Today we're talking about some of the best vegetables for weight loss & how they make fat loss easier!
We start off by exploring how you can determine which vegetables are the most (or least) fat loss friendly and then we take a closer look at cruciferous & allium vegetables and the ways they support fat loss.
Allium vegetables & cruciferous vegetables support insulin, metabolism, detoxification & much more. They are certainly some of the very best vegetables for weight loss.
What a special episode today! Some of the amazing folks in my Winter Fat Loss Fast Track are sharing their progress, struggles, challenges & successes! Yup! Real life success stories!
My hope is that you can see yourself in them & have hope in your ability to transform, to get consistent & to achieve the results you want.
Last week I shared a personal episode about my experiences with binge eating. I talked about how & why I binged & how I stopped. The response to that episode was overwhelming. Whether you could relate to binge eating or just emotional eating and overeating, hundreds of you reached out for help and support.
Today I want to help you take that next step. I want to cover how to stop overeating & repeatedly giving in to temptation.
So many people feel like it's beyond their control - like they just can't stop. You can. I will help you.
http://primalpotential.com/151-how-to-stop-overeating/
I was a champion overeater and binger. I used food to cope with emotions and I would often eat until I felt (or became) sick. I felt that in many ways food owned me and had more control than I had. I was wrong.
There were a few strategies I began to gradually implement to help me radically change my relationship with food, my mindset & my body.
I strongly encourage you to listen to the episode because I think it will be helpful to hear exactly how & when I'd implement these strategies.
The first step I encourage you to take, before implementing any of the strategies described in this episode is to identify the lies you tell yourself. For me, the lies were often, "I'll start tomorrow. Just this once. It won't hurt. I deserve a break."
I want you to challenge those lies and ask yourself, "Is that true?"
When you tell yourself, "I'll start tomorrow", is that true? Do you? Or is this how you make yourself feel good about being indulgent? Are you telling yourself what you want to hear?
Then, you can try one of the following 4 strategies:
In today's episode I explain how these work & how I apply them in moments of indecision.
I want to challenge you to pay more attention to your body & less attention to everyone else's. I want to show you how to interpret the signals your body sends every single day & use them to your advantage.
The reality is that your body is constantly communicating with you. It's letting you know what's going right, what's not, which hormones are struggling and which ones are cruising right along.
Many of us, however, are so busy living life & paying attention to other people and things that we don't pay attention to the signaling & signs of our own bodies.
Today we'll take a dive into keeping a journal of what you eat & the signals your body sends without the cumbersome tasks of counting calories or macros. We'll uncover the common sense approach to fat loss & hormone balance.
The primary signals we get from our bodies related to fat loss & hormones are quality of sleep, hunger, energy, mood & cravings. Those are the signals we'll evaluate today.
Do you ever have silent debates with yourself? You know, you make a decision to eat clean & then find yourself debating Girl Scout Cookies?
The cartoon depictions of the devil & angel on opposite shoulders certainly originated from someone who knows exactly what I'm talking about!
In today's episode we're talking about how to win internal debates and how to identify, understand & overcome them.
http://primalpotential.com/149-how-to-win-internal-debates/
Have you ever heard the Cherokee story about two wolves? I share it on this episode & adapt it to the internal debates I have over food & health.
A fight is going on inside me. It is a constant battle between two lions.
One is stubborn & lazy. She is greedy. She stands for pity, guilt, resentment, lies, abuse, avoidance, excuses, exceptions and delays.
The other is beautiful. She is hopeful. She is strong. She is optimistic. She is determined. She cares for me, believes in me and knows that everything is possible. She is my guardian and wants to guide me to my potential.
The same fight is going on inside you and inside every other person, too.
Which lion will win?
The one you feed.
Today's episode is different. It is intense, it is personal & there are tears. I am talking about binging. I am taking you inside a binge.
I'm not doing this to share my secrets or cleanse my soul. I am sharing this episode for 3 reasons:
http://primalpotential.com/148-personal-intense-inside-a-binge/
Hidden food sensitivities - sensitivity to foods or types of foods you don't even know you have - might be contributing to fatigue, joint pain, headaches, depression, weight gain or a whole host of other challenges.
We need to keep in mind that food sensitivities are possible if you aren't truly "allergic" to an item. Unfortunately, many of us see sensitivity and allergy as all-or-nothing scenarios. That's not the case.
Chronic discomforts that you attribute to "aging" or "just the way you are" might very well be avoidable causes of a food sensitivity.
In today's episode we're looking at these hidden food sensitivities and the common triggers as well as how they might manifest themselves.
I challenge you to eliminate the common triggers for 2-3 weeks and slowly add them back in, one at a time, so you can understand what you're truly sensitive to.
http://primalpotential.com/147-are-hidden-food-sensitivities-hurting-you/
You might think that a small paper cut on your finger is no big deal, and you'd be right. But what if you kept getting paper cut after paper cut in the same place on the same finger 3-10 times each day?
