Today is Primal Potential's 2nd anniversary!
THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for your support, trust and encouragement.
What a wild ride it has been!
I hope you'll take a few minutes to listen to today's episode on Primal's anniversary. Today, I'm opening up registration for ASCEND, the first ever Primal Potential Women's Transformation Weekend.
Listen to hear all the details and click here to be one of the 50 women to join me in downtown Nashville, TN this November!
In response to the recent episode on the 3 stages of carbohydrate intolerance, I got an email that merits further discussion.
I want everyone to understand that while yes, our food choices drive blood sugar and are primarily responsible for our fat loss and lack thereof, there are non-food influences on blood sugar.
That's right - there are physiological and lifestyle factors that drive blood sugar & insulin significantly enough to influence fat loss and today we're investigating those things.
http://primalpotential.com/202-non-food-influences-on-blood-sugar/
Non-Food Influences on Blood Sugar
In order to reach our highest fat loss potential and optimize our health, we have to understand both the food and non-food influences on blood sugar.
We need to evaluate the ways by which we can increase blood sugar as well as the factors that influence how we decrease or stabilize blood sugar.
Three ways by which blood sugar is increased include:
- Eating - this includes but is not limited to consuming carbohydrates. The extent of the blood sugar increase depends on what and how much you eat
- Glycogenolysis - breaking down stored muscle or liver glycogen to glucose
- Gluconeogenesis - generating new glucose from a non-carbohydrate substance like protein. This can be triggered in response to low blood sugar and/or stress
The factors that determine how quickly blood sugar drops after an elevation include:
- Your activity level
- When, what and how much you last ate
- Your carbohydrate tolerance
- Your insulin sensitivity
- Your baseline (include glycogen storage capacity)
Factors which determine what happens to the glucose in your blood include:
- Your activity level
- Your fuel needs
- Your muscle glycogen status
The potential uses for glucose in the blood include:
- Immediate energy
- Glycogen storage
- Fat storage
For specific strategies on improve your blood sugar response and reducing fat storage, listen to the full episode!
Don't Forget to Save The Date!
The first ever Primal Potential Women's Transformation Weekend is November 3-5th in downtown Nashville, TN! Tickets go on sale 7/12/16.
Resources
Carbohydrate Intolerance Whitepaper
Episode 009: Carbohydrate Spillover
I recently read "Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable" by Tim Grover and he introduced a personality classification that I found to be thought-provoking.
His classification describes people who get things done and reach their highest potential versus people who don't.
I started to think about the thousands of people I've worked with who are trying to burn fat and improve their bodies and I could see similar trends in the ways they think & act.
I have classified into three groups which I'm calling wishers, wanderers and warriors.
In today's episode I'm going to help you see which category your past choices represent and help you move from where you are now to the warrior category.
That's right, this episode is about how to become a warrior. It's about how to stop making excuses and exceptions and start crushing your goals.
http://primalpotential.com/201-stop-making-excuses/
How To Stop Making Excuses & Exceptions
How do you make choices? Like a wisher, like a wanderer or like a warrior?
In today's episode I'm going to describe the wishers, wanderers and warriors and help you understand how you can become a warrior and stop making excuses. Do not miss the full episode!
Wishers have a desire but take little action
They have goals and the might even feel passionately about them, but they aren't consistently taking action to move towards them.
Wanderers are seekers with short attention spans
They jump from plan to program to approach, never developing the consistency required for sustainable results & never learning what works (and what doesn't) for their own bodies.
Warriors show up to work every day
They stay focused on the day at hand and ask themselves, "what can I do today to move towards my goals?" Then they do it!
Wishers need to be told what to do
They are looking for meal plans, food lists and for someone else to provide the instructions. They might not follow them, but they want the answers to come from someone else.
Wanderers create a “best case” plan
They have and plan and can follow it when all the conditions are in their favor.
Warriors steer everything to their advantage
A warrior's choices are not dictated by their circumstances. They do the best they can no matter what gets thrown at them.
Wishers watch others and compare
They are preoccupied with what others are doing & thinking and they compare their results and efforts against others.
Wanderers watch others and plan
They might not compare, but they are always jumping on board with what others are doing, regardless of whether or not it works for them.
Warriors run their own race.
Others watch them.
What other people are doing or saying has nothing to do with what they need to do.
Wishers give in to temptation
They make decisions based on impulse
Wanderers give in to excuses
They justify indulgences with circumstances
Warriors make no excuses.
They don’t give in.
Wishers perform when its comfortable
They do the work when they feel like it
Wanderers perform when they are prepared
If the stars aren't aligned and the circumstances are beyond their plan, they crumble.
Warriors perform
Warriors refuse limitations
Warriors practice calm confidence
Warriors take responsibility
Warriors may not love the process, but they are addicted to the results
Warriors expect to succeed and so they do.
In today's episode, I'll share how you can stop making excuses and become a warrior TODAY.
Resources
We've got another book club episode today! On a recent road trip I listened to Ryan Holiday's new book Ego is the Enemy and there were so many powerful lessons! I just need to share them with you! Many of these are game changers!
I was a big fan of his earlier book, The Obstacle Is The Way so I was eager to get my hands on Ego is the Enemy. It did not disappoint.
