Fuel Your Strength

One of the most common questions I get is about returning to lifting and modifying your training after an injury. While it can feel scary to get back into lifting after an injury, the good news is that with the right program, your body can overcome more than you believe it can.

If You Want to Return To Lifting After an Injury, You Should:

1. Listen to pain as if it is a messenger and not a serious alarm
2. Try to move past your fear and anxiety by thinking happy thoughts
3. Work with a professional to find the right dosage and rate of exercise for your state

Getting Back to What You Love with Dr. Leada Malek

Dr. Leada Malek is a licensed physical therapist, board-certified sports specialist, and one of the 9% of therapists in the US who specialize in sports therapy. She has treated everyone from professional dancers to athletes, weekend warriors, and young adults. Dr. Malek uses a combined approach of manual therapy and therapeutic exercise to help her patients move better, perform better, and compete again. She believes in retraining the body as a whole and assisting people in preventing or recovering from injury so that they can continue to do what they love.

Treating the Whole Person

You may not think of yourself as an athlete, but Dr. Malek believes that you are one if you are doing something that you love. When an injury happens, it can prevent us from doing these activities; and it can profoundly impact our mental health, immune system, hormones, sleep, and mood.

Dr. Malek likes to get to know and treat a person as a whole being. Knowing what drives you, your fears, and your strengths can help identify an injury and prevent any future injuries. Addressing your thoughts and beliefs around your injury can actually help you resolve your pain and give you the confidence to get back into lifting again.

Get Past Your Fear and Back Into the Gym

Sometimes an injury or simply getting older can make us question our ability to build strong muscles and strong bones. But Dr. Malek is here to tell you that your body is incredibly resilient, and with the right dosage and right rate of exercise, your body can adapt, and you can take baby steps towards doing what you love again.

Pain is not always a sign of injury, but it does need to be listened to. By paying attention to what your body is trying to tell you, and focusing on the exercises and movement patterns that make you feel the best, you can address all the things that go into making you a functioning human, and move past your injury in the best way possible.

Are you ready to address your fears around rehabbing your injury and get back to lifting? Share your thoughts with me in the comments section of the episode page.

• Common issues that athletes deal with, even at a high level of performance in contrasting arenas (10:02)
• The role of low energy availability and how it can impact how you train (14:49)
• Physical manifestations that can come from low energy availability when recovering (20:56)
• What to do if you are afraid or skeptical to start lifting again after an injury (24:42)
• How to know how much mobility is right for you (34:20)

Quotes

"Once I got in and really started to appreciate how you could use exercise to help someone continue to exercise despite their ability to not exercise, that was really cool to me." (7:14)

"It may not show up in hormonal levels, or maybe it is, and you just can't see it, but it can show up in your mood, in sleep disturbances, in immune function." (20:24)

"Not every question that you ask the person may be about the injury, but every question you ask should be about them. What they think, what they believe, how they view their injury, what scares them or what excites them, and what they want to be able to do. Because if you have all that information, and they are having an off day because of something else, you might catch something at a very early stage that could save them from a future injury." (23:11)

"You should be able to complete everything you want to do without the looming fear of 'this is going to injure me again'. Because your body is super resilient." (27:24)

"There is someone out there that is dedicated to making sure that you understand your body in the sense that is going to offer the way of exercising for longevity, and that doesn't hinder your progress." (29:39)

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Dr. Leada Malek Website

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LTYB 358: Hypermobility, Pain, and Strength Training with Nikki Naab-Levy

LTYB 351: Strength Training Risk vs Benefit

LTYB 350: Are You Eating Enough? Low Energy Availability in Sport

Have you ever wished that you started your strength training journey earlier, maybe even in high school? The benefits of teaching girls how to lift properly at a young age go beyond the physical body and can impact their confidence, mental health, and body image.

