Protein for Weight Loss

Michell 0:04

As a dietitian , i've heard oh , americans are eating too much protein , but actually we're not . We tend to eat maybe one meal that's super protein heavy . Oftentimes this is dinner , But the rest of the day we're not having adequate protein intake . So we kind of try to back load our day with protein to kind of make up for it . Hey guys , it's Cori from .

Cori 0:25

Redefining Strength . Welcome to the Fitness Hacks podcast . So today I want to talk about why we don't see the weight loss or fallow results that we want , or why we don't see results in general , and I think really it boils down to often us holding ourselves back . We think we need a perfect macro breakdown , a perfect plan , a best move , when really we need to find a way to take consistent action , but so often we hold ourselves back because we doubt the process . We have these little mental barriers against a change , and so we never really look at the opportunity in it . So today I want to discuss how to overcome this mindset , embrace new things that we might have been scared of And I'm excited for Michelle to even share some common protein phobias that a lot of us fall victim to And then we don't make the changes that we actually need , because protein really is key if we want to see those weight loss , those fat loss results , that body re comp happening . So I want to help you embrace the hard changes that you're going to need to make , overcome the mindsets . Not let you be your own barrier to seeing the results that you want . Before we dive into everything , i just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has left a review . This helps me keep the episodes sponsorship free . So thank you very much , and let's jump in so that you can see fabulous weight loss , fat loss , body re comp results . Stop being negative about the changes that you're going to make .

Cori 1:37

When we start a new plan , a new routine , a new program , often we go and really excited for the changes that it can bring . But we're also a bit skeptical about the plan or program , because there are things that are against what we've always done , or even maybe what we've always been told to do . And in our skepticism we think , hey , you know , i'm not letting something get by me , i'm not letting you know you make me think that this is going to be magical when it really isn't right . So we think we're we're being good and being skeptical . We're not letting something be pulled over on us Right . At the same time , we're also dooming ourselves with doubt because in that thought process of , oh , that might not work Or it's probably not as good as , you know , they say it is , we don't ultimately end up implementing the way we should . And when we don't do parts of a program and only pull the parts that we're comfortable with , we're usually missing out on the parts we actually need to see the results that we want .

Cori 2:23

If we're going to do a new program , we have to go in open to all of the opportunity in it . Yeah , it might not work out And yes , i get wanting to be skeptical about this being the thing that works . However , if you're going to do it , say , hey , i'm not doing myself with doubt , i'm going to be skeptical and research these things a little bit more to understand why I'm implementing them or why they may not work for me , but I'm going to go in and do them a hundred percent , because it really is about all the systems working together And often the things we doubt the most are probably the things that we need the most , because they're outside our comfort zone And the way they even interact with everything else could be why that system ultimately works out . So if you are feeling doubtful about something , don't let that doom you go and , being open and positive about the changes , see the opportunity in them , even knowing that if it doesn't lead to the exact outcome you want and you're going to have learned in the process but be if you don't embrace those changes , you're never going to know if they could work . So the more something makes you doubt it , the more you need to say , hey , this is what I need to do , to challenge myself , even to become more comfortable being uncomfortable in this way , which , again , even if you don't hate your exact weight loss goal , you're going to take something out of it that will move you forward for another program . Or , in testing those things out and researching them , you might find , hey , these really aren't right for me . So now I can avoid these same situations in the next program . I do .

Cori 3:38

But instead of dooming yourself with doubt , instead of being negative about the changes you're being asked to make , instead of being skeptical , go in saying I'm going to learn everything I can about this so that I can manage my expectations and take so much out of what I'm doing and I can implement a hundred percent . Because I do think sometimes in our skepticism we pick and choose where we're going to use , and that's why we keep staying stuck , because we're ultimately doing exactly the same thing we've always done . We're leaving out the parts of the program that would truly change what we're doing . And so you need to say I'm going to act as if , not fake it till I make it . Because when we fake it till we make it , we're not truly embracing the changes , we're not truly embracing the mindsets , We're not seeing how we can integrate them in the long term . When we act as if we're taking all the habits , all the systems , all the lifestyles and we're trying to change the mindsets behind them . We're trying to create this new identity , this new person that has the ultimate goal we want to achieve And in stepping into that new identity , we have to embrace everything . We can't be negative about the changes we're going to make , because that's not going to allow us to truly take on that new definition of ourselves , to truly act as if . So , if you are embracing something that has some things questioning what you've always done , you know that you feel like yourself pushing back against . Don't be negative , don't doom yourself without truly say Hey , how can I learn from all these things and recognize that the things we're most negative about are probably the things we need the most ?

Cori 4:54

I'm super excited to chat protein phobias with my fabulous dietitian , michelle . It's not just my take on it , but a dietitian's take on the health concerns and a lot of the mis-surrounding protein and why protein is really so key If you want to see those better out of your composition results and weight loss and fat loss results . So I'm super excited to dive into some protein myths today with Michelle , because I think there's a lot of different protein phobias out there And the more we can actually embrace protein , the better the results we're going to see , even though so many things have potentially convinced us it's not the right way to go for our health . So , michelle , let's talk about the protein phobias you most often see and what's really behind them and what we should actually believe .

