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Better with Becky
By Becky SearlsHealth & Fitness
Better with Becky episodes
- Updating your Priors
Episode 15 Name: Updating your Priors
Welcome back to the show! Today I dive into life updates since the last episode in February, before diving into the topic of “Bayesian Thinking”, which is a mental model we can apply to update our prior beliefs in light of new evidence in order to avoid sticking to outdated beliefs and practices.
Resources from Today’s Episode
- Previous Episodes of Better with Becky
- Last Episode: Birthdays with Becky
- 1 second everyday in February - a peek at life lately! Stay tuned for the March edition coming soon!
- Spot Reduction in Adult Males Study
- BWB Greens Challenge for March (or anytime!)
- Arnold Expo Update + balancing training + travel
- From Anecdote to Evidence: Dispelling Myths in Bodybuilding and Physique Sports
- Mindset Post on Reframing and Getting out of Black and White Thinking Re: Training
- Bodybuilding Update: First 6 months / Update from my coach, Alexa!
Curious Questions for Reflection from Today's Episode
- What's one belief you might be ready to revisit? Is there a story you hold onto just because it's familiar, even if new evidence is nudging you to reconsider?
How to keep in touch with me
- If you'd like support re-mapping your beliefs around your fitness journey, and what it can look like to build sustainable strength, check out my new Build with Becky, Rise + Drive Program
- this 5-week phase is an overhead press and hinge focus, with plenty of flexible options for all environments, levels, and preferences! you can learn more and sign up at my website, www.betterwithbecky.com
- Questions about my strength training program, Build with Becky can be sent to [email protected]
- - If you use my program and would like to leave me a review, you an do so here: https://share.google/5FA3HEJMTHmerGR17
- If you have a comment, question, or topic you’d like me to dive into in a future episode, contact me at [email protected]
- If you are finding the podcast enjoyable and valuable, please consider leaving a review and 5-star rating to help others find the show! Thanks so much ◡̈
1 hr 1 min - Birthdays with Becky
Welcome back to the show! Today I’m reflecting on birthdays and the stories we have around them!
Some topics and themes that I explore on today's episode:
- sharing my early childhood experiences around birthdays and holidays with my family of origin
- highlighting my shift this year around my birthday, and choosing to start to rewrite my story
- touching on themes of self-love and self-compassion, along with the importance of knowing, allowing, and articulating our wants and needs (as opposed to expecting others to read our minds)
Resources Mentioned in this Episode- Previous Episodes of Better with Becky
- Beckygram Post on "Walking Backwards Into the Future"
- Book Recommendation: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
Curious Questions for Reflection from Today's Episode
- When was the last time you put your own needs or wants at the center of a special day?
- How might your celebrations change if you let self-compassion and curiosity guide you?
- What story from your past are you ready to rewrite, and what bold first step can you take?
How to keep in touch with me
- The current Build with Becky Program, Drive+Thrive is an open invitation to explore self-love actively: what could be more empowering than leaning into seeing just how strong you are, inside and out? This 5/3/1 Max Strength phase invites you to safely explore and test your strength in all major movement patterns: squat/hinge/push/pull, with plenty of alternatives and entry points for all levels and preferences!
- You can learn more about my program and sign up at my website, www.betterwithbecky.com
- Subscribe to my newsletter / Beckygram to get my latest updates in your inbox - a mix of slice-of-life, fitness, and mindful moments to support your journey to a stronger self and a better life!
Get in Touch
- I’d love to hear from you!
- If you have a comment, question, or topic you’d like me to dive into in a future episode, contact me at [email protected]
- If you are finding the podcast enjoyable and valuable, please consider leaving a review and 5 star rating to help others find the show! Thanks so much ◡̈
- Questions about my strength training program, Build with Becky can be sent to [email protected]
- If you use my program and would like to leave me a review, you an do so here: https://share.google/5FA3HEJMTHmerGR17
0 min - Quietly Quit Relentless Striving
Happy Quitter's Day!
Today we're talking about why it is that most folks fall off of their New Year Resolutions by the 2nd Friday in January and what we can do about it - with a counterintuitive call to quietly quit overfilling our plates and say goodbye to relentless striving. What if "enough" was the goal all along? Tune in for my take on anti-hustle reflection and intention, and why filling my plate to 70% full is feeling supportive, along with some strategies you can try to add some mindfulness, awareness, and connection (plus peace!) to your year.