In today's episode I'm sharing the 6 lessons that change the game when it comes to fat loss, health and happiness.
http://primalpotential.com/200-6-lessons-change-game/
6 Lessons That Change the Game
There were 6 primary lessons that I believe powerfully apply to fat loss, health & happiness that I gleaned from Ryan Holiday's Ego Is The Enemy. In today's episode, I share those lessons and how you can apply them to your health.
Ego is the enemy of what you have and what you want.
Ego can keep us from true success by hiding the truth about our choices and our abilities.
Ego crosses out what matters and replaces it with what doesn't.
Ego tells us what we want to hear when we want to hear it but gives us a short-term fix with long-term consequences
Humility and reality are the cure for ego
Be humble in your aspirations
Be gracious in your success
Be resilient in your failures
Unfortunately, I think the more common approach in dieting is:
Unrealistic in our aspirations
Critical of our success
Defeated in our failures
Make it a mantra: every next choice is a new chance.
Engage in activities that move you forward. Eliminate activities that do not.
Are the things you're doing moving you towards your goals?
Talk depletes us.
Talking & doing compete for the same resources.
The relationship between work and chatter is that one kills the other
Be more objective (and less emotional)
Is your passion an asset or a liability?
Purpose: passion with boundaries
Realism: detachment with perspective
Be committed to the daily work without being attached to the daily results.
It's about what you do with what you have
Materiam superabat opus: the workmanship was better than the material
It's what you do with what you have that matters far more than what you have.
The work is never done & that's a good thing.
Resources
In today's episode I'm sharing the CliffNotes & takeaway of a white paper written by Dr. Philip Maffetone about the three stages of carbohydrate intolerance. To download the free whitepaper for yourself, click here.
Carbohydrate intolerance not only encourages weight gain, it impairs fat loss, damages the metabolism and triggers the development of illness and disease.
Most importantly, after we assess the three stages of carbohydrate intolerance, we'll talk about what you can do about it.
http://primalpotential.com/199-stages-of-carbohydrate-intolerance/
3 Stages of Carbohydrate Intolerance
Carbohydrate intolerance not only impairs fat loss and reduces energy - it also predisposes you to illness and chronic disease.
Dr. Philip Maffetone outlines how carbohydrate intolerance develops in the below model and then goes on to describe three stages of carbohydrate intolerance.
- Dr. Philip Maffetone's Model of Carbohydrate Intolerance
The three stages of carbohydrate intolerance can initiate in utero, in infancy, childhood, adolescence or adulthood and get worse until we choose to make dietary and lifestyle changes to improve carbohydrate tolerance.
Stages 1, 2 and 3 are detailed in the podcast so listen to the full episode to get all the details & the recommendations for making positive changes!
Don't Forget to Save The Date!
The first ever Primal Potential Women's Transformation Weekend is November 3-5th in downtown Nashville, TN! Tickets go on sale 7/12/16.
Resources
Carbohydrate Intolerance Whitepaper
Episode 009: Carbohydrate Spillover
Today's episode is all about something I say often: short term strategies deliver short term results.
If you cannot maintain the strategy that delivers the results, you will not sustain the results themselves.
Any approach that requires white-knuckled willpower should be a real red flag that you might be working hard for results you won't maintain.
http://primalpotential.com/198-white-knuckles-red-flags/
White Knuckles Are Red Flags
How many times will you employ a short term strategy that you know you can't sustain?
There are so many problems with this approach.
- If you can't sustain the strategy, you won't sustain the results
- If you don't know, address or solve the true problems, they'll still be there waiting for you
- You're creating a negative association with the process
- You're reinforcing a pattern of quitting or failure and therefore think that's all that lies ahead for you. That's not true. It's your crappy strategy
- You think change is harder than it actually is. That's representative of your unsustainable approach.
The lasting is approach is the approach you enjoy and are able and willing to maintain.
If you're looking for a break, an escape or a cheat, it's not the right approach.
You're very likely focused on the wrong thing. Does your approach help you address WHY you eat, not just WHAT you eat?
Internal development precedes external improvements.
If you successfully complete your Whole30 but don't address your pattern of emotional eating, what happens the next time you get emotional?
If you do a 21 day detox but do nothing to overcome your all-or-nothing tendencies, don't you think another "nothing" cycle is coming? Then what?
Absolutely listen to the full episode to understand how you can overcome this white-knuckle-willpower approach to weight loss! It's not working!
Cheat day. Overeating. Binge eating. Call it what you want.
The bottom line is - overeating has an immediate, negative effect on your metabolism!
In today's episode, we are talking about the physical, hormonal, and metabolic impact of overeating or binge eating.
I want you to know and understand that your body does not "reset" the following day simply because it's a new day and your fat burning potential doesn't go unaffected.
http://primalpotential.com/197-overeating-metabolism/
Overeating and Your Metabolism
In today's episode we're going to dive into the relationship between overeating and your metabolism. We'll get into specific impairments to your hormone balance, metabolism and fat burning potential that happen almost immediately.
We'll answer the following questions:
What are the consequences of overeating on your metabolism?
