If you’re in the U.S., you’ll know that the time between late October (Halloween) and the beginning of the next year can be a dicey time to attempt to lose fat.
You’ve got the aforementioned Halloween, and all the candy that comes with it (especially if you have children in the home who participate), you have Thanksgiving, Hanukkah (for those who celebrate), Christmas (also for those who celebrate) and New Year’s. All of which are very much focused on food, drink, and socializing.
It’s not just the actual days those holidays fall on either.
Depending on how the family congregates, each holiday can be celebrated for more than one day and leftovers from all the delicious food can last for several days as well.
Not to mention, all of the emotional highs and lows of gift giving, cooking, family dynamics, work celebrations, and more and those two plus months can make it difficult to be successful at fat loss.
So, what can you do?
The answer isn’t simple but here are some thoughts:
-The holidays might be a good time to focus on weight maintenance rather than fat loss. You may be pulled in a lot of different directions and dieting can be enough of a stressor as is. Do the best you can to accept some degree of overindulgence on those holidays in particular and use the rest of the given week to get back to “normal” without attempting to slash and burn calories aggressively on the opposing days.
-Some people relish the challenge of trying to lose fat during this time. Far be it from me to stop someone when this may be motivating to them. For a certain type of person, being able to go against the grain and diet successfully may be realistic and possible. While I wouldn’t count this person as the rule (rather the exception to the rule), it is still possible for some to succeed by managing food intake more strategically on the holidays by skipping desserts, alcohol, etc.
-Focus on the people around you and less on the food itself. I don’t know about you, but over the last several years, I’ve found myself less likely to overdo the food and more likely to concentrate on the people I’m with. This isn’t in efforts to control my weight, rather I just try to be present and enjoy the company.
-Doing the best you can with some type of consistent movement can help. I’ve written many times about this on this website but if you commit yourself to walking, hiking, etc. it’s incredibly beneficial for your mental health and some of us need that improvement rather than shooting for how many calories you can burn during the activity itself. In other words, if dressing is your Thanksgiving food of choice, try not to hop on the treadmill later that day in valiant attempts to burn it all off. Enjoy the dressing and go on about your day.
-If you need a strategy for navigating holiday food, I touched on it a bit above but you can go easy on desserts, alcohol, starchy and cheesy foods. Not because those foods are “bad”. They’re not, they’re just easy ways to consume a fair amount of calories in a relatively small amount. Keep an eye on the proteins and green veggies and if there’s something you’re truly craving, see if someone would be willing to share a bite with you. The holidays are a good time to remind yourself about that type of bonding too.
There’s a sentiment I’ve shared to many of my female clients over the years.
Fat loss, in my opinion, is difficult.
Fat loss when you’re a female is more difficult.
Fat loss when you’re a female in a long term relationship is even more difficult.
Fat loss when you’re a female in a long term relationship who also has children to care for is, yes, more difficult.
Fat loss when you’re a female in a long term relationship who may or may not have children and also struggles with the challenges of menopause or PCOS or hypothyroidism or anxiety or depression or ADD/ADHD is simply more difficult…
Every layer to the sentiment adds another degree of complexity, nuance and challenge to not just losing fat but successfully keeping it off.
In making these claims, I try to caveat by saying: it’s not that men don’t also struggle with fat loss but the struggle is not the same.
I believe fat loss for females is exponentially more unfair.
On one side of the argument is that societal norms often dictate that a woman needs to be smaller to be valued more, that a woman can only be healthy in a smaller body, that a woman shouldn’t have any back fat, bingo arms, thighs that touch, wrinkled skin, a “fluffy” midsection, etc…
…That a woman must maintain this smaller body and also, hold down a job, clean the house, cook dinner, raise the kids, sexually satisfy their partner, care for aging parents, and keep a smile on their face the entire time.
These same women will go through the menopause transition, a phase that will literally last for years and struggle with changes in their body that they have little to no control over, and must accept that as estrogens fluctuate and decline that they may be affected by hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, changes in digestion, achy joints and muscles, changes in body composition which can make the midsection larger, mood swings, constipation, urinary incontinence, headaches, breast tenderness, loss of muscle and bone density, and an increase of inflammation in the body…(that list was not comprehensive).
Some women may get relief through hormone replacement therapy and some may get relief through antidepressants.
EVERY woman will experience this change differently.
And yet, nearly every woman will express the sentiment that they don’t feel in control of their body, that they don’t feel heard about the symptoms they’re feeling, that they don’t get appropriate answers to how to solve the problems, and yes, one of the most pervasive questions: why don’t the things that used to work for fat loss work anymore?
