When considering fat loss, the number one thing we talk about is energy balance. In order to lose fat, it’s necessary to eat a calorie deficit (eating less calories than you expend). However, our bodies aren’t made to exist in a calorie deficit forever.

Elevated stress levels and lack of adequate sleep can mess with the regulation of hormones that impact hunger levels and fat loss rate, and can also lead to mood problems that impact decision-making skills. This can create a one-two punch that makes fat loss much, much harder than it needs to be.

If you have some goals you want to accomplish but haven’t been feeling particularly motivated lately, here are a few strategies that may help you create some motivation if it’s been lacking

Most of the calories we burn in a given day aren’t during our workouts, and the majority of the differences in most people’s activity levels are unlikely to be just from that hour or so most of us are used to spending in the gym.

Most people have some time in their life when they think they performed or looked their absolute best, and then wonder why they weren’t able to hold onto that forever.  But, if you take a moment to reflect on all of the pieces of the puzzle that had to come together for that brief moment, it’s unlikely that everything can stay aligned that way for long.

If your focus begins on Monday and ends on Thursday, you’re really only working toward your goal 4 out of 7 days per week. Even if you only loosen up on Saturday and Sunday, you can still cause your progress to lag or even stall out, depending on what your weekend intake looks like.

With Thanksgiving behind us, the holidays are definitely in full swing. It feels like just about every other post I see from anyone in the health or fitness industry is about how not to overeat at holiday meals or parties. I do think there’s a lot of value in being strategic or even just extra mindful about your food intake through the season - but if your household is anything like mine, you probably need to be aware of what’s missing from your fridge and not just how to handle the extra cookies that are making their way into your kitchen.

Alcohol is fine for most diets in moderation.  However, if you are on a fat loss diet and already struggling with compliance, that lower inhibition after a drink may make it very hard to stay on track.  If that’s the case, it may be wise to cut alcohol consumption as much as possible, at least until you’re comfortably able to stay compliant without it feeling like a struggle.

The process. At some point, your coach has probably told you to “trust the process,” but what does that mean? And why trust “the process” when you’re frustrated that you’ve had a tough week or aren’t seeing the progress you’re looking for? 

No matter what goal you are working toward, consistency is key to achieving it and perfection is not your friend. Despite how good it feels hit your macros perfectly 10 days in a row, that may be an indicator that you’re not allowing yourself the flexibility you need to build long-term success. 

If you participate in a sport with weight classes, you probably know the struggle of balancing your actual body weight and maintaining (or increasing) strength.  It can be a fine line to walk, but there are strategies that can help your weight cut be a more enjoyable experience!

We’ve talked about the importance of nutrition in regard to specific fat loss, health, and athletic performance goals before.

Today we’re going to dig a little deeper and take a closer look at what it really means to eat for performance.  Whether you’re a weightlifter who competes regularly, looking to improve on last year’s CrossFit Open performance, or just someone who wants to run farther or lift heavier, you can probably benefit from focusing on tailoring your nutrition to your performance goals.

Most of us have lived for years believing that the key to successful fat loss is willpower.

If we just resist our cravings and suppress our hunger, we will be successful dieters. If we just stick to our plan, eat the same food every day, and say no to every treat and drink offered, we will finally lose that weight.

That’s not the case.

I try to keep my typical diet full of lean proteins and fruits and vegetables, but sometimes I just need something delicious or something I didn’t have to make from scratch!  Here are three of my favorite macro-friendly foods I keep on hand basically at all times.

Meet Coach Whitney: the newest member of the KLN Team