If You Want to Help Girls Get Stronger, You Should:

1. Be mindful about the language you use around body image
2. Encourage them to be conscious consumers on social media
3. Shift mindset away from aesthetic based exercise towards strength-based results

The Benefits of Strength Training With Tiffany Ragozzino

Tiffany Ragozzino took her loves of fitness and education and combined them to help young girls get stronger and love their bodies. She is currently the Physical Education and Health teacher at an all-girls middle and high school in Los Angeles. Her mission is to empower girls and women to lift a barbell, be strong, show that muscles can be feminine, challenge them to see what their body is capable of, and gain confidence in themselves.

Getting Stronger in School and Life

As adults, we are expected to know how to move properly, but we were never taught how at a foundational level. Tiffany helps girls learn how to work through the functional movement patterns so that they can enter any space and feel confident in their ability and knowledge. She has seen firsthand the empowerment that these young girls experience when they learn how to move their bodies and build strength.

Not everybody grows up being a track athlete or a soccer star. Tiffany's program offers something different that has a total body and mind impact. Her program includes mental health support, teaching girls to be critical consumers when it comes to social media, how to do deal with body image issues, and a range of other topics meant to help girls love and accept their bodies.

Making Life Better for the Next Generation

Growing up in our modern world, where social media is everywhere, isn't easy. Today, girls need the skills that Tiffany teaches them to build strength and confidence. These skills can be taken with them throughout their whole lives and can have a positive impact on the generations to follow.

As adults, we must take a look at the language and mindset that we are projecting onto younger generations. Kids soak up everything around them, which is why it is so important to consider your language and intention around body image and fitness when it comes to any young people you influence on. Creating a healthier environment starts with us and can make a huge difference.

Do you wish you had a program like Tiffany's when you grew up? I sure do! Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page.

• What it is like to merge the worlds of fitness and lifting with teaching (11:47)
• How to transition your mindset away from aesthetics and towards what your body can do (14:08)
• An example of what you could expect to see as a student taking one of Tiffany's classes (18:35)
• Why it is so important that we teach girls and young women to lift before they are out in the world (23:52)
• The responsibility of adults to help young girls get stronger, gain confidence and improve body image (31:55)

Quotes

"Learning how to do Olympic lifting, strength training, pushing my body to do things I never thought it could do, it just made me think 'how cool would this have been if I had learned this at an earlier age? Where would I have been if I learned this in high school?'." (12:42)

"My responsibility is to teach them how to be critical consumers and to make them aware of what they are doing and why they are doing it." (17:13)

"It is so rewarding to see a group of teen girls add a squat rep, coaching each other, giving each other cues. And I'm like 'I wish I got to do this when I was a teenager!'." (23:23)

"Giving students alternatives, maybe they are not the track star, maybe they are not on the soccer team, but they found something else that they can excel in, and feel good and feel confident, that's probably been my favorite piece about it." (25:05)

"As parents, our responsibility is not only to support whatever your kid wants to do but also unpack why you are thinking otherwise." (33:58)

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The Pretty Little Lifters Website

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LTYB 334: How Strong Women Can Lift Each Other Up with Molly Galbraith

Strength training is incredibly important to your longevity and healthy aging. However, the routine of working on the same functional movement patterns needs to be mixed up with a fun environment, new methods, and the right workout plan for your level in order to experience all the benefits.

If You Want to Beat Workout Boredom, You Should:

1. Stop trying to make up your workouts completely by yourself
2. Focus on your mind-muscle connection
3. Make your workout environment fun

Switch it Up, But Not Too Much

We want the same from our workouts in our modern world of being constantly entertained by our phones. Some people quench this need for entertainment by 'training for the unknown' and making things too complex. But this really works to our disadvantage, as muscle confusion can actually stress us out more, especially if you are trying to get the most out of your workout in a short amount of time.

While it is important to switch up the ways in which you move through the five basic functional movement patterns to keep from getting bored, you need to be consistent and keep doing it to get all of the benefits.

What To Do If You Are Bored

If you notice that your mind is drifting off during the last few sets of your workout, you are probably not lifting heavy enough. The challenge, and the mind-muscle connection, are key players when it comes to keeping yourself engaged in your workout. This is why it is so important to find a program that keeps you engaged and challenged while being appropriate for your ability level and goals.