Michell 5:37

Yeah , so I'm going to start with a pretty basic one that kind of leads into another one , but it's going to be high . protein makes you fat , which is really an oversimplification of things because , as we know , any macronutrient in excess is going to lead to weight gain . But in reality , when it comes to all the macros , protein itself is going to actually help you overall with making sure that you are not just supporting weight loss but overall body composition and improvements . So it's going to help with satiety and appetite control . I know a lot of us have talked about this course .

Michell 6:12

protein has a higher thermic effective food , so your body burns more to break it down compared to the other macronutrients carbs and fat And it does what I think is probably the coolest thing , but it does kind of have a nutrient partitioning capability where your body is able to . whenever we try to lose weight , our body will oftentimes turn to muscle to kind of break it down for energy when we're in a deficit , and protein is going to help kind of stop that by making sure that we're protecting that lean muscle mass and we're not burning unnecessary muscle , because none of us want that . We want to improve lean muscle mass and lose the fat , and making sure that we're having a higher protein intake is going to help us do that .

Cori 7:00

I think it's so interesting because I've done a lot of dieting in my past . Go figure , i made a lot of mistakes with it too , and I for the longest time thought it wasn't possible to actually get leaner , get abs for myself , because I would put myself into these calorie deficits , lose a ton of weight , a feel miserable and hungry , but never saw the body recomp that I wanted until I started dieting in protein . And it's so easy even to want to overeat carbs and fat because they do to some extent taste better . I like protein sources , but they do taste better . And once I started eating more protein , what made me feel really hungry in terms of a calorie deficit before all of a sudden was way more like filling .

Cori 7:39

And it's because there's so many more bites that protein often that you get in , especially with lean protein sources , that it's not just like the actual protein that can be more satisfying , it's the bites you have to take . It's why , with clients , i often go like if you're hungry , to see if it's real hunger , because there are misguided hunger cues , so to speak , when we're first starting a diet . Try and say , would I eat protein with this ? And if you would go eat just some plain chicken , you're probably actually hungry , but if you actually do eat that plain protein and that plain chicken , you're gonna be very full after . Just because it's a lot of bites , sometimes it feels like a lot of chewing with high protein meals .

Michell 8:11

Yeah , exactly , you're going to get kind of more pain for your buck if you lead with protein first , which is why I always emphasize this rule with my clients , like , if you're making a snack or a meal , it has to have two out of the three macronutrients , but one of them has to be protein .

Cori 8:29

I love that tip .

Cori 8:31

That's amazing because it gives you flexibility in what type of snack you're doing , but it also allows you to really get in that protein and spread it out throughout the day . But I think , going back to just even what you said at the beginning , it's not protein , it's any macro and excess that can make you fat , although it is very interesting to note that a lot of studies have shown that even when you're in a calorie surplus , if you are in a higher protein ratio , that has been shown to not lead to as much unwanted fat being gained in that surplus as when we are seeing higher percentages of the carbs of fat . So I just wanted to throw that out there because I know , you know , we're afraid that it's gonna make us fat , but no , it's just excess calories in general that will make us fat . The other protein myth that I think is interesting that has come up you're going to touch on the next is about protein being like not only turned to fat , but also like used as a carbohydrate , or turning to sugar , so to speak .

Michell 9:22

Yeah , and this is where I was like this one kind of leads into the next one , because I really think the myths kind of came together And it really I think sparked because of the ever popular keto diet . Keto was originally designed for treatment of epilepsy , so it was an extreme diet approach to basically starve the brain . So a lot of people when they think of keto they only think fat . But a true keto diet also limits protein intake And I think those that haven't heard that assume that it's because protein leads to sugar , which can lead to excess fat . But again , that's just an oversimplification of kind of the metabolic process and taking something from an extreme like an extreme diet approach , and trying to make it more general . And the truth is , is our bodies just not going to be getting that ? And it simply is the致 .

Michell 10:17

In an extreme diet approach you're able to kind of starve the brain by avoiding feeding it glucose , and this is just assuming that again , that all protein is going to break down into sugar .

Understanding Protein

Michell 10:28

So when we do consume protein-rich foods , our body typically will break it down into protein by breaking it down into its individual components , amino acids , through digestion , and these amino acids of course serve as building blocks for various functions within the body . So we're looking at repairing tissues supporting immune function , enzyme , hormones , protein kind of does it all . But when it comes to energy production , our body does have different pathways for different macronutrients . Carbs , for example , are going to be readily converted into glucose , a type of sugar which can be used as an energy source , and it's often what we as humans tend to over-consume . So we tend to have excess glucose which then leads to fat storage . So with protein , it's not typically converted into glucose under normal physiological conditions . So in very specific situations where we are in a very prolonged fasting state or in an extreme low-carb diet like keto , our bodies can engage in a process called gluconeogenesis And this is where the liver can actually produce glucose from non-carbohydrate sources , including amino acids that are derived from protein .

Michell 11:47

So this is not as readily available as people like to make it sound . I mean , people in keto will be like you got to really make sure you're not getting that protein because you're going to be getting that excess glucose which is going to create sugar . It doesn't happen as quickly as that . It really is going to be those extreme cases . So if you're doing a very strict keto diet and you've been on it for a while and you've depleted all those carb sources in your body . Yeah , your body is going to need to start producing some glucose from protein , and that's really our body , just saying whoa , i got to protect myself . My body needs some carbs , but it's not going to be happening as quickly as , oh , you have excess protein , right , we're going to take that excess protein and we're going to make carbs for you . The body doesn't quite work that way .

