It's hard to believe that it is almost the 1 year anniversary of the Primal Potential podcast. Know what the most popular episode was? Q&A 6: How to Make Breakfast A Fat Burning Meal.

Given that, I thought it would be fun to do a follow-up episode answering the most common questions about breakfast and sharing some of my favorite fat loss breakfast recipes and meal ideas.

Fat Loss Breakfast - Your Questions & Answers

This episode goes into detailed answers, meal ideas and recipes so you can create a fat loss breakfast every day!

1. How come some of the thinnest people I know eat carbs for breakfast? How can they do that and be lean if carbs in the morning turns off fat burning?
2. What do you think about having fruit in the morning if your goal is fat loss?
3. Do I have to eat breakfast? I'm not hungry in the morning.
4. I hate eggs. How can I create a fat loss breakfast without eating eggs?
5. What is bulletproof coffee? How does it help fat loss?
6. No matter what I eat for breakfast, I'm hungry within a couple hours. How can I make breakfast fill me up for longer?
7. The idea of vegetables at breakfast turns my stomach. How can I incorporate vegetables at breakfast in a way I'll enjoy?
8. What do you think about juicing? Is juice a good fat loss breakfast?
9. What do you think about intermittent fasting? Is that healthy? Helpful? Dangerous?
10. What breakfast ideas do you have? Especially for meals on the go.

http://primalpotential.com/fat-loss-breakfast/

Self-sabotage poses a huge threat to your goals and your health. Beyond that, it's incredibly frustrating. The key to overcoming it is to understand the ways we talk ourselves into sabotage.

Most people are so frustrated that they continuously set goals then get in their own way. In many cases, they don't even understand how or why it's happening.

How can you want something so bad yet continue to sabotage? Why are you getting in the way of something you want so badly?

I've found that there are 5 common arguments we use to talk ourselves into sabotage. In today's episode, I'll go through the ways we talk ourselves into sabotage and give you a worksheet and checklist to identify how to change the behavior.

Definitely listen to the full episode for an explanation of how we use these senseless (false) arguments and how to stop.

1. I'll start tomorrow
2. This one thing doesn't make a difference
3. It's not working anyway
4. I can make up for it later
5. I've been so good (so I've earned it)

In the episode we talk about why these arguments are not only counterproductive but also completely untrue. I introduce a detailed strategy on how stop letting these lies sneak up on you and throw you off track.

We don't use these arguments because they are real or true. We use them because they give us what we want: permission to be be indulgent.

The most effective way to remove the power of these lies we tell ourselves is to identify:

• what they are
• when we use them
• that they are completely untrue and counterproductive
• positive affirmations with which to replace them

http://primalpotential.com/5-ways-we-talk-ourselves-into-sabotage/

Tony Robbins is one of the world's greatest teachers. He's a motivational speaker, yes, but he's far more than that. He's a coach. He helps people find their own power. He guides people out of their self-imposed darkness and helps them reach their highest potential.

Obviously, I'm a fan. I've read his books, taken his courses and attended his seminars. In today's episode I'm going to share with you what Tony Robbins taught me about weight loss.

In fairness, I wasn't exposed to Tony's teachings until well into my weight loss journey but I am certain I wouldn't be who I am today without the things I've learned from his books, programs and seminars.

What Tony Robbins Taught Me About Weight Loss

1. I need a positive, productive focus & an effective strategy
   1. Specific
   2. Compelling
   3. Within my control
2. Being overweight was giving me something. I was getting something out of it. Overeating and sabotaging my success was providing me something I kept seeking. I'd need to identify the need it was filling in my life and find a more constructive way to fill that need.
3. I can't find happiness within my comfort zone. It's a lie. It's a trap I was caught in.
4. I was using food as an escape. Running never leads to resolution.
5. All of my decisions were primed by my state. I can control my state at any time with things like:
   1. My breathing
   2. My outfit
   3. My posture
   4. My facial expressions
   5. My words
6. I am in control of my emotions. Not taking control of my emotions will prevent me from ever taking control of my food choices & my body.

To get on the FREE Primal Potential VIP email list for recipes, tips, motivation, workouts & more, text the word PRIMAL to the number 44-222 (or, if you aren't in the US, go to PrimalPotential.com)

http://primalpotential.com/what-tony-robbins-taught-me-about-weight-loss/

Are protein bars healthy? What are the best protein bars for weight loss? In today's episode we're talking about things to consider before choosing a protein bar and figuring out whether or not they work for YOU. Many people make big mistakes with protein bars. They think they're making a healthy choice but either they're choosing a super unhealthy bar or they're not realizing that even a "healthy" bar just doesn't work for them!

