Improving Metabolic Health and Nutrition

Cori 0:00

Hey guys , this is Cori from Redefining Strength . Welcome to the Fitness Hacks podcast . This is a show where I share all my free work on the nutrition tips . I'm not going to ever fill this episode with sponsorships or ask you to buy anything . All I ask in return is , if you're enjoying the podcast , to leave a review or leave a five-star rating or , even better , share it with someone you think it might help .

Cori 0:21

This will only take a few minutes and would mean the world to me and possibly change the life of someone you know . So let's jump right in . I'm super excited to jump into five metabolism boosting protocols with Michelle . Before we jump in , I want to have Michelle sort of go over why it's so important that we adjust our nutrition to really keep our metabolism healthy , especially because I think so often we do think metabolic adaptations , the slow metabolism , especially with aging , hold us back from seeing the results that we deserve , and then we also only blame our age . But there's so much we can actually control . So , michelle , why is our nutrition so important to improving our metabolic health ?

Michelle 0:59

Exactly what you said you can control , and we want you to control what you can control .

Michelle 1:03

So often I hear people say , oh , I don't have the metabolism I used to when I was in my 20s , or I wish I had a fast metabolism , but I'm cursed with a slow metabolism , and I really want to kind of just bust through this myth .

Michelle 1:16

No one's metabolism is broken and no one's metabolism really like research has actually shown that no one really has like a major advantage when it comes to a fast or slow metabolism . The difference is is how you're actually treating your body overall and the new how nutrition plays a role in that for you . So yeah , there may be some various differences between someone that you know it has more muscle on them or is in more shape versus someone who doesn't . But that doesn't mean that you can't get there . There's always going to be ways that we can tweak our both our nutrition and even our training to actually improve our metabolism and allow us to have what we envy and others that fast metabolism . But so often I see people who are trying to become healthier actually doing more harm to their metabolism than at then actually improving it or doing doing it good .

Cori 2:11

And often the metabolic adaptations that we see , the changes that we see , the slowdown we see with age is previous dieting practices adding up and that loss of muscle . Which is why I was so excited to see your first protocol , which was increasing protein , but specifically increasing protein at every meal .

Michelle 2:28

Yeah , so a lot of times people I don't even think really have a true grasp on what metabolism is , and that's your body is constantly doing hundreds and thousands of chemical reactions all day long , from digesting your food to growing you know more muscle mass , to growing your hair , your nails all this takes energy and your and these chemical reactions are all kind of balled up into what your metabolism is . It's all that work that you do not realizing how much you're doing , and because of that , we want to make sure that we are giving our body the appropriate nutrients throughout the day , and that means not just loading up one meal with high protein , but really making sure that we are focusing on protein throughout the day Protein in and of itself . A lot of research shows that even having a high protein meal will significantly raise your metabolism rather quickly for the short term . So increasing your protein alone is actually going to boost your metabolism , and that has a lot to do with it requires more work for your body to break down protein in general .

Cori 3:36

And when we're increasing protein , often like the slow down we blame on age is partly due to changes our body is going through , Like , yes , our hormone levels as we get older are not at the optimal levels . They were when we were younger , right Like when we're younger a lot of times when we've done studies on 20 year olds and whatnot . Their body is like prime to make anything work . They can grow muscle , thinking about growing muscle , but as we get older we don't have that same stimulus for muscle growth . So actually increasing the portion of protein we're consuming at meals not only takes more energy to break down by our body , but it can help stimulate that muscle protein synthetic synthesis response so much better because we need that extra load to create that same stimulus for that growth of that muscle to help actually build and retain the lean muscle which then has that great metabolic impact .

Michelle 4:25

Yeah , and it's us actually fighting a little bit against age . As we age , as you mentioned , your hormones change . It does get a little bit harder to build muscle , but on top of that you're more at risk for actually losing the muscle mass you have . So this also is going to not only hopefully encourage that muscle protein synthesis , but also protect the muscle that you already have . We don't want you losing anymore .

Cori 4:49

Especially if you are in that deficit .

