Of July party!Today, I want to show you how to find balance between enjoying your food, having a drink, relaxing, and being present with your family all without having to restart your health goals the next day. These are my best tips to help you lead a happy, healthy life during holidays, and honestly, any day!Create a meal plan ahead of timeI love meal planning. It's one of the best things you can do to make sure you stick to your health goals. Meal planning also makes my life easier as a busy mama because I do it once a week and then don't have to stress every day about what I'm going to cook! A holiday meal plan is going to be essential if you want to stick to your health goals and relax.If you want to spend the 4th relaxing by the pool, then you need to make a plan ahead of time. Spend 20 minutes a few days before the holiday to make your food plan. Plan out each meal, plus snacks, then get your groceries, and prep as much food as you can ahead of time.Then, the day of you don't have to stress about cooking, or accidentally eating outside of your food boundaries. Plus, you won't have to get up to feed your kids every 15 minutes! You can tell them to go grab the snacks/meals you already prepped out of the fridge and you can enjoy yourself.If you want to learn exactly how to meal plan for a holiday so that you can stay inside your nutritional boundaries, go check out my blog post from Memorial Day. It talks all about fitting your favorite foods and drinks into your nutritional plan!Plan activities that keep the family movingOne unhealthy habit that's easy to fall into on a holiday is not moving your body. Movement plays a huge role in health and fitness, so make it a part of your holiday plans!Instead of just focusing on exercising or going to the gym on a holiday like the 4th of July, approach movement as a way to make memories.Here are a few of my favorites:Go for a family bike ride (ride bikes to the fireworks show so you don't have to worry about parking!)Go for a hikeHave a relay raceGo swimmingPlay a game of baseball with the neighborhood (nothing's more American than baseball!)Set up an obstacle courseHave a water balloon fightGo for a walkCan you imagine the fun memories you would make if you did one or two of the things on this list? My kids are growing up so fast and I want to make sure that I create as many memories with them as I can before they leave my house.Plus, I want to leave my kids with a legacy of movement! We didn't have to go for a run after the 4th of July BBQ because Mom didn't want to gain weight - we moved our bodies because it was fun! We played games and had fun as a family! I want that to be the legacy and memory I leave my kids with, not that exercise was a punishment for “unhealthy” eating.Make mindful choices when you indulgeI don't think it's healthy to go to a 4th of July BBQ and not eat anything because you're trying to be “healthy.” Yes, there are going to be seasons of your life where you're not going to indulge in everything you want to because you're focusing on your health, but those are just seasons, not the norm.An important part of living a healthy life is learning how to eat on every occasion - not just when conditions are ideal - and that includes holidays!The key to making healthy choices on a holiday is to continue being mindful of what you're eating. A lot of people say holiday calories don't count. And you can say that all day, but when you step on the scale the next day, it's going to show you that you're just lying to yourself.Calories always count. That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't eat some treats on a holiday, but you should be mindful of how much you indulge.I like to choose one meal to indulge in. Most likely, that's going to be dinner for me because we usually have friends over or get together with our family and it's easier to not worry about every morsel of food I eat when I'm focused on being social.Even though I plan to indulge in that one meal, I still make sure that I make smart and healthy decisions the whole day.Before my bigger meal, I make sure to have plenty of lean protein, fruits, veggies and high-fiber carbs so that I can get close to my normal goals. The better choices you make earlier in the day, or outside of your untracked meal, the better you'll feel later!I also practice moderation during my “off” meal. I don't indulge in everything. If I have a bite of something that doesn't live up to my expectation, I stop eating it. If it's not worth the calories, then you don't have to keep eating it, just because you put it on your plate! Save your calories for things you actually enjoy!If there's a lot of good food around, I like to have a small serving of a couple of things, rather than one big serving of just one thing. That way I don't feel like I missed out, but I'm also not eating a full serving of everything and then end up feeling stuffed and bloated.You can have the same mindset with drinking! You absolutely can drink alcohol and lose weight, but you again, have to be mindful of it! If I want to drink at a BBQ or holiday party, then I'll have one drink. Then, I'll switch to mocktails, sparkling water, or soda. That way I still feel like I'm having fun and getting to be part of the social scene, but I don't have to pay the consequences of drinking too much.Don't think of a holiday as a cheat day or a cheat meal. You're not cheating on anything when you choose to have more one off meal or even one off day. You're still making a conscious decision to indulge while sticking to your health goals.Stay hydratedMama, I'm sure you're used to reminding your kiddos to drink water during the summer, but are you drinking enough?If you're spending the 4th of July playing outside, going to parades, rodeos, fireworks and maybe having a few drinks, all while mommin' on a holiday, then you have to make sure you're getting enough water!Adults should drink at least half of their body weight in ounces. So if you weigh 150 lbs, you should drink 75 oz of water, to begin with. Add extra water if you're doing any of the following things.You should add 12 oz. of water for every 30 mins of activity or if you're out sitting out in the sun.Add 16 ounces of water with every 12-ounce beer or 4-6 ounces of hard liquor.A good rule of thumb for summer, and the 4th is, if you feel thirsty, drink!Take time to do whatever YOU want.Mama, you run the show every day of the year, take some time this 4th of July to rest, relax and do something that makes you happy!If that's getting up and moving your body like we talked about earlier, great! If it's pulling out a lawn chair and reading a good book, great! When you've taken the time to plan out your meals and you're making healthy choices with your food, then it's ok to not be running around the whole day.Rest is important. I actually have to teach a lot of my clients the importance of a rest day! So many women believe that they have to keep going, keep pushing through but really, your body and might just need a break!Use the 4th of July as an opportunity to take a break from your normal duties and do something that makes you happy! You might be surprised how good you'll feel waking up on the 5th if you've taken time to slow down and enjoy yourself.If you want to learn more about living a healthy life that doesn't cause you to restrict yourself on holidays (or really any day!) then let's talk. Schedule a free discovery call to learn how to balance your diet and reach your health and weight loss goals.Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Summer vacation is coming up so fast and while I'm excited for summer, I kind of have a love/hate relationship with summer. Obviously, it's so much fun but, how am I supposed to get everything I need to do done with my kids at home? Bahaha! One thing that helps me stay on track with my life and health over the summer is getting my kids more involved with their food and nutrition. I teach (or re-teach) my kids these three health and nutrition lessons every summer so that we all have a happy, healthy and fun break!I know summer isn't a time for “lessons” and “learning,” and your kids aren't going to want to do anything that feels like schoolwork. This is why I'm going to show you how to easily teach your kids these important truths about nutrition.There's no need to sit the kids down and have them take notes while you give a great lecture; instead, I want you to practice talking to your kids about nutrition daily. The great thing is that opportunities arise to teach about health and nutrition multiple times a day!Anytime you go to prepare food for your kids, you have the chance to teach them about making healthy choices! Plus, more is caught than taught, so if you're living a healthy life and showing your kids by example what healthy living looks like, then they're going to catch on to a lot more than you realize!Here are the three lessons you can sprinkle into your meal times, snack times and in between to set your kids up for nutritional success this summer!Lesson 1: Food and nutrition is a give-and-take relationshipOne of the biggest reasons that I want to use the summer break to teach my kids about nutrition is that I want them to learn about nutrition while they're young. I want to set a solid foundation for them before they grow up and are on their own. Most of us didn't have that foundation when we left the home and we had to figure it out on our own. I don't want that for my kids.I also have two daughters, and I especially want to teach them that food isn't bad. That they don't have to “diet” to be beautiful. That they don't have to restrict food or “be good” with their food choices to be skinny or accepted. I want them to have a very healthy relationship with food.This is why I teach my kids that the effort you put into your food and nutrition is what you get out of it.Nutrition isn't about looking a certain way or being a specific size. It's about fueling your body to do all of the amazing things you want to do!My kids are athletes, so they ask a lot of their bodies. This means that they need to know how to fuel their bodies for any situation! Nutrition isn't just for athletic kids, every kid needs to know how to eat well! How your kids eat affects how they learn, how they keep up with their friends when they're playing, it prevents future disease, and so much more. All kids deserve a healthy childhood!So, back to lesson one: food is a give-and-take relationship. When you give your body good food, it can produce good results!Let's dive into what “good food” is. I don't want you telling your kids that they should only eat steamed veggies and grilled chicken if they want to be healthy. Because no kid, let alone an adult, wants to eat like that Instead, I want you to teach your kids about how different foods fuel their bodies!Unless your kids have specific health issues, they should eat a variety of protein, fat and carbs. Kids don't need to restrict any foods or food groups; instead, they need to have healthy options available to them so that they can make healthy choices!One area that moms worry about for kids is carbs. Can I get a “YUP” in the comments if you have a carb-o-holic at home? I swear there's a minimum of one in every family! Carbs are super important for kids. Carbs are the body's first form of energy and kids need a lot because they burn a lot! Instead of thinking you need to cut your kids' carbs because they only eat carbs, lean into it! Provide your kids with healthy carb options!I like to have lots of fresh fruits and veggies around so that my kids can go to those options before they grab fruit snacks, crackers or candy. Another great way to make sure your kids are getting great carbs is to swap out some of your staples for healthier versions.For example, I always buy Dave's Killer white bread instead of over-processed bread, that way when my kids want a sandwich or toast I know they're getting something with a little protein and fiber and that it's going to keep them full longer.Kids and adults struggle to get enough protein in their diets, so I like to make sure that I serve my kids protein at every meal and I make sure the house is stocked with quick and easy protein snacks! Deli meat is a great thing to have on hand because it's so versatile. I also keep different cheese options stocked in my fridge (BabyBell cheese, Laughing Cow cheese and string cheese are all protein-packed, fun options!)Fat is another nutrient that people think kids need to limit (usually because we were taught that fat was bad) but it's crucial for kids' development and hormone health. Instead of restricting fat for your kids, try to help them choose good fats!Mama, you are in control of the food that comes into your home, make sure that, that food is serving your family! It may take time for your kids to start reaching for apples and peanut butter instead of fruit snacks, but that's ok! Slowly help them change their habits and their perspective on food so that it helps them in their personal goals!Lesson 2: Take ownership of your nutritionThis is one of my favorite nutritional lessons for kids because it makes my life so much easier! Your kids need you to do a lot of things for them, but as they get older, they can take on a little more ownership of their nutrition.Depending on the age of your kids, they can help a lot with meal planning, prepping, cooking and cleanup! Not only will this free up so much of your time, but it's a life skill that too many kids leave the house not having. If you're a mama who likes things done a certain way, you might have to breathe through this process, but I promise it's going to be so good for your whole family.Even your toddlers can start taking ownership of their nutritional choices! One of my favorite tools for young kids is the snack bucket. I used to use this all the time when my kids were little because toddlers seem to always be eating!Instead of me getting up and getting them a snack every time they asked, I made up a snack bucket full of fruits, veggies, protein and a few fun snacks that my kids could choose from each day. They could eat anything in their snack bucket when they got hungry. And because I prepped the bucket I knew that they would be getting healthy foods but they got some autonomy to choose for themselves which snacks they wanted. And toddlers love getting to make decisions!One of my least favorite questions as a mama is, “What's for dinner?” When my kids were in grade school I started having them help me meal plan.I would ask each of my kids to choose one dinner a week. It was a great tool because not only did it save me from overthinking what to cook each night, but I knew that there was going to be at least one meal every week, that my kids would eat! If you have picky eaters, this is a great way to get them involved! Plus, if you make a little extra, you can have the kiddo who picked the meal eat the leftovers when they refuse to eat something else later in the week!Finally, with older kids, I like to have them prepare one meal a week! The great thing about this is that if you start when they're young with choosing a meal, the natural next step is preparing it! You can have your pre-teens and teenagers do as much of the meal planning and prep as you want. I like to have them choose the meal, shop for the ingredients and prepare the meal. This is such a great way to set them up for when they move out of the house!When I went to college I had no idea how to cook and had to live off ramen, but that's not going to happen to my kids! They'll go to school knowing how to read a recipe, how to shop for groceries, how to cook and they'll even have a handful of go-to meals. They might complain now, but it's so worth them having this skill set!There are so many more ways you can involve your kids in preparing meals, and I don't have time to get into all of them now, but I have an incredible downloadable with more ideas that I'm giving away in my free Facebook group, Busy Mom Simple Nutrition. Plus, I'm including my list of healthy snack ideas for you to start filling your snack buckets!Lesson 3: How to help mom fill her cupMental health is just as important as physical health and like I've already said, summer can add another layer of stress for moms, so I want you to take some time to talk to your kids about how to help you too.Mamas sacrifice a lot to take care of their families, but we all know, you can't pour from an empty cup. You need to teach your kids how to help refill your cup when it's low.This might be the one lesson that you do need to have your kids sit down and really listen to, but it's amazing how well they'll pick this up even if you just mention it in passing.One of the most effective ways to teach this lesson is to physically show your kids what it looks like to pour from an empty cup so that they understand the metaphor.The next part is probably going to be the hardest. Your kids might ask, “Mom, what can I do to help you fill your cup up?” A lot of us don't take the time to understand what we need to feel whole or happy, but I want that to be different for you!You need to understand yourself and your needs well enough to know how to ask your family for help!A lot of times, mamas think that filling her cup needs to be something big or extravagant, but it's usually the little things that help the most. Here are a few ideas that might fill your cup and that are easy for kids to help with.Doing chores without being asked. (Or at least doing it the first time you ask.)Trying not to fight.Not bothering you during your morning routine.SnugglingHelping to make dinnerGetting a snack for themselvesGoing outside to play so you can have a few quiet minutesPicking up their thingsPutting away their laundryThese small things may not feel very “self-carey” but Mama, you know, that having one little task taken off your plate can make a huge difference in your day.I want to encourage you not to just come up with your list, but to have your kids make one for themselves too! That way when they're struggling the rest of the family has ways to help pour into them too.Understanding and knowing yourself on a deep level like this can empower the whole family. And it's worth the time to sit down with your kids and come up with your lists so that you can both help each other out when you're running low.I really hope that these tips and lessons help you and your kiddos have a healthy and fun summer. I hope that you get to enjoy the extra time with your kids instead of feeling stressed about how to do it all!If you don't feel like you can teach your kids about nutrition and healthy living because you're feeling lost yourself, then let's talk! Inside the Macros Made Easy program, I help busy mamas lose weight and put themselves first without guilt or shame! And like I said before, if you model a healthy life you're kids will probably catch on and live a healthier life too. Schedule a free discovery call to start your family's health journey!Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Mama, have you ever dieted right before a vacation so that you look good on the beach? Then when you go on vacation and you overindulge and eat everything you'd been telling yourself you couldn't have pre-vacation. Only to come back from vacation and step on the scale and have the number shock you? I've been there. I've done that, and I've even taken it a step further and decided that I might as well just eat whatever I wanted because I wasn't going to be able to lose all that weight all over again.Now, let me tell you the truth Mama, Your vacation doesn't have to do this to you. You don't have to keep riding that weight loss, weight gain roller coaster every time you leave town. Today, I want to teach you the best way to make sure your summer vacation doesn't ruin your weight loss progress and goals.Since I learned to be aware of my nutrition, I've been able to go on vacation, enjoy myself, eat some really good food and come back without gaining a ton of weight! I usually gain 1-2 pounds when I go on vacation because I'm aware of my food choices before, during and after vacation. And after today, you'll be able to do that too!What to expect from your body on vacationVacation weight can come from a lot of different things, including what you eat and drink but it's not limited to that.First of all, traveling can take a toll on your body and can cause inflammation and water retention. When you fly the pressure changes in the cabin can make you bloated, the changes in pressure will also cause more dehydration. Not to mention that airplane food and snacks are usually higher in sodium and sugar, which causes more water retention.Plus, when you're stuck on an airplane or in a car for a while, you're less likely to move around. Even if you eat perfectly on vacation you can still gain a little big of weight just by traveling. Knowing this can help you understand what to expect from your body when you travel. I like to tell my clients not to get on the scale for a day or two after they get back from vacation to allow their bodies to settle and get back to normal.Second, we have to face a hard truth. You cannot go on vacation stuff your face at each meal, drink for a few days straight and not gain weight. You just can't. I seriously wish vacation calories didn't count, but my body likes to remind me that they really, really do.Now I don't want you to peace out right here because you don't want to keep eating plain grilled chicken and steamed broccoli on vacation. I don't do that and I wouldn't tell you to do that either! However, I do want to show you how to enjoy good food on vacation, have a few drinks and still stick to your weight loss goals. It's not that hard, it just takes a little bit of awareness!Create a flexible meal plan for vacationI love a good plan and that extends to my vacations too! Planning how you want to eat when you go on vacation is the best way to avoid falling off the wagon or gaining a ton of weight when you go on vacation.Unlike when you're at home, you never really know what kind of food you're going to have access to on vacation. That's why I suggest creating a flexible plan. A flexible plan doesn't tell you exactly what foods you're going to eat, but instead, it sets up how you want to eat.Here's how I structure my flexible vacation meal plans.Protein firstWhether I'm at a resort or camping with my family I make sure the first thing on my plate is a hearty serving of protein. Protein is the most undereaten macronutrient, but it's also the most needed! Our bodies use protein for so many things, that whether I'm at home or on vacation, I want to set myself up for success by eating plenty of protein!A really important time to get protein in is at breakfast. What you eat for breakfast can set you up for success for the whole day or it can start you on a path towards cravings and sugar crashes. Instead of grabbing a donut or sugary cereal, look for protein-dominant options for breakfast!Eggs or egg whitesSausage or baconProtein shake (adding it to your morning coffee is so good!!)Greek yogurtBreakfast sandwichBreakfast burritoSteak and eggsEgg bites (Grab these at Starbucks!)Oatmeal made with a protein shakeProtein pancakes or waffles (mix a scoop of protein powder into your