Cori 12:36

It's also not something that's instantly going to lead to gaining weight . Your body is doing this process because it needs the fuel and it's going to make the fuel in any way that it can . It's why eating enough , it's why getting enough protein is so key . It's so key so we don't utilize our muscle mass as fuel and instead do actually lose fat in the process of our weight loss journey . We want to see that body recomb happening , so it's key that we understand that this process isn't bad . but understanding it and why it happens might help us better adjust our macros . because if you're trying a keto diet and you're doing an endurance sport or training intensely , you need that readily available fuel . So if you are having this process or pathway take hold , it might mean that that ratio isn't even right for you , based on your activity level .

Michell 13:20

Yeah , i love that you brought that up because it is a good point . These are extreme cases . Your body's trying to protect itself . Your body's not trying . It's not like , oh , i have so much excess , i can store this as fat . Now It's saying , oh , i need fuel and I'm going to burn whatever I have available to be able to give myself that energy to perform .

Cori 13:41

And so now , sort of switching gears to some health concerns that have popped up for a while now . One big thing that people are worried about when we're talking about high protein is the kidneys right , and there's a reason why this came about , because a lot of people with kidney issues were told to go on low protein diets . But let's debunk what's really behind all this , to put the sort of fear to bed . It's fear to rest . Get rid of it .

Michell 14:05

Yeah , and again it kind of comes back to you got to look at the individual needs and kind of what the purpose is behind that . So if you are someone that has kidney issues , yeah , you may need to be kind of aware of your protein intake , but most oftentimes in those cases your doctor's already talked to you , you've already been meeting with a registered dietitian who's helping you kind of have an overall treatment plan , and we're looking at extreme cases once again . For the majority of healthy individuals , consuming protein from a variety of sources as part of the well-balanced diet is not only safe but going to be beneficial . So it's really important to remember that maintaining overall kidney health involves several factors , and that's going to include proper hydration , blood pressure and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle style rather than solely focusing on just protein alone .

Cori 15:03

And it's also going back to high protein doesn't mean one thing . Increasing protein if you're on a really low protein diet might even be beneficial for people with kidney issues . It's just you're not increasing it to the high protein that might be high protein for somebody else . So there's so much nuance to even what high protein really is , and it's also understanding that high protein simply does make the kidneys work harder , which isn't necessarily a bad thing . You're just having to make sure that you're creating this healthy lifestyle overall , like if we do one thing and don't take into account the impact of that one thing , no matter what it is . There's like an upside and a downside to every habit , so to speak .

Michell 15:40

Yeah , and that is one of the big things , is it really ? again , it comes back to the individual factor . What is this person doing ? What is their other health concerns ? What is their physical goals ? What are they doing activity wise ? You have to all take that into account And , as a dietitian who has worked in the hospital , worked with athletes , the very first thing that we always calculate for all these clientele's , whether they're patients or athletes , is going to be their protein needs , and it's one of the first things that we calculate in the hospital , no matter what patient they are , is because we want to be able to get them as much protein as necessary , even depending on whatever their health concern is .

Cori 16:25

And it's remembering too that so much of what we see coming out in weight loss dieting culture has often started for health concerns , like we did have keto . that was for epileptic patients and now it became this weight loss thing . and not only are the ratios dramatically different when you see them in the weight loss community , but some of the things that were applicable before aren't applicable to a healthy population . Same thing goes for demonizing dairy and gluten , and I won't derail us going into that , but we have to be conscious of what might be relevant for some of the health concern and just demonizing something in case where then it could actually sabotage us . And I'm partly also bringing this up to transition into the next phobia , which has to do with we often associate one thing when it's potentially even another thing , and then we create a cause and effect where there isn't one or doesn't need to be one , and that phobia is .

Michell 17:15

So this one is going to be protein farts , which is a topic that usually gets a lot of attention and a lot of giggles . But a lot of people fear that in having an increased amount of protein is going to increase their digestive issues and their gas . And I know a lot of women that are afraid of this because I mean , who wants to be known as , like , the gassy friend when they're trying to lose weight , gain muscle , whatever it's going to be ? But oftentimes this fear is really not caused . It's not going to be caused by the protein itself . More often than not , it's actually what you're consuming with that protein intake . So is it going to If you're consuming higher amounts of fermented fiber ? so there's lots of great protein sources that are going to be wrapped up in high fiber beans , legumes . Those are all going to cause have some of those concerns .

Michell 18:07

But when it comes to like animal protein products specifically your meat , your poultry , those type of things you're not actually going to be necessarily raising your chance or your , i guess , risk for gas . But at the end of the day , gas is a natural thing . It's just a byproduct that our body has when it comes to digestion . But typically protein isn't going to be increasing that Oftentimes , whenever we have any dietary change . So if you're increasing protein intake , you're increasing calories , whatever it may be . just having a dietary change alone can cause a change in your digestive system . So it can just take a little bit of time for your body to kind of get used to whatever you're consuming . But again , it's most likely going to be caused to what's wrapped around that protein . Oftentimes people blame it on protein , their protein shakes , but it's actually going to be some type of fiber that's actually involved in that protein shake itself .