Cori 4:50

You are trying to lose fat , achieve that body recomb it's even more key that we focus on protein , because high protein diets are like the one diet that have been shown to help you build and retain lean muscle while in a deficit , and top of that . I do just want to get your thoughts on this , and I know I have my opinions as well , because often people will be like well , I've even heard you can only use 20 to 25 grams or even 30 grams at a meal and any more than that just is wasted . But while we're talking about muscle protein synthesis and building lean muscle , right , and there is a portion of the protein that goes directly to that and only so much can go to that . Protein is used in so many other functions and we have to realize the importance of that , not to mention in a deficit . You're not getting enough of anything Muscles , metabolic , lead , costly so we need that , those calories , we need that protein to stimulate that growth and maintain that lean muscle while we're trying to lose fat . But we can use more right .

Michelle 5:40

Yeah , there's no cap as far as , like , you can only consume so much at a certain time . If you are consuming it , your body is going to break it down and utilize what it means . Now you touched on it . This is all within a calorie deficit . If you are eating in a calorie surplus , yeah , your body is going to start storing things and you're going to potentially have a little extra fat if you are eating in a large surplus . But even then , if protein is harder to do that with because it does you know the thermic effect of food you are going to be burning calories , breaking down protein .

Michelle 6:12

I'm not saying you can't overdo protein , but if your aim is to stay within a calorie deficit , you aren't going to be all of a sudden . You know having 40 , 60 grams at a mill and that extra 20 is going to be , you know , converted to fat . That's not how the body works , and even current research is even showing that there is no cap , even post-exercise . So , really making sure or being worried that you're overdoing protein , as long as your kidneys are healthy , the chances are very low that you're actually overdoing it .

Cori 6:48

And often or well , our body is very good at using it when it needs it . The other macros we consume with the protein source can really impact the rate of digestion , but it's also something where , because of the thermic effect , if we're overeating it a little bit or even go into a slight calorie surplus , it's a safer way to see results or give ourselves sort of a buffer when trying to get our calorie intake in line .

Michelle 7:10

Exactly and truthfully , it's more satiety , or sorry , it's more satiating . So the chance that again you're going to be feeling full faster if you are consuming a little bit more protein .

Cori 7:23

So , talking about other tips to really improve the quality of our meals , boost our metabolic grade , keep our metabolism healthy to see better fat loss while we're gaining lean muscle mass . We're going to talk a little bit about macros because I know often we will focus on macronutrients protein , carbs and fat but those macros do have a huge impact . And I say this and I always like have this weird debate , which I know you also sort of have to where if you're hitting your macros , you're going to see results right and we want to include some of those fun foods . However , if we're treating our body like the sports car and the high performance sports car that it is , we need to make sure it has the proper fuel because that is going to make it run better . And so , focusing still on those micros , trying to get that diversity is key . Can you go over how else we can make sure that we're really hitting those micros , seeing better results and keeping our metabolic grade higher ?

Michelle 8:11

So color is going to play a huge part . It's going to be a big indicator on if you are consuming a wide variety of these micronutrients . So a good role of thumb is even trying to aim for a different color at each meal and to kind of go off what you're touching on . Where macros are important and you are going to see results , we do still want to ensure the quality of those macros and oftentimes if you find that you're like trying to be like , well , this fit , so I'm good , like I can have , you know , ice cream every day and pizza every day because it fits my macros to an extent , you are correct , you probably will see results to a certain point . But if you're really looking one to fill your best and to really capitalize on your results and get those best results , we want to really make sure that those macros are going to be quality .

Michelle 8:59

So focusing on color , which is a big indicator of the phytonutrients within plants , that's going to also help you hit those micronutrients and the big role that these play within your metabolism is going back . Metabolism is all about chemical reactions . This is what your body is doing constantly and chemical reactions require enzymes and coenzymes to actually be able to function and to be able to , you know , do the work and break down and get those nutrients where it needs to go , and to do that , these coenzymes often require vitamins and minerals to actually perform their job . So , again , just making sure that you were trying to focus on a different color at each meal , that's going to help you get those micronutrients that we want to ensure your metabolism is firing , you know , optimally .