Because…the body has changed.
I say this all as a male coach. A male coach who trains mostly women, a male coach who will never experience menopause or PCOS or carrying a child to term, a male coach who, at best, can only be a spectator and guide to what women might potentially go through while they’re trying to improve their health.
I say this to remind you that you are not broken but your body has changed, will change, or is currently in a state of unique change.
And as the adage goes, you can’t change the cards you’re dealt, but you can play the hell out of the hand.
So, here’s a list of what you need to know to make fat loss a bit easier in spite of all the challenges I mentioned above. I recognize that to be able to complete a great deal of the list assumes a significant position of privilege and many women will not be able to check every item off this list.
-Eat the most nutritious food you can. Prioritize lean proteins, a diverse range of fiber, and pay attention to any foods you believe you have an intolerance to.
-Stay hydrated. A decent guide to know if you’re hydrated is if your urine is light yellow to clear in color. Be aware that certain vitamins may keep urine brighter even if you’re drinking enough.
-Do all you can to have a consistent sleep/wake cycle. If you currently struggle with hot flushes or night sweats this may be more difficult. Turn off all electronics 30-45 minutes before bedtime so you’re not mentally stimulated by the screen.
-Find a movement practice you can stick with. If you’re starting from nothing, going for a walk is a great place to start. If you love yoga, stick with yoga. If you love zumba, stick with zumba. It’s more important that you find something you can stick with than forcing yourself to do something you despise and not committing to it.
-Beyond your movement practice you need to start lifting weights. 2-3x/week is a good place to settle into. Put your time and energy into getting as strong as you can, as safely as you can. This is for your mental health, your physical health and the longevity of bone and muscle.
-Have a self-care routine. Life will continue to be stressful so whether it’s a walk with the dog, reading a great book, getting a massage, getting a pedicure/manicure, etc. make sure that you have a list of things that you know can help refill your cup.
-Delegate the tasks. Yes, you are Wonder Woman. No, you cannot do it all. Rally your family to delegate different tasks that each person can do to help keep the household in order. Everyone who is physically capable can contribute towards this goal.
-Have a fantastic GP, OB/GYN and/or endocrinologist. Stay up with routine, annual, comprehensive bloodwork. You might “look” fine on the outside but things can be awry inside. Stay in the loop on your body.
-On that last note, make sure you are documenting changes in your body that may need attention. If you only see your doctor once every few months or once a year, you need documentation of things that aren’t what they used to be. You must advocate for yourself and have a list of the things that require further insight.
-Be patient. If you’re in the menopause transition, you can expect to be there for several years. That’s a lot of time to either spend building yourself up or tearing yourself down. Focus on the former.
-Most women do not have a ton of calories to play with when it comes to succeeding at fat loss. That means that your margin of error could be quite small if you are aiming for a deficit. Many women are sensitive to aggressive deficits and find that sticking to them is difficult. Be okay with a conservative/slower approach to fat loss.
-Your energy levels matter. If you’re constantly bottoming out your calories, doing hyper-restrictive diets and feeling thrashed in your workouts, something is amiss. You want to have the highest quality output that you can. Make sure you’re fueling yourself adequately and I don’t mean whatever caffeinated, sugary drink you called breakfast this morning.
-Curate and filter your social media feed. You are being inundated with marketing messages about how your body is not enough and that you need to be fixed, detoxed and reset. You do not need to be reset. You’re not a smartphone. There is a scandalous amount of predatory and misleading information on the internet. Make sure you’re following people who aren’t leading by fear and trying to con you into $300 worth of supplements every month.
-If you cannot succeed with filtering social media to make it a safer place for your viewing, consider abandoning the platform. I know it might sound crazy but once upon a time we lived pretty decent lives without TikTok (as an example). I am certain you can live without it if you had to. This is about protecting your mental bandwidth.
-It isn’t realistic for me to tell you to never compare yourself against someone else. If you were in a race, you would be comparing yourself against the person who is faster than you. Comparison in efforts to improve yourself can be helpful but comparison that leaves you feeling like a fraction of a person isn’t the way to go. I knew a woman, once upon a time, who, if you didn’t know anything about her personal life, you might admire her physique and her dedication to training. What you couldn’t see were all the things in her personal life that she was losing control over. When you hear: Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, it’s because of scenarios like this. Ultimately, we all play the game of me vs. me. I would encourage you to keep building yourself up.
-If you’ve struggled with fat loss and your body image for years, the solution is not another diet. It’s therapy. Find an excellent therapist. Once you’ve healed the parts of yourself which need it, you might find that fat loss becomes a bit easier (or maybe you learn to love yourself in spite of what the scale says).