batter)Cottage cheese bowls (add fruits to make it more fun!)I love having a protein-packed breakfast because it also allows me to have a little more fun either at lunch or dinner, which are more likely to be meals where we eat out or want some dessert after.However, I still make sure to have protein at all three meals, and I like to sneak a few protein snacks in if I can too!Carbs secondA lot of mamas who have been stuck in the diet cycle for years think that they can't have carbs, but mama, I have good news! You can eat carbs - on vacation or at home! Carbs are the body's first source of energy and we need them to live a healthy life!That being said, I like to prioritize which carbs I eat so that I'm getting the most bang for my buck, even when I'm on vacation. My first recommendation for carbs is fruits and veggies! When I'm on vacation I love doing this because I love getting to try whatever fun produce the place I'm visiting has to offer. Plus, fruits and veggies help keep you regular and traveling can do a number on your digestion.After that, you can add breads, pastas, or whatever other carbs make you happy, to your plate. Prioritizing good-for-you carbs will help you hit your goals even when you're enjoying more decadent foods on vacation.Drinking alcohol on vacationI know that drinking is basically essential on vacation, and that's ok. You can drink and lose weight, but you just have to know a few things to make it work!Alcohol is hard on your body because your body considers alcohol a toxin, that's why you get intoxicated when you drink. To flush out the toxins your body puts all other processes on hold and prioritizes flushing out the alcohol. Alcohol and fat are both processed by the liver. To get rid of the alcohol, your body stops breaking down fat for a few hours. Which is why you see weight gain on the scale.That being said, that's not weight that is going to stick around for ages. Once the alcohol is processed, your body will start processing fat again. But, if you're doing a lot of drinking for a few days, it's going to delay that process and the fat will stick around longer.If you're ok with the scale going up for a few days and waiting to burn fat, then you can have a few more drinks on your vacation. If you don't like the idea of storing extra fat so you can drink more, then you can do something about it!The first option is to not drink much. Choose when you want to drink and make it count! Don't drink just to have something in your hand or just because everyone else is. Order your favorite drink a few times throughout your vacation and enjoy those moments.Another way to help balance out drinking is to drink plenty of water! You can alternate between water and alcohol while you're drinking to make sure you stay hydrated and to slow down your alcohol consumption.Finally, I love to have a good mocktail instead of alcohol! A fun mocktail will help you feel like you're fitting into the social parts of your vacation but will leave you hang-over-free! Plus, if you use flavored waters you'll end up hydrated too! It's a win-win.Whatever you decide to do with alcohol is fine, but make sure that you decide ahead of time what your plan is so that you can stick to it in the moment! Planning ahead will always help you stick to your goals!Create a concrete meal plan for when you get homeIf you eat outside of your nutritional boundaries while you're on vacation, but you don't want to gain a ton of weight, then you have to think about what you're going to do when you get home. Too often, we let ourselves fall out of our healthy eating when we get home and that's when we start to really gain weight.I always tell my clients that one off meal, or one week of vacation eating isn't going to ruin everything you've worked for. But you don't want to let that week of indulging turn into weeks and months of overeating. You can enjoy a moment on vacation, but you have to keep it at a moment and not let it turn into a habit.To avoid turning it into a habit, I want you to come up with a concrete meal plan for the week you get home. This means planning out what you're going to eat for the next couple of days. You can use the outline from the flexible planning to create your meal plan, but I want you to step it up and know exactly what you're going to be preparing and eating once you're home.You can create your meal plan before you leave for vacation, or while you travel home, wherever you think it will work best for you. But don't get home without a plan! When you walk into a house with no groceries you're way more likely to make choices that don't align with your goals.One of my favorite ways to make sure that I get back on track as soon as possible is to order my groceries on my way back from vacation.When I'm traveling home, I'll order my groceries for pick-up or delivery. If I do a pick-up order, I'll grab the groceries on the drive home so that I know when I get home I'll have healthy options right away. Or, I'll have them delivered close to the time I'll be home so that it's one less step!Then I have no excuse not to get right back on track when I'm home. Plus, after eating out for most meals for a week, having home-cooked meals can make you feel so much better! I promise you'll be glad you have a real meal plan when you get home!Mama, you can go on vacation, enjoy your food and not gain a ton of weight. If you need help learning what your nutritional boundaries should look like so that you can achieve your goals, let's chat!I help mamas just like you understand their nutrition so that they can hit their weight loss goals and feel good in their bodies. Schedule a free discovery call to get started now! Don't keep waiting until before a vacation to eat healthy and lose weight.Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Summer's kickoff is just around the corner and while I know celebrating Memorial Day can be a lot of fun, I also know it can take a lot of people away from their health goals. Backyard BBQs are typically full of foods that don't fit into a “diet.” But that's why I don't teach busy mamas how to diet! I teach busy mamas how to make healthy choices so that they can stick to their goals and enjoy all that summer has to offer!I want to share an experience I had a few months ago that has really stuck with me because I remember when I used to think that I couldn't eat certain foods or enjoy social situations, like Memorial Day BBQs, if I was trying to lose weight.A few months ago I was at Costco and I was standing in line to have my receipt checked so I could leave. When it was my turn, the lady who was checking receipts complimented me on how strong and healthy I looked. Then, she said, “I just need to stop eating cookies so that I can look like you!”Immediately after she said that she looked down into my cart, and saw I had a package of cookies in there. She said, “Wait! You eat cookies?” I was so excited to respond to her because I had been in her position. I had believed the lies that you had to cut out “bad foods” if you wanted to hit your goals.I respond, “Yep! I eat cookies and pumpkin pie and pecan pie (both of which were also in my cart. Bahaha!) And I eat grilled chicken and veggies. And I've healed my relationship with myself and with food. And that's how I look like this.”It was such a full-circle moment for me. I used to think I couldn't eat fun food and look the way I wanted to look. I thought I had to be the girl at the BBQ eating plain chicken and veggies to achieve my health goals But that's not what healthy living looks like!Healthy living is enjoying your food and balancing those fun foods with healthy foods that your body needs to feel good and perform like you want it to. Mama, you have to get away from this all-or-nothing mindset! If you want to enjoy food and alcohol any day, but especially around a holiday, then you have to learn what healthy eating really looks like.I'm going to share my best tips on making healthy choices when you're at parties or BBQs with you so that you have the tools you need to go into a holiday weekend and come out without gaining weight.You can eat anything any day but you can't eat everything every dayThe first lesson I want you to learn about leading a healthy life is that you can have a hamburger, beer, or whatever it is you want over the holiday weekend. I always tell my clients, one off-meal or off-day won't make you gain a ton of weight. Just like one healthy meal or one day of healthy eating won't make you hit your goal weight.You absolutely can have your favorite BBQ food on Memorial Day, but you can't have everything all at once. You have to spread it out and make it fit into your nutritional goals. I like to think of eating like a budget because people can easily understand what it's like to budget their money, but not a lot of people budget their nutrition.For example, if you're anything like me, you could walk into Target and easily drain your bank account because you want to buy everything! But, you know that that's not a good thing to do. Yes, you might be happy for a few minutes, but when you woke up the next day and didn't have any money to buy anything else, you'd probably regret spending all your money in one day.However, if you went into Target with a budget and had enough money to buy what you needed plus something fun. When you woke up the next day you would still be able to take care of your needs and I would feel happy that you had some fun and were still responsible.That's exactly how your nutrition works - even on a holiday. You eat what you need to do to have the energy and to feel good, but then you get to have a little fun too.Fun for you might mean a burger and fries. It might mean having a drink or two. It might mean enjoying some red, white and blue cookies. The big thing is that you come to a holiday with an “or” mindset.I can have a beer OR fries. I can have a burger with a bun OR dessert. When you start looking at what you can fit into your nutritional budget and start thinking about what foods will make you the happiest to eat, it makes choosing healthier foods much easier.How to make healthy food choices during Memorial Day weekendLet's dive a little deeper into making healthy choices with your food over a holiday weekend like Memorial Day.There are two suggestions I swear by if you want to eat healthy over any holiday: make a plan and make healthy food easily available.Like we already talked about knowing your nutritional budget will help you choose which foods you want to enjoy over a holiday. If you know what you want to eat over the weekend, make your plans around those foods!If you're going to be celebrating the whole weekend, this is a must! Choose which food or meal you're going to be having a little more fun with, and then plan more nutritious foods for the rest of the day.For example, if you're going to be having a big BBQ dinner, then start with that meal and know exactly what you want to eat and drink. Most likely that meal is going to be higher in fat and carbs, so then you want to make sure you have high-protein and lower-carb and fat meals for the rest of the day.Quick note, this doesn't mean you can't eat fat or carbs earlier in the day, it just means a little lower. If you try to save all your fat or carbs for a meal later in the day you will feel horrible! You won't have any energy and you'll be miserable. So don't cut them out completely, just try to go a little less than normal so that you can enjoy more at dinner.I call this strategy backward planning and I teach it to all of the mamas in my Macros Made Easy program because it's probably the most helpful tool you'll have on a healthy eating journey! Even if you don't learn how to understand and track macros, backward planning is so valuable to living a healthier life!Once you have your plan, I want to give you the best chance at sticking to it! And making healthy food easy and available is the best way to do that! If you decide you're going to eat Greek yogurt with fruit for breakfast, then have it prepped so that when you get up and someone brings donuts over, or your kids ask for pancakes, you're not tempted to give in. You already have your favorite yogurt in the fridge and your fruit is washed and diced so you're ready and excited to eat it!Another time it can feel hard to stick to your plan is when you're at a party or BBQ and there's a lot of good, but not-so-nutritious food around. This is when you need to know what you're going to eat and to have something delicious and nutritious ready!I always recommend that my clients take food to a BBQ or party that 1. Fits into their plan and 2. Is so good they're excited to eat it. If you bring the veggie tray to a party and there are bags of chips sitting right next to your bland and boring veggie tray, do you think you're going to munch on carrots and cucumbers or are you going to accidentally eat half a bag of chips?I'd be elbows deep in a bag of chips! So instead of bringing something boring, bring something delicious that fits into your nutritional plan!To make it easier for you, I've put together a macro-friendly guide of BBQ foods and drinks that are delicious and easy to fit into your day! You can grab it for free inside my Facebook group, Busy Mom Simple Nutrition.How to drink alcohol and still hit your goalsOne of the biggest lies in the weight loss industry is that you have to give up certain foods to lose weight or eat healthy. And a lot of people think that alcohol is a big no-no if you want to be a healthy person. But really, alcohol is just like anything, it can be enjoyed with some accountability!Alcohol doesn't impede weight loss when you're having it occasionally. It starts hurting your goals when you're having a lot of it a lot of the time - just like other foods! But, when you learn what alcohol costs in your nutritional budget and how to fit it into your budget you can enjoy a drink!The thing is that you can't be accountable for your alcohol consumption until you understand it! And to do that, a quick nutrition lesson is required to understand how alcohol relates to calories and macronutrients.Each macronutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrates) has a calorie equivalent.1 g of fat = 9 calories1 g of carb = 4 calories1 g of protein = 4 caloriesWhen you add up the total calories for each of the macronutrients it gives you the total calories per serving for each food or drink.Although alcohol isn't a macro or micronutrient, it still has calories, which means you need to fit it into your caloric intake for the day. The tricky thing about alcohol is that the nutritional label doesn't always give you the truth.Alcohol isn't regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) like food; it's regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. And because it's not regulated by the FDA, it doesn't have to tell you the same kind of nutritional information. Luckily, most companies are good about giving you the correct calories, but they sometimes fudge the rest of the information.That's why you see a 100-calorie beer claiming to only have 4 grams of carbohydrates. If we do a little math we can see that doesn't add up.Start by taking 4 (the number of carbs supposedly in the 100-calorie beer) and multiply that by 4 (the calories per gram of carbs) and you would get 16 calories. And that doesn't quite add up to 100, so we know that the company isn't giving us the right carb count.To figure out the correct carb count, we're going to take the calories because we know that's the most correct information, and divide it by 4 (because that's how many calories are in one gram of carbs) and that will give us the correct carbohydrate count.For our example it would look like this: 100 calories / 4 calories = 25 grams of carbsThat's a pretty big difference! And it's sneaky things like this that make alcohol throw off your nutritional goals! However, once you understand what your drink is actually costing you nutritionally, it's easier to fit it into your budget and enjoy a drink!One little caveat I want you to think about. Because alcohol isn't a macronutrient or a micronutrient, it's not going to help you feel fuller or satisfied, even though it's costing you calories. So, make sure you fill up with fibrous carbs and plenty of protein when you drink so that you're not starving!If you're feeling really hungry and you drink you're more likely to eat more and to eat foods that aren't going to help you reach your goals. Long story short, drink responsibly!One last note for you, mama. Holidays and celebrations are going to happen in your life and you should learn how to enjoy them without giving up all of your health goals. That being said, it's ok if you don't lose weight over a holiday. It's ok if you put on 2-3 pounds over a holiday. Even better, it's amazing if you maintain your weight over a holiday!Your weight isn't the most important thing in life. I don't want you looking back in 20, or 30 years and saying, I wish I'd cared more about spending time with my people instead of my weight.We work on your health and nutrition to help you have more time with your people, not just to see a number on the scale.Mama, use these tips to feel good this Memorial Day. Use them to set yourself up for success in the future! And use them to create healthy habits that serve you year-round!You can learn more about how to create healthy habits and feel good in your skin inside my Macros Made Easy program. Schedule a free discovery call today to get the tools and knowledge to reach your health goals!Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Weight Watchers, Optavia, Noom, Paleo, Atkins, Whole 30: all of these diets tell you how to eat to lose weight. But what happens when the program ends? Or heaven forbid, you eat a bowl of pasta because it's your favorite food ever and you just can't live without it anymore? Do you know how to get back on track after that? Do you know why the scale changes? My guess is probably not. The reason that traditional diets like these fail you is that they don't teach you how to eat healthily for a lifetime. They just want you to follow their rules.For far too long women have learned about nutrition from diet culture. We were told: don't eat carbs, they make you fat. Don't eat red meat, it makes you fat. Don't eat processed foods, that's what is really making you fat. Don't. Don't. Don't.Nutrition seems like a complete mystery to us because we're constantly fed conflicting information! After spending a lifetime learning that every food you like is going to either make you fat or give you cancer, you never learn how to eat healthily. You just learn that food is an enemy that you can't beat.Mama, it's not your fault that you're stuck in an endless dieting loop! You've never been taught how to eat healthy for a lifetime. You've only been taught how to diet. But that's going to end today. Today I'm going to show you why you need to give up traditional diets to reach your health and weight loss goals.Lasting weight loss comes from healthy eating not dietingThe truth about nutrition is that you don't need to cut out entire food groups to lose weight or even to live a healthy life. You can eat carbs, red meat, processed foods - you can even drink and still live a healthy life! The key is learning how to eat all this in a balanced way.A balanced diet doesn't restrict. It isn't focused on what you can't have or what you can't do. It's focused on what you can have. You can have your favorite foods. You can enjoy a cocktail when you're out at a girls' night. You can go out to dinner and have more than boiled chicken and steamed broccoli.So why isn't everyone eating a balanced diet if it means getting to enjoy their favorite foods while still hitting their goals? Because it's not a one size fits all program!In traditional diets, the rules are the same for everyone. But that doesn't work because everyone is different. Everyone's body has different needs and if you want to learn how to eat healthy and reach your goals, then you need an individualized nutritional plan.And the best way that I've found to do this is through macro tracking.Macro tracking teaches you what balance of macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbs) your body needs to reach your goals. And when you learn how to use those nutrients to reach your goals, you're able to control your diet instead of having your diet control you!One of the reasons women struggle with healthy eating is that they're told they need to restrict their calorie intake. But they still have to show up as mamas, business owners, employees, wives, friends, daughters, sisters, etc. and they don't have the energy to do it all! So, what happens? They end up binge eating because their bodies are exhausted and when your body gets to that point it kicks up cravings and screams at you until you feed it.If you want to stop your body from screaming, then you have to feed it enough food.You need to eat enough protein to put an end to constant cravings all day and feel full.You need to eat enough fat to balance your hormones.You need to eat enough carbs to feel energized and can keep up with your busy life.Food isn't an enemy you need to constantly battle. Food is a tool you use to live your best life! And when you learn how to find that balance for yourself, you become an empowered woman who isn't a slave to diet culture anymore.Food isn't the key to weight loss: mindset isAll of that being said, food, or what you eat, isn't the biggest hurdle in weight loss. The biggest struggle is how you think and feel about food.I could teach you all the science behind food and how to use it to fuel your body, but if you ignored working on your mind it wouldn't make a difference.And I see this all the time when I talk to women who have tried every diet they can find, sometimes including macro tracking! They tell me that that they stuck to their macros and did everything they were supposed to but nothing changed.When I hear this, I know what the real problem is. It's their mindset.They still believe that there are good and bad foods. They still think that they have to give in to cravings because it's the only way to feel better when they're sad/mad/stressed, etc. They believe that they have to eat the cookies their neighbor brought over or it will be rude.There's always an excuse that will pop up in your mind as to why you should eat outside of your nutritional boundaries. And you will use that excuse to justify why you “had to give in” and it will make you feel better for a moment or two. But it doesn't serve you in the long run.That's why I am not just a nutritionist, but a life coach too. Because when you're trying to change your life through nutrition it's not just about the food. It's so much more.Inside the Macros Made Easy program, I focus so much on helping my clients recognize how their thoughts are impacting their nutrition. When you start recognizing that your thoughts are controlling your actions it's so much easier to stop falling for cravings. It's easier to realize when you're giving yourself permission to eat outside of your boundaries.And you finally realize that it's possible to change your thoughts before you act on them. This is something that a lot of people, myself included, were never taught! We were taught that your thoughts were outside of your control but it's not true.You are in control mama. Of everything. You're in control of your thoughts. You're in control of your actions. You're in control of your food. You're in control of your physical activity. You're in control of your mood.If you don't like being stuck in diet culture, you have the power to change that. It just takes one decision: to invest in yourself. To invest in finally learning what a balanced diet looks like and how to manage your mind. And I can help you with both. Schedule a free discovery call to start taking control of your health and your life so that you can show up as the mama and woman that you dream of being.Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,The #1 reason busy mamas struggle to lose weight and keep it off is because they're undereating.I bet you didn't think that was your problem! Diet culture teaches that to lose weight, you need to restrict your calories. Which isn't necessarily wrong. Science confirms that weight loss happens when you burn more calories than you're consuming; however, there's a small caveat to it. You need to already be eating at maintenance calories before you can take anything away. And most women aren't eating at maintenance calories.I see this all the time in my Macros Made Easy program. Mamas come to me desperate to lose weight. They've tried everything. They've cut, and cut, and cut their calories but they can't lose weight anymore. Most of these women are eating 1,200 or fewer calories a day. And that's exactly why they can't lose weight!Mama, 1,200 calories is a toddler's amount of food. You are a grown woman. You need to be eating a grown woman's amount of food!If you want to burn fat, build muscle or lose weight, then you need to learn how to start eating the right amount of food. And I can teach you how. Keep reading!Why cutting calories stopped workingThe reason you stopped losing weight even though you cut your calories is that you are eating so little that your body thought you were starving. Like literally starving. Lost in the woods with no food starving.Your body has one job: to keep you alive. And when you are chronically undereating, it assumes that food is scarce; therefore, it should hold onto every morsel of food.Let's go back to the caveman days to understand this better. Back in the day, cavemen and cavewomen would either be in a time of feasting or famine. They would find food and eat as much as they could. Then they would have to survive on those nutrients until more food came along.The body learned not to burn too many calories in case it had to sustain the cavewomen for a long time. The metabolism would slow down and hold onto any energy it got to sustain these women until they could get more food.Your body still works the same way.So, if you've been dieting for years, your body thinks that you're in a serious famine and it's going to hold onto every ounce of food that it can. It's slowing down all your metabolic processes to be able to hold onto any food, or energy, you give it.Each time you took away more food, your body thought, the famine is getting worse! Hold onto more food. So instead of losing weight, you started to gain weight. Luckily, you can tell your body that it doesn't need to keep storing food, simply by eating more.How to eat more food without gaining weightThe diet industry acts like the metabolism is this crazy thing that we have no control over. It's either fast or slow and you have to react to it. But it's not. You can control your metabolism by adding or taking away food.If you've been dieting for years and you've slowed your metabolism down, you can rev it back up by eating more food. Which will most likely also help you lose weight again.However, you can't go hog wild and eat whatever you want. If you want to lose weight while eating more food, then you have to slowly increase your calories in the right way.The 4 stages of Macro TrackingThere are four different stages of healthy eating: reverse, maintenance, surplus and cut. You are supposed to move through each of those stages throughout the year to keep your metabolism healthy.In a reverse, you're going to be adding calories back into your diet. The point of reverse dieting is to repair the metabolism after being in a calorie deficit.In maintenance, you're eating the right amount of calories for your body's needs. You know you've hit this phase when you're no longer gaining or losing weight. You should hold steady for 3-4 weeks before you know you've hit your maintenance calories.A surplus is when you're eating more calories than your body needs. Usually, people go into a surplus to help put on muscle mass.Finally, a cut is when you're eating in a calorie deficit. This phase is used only after you've been at maintenance or surplus calories and you're looking to lose weight. You do not want to stay in a cut year-round. Any longer than a few months can make it harder to lose weight.Today, we're going to focus mainly on reverse dieting and maintenance calories to help you increase your calorie intake while still losing weight. But please remember, that there are two other stages of macro tracking, the surplus and cut, that can help you reach your goals when done intentionally!Reverse dieting can help you lose weightReverse dieting is the best tool you have to lose weight while eating more food. When you're reversing, you're going to slowly add more food to your diet until you reach your maintenance numbers.To lose weight, burn fat and build muscle, you're going to want to focus on more than just calories; you're going to want to focus on macronutrients.There are three macronutrients: protein, fat and carbohydrates. Each macronutrient plays an important role in your body. Protein is needed for muscle growth, fat is used to balance hormones and carbs are your body and brain's first source of energy.I wish I could tell you to go out and eat whatever you wanted in a reverse and watch the weight melt off, but that's not quite how it works. A reverse diet works because you're balancing your protein, fat and carbs to kickstart your metabolism, have energy, build muscle and burn fat.The key here is that you need to learn what a balanced diet looks like for you. My macro needs are going to be different than yours. Yours are going to be different than your sister's. Your sister's needs will be different than your best friend's. You get the point.Mama, you're a star and for far too long you've been trying to force yourself into square cookie-cutter diets. But it's not working! You need a program that is tailored to you, and that's what I want to help you with.Inside the Macros Made Easy program, I help busy, on-the-go, mamas lose weight without restricting themselves. You can still eat your favorite foods, go to social events and enjoy your life while losing weight.Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,When I talk to mamas who are looking to improve their health and lose weight, they tell me time and time again that the hardest part of losing weight, or even just eating healthier, is being consistent. We all know how important consistency is, but being a busy mom makes actually being consistent so hard!As a busy mom myself, I know that your time isn't really yours. It belongs to your kids, your spouse, your job, your house, and then, at the very bottom of the list is you.When you look at your life and your time like that, with you at the very bottom, it makes sense that you can't be consistent with your health and weight loss goals! When you have this viewpoint, it's impossible to eat healthy or exercise.However, just because it feels impossible right now, doesn't mean it's impossible forever! The secret to losing weight, eating better, hitting the gym, getting enough sleep, or whatever health goal you have is learning to put your needs first on your priority list.Learn how to prioritize your needsDid every alarm bell in your brain just go off when I said that? Did you feel instant resistance to the idea? Did you think, “I can't do that; my kids need to come first!”If you're like me, you watched your mother, grandmothers, aunts and pretty much any woman in your life sacrifice herself and her happiness for her family's happiness. That's what I was taught that motherhood was. If you were taught that as well, then you have to listen up!Yes, motherhood does require a lot of sacrifices, but it shouldn't cost you everything. A few years ago I heard this phrase, and it changed my whole perspective: “You say you're willing to die for your children, but are you willing to live for them?”Ooooo mama. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was surviving on leftover mac and cheese and bites of dino nuggets, sacrificing my health, my happiness, and my sanity to be a good mom. But if I continued on that path I would not have been healthy enough to show up for my kids as the kind of mom I wanted to be. I was suffering mentally and physically and I couldn't sustain that lifestyle anymore.So I started making my health a priority. I decided that I was worth the effort of making a real breakfast and lunch instead of living on reheated coffee and my kids' leftovers.Feeding myself, getting adequate sleep, journaling and moving my body weren't going to be things I did “if I had time” They were things I deserved to do every single day. Because they made me feel good. And when I felt good and strong and nourished I had the energy to chase toddlers, take my kids to all their practices and show up as a loving wife.Making that shift to take care of myself first, and then to take care of the rest of my family changed the trajectory of my life. And I've seen so many mamas have this same experience inside of the Macros Made Easy Program.One mama who is in my program was struggling to speak up for her needs as well. She would make a meal plan and then when her family didn't want to eat it, she would fold and go eat out wherever they wanted.Every week when she got on our call, she would say, “I wanted to stick to my plan, but my kids wanted something else, so I had to do that instead.” And she would feel frustrated and disappointed because she wasn't making progress toward her goals.That's what it feels like not to prioritize your needs.Anytime this happened, my client and I would work on a new plan. One that would help her stick to her goals. We worked on telling her family about her goals and asking them for support. We came up with “scripts” for what she could say when her family wanted to go out but she had already planned for a certain meal.We worked on delaying gratification for herself and her kids. Instead of saying, “I want this now, we need to go eat it.” we worked on saying, “Ok, I recognize that I have this craving. But I already created a plan, and I'm going to stick with that today and we can go out tomorrow.”And a few weeks later, she came on a call and was a totally different woman!She was putting her needs first. And the most amazing thing for her was that no one was upset with her for it either! When she expressed what she needed, her family was fine with it! And she realized that asking for her needs to be met wasn't an inconvenience for anyone else. It helped the whole family support her as she needed it.Amazing things will happen when you start prioritizing yourself. And the amazing thing that you may not realize right now is it will have a ripple effect throughout your family.When you show up for yourself, and start expressing your needs, you're modeling to your kids that it's ok for them to do the same thing. It's ok for them to tell their friends what they want - and even more importantly what they don't want. They don't have to bend to peer pressure. They can have a voice, just like their strong mama does.Mama, if you want to feel good in your body, then you have to stop believing the lie that your needs come last. When you start taking care of yourself, not only do you show up as a better mom, wife, worker, or whatever other title you hold. But you start to show yourself that you can create the consistent habits you need to become the healthiest version of yourself.I help busy mamas on the go lose weight and put themselves first without feeling guilt or shame! In the Macros Made Easy, you can learn how to create consistency and how to prioritize yourself so that you can reach your health and weight loss goals. Schedule a free discovery call to start living your healthiest life.Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Let's talk about your goal and how we can work together to reach them! Let's chat, Schedule a Free Discovery Session here:KmoreMacro Have a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group: Busy Mom Simple Nutrition | Facebook Love Free Resources Go Here:Incredible Resources Just For You!
The #1 reason busy mamas are hesitant to focus on macro tracking at firstWhat is a mom's most valuable commodity? Time! We all know it, right? As mamas we are busy! No matter what stage of life you're in, mamas are constantly being pulled in a million directions! Mamas have kids to feed, chauffeur and entertain. We want to build thriving relationships with our spouses. We crave adult interaction and want to spend time with our friends and extended family. Time is always a factor. And time is one of the biggest reasons busy mamas don't want to try macro tracking at first.I'm right there with ya, mama. I'm a mom to three kids who all play competitive spots (aka we're at practices, games and competitions year-round!) My husband is a firefighter and spends days away from us every week. Plus, I run my own business! I don't have time for things that don't work. And I know you don't either.But mama, what if I could help you get your time back?What if serving a nutritious home-cooked meal was more efficient than going through the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru?What if you could spend more quality time with your husband because you weren't worrying about what you had to cook for dinner?What if you could enjoy a night out with your girlfriends without being so preoccupied with what you ate or drank and how it would show up on the scale tomorrow?If macro tracking could help you free up your time to spend it with the people who matter most to you, would that be worth it to you? Here's how it works.Macro tracking takes time to learn, but then it's simple.Many of the mamas I talk to use time as an excuse for not trying macro tracking. And as I said, I completely get it! Up front, macro tracking seems like it's going to be way too time-consuming. But I can tell you that it was one of the best things I've done to get my time back.The reason macro tracking seems so time-consuming up front is that it's something new! Just like anything else, you have to allow yourself time to be a beginner.One of the reasons it can take more time, in the beginning, is that you're learning to look at food in a new way. Most of us were taught to meal plan by whatever ingredients we had on hand or whatever looked or sounded good in the moment. When you macro track, you start thinking of your food as nutrients: protein, fat and carbs.Meal planning as a macro tracker is like balancing a budget. You don't just spend money all day and hope to stay within your budget! You have to set yourself up for success. You have to go through what you're going to eat and make sure it all fits into your nutritional budget.However, once you've done this, it sets you up to save time for the rest of the day!I remember before I was macro tracking, I would spend my morning stressing about what I was going to eat for breakfast. Then I'd either get too busy and forget to eat, or I'd snag a few bites of my kids' abandoned breakfast and call it good enough.Then lunch would roll around and I'd stress over what to eat. I'd dig through the fridge to find something that was edible - there was never anything. So I would end up just heating a few extra dino nuggets for myselfThen I'd stress the rest of the day about what in the world I was going to cook for dinner. And because I couldn't think of anything, I'd order a pizza. Then, I'd eat half of it because I hadn't eaten anything all day. And I would end my day with more junk food because I was starving, exhausted and stressed!It was a never-ending cycle.But once I learned how to macro track and how to budget my food throughout the day to give me energy. I spend 5-10 minutes each night creating my plan for the next day.Each night, I plan my breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. I always plan a dinner that my whole family will eat because I don't cook separate meals! And then each day is a breeze! When I go into the kitchen, I know exactly what I'm going to eat. I know that I have the ingredients on hand and usually prepped ahead of time because I took the time to prepare.I don't have to live in constant stress about what I'm going to eat and how it's going to affect my health because I have a plan. When I first started it took me a little longer to do this, but now it's second nature. And I'm beyond grateful that I have so much time back (and so much less stress!)This is how macro tracking gave me back my time! And not only do I not waste hours of each day thinking about food, making food, and then making more food because my kids won't eat what I cooked. But macro tracking took the mental load off of me too! I'm no longer constantly thinking about food! It's been an amazing byproduct of macro tracking, but it's not even the best part!Macro tracking is about more than just weight lossMost women get into macro tracking because they want to lose weight. That's what got me into it, and I bet that's why you're here reading this blog.I lost weight macro tracking. I built muscle macro tracking. I go on vacation and come back at the same weight because of macro tracking. But that's still not the best part of macro tracking.The best part of macro tracking was that it taught me what healthy looks like for me.It taught me that I didn't have to eat boiled chicken breasts and salads all day just to be healthy!I finally learned how to eat the foods I loved, like peanut butter, tacos and ice cream sandwiches in a balanced way. Oh, and I got to keep having my coffee and creamer too. That was a big one for me.Plus, on top of finally understanding my own nutritional needs, I learned how to teach my kids about food!I was a two-sport college athlete who survived on Taco Bell and Top Ramen. I was the athlete who could eat what she wanted because I spent so much time in the gym. But the second I stopped playing, it caught up to me.That's not happening to my kids.They're athletes. As I mentioned before, they play year-round sports. My son is already a two-sport athlete. But my kids have a leg up on me. They understand their nutrition because I taught them what I learned!When they were little and I was just diving into macros, I taught them everything I could about nutrition. They could tell you that carbs gave you energy (and I'd have them run in place when I taught them.) They knew fats kept you full (they'd rub their tummies to pretend to be full.) And they knew protein made them strong (and they'd tell you that as they flexed.)Teaching my kids these things when they were little helped them stick as they grew up. Now, my kids are getting a little older and they know what to reach for when they need a pre-practice snack. They know that when they're sore after a long week of practices, they need protein and rest to rebuild their muscles. They know how to fuel themselves for a weekend tournament.Yes, I got into macro tracking to lose the baby weight. To feel like me again. But it's not just about weight loss anymore. It's about feeding my body so that I feel good and it's about teaching my kids how to do the same. Because the last thing I want for my daughters is to go through what I did, and mama, I know you want that for your kiddos too.You want to set them up for success. Being a little bit selfish with your time or money right now so that you can learn how to eat a balanced diet that helps you feel amazing in your skin, is going to have huge dividends. Invest now and let everyone around you reap the rewards!Let's talk about your goal and how we can work together to reach them! Let's chat, Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,You might think the top three weight loss progress killers would be overeating, not getting the right supplements, or not timing your meals correctly. But mama, those aren't the biggies. Let's talk about what actually stops you from hitting your weight loss goals.But before we dive into that, I want to explain why overeating, supplements and meal timing aren't as big of a deal as you've been led to believe.Let's start with overeating. If you've been trying to lose weight for more than 3 months, I bet you aren't overeating. You probably believe that in order to lose weight, you need to cut calories, but Mama, if you're eating 1,200-1,500 calories, you're not overeating! You're actually most likely undereating! And living at those calories for more than 3 months will stop weight loss progress.Excessively cutting calories doesn't help you lose weight. It creates more cravings, low energy, hormonal dysfunction and a compromised immune system. Please stop eating toddler amounts of food to lose weight. It's really not working.Next, let's chat about supplements. Supplements aren't bad, but they aren't the end-all-be-all for weight loss. Supplements should be exactly that, supplementing what you're already eating. You shouldn't be dependent on them for weight loss.Eating real food is always going to trump a supplement. As much as I like my protein shakes, it's not as good for me as real protein! The protein in a shake has already been broken down, so my body doesn't have to work as hard to get the nutrients from it. This sounds like a good thing, but it actually means that my body isn't burning all the calories possible to break down that protein. Real food trumps supplements.That being said, our food isn't as nutrient-rich as it used to be, so sometimes we do have to supplement. Sometimes, it's more convenient to have a protein shake than to eat a whole chicken breast. (Can you imagine everyone walking out of the gym with a chicken breast in hand? Bahahaa!) But, like I said supplements won't make or break your weight loss.And finally, meal timing. I get asked about meal timing a lot. “Should I do intermittent fasting to boost my results?” “Should I stop eating by 9 p.m. so I can lose weight?” “When's the best time to eat my meals?” In truth, for the average mama who is looking to lose weight and feel good in her skin, meal timing isn't that important.You can do intermittent fasting, as long as you still hit your calorie goals for the day if that feels good to you. You can stop eating at 9 p.m. if you feel gross and bloated when you eat later than that. But if you love that late-night snack after you put the kids to bed, that's fine too!The real progress killers don't have anything to do with food. The real progress killers are mental.Having an all-or-nothing attitudeOne of the biggest mistakes women make when it comes to healthy living is thinking that they have to do it perfectly to see success. This all-or-nothing attitude keeps so many women stuck on the weight loss roller coaster.You start a new diet, and you're super excited about it. You've chucked all your junk food, You have your meal plan, and you've grocery shopped. You're going to crush it! Everything goes well for a couple of days, but then you're at work and someone brings in donuts.And you eat two.And you fall into a shame spiral.