- Your body goes into storage mode
- Your fat burning potential is suppressed for days
- You trigger hormonal imbalances
- You experience an increase in hunger and cravings
- Your body burns sugar instead of fat while at rest and during workouts
How long do the negative effects last?
Practically speaking, how can you change your habit of overeating?
What can you do before the binge?
What can you do after the binge?
Don't Forget to Save The Date!
My First LIVE event is Nov 3rd-5th in downtown Nashville, Tennessee.
Resources
Episode 009: Carbohydrate Spillover
Carb Strategies for Effortless Fat Loss
Golden Rules of Carbs & Fat Loss
Are you in need of a quick dose of motivation?
Listen to today's minisode to find out what it means to be awake in your dreams!
http://primalpotential.com/196-l-minisode-b…e-in-your-dreams/
Be Awake In Your Dreams
Every single day is an opportunity for you to give yourself a gift that only you have the power to unwrap!
You can make the choice to shift your mindset, make better choices, do the hard work, embrace your obstacles, and work on your confidence.
In today's minisode, I share what it means to be awake in your dreams and how this mindset can help you create a powerful transformation in your life.
Just one more thing..I have some exciting news I want to share with you! I will be hosting my first LIVE Primal Potential weekend event November 3-5 in Nashville, Tennesee!
Tickets are not on sale yet but I want you to save the date!
Forget what you have heard! You can eat carbohydrates and still successfully meet your fat loss goals and maintain the results.
There are hundreds of opinions related to carbs & fat loss and it's tough to know which one is most effective. We're going to clear that up and ensure that you don't have to subscribe to models of restriction or deprivation in order to burn fat and have plenty of energy.
In today's episode, I discuss 4 smart carb strategies (aka The Golden Rules of Carbs and Fat loss) that, when implemented, will help you unlock your health and weight potential while increasing your energy, decreasing your cravings and stabilizing your hunger.
http://primalpotential.com/195-carbs-fat-loss/
The Golden Rules of Carbs and Fat Loss
Listen to the episode to hear my detailed explanation for the following:
A). Who can benefit from implementing these strategies?
B). What are carbohydrates?
C). Do the golden rules of carbs and fat loss apply to all carbohydrates or are there exceptions?
D). How do the golden rules of carbs and fat loss apply to individuals who workout?
E). What are the 4 strategies? What effect do they have on blood sugar, insulin, and cortisol levels?
You'll want to listen to the full episode to hear the explanation of the golden rules, but here's a quick overview:
- Eat your starchy carbs at the right time
- Choose the right quality of carbohydrates
- Consume the right quantity
- Pair your carbs with the right company
In the past couple of episodes, you heard some of my Fat Loss Fast Track clients share their Primal Potential success stories.
They are all powerful stories of people actively improving their choices and moving towards their goals. If you missed them you can listen to Episode 192 here and Episode 193 here.
As one woman reflected back on her journey, she attributed her life transformation to the lessons she learned related to a few key elements: Pace, Power, Practice, Perspective, and Progress.
In today's episode, I want to talk about why it is important for you to understand and apply this structure of success (aka The 5 P's) on your own journey.
http://primalpotential.com/194-structure-of-success/
The Structure of Success
PACE
- Make sure the pace reflects an approach that you can and will sustain over time.
- Short term strategies deliver short term results.
- The most sustainable way to implement change is one at a time.
POWER
- Recognize and embrace your choices and you will feel your power.
- While you can't always control your circumstances, you always have 100% control over your choices.
- Stay focused on what you can do & what is within your control instead of what is beyond your control. This keeps you firmly rooted in your place of power.
PRACTICE
- All things, no matter how challenging, are made easier with practice.
- Practice is about executing one choice at a time.
- Consistency generates confidence.
PERSPECTIVE
- Take an inside-out approach focusing on your mindset and then progressing to meet your physical goals.
- By focusing on small gains and sustained commitment you will find more success over time.
PROGRESS
- Progress is personal & you create your own standards - avoid attempting to measure your own personal progress by way of the standards of others
- Don't strive for perfection.
- Take one small step at a time in the direction of your goals
Be sure to listen to the entire episode to learn more about 'The 5 P's" and how you can apply them to your own personal journey!
Ready to hear more Primal Potential success stories? What started for most as a goal to lose fat turned into much more: transforming their entire lives.
As you may be experiencing, they had fears, doubts, perceived limitations, years of weight loss struggles, hormonal issues and many of them doubted their ability to lose weight and reach their goals.
But, as you will hear from them, they are making amazing transformations in all areas of their lives as they move towards their goals within the Fat Loss Fast Track.
http://primalpotential.com/193-more-success-stories/
Success Stories
Success Stories
Meet Sarah
Sarah is 54 years old and has struggled with weight issues her entire life. In addition, she has hormonal issues, an underactive thyroid, "fat genes", PCOS, and is pre-diabetic.
At first she was skeptical of some of the challenges within the Fat Loss Fast Track but quickly realized that it was about more than diet & exercise. She had to change her mind.
Here are some of her takeaways:
- Own your choices
- Don't make excuses
- Practice affirmations and gratitude
- Focus on what you can do
- Live in the present
- Be open to change
Meet Annette
In the past, Annette lost 100lbs but had regained some of the weight. This time around, she was having a hard time finding the motivation to lose the weight again.