In just a matter of days you'd have a pretty serious problem on your hands, right? (Pun intended. It's okay to smile and think I'm cute.)
This is the exact thing that happens with hidden food sensitivities we might not even realize.
With each meal or snack, we introduce an inflammation-triggering food that on it's own is pretty harmless but with repeat exposure creates a serious issue.
These implications of hidden food sensitivities might be as mild as acne or bloating and can be as severe as chronic, systemic inflammation.
Symptoms like eczema, acne, headaches, depression, joint pain, weight gain and mood swings can be the result of repeat exposure to foods we don't even realize are problematic for us.
In today's episode I will introduce you to the most common food allergens, I'll share how they impact health, where we find them and how to avoid them.
I'll challenge you to eliminate them for a few weeks and slowly re-introduce them one at a time.
When we eliminate processed foods and focus on whole foods, we avoid the majority of these. It's not as simple as skipping the omelets and the yogurt. We have to keep in mind the huge array of processed foods that contain dairy, eggs, gluten, sugar, artificial sweeteners, soy products or peanuts.
Keep in mind that you don't need to avoid these forever. You need to, however, remove them for long enough to allow the inflammation to die down and your gut to heal.
Just the like example of the repetitive paper cut, it's not enough to stop cutting your finger, you also have to allow ample time for your finger to heal.
I've put together a detailed list of meal ideas, recipes & snacks to help you in your quest to eliminate these common allergens and monitor your body's response.
It's pretty tough to talk yourself into doing anything if you aren't motivated. I know. I've been there. But I've got you covered today with 8 ways to get motivated so you can stop THINKING about what you want & starting GETTING it.
For most of my life I desperately wanted to lose weight, I hated my body, had no energy and was tired of trying and failing but it seemed like I wasn't motivated enough to do the work.
So frustrating.
I know I'm not alone. I get emails every single day like this one:
I look up recipes, buy groceries, fail at making them (usually turns out bland and nothing like the recipe) and don't meal prep so I end up eating out for every meal. I still hate the way I look and feel and constantly feel defeated. How do I change or overcome apathy? No idea.
I'll be honest, though: I love getting emails like that. I love it because they're asking for help, they want to make a change and I know I can help. I'm thrilled that they've opened the door for me to nudge them in the right direction.
Before we dive into the 8 ways to get motivated, I need to establish the fact that most people really don't understand what motivation is or how to create it.
It's a bit of a paradox. Most people think, "I'm not taking action because I'm not motivated."
The reality of motivation is close, but opposite: you aren't motivated because you aren't taking action.
http://primalpotential.com/146-hacking-motivation-8-ways-to-get-motivated/
Obesogens are a real thing. They are a class of chemical compounds found all around us that impair the functioning of our fat cells, interfere with metabolism & initiate hormone chaos. Obesogens are truly chemicals that make you fat.
Have you ever heard of endocrine disrupters? Endocrine disrupters are chemicals that interfere with any aspect of hormone action in the body. Obesogens are a specific class of endocrine disrupters that specifically target fat gain, fat loss, appetite and hormone balance related to fat loss.
They cause major problems but we can make a difference. Today's episode talks about two specific obesogens: BPA and PFOAs. We'll talk about what they do, how we're exposed to them and what to do about them.
Don't miss this episode. It's a good one!
http://primalpotential.com/145-obesogens-chemicals-that-make-you-fat/
In today's episode we're covering the following questions:
Research on Obesogens
In today's episode we're talking all about apple cider vinegar and weight loss. I'll be sharing the research related to apple cider vinegar, weight loss, fat burning & fat storage. Plus, we'll dive into how & how much apple cider vinegar to use to get these weight loss benefits.
If you're going to give apple cider vinegar (ACV) a shot, it's super important to know which type to buy. Not all ACV is created equal and we'll be diving into that in this episode.
Here's the brand of apple cider vinegar I use.
In today's episode we're answering the most common questions about ACV
Carrot Ginger Dressing with ACV
Blend all ingredients in the blender and use as needed for salad dressing
I also love to add 1-2 tbsp ACV to 20 oz of water with the juice from 1/2 a lemon
http://primalpotential.com/144-apple-cider-vinegar-and-weight-loss/
I want to challenge you today. I want to show you how to silence your inner critic.
You know, that voice that says, "I'll do it tomorrow" or "I can't" or "This is so hard".
That voice. How do we make it go away?
There’s no strategy, no plan, no protocol, no diet that will work if you don’t get out of your own way & do the work.
Unfortunately, many of us stay stuck for too long, if not forever, in our own way.
We are the only reason that we aren't living the life we want. We are the only reason we don't have the body we want. We are the only reason we aren't who or where we want to be.