-I hate to say it but fasting protocols suck for most women. I can’t say that fasting isn’t helpful for some women some of the time but when I hear people say that all women should be fasting, I cringe. It’s especially problematic for women who struggle with disordered eating practices. There’s nothing wrong with you if you find that fasting is not a helpful tool.
-Never be afraid to ask for help. Never stop advocating for yourself. Never stop improving who you are and the body and mind you live in. Never stop prioritizing your health even if it sometimes seems a bit selfish. A stronger version of you, mentally and physically, is arguably the best version of you. The scale will not show you the whole story.
I’ve told this story many times but when I started my business I didn’t know a soul.
The first several months I spent knocking on doors, meeting other business owners, putting flyers and cards on people’s windshields, etc. just to get people to RevFit.
Within my first year, I got involved in a business to business (B2B) networking group that was monumental to my growth.
For me, it helped to be in weekly attendance with a group of like-minded business professionals who were all looking to take their business the next step up.
There were no competing interests in the group which meant that there was one realtor, one accountant, one banker, one estate planning attorney and so on who were all on hand to help one another.
Between the members who joined my studio directly and the people they referred to me, it was a game-changing decision that paid for itself many times over.
And after a few years of being involved in that type of group, I reached a ceiling where business was growing at a comfortable pace and taking the time away from work to be a part of those meetings didn’t seem to be the best use of my time.
I stepped away and continued to nurture and grow the business through my existing clientele and a very aggressive approach to marketing on social media.
Throughout the years, as I’ve continued to mentor other coaches or other health/wellness professionals coming into the field, B2B networking is the one recommendation I make to all of them.
Fact is, I got complacent and perhaps a bit lazy and felt like I didn’t need to be involved in those groups anymore because my business would continue to grow on its own merit.
The problem is, life/business aren’t quite the same in a “post-COVID” world.
Marketing efforts that used to be more reliable aren’t what they were before and part of that may have to do with how people digest and utilize social media to help them make decisions on what service providers to use.
So, I decided recently to get back into the world of B2B networking again because there is no adage that rings more true than: Nothing changes if you don’t change.
For those in the know about the organization, I found a local chapter of BNI with a group of hungry professionals all looking to help one another scale up.
And to be honest, I missed it.
BNI wasn’t the organization I was affiliated with before but I missed connecting with others who weren’t directly in my field. I missed being able to absorb the challenges that others were facing and helping them work through those challenges.
I missed the ability to be able to step outside of my four walls and let my gears spin in a different way.
If you’re already involved in a B2B group, you know it’s a relationship worth putting work into. It may not give you overnight success but you can form alliances that can last you for many years to come.
I’ve always been fortunate to have a wide network of people to give business to and this allows me to spread the net even further.
If you normally read my work because of health, fitness and nutrition take a few of these lessons which apply just as much to my networking efforts as they do to your self-improvement:
-Nothing changes if you don’t change.
-Results come from the things you put dedicated time and effort into.
-Patience pays in the long game.
-It helps to have a dedicated support system to help you level up towards your goals.
Many of my readers know that for a significant part of my life, I wanted to be a successful musician.
I sang, played guitar (sort of) and wrote songs; hundreds and hundreds of songs.
And my perception of what I sounded like back then was something less than what I wanted to sound like.
I’d hear other singers (many of whom were popular in the 90s and early 2000s) and I’d hear this raspy quality that I wanted to have for myself.
Mind you, I wasn’t a trained singer, I just loved singing.
Over the years, due to age and likely due to the damage I had done to my body through drug abuse, my voice did change and I did indeed get a raspier quality to it.
And once I achieved it, it wasn’t quite the way I wanted it to sound.
It wasn’t raspy the way I heard or wanted to emulate in others, it was (in my opinion) this edgy, sometimes pitchy raspiness.
And I’d record songs and play them back and find that maybe I just didn’t like the sound when I finally had the ability to achieve it.
I also found that I was far less unforgiving about the sound of my voice. So much so that it made it more difficult to sit down with my guitar and play for pleasure anymore.
I find that people regard their bodies (and to a further extent) their “ideal weight” in a similar fashion.
Perhaps once upon a time, you weighed X, and you believe in your heart of hearts, that getting back to that weight would give you happiness and restore your sense of self esteem.
But our bodies change over time, as they naturally “should” and, I hate to say it, but there’s a chance that the body you’re trying so desperately to get back to isn’t a body that you can maintain without making yourself miserable in the process.