Here is what's helping Annette get back in the game:
- Finding the confidence and belief in herself
- Mental toughness - deciding that she can do hard things
Meet Client "Anonymous 1"
She is 42 years old and a mom of 3 young children. She has faced a life long struggle of yo-yo dieting and self-sabotage. Her change in perspective has included the following:
- Power: practicing ownership in all situations
- Pace: making only one change at a time
- Practice: seeing challenges as opportunities
- Progress: being open to a journey without perfection.
Meet Client 'Anonymous 2"
For this client, the most helpful changes have not been what she eats or how she exercises but a shift in mindset.
Here are some of her game-changers:
- Changing the stories she's told herself for years
- Focusing on how great it feels to make great choices instead of seeing them as sacrifices
- Support from being in a group and tough-love from Elizabeth
Listen to the full episode to hear more from these women and their progress!
Just a reminder that my 12 week Summer Fat Loss Fast Track is beginning soon. There is a simple (free) pre-requisite and that’s that you attend a webinar. To sign up please click here.
Today's episode is full of inspiration and real life transformations! You are going to hear some of my Fat Loss Fast Track clients share their stories of progress, obstacles and success.
If you are a regular podcast listener, you know I share a lot about my story but, I know not all of you can relate to my story.
I want to give you the opportunity to hear some other perspectives.
My hope is that one of them is the voice that makes you feel like, "Hey - I can do this!"
My summer Fat Loss Fast Track launches in just a couple weeks. I want to give you an inside look at the kinds of experiences people are having. To learn more and grab a space in the free webinar training, click here.
So, for today I don't want you to listen to me - listen to them. Are you ready to get inspired?
http://primalpotential.com/192-success-stories/
Success Stories
In this episode, four of my clients will share details from their own personal journeys and what has been most impactful in helping them transform.
Meet Client "Anonymous 1"
She was victim to the negative stories she was telling herself. But, by changing her mindset she has seen results that have improved all areas of her life.
The biggest changes she's experienced include:
- Owning her thoughts and language
- Shifting her attitude/perspective
- Accepting total accountability for her choices
- No longer making excuses
Meet Thulz
Thulz used to view the her life through obesity tinted glasses. She felt like a victim of herself and got stuck in the 0n-again-off-again diet cycle.
The biggest game-changers for her include:
- Keeping track of her food and emotions
- Focusing on her goals and what she can do today
- Doing the actual work instead of spending countless hours thinking and planning for it
Meet Client "Anonymous 2"
She is a mom who initially joined to lose fat and get into smaller jeans. She was hesitant to join at first because of the financial investment. She wasn't sure it would be worth it .
As you listen to her story, you will see her transformation goes way beyond her waist line and includes:
- Feeling more confident
- Believing in herself
- Making more time for herself and her goals (despite being super busy)
- Understanding the "why" behind her choices
- More positive outlook
- Increased productivity
- Going beyond her comfort zone
Meet Nancy
Nancy is not a woman that has had a life long struggle with her weight. She started to gain weight once she got a job and more responsibilities. She was struggling with her life in general and wasn't happy.
In addition to her physical transformation here are some of her emotional changes:
- Wakes up happy and more positive
- More productive and increased energy
- Not obsessed with food anymore
- More patience and trusts the process
- Total control and accountability over her life
Listen to the full episode to hear these women give more in depth details about how they are losing more than weight and inches.
Just a reminder that my 12 week Summer Fat Loss Fast Track is beginning soon. There is a simple (free) pre-requisite and that’s that you attend a webinar. To sign up please click here.
I got an email the other day that I want to share with you guys. I think this email could have been written by any one of us and it represents one of the most significant issues keeping us from reaching our goals: the on-again-off-again cycle.
The beautiful woman who emailed me wants to change. She wants to be healthy. She wants to be a better example for her kids. She wants to feel better about herself.
She doesn't kinda want it. She really wants it.
But...
She consistently makes food choices that aren't doing her any favors. She overeats. She overindulges. She doubts her ability to change. She doubts that health is really achievable for her. She wants so badly to learn how to get unstuck!
Man, I completely understand these struggles and frustrations.....been there... and it's a hard place to be!
In today's podcast, we will explore a new mindset and some simple strategies that will help you break this ebb and flow cycle.
Are you ready to find out how to get unstuck and put your doubts and frustrations behind you?
http://primalpotential.com/191-how-to-get-unstuck/
How To Get Unstuck
I've faced the on-again-off-again cycle many times. It's exhausting, pure and simple!
I'll share with you parts of her email:
I found your podcast about a month ago on Spotify. I was randomly scrolling though looking for something to listen to and I found primal potential. I cant remember exactly what episode it was but I remember you were talking about not arguing for our limitations. I was hooked.
I have always been a heavy girl. I really ballooned up when I had my children. right now I am sitting at 270 I am 5’3″.
I have always tried to lose weight I will start off strong and then I will mess up and I’m like f*@k it.
I will be all gung ho to get it together and then have a bad day or week and reach for the convenience of ordering something or picking up something quick. I have to break that habit for our heath and our finances.