“Why did I do that?” “I knew I couldn't do this.” “I'm such a failure.” “I'm never going to lose weight.” “I might as well go eat more donuts. I've already ruined everything anyway.”This is where I want you to stop mama! You haven't ruined anything! Just like eating one salad isn't going to make you drop 30 pounds, eating one “bad” meal, or two donuts, isn't going to ruin everything.This is where the all-or-nothing attitude takes you away from your goals. Like I've said before, weight loss doesn't require perfection. It requires accountability.Tomorrow, the scale might go up from the donuts you ate. That's ok. If you stick to your goals the next day, then this will just be a blip. The scale will go back down in another day or two and you'll be back on track in no time.Recognizing and holding yourself accountable for the decisions you make is going to take you off the weight loss roller coaster. You're not going to have to restart tomorrow, next week, next month or whenever you get the energy to do it again.You simply need to own up to your choices and try to be 1% better tomorrow and you'll see the progress you want in your weight loss journey.Being impatient with your resultsHow long does it take to lose weight?Well, how long did it take you to put it on?Sustainable weight loss takes time. It's probably going to take at least as long as it took you to put it on, and honestly, probably a little bit longer. But just because you're not seeing instant results doesn't mean that what you're doing is pointless.Weight loss is a great goal. If you're overweight and you don't feel like you can live your best life at your current weight, then losing weight can be a great thing to do to help you feel better.But, weight loss shouldn't be your long-term goal. Leading a healthy life should.That might mean that you won't lose 10 lbs in 10 days! But setting up healthy habits will pay off in the long run.Now, let's talk about what healthy living even looks like because if you're used to restriction dieting you might think that programs like Keto, Whole 30, HCG, etc are healthy. But they aren't - at least not long-term.If you want sustainable weight loss and a healthy relationship with food you need to focus on these things:Eating a balance of protein, fat and carbs at every meal. (YES! Eating carbs is healthy!!!)Moving your body daily - that doesn't mean crushing the gym every day. Make sure to include active recovery days!Getting 8+ hours of sleep each day.There are things you can do beyond these three, but if you can do them consistently, you'll dramatically improve your health, your life, and create sustainable weight loss.Trying to do it on your ownMama, you are a smart and capable woman. You can do anything that you set your mind to, but just because you can do it on your own doesn't mean you have to.If you've been struggling to lose weight. Or you've lost it only to have it come back with a vengeance and you just feel so stuck and lost, then it's time to ask for help.You don't just deserve to feel good and healthy, Mama you are entitled to your health! If 2020 taught us anything, it's that our health is absolutely vital.I know you've tried to do it yourself for a myriad of reasons, one of which is probably that you didn't want to spend a lot of money. But mama, if you're struggling to feel good in your body, then it's time to invest some money in learning what true health looks like.Being healthy seems like something we should know how to do, right? We should know how to eat well. We should know how to exercise to lose weight. We should know how our bodies work.But most of us don't. Most of us learned about health and nutrition from diet culture. We learned what weight loss looked like by watching the women around us. And those poor women weren't taught anything helpful either!How many times did you hear your mom sigh at her reflections? How many diets did you watch her go on? How many times did she say “I can't have that. It's bad for me.” while you were eating it? I love my mom. Love her to death. But I watched her binge and restrict for years and thought that was what women had to do. It wasn't!But she didn't have the tools that I have. She didn't have the opportunities that I have to learn about nutrition, and hormones, and diet culture. So she had to suffer. But Mama, you don't have to.It's time to break generational cycles. It's time to stop diet culture! And it's time to eat the food you love while losing weight!Because, just like we talked about before, healthy weight loss comes from eating protein, fat and carbs. Not cutting them out.And if you don't know what healthy eating looks like for YOU. Then, you need to invest in learning just that.I know how scary it can be to invest money in yourself, but I also know that until you do that, you're going to be stuck in the same spot you've always been stuck in. You'll get stuck cutting calories until you can't take it anymore. You'll binge on whatever foods you've been cutting out and you'll get frustrated that you ruined it all. And then the cycle will repeat itself…again.We all know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Instead of going insane, let's try something new.Let's learn:What a balanced diet looks like.How to handle food cravings - not just give in to them.How to master your time so you can plan meals that set you up for success.How to feed your whole family in one meal that will fill everyone up.The truth about nutrition so that you can pass healthy habits down to your kids.How to reframe the negative thoughts you have about yourself and food and replace them with thoughts that serve you.I can help you do all of this inside of the Macros Made Easy program. My goal is to help busy mamas, like you, lose weight and learn how to put yourself first without feeling guilt and shame.Mama, don't fall prey to your old habits. Let's create sustainable habits that will help you reach your weight loss goals this year. Schedule a free discovery call with me to get started.Let's talk about your goal and how we can work together to reach them! Let's chat, Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,March is a big month in my world. It kicks off spring, which to me, means two things: spring training and, even better, spring break! I love having the opportunity to get out and travel with my family. But this wasn't always the case. Spring break used to stress me out. Because traveling usually means getting out of my healthy habits and routines.But seven years ago, I decided to take control of my health and learn how to eat well in every situation. And I mean every situation. I learned how to eat to put on muscle for a body-building competition. I learned how to eat - and drink - on vacation without gaining weight. And I learned how to eat when I'm road-tripping with my kids to sports competitions.It can be intimidating to go on a vacation or a spring break trip with healthy eating as a priority, but mama, I can promise you that it's not only possible but it feels so, so good!There is so much freedom in learning how to enjoy your food and stay within your nutritional boundaries. Because it frees you from the ridiculous, annoying feast-or-famine cycle that happens every time you feel like you need to lose weight. I know you're stuck there because it's how we were all taught to prepare for and enjoy a vacation! But that ends now mama!You don't have to restrict your food for a few weeks before your trip. To then gorge yourself on anything you have denied yourself during your diet! This cycle isn't healthy and it doesn't work long-term. So, let's break it!I want to teach you two simple tips to help you keep your healthy habits intact for spring break!Make a plan before you goIf you've been around here for more than a minute, you know that I love a plan. And it's because planning keeps you on track. If you've been on a health or weight loss journey at all this year, you know that you need a plan to change your habits. So don't treat your vacation any differently!If you have a lot of control over your spring break plans, plan your food ahead of time! A few years ago, we had a camper and whenever we would take it out, I would plan all of our meals for the week before we'd leave and it made the trip so much better!Not only did I not have to worry about where and what we were going to eat each day, I felt so good because I was sticking to my normal eating patterns! I didn't have to deal with feeling bloated and gassy from eating too much fast food. Instead, I had the energy to do all the fun things we had planned! It was amazing!If you're going to a resort or on a vacation where you won't be able to prepare your food, you still need a plan!You probably won't be able to say, I'm having x,y, and z for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so I can hit my goals. But you can make a plan to eat as healthy as possible.One of the reasons so many people overeat or gain weight on vacation is that they stop caring about their nutrition. If you've ever used the “calories don't count on vacation” line then you know what I'm talking about.But the truth is that calories always count. Your body doesn't magically burn through calories faster on vacation than it does at home. Because calories always count, you want to think about your food choices and make the best ones you can!Now, I'm not saying that you need to eat boring, diet, foods when you're on vacation. You can and should enjoy food a little bit more when you're on vacation, but you shouldn't go hog wild.That being said, it's incredibly tempting to give into heavy, decadent foods and yummy drinks when you're in the moment, which is why I don't want you to make food decisions in the moment. I want you to make them ahead of time.When you're making decisions in the moment, you're making decisions from your toddler brain. Your toddler brain, or primitive brain, only cares about the here and now, reward and pleasure. It doesn't think about consequences, only what feels good now.However, when you make decisions ahead of time you can use your adult brain. Your adult brain, or logical brain, weighs pros and cons, it thinks through the whole situation and what's going to be best for you long-term.When you decide how you want to eat on vacation before you go, it's easier to make the best decisions when you're traveling. If you say you're only going to have one drink with dinner and the waiter asks if you'd like another, you don't have to weigh the options in the moment. You can say no knowing that you already got to enjoy one drink and that you'll have another one tomorrow.Having a plan takes the “feast-or-famine” mentality out of vacationing. You can still enjoy all the food you love, but you don't feel the need to eat everything in sight anymore. It's about finding balance - whether you're at home or not.Get back on track as soon as you're homeThe second step to keeping the healthy habits you've been building all year intact comes on your way home from vacation.Whether you stuck to your vacation nutritional plan or things got away from you, it's absolutely crucial that you get back to your normal eating habits the first chance you get.Before I give you tips for getting back on track, I want to talk to you while this is so important.Most people go on vacation in that feast-or-famine mindset that we talked about. They seriously restrict themselves before a vacation so that they can get “bikini ready” and then, because they've been starving for weeks, they binge eat on vacation.Then they come home and they don't want to go back to famine (and honestly, you shouldn't! Being in a famine all the time isn't healthy!) But they don't know what it looks like to live and eat between feast and famine, so they keep eating like they did on vacation because that's more fun than the alternative!I teach my clients that one off meal, or one week of vacation, eating isn't going to ruin everything you've worked for. But when you turn one week of vacation eating into a habit, that's where you get into trouble. That's why you gain so much weight when you get back from vacation. It's not the actual vacation but how it trickles into your normal life.In order to stop this cycle you have to return to normal eating when you get home. Again, this doesn't mean cut numbers or low-calorie. It means coming back to maintenance. When you work with me in Macros Made Easy, I teach you exactly what that means for you. Having exact targets to hit makes it so much easier to get back on track because you already have a plan to follow!I always encourage mamas to get back to their plan at the next meal. Whether that's breakfast, lunch or dinner, the first meal you're at home for should fit into your normal eating. That way vacation eating doesn't trickle over. You're back in an environment that supports your healthy habits, so use it!When you come home from vacation and there's nothing to eat in the house, it sets you up to eat out. Instead, I want you to prepare to eat food that nourishes you as soon as you get home.One of my favorite ways to make sure that I get back on track as soon as possible is to have a meal plan ready for the next week. Just like I do every week! I make up a quick meal plan and then I order my groceries.Online grocery shopping is one of the best things a busy mama can use to stay on track with her goals.When I'm traveling home, I'll order my groceries for pick-up or delivery. If I do a pick-up order, I'll grab the groceries on the drive home so that I know when I get home I'll have healthy options right away. Or, I'll have them delivered so that it's one less step!Mama, you've worked so hard this year to create the healthy habits that are leading to your best life. Don't let them get thrown out the window because you went on vacation for a week! You don't need to restart, just hop back into what you know makes you feel good and do it!If you don't know what is looks like for YOU to eat without restricting or binging (aka feast-or-famine) then let me teach you! Schedule a free discovery call today!Let's chat, Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama!Overeating isn't something that I recommend because it doesn't leave you feeling good, but the extra calories consumed aren't as big of a deal as some people make them out to be! One night of bad eating won't ruin a week, a month, or a year's worth of hard work!What does hurt your health is going back to old habits and thoughts that haven't been serving you for years! Instead of falling prey to these three myths, I want to give you new truths to lean into and use so that you don't have to feel guilt, shame and regret when you overeat!Myth 1: You have to workout harder to burn off the bad food you ateRaise your hand (or tell me in the comments) if you've ever guilted yourself into going to the gym or doing double workouts because you overate the day before - or so that you could overeat?I've been there too, mama! I used to believe that I HAD to hit the gym extra hard to make up for my bad eating. But do you know what that belief did to me? It made me hate the gym! And I love a good workout! For those of you who already struggle with working out, that isn't going to make building healthy habits any easier!Truth: You have extra energy waiting to be put to good use:Instead of making working out a punishment, make it something you do to feel better! Because you ate more, you're going to have more energy to burn, which makes this an opportunity to hit a new goal!If you're a runner, see if you can hit a new mile PR. If you like to lift, see if you can up your weights a little! Whatever you want to do for exercise, try to push yourself just a little further than your comfort zone! You might even be amazed when you realize how good your workout feels the day after consuming some extra calories!Now, you might be thinking, isn't pushing myself to work harder the same as the myth, working harder to burn off the extra food? And that's a totally valid question! The difference between the myth and the truth is how you think and feel about it!With the myth, you believe that you've done a bad thing (making you a bad person) and you need to punish yourself for that. But, with the truth, you're accepting the choices you made and turning a situation that could have brought you down into an opportunity to succeed!How you think about your actions is so, so, so important!! I talk about mindset with my Macros Made Easy mamas all the time because how we think and feel about ourselves and our actions is the difference between success and failure!I would still encourage you to put that extra food to use by moving your body, but I want you to do it in a way that builds a better relationship with healthy habits, like exercise! If that means you take the family ice skating the next day to get extra movement in, awesome! If that means you add 10 minutes to your workout because you feel like you're crushing it at the gym, great! Do whatever feels good for you!Myth 2: You should skip meals to make up for itPlease, please don't restrict yourself tomorrow because you enjoyed some food today!! This is the recipe for binge eating which doesn't help you lose weight.Binging like this sends your body into stress mode. It doesn't know when it's going to get enough food, so instead of burning the extra calories that you consumed the day before, it holds onto them causing you to gain weight! It's a vicious cycle that never serves you!Truth: Get back to your normal asapWhat your body actually wants from you is consistency. It wants to know what it can expect from you each day. When you eat a consistent amount every day your body can leave that fight or flight stress behind and it will do what it's meant to do!Start your day with a protein-packed breakfast. Make smart food choices during the day. Eat the same amount that you normally do! If you do these three things your body will realize that it just got a little extra energy and it will take care of it on its own!Your body was literally built to process food into energy so allow it the chance to do that! You may see the scale go up for a day or two, but as you return to your normal eating patterns, the weight will come off!Myth 3: You need to avoid carbs since you overateOh, carbs. We are so mean to carbs! We've made them out to be the villain that is solely responsible for our weight gain. But carbs are absolutely necessary for sustaining life!If you grew up in a generation where you were told carbs were terrible for you and would make you fat, then you probably are going to feel a lot of resistance to the idea that you need carbs to live a healthy life.It's important that you work on that thought process because carbs are going to be your body, and especially your brain's, first source of energy! Limiting them can make you feel more sluggish the next day!Truth: Eat a normal amount of carbsAnother truth that is probably going to blow your mind, is that overeating in carbs occasionally can actually help you lose weight!For real!! I will use this tool with my clients to help them get over a hurdle in their weight loss journey. It's called a refeed. What I typically do, is give my clients an extra 20-30 carbs for one day. When they weigh up the next day they might see the scale go up a pound or two because carbs attract water and it causes some slight inflammation.But then, over the next few days, they will hit their lowest weight yet. This works is because when you're eating in lower carbs and then increase them your metabolism revs up and uses the quick burning energy to power your life!Hardly anyone believes me when I tell them this, but they do their refeed and then 2-3 days later they freak out when the scale drops! It's the best thing.Just because you were taught something about nutrition growing up, doesn't mean it's necessarily true! And most of the myths we talked about today are proof of that!I help busy mamas learn about nutrition on a personal level so that they can lose weight and have the energy to keep up with their kiddos. If you're struggling with nutritional myths and are stuck in the yo-yo dieting cycle, let's chat!I can help you lose weight in the new year without having to restrict yourself! I'll even encourage you to eat carbs again!Let's talk about your goal and how we can work together to reach them! Let's chat, Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,A few weeks ago, I came across the term “quietly quit.” It's usually used in businesses when people mentally give up on their jobs. When people hate their job, but they can't actually afford to quit, so they show up but don't give their best and slowly stop doing things the way they deserve to be done. I'm sure you've had this experience at some point in your life! As soon as I heard this quietly quitting term, I felt like it was the perfect way to describe giving up on your New Year's resolutions to eat healthy or lose weight too.It's been about four weeks since we all launched our New Year's resolutions, which means 80% of people have already given up on what they set out to do for the year.I know no one intends to quit. You start with so much excitement for your new goals. But then one day you sleep in instead of going to the gym and it feels so good to sleep in that you do it for the rest of the week. Or, when you go to grab lunch you have a small thought. “I don't really want that grilled chicken I planned for lunch, I'm going to go out instead.”And then, the guilt hits.Oh man, guilt is one of the biggest destroyers of health. Because we don't like feeling guilty, right? After a guilt trip, no one sits around saying, yeah that was worth it. I'm so glad I just made myself feel like crap.No! When we feel guilt, shame or regret our primitive brain says, how can we avoid feeling like this ever again? And you think to yourself, “Well if I removed the expectation that I needed to go to the gym or eat healthy? Then I couldn't mess it up and I wouldn't feel guilty anymore.”So you quietly quit. You don't get on Instagram and announce to everyone that you are going back to your old habits. You don't talk about it with your neighbors and friends. You just sort of avoid the topic when it comes up.And life moves on. You go back to your old habits - that aren't serving you and have never served you - but they're comfortable and they don't require any guilt. And you stay on that path until you can't stand it so you start a new diet to try to lose weight again. Only to give up a few weeks into it when it gets too difficult again.And the cycle repeats over and over and over again! I know women who have been stuck in this cycle for 20, 30 years! But mama, there's a reason you're setting goals and trying to lose weight. This is something you want. You have to find a way out of that struggle so that you can achieve the goals you set for yourself.Instead of giving up on yourself when things get hard, what if you had tools and strategies to help you through those tough times so you didn't have to keep starting over? Would that be helpful? Keep reading because I'm about to give them to you for free!The next step after quietly quittingThe best thing you can do if you're on the path to quitting, or if you've already quit, is to take the first opportunity you have to get back on track.Stop saying “I'll start tomorrow,” or “after that big event,” or “on Monday.” Those excuses will always come up. There is never going to be a time when the conditions are 100% perfect. The point of healthy living isn't to do it perfectly, but to do it messy!You need to learn how to make healthy choices not just when you're at home and have everything planned and prepped perfectly. You need to learn how to make healthy choices when plans change, when you go out to eat with friends, when you're on vacation, at birthday parties and during holidays.That's why jumping back in right now is the best way to learn how to push through difficult times! Whether you can jump back in at breakfast, lunch or dinner, you need to do it.And if that feels too impossible, then how can you be 1% better at your next meal? If your next meal is a company lunch out, can you grab a chicken breast and veggies instead of a burger and fries? Can you opt for water instead of a soda or cocktail?Every time you make a choice that leads you toward the person you want to become, you subconsciously become that person! My favorite quote by James Clear sums this up perfectly.