Resources Mentioned in this Episode- Previous Episodes of Better with Becky, including a previous episode on the WOOP goal-setting methodology if that feels supportive as you reflect on intentions for the new year:
- Book Recommendations:
- Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Longevity/Healthspan Reads by Peter Attia & Atul Gawande
- Related: How I lowered my cholesterol
- In your 20s Reel / Letter to my Younger Self - re: keeping your Plate 70% full so you have bandwidth to notice and say yes to to more of what matters
- Free WOOP Goals Guide + Explainer Reel of how to Woop Your Life
- Which Tree are you Cultivating? - a Mindfulness Metaphor to Quiet, Sustainable Habit Change
- The 5 Whys Exercise to get to your deeper “Why” for a goal
Tips and Takeaways to Try to Apply Yourself- Mindfulness as a wedge to get some space and gain perspective
- (Try 3 deep breaths, with exhales that last longer than your inhales, to switch from "Fight or flight" Sympathetic system to "Rest and Digest" Parasympathetic mode & regulate your nervous system - placing a hand on your chest also helps stimulate the vagus nerve and calm you down)
- Choose goals that come from a place of intrinsic motivation, as opposed to seeking external validation (and don't be afraid to have a goal just for fun, as long as you know your deeper why and how it ties to your values in some way!)
- Zoom Out: track your qualitative energy & vitality, not just your quantitative productivity or data/stats
- Related: Spend time in nature, research shows it supports physical & mental wellness, regulates circadian rhythm to help improve sleep, and increases motivation & vitality. Japan calls it forest bathing!
- Focus on fewer small, consistent - atomic! - habits - rather than more, bigger, dramatic changes. Consistency breeds self-trust, which cultivates momentum over time as you start to identify with the few daily practices that feel deeply connected to you, and they become more effortless and automatic with time!
How to keep up with me- The next Build with Becky Program, Prime+Progress, comes out this Sunday 1/11/26! This 5-week phase of Build with Becky is a well-rounded program designed to build strength across all major movement patterns, prioritizing a different, heavy-weight, low-rep major compound lift for lower body each day - Day 1: Squats, Day 2: Hip Thrusts, Day 3: Deadlifts! If you want to learn the lifts with the biggest bang for your buck and build strength in a sustainable way to grow as you go, this is the program for you!
- Learn more about my program and sign up at my website, www.betterwithbecky.com
- If it feels supportive, the Better with Becky Sober Curious Challenge is underway, leveraging the social support of Dry January to help you get started. It’s never too late to join, is 100% free and comes with lots of resources to support your sober curious journey!
- Subscribe to my newsletter / Beckygram to get my latest updates in your inbox - a mix of slice-of-life, fitness, and mindful moments to support your journey to a stronger self and a better life!
Get in Touch- I’d love to hear from you!
- If you have a comment, question, or topic you’d like me to dive into in a future episode, contact me at [email protected]
- If you are finding the podcast enjoyable and valuable, please consider leaving a review and 5 star rating to help others find the show! Thanks so much ◡̈
- Questions about my strength training program, Build with Becky can be sent to [email protected]
- If you use my program and would like to leave me a review, you an do so here: https://share.google/5FA3HEJMTHmerGR17
1 hr 1 min - Why Try Going Dry?
As the new year approaches, a lot of us naturally start thinking about our health. And while weight loss tends to dominate that conversation, my work—and this podcast—has always been about gaining health, not shrinking bodies.
In that spirit, today’s episode is about alcohol, sober curiosity, and Dry January, and why taking a break from drinking, even temporarily, can be one of the most impactful things you can do for your overall health and wellbeing.
I’m currently about 15 months sober, but that didn’t happen overnight. In this episode, I share my sober-curious journey from a “failed” Dry January a couple of years ago to where I am now (and why that first attempt mattered more than I realized at the time!)
This conversation is not about perfection, detoxing, or deciding on anything forever. It’s about curiosity, data, and self-trust. If you ever find yourself curious about what life (and your health!) could look and feel like with a little less alcohol, tune in to hear my story and journey to sobriety via curiosity, ensure you know what the science says and research on alcohol consumption and its link to cancer / disease risk, and consider whether you too might want to try out drinking less (temporarily or permanently) when January comes!
First up, I share my own sober curiosity journey:- 1 month sober curious
- 2 months in: from FOMO to mostly JOMO
- 100 days: reflections on beginning again
- 6 months without alcohol
- 1 year sober
Next I share the science and research on alcohol & chronic disease risk:- World Health Organization & IARC: No safe level of alcohol consumption for cancer
https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health- National Cancer Institute: Alcohol and Cancer Risk
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol/alcohol-fact-sheet- Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (2023 guidelines):
https://www.ccsa.ca/canadas-guidance-alcohol-and-health- Mehta et al., BMJ Open (2018): Short-term abstinence and metabolic health markers
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/7/e020951- de Visser et al.: Dry January participation, self-efficacy, and longer-term drinking behavior
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26690637/Other Resources & Recommendations - books by Ruby Warrington- Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol
- The Sober Curious Reset: Change the Way you Drink in 100 Days or Less
How to keep up with me- The current Build with Becky Program, Sustain + Shift is all about sustaining your strength and shifting with ease into a new year with the assurance you’re caring for yourself and building the strength you need to feel and function your best!