Cori 19:07

For the sweeteners , or yeah , there's not necessarily a direct cause and effect relationship there , even though we attribute it to it , and it's why tracking is honestly so key , because you can go and say , hey , these are the other changes I made , and we don't often recognize those . We jump to the thing that we're least comfortable with doing or we don't necessarily want to do , to try and say this is why we shouldn't do it , and so protein gets blamed . Instead of taking that big step back and be like A I've just changed stuff . My mind and body do not like change , so I have to give it time to adapt . Like there's . The thing is the low carb flu too . But also what other changes have gone along with the fact that I've shifted my macro breakdown , because a lot of times we've dropped carbs or increased fat or lowered fat and increased carb , and there's other things that have gone with the change in protein as well .

Michell 19:55

Yeah , and one of the big things too is like , like you said , is what ? what is that macro ratio changing too ? Are we eating ? I see a lot of just increased fiber in general , because when people are trying to lose weight , get healthier or gain muscle , they all of a sudden are also choosing better carb options that are going to have more fiber in general .

Cori 20:17

So the last thing you mentioned , when we were talking about doing the protein phobias podcast , was about the fact that there's been a trend towards less protein in our diet . As we've seen , our society actually often get less healthy , less fit . All those changes And for me I'm very much like this makes logical sense . So for me I'm like okay , muscle means better grip strength . Grip strength has been correlated and linked to longevity . Okay , So we need more muscle , which means it will have a stronger grip , which means if we need more muscle , we need more protein . So in my brain it's boom , boom , boom . And so when you brought this up , I was like ah , how can we change this ? What , like , what is behind this ? And I really want you to dive into that a little bit more .

The Importance of Adequate Protein Intake

Michell 21:02

So a lot of it just has to be has to go with the fact that we do live in a society that we we have so many food options right , and a lot of our food options are fun foods that are exciting and appetizing and we want to try . I mean , i , i'll admit I have . I'm married to a spouse who whenever he sees a new candy , a new chip , whatever it's going to be , he has to try it . And we are . We just have so many options available to us that it's quick and easy to grab the carb heavy food sources . So a lot of times people are like no America you know us in America especially like we we're eating too much protein and they think of like , kind of like a Texas plate where there's multiple meats and all this thing . But in reality , you know , our , our meals tend to be very carb heavy . We tend to have the black coffee and the bagel for breakfast or the or the piece of toast . Lunch tends to be quick because we're in a fast paced society , we we tend not to give ourselves a lot of time for meals . It's one of those things that it's like oh , that's just a task we we have to do , just to keep keep going so we can continue to work . It's not something that a lot of us do the sit down meals where we're actually trying to take our time to enjoy our food And because of that , options are going to be carb heavier , because those things are going to be shelf stable , easy to grab . You can just often times eat and work with one hand . While you do it , which I think a lot of people are guilty of nowadays is actually eating at their desk and trying to work during their lunch hours , and I mean , i do the same thing . I'll often times eat while I'm working . But the problem is is because of this , when I was actually spending some time in the hospital , the biggest thing I would see is those chronic health conditions that would come in because of the high carb intake , and a lot of times we're seeing , as a society , an increase of diabetes , pre-diabetes . All of those issues are oftentimes stemming from carb choices and heavily carb diets .

Michell 23:14

But also the scary thing that I saw when I was in the hospital is actually the fact that we are also making it very difficult to heal from wounds . So , whether that's a surgery related issue or clients that would come in and have an injury , they would have very slow wound healing and immune function . So they would have more stays in the hospital , longer stays . And again , the very first thing that I was doing in the hospital is calculating their protein needs And most of the time for these clients , we're giving them protein shakes , protein drinks . Any way we can supplement their protein intake .

Michell 23:51

That's what we were doing to try and encourage proper wound healing , which to me is very challenging but also kind of eye-opening , because as a dietitian I've heard oh , americans are eating too much protein , but actually we're not . We tend to eat maybe one meal that's super protein heavy . Oftentimes this is dinner , but the rest of the day we're not having adequate protein intake . So we kind of try to back load our day with protein to kind of make up for it , but most of us aren't able . Like you said , you kind of get more bang for your buck with every protein bite , but most of us aren't able to eat adequate amount of protein in one meal .

Cori 24:34

Not to mention , no one wants to have chicken as their dessert . No offense to chicken , but I want something that's a sweet treat . That's what we've been conditioned to do , anyway . But I do think it's an interesting point because I have heard that a lot like we eat too much protein And I started to really assess why this could be about that we feel like we're eating so much protein And I started to look at the labels of things and like bars being sold as high protein And I'm like this has five grams of protein versus the regular is three . That's not high protein , it's higher , but it's not high protein . So I think we see these labels that say high protein and we think , well , i'm getting protein with this thing . Or we have like even a burger or a meal with meat on it , not realizing that that's like three ounces of meat , it's four ounces of meat , it's a single serving . We might need two of those single servings to really hit our protein intake . So , even though we feel like we're getting a lot of meals , even with protein , we're not realizing that the portions are much smaller than we actually need .

Cori 25:27

Not to mention , protein isn't all created equal , and I bring this up because it actually came up with Ryan and I talking about these tacos that his roommate in college used to make . He's like why do these taste so much better ? He was using like 60% lean meat or like 40% lean meat , but very un-lean meat . And Ryan's like oh , i'm making mine with like 90% lean . Yeah , so 60% lean , 90% lean .

Cori 25:49

And they're right . There is like a difference in the amount of protein you're getting with potentially the same portion of meat . Well , we're not realizing that we're eating higher like fattier cuts of meat or potentially like less quality meat or whatever else it is . So we're thinking we're getting protein where I have like I have people track eggs and be like oh , i didn't realize how much fat was in eggs , right ? Well , we're not getting as much protein from the protein sources as we even think we are . So there's like a little disconnect And I think it goes back to we need to track , we need to teach about macros , we need to better understand the breakdown of our food to make sure we actually are getting enough .