Cori 9:51

I also find that focus on including a different color with each meal allows me to get diversity over the day without making things like super complicated . Right , because you do want to meal prep your lunch , you do want to meal prep your dinner , potentially , and you might want to have some consistency there to keep prep simple . Or , if you're lazy like me , you definitely want to do that Right by thinking of like saying , hey , I'm going to have a red fruit at breakfast , a green vegetable at lunch and an orange vegetable at dinner . I can then have easier prep across the meals . But I'm still getting that diversity over the course of the day .

Cori 10:21

And while you know we do want to work in those fun foods and you even mentioned , yes , you can make them work in . Often , to make them work in , you do have to get other quality nutrients , like we'll always see , like if it fits my macros and all these fun meals out there . Most of the time when people are making those things work , it's because they are focusing on , you know , on the nutrient dense , low calorie foods and other meals to find that balance . So recognizing what's going on behind the curtain might also be key for us to strike our balance as well .

Michelle 10:47

Yeah , and it's completely fine to have those days . But if you're finding that those days are kind of taking over you know more consistently you're having more days like that than not then we want to make sure that we're striking that balance because oftentimes even those low , those low calories , high nutrient dense foods that we're eating around those days can sometimes make your variety a little limited . And this is really why I , like you know swapping out the , the vegetable or the fruit at each mill to kind of hit differently , because I do think people stress too much sometimes on what variety means . Oftentimes you know they get well , like I have to eat like a different protein , a different grain , a different fruit or vegetable Every single day for every single meal . But you can't . This is a more Approachable way for variety . You can still have variety in your it just by swapping out that for those fruits and vegetables , and those are usually an easier swap of to the day to day .

Cori 11:43

And If you find to that you are like hitting your macros and not seeing the results that you deserve , like we always want to go back to I , am I being consistent with them right ? That's my first assessment . Am I truly being consistent with the macro breakdown and hitting it daily right , not just weekly average or monthly averages , but daily ? But then I'll even go into that food quality , because I find often like if I'm feeling hungry or tired or different things like that , I'm maybe not getting the micronutrients that I truly need or the like , the valuable nutrition overall , and that's why my body isn't functioning Optimally , because not getting it like the nutrients that we need can impact our sleep , it can impact our recovery , it impacts how everything truly functions and the better something functions , the better the results you're going to see and no offense . But I want to see better results faster .

Michelle 12:26

Most people do , that's the thing is this if you want those faster results , you're going to need to be to sacrifice a little bit more to get there .

Micronutrients, Sleep Snacks, and Metabolic Health

Cori 12:34

And so , going off of this talking about how micronutrients can impact the quality of our recovery , you brought up that creating a sleep snack can really help your metabolism and the results that you see to see better Weight loss and fat loss results and I think this can be slightly a controversial subject just because some people will be like , oh no , if I eat too close to bed , I'll gain fat or it interrupts my sleep . So let's talk about the nuance and how having that sleep snack might be beneficial , what might be needed to be included and even how to know if this is right for you .

Michelle 13:05

Yeah , so sleep it just plays a vital role overall and making sure that your metabolism is properly regulated . If you do find that , you know you're often waking up and you feel Still tired , like no matter how long you slept in the evening , you're still waking up exhausted . Often that times that's an issue with sweet sleep quality , or if you were just one of those people that are really struggling just falling asleep again . We want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to improve that sleep quality and the sleep duration . So I hear it often to you know , don't eat past seven . If you eat past seven like you know it's , you're gonna gain fat , all this stuff . But again , we are still . You're still . The goal is still to remain and within your calorie deficit . This isn't all the sudden extra calories and these are calories that are going to be accounted for , so you're still gonna be remain in your deficit . And then the other thing is is this , isn't something that it's ? Oh , I'm going to sleep in 15 minutes , I'm gonna go , you have my snack and go to bed . We really want to time it a little bit better , so about one to two hours . If you are someone that you do worry that food does disrupt your sleep . We're gonna aim a little bit more on that two hour mark and the big thing again is the quality of what this sleep snack actually consist of .