- Learn more about my program and sign up at my website, www.betterwithbecky.com
- Subscribe to my newsletter / Beckygram to get my latest updates in your inbox - a mix of slice-of-life, fitness, and mindful moments to support your journey to a stronger self and a better life!
Get in Touch- I’d love to hear from you!
- If you decide to give a damp or dry Janauary run a go, or have a comment, question, or topic you’d like me to dive into in a future episode, please don't hesitate to contact me at [email protected]
- If you are finding the podcast enjoyable and valuable, please consider leaving a review and 5 star rating to help others find the show! Thanks so much ◡̈
- Questions about my strength training program, Build with Becky can be sent to [email protected]
- If you use my program and would like to leave me a review, you an do so here: https://share.google/5FA3HEJMTHmerGR17
57 min - Life, Loss, and Legacy
Welcome back to the show! Today I’m reflecting on life, loss and grief, and holding space for all emotions during the holiday season. I share stories of 4 loved ones who have passed during the month of December, along with the impact of losing them and how their lives and legacies helped shape the way I see the world and the life I chose to live today and into the future. If you find that, despite the festive season, challenging emotions sometimes are coming up for you, this episode will invite you to hold space for the highs and the lows, the challenges and the joys, of a life well lived.
Resources from Today’s Episode
- How to Embrace Holiday Emotions and Flourish Through the Season: Discover 5 common holiday emotions and practical ways to navigate them effectively.
- Related: Try the Flourish App - The leading AI mental wellness app. Developed by Stanford psychologists - your 24/7 accountability / wellness / mental health / motivation buddy, https://www.myflourish.ai
- I learned about flourish during my Stanford Healthy Aging Conference from the founders and have enjoyed using it as an alternative to chat CPT for a more mental/emotional-health focused AI agent at times when I need to process complex situations. It even now has a pro version with more resources that is FSA/HSA eligible!
- Previous Episodes of Better with Becky, including the previous episode on the WOOP goal-setting methodology if that feels supportive as you reflect on intentions for the new year:
- Free WOOP Goals Guide + Explainer Reel of how to Woop Your Life
- The 5 Whys Exercise to get to your deeper “Why” for a goal
How to keep up with me
- The current Build with Becky Program, Sustain + Shift is all about sustaining your strength and shifting with ease into a new year with the assurance you’re caring for yourself and building the strength you need to feel and function your best!
- Learn more about my program and sign up at my website, www.betterwithbecky.com
- The Planks and Thanks Challenge is repeating as Planksmas! It’s never too late to join and rope friends or family into a simple challenge to keep moving over the holidays.
- Subscribe to my newsletter / Beckygram to get my latest updates in your inbox - a mix of slice-of-life, fitness, and mindful moments to support your journey to a stronger self and a better life!
Get in Touch
- I’d love to hear from you!
- If you have a comment, question, or topic you’d like me to dive into in a future episode, contact me at [email protected]
- If you are finding the podcast enjoyable and valuable, please consider leaving a review and 5 star rating to help others find the show! Thanks so much ◡̈
- Questions about my strength training program, Build with Becky can be sent to [email protected]
- If you use my program and would like to leave me a review, you an do so here: https://share.google/5FA3HEJMTHmerGR17
43 min - Feelings Follow Action
Welcome back to the show! Today I dive into life updates since the last episode in early September, revisiting a few resources and sharing a few more as I reflect on takeaways from my first 5 weeks training bodybuilding style with a coach!
Resources from Today’s Episode
- Previous Episodes of Better with Becky, including the previous episode on the WOOP goal-setting methodology:
- Free WOOP Goals Guide + Explainer Reel of how to Woop Your Life
- The 5 Whys Exercise to get to your deeper “Why” for a goal
- How to Make Better Decisions - My blog post that goes into how feelings tend to follow action, and how intention probably matters more than the actual decisions we make
Coming Soon
- Build with Becky Reignite Program - Drops 11/2
- Learn more about my program and sign up at my website, www.betterwithbecky.com
- Planks and Thanks Challenge - Starts 11/3 - stay tuned to my beckygram or social media for details!