Michell 26:25

Yeah , i love that . I really liked that you brought up even reading those food labels , because I do think , because I mean , we obviously know protein plays a game changer . Health professionals have known this for a long time And I would say , probably in the last like five , 10 years , marketing is jumping onto the bandwagon and realizing like , oh , i need to start advertising things as high protein . So read the labels . Because there are so many times that I will have parents even talking to me about like , oh well , my kid's okay because I'm giving him , you know , this high protein granola bar And it's exactly what you said . You look at it and it's five grams . That's not a high protein granola bar but it's higher than the three gram option , like you mentioned .

Michell 27:12

But another thing that I think that is kind of the issue here is we always hear like , oh , your protein needs you only need 20% of your caloric needs need to be protein . Well , that's 20% to avoid any negative issues . That's not optimal protein . That's to make sure that your organs are functioning , your body's functioning , and you're not having any . You know organ shutdowns happening But that doesn't mean that you are doing or taking optimal amounts to ensure , you know , body recomp weight loss performance . None of that is part of that 20% And research shows to even get any benefit from a higher protein diet , we're really looking at the bare minimum of 30% protein intake , which 20 to 30 , i mean that's a big difference when you kind of break down your calorie needs and what that looks like on a plate , so that 10% makes a big difference just overall in your diet .

Cori 28:10

Especially when you're considering the fact that 20% of a maintenance diet is gonna be a lot more grams , or even like make up a lot more of the food you're eating , than when you're in a deficit , and so potentially having a higher portion of that deficit come from protein can be even more essential .

Cori 28:25

So it's even realizing the nuance in if you're a 200 pound male eating at maintenance or even trying to gain muscle in a surplus , 20% is gonna be a whole heck of a lot more grams than a woman potentially eating 1300 calories even in a deficit . So it's just also remembering that portion of your calories is gonna impact things too and how much you're able to get in . I still am gonna argue for 30% , no matter what calorie intake you're at . But it's also remembering that these are not taking into consideration the different goals you're working towards , the different calorie intakes that you're on and all of that stuff too . Yeah , absolutely So . Basically , what you're telling us is that all of our protein fears are unfounded , that we have to stop making these excuses and that we should start focusing more on protein if we want to see optimal results and function and be like that badass grandma in the gym when we're 99 and crushing our deadlifts and looking like a freaking rock star .

Michell 29:21

Yes , absolutely . I want you guys hitting that protein intake And if you do want to be that high functioning grandma , you have to have higher protein intake to make sure that you're getting there .

Cori 29:33

Well , thank you so much , Michelle , that was awesome . Nothing works forever .

Adjusting Nutrition and Fueling for Aging

Cori 29:38

So I want to dive into five tips to help you adjust your nutrition and fueling in those macros as you get older , because I think a lot of times you know what used to work doesn't work at some point and we think , oh well , but it's so good , i'm eating healthy , i'm working out hard , right , and so we feel like there's some flaw in it , when it's not really that . It was even bad or not right for us then It's simply that our body , our needs , our goals , our lifestyle has evolved and we need to make shifts with it . So , instead of feeling like you were doing something wrong , realize that there is opportunity in evolution and that the more we see that opportunity , the more we can always meet ourselves where we're at , because everything is constantly changing . Your identity is even evolving . So the more we can embrace that , the more we can truly meet ourselves where we're at . So these five tips are really key if you are finding that what used to work is not working any longer , whether or not it's getting older or lifestyle changes . So tip number one and these are five things I've really seen pay off for clients that go against a lot of what they've always done . So again , they're the hard , they're the things we fear , the things we push back against that ultimately cause us to hold ourselves back . So number one is eat more .

Cori 30:40

A lot of times for weight loss , for fat loss , we have heard it's calories in versus calories out . We need that calorie deficit . And while , yes , we do need that calorie deficit , so often we've trained our body to operate off of less , which means we have to take that step back . We have to retrain our body to eat more And then from there we can put ourselves back into a deficit . But we need to increase cal calories first to gain lean muscle , increase our metabolic rate , so that we can create that deficit , because what seems like it should be a deficit of maybe 800 calories that you're consuming is no longer a deficit because your body's like , well , it's holy moly , we need to survive . How can we function off of only 800 calories ? So I know that's a hard mindset to break because we think eat less to weigh less . But we need to , at times , go against what we've always done , especially as we're going through peri-metapause and menopause , as we're getting older and we're not gaining muscle , as you say and we're even losing muscle more easily . Right , we want to do everything we can to retain that lean muscle . Keep the metabolic rate higher . We say our metabolism slows down with age . It's really losing that muscle mass . So eating more might be exactly what you need to ultimately lose weight , And you might see yourself gain weight in the process , as you're gaining muscle , but your body recomb might be improving as well . But eating more goes against a lot of what we've always thought we need to do , but it can be so key if you're not seeing the weight loss or fallow results you want .

Cori 31:52

Number two is track . I know everybody hates when I say track because I know there's this feeling . It's restrictive . Right , you're tracking only in a negative way . A lot of times we're introduced to it when we want to lose weight , when we have a change we want to make because we're not happy with where we're at . But , guys , tracking is just a way to accurately know where you're at . When you're tracking , you're just giving yourself that picture And it's why , with clients , I like to start by just tracking and not making any changes , so we can separate out some of those common mindsets that we've developed in the past and really see that this is not judgment .