Finding a program that helps you focus on the challenge, working out in a fun environment, and remembering the mind-muscle connection, are just a few of the ways that you can continue to get the most out of your workouts while still enjoying them.

Have you ever struggled with workout boredom? Share your thoughts, experiences, and solutions with me in the comments on the episode page.

• How to avoid getting bored when you are focusing on the same functional movement patterns all the time (6:51)
• Addressing the misinformation out there about longevity and healthy aging (9:30)
• The role of social media and culture when wanting to be entertained by our workouts (12:33)
• Why people think lifting is boring or experience that lifting is not entertaining (15:24)
• Tips for creating a consistent and enjoyable strength training routine (23:45)

Quotes

"Your lifting journey will probably have ebbs and flows, and will change over time." (5:52)

"I think there comes a point where even if lifting weights or resistance training isn't your jam, it is very important to start thinking about it." (10:58)

"I think if you are not appropriately challenging yourself when it comes to lifting weights, it's easy to feel like it is boring." (19:40)

"If you're finding your workouts boring because you don't know how to program a workout that is going to be effective enough, or on the flip side, you are dying in every workout and you think you have to smash yourself and be the sorest ever or it's not going to give you results, which is not true, invest in a program." (25:11)

"Lifting, it's okay if it's boring. But it serves a purpose. It is very important for your health and wellbeing. It is something that you can embrace the routine of, make sure that you are really loading your workouts appropriately, and giving yourself a challenge." (33:10)

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LTYB 359: #1 Way to Set More Effective Fitness Goals

The start of a new year often comes with new goals. While I have nothing against setting goals, my approach is counterintuitive to most of the things you have ever been taught about setting goals and making them stick.

If You Want To Set Goals that Last in 2022, You Should:

1. Lower the bar about your expectations
2. Create a tiered system to support your goals
3. Address your priority as early in the day as possible

The Problem With Shooting for the Moon

Often, we are stuck on the idea that we need to aim high and shoot for the moon when it comes to our goals. But, when we are not able to reach the maximum, the shame and guilt that comes with that can discourage us from trying again. While there is nothing wrong with aiming high, setting a lower bar can actually help you be more successful in the long run when it comes to execution.

Aiming Lower for Better Results

Instead of shooting for the moon, lowering the bar and thinking about our goals in a way that is shrunken down can help you be more successful in achieving your goal. By learning the systems and structures necessary to evolve, grow and accomplish our goals, we can implement them into our lives more seamlessly and effectively.

If you can lower the bar, create a tiered system for your goals, and make your goals concrete, you will be amazed at how much simpler it is to achieve the things you want to.

How do you set goals and make sure that you follow through? Share if you found my tips useful with me in the comments section of the episode page.

• Learn about my new rebrand and what to expect from my new website (2:21)
• My number one tip for goal setting in 2022 (8:16)
• The problem with an all or nothing mentality (12:26)
• Tips to help you lower the bar and support the goal you have (17:13)
• Why you need to make your actions concrete (22:50)

Quotes

"This time of the year can be really tricky for people because of all of the pressure we feel from the outside world. And 'New Year, New You'; and all of the other shitty messaging that comes along with that can just take a flying leap for all I am concerned with." (5:39)

"Information is everywhere, but it is how you implement it that matters." (7:47)

"There is nothing wrong with picturing something big and bold and juicy. But when it comes to execution, I think that shooting for a lower bar is ultimately going to help you be more successful." (9:06)

"When it comes to following through, autonomy and the ability to have a choice is one of the best ways to do that." (19:29)

"Lower the bar, start thinking about our goals in terms of shrinking it down, shooting for less, but being more successful, so that over time the systems and structures that you need to continue to evolve and grow, and your confidence in terms of your ability to execute and do the thing, grow as well." (25:54)

Check Out The New Steph Gaudreau Website Here

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LTYB 347: Getting Crystal Clear on Your Fitness Motivation with Christa Shelton

LTYB 342: Fitness Trackers and Listening To Your Body

LTYB 314: How To Set Health Goals Beyond the Scale with Steph Dodier

When you have a history of pain, injury, or hypermobility, it can be scary to introduce strength training into your routine. But strength training can help you improve your mobility, build strength, and move beyond a past injury. If you have fears about starting a strength training practice because of pain or hypermobility, this episode is here to tell you that you have nothing to fear.

