Guaranteed Step to Weight Loss.

Losing weight is simple: Calories in < calories out.

I know, rocket science!

Okay, on the surface, weight loss is that simple but once you add factors like body complexities, environmental surroundings, and social interactions; the simple statement becomes very complex. Your genes (thanks Mom and Dad), your stress levels, the quality of food you’re putting into your body, the intensity of your workout, your sleep, your hormones, and even your social bubble/influences are just some of the factors that heavily influence the success or speed of weight loss. All of these impact the energy needed and energy expended each day. I don’t want you to be overwhelmed with counting macros or trying to determine how many calories you spend at the gym… that’s my job as a coach and nutrition specialist. The easiest way you can start the journey of weight loss today (and what I recommend for all my clients) is to start a food journal.

Start tracking your food and liquid you consume at each meal.

MyFitness Pal app (not sponsored) is a great app that makes it super-duper easy to find foods, log them, and then save them, so the next day you can just copy from the previous day. This way you can start to see how many fats you are taking in, how many carbs, and how much protein.

Knowledge is power and you would be amazed if you have never legitimately tracked your food intake. You will be amazed just how eye-opening this can be. (I would like to note, don’t use the preset guides as direction. At the base, it’s a computer program, not specialized to you on your medical conditions, your genetic background, and other factors.)

Don’t be ashamed of anything - it’s a journey, not sprint.

Track it and then look at the week. You will be able to find trends in what could be missing. For example, my husband Sterling, is going through a bulking stage. I have been monitoring his food but he kept coming back feeling weak after workouts and not making the progress he wants. We sat down, wrote down everything he typically would have in a day, and realized he was shy of 50g of protein and super low on his fat. We both thought, based on his love of milk and meat, that he was hitting the numbers. Through the journal, we identified some missing items.

At the end of the day, starting small with baby steps will result in a large change ultimately.

I don’t want anyone to think that when I say calories in are less then calories out, that this means you stop eating all together. Your body needs the fuel to operate. Your cells need all macronutrients (fats, carbs, proteins) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to ensure your organs function properly, so please don’t be like my Dad and go on the “bread and water, light the bread diet”. This does not work! My Mom actually is living proof of this too. She was with relatives for 6 weeks visiting with Dad and started actually eating more and lost 12 pounds in the process! If you starve yourself below your nutrition needs, you will potentially struggle to lose weight (especially post-menopausal women) because your body is literally clinging on to your weight as a preservation mechanism. Mom was used to skipping either breakfast or lunch routinely and then eating a moderate dinner. When she was staying with relatives who eat 3 square meals a day, she didn’t want to embarrass herself and also ate 3 meals a day. Lo and behold, her body started allowing the weight to come off as she was eating enough, finally for her metabolism to get out of a light starvation mode. I had been telling Mom this for years! Glad she finally saw it for herself.

You maybe past this point and super successful at tracking your foods, and want to take it to next step in determining your desired nutrient intake for optimal results.

I do offer a one-time macro calculation, where you fill out a wonderful questionnaire that tells me all about YOU and I will send my recommendations. Of course, I am no doctor but I can provide a recommendation to help fuel your workouts, your body, and your mind while you take steps toward a goal in shedding weight or even gaining weight.

At the end of the day, remember patience is key no matter what your desires are for your body. Small steps over and over will lead to lasting change. You can do this and I am here to help you any way I can.

Love, Pow