I want to change our lifestyle before it negatively effects our children any more than it already has.
Anyway all of this rambling is basically to ask where you think I should start. I’m tired of being fat. I’m tired of hating my body. I’m just so over it and I’m so lost on what to do. I’m convinced that I will never be healthy because I haven’t my whole life.
I’m stuck in that toxic place that is telling me it doesn’t matter how much I try I will never be able to do it and I’m over it. I want to get out of there. I want to believe in myself. I want to change my quality of life so I can enjoy it with my children!
She says she starts out all gung-ho but then falls back into old habits. Don't get me wrong- it's great to have motivation and enthusiasm but, you can be setting yourself up for failure with the pedal to the medal 0-60 approach.
You know what I mean, starting out, right out of the gate and deciding, "I'm going to eat more vegetables, drink more water, eat less sugar, workout more, sleep more, stress less, find healthy recipes, stop eating out" -- get my point?
You are likely trying to do too much, too fast and setting yourself up to feel overwhelmed and like you haven't cleared the high bar you set.
Here are the recommendations I made to this listener to help her figure out how to get unstuck.
Step 1: Don't change anything at all. For 7-14 days, just track. Write down what you eat and how it makes you feel. You need to establish your baseline. What you're doing, how it impacts your energy, where you're starting from. No pressure, just paying attention.
Step 2: Simplify. Make ONE change. Don't add more until your initial change feels effortless. In my Fat Loss Fast Track groups, we typically start with breakfast. To learn more about how to make breakfast a fat burning meal, listen to this podcast or this one.
Step 3: Change your mind. Stop arguing for your limitations and disqualifying yourself from change or growth. Remember, the past doesn't define the present or the future unless you choose to make the same choices. Each new day brings the opportunity to make a different choice.
You don't want to miss this full episode to hear about what you can do RIGHT NOW to stop the cycle and start feeling AMAZING!
I think this episode & the paradigms we'll discuss can change your life. I really do, if you'll choose to let them.
Here's the thing: life is hard. Hard things happen. Many of us choose to let these tough circumstances influence our choices. It doesn't have to be that way. In fact, if you want to live your best life, if you have to be your healthiest, happiest self, you need to change that patterned response.
In today's episode I'm going to be sharing some theories about hard things, about the challenges of life and the opportunity we have to allow those hard things to help us grow, improve and excel instead of cower, complain and withdraw.
These are choices. Welcome to the human experience - sometimes it's really challenging. How will you respond to those challenges? Will you become soft? Will you become hard? Will you develop, grow and improve?
http://primalpotential.com/190-this-can-change-your-life
Resources
In today's episode I talk about stories & situations that I believe can change your life. I believe they can help you go to the next level. I believe they can turn you from your victim & excuse mentality to your warrior and conquerer mentality.
I share a commencement address by David Foster Wallace called "This is Water" You can read the entire speech here.
I also share a fairly cliche anecdote about enduring hardships. You can read the story of the carrot, the egg and the coffee beans here.
I've been getting a lot of questions about calorie burn during workouts (as reported by cardio machines), wearable fitness trackers and the validity of target heart rate zones for fat burnings. So, of course, we're diving into those topics today.
In today's episode I'll be diving into the myths & facts about fitness trackers, heart rate zones and the accuracy of calorie counters on your workout equipment.
While folks who are working out have awesome intentions, they're often misguided based on inaccurate or incomplete information. If you are something who uses a fitness wearable, pays attention to the calorie burn on your workout equipment or monitors your heart rate, you do not want to miss this episode!
http://primalpotential.com/189-fitness-trackers-heart-rate-zones/
Myths & Facts About Fitness Trackers, Heart Rate Zones and Calorie Burn During Workouts
Lots of people use the amount of calories they think they burned during a workout to help them determine how many calories they should consume that day. In most cases, that is highly inaccurate information.
First of all, that approach assumes that the calorie in/calorie out model is the most effective or accurate model for fat loss. It's not. If you aren't sure why it's not, please go no further until you've listened to episode 062 of the Primal Potential podcast on why calorie counting is misleading.
Second of all, these calorie counting devices do not collect much of the relevant information that would allow for an accurate determination of calorie burn.
By knowing your pace on the machine and age/weight, you know a little, but not nearly enough to determine calories burned with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Among other things, they overlook:
- fitness level
- exertion
- body composition
- nutrition status
- muscle glycogen availability
Even the fitness trackers which obtain more information than the random machine at the gym (these trackers tend to know your gender, age, weight, height, etc) have a high degree of inaccuracy, anywhere from 10-25% . While that might not seem like a lot, if you're using these burn estimations to determine how much you should eat, being off by 10-25% can absolutely be the difference between significant fat loss and significant fat gain.
Another area of misunderstanding is around target heart rate zones. Don't miss today's episode for a full explanation of where these heart rate zones come from and how accurate they are.
In short, here's the primary issue. These heart rate charts that suggest a particular range so that you'll burn a higher percentage of fat, they're based on percentages, not absolute numbers.
