Don't Be THAT Charlie Brown!

Today I want to talk about Charlie Brown. This might sound strange, but I promise there is a point.

You probably know the Charlie Brown football gag, but just in case here is a quick summary because we can learn a couple of lessons from Charlie Brown’s experience:

Lucy tells Charlie Brown that she will hold a football so he can kick it. Charlie Brown refuses because he doesn’t trust her. Lucy persuades Charlie Brown to trust her, but as he runs up to kick the ball, she takes it away at the very last second and he flies up in the air. 

We are all guilty of being THAT Charlie Brown…falling for that thing that seems too good to be true only to be fooled and disappointed in the end. And perhaps we are even more like Charlie Brown than we’d like to admit because despite being fooled repeatedly, we often find ourselves expecting the result to be different the next time.

The nutrition and fitness industry places that metaphorical football in front of us, the consumer, all the time. They dangle their products, a magic pill, a miracle shake, or their version of a healthy food and promise that it will help us lose weight, reach our goals, get that perfect body without doing anything other than taking their pill or eating their food. And because we think they have our best interests at heart, we fall for it.

We fall for it because we are frustrated that we aren’t reaching our goals on our own.

We fall for it because we are tired of trying to figure out what to do and not getting the results we want.

Don’t be THAT Charlie Brown. Don't get swept away by empty promises! If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

We need good nutrition DAILY.

Be the Charlie Brown that is persistent, but instead of chasing after things that are too good to be true, 

persist in having good nutrition every day.

Persist in creating habits that are real and healthy:

eat whole foods

eat enough food

eat the right foods

If you don’t know what those things are, be the persistent Charlie Brown...persist in finding out.

Programs, like FASTer Way to Fat Loss, that focus on whole food nutrition and science backed strategies like intermittent fasting and carb cycling can help you implement these habits if you can’t do it on your own.

I understand not being able to do it on your own. I was feeling frustrated and defeated because I thought I was doing everything right. FASTer Way to Fat Loss taught me how to eat and exercise to make my body happy and get results.

I hope you have learned a thing or two from Charlie Brown today! Don’t be fooled by empty promises and don’t give up on yourself!

You can learn more about my next round of FASTer Way to Fat Loss here.

If you only care about a number on the scale, you will struggle forever!

Hey there!

I hope you are having an amazing day!

Today I want to chat about your scale.

Be honest! Do you obsess over the number on your scale?

Don’t worry. You are not alone.

Many people worry WAY too much and stress WAY too much about that number.

It’s too high

It’s not moving fast enough

Wait, why did it go back up????

Here are some things you should know about the number on a scale:

1. it only explains our relationship with gravity
2. it fluctuates based on water in your body
3. it is not a good measurement of progress

Every day I see ads for weight loss. They say things like,

Lose 10 pounds in 10 days

Do this for 7 days and lose 20 pounds

Nothing that promises results in such a short amount of time is true or good for you.

It takes an average 45 days to see REAL change, to start to create a healthy lifestyle.

That is why I would love for you to join me and my next round of FASTer Way to Fat Loss. 

I will not promise you weight loss.

I WILL promise you strategies that will help you lose fat, build muscle and improve your overall health.

I also promise that you will have to work for it.

The fat you want to lose, the fit and lean body that you desire, the healthy lifestyle you want...it can be yours with hard work, consistency, positive mindset and patience.

My next round is starting on November 4th!

If you have questions about the FASTer Way to Fat Loss, drop them in the comments below or send me a message. 

Visit my FWTFL page for more information and my own journey.

I truly want to be a part of your journey with breaking up with your scale!

Tips to Stay on Track this Labor Day Weekend

Hi everyone! 

Labor Day is right around the corner and the end of summer parties are too. 

Raise your hand if you have big plans for the weekend? 

It can be easy to fill up on junk food and alcohol and desserts. 

So how can you enjoy your good-bye to summer party without throwing in the towel on your healthy habits?

Here’s the deal…you do not have to go into your weekend with an all or nothing attitude. You CAN have fun, stay healthy and STILL enjoy your weekend!

Here’s how:

1. exercise - if you know you are going to splurge, start off with a great workout. Get a good workout done and get the furnace going. If you do a good workout, your body will be in fat burning mode through out your day.

2. save your calories - if you know that you are going to an afternoon or evening party, try breaking your fast later in the day. This means you can enjoy al the yummy food during the party without worrying that you are eating too much.

3. bring your own dish - there are so many amazing recipes you can serve (or bring) that the entire crowd will love! You don't have to sacrifice flavor or your desserts to stay healthy and still enjoy your holiday weekend.