Protein Bars for Weight Loss - A Buyers Guide

Before we dive into the good/bad/ugly of protein bars for weight loss, here are the issues I have with them in general:

• Using them as a snack but creating more of a meal when a meal isn’t needed
• Eating them when you aren’t hungry because you feel like it’s a "healthy" choice. (Healthy choice or not healthy choice isn’t the problem if you aren’t hungry!)
• Choosing bars that are glorified candy bars – junk ingredients, junk protein, lots of artificial ingredeints and often a TON of sugar
• Eating bars even when they are triggering cravings

First, let's establish WHY you eat them and IF they work for you (or not). Take a few minute to answer the following questions:

• Am I using bars as a meal or a snack?
• Am I eating bars when I'm truly hungry or are they a distraction?
• When are you eating bars? (pre workout, post workout, breakfast)
• Do they satisfy your hunger? With 1 serving? (for many many people, they are a trigger)
• Do they increase or decrease your cravings?
• What is it you like about them:
  • Convenience
  • Taste/flavor/sweet
  • Texture

In this episode we'll talk about the factors you need to look at when choosing a bar, especially when your goal is weight loss. In addition to the above considerations, we'll talk about:

• Protein
• Calories
• Servings
• Sugar
• Fiber
• Artificial ingredients
• Unstable fats

http://primalpotential.com/protein-bars-for-weight-loss/

In today's minisode you're getting a dose of motivation & a pinch in the pants! We're diving into the motivation you need to power your day and get out of the rut of inaction. The reality is this: inaction is harder than action. It really is. Inaction is harder because inaction comes with too much thinking, stressing, planning, hoping & regretting.

Action requires less work, less attention, less focus and less mental mud treading. Don't miss this super-short motivational episode!

http://primalpotential.com/minisode-inaction-is-harder/

In today's episode I'll be sharing my top 3 tips for staying focused so you can accelerate your progress towards your goals.Where focus goes, energy flows. To achieve your goals, you've got to stay focused. But it's not quite that simple. We need to train ourselves to bring our attention to things that serve us & help us reach our goals and then we need to consistently bring our attention there. But how?!

You need to be consistent to reach your goals. In order to achieve consistency, you must harness the power of focus.

In today's episode I'll be sharing my top 3 tips for staying focused so you can accelerate your progress towards your goals.

http://primalpotential.com/top-3-tips-for-staying-focused/

Can we have a little fun today? I want to talk about fun, healthy holiday gift ideas. I'll admit right off the bat that I'm a super practical person. I have enough sweaters, candles and knick knacks. Give me something I can use!

I'm always looking at what might increase my focus, motivation & desire to get healthy, stay organized, build my business or live my best life.

Some people feel really motivated by new workout clothes, others by organization & simplification, others by new kitchen appliances. Know what will help you get excited to improve your health and invest in THAT this year.

Coffee

• Death Wish Coffee
• Kicking Horse Coffee
• Grady's Cold Brew
• Glass straws (for weirdos like me)

Immersion Blender

I'm a huge fan of the immersion blender for things like bulletproof coffee, chocolate avocado mousse and mashed cauliflower. Plus, it's super portable & convenient for travel!

OXO Salad Chopper

I use my OXO salad chopper almost every day. I use it most often for salads. For example, if I have hardboiled eggs in my salad, using the salad chopper lets the yolks become a creamy element for the salad. Same thing with avocado or guacamole. It blends the flavors and reduces the need for dressings. I also use it for my fave breakfast dish: shredded cabbage with eggs, bacon & avocado. I love volume but I had things that are super dry.

Kettlebells or Jump Ropes

Books

• 5 Minute Journal by Alex Ikonn and UJ Ramdas
• The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday
• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
• The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard
• The ONE Thing by Gary Keller
• Mastery by Robert Greene

http://primalpotential.com/5-healthy-holiday-gift-ideas/

Today's show goes into 4 of 12 fat loss best practices contained within my 2015 Fat Loss Best Practices Blueprint. You can get the blueprint (normally $97) for FREE until the end of 2015.

The strategies within the blueprint include 4 critical categories: diet, lifestyle, mindset & fitness. Today's episode details once strategy from each of the 4 categories.

I've outlined 12 high-impact fat loss best practices in this guide that you can get for free until January 1st, 2016. Here are 4 of the strategies I go into in detail in today's episode. Listen to the full episode to get all the details!