Michelle 14:23

We really want to aim for things that are going to actually promote sleep , so Things that are going to help you produce natural melatonin . So trip the items that are going to be higher in tryptophan , things that are going to have magnesium , that are going to help you , your body naturally relax and your muscles relax before bed . And of course , there is a lot of research that shows complex carbs before bed About one to two hours before bed , does improve your overall sleep quality . So this isn't a huge mill . The aim up for this isn't have 500 cat plus calories two hours before sleep . The aim is really about 150 to 300 calories and we want it to kind of be a well rounded snack , so something that's going to have a complex carb , a good source or amount of protein with some fat . And again , we really want to kind of lean in and Lean into items that are going to have that higher a magnesium , items that are going to naturally help you produce melatonin , and I don't .

Michelle 15:23

Some of this is just going to be like oatmeal made with milk and dry tart , cherries , nuts , kiwis , peppers with cottage cheese , even rice cakes with peanut butter and banana , is going to help you actually Improve the quality of your sleep . So there's really no cutoff time for when your digestion stops or when , all of a sudden , your whatever you eat is going to turn into fat . But we do want to take into account that sometimes , if we overdo particularly like refining , particularly like refined carbs or high fat you are probably going to have a little bit more indigestion . If you were to lie down , you know within 20 to 30 minutes post eating that . So it's really about making sure that we are aiming for that quality and we're eating with a purpose . It's not just a random snack . We're actually eating to promote that sleep .

Cori 16:13

It's those micro is that really make a difference , and especially what you've mentioned can really help during menopause , when our sleep quality is impacted . And I also think it's really interesting to talk about like eating and metabolism and sleep , because so often when we think Metabolism , boosting protocols and foods , we think , oh well , I'm going to do like spicy foods and all these things that increase metabolic rate . But part of this sleep snack is improving the quality of your sleep , which impacts appetite , which can make you not feel extra hungry , because a lot of times when we don't get that quality sleep , we want to eat more . Right , we want that , not only that feeling of satisfaction from eating more , but we get signals that we're hungrier , which really does impact our overall like Metabolic health , our fat loss results . So part of this is improving the quality of your sleep to help regulate appetite so that we're able to eat the appropriate number of calories during the day and not getting signals that we're hungry when we actually aren't .

Michelle 17:07

Yeah , and that's a big part of it is whenever you know you have poor sleep , your cortisol levels go up . When cortisol level goes up , you do have more . You know you do . Your body is signaling yourself to eat more and it's not segment , it's not all of a sudden like , oh , you should have more protein . Oh , oh , you should have , you know , more fruits and vegetables . Your body actually signals you to crave more refined carbs so you can kind of get more thrown out of whack with this .

Michelle 17:35

And this is really where women specific I mean you brought up spicy foods , which I mean spicy foods do does help with metabolism . But men and puzzle women oftentimes . If they consume spicy foods , they often will sometimes have their symptoms worsen . So this is a way to kind of make sure that we are tackling kind of two birds with one stone . So it's really focusing on that calcium , that magnesium and potassium . That's going to actually help promote muscle relaxation and also kind of improve that overall sleep quality , allowing you to not only fall asleep quicker but also to get into that deep REM that we that is our goal that does decline with age which we need that you know recovery sleep so that we can building muscle , which helps improve our metabolic health .

Cori 18:23

So it's just assessing all the different components of it versus . I know we often default back to well , what's the one thing I can just include that magically helps ? And really it's creating all those life stress , lifestyle factors , addressing like even stress and how stress is impacting your body and everything . And I also love that , like a lot of things you included are perfect desserts . So for a sweet treat person , someone who likes to end the night with something on the sweet side you know a little treat dessert these are perfect ways to sort of include something that might be a little bit more macro friendly . Get you the micros that you need , improve the quality of your sleep so that you're really seeing those results snowball with something sustainable .

Michelle 19:01

Yeah , and as you mentioned it is , it's a combo . We're not focusing on the one , we're focusing on the combo . So you get the benefit of having the sweet dessert , but you're also getting the benefit that it is isn't all of a sudden going to spike . You know you like sugar levels making it more difficult to fall asleep .