I don’t ask potential clients anymore about what weight they want to get to because the reality is 1) they may not be willing to do the work it takes to get there 2) they can live a more fulfilling life somewhere north of their ideal weight 3) what they think they should weigh may no longer be a “healthy” weight.
What many people invariably find is that if they are successful at getting to that arbitrary number that perhaps it just doesn’t “wear” like it used to.
And that can be a profound disappointment.
So, the adage “the grass isn’t always greener” applies here. Sometimes the reality we think we want isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
As for me, I’ll take the nuances of my raspy, edgy voice and make the best of it…as I hope you’ll do on your journey of self improvement.
My wife and I have almost always been able to talk to one another.
When our relationship started, she was living in Florida and I was in Ohio and just being able to communicate openly was nearly all we had for 16 months.
When you don’t have a physical body to be close to, to hold or to touch, communication is the only way to survive.
When communication failed us, as it has from time to time, no amount of physical contact could help.
Our foundation, our strength, came from the words we said, the way we said them, and sometimes from the words left unspoken.
We’ve changed over the years.
In many ways, I became more outspoken and she became more introverted.
And as we’ve grown older, in our own unique ways, those words we use hold more power.
Marissa and I talk about things now that we’ve never needed to before, in ways that never mattered before because as age and time pass, that communication is where the love comes from.
Over the last year or so, we spend more time together not just focused on uninterrupted moments but embracing silence as much as conversation.
We listen better to one another, we solve problems faster than we used to, there’s a place of respect where we take turns to listen because there’s something of value to hold onto.
I write these words reflecting on 10 years of marriage: 10 beautiful, messy, challenging, unforgettable years.
I look back at our engagement and wedding pictures in admiration but also with the knowledge: you two had no idea what you’d experience together.
You two had no idea how much you would depend on the strength of the other.
And when they say marriage is hard work, of course it is.
Everything you value in life comes from hard work. You either decide to put that work in, or you hide from it and suffer the consequences.
Our marriage is a product of both.
The “easy” thing to say is how much we’ve changed in the 15 years since we first met.
The appropriate thing to say is how much we needed to change to get this far.
When I talk about health, nutrition, etc. on this website, you’ll often hear me talk about the importance of a great support system. I don’t think anything you do to improve your health can be done successfully without the right people in your corner and on your side to help.
Those of you who’ve been married far longer than we have know that it takes a lot of commitment and flexibility to change year after year and still be the number one cheerleader for that special someone in your life.
It means sometimes you have to have difficult conversations and sometimes words and actions fall between the cracks. You owe it to one another to seal the cracks, say the necessary words and back it all up with the behaviors that take you the next step further.
To my wife: my partner, my co-pilot, my muse, my love…thank you for our first decade of marriage.
Thank you for being the one who knew how and when to fight for what mattered and to remind me how to pivot and shift our priorities along the way.
Thank you for reminding me of the power of words, the strength of silence and the necessity of connection.
Whether you count them or not, what you take in has to be less than what you expend over a period of time to be successful at fat loss.
It’s not perfect math and every calculator is going to be working with a different estimate of what they believe your body needs.
However, I wanted to take a few moments of your time to cover some areas not directly related to the calorie conversation.
The Patience Game: I’ve been coaching fat loss and strength training for busy people for nearly seventeen years. While some people are far more realistic about the process of fat loss, everyone wants the pounds off NOW. One tip I like to explore is to give yourself a reasonable timeline…and then double it. So, if you have XX pounds to lose and you think you can whittle them off in about 5 months, try working within a 10 month timeframe. This allows for hiccups and detours along the way which are not only likely but totally possible. That doesn’t guarantee that you’ll reach your goal in that timeframe but it does help you wrap your head around the fact that even when you’re doing all the right things, life will get in the way and you have to be okay with that. Be patient. We’re in this for the long haul.
Consistency Does Not Equal Perfection: Some people hear “consistent effort” and they make it synonymous with perfection. For the purposes of fat loss, consistency means: more often than not. Consistency means that if you make a plan to hit 5k steps a day, you nail it something like 24 out of 30 days. It means that if you go over your calories for the day, you get right back to your plan the next day. If you were using a blotter calendar to chart your progress, there won’t be a lot of empty spaces. Find those non-scale victories by creating and maintaining those trends so you can check them off and feel accomplished.