“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity”James Clear, Atomic HabitsEach small choice you make slowly adds up. When it feels too hard to keep going, try to just make one small action that will push you towards your goals instead of taking you away from them and it should make it easier.Uncover what made you quit healthy eatingWe all have excuses that we try to use to justify why we gave up on healthy eating.I didn't have time to plan a healthy meal.My kids got sick and I was busy taking care of them.We were running late and I didn't have time to cook, so we had to grab fast food.I overslept and couldn't fit in a workout.I've been there too, mama! I have a million excuses as to why I don't do the things I say I want to. But the truth is that excuses are just that, excuses. It's a way for us to relieve ourselves of guilt.But in the end, we have to own up to the choices we made instead of using excuses for why we didn't do what we said we would.And I want you to get uncomfortable and dive into your excuses. You need to ask yourself, why you're allowing less important things to get in the way of what you really want.There is only one thing that can actually make you break your health goals and that's the thoughts you allow to control your journey.Every single action we take starts with a thought. We get to choose if that thought is going to take us closer to our goals or further away from them.An easy example can start with the thought, “I'm hungry.”The next thought might be, “Ooo pizza sounds good.” and you can let that thought run the show or you can let the next thought be, “But is that going to help me reach my goals? Maybe I'd better have something with more protein instead.”Mama, you get to be in control of your thoughts. You get to choose to listen to your first instinct thoughts or you get to challenge those thoughts and replace them with better thoughts. Thoughts that serve you instead of hurt you.I say it all the time (because it's so true!!) but losing weight is about the food, but it isn't really about the food. It's about the thoughts and feelings you have about your food.In my Macros Made Easy program, we address the thoughts you have about food every week because it's so crucial to understand and shift how you think about food if you want to have sustainable weight loss.If you're tired of living in the quiet quitting cycle and you want a way to eat fun food, lose weight, and develop healthy habits then let's chat! The Macros Made Easy Program would be perfect for you!Let's talk about your goal and how we can work together to reach them! Let's chat, Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,I wanna chat with ya about why I don't like Macro Calculators!But Krista you are a macro coach how can you say that?I can say it cause I'm a macro coach!Please never, ever, ever use a macro or calorie calculator. If you've ever been on a health or weight loss journey I can almost guarantee you've used a calculator to help you determine how much you should eat. And I can also almost guarantee that the calorie or macro goal the calculator gave you is the reason you didn't hit your goals.I can say this because not only have I used macro calculators and had them fail me, but I've talked to hundreds of women who have tried using them too! Most of the women who come to me tell me about trying to use calorie counters and no matter how well they stuck to the calories, they still didn't see the results they wanted.There are a lot of reasons I can't stand macro calculators, but I want to address just three today because I believe these three reasons not only keep mamas like you stuck but they don't teach you how to live a healthy life once you get to the point where you don't want to track anymore.Let's jump into it!Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,I work with so many types of women. Some of them are Type A mamas. They love a good plan and checking things off a list. Others love to live life spontaneously, they're ok with fluctuation as long as they're enjoying life. But almost every woman I work with has one thing in common: they don't like meal planning.Raise your hand if that's true for you too.Mama, I promise that if you stop believing that you can't meal plan, then eating healthy is going to become so much easier!I have been a nutrition coach for almost eight years and I can tell you that every single person struggles with meal planning. I can also tell you that the women in the Macros Made Easy program who commit to meal planning lose more weight, more quickly than those who don't.ANG THEY ENJOY THE PROCESS on a whole other level. Almost always I hear how much stress having a plan relieves.So why are people so resistant to meal planning? Because they're thinking from their toddler brain instead of their adult brain.Here are the Lies I hear most often: Planning meals is too hard/restrictive/boring/etc.I have heard so many excuses as to why women either don't like meal planning or don't stick to their meal plans.I didn't have time to meal plan this week.I tried to meal plan but couldn't think of anything to have.I had a plan, but then my family wanted to go out to eat.I didn't have time to cook what I planned.And my favorite…What I meal planned didn't sound good anymore.The excuses could on and on and on. But the truth about excuses is that they simply mean meal planning isn't a priority to you. And in some cases, you can take it one step further and say that ignoring a meal plan means your health isn't a priority for you.However, if you want to lose weight, or eat healthier, then meal planning needs to be your first step. If you feel a lot of resistance to meal planning, then let's dive into why.Most of the time, resistance to something that you know will benefit you comes from your primitive brain, or as I like to call it your toddler brain.The toddler brain's main goal is reward and pleasure. It wants everything now, now, now and it wants everything to feel good. The toddler brain doesn't stop to examine the consequences of its actions, it just takes what it wants, when it wants it.That's why when you eat from a toddler state of mind, you make choices that don't benefit your long-term goals. Instead of sticking to the healthy meal you planned, when your kids ask to order pizza your toddler brain goes, “pizza sounds better than chicken!” so you order the pizza, eat half of it, and then spend the rest of the night regretting your decision. Often times restricting the next day or over working out or continue to beat yourself up.When you let your toddler brain run the show, you'll always end up feeling guilt, shame and regret because mama, you're not a toddler! You're a grown woman who knows better.Here is a simple Truth: Meal planning is the key to reaching your goalsHere's the key though, your toddler brain can think all the thoughts it wants, but it can't take any action. You have to use your adult brain to actually do things!Your adult brain operates from your pre-frontal cortex. The pre-frontal cortex is where all logical thinking happens. It evaluates actions and consequences. It determines the best route. It's how you access the Future You that we've talked about the last few weeks.When you're thinking from your adult brain you can make decisions that are aligned with the outcomes you want.When your kids ask you to order pizza instead of cooking the chicken you had on your meal plan, you pause, and evaluate if the instant gratification of pizza is worth putting off your health goals for a few days or if you'd rather stick to your plan and reach your goals.It seems like such a simple answer, right?Acting from your adult brain instead of your toddler brain should be a simple process, but we all struggle to do it. It's because your toddler brain is just that a toddler! And its superpower is to wear down your adult brain until you give in and give it what it wants.If you have ever taken your kids to Target, then you understand what it's like to have a toddler brain wearing on an adult brain! It whines, begs, screams and does whatever it can to get you to give it what it wants (and in the case of real toddlers, it's usually a over priced toy they'll play with for five minutes and then never touch again.)Instead of letting your toddler brain runs the show, because that causes pure madness, you need to learn how to recognize your toddler brain, and how to put your adult brain back in control.Awareness is the first step in any new process, so I want you to start recognizing when your toddler brain starts to speak up, or when she straight up throws a tantrum. You don't have to make a change when you notice your toddler brain coming out, because right now, we're just focusing on recognizing it.Once you're comfortable recognizing your toddler brain, then start speaking to her from your adult brain. You'll talk to her just like you would talk to your kids! You'll explain why you're not going to let her have her way and why the choice your adult brain is making is going to be more beneficial.When your toddler brain is telling you that she wants a second, third, or fourth glass of wine, you can calmly tell her that you're not going to do that because you know you will feel like crap in the morning and you promised your kids you'd take them to the zoo.Or when your toddler brain tells you that she wants a giant bowl of ice cream, instead of the small bowl you planned for, you can tell her that she's still getting ice cream. She's just getting a serving that's going to satisfy her sweet tooth and not make her regret it tomorrow.As you recognize and rationalize with your toddler brain it will become so much easier to do things like meal planning! Planning ahead of time makes your life easier and your adult brain knows that. You can start creating the habit of meal planning from your adult brain. And then when on Sunday your toddler brain tries to convince you that it's going to take so much time to meal plan, you can remind her that it will save you time during the week if you spend 15 minutes to get it done now.And during the week when your toddler brain tries to tell you that what you planned sounds yucky, you can tell her that this is one meal. It's already planned and prepped and eating what you have planned is going to save you time and energy, plus it's going to help you reach your goals.Mastering your toddler brain is going to be one of the best weight loss tools you've ever received! If you want to learn more about how to make healthy decisions simpler, while learning how to eat balanced meals that include some fun foods, let's chat! I teach busy mamas like you how to lose weight without having to give up all the foods they love! Schedule a free discovery call with me today if you want to learn more. Let's chat, Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Hey Mama!How are your New Year's resolutions going? Are you at that point where you're still excited about them, or have you hit a wall? Sometimes we set big audacious goals for the new year, but within a few days or a few weeks we run out of steam and we slowly go back to our old ways. There's a simple reason for this! You're not setting goals, and implementing habits from your future self!The new year always seems like a time when people dream bigger. As people reflect on what they did with their lives over the last year, the goals that they didn't reach, and what they want their lives to look like, they let their imaginations run wild and they set amazing goals.I think it's awesome.You should dream big! You should set huge, outrageous, exciting goals for yourself.But you need to be doing more than just setting a goal. You need to start with that dream, and then get a crystal clear understanding of what the person who has accomplished that dream looked like: aka what Future You looks like. And that's what I'm going to teach you how to do today.The difference between who you want to be and who you're going to beIn the past, when you've set those exciting New Year's resolutions and you had great intentions of accomplishing them. You could see the woman you wanted to be once you accomplished your goals. It was a great start, but there's a difference between knowing who you want to be and who you're GOING to be.People fall into what I call the New Year's Resolution Cycle. In the New Year's Resolution Cycle, you start out by dreaming big, you work hard for a few weeks, and then something gets in your way or it feels too hard to keep up these new habits, so you give up. I've gotten caught in this cycle so many times and I'm sure you have too!New Year's resolutions are great but most of us weren't taught how to get through those roadblocks. Dreaming of who you want to be (aka setting resolutions) isn't enough. After you set your goals you need to dive into who you're going to be when you reach that goal, and suddenly you have a guide on this new path: Future You!Future You has already accomplished your goals. So when a new roadblock pops up she knows what it looks like to be on the other side of it. She understands how hard and painful each roadblock can be but she also knows how worth it is is to keep pushing through. When you learn to lean on her you don't have to waste time fretting, and thinking, and second-guessing yourself. You can trust Future You and put a plan into place asap.If you want to be able to lean on her when you hit those roadblocks, then you need to know her; really, really know her.And the best part is that you get to dream up exactly who she is! But the key here is to be super specific.What does Future You look like?How does she think and feel about herself?How does she treat the people around her?How does she act in relationships?How does she handle hard situations?What are her coping mechanisms?What does she do to celebrate?What are her likes and dislikes?What habits has she built?What are her must-dos and must-not-dos?When I have my clients do this exercise, I tell them to imagine a day as their future self. What do you do on a typical day? When do you wake up? How do you feel when you wake up? What do you think when you look in the mirror as you brush your teeth?You have to get very specific because you need to know what you're working towards. The more clarity you have on who Future You is and how she thinks, feels and acts the easier it is to tap into her when you need her.I want to give you a quick example of what it looks like to tap into Future You.Let's say that you are trying to lose weight. You made a meal plan at the beginning of the week, but now it's Wednesday and you look at your meal plan and your first thought is. “That doesn't sound good.”You have two options. You can listen to your Before Self who is telling you that you should only eat food when it sounds good. Or, you can listen to your Future Self.Your Future Self knows that not every meal on the way to your goals is going to blow your mind. Sometimes you eat for fuel rather than taste and the meal you planned is going to help you reach that goal. Plus, it's just one meal. You can enjoy a treat another time.As you learn to think about life from the point of view of having reached your goals it becomes easier to make the decisions that will get you there.I need you to do this exercise for yourself. You will have to slow down, sit quietly and really think about who you are going to be in the future and what habits you're going to have. Write all of these things down! Writing is an essential part of creating this vision. Writing down who you're going to be on paper gives you something tangible to go back to when the going gets tough.Once you do this exercise you'll be well on your way to accomplishing your goals because you will have laid a solid foundation for success.How to use your Future Self to reach your goals.Now that you intimately know your Future Self, I want to talk to you about how to use your Future Self to overcome hurdles in your journey.Let's take a quick step back into who you are now. I'm going to refer to who you are now as your Before Self.As you go along this journey toward your Future Self, you're going to have ups and downs. You're going to have amazing moments where everything goes the way you want it to, but you're also going to trip up and make a lot of mistakes along the way.When you make a mistake you have two ways of handling it; from your Before Self or from your Future Self.Your Before Self isn't going to want you to keep going when things get tough. She might belittle you and tell you that she knew you couldn't do this. She's going to pull out any tactic she can to get you to go back to your old habits. She might seem kind of mean, but she's actually just scared.Your brain is very primitive and honestly, a little lazy! It does its very best to keep you happy and comfortable. But growth is scary and uncomfortable, so when you're given a choice to go back to comfort or keep pressing on, your brain is going to root for going back to where you were before. It's not that you can't do it, it's that your brain wants to keep you safe and secure. And change requires taking a little risk.This is why you have to lean on your Future Self.Your Future Self is going to have a leg up in this situation because she's already been there and she knows how to get back up and keep going. She's going to have the words of encouragement that you need to hear when you make a mistake. (This is a big reason why you need to understand how your Future Self talks to the people around her and what kinds of words she uses. You need her to say those words to you!) Plus, her brain already knows that there is safety around the corner if you just keep pressing on.She also knows exactly what your next step needs to be so that you can climb out of this valley and reach a new peak.I know that without guidance it can be hard to learn how to think from your future self. This is why I like to help mamas in my Macros Made Easy program with this mindset piece. Not only do I teach this topic more in-depth, but you have access to me, someone who has been stuck exactly where you are now and I have worked hard to step into my Future Self. Which means I can help you do it too! It's like having two Future Yous to lean on!If you need support and a Future Self to give you advise and pep talks as you make your own trek, then let's chat. Together we can help you reach your health and weight loss goals in a sustainable way!Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama, I want to ask you a difficult question, and I want you to reflect on this question without beating yourself up! Do you love yourself so unconditionally that you want to make healthy decisions?Before we dive more into that question, I want you to think of what unconditional love feels like. As a mama, it's easy for me to look at my kids and understand what true unconditional love looks and feels like.My son Eastin had a lot of health issues as an infant and toddler. One of the hardest things for me was that he was non-verbal for a long time. That lead to tantrums and crying and screaming any time I didn't understand what he needed. It was exhausting to go through these tantrums.But I loved my son and knew I would do whatever I could to help him, so I spent hours researching therapists and taking him to appointments. I would push back against the people who gave us mean looks. When doctors told us that he wasn't ever going to change and that he would be disruptive in class and difficult forever, I walked out and found him new doctors and therapists who would believe in him.We spent so much time working to help him communicate and be respectful. Now, no one would know that Eastin ever struggled. He's a leader on his football and baseball teams. He behaves in class. He has big dreams and big goals. He cares so much about everyone he comes in contact with.I fought for him because I had unconditional love for him. When it was difficult for me I kept going because I wanted the very best for my son.Now that you can have that feeling in your heart, I want to go back to our question: Do you love yourself so unconditionally that you would do whatever it took to ensure your health and happiness?It's easy to feel unconditional love for other people, but so often we forget to have unconditional love for ourselves. This is especially true when you're on a health and weight loss journey. But I want to show you how learning to love yourself unconditionally can help you reach your goals faster than you ever have!Unconditional love doesn't require perfectionHow many times have you wanted to start a new diet or exercise program but told yourself you should wait until…You could afford a gym membershipGot the perfect meal programDidn't have any events/trips/parties coming up.Got rid of all the junk food.Work wasn't so stressful.When you're done having kids.This is all conditional! When you're not willing to pursue your health goals or improve your health because you don't have the perfect conditions, is a way of telling yourself that you're not worth feeling good now.But unconditional love tells you that no matter the circumstances, you deserve to feel your best!Think about if you applied this logic to your kids. What if you didn't buy your kids new shoes because they were just going to grow out of them in a few months? You made them wear worn-out, tattered, tiny shoes until their feet stopped growing. Would that feel good for them? No! And you wouldn't do that to your kids because you know that growing out of shoes is just something that comes with childhood.Not having a gym membership, going to events, and having junk food in the house are all parts of life that aren't going to go away. And if you wait for all the stars to align before you allow yourself to start a health or weight loss journey, you're going to be waiting forever!The purpose of a health journey isn't to have perfect conditions so that you're never tempted to fall off the wagon. The purpose is to learn how to make healthy decisions for yourself no matter the circumstances because you are worth those healthy decisions!Results won't keep you going - enjoying the journey willAnother mistake mamas fall into when they're trying to lose weight or start healthy habits is not loving the journey unconditionally.Most people start making healthy choices and expect to be happy once they get the results they're looking for. They set a goal weight and believe that once they hit that weight, life will be everything they want it to be.This dependence on results creates a conditional love. You end up unconsciously telling yourself that you'll love yourself and your life when you see your goal weight on the scale.But the scale fluctuates. Even for that girl who you want to look just like. Her weight is going to up and down every day depending on what she ate the day before, where she's at on her cycle, how well she slept, how much water she drank, etc.If you ride the results roller coaster, you're never going to love yourself, or your life unconditionally.Instead, you need to fall in love with the journey you're on because healthy living doesn't have a final destination! You don't get to lose 20 lbs, go back to eating whatever you want and never moving your body and keep that 20 lbs off.One of the reasons why we lose weight and then put it back on is because we think it will feel a certain way. I will feel happy, I will feel confident, I will feel worthy. If we don't work on creating that feeling as we go, then when we lose the 20,40,60 lbs we are not going to feel these feelings.And what happens then? We self-sabotage. We give ourselves permission to let our feelings dictate our food choices again and we put all the weight back on.Then we're stuck in this perpetual look where we have to start all over again. We look for a new diet that promises to give us those feelings we were searching for. We start again and hope that this time when we “arrive” we feel the feelings we are seeking.However, unconditionally loving our health journey means we create that feeling before we have hit the weight loss goals so that when we reach the goals our mind and body have arrived together.If you dread eating healthy food and despise working out, you'll get stuck in the yo-yo dieting pattern forever and you'll never be happy with yourself.But, if you learn how to eat the food you love in a balanced way and you find ways to move your body that you love, you'll become the happy, healthy person you've always wanted to be. And you'll find that unconditional love that you've been searching for.Macro tracking helped me find that balance in my life. I learned not just how to follow a diet, but how to eat for my body and my needs.With macro tracking, I learned how to eat when I wanted to look good in a bikini. I learned how to eat during the holidays without feeling like I was missing out. I learned what foods make me feel good and what foods make me feel gross or sluggish.As I navigated the journey towards health I saw my whole life improve. The life I dreamed of started to become a reality because I worked to enjoy the whole process instead of waiting on the results.Unconditional love doesn't mean you stay stuck and just accept life as it is. Unconditional love appreciates where you're at now and work to become a better version of yourself tomorrow. Mama, you deserve to have that kind of love for yourself.If you want to achieve your weight goals in 2023 in a way that won't make you miserable along the way, let's chat. Schedule a free discovery call with me and we can work out a game plan to help you become the best version of yourself next year.Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Every year I have a power word that is the foundation in which I center myself in. It becomes my mantra, my truth.I pick this word and then I evaluate and make decisions using this word as my guide!This becomes my INTENTION!These have been my power words for the last 7 years...2016= Growth2017= DO-ER2018= Balance2019= Fearless2020=Unstoppable2021= Simplify2022= Evolve2023= RefreshI would love to know what your POWERWORD might be this year! Let's chat, Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Sticking to healthy habits is so much easier when you're at home and in your routine. The holidays tend to throw a wrench in our health goals because they take us out of our routines and introduce situations where we don't have complete control over what we eat. However, that doesn't mean you need to throw in the towel and overeat for three months! You can stick to your health goals, even when you're traveling this holiday season with these 4 easy tips!Traveling during the holidays adds an extra layer of stress and routine-busting for mamas on a health and weight loss mission. But with just a few small adjustments to your normal travel plans, you can manage to stay on track with your health goals this holiday season.Buy groceries when you reach your destinationThis is one of my favorite and easiest tips for healthy eating when you're traveling! A lot of classic travel and holiday foods aren't the healthiest, so I always encourage my clients to grab a few of their staple items once they reach their destination!Protein is often the hardest macronutrient to come by when you're traveling, so I always encourage people to load up on that at the grocery store! I like to make sure that I have ingredients for a healthy, protein-packed breakfast. I'll talk more about it next, but make sure you include whatever you need for that on your grocery list!It's also a great idea to have some macro-friendly treats handy, especially because everyone else will be enjoying holiday treats!Here are a few ideas of what you can grab at a typical grocery store to help you stick to your goals.Fairlife or Premier Protein ShakesQuest protein chipsYasso ice cream bars or Halo ice creamProtein barsGreek yogurtEggs/egg whitesBeef jerkyChocolate rice cakes + marshmallow spread + sprinklesSome people get a little worried about offending their hosts by bringing groceries, but I promise that with the cost of groceries right now, your host will appreciate you chipping in! Plus, you can always offer to cook a meal with what you buy that way you have a meal that fits in your nutritional boundaries and they can get a break from host duties for a night!Eat a normal (protein-packed) breakfastBreakfast truly is the most important meal of the day! It sets you ups for success if you eat a protein-packed breakfast.The kind of food you start your day with plays a huge role in your cravings throughout the day. If you start the day with donuts and coffee, not only will you be hungry again in an hour, but you'll crave sugary foods the rest of the day.However, when you start the day with protein and whole grains, you're going to stay fuller longer and you'll have fewer sugar cravings because you didn't spike your glucose first thing in the morning.Here are a few protein-packed breakfast ideas for your holiday vacation:Protein pancakes/waffles (add a scoop of protein powder to any pancake mix or grab Kodiak Cakes frozen waffles from the grocery store)Oatmeal made with a protein shakeEggs (egg whites are another great option)Breakfast sandwiches/burritosGreek yogurt and fruitPay attention to full and hunger cuesI wish that everyone was more in tune with their full and hunger cues! It's something that almost every person has trained themselves to ignore and it's why we all struggle with healthy living!Our full and hunger cues are our body's way of telling us when and how much to eat. I know you're not going to be able to instantly re-learn how to listen to your body before you travel, but I want you to be aware of it so that you don't have to rely on gimmicky dieting tricks!I teach my clients to start recognizing what hungry vs. hangry, satisfied vs. stuffed feels like, and most importantly, what content feels like! When you're eating, especially on food-based holidays like Thanksgiving, learning what each of those feels like will help you enjoy your food without overeating.Overeating and eating when you're bored lead to the most weight gain during the holidays. Instead of letting your feeling or tastebuds run the show, listen for your body to tell you when to stop and start eating!Keep your mind in checkLast, but most importantly, you need to make sure you're not letting your mind get out of control on your holiday vacation. Mindset is the piece of the health puzzle that is often ignored. But it's the most important!Just because you're focusing on your health doesn't mean you can't enjoy life, enjoy food and enjoy the holidays! The problem most people fall into with holiday travel is that they restrict food either before or during a trip and then binge big time when they can't manage to restrict anymore.Instead of living with an all-or-nothing, restriction mindset, enjoy something fun every day! Have a piece of your favorite pie, or eat some cookie dough while you're baking Christmas cookies with your kids.Don't let a diet mentality hold you back from enjoying the holiday season because mama, that's not what healthy living looks like! Healthy living is about finding a balance between fun foods and nourishing foods!When you break free of the diet mentality, you'll live a healthier life when you're traveling or at home and it won't feel so hard to make good choices!If you need a little extra guidance to make it through the holidays without putting on extra weight, let's chat and we'll work together to find balance in your holiday celebrations.Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,I hate moving the whole process is atrocious!It's a ton of work and a task that NOBODY loves.It's laborious, emotionally draining, physically exhausting and in Arizona usually HOT AS HELL!Yet, every mama I talk to moves multiple times a year, every year of their lives for the last 20/30/40 years! Sometimes its into a shack and other times it's into an 18-room mansion they can never keep up with.How you might ask?Well, let me paint the picture!Every year Mamas move into the…..Paleo
Mama, Today I wanna chat about something that stirred up some emotions on a social post of mine I hoped a question like this… How many times have you found the perfect exercise or nutrition program that would help you reach all of your health and weight loss goals but you didn't sign up because you were worried about the money? Yup! Me too, Mama! I used to be so afraid to spend money on myself because there were so many other expenses that I thought were more important. - My kids wanted new clothes/ or the latest shoes.- My husband wanted to buy new gear for his hobbies.- We wanted to take the kids on a fun vacation. - Healthy food is too expensive.- I want to put my kids in sports/music lessons/after-school activities. The list could go on, and on, and on. There's always something around the corner that will demand more of your finances. I get it, I've been there. But Mama, let me tell you something. Your needs matter. Your health is important. Your happiness is important! To show up and be the very best mama to your kids, the best wife/partner to your spouse, and the best employee/boss at your job, you have to take care of yourself. I want you to realize that not having enough money is an excuse. Its an easy one we throw out too easily. We are quick to spend money on things that are fleeting and slow to spend on things that are good for us and that could give us years of life back in return. I often see this happen because we are so used to coming last when it comes to the needs of the family. We fall into the martyr mom role. And this isn't necessarily your fault! You were most likely taught that this was the way it worked! The expectation for generations has been that mamas give up everything to make their families happy. But honestly, that's the saddest thing I've ever heard! Would you want your daughters to learn that? To be told that their needs, dreams and goals need to be put away to make other people happy? No way! I want you to unlearn everything you've been taught about sacrificing everything to make your family happy because, honestly, that attitude is hurting everyone around you! Here are three truths that will help you prioritize your health so that not only can you be happy, but you can also have a better, stronger, happier family. ## Being unhealthy is more expensive than being healthy Let's just be honest, yes, losing weight and being healthy can be expensive. You need to buy higher quality foods. You need to pay for a coach to teach you how to live healthily. You need to invest in a gym membership or workout equipment. You might even want to get some supplements to perform at optimum levels. It can add up. But being unhealthy is going to cost you too. Eating out is expensive. When you're overweight you have higher health insurance premiums. Unhealthy habits like drinking and smoking are expensive too! Those are just the costs that are in front of you right now. But if you look at the long-term picture, people who are unhealthy end up spending way more on medical bills and prescriptions over their lifetime. On top of that, they are more likely to get sick which leads to more missed work. That's less revenue coming into your family. According to Market Watch, unhealthy people earn 28% less money over their lifetime compared to their healthy counterparts! Ask yourself this question, is staying stuck in, unhealthy patterns costing, more or less than it would to be healthy? Most likely, the answer is more! One thing mamas don't think about when they're looking at the costs of getting healthy is how much money they will end up saving. Meal planning is the best way to cut costs! Each week I make a weekly meal plan, then I purchase the exact groceries I need for that plan. Because I know what I need, I don't end up buying a bunch of food that I don't need or that will end up going bad before we can eat it. This simple habit has saved my family so much money! I have a great [blog post that can help you learn how to meal plan](https://www.kmoremacro.com/blog/2022/8/30/the-1-meal-planning-strategy-that-will-save-busy-mamas-from-complete-overwhelm ""). Go check it out! Then there is a cost we can't put a monetary value too years of life that you just give up. When you level up your health and weight is a big part of being healthy you add years to your life to live. You can't put a price tag on an extra 10 years 5 months 2 days. How many times do we find ourselves saying if I could just have one more day with my mom, or my grandma or anyone we have lost we would give anything! Well, you can start doing just that by investing time, energy and effort into your health! Now before we jump into this part let me start out by saying if you are literally paycheck to paycheck I am not talking about you in this blog, podcast or social post. I know you are not making excuses about getting healthy and your finances I am talking about mamas who use money as an out, a reason to not show up and give themselves a happier, healthier better future! People who hide behind I can't's and fear and then use money as a scapegoat! We have to remember our health is a need not a want A lot of the things we spend our money on are not needs, they are wants. You _want_ to take the kids to Disney - you don't _have_ to. Your husband _wants_ to buy something new - he doesn't _have_ to. But, you _have_ to eat. You _have_ to wake up each day and mom. You _have_ to do well at work if you want to keep your job. So why aren't you investing time, energy and money to do all of those things to the best of your abilities? Mamas get stuck in the trap of thinking that they will invest in their health when there's some extra money in the budget. But, Mama, be honest with me, when's the last time that you had extra money? I never have extra money for myself because there's always some emergency that takes precedence! The car breaks down and needs to be fixed. The kids want money to go out with friends. Your husband decides to make a big purchase. If you keep waiting until there's money left over to focus on your health you're going to be waiting forever. You need to make your health a priority not an afterthought! You deserve that! I am also not saying that this should financially hurt for the next 10 years lol. But when you invest in a real coach, a real program where there is skin in the game You show up differently. Think of this how many people spend $9 on a gym membership for 5 10 15 years and NEVER GO? Then think about this how many people pay for a studio like pilates or CF and pay $180 to $200 bucks and don't show for 5 months, to a year VERY VERY few there is skin in the game because it's a real investment nad intention. Every day I talk to mamas who are desperate to lose weight, feel good and have the energy to keep up with all that life demands of them. But they don't put their needs at the top of the to-do list. If they did, they would have everything they want! Instead of saying, “I can't afford to get healthy right now.” I want you to say “Being healthy isn't a priority for me right now.” How does that feel? Does that make you feel happy, sad, disappointed, frustrated, or elated? What is the feeling that hits you when you tell yourself that your health isn't a priority? If you feel sad, frustrated, disappointed, etc, then that means this is something you need. It's time to make buying a program fit into your budget - not the other way around! So many good things will come from prioritizing your health that spending the money on it now with absolutely be worth it. You can't afford to not be a priority! The biggest difference, the unselfish difference, is that your health is the key to a happy, healthy family. ## ANDDDDD You are the key to a happy, healthy family Mama, if you are reading this or listening to this and thinking, “How freaking selfish would I be to drop thousands of dollars on a health program that only benefited me?” Then, listen up because what I'm about to say is exactly what you need to hear. You are the one responsible for teaching your family about food and health. As the mama, you are the one primarily responsible for feeding your family. Sure, your husband is also responsible for these things, but mamas have a special purpose to lead and raise their kids. If you don't know how to make healthy choices for yourself, how are you supposed to raise healthy kids? You can't! Right? You can't teach or model what you don't know and understand! But what if you had the tools and knowledge to take care of your health while helping your family learn healthy principles too? That's how you change not just your kids' lives, but your grandkids' and great-grandkids' lives. I want to share two stories with you of mamas who joined my Macros Made Easy program scared to death to spend money on themselves and what they learned from the program that has improved not just their health, but their family's lives as well! First up is Stacey. “On February 25, 2021, I took the first step and said enough is enough and I am going to do something about it. I didn't like the way my postpartum body looked and hated taking family pictures, I always tried to hide behind a kid or my husband. With 2 kids in club soccer at 6 practices a week, a hubby assistant coaching, me co-managing a team and a 4-month-old baby at home, I decided to focus on myself and get healthier for my family. I wanted to show up for them in ways that I couldn't before. I wanted to get healthy for my new baby that was going to keep me running around and be able to keep up with him. The investment was huge and I immediately felt the mom guilt creep in as soon as I said yes, but that is also what kept me going. I wasn't going to let my husband down who worked hard to pay for this and I wasn't going to let my coach down who had faith in me and was taking her time to teach me the way and cheer me on along the way. I set a huge goal of losing 50 pounds. To be honest, I didn't think it was realistic at first and thought, well, if I get close then I will be happy. Well, guess what?! 5 months and 4 days later, I finally hit my goal! I lost a whopping 50 pounds. I am ecstatic! I have learned so much along the way and had so many non-scale victories. The rewards have been fun and I've learned to love to work out. A huge thank you to Krista Moreland from KmoreMacro for leading the way and walking me through this process. To my husband who chose to invest in me and my health for the sake of our kids and family.” I love that Stacey's family was so supportive of her investing in her health! That mom guilt has since gone away as Stacey has helped her boys learn more about health, nutrition and exercise! Now she and her son go to the gym together! Isn't that amazing? Next up is, Suzanne. When Suzanne finished the program she gave me a list of the changes that she had made during the program and I want to share just a few with you. Before Macros Made Easy - I had no idea where to begin when it came to feeding myself and my family- I felt like I was either starving or stuffed - I felt like taking care of myself was selfish- Spending $3,000 on myself made me feel like I was going to vomit- I had no idea how working on food and feeding myself would clear the mental space and create more peace in my life After Macros Made Easy - I recognize when I need to eat and know that there is no reason to get hangry- I know taking care of myself creates healthy ripples that serve everyone in my life- Spending money on myself is just as justifiable as spending money on anyone else in the family- I feel energized and empowered- I feel a sense of control and even when really hungry I can figure out what to eat to almost immediately feel better so I can make better choices about our next meal Suzanne also talked to me about how much easier it has been to feed her family! Before she learned about nutrition she was making multiple meals to accommodate different people's tastes and now she makes one meal that her family can modify to fit their taste buds and nutritional needs. Mama, if you want that family that sits down to dinner and eats a healthy meal together, then you need to figure out how to create that! You need to invest in your nutritional education so that you can lead your family to health and happiness. It starts with you! Don't let your family stay stuck because you think spending money on yourself is selfish. I know that things are more expensive than ever right now. That the economy keeps going up and down but if we learned one thing over the last few years, it's that our health is our most important commodity! The whole world shut down when we thought we would lose our health! Don't shut your world down anymore. Don't hold yourself back from experiencing all that life has to offer because you physically can't! Schedule a free discovery call today to start your health journey. Become the mama and wife that your family needs you to be! And most importantly, take this step for yourself because you deserve to love every inch of yourself! Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: [http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmore](http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmore "") Have a question? Email me here: [Krista@KmoreMacro.com](mailto:Krista@KmoreMacro.com "") Follow me on IG: @kmoremacro Join my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:[https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutrition](https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutrition "") Love Free Resources Go Here: [https://theunraveledmama.com/resources](https://theunraveledmama.com/resources "")