Here's a brief example: let's say these heart rate charts indicate that in a lower heart rate zone, 60% of the energy you burn during the activity will be fat while in a higher heart rate zone only 40% of energy you burn will be fat.
People see that information and think, "Oh! I want to be burning 60% fat so I'm gonna hit that zone."
It begs the question: 60% of what??
Seriously. Let's say, using arbitrary numbers, that in a 20 minute workout in this lower "fat burning" zone you burn 100 calories. 60% of that is supposedly fat, which means you burned 60 calories from fat.
But, if you were working out in a higher heart rate zone you might burn 300 calories in that same 20 minutes. While only 40% of the calories burned were from fat, you still burned far more fat! In fact, you burned 120 calories from fat - twice as much fat burned in the same time, even though the percentage was lower!
Beyond that, these target heart rate zones don't take into account the "after burn", or calories burned after the workout. There is little to no after burn with lower intensity workouts. Higher intensity workouts create a significant after burn which adds to the total fat burned during the workout.
For the other major considerations related to heart rate zones and fitness tracking devices, listen to the entire episode!
Resources
On June 3rd, 2016, Muhammad Ali died. There's no question that Ali was a relentless fighter both in and out of the ring.
One of my favorite things to do is learn from people around me, dead or alive. When I heard that Ali had passed, I knew I wanted to see what lessons I could learn from his life. I knew there was something I could find that would make my journey more significant. I was right.
Today, I'm sharing those lessons from Muhammad Ali, through my life. I believe that his wisdom and his fights can help us in the fights of our lives, whether that's health, fitness, fat loss, finances, relationships, careers or anything in between!
In this episode I'll share what some of Ali's quotes mean to me & how they've influenced my perspective.
Hi. It's me. I have to tell you something. Your excuses aren't valid.
I know you think they are.
They aren't.
I've heard them all, I've used them all and I understand them. But...
I want more for you. I know you want more for you, too. So, today I'm breaking down three of the most common excuses I hear related to why you can't do the work or why you can't get results and flipping the script.
I don't do this because I'm harsh or mean, I do this because the only way to change is to change.
If you change your mind, you can transform your life.
If you aren't willing to change your mind, you probably won't change anything.
So, your excuses aren't valid. I love you but they're not.
Take a listen to the full episode so I can explain why.
Do you ever find yourself Googling, "How much protein do I need?" or "How much protein should you eat for weight loss"?
I tried it. I got nearly 16 million results in about a half a second.
You know what would happen if I sifted through those "answers"?
I'd end up confused, conflicted & frustrated.
You know what wouldn't happen?
I wouldn't find the answer based on my body and my goals.
The only place that answer can from from is me.
The only place your answer can come from is you.
In today's episode, I'm going to help you understand how you can find your answer.
http://primalpotential.com/186-how-much-protein-do-you-need/
How Much Protein Do You Need?
Understand that there is no magic number or perfect formula that will tell you how much protein you need.
The way to find out if you're eating too much, not enough or the right amount is by listening to your body & monitoring your results.
A great way to tell that you're getting the right amount of protein is when:
- You're making progress towards your goal (whatever your goal is)
- You feel well (stable energy, stable mood, few cravings)
In almost all cases, you do not need to supplement to meet your protein needs. You can easily meet and even exceed your protein needs with whole foods.
Individuals will have higher protein needs when they are:
- overweight
- high level athletes
- injured or ill
- chronically stressed
- suffering from adrenal fatigue
In general, you want to shoot to include protein at your meals and snacks. If you're consuming a traditional diet of 3 meals and 2 snacks, you want to incorporate a serving of protein with all your meals and at least one of your snacks.
If you're consuming fewer, larger meals, you can lean more towards a couple servings of protein with each meal. Remember, however, that these are guidelines for a starting point. Adjust based on your progress towards your goal and how you feel.
A serving of protein is 3-4 ounces of meat/fish, a couple of eggs or approximately 1 cup of greek yogurt.
Any stress eaters out there? I know I was! Today I want to share with you not just 5 reasons to stop stress eating but also practical strategies to help you get from your current stress response to a healthier, more productive stress response.
I used to put my goals & my health on hold in response to stress all the time. Unfortunately, while most stressors themselves aren't permanent fixtures in our lives, stress is. Our ability to reach our goals and maintain our results depends largely on our ability to respond to stress in a productive way.
That's what today is all about. Definitely tune into the episode to hear these 5 reasons to stop stress eating but also to learn practical strategies for doing the work.
http://primalpotential.com/185-stop-stress-eating/
5 Reasons To Stop Stress Eating (And How To Do It)
- In response to stress, you need to choose something that makes you feel better, not worse.
When we overeat in response to stress, we often end up feeling worse and less in control than we felt prior to overeating.- You don't want to compound a negative hormonal effect
- You have a unique opportunity to create positive emotion (or even joy!)
- You need to choose a response that restores or generates energy instead of one that depletes energy
- How you always respond is how you'll always respond.
Ok guys, let me shoot straight for a second: if you feel like fat loss is miserable and you’re missing out, you’re not doing it right. Seriously. I get it, because I’ve lived it and coached hundreds through it. You’re not alone, but we’ve gotta square this away for you. If fat loss is hard, something needs to change.