Carb backloading
Eating carbs at night
Why morning is the worst time for carbs when your goal is fat loss
Keeps you in fat burning mode
Minimizes time in storage mode
Decreases hunger & cravings
Increases energy

Sleep
Quality & quantity
How we impair sleep via diet & lifestyle
The impact of sleep deprivation on insulin
The impact of sleep deprivation on hunger & cravings
Diet, lifestyle & fitness changes that will improve sleep & accelerate fat loss

Affirmations
Why they matter
How we get it wrong
How to make them work for you
My first affirmations

Sprinting
How to sprint regardless of your fitness level
What sprinting really means
Types of sprints
Why sprinting is the investing of exercise

http://primalpotential.com/4-fat-loss-best-practices

Yay! Another Random Show where I'm answering your questions! Today we've got some great ones including how to deal with holiday stress, how to know if your hormones are balanced, objections to tracking and common big rocks to help you find yours!

If you have a question or topic you'd like me to tackle on the podcast, please let me know!

http://primalpotential.com/how-to-deal-with-holiday-stress/

This one is kind of a no brainer, huh? A list of 8 foods that help you burn fat and how they help! Well, in fairness, some of these are ingredients, but still. And they all have something in common: they work to improve the body's responsiveness to insulin.

In today's episode we'll talk about how these foods & ingredients help with fat loss, where you can get them and why these mechanisms are so powerful.

Plus, I'm also going to give you access to a totally free 28-pg guide to the most effective fat loss strategies! It's usually $97 but between now (December 3rd 2015) and December 31st, you can get it totally free!

Ok, in fairness, some of these are "ingredients", but in today's episode we talk in detail about what they are, how they help and how you can incorporate them into your diet!

Cinnamon
Chromium
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Selenium
Glutamine
Zinc
Vitamin D3
Alpha Lipoic Acid

http://primalpotential.com/8-foods-that-help-you-burn-fat/

Let's make the most of the rest of 2015, okay? I am certain that if you follow a few of these strategies, you can drop 1 size in 30 days. That's not crazy diet talk. It's just possible. The problem isn't that we don't know what will lead to fat loss, it's that we struggle to consistently implement it. Oftentimes we do too much. We create these busy, detailed plans and then we get lost in the details. Today I simplify it for you!

10 Strategies to Drop 1 Size (before 2016)

Get out of your head

Prepare for the morning

Identify your obstacles

Track. What you measure improves.

Let go of indulgences that aren't worth it

Eat when you're hungry

Go to bed earlier

Make fat, protein and non-starchy veggies your staples

Face the music and get accountable

Get a coach

http://primalpotential.com/drop-1-size/

I say all the time that motivation isn't something that strikes the fortunate. Not at all, in fact. Motivation is something you have to CHOOSE to create EVERY day! Of course, as soon as I say that, the first and most obvious question is "how??" In today's episode we're tackling just that - how to create motivation. I am going to share 11 powerful motivators from my favorite book, Ryan Holiday's The Obstacle Is The Way.

http://primalpotential.com/how-to-create-motivation/

Are protein shakes healthy? Can they help with fat loss? What is the best type of protein? What are the differences between whey, casein, soy and gelatin? Which is best? Should I buy isolate or concentrate? How important is grass fed? What about hormone free? Whoa. So much to consider, right?

In today's episode we'll be tackling all these questions and more!

http://primalpotential.com/are-protein-shakes-healthy-4-things-to-know-before-you-buy

There is a legit problem that keeps many people from reaching their fat loss and fitness goals. Actually, there are two major problems:

Making excuses
Lying about our options to make ourselves feel better.
I know, that sounds strong. But we're so used to telling ourselves that we're "doing our best" and we don't ever really stop to consider whether or not that's even true. 99% of the time it is not true. Not even close to true.

If you want to make progress, if you want to break out of the cycle of self-sabotage, if you want to bridge the gap between knowing what you need to do and actually doing it, you've got to stop making excuses. In today's episode we're going to talk about specific strategies to help you break out of this cycle of unconscious self-sabotage so you can stop making excuses & start getting results.

http://primalpotential.com/minisode-how-to-stop-making-excuses/

There is a frightening amount of misinformation about fiber, constipation and general health. Much of what we've been told about fiber has come from processed food marketing efforts and irresponsible (misleading) science. In today's episode I am going to bust many of these myths and share 7 facts about fiber, most of which will probably surprise you. Here's a little hint: increasing fiber is likely to make constipation even worse!