Mama,One of the hardest thing about being a sports mom, other than having to spend your free time in the car driving everywhere, is spending your whole weekend at the ballfield.It makes finding a even somewhat healthy meal very difficult. As a fellow sports mom, I get it and I have been there.But the good news is, I've come up with a few tricks to help busy sports moms make healthy decisions whether they're at the concession stand or a convenience store!Today we are going to chat about how to use these 3 tips for busy sports moms to crush their nutrition while at their kids extra curricular activities!Over the last eight years, I've prioritized my health and wellness and in turn, I've prioritized making sure my whole family gets healthy, nutritious meals, no matter where we are. I wanted to put together this simple guide to help you stay on track with your health goals while you fuel your little (or big) athletes so you can all be successful!The main problem I found was that traditional sports foods aren't the healthiest. And it's hard to go out for healthy food when you're running from game to game. I've come up with a few tips on how find food from convenience stores and concession stands that will keep you in alignment with your goals!Make a plan for you & your athleteThe absolute best thing you can do if you want to stick to your health goals is to make a plan. I say it all the time because it's always true! On any given weekend, I have 7-10 ball games between my three kiddos. Which usually means we spend our entire weekend away from the house.I know from experience that if I go into a weekend without a plan I will not stick to my goals. Not because I don't have the willpower to do it, but because it's impossible to make healthy choices when you have limited options!When I don't have a plan, I'm forced to eat whatever I can find at the ball field for every meal and snack. And while I love a soft pretzel and nacho cheese as much as the next girl, I know that's not going to help me reach my goals. Plus, I know that crappy food isn't going to help my kids play at their best either.Instead, I like to come up with a meal plan for the weekend that helps me stick to my goals and fuels my kids to be able to play!For some of my meals, I'll pack food from home, but I also plan to eat out for at least one meal. That meal out can range from grabbing food at the concession stand, hitting up the closest convenience store or going out to a restaurant with the team.I like to plan out exactly what I”m going to grab or order for that meal out so that I can really enjoy it! Then I plan the rest of my meals around that one. I use my 3-step meal planning strategy, which I talked about a few weeks ago. Go read about it and grab the freebie in my Facebook Group, Busy Mom SImple Nutrition, it will be so helpful!How to find healthy options at convenience storesWhether you're including convenience store or concession stand foods in your meal plan or you're simply looking for something somewhat healthy to eat when you forgot to plan (no shame mama, that happens to me too!) After spending almost a decade at ballgames, I've figured out the best options for busy mamas who also want to eat healthily, and I'm happy to share my knowledge!I'm not against having an occasional treat but when you're grabbing something every weekend or multiples times in one weekend, that's no longer occasional. That's habitual! Instead of grabbing a candy bar and Diet Coke as a between-games snack. Let's fuel our bodies and give them the nutrients they need to keep up with our active kids!When you walk into a convenience store like QT or Circle K, you are probably used to seeing the donuts, candy bars, nachos, etc. And you might think there's not going to be anything healthy in there so you might as well, grab whatever sounds good. But the truth is there are lots of great options available if you learn how to find them!Whether you're at a convenience store or a concession stand you're probably going to be able to find some of these snacks that will keep you on track with your health goals and stop you from getting hangry and becoming that mom.String cheesePeanuts (just be sure you're aware of how much you're eating because nuts add up quickly!)Hard-boiled eggsYogurt (opt for greek yogurt that's higher in protein if you have the option!)Pretzels and hummusProtein barsBeef jerky or turkey jerkyProtein shakesElectrolyte drinks (Mama needs to stay hydrated too!)Now, let's talk real meals because while these are great snack options they're not going to help you make it through the whole day!When you go to a convenience store, or even concession stand, look for their fresh or prepared foods. A lot of places will have pre-made sandwiches, salads, burritos, etc. you can usually find something in that section that will fit into your health goals.When I'm on the go, I like to go to QT and get a sandwich or wrap. They'll make them fresh to your specifications, so I'll load up on protein and veggies! It's basically what I would have packed for myself but it didn't sit in my cooler and get soggy all day!The more you look for healthy options wherever you're at the more you'll see them! If you don't see anything readily available, ask someone! Especially, if it's at a concession stand. If you're a regular at the concessions they might be willing to stock a few healthy options! Get the other moms to ask too, if they see a need, they'll fill it!Don't forget to hydrateWe've talked a lot about food, but let's not forget hydration! When you're spending hours at the ball field you have to make sure that YOU stay hydrated.I know you're thinking about your kids and making sure they have water and electrolytes but you're also getting hit by the sun, so you need to be paying attention to your water too!You should be drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces every day to stay properly hydrated, but if you're spending hours out in the sun you should be going above and beyond that! There isn't a magic number to hit since temperatures and UV levels vary, but just make sure that you're not thirsty and that you're going to the bathroom a lot.You can always add electrolytes to your water to help replenish all the minerals you're losing by being out in the sun. But don't forget to think about the foods you can also be eating that will help hydrate you!Foods that have a high water content are great for hydration. You can eat them on their own, throw them in your water or even blend them up into a refreshing smoothie!WatermelonStrawberriesCantaloupePeachesOrangesCucumberLettuceZucchiniCeleryTomatoesBell peppersCauliflowerGrapefruitCoconut waterInfusing your water - and your kids' water - with some of these fruits are even better for you than processed drinks like Gatorade!Skim milk, yogurt and cottage cheese are also great for hydration and are higher in protein so you'll get a lot more bang for your buck with them!Being a busy sports mama isn't an excuse to ignore your health. You need to set an example for your athlete! Show them how important their health is now as they're playing sports and how important it is when you stop by making your health a priority!If you want to start making your health a priority, but feel like you don't even know where to start, then let's talk! I was in your shoes once and having a coach teach me what healthy looked like for ME was a game changer. (Pro tip: dieting is not healthy eating. So don't think I'm just going to show you how to do another 12-week diet! I know you need more than that!) You can lead your family to health and happiness! Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Have you ever been working towards a weight loss goal and you finally dialed in your nutrition and exercise and everything seemed to be going amazing, but then life threw you a curveball? You have a family emergency, or you experience a job loss, you sell or buy a house, the list could go on and on. Life always seems to interrupt our goals, especially when things are going well. In the past, a stressful situation would lead you right back to your old, not-so-healthy, habits, but that doesn't always have to be the case.Healthy people run into these same obstacles. Life throws them curveballs too. The key to staying healthy when life gets in your way is getting back to healthy habits as soon as possible!I know it sounds so stupidly obvious, but when unhealthy people fall off the wagon, they stay off of it until they have to get back on. When healthy people fall off the wagon, they get back on it as soon as they can.A few weeks ago, I had a client message me asking for help and resources that would get her back on track after going through a stressful situation that messed with her momentum and progress.She said, “We had a family crisis and I ran to carbs hard even though I'm in my biggest cut numbers. (At least I know that about myself now). My stress level is high and I'm having a very hard time getting back on track.”First, let's applaud this mama for not beating herself up after she went outside of her boundaries! She recognized that it was a learning experience and is ready to move on. That's amazing!Unhealthy people don't do this. Unhealthy people give up and give in to food cravings. Then, beat themselves up about it.Healthy people, do exactly what my Macros Made Easy Mama did. They recognize that life got crazy and they work to jump back in.Healthy people also realize that the crazy life even that took them off track, didn't really have much to do with food. And realizing that it's a mental block, not a physical one, helps them get back on track quickly!Stress eating is about the food, but it's not really about the foodWe've been fed an unfortunate lie in our lives: that we're unhealthy because of food. Food gets such a bad rep! We always hear how unhealthy foods are and how we should avoid them. Carbs and fats have it the worst. They are the villains in almost every diet. But when we get down to it, we need carbs, fat and protein to survive. So, if we need food for survival, then can it really be the culprit of all our health problems?The truth is that the thoughts and feelings we attach to food are what get us in trouble.When you're sad and you want a pick-me-up you don't reach for a chicken breast. You reach for cookies, cakes, mashed potatoes. And when you eat for comfort you aren't eating nutritionally, you're eating emotionally.Instead of obsessing about what you ate and swearing that you'll never eat those foods again, look at the feelings behind the food. Were you looking for comfort? Safety? Love? What were you trying to create more of in your life?As you start to uncover the emotions that are 1. Pushing you toward certain foods and 2. What emotions you're trying to create you'll be able to identify your triggers.My son was born with some serious health problems and I spent the first year of his life in and out of hospitals. I ate all of my feelings. Looking back at the situation, I was stressed. I was worried about the health of my baby and felt like things were out of my control. When I ate cookies and chips in the pantry, I was looking for comfort. I needed to know things were going to be ok.If I had known then what I know now, I could have found healthier ways to deal with my stress and worry. I could have taken time to journal out all my fears and realize that some of my fears were kind of made up. I could have found someone to talk to about everything that was going on. I could have focused on moving my body to help reduce stress.You need to create awareness of why you're emotionally eating if you want to overcome it.Now that you understand that it's not really about the food, it's time to focus on your mental health so that you can get back into your physical goals.Step 1: Practice understanding & graceThe first thing to do is to give yourself some grace. Acknowledge that something big just happened and that you dealt with it. If it took you outside of your normal eating boundaries, it's ok.Think about if you were talking to a friend, would you berate them for turning to food? No way! You would tell them that they were under a lot of pressure and that they survived it! You deserve that same pep talk!Giving yourself some understanding and grace isn't a show of weakness; it's empowering! It gives you the strength to get back up and try again.Step 2: Get back into a morning routineA morning routine is an incredibly powerful tool to prepare you for whatever the world is going to throw at you.The purpose of your morning routine is to focus on your mental needs before you have to focus on anyone else's needs, which means that you need to fill your routine with the things you need.I always include journaling, a devotional and a gratitude practice as part of my morning routine. If I do those three things (at a minimum) I know that I'll be able to handle everything else because those things fill me with joy and purpose.Step 3: Plan your meals for the dayRemember, healthy living is 80% mindset and 20% nutrition. After you've worked on your mindset, then you can dive back into your nutrition.The first thing I teach in Macros Made Easy is to plan out your meals ahead of time. It's basic for a reason: it works. When you make the decision ahead of time as to what you're going to eat when something crazy comes your way you have a plan to fall back on!Plus, meal planning can hold you accountable to your goals. If your spouse comes home after a crazy day at work and wants to eat out, but you already planned dinner, it will keep you committed to your plan. (If you've already prepped the food it makes it even easier to stick to!)Step 4: Remember your highest selfMama, if you fell off the healthy bandwagon and you still desire to get back on, realize that, that in and of itself is a huge milestone.I love this quote by James Clear,“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to be.”Don't stop taking the actions that will lead you to your highest self. Every time you choose the healthy option, you're becoming the healthy mama you've always wanted to be! Celebrate that! Celebrate every small step you take and soon you'll see that it adds up.It took me a long time to realize that life isn't going to be 90% good and 10% bad. It's more of a 50/50 ratio. Sometimes things are going to go our way. It's going to be amazing and everything will go according to plan. But other times it's not going to work out as we want it to. It's going to be hard.Obstacles are going to get in our way, but it's how we get back up when we're knocked down that determines if we're healthy or unhealthy. Mama, you are a healthy woman! You know what you need to do to get back to the healthiest, happiest version of yourself, so let's do it!If you need a guide while you're making your way back to healthy living, then let's talk! Helping mamas realign their mental and physical health is my purpose and I can help you! Schedule a free discovery call and take the first step to become the healthy person you know you are! Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,It's almost November and I have a fun FREE Challenge who wants in?Gratitude Challenge! Who's in and you can invite the kids!#busymomgratefulmomIF YOU ARE IN AND WANNA ROCK YOUR NOVEMBER!Next week kicks off the month of November and it's the perfect time to start implementing a gratitude practice!If you want to be a part of the challenge drop a
Mama,Halloween
Mama,Mama, are you thinking about the holiday season yet? I know it doesn't technically kick off until we're a little closer to Halloween, but I want to let you in on a little secret! If you want to make it through the holiday season without gaining extra weight, then you have to start thinking about it now!Normally, if you go to a party or celebration and overeat, you might gain a pound or two, but when you go back to your normal eating patterns the weight should go away in a week or so. However, the holidays are different. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's are so close together that it can make it hard for our weight to stabilize between each indulgent holiday.If you want the upcoming year to be different, if you want to make it through the holidays having enjoyed them, instead of hating yourself, then you have to follow this 3-step process! These are the tips and tricks I teach the mamas in my Macros Made Easy Program to help them thrive during the holidays without gaining extra weight!Look at what your holiday plans areThe first step is always, always, always make a plan! Each month, I have my Macros Made Easy mamas take a look at their calendar and see what events, special occasions, nights out, etc. they have coming up. You need to know what you have on the calendar so that you can plan around it.This is especially during the holidays! Halloween parties, Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, and alllll the Christmas and winter holiday parties can quickly add up! If you don't pay attention to all the parties, and just eat whatever you want, your body isn't going to be able to keep up. You will gain weight.I always equate overeating to overspending because it's easier for a lot of people to understand.Imagine you have a Christmas shopping budget of $3,000 and you have three kids. You could say, I'm going to spend $1,000 on each kid, but when you go shopping for your oldest you don't pay attention to price tags and you go to the register to check out and you've spent $2,000. Now you only have $1,000 for your other two kids. That would make a mess of things, right?Your food budget works the same way. You only have so many calories your body can burn. If you overeat at one party, you can't just return the food. (Please, please just keep it! No one wants it back!) Now, you have less to eat at your other two parties.Instead of depriving yourself for the rest of the holiday season, take a look at what you have going on, then prioritize which parties you'll stick to your food boundaries for and which ones you want to have more flexibility.For example, I'd much rather “spend” my calories at my husband's holiday work party where I get to dress up and eat amazing food than at my kids' holiday class party where they're serving hard, store-bought cookies and juice.Deciding ahead of time which parties and foods are important to you will keep you on track during the holidays. It will help you avoid feeling deprived all the time and you'll make it through to January in much better shape!I know it's overwhelming to try and figure out everything you have going on in three months, so I wanted to make it easier for you! I have a free events calendar that will help you see not only what events you have coming up but it will give you the option to stay within your food boundaries or have more flexibility! That way you can visually see how much you're going to be indulging this holiday season! You can grab it for free in my Facebook group, Busy Mom Simple Nutrition.Plan to eat well during the holidaysThere's nothing worse than sitting around the table with your friends and family and having to pass up on all of your favorite holiday foods because you're “eating healthy right now.” Depriving yourself of food isn't healthy! A huge part of healthy eating is enjoying your food!I want you to enjoy the food that makes you happy but I want you to think about more than just one meal. You need to know how to think about your food daily and how to balance out the fun food with the more nutritious foods.BACKWARD MEAL PLANNINGFirst, you should learn how to plan your meals each day so that they fit into your nutritional boundaries. My backward meal planning system is the fool-proof way to enjoy a meal without letting things get completely off the rails.If you have a party or event in the evening that you want to enjoy, then you should! However, most people think that if they're going to have an off-meal during the day, then they should just ignore how they eat for the rest of the day because they are blowing it anyway. But, that's exactly how one meal gets you into big trouble!Instead, plan the rest of your day around your off-meal. If you're going to a dinner party where you know there are going to be decadent, delicious foods, then earlier in the day you should choose foods that are lower in fat and carbs and packed full of protein!This is how you create a balanced diet! It needs to be taken day by day! Don't let one meal or one day stop you from reaching your goals! Sometimes it won't feel fun to eat eggs for breakfast, and a chicken breast for lunch, but remember that your dinner out will be fun. You need to make space for nutritious foods along with fun foods.HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES AND SWAPS!The second way to prioritize healthy eating during the holidays is to make healthy food options available! When you're meal planning for your holiday dinners make sure that there are foods on the menu that will fit into your health goals.For some holidays, like Halloween, where there aren't really traditional foods, so it can be easy to plan a healthy menu. My family loves to eat cornbread and chili on Halloween because it feels festive but it's also packed with veggies, protein and filling carbs. Which will balance out all the candy my kids will eat!Having a few go-to healthy meals that the whole family enjoys can make holiday meal planning so simple!However, it gets a little more difficult for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas because a lot of the foods we eat on those holidays have deep traditions behind them. Some of those foods are only available during that time of the year and we don't want to miss out on them.For these occasions, again make sure you prioritize which foods you must have and which ones you're ok skipping. That being said, you can always make a little healthy swap for some of the traditional holiday foods.I have an amazing healthy holiday food swaps resource that's available over in my free Facebook group, Busy Mom Simple Nutrition. Head over there to grab it! It's full of recipes like mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie! It will be a lifesaver during the holidays.I know that if you start to create awareness around which holiday foods are the most important (or delicious!) and you enjoy those without filling up on foods that don't make you happy, you'll both enjoy your holiday season and not put on extra pounds.Know your body and mindI saved the best for last, but please don't leave because this section isn't talking about easy fixes. It may seem like the least