Having A Rock Solid Support System: Fat loss is hard enough as it is. If you were a single person, living alone with time to dedicate to the gym and meal prep, it would be a challenge. When you add the complexities of family dynamics, work environment and your personal history with food, you’re navigating a minefield of temptation, egos and the looming notion that your journey of transformation might actually be perceived as a threat to those closest to you. Be proactive about this. If you know that the changes you need to make are going to disrupt the status quo (and they will), have conversations with those closest to you about how you can all work together to keep certain aspects of life the same but also modifying other areas to help improve your chance of success. Done successfully, rallying the troops to help support your goals is not much different than conversations about finances or parenting. Make sure everyone is on the same page about how they contribute to or potentially block progress.
Go To Bed: One of the simplest fat loss tips in the world can be one of the toughest ones to implement. With considerations to parents of young children, those in a caregiving role, women in the menopause transition, and more, having a consistent sleeping and waking schedule can be monumental towards the progress you make. Poor sleep can affect your ability to recover appropriately from workouts and poor sleep tends to lead to more cravings the next day and more difficulty following your food plan. Do what you can to minimize exposure to electronic devices 30-45 minutes prior to bedtime, make sure caffeine doesn’t keep sneaking it’s way into your day, and be mindful of how alcohol affects your ability to have deep sleep. Once you lock in your sleep schedule, you’ll be amazed at how many other areas of your life improve.
Be Easy On Yourself: I’m happily married, a father to two sons and I own my personal training studio where I put in close to 60 hours a week. Nothing ever goes perfectly according to plan. I do my best to eat mostly nutritious foods with some fun foods thrown in the mix, I strength train 3-4x/week, I get in a ton of steps and still, life isn’t perfect. The most “woo” thing I’ll tell you is that you have to give yourself some grace along the way. Make every day an opportunity to improve an area of your life, to tell someone you love them or appreciate them, work on your “consistency” streaks, and go to bed each night knowing that you did the best you could with all you had that thrown at you that day. Fat loss should improve the life of the person embarking on that journey. If it isn’t, you may need tools that help you build the strongest, healthiest version of you.
Jason Leenaarts is the owner of Revolution Fitness and Therapy (RevFit) in Stow, Ohio. You can read more of his articles on http://www.jasonleenaarts.com, purchase his books on Amazon, or peruse a ton of his content on his Instagram page.
(Note: Today’s post is a guest post from my friend and fellow coach, Shane McLean. My regularly scheduled post will be out tomorrow.)
A couple of well-known quotes resonate with me when making plans.
We make plans, and God laughs.
Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.
Two could be the smartest thing Mike Tyson ever said.
It’s not like making plans is terrible; it’s just that life’s unpredictability, especially for busy parents, caregivers, and frequent travelers, often derails even the best-laid plans. Let’s face it: life loves to throw curveballs when you least expect them. Sticking to your healthy habits can feel impossible, whether it’s a last-minute work trip, your kid getting sick, or just life’s usual chaos.
That’s why building flexible habits is your secret weapon when life is overwhelming and sits on your chest and goes, ha-ha. When you can’t rely on routine, habits that bend but don’t break keep you moving forward. Being a personal trainer and married father of two boys, I know a few things about life punching me in the mouth.
Here are a few ways I keep going in my never-ending quest to stay fit when the world seems to be against me. Hopefully, they work for you too. First, let’s discuss what habits are.
WHAT ARE HABITS AND HOW THEY ARE FORMED
A habit is a routine of behavior repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously—in other words, without you even thinking about it. Habits can usually be divided into three groups.
Habits that we overlook because they have been part of our lives forever—like tying shoelaces or brushing our teeth.
Ones that are good for us and which we work hard to establish, like exercising, eating well, or getting enough sleep.
Last is our bad habits—like smoking, procrastinating, or overspending.
When you repeat a behavior consistently, your brain creates neural pathways, essentially wiring your brain to make that action automatic. It’s like creating a shortcut. The more you do it, the stronger that pathway becomes, which is why good or bad habits become second nature. This is your brain’s way of conserving energy, so you don’t have to think through every little action. The goal is to make our healthy habits automatic, like tying our shoes. Hopefully, during this process, you’ll break the neural pathways of your bad habits.
The time it takes to form a healthy habit varies, but research suggests that, on average, a new behavior takes about 66 days to become automatic. Some habits might take less time, while others can take more, depending on the complexity of the behavior and how consistent you are in doing it. It’s important to note that the 66-day figure is an average, and individual experiences can vary significantly, especially when life’s fists take aim at your mouth.
FIVE SIMPLE HABIT TIPS
The following are five tips to keep your healthy habits repeatable, even when gasping for air.