If You Want To Use Strength Training to Improve Your Pain or Hypermobility, You Should:

1. Start changing your mindset to believe your body is capable of doing more than you give it credit for
2. Find a basic strength training program with low-to-medium reps to feel more in control
3. Introduce strength training in a way that makes sense for your unique body and needs

The Benefits of Strength Training

Nikki Naab-Levy is a strength and nutrition coach who knows firsthand what it is like to live with chronic pain. Having been involved in multiple arenas in the fitness industry for the past 17 years, Nikki and her clients have used strength training to alleviate their pain and gain confidence, strength, and a sustainable mindset.

How Strength Training Can Help Your Symptoms

Even if you have a history of pain, injury, or hypermobility, it is completely possible and beneficial to use strength training as a way to create a sense of safety in your body through your nervous system.

If you think an activity will hurt, the likelihood of it hurting is far more significant; it is just how our brains are wired. But, when you equip yourself with the knowledge that Nikki shares to know how pain works and why it happens, you can design your strength training workouts in a way that benefits your body and mind.

Getting Rid of the Fear Around Strength Training

There is a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to strength training, especially for women. We are told not to lift anything heavy because we might hurt ourselves and are instead conditioned to believe that workouts 'made for women' are the only way to find the results we are looking for.

This couldn't be farther from the truth. Strength training, when done properly for your unique body's needs, can not only help you manage your pain, injury, or hypermobility, but it can lead to a whole new way of understanding just how much your body can really do.

Are you ready to harness the power of strength training so that you can relieve your pain, past injuries, or hypermobility? Share how this episode changes your perspective with me in the comments on the episode page.

• The biggest benefits of strength training if you have a history of pain or injury (10:31)
• Clues that you are potentially hypermobile and how to gain clarity around your assessment (14:37)
• How to get started on your unique strength training journey if you have a history of injury (19:55)
• Dismissing the myths that women should not lift heavy things because they will get hurt (27:20)
• How to get clear on the goal of your exercise and see the results you want (32:44)

Quotes

"We tend to have a really narrow view of how to address things. And that narrow view tends to be what keeps us stuck in not feeling or getting better or being able to start or pursue something." (8:51)

"I think the first thing we need to start to understand and educate ourselves to reduce some of the fear is this understanding that pain is sort of an experience that is created by the nervous system as a way to get us to pay attention to something." (12:32)

"You do need a certain underlying level of being able to sense and feel your joints and control your ranges of motion or your stability." (20:35)

"What people need to realize is, it is actually that basic, and whatever weight you start with does not matter. It just needs to be heavy enough that it feels challenging, but not so heavy that you feel out of control with the weight. And typically, as women, we are much more capable and stronger than we realize we are." (22:34)

"You are not going to get that from starving the shit out of yourself and doing these workouts that make you tired. But they don't make you stronger, they don't give you more muscle, and they don't make you better." (33:34)

Join the Group Strength Nutrition Waitlist Here

Nikki Naab-Levy Website

Follow Nikki on Instagram

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LTYB 351: Strength Training Risk vs Benefit

You don't have to look very hard to see the 'clean eating' message all over social media and the internet. While I believe the intention of this movement isn't to create harm, it is problematic in so many more ways that people understand.

If You Want To Stop Making Low Energy Food Swaps, You Should:

1. Put work into unlearning what you have been taught about food and fueling
2. Stop making low energy food substitutions and start fueling for your activity level and volume
3. Join the Group Strength Nutrition Program to explore the 4 Keys of Fueling Your Strength

Why 'Clean Eating' May Not Be for You

If you are an active person and are not fueling your body with the energy needed to complete your chosen activity, you are doing a disservice to your body.