Cori 32:23

We do judge ourselves with it , right , just like we judge ourselves with any data . When we potentially spent over our budget or if we're making a recipe , we might decide to deviate from that recipe , which I guess you could see as a form of judgment , but tracking is really just giving us that accurate picture , which is why I like to separate it out from any changes . To start , i also like to remind clients that you're not just tracking for weight loss . You're going to track to make sure that you're feeling well for your performance in a sport . You're going to track to gain muscle . You're going to track to see , maybe , how foods are even impacting you as you're going through menopause and perimenopause and seeing these hormonal fluctuations that are leading to things like hot flashes and whatnot .

Cori 32:57

Right , tracking has so many other purposes other than just restriction , and the more we can see the opportunity in it , the more we can really meet ourselves where we're at and accurately understand where we're at to make changes , because a lot of times we do think we need to make these like overhauls to our diet . I need to only chicken and broccoli , right ? I can't have my pizza . I can't have these other things And really there's a way to work everything in , and tracking allows us to meet ourselves where we're at , to make the smallest changes possible , to slowly expand that comfort zone out to see results . So , as hard as it can be at times to want to embrace tracking , as tedious as it can feel , it really is the most accurate way to get a picture of what you're doing now , to make smaller changes that add up over feeling frustrated not seeing results and not knowing what you're doing or that you have to make these massive changes to your lifestyle that are unsustainable . Okay , so if you've been against tracking in the past , i would highly recommend you just track and you even use it as an opportunity to separate out , like it , from the mindset of restriction , because we can restrict in so many ways , guys , by even eliminating foods from our diet , by feeling like we can't have things . So use tracking to allow you to see the opportunity and even adding things in to change that mindset .

Cori 33:59

And then , number three , don't fear any macro . It's really easy to fall prey to the don't eat carbs , don't eat fat , don't eat protein mentality , especially if in the past you know we did lose weight quickly by cutting out our carbs . But the sphere of a macro can hold us back , because if you weren't training then and now you're training or maybe we're training really hard and needs you need the carbs and now you're not training as much , so you might not need as many carbs right , like ? our lifestyle is evolving And the more we don't fear macro but adjust our macros based on where we're at right now , the better off we're going to be .

Cori 34:29

And each macro does have a purpose . It doesn't mean that every ratio is right for every person . Low carb might be really good for somebody and high carb might be really good for somebody else . But we don't want to demonize any macro . We just want to understand the purpose of each one so that we can adjust the ratios as we need . Because , again , you might need higher carb at one stage of life and you might need lower carb at another stage of life , and you might even need to cycle those things . Or you might need to increase protein for a while . Right , but don't fear a macro . Realize that you have to adjust based on what your body is telling you you need , what your lifestyle is telling you you need , what your goals are telling you that you need , okay , and that's going to change over time . I find , even over the course of the year . You know , in summer where I'm more active I'm going to take more carbs , versus if there's a period where I'm less active I'm going to need fewer . Right , and you can use it all to your advantage .

Cori 35:13

Number four stop stressing meal timing , and I'll even elaborate this out to stop stressing a lot of little details when you haven't even dialed in the big things first . If you don't know what your diet looks like to make changes , if you don't know where your macros are , if you , you know , don't know where your calories are , you're not going to need to worry about supplements just yet . You don't need to worry about meal timing . I can tell you that even when I'm trying to get off the last little bit of fluff uh , to look a little extra lean , i don't necessarily stress meal timing other than to eat when I'm hungry or to make sure that I don't get to the point of being too hungry .

Cori 35:42

But too often we go to those 1% details that should just be dialed in based on how we feel over trying to hit somebody else's standard of what's perfect . Yes , studies have shown four meals might be best , but if that's not sustainable for you , you're not going to get consistent with it , you're not going to see results And ultimately , what you do consistently really adds up . So if you hit those macros and calories , at the end of the day you're going to see results , no matter the meal timing . Okay , that doesn't mean that you can't work on those 1% improvements to help meet yourself where you're at and make things more sustainable , make you feel better , uh , and even tweak it to see a little bit better results , at times a little bit faster , if you're willing to make a few more sacrifices . But stop stressing those details before you have the major things to do , major things dialed in . And with meal timing , so many meal timings can work based on our lifestyle . Interminute fasting can be great but , guys , it can also be negative and you have to realize that if intermittent fasting really worked for you at one stage of life , it might not work for you at another stage of life or with a different goal . So don't be so married to one thing that you can't let it go to meet yourself where you're at right now .

Cori 36:38

The last thing I wanted to talk about is demonizing foods and tracking gets a lot of hate for being restrictive , but I see so many people prior to tracking who are actually creating more of a restriction mindset , more of a disordered pattern of eating by restricting whole food groups , feeling like foods have to be off limits for them because they aren't tracking and seeing how they can be balanced in . So please do not fear any specific food . Yes , whole natural foods are best for our health . We know this . But food is so much more than just fuel And I think the more we try and make ourselves feel bad for enjoying the foods that we love , for enjoying those social events , for enjoying restaurants and vacation and eating and all these different things , the more we ultimately hold ourselves back from creating something consistent . So stop demonizing foods , stop making yourself feel bad or like there's something wrong with you or like you're not a good person because you enjoy a candy bar or some cocktails out right . Find your balance and stop worrying what someone else's standard of clean really is , because ultimately , what you do consistently is going to get you results And if you can find ways to include things you love , while also remembering you know your health is important , you want to eat whole natural foods for that , you're going to end up eating a lot more of the good things because you've allowed yourself to also find the balance that you don't feel so guilty and you can be consistent . So just to remind you , if you've had holdups against these things , you might need to eat more . You might need to track . You can't fear any macro . Stop stressing the details . Don't stress meal timing . Realize that it can evolve for you and then stop demonizing foods .