Cori 19:19

So next tip so we're talking about sleep and I like that because it did address a different like aspect of metabolic health than we usually talk about , I feel like . But the next tip that you met brought up , I thought was very interesting because I think it's going to ruffle a few feathers , since a lot of people are on the low carb train and you know getting sufficient carbs especially if your training heart is very key to metabolic health , to our thyroid functioning , which helps with weight loss . So there's lots of benefits to carbs that I think are often overlooked when it comes to the fat loss process , especially for active women . But you mentioned specifically the importance of whole grains . Can you talk about the importance of whole grains for our metabolic health ?

Michelle 19:56

So B vitamins , often known as , like your , energy vitamins the reason why they're known for this is because they are a crucial part of your metabolism for your body to actually be able to break down and get the energy from those calories you consume .

Importance of B Vitamins and Deficits

Michelle 20:11

Almost every single reaction requires B vitamins and because of that , we really want to make sure that we are putting an emphasis on consuming them . And B vitamins are a water soluble vitamin , so it is something that you need to consume daily because otherwise you are going to it's going , you're going to lose it through your urine . So , because of this , we want to make sure that we are including including high quality sources of it .

Michelle 20:35

But on top of this , the big , the big importance with B vitamins because , again , I always know people be like well , I'm eating very similar to how I ate when I was . I mean , I've even had athletes come to me and be like you know , I was a college athlete and this is how I ate and this is how I ate and performed when my body was at the top of its conditioning . And now you're telling me to change it . Well , age plays , plays a big role . So , even if you had eight decently before , what happens when we age , we actually don't absorb the B vitamins as easily .

Michelle 21:07

So we kind of want to flood our system a little bit more with those VVV vitamins to make sure we're giving our body plenty of chances to absorb what it actually requires . So this is really where we want to make sure we are opting for the whole grain options more often than not and this can be as simple as you know consuming the brown rice , barley , ferrule , gluten free oatmeal or oatmeal , depending on on who you are and even items like millet . And a lot of times I will bring up grains , and people when you would say grains , oftentimes their heads only go to rice , oatmeal , quinoa . But there's a lot more grains in there that we can kind of mix and match that are still going to allow us to get those B vitamins . And if you are , really if you're following like a gluten free diet , of course there's gluten free options in oats , but you cannot also get these B vitamins from other sources as well , including things like beans or nuts . Those are going to also be excellent sources of B vitamins .

Cori 22:08

I love that you bring up the fact that age impacts things , because , going back to even the protein and our discussion about increasing the amount of protein you're consuming at each meal , right , age impacts things . We need to recognize that . But we need to stop blaming it and instead just recognize the impact that it has to work around it , because so many of these things , like just increasing the amount of B vitamins we're taking and just increasing the portion of protein we're consuming at each meal , can get us the same stimulus , can get us the same results . It just requires us to be willing to evolve as we get older instead of just writing ourselves off , because we are getting older and even with that , I like that you mentioned , like not only the whole grains which you know that was , of course , the focus of this talk about the B vitamins in there but also the other options , because when we go through menopause , you might be trying to cut back on carbs a little bit , but going to more whole grains might allow us to feel very satisfied and full while still getting in , you know , the carbs that we might have enjoyed when we were younger , even in a different form . But if we can't have those carbs , or we're cutting carbs or , sorry , cutting gluten , or we're cutting carbs .

Cori 23:09

We can always go to dairy or beans and nuts , so there's always a way to assess what's even underlying some of the protocols to make them work for us . So it's like taking the thing okay okay , I'm going to swap in whole grains okay , whole grains are right for me . B vitamins Okay , how can I include that ? Or sleep snack how can I include that , right ? So each of these tips , it's also about being like why is this important which we're trying to give you guys , but then how can I include this to address what I need , as my needs and goals change as well ?

Michelle 23:37

Yeah , exactly , it's really about adapting and understanding that your lifestyle isn't going to stay still , so your diet needs to match it .