Creating an energy deficit for yourself can happen easily when you are not giving your body the carbohydrates and fats it needs to perform at peak capacity. While nobody is saying that vegetables are bad, it takes more than just vegetables to fuel your body the way it requires. Figuring out the right combination of foods that work for you is the only way to fuel your body the way it should be fueled.

Fuelling Your Body the Right Way

By being mindful of the old habits that you are still engaging with, you can start to change your mindset and routine to eat in relation to the intensity and volume of your training.

The good news is there is a middle ground to develop awareness, a framework, best practices, and science-based information to fuel yourself for your activity in a way that does not consume your whole life. It doesn't need to be complicated; it just takes some learning and unlearning to see the results you have been looking for.

Are you ready to stop counting calories and start eating in a way that is both healthy, but also non-restrictive? Share how you are working to fuel your body the right way for you with me in the comments on the episode page.

• Examples of low energy food substitutions that you may be making without even realizing it (5:52)
• How 'clean eating' and other food trends could be disrupting your strength training (9:21)
• Why you need more than just vegetables when fueling your activity levels and energy (14:30)
• Learn my personal story with fueling in relation to my intensity and volume of training (19:05)
• What to do if you are ready to walk away from macro counting (25:43)

Quotes

"This is a very common issue that is facing people who are active and working out and lifting weights and challenging themselves and asking their bodies to do fun and hard things. And it really has to do with an element of fueling and energy intake that not a lot of people talk about or are aware of." (2:49)

"You don't intend to do these low energy substitutions or really low carb substitutions, but it is kind of a holdover from your old habits and ways of looking at food." (11:31)

"Vegetables are not bad, vegetables are amazing. Fibre, nutrients, vitamins, minerals, delicious! But they are usually much lower in energy." (16:40)

"I went on to be on a team at CrossFit Regionals in 2013 and really had one of what I would consider the Top 5 athletic performances of my life; it was amazing. It was such night and day contrast from where I had been just a few months earlier because I really started to eat enough, and I didn't go out and count every single thing I was eating." (24:38)

"I want you to experience how amazing it feels, how powerful and strong and badass you feel when you are properly fueled up and recovered, and you can go out there and do hard things." (30:26)

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LTYB 352: Energy Flux and Fueling for Athletes with Jamie Scott

LTYB 353: Fueling Best Practices for Active People with Jamie Scott

LTYB 350: Are You Eating Enough? Low Energy Availability in Sport

When a woman has a child, society forces immediate pressure on her to get her 'pre-baby body back'. These conversations can be difficult to navigate, and it takes some adapting to learn how to embrace your new body and a new phase of life. If you are struggling to understand how to welcome strength into your life as a new mom, this is the episode for you.

If You Want To Have A More Body Neutral Approach to Movement, You Should:

1. Create a habit of unfollowing people on social media that do not align with your goals or make you feel bad about yourself
2. Remember who you are outside of your identity as a mother or someone who looks a certain way
3. Find movement patterns that work for your new body and phase of life while addressing your unique symptoms

Movement and Mindset for Mothers

Dara Bergeron is a veteran trainer and movement educator specializing in body-neutral movement and mindset for mothers. Through her coaching and online programs, Dara teaches women how to weed diet culture from their movement ethic and parent themselves around exercise, focusing on functional strength, mobility, and core & pelvic floor awareness.

Taking Back Your Worth

For many women, giving birth is the first time they feel their physical appearance compromises their value. Who can blame them when the patriarchy and society place a premium on your ability to procreate and how you look. Dara is on a mission to disrupt this mentality and help moms focus on bringing back parts of their identity that have nothing to do with either of those things. By reconnecting with other parts of your identity and discovering who you are outside of motherhood, the importance of your appearance begins to shrink, and in turn, you can stop wishing you had a different body and start enjoying the one you have.

Mom Bod Love

Being a mom requires a lot of physical labor. Mom bods have to be ready at a moment's notice to jump into action when needed. This is why it is so important to use movement and strength training exercises to prepare yourself and avoid injury.