Embracing Different Training Approaches

Cori 38:02

So often we hold ourselves back by not being willing to see opportunity in different perspectives , but really seek out to question what you're doing right now , instead of being so married to one perspective that you can't meet yourself where you're at as your needs and goals evolve . I wanted to go over some things I see people avoiding in their workouts or their training sessions , or even doing in their training sessions that they might need to let go of . I think we can stand in our own way , get very comfortable in certain training modalities and methods , and we need to be open to all the different opportunities instead of just seeing progression , instead of just seeing training in one way and only going to that , because our body needs and goals are going to evolve , just like we have to change our fueling . We occasionally have to adjust our workouts and we can see opportunity in doing different things . It might even be that we go back to other styles of training , but we need to include this as well to create progression through the same but different . So if you find yourself avoiding specific types of moves , specific types of workouts , embrace that . Those might be what you need to sort of shake things up and take your training to the next level .

Cori 38:59

So a few fears , a few things I see people not necessarily doing that I wanted to discuss , and I think I actually have five of them down here . Yes , five of them . Number one is heavy weights . Do not fear heavy loads . Especially as we get older , we think , oh , i can't lift as heavy , it's bad for me , it is not bad for you . Lifting heavy weights is what helps you keep your bones stronger , helps you keep more muscle mass on It , even helps you build more muscle mass . So when we're thinking about building muscle , we want to think about working on that maximal strength so we can lift more , because then when we go into that hypertrophy rep range , which is more that six to 12 rep range versus the maximal strength , which is one to five we can lift more quality loads , which can help us create more muscle tissue damage , can help us break down more muscle tissue and force it to adapt and grow . So please do not fear lifting heavy , for under even that five wraps or that six wraps , you want to push those weights because that's really key to force your body to grow and adapt stronger And , again , it even keeps your bones healthy as well . So as you're getting older , don't think you shouldn't lift heavy .

Cori 39:55

Heavy is also relative Okay . If it challenges you , it will change you . So don't feel like you have to lift 5,000 pounds . Right , your heavy might be five pounds , but you want it to challenge you for whatever rep range you're doing . So heavy weights means heavy weights in every rep range . So it's not just like Oh well , if I'm doing 10 to 15 reps , i'm going to do lighter weight . It's lighter than it would be if you did five reps , potentially , of that move , but it should still feel so heavy . You don't want to do all those reps that were laid out for you . So make sure that you're challenging yourself so that you want to put down the weight even before the last couple of reps are complete . Don't just stop because it's oh , this is the rep range , okay . So really focus on lifting heavier , okay , and as you lift heavier , make sure that you've built up and you've earned those weights and you can really focus on the recruitment patterns underneath them . But do not fear heavy loads , especially as we get older . We need to do them , okay .

Cori 40:42

Number two stop avoiding different tools and even body weight movements . Each different type of tool has a different function and comply resistance in different ways And sometimes even combining them can be very beneficial . I know , and I was this way for a long time and I still really love just lifting heavier , okay . So I always go back to lifting heavier loads , right , i like my dumbbells , i like my barbells , i like those types of weights . But I've seen the value in cables and resistance bands and these different things , because they apply tension in different ways . Bands apply more tension where the muscle is strongest . They also can help you really fight to control that eccentric more . Right , there's going to be different ways that these things work and create progression through the same , but different , because the simple fact of the matter is , every week you can't just keep adding five pounds to the moves that you're doing . Yes , you can vary rep ranges . Yes , you can slightly change up the movements and the postures , but at some point there is going to be that point where you can't go any further or ego starts again the way you start to compensate . So embracing these other tools to create progression through the same but different , can be really key .

Cori 41:37

Okay , and even using body weight moves , i'll hear someone say , no , i just want to lift our body weight , isn't as challenging . Or I have all these tools , i should be using them . But learning how to control your own body weight is a different recruitment pattern . And the more we want to stay functionally strong till our final day on this planet , the more we want to have that ability and that mind body connection to recruit muscles quickly . So working on those body weight movements can it allow you to learn to recruit muscles in a different way and have that strong mind body connection which ultimately will improve your lifting , your reaction times , your speed , even in your agility . So don't fear body weight movements , because the challenge and coordination challenge they provide a lot of times can even take your lifting to that next level . Okay , and the body weight movements and the different types of tools can often help you address weak links that help you then lift more in the moves that you really love , like if you've wanted to improve your deadlift , your hip thrusters , your pull ups , even your , your bench press . A lot of times , body weight moves , which I know the pull up is one , or even different types of tools , can address weak links that you're not necessarily able to hone in on by doing that compound lift that you like to include , like the squat .