Either your perspective needs work or your strategy has to change. Or both. Probably both.
In today’s episode I’m bringing forth an uncomfortable truth: fat loss shouldn’t be hard. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, but if it’s miserable and you hate it and you are always focused on deprivation, you’re just not doing it right.
Let’s launch into the episode and talk about how to make fat loss easy.
http://primalpotential.com/184-fat-loss-is-hard/
What To Do If Fat Loss Is Hard
If you feel like fat loss is hard, it's very likely that you're messing up 2 things.
You’ll definitely want to listen to the full episode to understand the way I identify these common mistakes that make fat loss way harder than it needs to be, if not impossible.
I spot it quickly when I get emails that say things like,
I made great choices Monday through Friday, but when the weekends come, I totally blow it every time and undo my progress from the week.
If I eat really clean, I feel like I’m missing out and end up binging.
Here’s the reality:
If the foods you’re eating make you feel deprived and like you’re missing out, you’re not eating the right foods for you.
We’re not going to do things we don’t want to do or don’t enjoy, not over the long haul, anyway.
My primary food rule is to eat foods you love that love you back. No one can define these foods for you with a meal plan or food list. You have to identify what you enjoy, look forward to eating and feel great about during and afterwards.
Some of the fat loss friendly foods I love and look forward to eating are bunless burgers (especially with bacon!), sashimi, Brussels sprouts and avocado. There are more but that’s not the point. You have to find what these are.
For a sustainable lifestyle change, you have not just like the food you eat, but enjoy & look forward to it.
The second issue is perspective.
Describing is prescribing, my friends, and when you argue for your limitations, guess what? You get to keep them. You’re making a case for them so they’re there to stay.
If you decide & prescribe that you make great choices all week & blow it on the weekend, guess what? You’re right! You’ve decided for it. You’ve argued for it. You’re defending that behavior with your words and your thoughts and your choices.
Same thing if you argue that you can’t eat too clean or you’ll rebel and go off the rails.
Oh yeah? Ok. If you say so.
That’s a choice. You could change your perspective. You could decide that the cleaner you eat and the more consistent you are, the better you feel and the better you look. It increases your energy and your motivation and creates a cycle of accelerated returns. You know what? That’s probably more true than the limiting belief you’ve been arguing for but you haven’t taken the time to prove yourself wrong!
Your perspective is a choice. It’s not always easy to change but it is always worth it.
If you feel like you need help with the “how” of changing perspective, I’d recommend you check out Breaking Barriers. You can watch a presentation about it or get your questions answered. Your choice, just wanted you to know that there’s a resource for you if you’re serious about change.
On today's episode I'm taking you inside my mind and sharing some of my own personal success & mental toughness mantras. I'm not even remotely a "woo woo" kind of girl, but I find that without these mantras & affirmations, I'm much more likely to get distracted, emotional or frustrated and then lose my momentum & motivation. No bueno. Been there, done that.
I want to set myself up for success, limit ebbs & flows of motivation and continuously be focused on my goals. These mental toughness mantras are a huge part of how I do that. So, I'm sharing a few of my most-high impact mantras and how they keep me focused, redirect my attention and help me crush my goals.
I'd love for you to share some of your mental toughness mantras with me!
http://primalpotential.com/183-mental-toughness-mantras/
Success & Mental Toughness Mantras
Resist the temptation of your comfort zone
Little hinges swing big doors
Rule over yourself
Self-control & resistance to distractions
I can do hard things
Do it anyway
There are so many awesome questions out there about animal products, fat loss and health. Questions about whether or not eating animal products is healthy, how important it is to make organic choices and if we'd be better off without the animal fats and proteins.
We're going to tackle those questions today and I'm providing you with a free meat buying guide. Well, it's a little more than that. It's a general guide to buying animal products - fish, poultry, meat and dairy.
In today's episode we'll be talking about what has been omitted from most conversations about animal products and that is quality.
Studies looking at health profiles and animal product consumption avoid looking at the quality of the animals consumed.
We won't make that mistake. We are what we eat, but we're also what we eat eats, therefore, quality absolutely matters.
http://primalpotential.com/182-meat-buying-guide/
Are Your "Healthy" Groceries Making You Fat (Or Sick)?
We absolutely must consider what what we're eating is eating.
Are the animal products you're consuming coming from grain fed animals?
These animals will be much higher in pro-inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids and much lower in anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids.
Grain fed animals also have higher levels of insulin, cortisol, herbicides, pesticides and other toxins.
These toxins are stored in the fat tissue of the animal and they intoxicate us when we consume them. Toxic accumulation in our fat tissue impairs fat burning.
Conventionally raised animals are also polluted with antibiotics & growth hormones. These antibiotics and growth hormones are present when we consume meat and other products from these animals.
Be ware of marketing catch phrases that mean nothing including:
- Natural
- Grass-finished
When buying fish, look for wild-caught fish.