You don't have to spend hours at the gym to achieve this either. All it takes is understanding how and why your movements matter and finding a set of exercises that work for you, your pelvic floor, and your symptoms. By creating movement patterns that work for your schedule and your new body, you can include a more well-rounded version of fitness in your life and get back to doing what you love most.

Are you ready to embrace your mom bod? Share which of Dara's tips you are going to try with me in the comments on the episode page.

• How to navigate the minefield that women and new parents are told about their bodies (8:32)
• Dara's response to those who are desperate to get their 'pre-baby body back' (13:23)
• Comparing 'dad bods' and 'mom bods' and how to find 'mom bod love' (18:41)
• The three core pillars of mobility, pelvic floor connection, and full-body strength (22:40)
• Tips for integrating compound movements during your home workouts (33:54)

Quotes

"I just decided that I wasn't okay being on the side of the line that was encouraging bounce-back culture and postpartum fat loss and that sort of thing. So I began shifting my own focus and my own fitness and how I worked with clients to a more body neutral approach." (6:39)

"There is so much more to us than just that we can procreate and that we look a certain way." (17:02)

"There is some real physical labor that a 'mom bod' has to be prepared to do, and it doesn't always come up at a time when we are prepared or thinking about it. So my belief is when we are engaging in smart strength and mobility and core and pelvic floor connection work, then we are going to be prepared for those things. And it also allows us to be better parents and more active and confident parents." (21:02)

"It can feel a little weird to think about treating that area with a professional or working with a coach on that area, but as with all aspects of your health and your body, it's not just about the pelvic floor." (29:13)

"The sensation of connection to the pelvic floor is feasible for everyone. And dealing with symptoms is feasible for everyone. It's just about how you create the routine for you and the patterns and cues for you that help you feel confident." (32:19)

Join the Group Strength Nutrition Unlocked Waitlist Here

Dana Bergeron Website

Belly Bootcamp Website

Mama Reset Website

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LTYB 334: How Strong Women Can Lift Eachother Up with Molly Galbraith

LTYB 262: How To See The Value Outside Your Body & Overcome Self-Doubt with Summer Innanen

How likely are you to try something completely new when it comes to movement? Trying something new can be scary, but the benefits you get from incorporating movement into your daily routine and trying new things may surprise you.

If You Are Ready To Start Moving More, You Should:

1. Look around you to see what new movement practices you could try
2. Build resilience and confidence by trying new things at least twice
3. Create movement rituals to become more connected to your body

Finding Your Purpose Through Movement

Nicole Tsong, bestselling author of 24 Ways to Move More and America's Work-LIfe Balance coach, helps high-achievers use movement to connect to themselves and their purpose. The founder of Nicole Tsong Coaching, she reached hundreds of thousands of readers as the former Fit for Life columnist for The Seattle Times. She is the creator of the Clear Calling Method, which helps women create true work/life balance to discover their calling.

She is an award-winning journalist and, for three years, taught yoga at the White House Easter Egg Roll during the Obama administration. She has been featured on New Day NW on KING-5 TV in Seattle, in The Seattle Times, and reached thousands of people as a speaker with the Seattle Public Library, Elliott Bay Bookstore, and King County Library System. Today she is here to tell us about the 300+ activities that she has tried and explore why we should all be trying new things when it comes to movement.

Becoming Okay With Being Bad

Nicole has had many different careers that brought her to the place she is in today. From journalist to yoga instructor to coach, Nicole uses movement to help herself and others understand their purpose. Your body was designed to move, but we live in a culture that tells us it is hard and needs to be forced. While Nicole has always loved movement, her assignment to try a new movement activity resulted in trying over 300+ practices, showing her how strong she is both physically and mentally.

The Power Waits Outside Your Comfort Zone

From tap dancing to climbing trees, the resilience Nicole found through movement brings a unique perspective to the world of fitness. Trying new things can help you connect to your body and give you the confidence to try new things.