Think Small
Trying to be perfect with your health when life is chaotic feels overwhelming. Small, manageable habits are easier to maintain and better fit your busy schedule. Small habits keep momentum because simple actions are less likely to be abandoned when things get busy. Even when you can’t do everything, you can do something.
Examples:
Drink a glass of water before each meal: This is a small, manageable action that helps with hydration and can also control hunger.
Take a 10-minute walk: Instead of a gym workout you haven’t got time for, try a short walk during your lunch break. It’s quick, achievable, and still boosts your health and mood.
Consistency Over Perfection
Regarding habits, consistency is far more important than perfection. No one can always be perfect. Doing something, no matter how small, every day keeps the forward momentum that leads to long-term success. Here’s something I remind my clients: the never-miss-twice rule: It’s okay to miss a day—life happens. But the key is not letting it turn into two missed days. Missing one day won’t set you back, but consistently missing days can break the habit-building process.
Adjust Your Environment for Success
Your environment plays a massive role in shaping your habits. You’re more likely to follow through when things are convenient and easy. A cluttered or disorganized environment can derail your efforts, but an organized space sets you up for success.
Examples:
Keep a reusable water bottle handy. Having water available always makes you much more likely to stay hydrated without even thinking about it.
Set reminders on your phone: Gentle nudges throughout the day can help you remember to take breaks, move around, or drink water. These reminders can make it easier to stick to healthy habits, even on busy days.
Habit Stacking
Habit stacking is a great way to ensure small health habits stick, even when your schedule is jam-packed. This method involves linking new habits to existing ones that are automatic because pairing your new habit with something you’re already doing makes it more likely you’ll do it.
For instance, if you always have coffee in the morning, do ten squats or push-ups while waiting for the coffee to brew. Or, while waiting for your kids at soccer practice, go for a quick walk around the field instead of sitting in the car. Habit stacking makes it easier to automatically insert healthy habits into your day.
Create Flexibility
Life is unpredictable; things can and will go wrong no matter how well we plan. Building flexibility into your habits ensures that when things don’t go as expected, you can still keep making progress. This could mean having a plan B or making the habit smaller. For example:
Swap a full workout for a shorter option: Instead of a full hour at the gym, do a 15-minute full-body circuit; this keeps the habit going without requiring a huge time commitment.
Modify your habit to fit the situation: If you can’t prepare a full, healthy meal, opt for the most nutritious, quickest option available. Adaptability means you don’t quit altogether because your plan cannot happen.
Wrapping Up
We all like to get our shit done as planned regarding our health and fitness, but life sometimes has other ideas. Keeping forward momentum is critical when life sucks all your time and energy up. These five habit tips have kept my forward progress; hopefully, when you keep them in mind, they will work for you, too.
Bio
Shane McLean is a certified personal trainer, blogger, and freelance fitness writer obsessed with exercise and Chuck Norris. Don’t ask.
I can’t speak to what your social media feed looks like but because I’m connected to a lot of fellow coaches in the industry, there’s a particular leaning to the place alcohol may have in someone’s diet.
There are coaches, like myself, who may imbibe and may post those images on social media.
And there are others who may be sober, in recovery, etc. who are living their best life without alcohol and that becomes part of their message to the world.
As someone who has been clean from drugs for eighteen years, I know what it’s like to struggle with something that is not health promoting.
And that’s where I want to start this week’s article.
Once upon a time, there was some indication that perhaps a small amount of alcohol: 1 serving a day for women, 2 servings a day for men, might have some minor health benefits.
Over recent years, that appears to be inaccurate information. There actually is no healthy serving of alcohol. It’s a known toxin and has no direct health benefit.
That being said, it is “socially acceptable” and if you live in the domestic U.S., over 60% of adults choose to partake, according to a 2023 Gallup survey. Some might argue that smoking is socially acceptable too, and they’re not wrong but that comprises approximately 20% of adults.
So, let’s do a quick refresher on serving sizes of alcohol:
1.5 oz of liquor is approximately 100 calories
12 oz of light beer is approximately 100 calories
4 oz of wine is approximately 100 calories
Depending on your drink of choice, I’d encourage you to measure that out so you can see how much that actually is.
Of note, higher proof liquor (above 80-90 proof) will have more than 100 calories per 1.5 oz serving, IPAs and craft beers will often have double to triple the amount of calories per 12 oz serving and, higher proof wines will have more than 100 calories per 4 oz serving.
Also of note, it’s difficult (not impossible) for wine drinkers to be able to keep the taste of their preferred wine for longer than 24 hours which is why many will finish a bottle relatively soon after it’s been opened. A bottle of wine will contain 600-800 calories on average.