Cori 23:46

And so , off of that , talking about our lifestyle will evolve A lot of times . When we want to lose fat , we want to build muscle , we want to see that re-comp , we default back into what worked in the past right , but a lot of those previous dieting practices have actually created metabolic adaptations that we're now trying to reverse to see better results . Talking about this , one of the things we often have clients do if they are trying to lose fat , which goes against what they've usually done , is eat more . Can you talk about why not creating too extreme a deficit is really key for our metabolic health and how that can actually improve our fat loss results ? Even though we think calories in versus calories out , we need the calorie deficit to lose .

Michelle 24:25

Yeah .

Michelle 24:25

So this all comes back to your body is going to work within a hierarchy of needs . So if all this setting you are in an extreme calorie deficit , which a lot of people do , because they're like I'm not getting the results I want , I know to lose weight you need to be in a deficit , so I need to . I need to be in a bigger deficit , so I'm going to eat less . The problem with this thinking is , if you do that too , too much of extreme for too long , you are going to have metabolic adaptations where your body is . It's not . You're not wrecking your metabolism per se , but your body is not going to be firing all those chemical reactions at an optimal level . So things like growing your hair , growing nails , skin , cellular turnover , those things are not going to be happening as often for you and because of that , because your body's going to main goal is going to be focused on having your organs stay functioning , you're not going to actually be using as many calories , because it's going to be taking those calories and moving it for it , using it for those direct needs , and because of that , a lot of times people don't even notice , but they start to do things to naturally reserve those calories for that specific purpose of just maintaining life . So things like talking with your hands , being more willing to walk a little bit extra steps or kind of those you know non exercise activity that we do that burns calories throughout the day . You will naturally just kind of stop doing that . Fidgeting goes down . All these things start to decrease because your body's trying to take all the calories that it is going to going to have and reserve the calories . So it's going to signal you to burn less through that other activities and focus it on those things . So because of this , we you actually do better by eating a little bit more . And I think the biggest issue is people will care , will eat more . You're going to knock me out of a calorie deficit Now . We're just going to put you in a more appropriate calorie deficit so your body's going to actually be able to have a higher functioning metabolism so you can do those things like fidget when you're talking , have a little bit extra energy , and a big thing is is having a little extra energy to actually push it harder in the gym and be able to recover from those workouts better and faster . That's going to be a huge thing . So it's really not about knocking you out of the calorie deficit , but it's about closing that gap so that you , your body , is like , okay , I'm getting fed enough , I can still do these things and we can do these extra things .

Michelle 26:58

So I always get asked Well , how do you know if your calorie deficit is too large ? And of course you know you can go off of a formula to kind of get a rough estimate , but truthfully , I don't love those formulations because it's not taking into everything into account . So I really like to go off our body signals . So one if you're skipping a lot of mills in general just to try to reduce calorie intake , you probably most likely are under eating or setting yourself up for a binge , quite frankly , later . But if you're eating extremely low calories and for some people lower calories is appropriate , you know , if you're barely five foot and you don't do a lot of activity , you can remain kind of in the 1200 calorie range .

Michelle 27:44

However , most adults need to be above the 1000 calories .

Michelle 27:48

So if you're eating below 1000 calories , which I see quite often , you are probably way under eating .

Michelle 27:56

And then , of course , looking at your energy levels , how hard is it for you to want to get up and do things , whether it is like even talking yourself to get to getting to the gym , or talking yourself up to going on that lock or even moving in general it's probably because your body's trying to fight you against it to try and reserve those calories .

Michelle 28:16

And then , of course , you know I've mentioned it but if you have sudden hair loss or if you're noticing your nails or your hair take forever to grow , it's probably because that's your body's not making that a priority for you and you don't have enough energy and calories to actually go go to those things . And another big thing that I think often gets overlooked is your metabolism , because it's all these chemical reactions . A byproduct of those chemical reactions is heat . If you find yourself constantly cold , it's a good , it's a good . There's a good chance that it's because your body's not actually able to maintain a healthy and comfortable body temperature , because it's not . It's not actually having all those chemical reactions firing off and creating that byproduct of heat .