Remember, living a healthy lifestyle means we know how balance our choices. The majority of the time, eat spot on and healthy! But make time to enjoy a treat, dessert, special meal or a drink! When you eat like this, you don't feel deprived! It's all about moderation!  Know when enough is enough!

If you need help building healthy habits, I would love for you to join my next round of FASTer Way to Fat Loss starting SEPT 16 - learn more here.

As always, if you have a question leave it in the comments below!

Turn Sabotage into Success

Without even knowing it, when we start working toward a goal of fat loss or weight loss we often do things to sabotage our success. We think we are doing the right things, but in reality we are putting our bodies in a place where it will refuse to do what we want. This leads to feelings of frustration and defeat because we aren't getting results. We aren't seeing a change and often times we don't know why.

Three common things women and men do that sabotages weight/fat loss:

1. Reduce calories - We start under-eating. We starve ourselves and eliminate certain food groups. We label certain foods as bad and avoid eating them. We think we are going to lose fat/weight, but in reality our body gets stressed and stops burning fat. Instead, when we severely restrict calories, our bodies will hold onto fat for survival.
2. Over exercise - We start to exercise too much and at a high intensity. We pile on the minutes and hours spent at the gym or running. We track those calories burned obsessively and even double up on workouts to reach a specific high target number. Exercising too much only stresses the body and prevents it from doing what we want -> burn fat/lose weight.
3. Wrong mindset - We often start our journey off great but then can’t follow through because we have the wrong mindset. It becomes all or nothing, good versus bad, on versus off. When we look at our journey this way, it often leads to failure because we are being too hard on ourselves.

To turn the sabotage into success you have to do three things:

1. Eat enough - Eat enough of the right foods to fuel your body properly. Each of us has to find out what that amount is and make sure that we are hitting our goals. When we do that, our daily movement creates a natural deficit. This is a healthy deficit because the body is fueled but burning fat stores for movement and any exercise that we do. 
2. Exercise right - When we get in 30 minutes of exercise a day and when we get a variety: cardio, strength training, and low intensity, our bodies will burn fat, build muscle and not be in a state of stress. Our body will be happy to burn fat and let go of the weight.
3. Positive mindset - Fat/weight loss is a process. It won’t be perfect. We have to focus on what we do well and set a goal to do the rest better tomorrow. Having a positive mindset that allows us to embrace the struggles and celebrate the wins helps us to sustain our journey. We are more likely to follow through than when we have an all or nothing mindset.

My mission is to help women and men who are feeling frustrated because they are not getting results from deprivation diets and working out all the time. I want to show women and men that there is a better way, a sustainable way. 

As a FASTer Way to Fat Loss coach, I teach my clients fat loss strategies that are sustainable because they eat enough, they exercise the right amount and the celebrate the process. 

You can join my next round on August 19 and end your frustration too. Use this link to register or to learn more about the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program. 

Now is the time to get started with a new routine and build healthy habits that work! 

I hope you’ll join me!

Focus on Losing Fat, Not Weight!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I am hopping on today to chat a little bit about losing fat versus losing weight.

Many people are obsessed with what the scale says and I want to tell you why you should be focused on losing fat instead.

 So many of us have been taught to focus on our weight in terms of being healthy. It is important, but it is also just a number that shows our relationship with gravity!

When most people say they want to lose weight, it’s because their clothes aren’t fitting well anymore and they see a number on the scale that is to blame. People blame weight because they feel out of shape and unfit.

However, when people focus on losing weight, often times they will also lose water, muscle mass, strength and overall fitness. This can have a lot of negative side effects on our body.

Again, don’t get me wrong, a healthy weight is important, but what’s more important than losing weight, is losing fat.

Here’s why:

When we focus on losing fat with the right nutrition and fitness, we can see so many benefits.

When we lose fat we change our body composition – 

• we feel comfortable in our clothes again, 
• we see muscle definition re-emerging, 
• we find a version of ourselves that is in shape and fit.

 Something else that happens when we lose fat -

• our metabolism increases, 
• our body’s ability to burn fat on its own is greater, 
• we have more energy

The truth is, we want to lose fat, not weight. Losing weight is often temporary and most of us do not want to find again after we’ve lost it!

To turn your body into a fat burner you have to make sure that you are eating the right amount of the right foods. That means eating the right amount of carbs, fats and proteins every day. Eating enough every day. Once you do that, you will no longer be obsessed with the number on the scale!

And to really lose fat, you really need to limit your alcohol – which can stop the fat burning process for up to 36 hours!

Feel free to follow me on IG at amycainefitness, I would love to connect with you there.

Let me know if you have any questions! I’m happy to answer them for you. If you found this information helpful, please share this post.