Cori 42:35

Okay , number three include awkward moves , those balance , agility , jumping and explosive movements . So you might be thinking , well , i have bad knees , i can't do jumping . A learning proper jumping mechanics could help you protect your knees and actually overcome that knee pain . It might not be right for you right now . We always need to meet ourselves where we're at and take care of those injuries , but having the idea that you're even building back to those things can be super important . And in jumping it doesn't mean you actually have to leave the ground . We can work on that speed .

Cori 43:01

But while we think about slowing moves down , a lot of times they're changing up tempos . Speeding things up allows us to learn how to react more quickly . The faster we can recruit muscles efficiently to work together , the more coordinated we're going to be , the better off we're going to be functionally in everyday life And even the stronger we're going to be with movements , because if you aren't able to call everything into play right to push that , you know the ground away as you delift that weight up , you're not going to be a strong . So , including balance , agility , all the uncomfortable moves that we like to skip , especially as we get older , that's really going to pay off . And think about different ways to be explosive , to change up the pace , to make sure that everything is working really correctly together . And as you're doing that , if you're finding with the burpee you're losing that my body connection , dial it back for a little bit to then move forward . You have to earn the speed with those movements . But also don't be afraid to include unilateral moves that challenge your balance , because those are going to target weak areas which will ultimately allow you to do more of what you love Like . If you're a runner , doing those unilateral moves it's going to make your running gates stronger . Okay , if you love deadlifting or squatting heavyweights , doing a unilateral variation of that is going to help you make sure that both sides are strong so you can ultimately lift more . So these balance challenge moves , the agility challenge moves help improve the my body connection , to be functionally fitter and improve , you know , our coordination for everyday life so that we age well and we can react to things instead of falling . But it also helps us do more of what we love in the gym so that you can include those moves without aches and pains . And if we can train harder , you can see better weight loss .

Cori 44:22

Ultimately , number four , include longer rest . At times I know if for a short time we start to cut out rest , but include longer rest periods so that you're fully recovering . I think a lot of times we think , well , i'm pushing at 100% , so I'm going at 100% , but just because you're giving 100% of what you have right now , if you haven't rested long enough , it's not a true 100% intensity . It's why if we're doing , you know , trying to train for speed , we might not see our speed actually improving because we're not resting long enough to be training at that speed . Right , we're actually slowing down over the course of the intervals we're doing because we're not resting and recovering enough , which means that we're not training speed , we're actually training slowness . Same thing can go for lifting If we're not resting long enough , we're not able to push heavier loads and , ultimately , we're not necessarily challenging our body in the way that we need to .

Cori 45:05

Longer rest , especially when we're short in time , also doesn't have to mean fully resting and just standing there on Instagram or listening to this podcast . It can also mean doing moves for other areas . It can mean doing some mobility work so that you're able to lift a little bit heavier , including some of the stretching or whatever else that you need to be more mobile . So think about other ways to use your rest strategically If you're short on time to get into some of the other things you wouldn't necessarily get in otherwise , and even thinking about the full body workouts where you include a lower body and then an upper body moves , so your lower body is actually resting while your upper body is working to save on time . But don't just cut out rest . I know it can make us feel like we're more worked , more tired , more out of breath And that's going to yield better weight loss or fat loss results , but it ultimately isn't , because muscle really is one of the biggest , most important things , the best kept secret when it comes to weight loss , and the more we can focus on building that , the more . We're going to improve our metabolic health . We're going to age well , we're going to help , even through that training , keep our hormones balanced and ultimately see better weight loss and balance and body recomposition results .

Cori 46:03

The last tip I wanted to go over for your workouts was focusing on fewer training sessions and shorter . I think we often think if I want better weight loss results , our mindset is do more . Right , we think two days , we think about those you know , figure and fitness competitors who are training for a specific sport And we go to those routines because they're the leanest , so that's what we should do . But ultimately that makes us sabotage ourselves because we can't be consistent with those things long term And we're doing a whole bunch of wasted volume which can lead to injury . Appointed dimension returns us able , not able to train as hard as we would like . So think sometimes fewer training sessions to really match your schedule and then make the intensity of those training sessions so that every rep is really quality and that will pay off more .

Cori 46:39

So sometimes thinking shorter , less is better , okay , design for the time you have and think about the quality of the work you're doing , more quality work . You can then say , hey , my work is really quality . I have a little bit more time , so I'm going to add more things in or I'm going to design the workout differently to fit the new schedule . Where I have more time , that's great . It's not that you can't do six sessions a week and spend an hour in the gym . But even when you're doing that , it shouldn't be the same or be a workout design the same way as if you had 30 minutes . There should potentially be longer rest periods because you have those moves separated out So you can have that quality

Maximizing Workout Efficiency

Cori 47:11

of work .

Cori 47:11

And part of the reason your workout is actually longer is not necessarily because you're doing more , but because you're using different workout designs , different training techniques in them to see results as well . So instead of just going to , i have to do more to see better weight loss results . Think how can I do fewer training sessions , get in more quality of work and make things shorter , so it's really sustainable . Hope these five tips really helped you think about your workouts in a new way to maybe help you stop holding yourself back by doing what you've always done in your training sessions that might not yet be yielding the results that you want . Sometimes less is more , guys , and making ourselves uncomfortable by doing things we don't necessarily like as much or we haven't done in the past is really key to see better results faster . Well , that's a wrap for this episode of the fitness hacks podcast . I hope these tips helped you overcome some fears so that you're not standing in your own way and you can see better results faster .