And, let’s not forget that it’s not just the alcohol we’re concerned with when it comes to fat loss, it’s the fact that with alcohol is also some increase in food consumption as well. This typically leads to inaccuracies when it comes to calorie tracking for those who utilize the tool.
Of interest, even though alcohol is not a direct health benefit, it’s been found that there is alcohol consumption in some of the “blue zones” where there is the highest concentration of centenarians. It’s believed that because alcohol is moderated, not abused, and is typically done in social settings, part of the correlation is due to the fact that having a close inner circle and strong support system helps people live longer. It should also be noted that many of these same people eat mostly nutritious diets and are more active.
That being said, if you currently don’t partake, please don’t feel it’s necessary to start, you’re likely better off to abstain. And, if you are actively in recovery, by all means, do all that you can to stay there because you made a very positive decision towards your long-term health.
So, what does this mean for those who would like to keep some in the diet plan?
I have some thoughts to leave you with.
-Be honest with yourself about how well you moderate your intake. If fat loss is your goal, alcohol would be the “easiest” place to cut back because it’s not doing you any favors on a fat loss plan. That might mean reducing how much or how often you imbibe. It may also help you moderate any unwanted food intake as many foods might pair well with a particular type of drink.
-There are two different demographics of note who may struggle with alcohol intake because their bodies temporarily (or permanently) don’t metabolize alcohol like before: those who struggle with IBS and women in the menopause transition. Abstinence may be worth considering to see if symptoms improve.
-I see a lot of well-intentioned and intelligent sober coaches who come off as looking down their nose at those who drink. You’re not a lesser person because you choose to imbibe. Some people can successfully moderate alcohol just like some people can successfully moderate their food intake. One person isn’t better than the other.
-If you believe that alcohol is taking up more space in your life than it should, consider working with a therapist to help or try using an app like Sunnyside to help you reduce consumption.
The final intake of 2024 for my 8-week online group coaching program, Fat Loss Simplified, begins next week. I wanted to take a few moments to answer commonly asked questions about it in case you (or someone you know) is interested in joining.
What Is FLS?
I designed this course to be a close-knit, supportive atmosphere where you can find all the tools you need to succeed at fat loss for good. Each week presents a themed module and Zoom call where we cover all the aspects of fat loss minus the noise and fluff you’ll find on social media. You’ll also have weekly check-ins directly with me where you’ll get private, personalized video feedback on the information you provide.
Who Is FLS For?
I wanted a program that could benefit anyone who has struggled with fat loss and wants to get closer to their goals. Throughout the time I’ve run the program, I’ve had general fat loss clients, clients with disordered eating habits and fellow coaches be a part of it. I should note that the course is not designed to “cure” those with disordered eating habits, however, I do talk about several tools within the fat loss conversation which could be contraindicated for those who have that history.
How Many Pounds Can I Lose On FLS?
I’ve been very purposeful in saying that FLS is not a fat loss competition or challenge. There is no prize for the person who loses the most. To be honest, ever since the beta launch of this program, the members don’t speak about how much they’ve lost. Those conversations only happen in the personalized feedback with me and not within the group. I wanted to remove the pressure and stress of having to “keep up” with others and to only focus on your individual progress. What I can say is that some members make great strides towards their goals during the program and some don’t start seeing the needle move until the program has concluded. FLS is meant to be a “toolbox” where you can take the useful bits and apply them as needed.
What If I Can’t Make The Live Zoom Calls?
All of the weekly calls will be recorded and uploaded into our private Facebook group the day of recording along with the companion slides. Along the way, I’ll also be posting additional content to help support the information we cover each week. You’ll have lifetime access to the group after the program ends and you can re-watch the material as often as you’d like.
What Diet Will I Need To Follow?
FLS is not designed around any broad stroke nutrition practice. I won’t be leaning you towards any dietary method. That said, if you currently follow a philosophy like veganism, keto, intermittent fasting, etc. you can continue to do so in conjunction with the information provided.
How Much Will I Need To Exercise During The Program?
Only one of the the eight modules is about exercise so you can train as often as you’d like in a way that works best for your current goals. Some of our members are avid exercisers and some train very little. It’s my hope that most of our members will find a movement practice they can stick with even though the calories we burn during exercise can be difficult to quantify.
What Information Will Be Covered?
Module 1: Mindset and Self Talk
Module 2: Tracking Options
Module 3: Macronutrients and Deficits
Module 4: Exercise: Strength Training and Cardio For Fat Loss
Module 5: Support Systems & Food Environment
Module 6: Sleep Hygiene & Stress Management
Module 7: Supplements, Hydration & W.W.J.D.? (What Would Jason Do?)