Nicole is a testament to the energy and creativity that comes from putting yourself out of your comfort zone and integrating movement into your life, not just your time at the gym. Don't be afraid to try something new, even if you may be bad at it. The second time around, you will already be better.

Are you ready to step outside your comfort zone and experience new forms of movement? Share what activity you have always wanted to try but were too scared to, with me in the comments section of the episode page.

• Addressing the fears and uncertainty that come with making big changes in your life (4:21)
• Explore what it is like to write about health and fitness professionally (11:42)
• How to start trying new things, even if you might be bad or uncomfortable with them at first (17:17)
• Some of Nicole's favorite activities that she was most surprised by (24:02)
• Why strength training and Olympic weight lifting has stuck in Nicole's routine (28:43)

Quotes

"I also knew that if I didn't do it, there would be an even greater cost." (6:40)

"We came up with the idea of trying new things every week. And I thought, 'how am I going to get through a year? This is a lot.'. And I ended up doing it for six years and trying 300+ activities by the end of the column." (12:22)

"That's really what the book is about, 24 Ways To Move More, is really to inspire people to see movement as a joyful and fun thing versus a weight or a burden or something you have to do." (14:09)

"You can ask for help. And help is actually really important, but we are trained to not ask for help." (22:15)

"Movement helps you get out of that mental space and back into grounding so that you can then feel like yourself again. And then you can actually talk about clarity and purpose and really doing the kind of work you are passionate about in your life, serving your family in a bigger way, and reconnecting inward as best as you can." (33:00)

Join the Group Strength Nutrition Unlocked Waitlist Here

24 Ways to Move More: Monthly Inspiration for Health and Movement by Nicole Tsong

3 Ways Movement Helps You Discover Your Calling Download

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LTYB 303: Stop Earning and Burning Your Food Through Movement (Intuitive Eating Principle 9)

Sleep can be a touchy subject. While everyone needs sleep in order to function properly, it is especially important for those of us who are more physically active. Not only does sleep help in the recovery process, but it also has many additional benefits. If you want to get more restful sleep, this episode is filled with tips so that you can get the best sleep possible for both your mind and your muscle health.

If You Want To Get More Restful Sleep, You Should:

1. Avoid alcohol and caffeine before you go to bed
2. Improve your sleep hygiene habits and bedtime routine
3. Look at your sleep situation objectively

Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

Have you ever found yourself staying up late just because you know you can? This is called revenge bedtime procrastination, and it happens to the best of us. Even though we know that we need to get more sleep, we use this late-night time as an escape or act of freedom, but it is actually doing our bodies more harm than good. By understanding the things that are underlying your revenge bed procrastination, you can make changes in your daily life, bedtime routine, and sleep hygiene to give your body the proper amount of sleep needed.

The Importance of Sleep

So, why is sleep so important? Sleep not only helps with our mental function and energy levels but also plays a huge role in our muscle recovery as active individuals.

Your body needs a proper amount of sleep to operate properly, both mentally and physically, which is why it is so important to prioritize your sleep routine. While everyone's schedules are different, I have found 5 of the best ways for anyone to get better sleep and am sharing them with you today.

Who do you know who could benefit from my top 5 sleep tips? Share this episode with them and tag me in the comments section of the episode page.

• Why revenge bedtime procrastination is a problem (4:30)
• The benefits of sleep for athletic people and recovery (8:17)
• 5 tips for getting the restful sleep that you need (10:19)
• Changes that you can make in your life to get better sleep (18:18)
• My absolute favorite sleep hack that I use quite frequently (22:05)

Quotes

"Sometimes when you get used to sleep deprivation, you kind of learn to manage, and sometimes you forget how good it feels to be properly rested." (6:57)

"We need sleep no matter if we are exercising or not. But if you are someone who is highly physically active, then sleep is part of your recovery strategy." (9:52)

"No matter what you decide, you get to choose your routine. It could include so many different things." (16:55)

"What, if anything, in your schedule, is within your power to make a change about?" (18:46)

"We talked about revenge bedtime procrastination, what is and why it happens. We made a connection to recovery and training and why if you are someone who is working out, etc., it's really important that you make sleep part of your recovery strategy." (25:09)

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I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

LTYB 342: Fitness Trackers and Listening to Your Body

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HTK 220: 13 Tips for Better Sleep

Jamie Scott is regularly eating 3000 calories a day and is getting leaner. How is this possible? Find out on Part 2 of this awesome series, where we discuss the best fueling practices for active people, the harmful side effects of fasting, and dive deep into the knowledge you need to know to fuel your body correctly and sufficiently.