When buying beef, pork or poultry, look for:
- Organic
- Grass-fed
- Pasture raised
- Hormone free
- Not treated with antibiotics
If you're consuming products from conventionally raised animals,
- Buy lower fat cuts of meat
- Trim any excess fat
- Discard any fat that cooks off the animal
- Avoid eating dairy products from conventionally raised animals
We aren't getting enough sleep. We wear our fatigue (and talk about it) like it is a badge of honor. It's not. You're not tough. You're not hardcore. You're damaging your long-term health and dramatically impeding your fat loss.
If you haven't guessed, we're talking about sleep, hormones and fat loss on today's episode.
The average American is only getting 5-7 hours of sleep each night. That doesn't make a warrior, it makes a hormonally imbalanced, hungry person prone to fat storage, muscle loss and disease.
I hope that late-night TV is worth it!
Seriously though - this is really important stuff. Sleep deprivation, even moderate sleep deprivation over just a few short days impacts your hormones, impairs your metabolism, increases your appetite and changes the way the food you eat is metabolized.
In today's episode I'll be talking about 3 of the significant fat loss related changes initiated by mild sleep deprivation.
http://primalpotential.com/181-sleep-hormones-fat-loss
Sleep, Hormones and Fat Loss
Today we're diving into the nitty gritty of how sleep deprivation impacts your hormones and fat loss.
- Lack of sleep changes how the food you eat is metabolized
Mild sleep deprivation exaggerates the post-prandial blood sugar response. This means that when sleep deprived, you'll see a more significant blood sugar increase than you would after eating the same meal when well rested. Lack of sleep also impairs pancreatic function, leading to insulin resistance. These effects are seen after just a few days of mild sleep deprivation. - Lack of sleep increases your appetite & decreases your feelings of satiety
Lack of sleep disturbs the ratio of ghrelin to leptin, the hormones which manage hunger and satiety. This means that when you are even mildly sleep deprived, you experience more hunger and less satiety. Human studies show increases in appetite up to 40% after mild, short-term sleep deprivation. - Lack of sleep impairs your cellular fat burning machinery
Human growth hormone is one of our night-shift hormones. It is primarily produced & secreted while we sleep and is responsible for growth, recovery and cellular repair. When we aren't getting enough sleep, we aren't allowing growth hormone to do it's job, resulting in lower muscle mass, higher fat mass and reduced fat burning abilities.
Guys: Every choice is a chance. You aren't stuck. You can't be stuck. Stop telling yourself that you're stuck or that you aren't motivated. Every single moment is a new chance, a new opportunity and a blank slate.
In today's motivational minisode, I'm providing you with an attitude adjustment and a powerful perspective shift.
Stop focusing on everything you've done "wrong" and on all the chances you've missed. Who cares? It's done. This next choice right in front of you is your next chance.
Let's snap ourselves out of the powerless funk and start getting results by taking control of each choice as it arises.
If you've listened to much of the Primal Potential podcast, you understand that fat loss is very much about hormones. There are 3 hormones in particular that we can consider "the fat loss hormones". If we understand how they work and what specific choices we can make to make sure these fat loss hormones are working our favor, we're well on our way to our best health & the achievement of our goals.
We'll be talking a lot more about hormones in the next few weeks but for today I want to begin with an overview of these 3 powerhouse fat loss hormones: cortisol, leptin & insulin.
http://primalpotential.com/179-fat-loss-hormones/
Fat Loss Hormones
Leptin - leptin is a hormone produced by your fat cells that acts as a messenger between your body fat and your brain. When working properly, leptin works with your brain to regulate your appetite. As your body fat increases, leptin production increases and tells your body to increase metabolism and decrease appetite. As body fat decreases, leptin secretion decreases so the brain triggers an increase in appetite and decrease in metabolism. Unfortunately, leptin can quickly become disregulated with both crash dieting and weight gain, causing leptin resistance and impairing the brain's ability to receive signals from leptin.
Cortisol - cortisol is a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to physical, emotional or mental stress. Cortisol's job is to prepare your body for the fight-or-flight emergency response. One of the ways it prepares your body is by making sure there is plenty of sugar (glucose) in your blood stream so you're able to escape from the threat. Unfortunately, in this day & age, the threat is often a traffic jam, losing your keys or a fight with your spouse and no escape is necessary. Sure, you might see that as a good thing, but it means you're left with unneeded sugar in your blood stream that has to be stored. Many people get frustrated with lack of fat loss results despite eating clean & managing blood sugar. They tend to overlook the stress effect. Cortisol will break down muscle glycogen or muscle tissue to provide sugar for the blood, regardless of your diet. Because of this, stress management is a critical part of fat loss.
Insulin - I'll join the ranks of those who refer to insulin as the master fat loss hormone. It's critically important. You can listen to an episode all about insulin here. The point of today's episode is to show you that caring for your carb strategy isn't enough if you want to achieve your health & fat loss potential. You can mess with insulin if you aren't caring for cortisol, which is where most people pay little to no attention. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas in response to elevated blood sugar. Insulin's job is to usher the blood sugar out of the blood to either provide immediate fuel for cells or to be stored for later use. The presence of insulin puts the body in storage mode. Because cortisol can increase blood sugar independent of diet, managing insulin is about both diet & lifestyle.
Definitely listen to the full episode for a conversation about what we can do, from a diet & lifestyle perspective, to help these hormones work in our favor! There's a lot we can do!