Module 8: Maintenance, Troubleshooting & Wrap-Up
While the foundation of the modules has remained consistent across intakes, each time I run the program, there are different anecdotes and observations taken from my nearly 17 years of coaching that I add into the mix so that members can see what the information looks like in practice. As recently as last week, I filmed a new video for each of the previous intakes because a stance I had a given across all groups had been challenged in a study review and I wanted to provide updated information so that members could make the best choice for themselves.
What’s The Cost?
The regular price for FLS on our final intake for 2024 is $189/month for two months. However, if you join before the end of September, you’ll get a promotional rate of $159/month for two months.
Some time between 3:45-4:15 a.m. each morning, I’m waking up to get my day started.
I normally give myself one day each week to sleep in and that day usually falls on Sunday.
Sleeping in for me might only be sometime around 5-6 a.m.
As a result, it’s a real struggle for me to stay up late anymore unless we’re out at a concert or other event that pushes us later into the evening (and that’s rare).
But when you run a personal training business, you have to have early morning hours to be there for all the folks who need to train before they go to work for the day.
There’s not a day that goes by when it wouldn’t be nice to sleep in longer even though my alarm is telling me it’s time to get up.
There’s both a professional and personal obligation to show up at work and start the day just like those early-bird clients.
When you’re trying to improve your health, you only have so much time in a given day.
Yes, we all have 24 hours but those 24 hours don’t look the same for each of us.
Some people have far more control over what the scheduling of those days looks like than others.
The work you need to do to improve your health has to be done and no one else can do it but you.
In the 15+ years since I opened the doors of RevFit, I’ve come across a large portion of clients who don’t love exercise but they keep showing up.
They show up because they know the value of what the training does for them.
As funny as it may sound, being the owner of said business, I’m not much different than those clients. I’ve been lifting weights for over 25 years and the process of exercise is rarely something I love doing…but I love the end result of what training does for me.
I love the gift of a strong, mobile, capable body even if it frequently aggravates me with aches and pains.
I’ve been guilty of being the coach who says: Find a way to move your body that you enjoy and can stick with.
When I say things like that, it’s not because I think you should be overjoyed to lift weights and start doing cartwheels every time you step in the gym. It’s because you need to find something that you can do as consistently as possible that benefits your body and your brain.
For instance, I hate running. I’ve always hated running. If I wanted to do traditional cardiovascular exercise, running would be my least favorite option. Instead, I might pick an elliptical or a rower. I won’t love those either but at least I’ll use them and I prefer them over running.
With lifting weights, it’s not so much about loving that process. I really love what it does for my body and I love that it helps me appreciate what my body is capable of doing.
It’s not perfect, it’s often uncomfortable, but I stick with it and no one else can do that work for me.
It’s mine alone.
Coach Jon Goodman, in a sentiment shared with other coaches, said (I’m paraphrasing): Your competition isn’t other gyms, it’s Netflix.
We live in a world custom-built for convenience and leisure time. Why go to the gym when you can just hang out on the couch or in bed?
I can lose myself in a YouTube vortex or get lost in a streaming show just as easily as anyone else. Netflix (and similar services) make it so convenient to let hours pass by as one episode glides into the next.
But Netflix won’t give me the body I want (and it sure as hell is a terrible resource for quality nutrition information) so while I love a good binge-worthy show, if I don’t get myself to bed, I can’t give my body the rest that it needs for the next long day of work and training.
And if I don’t get enough sleep, my cravings will get the best of me and my diet quality will suck the next day. No amount of caffeine or sugar will save me then.
But you can have it all (sort of): you can have a strong body, you can watch a good show from time to time, and you can have your busy life and social events.
Just make sure you’re doing the work to prioritize yourself.
Not everyone can afford a personal trainer but you could probably go out for a walk or do some bodyweight squats to get some movement in.
Not everyone can afford organic, free-range, nutritious food to feed their family but maybe the next time you go to McDonald’s, you can stick with the Big Mac and ditch the fries.
You’re trying to build a life that you can improve bit by bit. Get your training in, work on your mental health, have good coping mechanisms for your stress, get a good night’s sleep, eat the most nutritious food you can, rinse and repeat.
It’s boring advice but it works.
And if you’re struggling to make the pieces fit, I’ve compiled years of knowledge and advice into my 8-week online group coaching program, Fat Loss Simplified. The final intake of 2024 starts the first week of October. If you’re interested, drop me a message and we’ll get you started.
Jason Leenaarts 