important part of weight loss, but it's actually what's been missing from all of your efforts. Knowing and understanding your body and mind is essential to not gaining weight during the holidays!Let's start with the easier part, knowing your body. A lot of mamas are so busy that we learn to ignore our full and hunger cues because we don't have time to eat or because we're too tired to think of something to eat! (Can I get an Amen Sista? if you feel this? Bahaha)The problem with ignoring our body's cues is that eventually, we lose that connection to our bodies! We basically go into starvation mode. We work ourselves until we can't go anymore then we stuff our faces because we don't know when we'll get another chance to eat.To change this you need to start listening and paying attention to the signals your body gives you. I have a simple system that I teach to help busy mamas recognize their full and hunger cues. It's called the -2 to 2 System.The first step is to create a hunger scale. Zero is your neutral point. You're neither hungry nor full. Numbers 1 to 10 indicate fullness and numbers -1 to -10 indicate hunger. I want you to jot these numbers down on a piece of paper or a note on your phone because you're going to write down the signals your body gives you for each number.When you think to yourself, “hmm I'm hungry” jot that down! That's probably your body's first sign that hunger is approaching! When you're hangry and you could destroy anyone or anything in your path for food, that's probably a -10. You don't want to let your body get to that point!On the other side of the hunger scale, a 10 would be that after Thanksgiving dinner feeling where you can't move, you want to throw up and you need to be rolled to the couch. Again, not a healthy place to be.I want you to stay within the -2 to 2 range. This is a little bit past the thoughts, “I'm hungry” or “I'm feeling full” I want you to feel satisfied when you're done eating and I want you to eat before you start getting frustrated with people. That's the perfect range for you to enjoy food without going overboard.Some people will err on the side of getting too hungry before a big meal, but I want you to realize that that doesn't serve you! The hungrier you are, the easier it is to overeat! Listen to your body and know when you need to eat and when you need to stop.Next, let's talk about getting your mind in the right place. A lot of times we think weight loss or even eating healthy is a physical thing, but there is a huge mental aspect to it that is often ignored.Think back to the last holiday meal you had (even if it was a Labor Day BBQ or a birthday party) what did you say to yourself before and after that meal? Did you speak kindly to yourself or did you beat yourself up for what went wrong?Women are incredibly hard on themselves for what they eat and it's not healthy. Instead of beating yourself up after a meal that went off-track, what if you showed yourself some grace?Saying, “I'm an idiot, why did I eat that much?” doesn't help you lose weight. It can actually make you pack on more! What if instead, you thought to yourself, “I enjoyed my food last night. It gave me the energy to enjoy the people I was with. It was a ton of fun and today I'm going to go back to my normal boundaries so that I feel my best.”What a huge difference, right? It's important to take some time to reflect on our choices after a holiday event. Did you stick to your plan? Did things get off track? It's ok either way!If you're avoiding reflecting on your choices, then that's a huge red flag! Is there a reason you're avoiding yourself? Are you disappointed? Are you ashamed? You're having these feelings and while they may be uncomfortable you need to sit with them and understand where they're coming from!These conversations that you have with yourself around your food choices are the most important (and empowering) conversations you can have! Having these uncomfortable conversations are going to be the key to gaining self-understanding and grace! You'll also build mental resiliency and become the healthy woman you've always dreamed of becoming when you take the time to think through your food choices.Shame, guilt and regret won't help you lose weight, but reflection, knowledge and action will! Take the time to journal out what you're thinking and feeling and turn it into new thoughts that will help you move forward.This holiday season has the potential to be the best one yet! If you can create a plan and stick to it, I know that you'll have the healthy holiday season that you've always wanted!If you're nervous about making it through the holidays without gaining extra weight, then let's talk! I can help you stick to your goals and get to January feeling the best you've ever felt - without having to deprive yourself of your favorite holiday foods! Schedule a free discovery call to get started!Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,A few weeks ago, I was listening to Brooke Castillo's podcast, The Life Coach School, and she was talking about how to stay strong-minded. As she was talking about how she works on her mindset, it made me think a lot about how you have to be strong-minded during a health and weight loss journey. There will be times when the weight feels like it's melting off, and there will also be times when you feel like you'll never lose another pound. You have to learn how to stay strong-minded during the difficult times of your weight loss journey if you want to make it back to the good times.The biggest problem women, and especially busy mamas, run into when the weight loss slows or takes longer to come off than they would like, is that they think it's not working. All the effort to eat healthy or go to the gym feels like a waste of time.But, right when you're in the thick of this feeling, that's when your body is preparing to make big changes! You have to learn how to stay strong mentally so that you can see the progress you've been working towards!When you're feeling weak, mentally, it's helpful to remember these three truths. You can lean on them to practice being mentally strong. As with anything in life, the more you practice being mentally strong, the easier it becomes!Remember being healthy doesn't require perfectionI don't know how, or when, this happened, but somewhere along the way, we were all told that to be “healthy” we had to eat healthy foods and exercise 100% of the time. There shouldn't be any sugary treats - no matter the occasion. And heaven forbid, you miss a gym sesh!I hear from people all the time who were doing so well, then they went out with friends and ate something “bad” or were too exhausted to hit the gym one day and they felt like they failed. So, they gave up on all their healthy habits.This all-or-nothing mindset will always fail you. Healthy living isn't as restrictive as dieting! Dieting isn't healthy living! They're two separate things. And for far too long, we've treated them as one.Losing weight and being healthy don't require perfection. They do require awareness and consistency. I tell my clients to follow the 80/20 or 90/10 rules to reach their goals while still enjoying their food and their lives.If you want to be healthy and still enjoy food, then you should eat healthy and within your boundaries 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time you can have a little bit of fun with your food!However, if you're on a mission to lose weight then you will need to be slightly more strict. You'll want to stick to your boundaries 90% of the time instead of 80%.But you'll notice that in either scenario, it didn't require 100% perfection! Even when you're trying to lose weight and actively eating in a deficit, you don't have to be perfect.It's amazing what can come from releasing the need to be perfect in your nutrition. So much mental strength can come from learning to eat within your boundaries and still have a donut on occasion.Your future self can lead the wayI'm a big believer in dreaming big and imagining what I want my life to look like in the future. And it's not because I'm an especially “woo-woo” person, but I have seen the power of dreaming big. I've taken time to think about what I want and then made choices that align with my goals.If you haven't done this yet, then you absolutely should! I ask all the women in my Macros Made Easy program to dream about what their healthiest self looks like.Does the healthiest version of you eat out all the time or does she cook most nights?Does the healthiest version of you lift weights, run marathons, or practice yoga?Does the healthiest version of you wake up early?Does the healthiest version of you drink?There are no right or wrong answers to these questions (you can drink and still be healthy!!) The most important part of this process is simply understanding what the healthiest version of you looks like.Because you will use that version, that ideal you, to be your guiding star! When you're stuck in a place that's frustrating and it feels like you'll never see progress again, you're going to be tempted to throw in the towel and go back to your old ways. I call this the “oh screw it” phase.In the “oh screw it” phase you don't feel like your efforts are producing the results you're looking for. But, before you eat a full sleeve of Oreos, you can ask, “Would the healthiest version of me eat a whole sleeve of Oreos?” Most likely, she wouldn't. She might have one or two, but she wouldn't mindlessly, or angrily, eat a whole sleeve of Oreos.The healthiest version of you would stick with healthy habits like eating whole foods, moving your body, taking time to rest, etc.Instead of letting the scale decide if you should keep going or give up, you get to be the compass. Mama, I know it sounds a little obvious and silly, but nothing feels better than taking back control of your health - especially from an inanimate object like the scale!Become the example your kids needFinally, I want to talk about possibly the most important reason that you should become strong-minded. Your kids.My job is to help mamas lose weight and love the body they are in, but I don't do it to help mamas “be skinny.” I teach mamas about nutrition and how to properly fuel their bodies because mamas are the leaders and teachers of the next generation.Think about how you learned about healthy habits.How and what to eat is taught at home. Very few people learn about nutrition from a professional, especially at a young age.I absolutely love my mom, and I know she did her best for me, but when I left home I did not know how to fuel my body! Even during college when I was a two-sport athlete, I didn't have anyone teaching me how to eat to build muscle, or how to fuel my body so I had the endurance to make it through my volleyball and softball games.It wasn't until after I had my three kids that I started learning about nutrition. At first, I felt so selfish about spending money on a nutrition coach and a gym membership. I thought I should have been spending that money on my kids!But seven years later, I can tell you I did spend that money on my kids. Because I took the time, energy and resources to educate myself, I've given my kids an amazing gift.My daughter knows what to eat before soccer practice to have the energy to play. My son hates veggies, but he understands why he needs to eat them. My youngest can pack her own lunch that fuels her to learn and play!When my kids leave the house, they'll know how to plan healthy meals, shop for groceries and cook nutritious meals. If I hadn't taken the time to learn for myself and then teach my kids, they would struggle in the same ways I did!It's our job as parents to build on what our parents gave to us so that our kids can be better than we were. We are the example and we are the teachers.Mama, you are strong. You have the power to make big waves in your family. Start by making your health needs a priority. Show your kids why healthy living is important.Becoming strong-minded is a journey and it takes practice to get there. If you're feeling weak-minded right now, that's ok. I can lead you toward the healthiest version of yourself. Schedule a free discovery call with me to start understanding why diets keep failing you and how to turn things around.Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,Life never seems to slow down, does it? I thought we had a busy summer with vacation plans, but man, the school year is something else altogether. My kids have nine practices a week plus multiple games every weekend and I can't even imagine what my life would look like if I didn't have a meal plan! My backward meal planning strategy is a life-saver for busy moms!In 15-30 mins a week I can plan out all of my family's meals for the week and get groceries ordered so that we're set up for a successful week!I've taught this to my Macros Made Easy clients for years and every time a new mama learns about it she's blown away by how easy this strategy is. Even for the mamas who say they're terrible at meal planning or the ones who prefer to decide in the moment what they want to eat, this strategy is the first thing that's worked for them.Today I'm going to share with you exactly how I plan my family's meals in 15 mins or less, so that I'm not completely overwhelmed by the “What's for dinner?” question every single day! Because that's literally the most annoying question you can ask a mom! BahahaFirst, I want you to pull out a calendar (or head to my free Facebook group, Busy Mom Simple Nutrition to download my free meal planning calendar) so that you can write down your dinner meal plans!Start your meal plans with proteinI always, always, always start my meal planning by choosing what proteins I will serve for the week. Here's the key to making your meal planning process simple! Only pick 2-3 proteins for the week!Now, you might say, but Krista, there are seven days, so I need seven proteins. Yes and no. Yes, you need to have a protein planned for every day of the week, but it doesn't have to be seven different proteins!If you pick 2-3 proteins you can serve them a few different ways throughout the week.For example, say you choose pork, chicken and shrimp for your proteins. You can make 2-3 meals out of each of those proteins.With the pork I'll make:Shredded pork burrito bowlsBBQ Pork sandwichesI'll use the chicken inChicken shwarma saladChicken shawarma kabobsBBQ chicken nachosThen, I'll have two shrimp meals:Shrimp fajitasLemon shrimp pastaPlanning like this also simplifies your meal prep process! You can bulk cook your proteins and then just add different seasonings or sauces to them depending on the meal. This will save you so much time during the week too! Proteins typically take the longest to cook, so if you already have it cooked and all you have to do is heat it up for dinner, you'll save so much time on busy weeknights!Add sides to your proteinsAs you saw in my example before, you will take your protein (chicken, pork, beef, etc.) and then choose your main dish.Once you know your main dish you can add any sides or other ingredients you'll need to your meal plan. I love to see the whole plan laid out in one place so that I know everything that I'm going to need for that meal. Here's a quick example of how I plan out the main dish and sides or ingredients.Shredded pork burrito bowls will need:Pork RoastLettuceSalsa2% CheeseSour creamTomatoesCucumbersBlack BeansPork BBQ sandwiches ingredients include:Pork RoastBunsBBQ SaucePepperoncini'sAlexia FriesI go through and do this for each of the meals in my plan until I have a list of everything I'll need for the week. Then I move on to the final step!Use your meal plan to grocery shopThose nice lists make grocery shopping so easy! I know exactly what I'm going to need for the week - down to the seasoning! This means I can quickly open up my Walmart app or Instacart app and shop for all of my groceries as part of my meal planning for the week.I love using grocery pickup or even delivery to make my life even easier! I'm already busy enough helping my kids get to sports, running my business and keeping track of all my other wife/mom duties that if I can take something off my plate, I do it!If you prefer to shop for your own groceries, then you still have the perfect shopping list to run to the store with! What I love about meal planning is that it saves you so much money at the grocery store. You don't end up buying things you don't need that will go bad before you use them. And you don't overbuy because you can check your cupboards for the week's ingredients before you shop.The best way to make meal planning fast and easy is to make it a habit! I know that the first few times you try backward meal planning it might take you longer than 15 mins. But I promise, once you get in the habit of it this becomes so simple!I have a client, Lacey, who has a full year's worth of meal plans because she took the time to plan just once! She started by creating a weekly meal plan. Then after 4 weeks, she had a month's worth of meals planned out. After doing that a few times she had months of meal plans. And now she has a plan for every month of the year! Each month she pulls out those meal plans and she has healthy meals to serve her family without even having to think about it!Meal planning doesn't have to be overwhelming and stressful! I can help you learn how to know what a healthy meal looks like so that you can easily plan, prep and serve healthy meals to your family that they'll actually enjoy eating! Schedule a free discovery call if you're ready to start creating healthy habits for yourself and your family!Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources
Mama,One of the habits that get easily pushes aside when you're a busy mama is drinking water. Even though we know we need it - and we make sure our kids are getting enough water - moms still struggle to get their water in. Usually, as the school season picks up and we're rushing to get our kids everywhere it's even harder to make drinking water a priority, which is why I want to share three simple habits busy mamas, like you, can easily adopt to get enough water!Before we dive into those habits, I want to teach you an easy way to know how much water you should be drinking.The old formula was 8 glasses of water a day, and that's a great place to start, but the truth is that hydration isn't one-size-fits-all. Every person needs a different amount of water! Take your current weight and divide it by two to calculate how much water you need! It's that simple!That should be the baseline for your water consumption every day. However, you might need to add water for the following situations:Add 12 oz of water for every 30 minutes of exerciseAdd 8 oz of water for every cup of caffeine you drinkAdd more water if you're outside on a hot dayNow, that you understand how much water you should be aiming for, let's set you up with a few tools to hit that goal!Water firstDid you know that we are most dehydrated when we wake up in the morning? During sleep, our bodies flush out toxins and repair our bodies with requires a lot of water! You need to rehydrate your body and set it up for another day of success by drinking water first thing in the morning!I keep a glass of water right by my bed so that when I wake up I can drink it. I like my water to be room temperature because I feel like I can drink more of it, but it's OK if you prefer it cold!If you don't want to drink water the second you wake up, that's fine; however, make sure you drink water before you have your morning cup of coffee or any caffeinated beverage, like a pre-workout.The acidity from coffee and caffeine can cause stomach issues if you drink it on an empty stomach! When you drink coffee, it sends a signal to your brain to start producing hydrochloric acid - aka stomach acid - but if there's no food for that acid to break down it can damage your stomach lining, prevent acid production in the future, and even lead to ulcers, indigestion and heartburn.I love, love, love my morning cup of coffee, but I always make sure it comes after water and preferable after a little bit of food so that there's something for the stomach acid to break down!I've also found that when I start my day with healthy habits like drinking water and having a protein-rich breakfast it's much easier to stick to healthy choices throughout the day! Water first, is the first step towards hitting your water goals!8x3 RuleThe 8x3 Rule is one of the easiest ways to remember to drink water, especially if you're a busy mom who is always on the go, like me!The 8x3 Rule is really simple. You just drink 8 ounces of water three times.8 ounces before a meal8 ounces with a meal8 ounces after a mealThe reason this trick works is that it breaks your water intake down into manageable bits! If you were handed a 24-ounce water bottle and told to drink it all right now, could you do it? Nope? Me either - and I drink a lot of water! But there's something about chugging a ton of water at once that's just miserable!By breaking it down into 8 ounces it's so much easier to do! Plus if you use the 8x3 rule three times a day, you'll easily drink 72 ounces in a day! A few more cups of water here and there and you'll easily hit your goals!Replace 1 non-water drink a dayI know water isn't the sexiest drink in the world, but it is the most important drink we can have! I read an article where Angela Lemond, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics said water was "the gold standard fluid for the body,"While we may love our coffee, sodas, energy drinks, crystal light, juice, milk, etc. There is nothing the body loves more than water!This is why I'm going to suggest you substitute one of your non-water drinks each day with water. I know, it's not fun or glamorous, but it will help you in the long run!If substituting your favorite drink out for a glass of water sounds painful, it's ok to spice it up and make it fun!If you like having soda in the afternoon, try switching it out for carbonated water! You'll still get the bubbles but it will hydrate you instead of dehydrating you!If you're looking for a caffeine boost, then water is still your best option! Water will give you an energy boost without the crash that coffee and energy drinks can give you. You can try flavored water to make it more exciting!Water is an essential nutrient and without it, we can't lead healthy lives. Creating a habit of drinking water will benefit you in so many ways - weight loss just being one of them! If you're struggling to take big leaps in your health, then start with drinking enough water during the day and look at what a huge difference it makes!Mama, just because you're busy taking care of your family doesn't mean you don't deserve time to take care of yourself too! I can help you learn how to make your health a priority while still crushing it as a busy mom! Schedule a free discovery today to feel betting in your skin! Schedule a Free Discovery Session here: http://bit.ly/DiscoverySessionKmoreHave a question? Email me here: Krista@KmoreMacro.comFollow me on IG: @kmoremacroJoin my Busy Mom Simple Nutrition FREE Fb group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusyMomSimpleNutritionLove Free Resources Go Here: https://theunraveledmama.com/resources