- Subscribe to my newsletter / Beckygram to get my latest updates in your inbox - a mix of slice-of-life, fitness, and mindful moments to support your journey to a stronger self and a better life!
Get in Touch
- I’d love to hear from you!
- If you have a comment, question, or topic you’d like me to dive into in a future episode, contact me at [email protected]
- If you are finding the podcast enjoyable and valuable, please consider leaving a review and 5 star rating to help others find the show! Thanks so much ◡̈
- Questions about my strength training program, Build with Becky can be sent to [email protected]
- If you use my program and would like to leave me a review, you an do so here: https://share.google/5FA3HEJMTHmerGR17
43 min - Lightly Languishing? → WOOP your Life!
This Episode's Companion Post: Woop Your Life!
In this episode of Better with Becky after catching up with some life updates and mindset around my rationale underlying an interest in bodybuilding as a way to keep living out a growth mindset, we dive into my favorite way to help clients get started and set realistic goals (and plan for obstacles so that they actually see results)!
Resources mentioned in this episode- Recent Episodes of Better with Becky
- Free WOOP Goals Guide + Explainer Reel of how to Woop Your Life
- Article: Sweeteners can harm cognitive health equivalent to 1.6 years of ageing, study finds
- Blog Post: Our Preoccupation With Protein Intake
Share any A-has, questions, or takeaways you have with me at [email protected]
⸻
Sign up for my Strength Training Program, Build with Becky:https://www.betterwithbecky.com
- Reminder: The newest Build with Becky Program, Strength Synergy, is now available!
- Work on progressing all major movement patterns, focusing on a different compound lower body lift to kick off each day:
- Day 1: Deadlift + Bench Focus
- Day 2: Squat + Overhead Press Focus
- Day 3: Hip Thrust + Row Focus
Get in Touch with Comments or Questions, or Request a Future Podcast Episode Topic!
0 min - Bullsh*t with Becky
In this episode of Better with Becky we're talking about how great my first week of retirement has been, and how I'm back on keto...kinda.
We also jump into a listener question from Mike about whether or not I've considered getting into Powerlifting, which leads to a discussion of the strength continuum (from muscular endurance to hypertropy, strength, and power) along with various lifting terminology and how it can be a bit confusing (i.e. powerlifting prioritizes strength whereas olympic weightlifting requires more power - go firgure! 🤔 You can see an example of powerlifting in Mike's post of his most recent powerlifting meet - check out these impressive max efforts in squat, deadlift, and bench press! 💪
The above discussion ultimately all ties back into discussing my budding interest in exploring bodybuilding:
- Discussing nutrition and how I'm manipulating my macronutrient split to skew lower carb / higher fat (not quite keto but definitely more satiating to manage food noise, focus, and energy during a cut)
- Discussing the tradeoffs involved in an extreme goal like bodybuilding and how getting stage-lean is not sustainable and why I'm interested in pursuing it anyway!
- Potential red flags and green lights to look for when looking for support and coaching with a new goal
- Importance of getting baseline bloodwork done and tracking that pre/during/post any extreme goal that will shift body composition to ensure you get back to a healthy baseline after the fact.
Resources mentioned in this episode- Last week's Episode: Back to School, Back to Routine
- Mike's Powerlifting Post
- Tonal
- Cholesterol Post
- The Book Outlive by Peter Attia.
- Biggest Loser Rejection Gratitude Reel from @leahhopehealth - 215lb+ Natural Weight Loss
In the News / What I'm Reading + Learning- How sleep affects mental health (and vice versa): What the science says
- Hate Exercise? Understanding Your Personality Type Might Help You Embrace Your Inner Athlete
Extraversion. Conscientiousness. Neuroticism. It turns out these pop science concepts could help you find the type of exercise you love.- Lifestyle Medicine for Obesity in the Era of Highly Effective Anti-Obesity Treatment
Share any A-has, questions, or takeaways you have with me at [email protected]
⸻
Sign up for my Strength Training Program, Build with Becky:https://www.betterwithbecky.com
- Reminder: The newest Build with Becky Program, Strength Synergy, is now available!
- Work on progressing all major movement patterns, focusing on a different compound lower body lift to kick off each day:
- Day 1: Deadlift + Bench Focus
- Day 2: Squat + Overhead Press Focus
- Day 3: Hip Thrust + Row Focus
Get in Touch with Comments or Questions, or Request a Future Podcast Episode Topic!