I am completely determined to bust these myths that hold us back from our goals even when we have the best intentions! If you want more of this kind of info (including my free carb strategies for fat loss cheat sheet), let's connect ASAP! Click here to hear more of my tips & suggestions! I want to help you accelerate your results NOW.

http://primalpotential.com/fiber-and-constipation

In today's Q&A podcast we're talking about how to get out of a mental funk & what to do on days where you wake up feeling unmotivated, frustrated or just down. Plus, we answer questions about tracking, what it really means (and doesn't mean) for foods to love you back, which sweeteners are most fat loss friendly & a good bit more!

http://primalpotential.com/how-to-get-out-of-a-mental-funk/

This is probably the single most tactical episode of the Primal Potential podcast to date. If you encounter a recurring problem at work or at home, you know the steps to fix it, right? Typically, you document them. When the problem arises, you follow the steps. If your hot water stops working, you don't freak out about never having hot water again and not knowing what to do. You know the steps. Check the pilot light, etc. But we tend to lack that strategic thinking when it comes to food and fat loss. In today's episode, I will help you create your own Standard Operating Procedure for how to bounce back after a rough day, weekend or month.

http://primalpotential.com/minisode-how-to-bounce-back/

The other day I posted a quiz to determine whether or not you are carb sensitive. Get this: more than 85% of you indicated that you're struggling with carb cravings! Whoa. It does not have to be that way. Seriously. Cravings are not a required part of normal life. There are specific strategies you can implement to reduce, if not completely eliminate, cravings for sweets. In today's episode, I'm going to explain why you experience them to begin with and 8 ways to eliminate cravings for good. Not only that, I'm going to give you access to a worksheet you can use to understand your own cravings to accelerate your progress in banishing them. Let's dive in.

http://primalpotential.com/8-ways-to-eliminate-cravings/

Today we're going to look at alkaline diets and the theories behind them. We'll establish what is true, what is not true and how these concepts should influence the choices you make. We'll take a closer look at what foods leave behind acidic biproducts and those that do not. Should you emphasize more alkaline foods? Should you avoid acidic foods? We'll cover it all.

http://primalpotential.com/alkaline-diets/

Did you know that more than half of annual weight gain is put on during the holiday season? And most individuals don't take it off after the holidays are over? This makes holiday success strategies absolutely critical! Do not have this holiday season be like all the ones past! There's a better approach!

Many people write off the entire holiday season and feel like progress isn't possible with the frequency of treats, parties and special occasions. I have to disagree. In today's episode I'm going to discuss 6 holiday success strategies that will allow you to enjoy the things you love and still feel great at the end of each day and at the end of the year. I'll also share 2 of my own holiday recipes as well as a collection from others!

http://primalpotential.com/6-holiday-success-strategies/

Woah! I am FIRED UP in this episode!!!!! I want to pop in for a very short episode that I hope you will find highly motivational. Maybe this is one you save and listen to each day to help you re-focus and stay true to your goals.

STAND UP AND FIGHT!

http://primalpotential.com/minisode-stand-up-and-fight/

We all understand that stress can work against us. We know that making good food choices can be harder when we're under stress. But we might not think about these 3 things that stop weight loss and are lesser-talked about causes of stress. See, we think of stress as mental and emotional. But there are 3 very specific things that might be stopping your weight loss by causing stress you don't even feel! We'll talk in detail about these three things and then go into 6 strategies you can implement TODAY to get back on track and start seeing the results you want.

http://primalpotential.com/3-things-that-stop-weight-loss/

I love answering your questions! Today we're tackling a bunch of them including my thoughts on how to manage hunger and cravings, how to get back on track after a binge, hormone free yogurt and other dairy products, whether or not breakfast is important for fat loss and more!

If you have questions, please send them to me! I will answering you publicly or privately! Seriously. There is no need to feel stuck or uncertain. I want to help. Let's kill two birds with one stone, yeah? (That's such a violent phrase, huh? Haha). Anyways, hop on the free VIP email list and respond to the email that contains your fat loss strategies cheat sheet and let me know how I can help YOU. Seriously. I want to help YOU. So let's do that now, ok?

http://primalpotential.com/how-to-manage-hunger-and-cravings/

If you are thinking, "I don't have time for a morning routine" then you are precisely the person who needs to listen to this episode on creating a morning routine. Before you poo-poo the idea, ask yourself this: "Who am I to suggest they aren't valuable when pretty much all of the most successful people in the world have deliberate morning routines? Might I have something to gain from being open-minded about this?"

In today's episode we'll be talking about what you stand to gain from a morning routine, how to get started, the essential elements and much more. Plus, if you want to see MY morning routine and my personaly daily affirmations, text the world MORNING to the number 44-222.

http://primalpotential.com/creating-a-morning-routine/

Recently, the World Health Organization decreed that bacon & processed meats contain carcinogens and classified both in the same risk category as tobacco and asbestos. Of course, this has raised a lot of questions and triggered alarm in bacon lovers across the world. But is it true? Does bacon cause cancer? There's a lot more to this story and I want to take the time today to go through some of the fine points and establish the bottom line.

http://primalpotential.com/does-bacon-cause-cancer/