If You Want To Start Fueling For Your Activity Level, You Should:

1. Work with a coach to understand the information overload and decipher what is right for your body
2. Figure out the appropriate amount of grams per kilogram that your body needs due to your activity level
3. Notice if you are feeling shitty, give yourself fuel, and see how your body reacts
4. Bring your body back to balance by reintroducing food

Understanding the 'Why' Behind Fueling

Jamie Scott is a New Zealand Registered Nutritionist, holding post-graduate qualifications in both Nutrition Medicine and Sport & Exercise Medicine, as well as undergraduate degrees in both Nutrition Science and Physical Education, and a Level-1 Mountain Bike Skills coach (PMBIA). Jamie loves helping people navigate the complexity and confusion surrounding everyday health and performance advice and helps them focus on the essential elements of nutrition to increase their capacity and energy for life.

Sorting Through the Information Overload

When you improve your energy processes, all of your body's functionings start to improve with it. You can still be in a calorie deficit, but by introducing a bigger energy flux throughout your system, you can do more and get more nutrients out of your day.

By understanding the systems needed and keeping it simple, sequenced, and strategic, you can grasp the role of macronutrients and why it is important on a physiological level. Jamie believes there is a lack of understanding of human biology in our modern world, and it's only by assessing the information that is out there that you can truly comprehend what your body needs.

Eat More, Not Less

There is a lot of relevant and not-so-relevant information out there. This is why Jamie takes a practical approach in explaining the 'whys' behind fueling your body more and not less. Your body's need for energy will eventually override your willpower. This is what causes binges and irregular appetites.

We come from a culture where women are told they shouldn't eat very much, and this just isn't true. By fueling your body properly and consistently, you will notice the difference in how you feel and how you perform. While it's not an overnight magic pill, it will have a huge impact on your energy, ability, and overall health.

What was your favorite knowledge bomb that Jamie dropped on us today? Share your thoughts about fueling as an active person with me in the comments on the episode page.

• What to expect if you start to go out of your way to eat more food (1:55)
• How to let go of your fears around eating more (6:22)
• The importance of systems when implementing a nutrition plan (22:22)
• Why fasting could actually be doing your body more harm than good (31:57)
• Early signs to watch out for that signal you are not fueling your body properly (40:04)

Quotes

"You can repair muscle and bone tissue; you can keep your ovaries switched on and keep your menstrual cycle running, brain fog disappears, you are more emotionally stable. You get all the benefits out of each reward, and you are pushing more fuel through the system." (4:02)

"Wrapped around all of that is ongoing support and assurance. And that is probably the biggest part of my ongoing coaching role, is just to kind of pat people on the back and let them know that it will be alright, and this is normal, keep going, stick with it and trust the process." (12:52)

"I think sometimes a lot of people who work with a nutritionist or a nutrition coach think that they are just going to get a plan, effectively a schedule of here is the food I want you to eat and here is when I want you to eat it. And sure, that can be part of it, but if you don't have the structures and the environment around you to prep those meals and eat those meals, it doesn't matter what the schedule says." (22:23)

"Anyone who is on social media and sees anyone promoting daytime fasting that starts from the time someone wakes up, that is a red flag for that person straight away." (35:46)

"We can list all of these positives; we can talk about this until we are blue in the face, we can discuss all the historical and sociological sides of it. The problem is we focus on weight. That's what you get drawn back to." (46:21)

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I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative

LTYB 352: Energy Flux and Fueling for Athletes with Jamie Scott

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