0 min - Back to School; Back to Routine
In this episode of Better with Becky after sharing some follow-up mail from listener Adrienne re: body scans (Dexa and InBody) and where to get one done, I jumped into a few life updates:
- Finally giving myself permission to embrace my (admittedly ridiculously early) retirement! It may have taken me 7-8 years and a career change, but Im finally allowing myself to simply enjoy the journey and share my takeaways with you along the way, without any internalized pressure or expectations about the future! (and no, the Build with Becky program and the Better with Becky podcast aren't going anywhere, not to worry! I am truly doing them just for the fun / joy of it at this point; no more hustling!)
- Hosting some lovely Japanese friends from my time teaching there who came to visit + reflections on "what I'm training for", and
- The Back-to-school season and how it feels like a good time to get back into a (health/fitness/wellness) routine, too (discussed the challenge of finding a good doctor you identify with, the importance of getting preventative health screenings and annual physicals / blood draw, and in particular knowing your cholesterol #s as a sign post of cardiovascular disease risk, the #1 killer of women in the United States!
- Personal Interest: considering training for a bodybuilding show!
In the News / What I'm Reading + Learning- Starbucks entering the protein wars / looks to protein drinks and other new products: protein cold foam and new bottled "20-gram protein drink with coffee"
- Is a Low-Protein Diet Trend Next? (note: if you cannot see the article in apple news, you can get the same basic information here
- NSCA Study: Optimizing Resistance Training Outcomes: Comparing In-Person Supervision, Online Coaching, and Self-Guided Approaches: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Share any A-has, questions, or takeaways you have with me at [email protected]
Resources mentioned in this episode- Cholesterol Post
- If you want to learn more about cholesterol and other chronic diseases, I highly recommend picking up the book Outlive by Peter Attia.
⸻
Sign up for my Strength Training Program, Build with Becky:https://www.betterwithbecky.com
- New Program is a Well-Rounded "Strength Synergy" Program and is available starting Sunday, Aug 24!
- Work on progressing all major movement patterns, focusing on a different compound lower body lift to kick off each day:
- Day 1: Deadlift + Bench Focus
- Day 2: Squat + Overhead Press Focus
- Day 3: Hip Thrust + Row Focus
Get in Touch with Comments or Questions, or Request a Future Podcast Episode Topic!
1 hr 28 min - 15 Fitness Lessons For Life
This Episode's Companion Post: 15 Fitness Lessons I wish I knew 15 years ago!
In this episode of Better with Becky after catching up with some life updates and sharing takeaways from a couple of recent body scans (Dexa and InBody) I had done and my mindset behind whether or not, and when/how to use them, we'll explore a deep dive of my recent post detailing ~15 years of fitness advice I'd give my younger self.
I divide the 15 lessons up into 4 categories in this episode:
- Movement / Lifting
- Recovery
- Nutrition
- Mindset Shifts / Behavior and Lifestyle Change
Each topic to some extent overlaps and works together to create a nuanced puzzle of what a sustainable, healthy lifestyle can look and feel like. Despite the outer image looking pretty much the same, the real transformation happens internally in the thoughts and feelings I have about my journey, which in turn influence my actions and keep me going in a way that feels largely effortless, since it's simply become part of my identity to show up this way.
The goal of this post and companion deep dive episode is to allow you the space to observe a peer who has made sustainable changes process what areas created the biggest shifts, encourage you to reflect on how your own journey, and potentially identify a takeaway or two that you might focus on moving forward to move the needle just a bit in a direction you so choose. If a lesson learned on my end helps you save some time and energy and get to your goals more efficiently, all the better!
Share any ahas or takeaways you have with me at [email protected]
Resources mentioned in this episode- How to get your first chin-up
- Still Trying to get your first chin-up? Try this!
In the News / What I'm Reading + Learning- Article 1: You can't outrun a bad diet. Food — not lack of exercise — fuels obesity, study finds - NPR & Companion Study: Energy expenditure and obesity across the economic spectrum
- Article 2: Women over 60 are lifting heavy. Science Says It'st he Secret to Living Longer and Aging Well - Women's Health
- Article 3: Rapid Bursts of Ageing are Causing a Total Rethink of How we Grow Old - New Scientist Cover Story
⸻
Sign up for my Strength Training Program, Build with Becky:https://www.betterwithbecky.com
- Current Program is a Well-Rounded "Triple Threat" Program
- Work on all progressing all major movement patterns, focusing on a different compound lower body lift to kick off each day:
- Day 1: Deadlift Focus
- Day 2: Squat Focus
- Day 3: Hip Thrust Focus
Get in Touch with Comments or Questions, or Request a Future Podcast Episode Topic!
1 hr 48 min
About Better with Becky
From the publisher's feed
Things I wish someone had told me on my journey to a stronger self and a better life. I'd love to read your questions and comments at [email protected]