Cori 29:08

It's such an interesting thing , right ? Because people hear this and be like okay , maybe I am consuming two low calories . Right , they're like well , I'm eating 800 right now , but I'm not seeing results , because that's a common thing that people come in with as well . And I bring this up because you mentioned the 1,000 calories and it's because we've trained our body to function off of less . We've seen those metabolic adaptations because our body's like well , heck , I have to find a way to survive off of these 800 calories .

Cori 29:32

This is where , too , when we lose weight , we're not controlling for whether or not we're losing fat or muscle . And a lot of times we are losing more muscle with those extreme deficits , because muscle costs more energy and so our body's like if we don't have this energy coming in , why are we going to expend it for muscle ? We want to survive , right ? So we're going to end up losing that muscle in losing weight , which then slows our metabolic rate because we're not burning as many calories at rest and our body finds a way to function off of those 800 calories .

Cori 29:56

So in the eating more process , you might not see the fat loss you want right away . You might actually see you're even losing inches , as the scale is not budging and you might be like , but I have 50 pounds to lose . How am I losing inches but not seeing the scale change ? And it's because your metabolism is actually increasing . You're seeing that lean muscle being gained and you're going to look leaner . So sometimes , in embracing this last metabolism boosting protocol , we really have to realize that there is a retraining process and that the scale if that's our ultimate goal may not change right away . But we have to do it because otherwise we're just going to have to keep eating less and it's like at some point you can't go down any lower , right .

Michelle 30:34

Yeah and that's a big conversation I have is where do we go from here ? If you hit that next toe in your weight loss journey because everyone does all of a sudden , you can't throw , like a you know , a mini cut at that issue , because anymore we're going to be headed into some really scary territory with how low of calories you already are at .

Cori 30:56

Which is why , like if you are finding your low calorie , you might first change your macros before you even increase your calories to help you trust in the process of increasing your calories , or you might have to embrace that that diet break before you can then use the deficit again .

Cori 31:09

So it's not that you're not in a deficit to lose , but it's that you've got to retrain your body to eat more to be able to use the deficit and get your body functioning at the higher level . And again , like all of these things really relate back to , we're trying to create the healthiest environment for our body to be able to build muscle , because the more muscle we have on and not talking about getting bulky , but the more muscle we have on the higher metabolic rate , the more energy we're even going to have to do other things and often the easier it is to see the fat loss results we want and maintain them long term which is something I think we don't talk about enough is we want to set ourselves up for success with how we adjust our nutrition to see lasting results .

Michelle 31:48

Yeah , it's all about longevity and that sustainability . A lot of times , if your mindset is , I just need it , I need to look this way for this one wedding date , we really want to break that because I want you to look that way all the time and feeling good about yourself all the time and have a same sustainable approach for that .

Cori 32:07

So , using these tips , we really wanted to help you build that sustainable lifestyle . Make sure that you're really listening to the why behind everything to see what you need for your best results , for your best lifestyle , for your best body , because there is nuance everything and one size doesn't fit all . Michelle , any closing thoughts for someone really looking to boost their metabolism , see the best fat loss while gaining lean muscle , even as they're getting older and feeling like age is fighting against them .

Michelle 32:33

Start with protein . Start somewhere , and number one thing is going to be protein . If you do need to increase your calories , you can also do that by just adding in that extra protein . So that's really going to be my number one tip , and then from there you can slowly focus on the other items .

Cori 32:51

I love it because , with the thermic effect of protein , you're going to burn more calories to digest it , which will help you even embrace increasing your calories a little bit more . And again , that high protein diet is the one that has been shown to help you build and retain lean muscle while in a deficit , but also protect you from gaining fat if you go into a slight surplus . So it's a perfect way to retrain your body to eat more , get an even some beneficial micros and really see sustainable results .

Finis-Hacks Podcast

Cori 33:13

Thank you so much , michelle , for joining me today . Thanks for listening to the Fitness Hacks podcast . Again , this is the place where I share all my free workout and nutrition tips . I'm never going to run sponsorships or ask you to buy anything . All I ask in return is , if you're enjoying the podcast , to leave a rating review or share it with someone you think it might help . This will only take a few minutes and it would mean the world to me and possibly change life with someone you know .