And we have the power to change that. Today's episode is all about "how".
http://primalpotential.com/143-how-to-silence-your-inner-critic/
Most of us misunderstand motivation. We think it’s just wanting something badly enough, and if we do, we’ll do the work.
That’s not true. That’s grossly incomplete.
Motivation is like a fire. We misunderstand when we think it's a simple as lighting a match.
When you light a match, do you have fire? You sure do!
But then what? What happens to a match? It fizzles out really fast.
It's just the beginning. It's just potential for fire. It is a spark.
It must be sustained.
If you just have the spark, you find yourself wondering, "What's wrong with me? Why am I not doing the work? Why can't I follow through? Why aren't I strong enough?"
You're just missing a step. You're missing the step that keeps the fire burning.
That step is ACTION.
Action fuels motivation. Action stokes the fire.
You might be wondering, "what does this have to do with how to silence my inner critic?"
Everything.
Our inner critic keeps us from taking action.
The voice of doubt & delay makes excuses that tell us tomorrow will be better.
That's the dragon we must slay. That is how you silence your inner critic.
Know it. Expect it. Deny it.
Fake flavors and frankenflavors are everywhere! The biggest challenge we face is that these fake flavors trigger us to overeat & experience strong, consistent cravings. Today I want to share 10 tips to beat fake flavor so you can burn more fat, feel less hunger & get rid of your cravings.
This is the tactical follow-up episode to the 2 part series I did on how our food has changed. In part one, I talked about the changes to whole foods and how/why they're more bland than ever. In part 2 I talked about processed foods & how flavor is designed to make us overeat.
Today is all tactic. These 10 tips will help you beat fake flavor, retrain your palate, enjoy food mood, eat less, free yourself from cravings & conquer the world (too much?)
http://primalpotential.com/142-10-tips-to-beat-fake-flavor-fall-in-love-with-whole-foods/
For the details on how to execute these tips, definitely listen to the full episode!!
Is fake flavor making you fat? What is fake flavor? Why does it seem like year after year we crave food more yet experience less satisfaction from it? What has changed?
A lot has changed.
Our food has changed. Whole foods are different and processed foods are different.
This combination makes fat loss tough and fat gain pretty easy.
In part 1 of this 2-part series we talked about how whole foods have changed. We went into detail on what has happened to our chicken, beef, pork, fruits & vegetables to reduce their quality and their flavor.
Today we're talking about processed foods & how their flavor has skyrocketed as have their addictive qualities that set us up to overeat & keep coming back for more.
Most importantly, I invited you on a challenge with me. A challenge to break the chains of fake flavor and stop allowing your palate to be held hostage by the food industry. This 14-day challenge is 100% free and you can do it as many times as you'd like! I really hope you'll take the leap & take control of your food choices and your life.
http://primalpotential.com/141-is-fake-flavor-making-you-fat-part-2-of-2/
There are a couple problems I want to tackle in today's episode:
I want to help you understand how & why processed foods are causing problems, what foods are a problem & how we can overcome it.
We often approach dieting from the willpower first standpoint of "don't eat the donuts".
I want to challenge you to a new approach: "create a state where you don't desire the donuts to begin with".
That is 100% possible & that's what I want to kick off today. Relying on willpower against processed foods is like trying to arm-wrestle a crane. We can be smarter.
There are several ways processed foods are engineered to hijack our palate:
These foods, from cookies to soups are fake, cheap & addictive.
Functional MRI (fMRI) is used to ensure addictive qualities.
Emotional profiling is used to ensure these foods satisfy emotional needs & trigger desired emotional outcomes.
Macronutrient profile is manipulated to ensure that we stay hungry, avoid satiety & experience cravings
Natural doesn't mean natural
"Natural flavoring" doesn't mean the ingredients are from natural sources. It may mean that the processing method was natural.
According to the Environmental Working Group, the chemicals used in natural and artificial flavors are often the exact same or nearly the same.
There is no legal requirement in the United States to disclose the components of "natural flavorings".
Is fake flavor making you fat? What is fake flavor? Why does it seem like year after year we crave food more yet experience less satisfaction from it? What has changed?
A lot has changed.
Our food has changed. Whole foods are different and processed foods are different.
This combination makes fat loss tough and fat gain pretty easy.
Today is part 1 of 2 episodes talking about what has changed about food & what we can do about it so we enjoy food more, eat less of it & reach our fat loss goals without deprivation.
http://primalpotential.com/140-is-fake-flavor-making-you-fat-part-1/
I can't tell you how often people email me and say, "I'm doing everything right & it's not working".
Here's what I say in response: "If it's not working, you're not doing everything right"
You need to keep in mind that your mental construct of what's "right" might be holding you back because if it's not working for you, it's not right for you.
It might be right for someone else. It might have been right for you a year ago or 20 lbs ago. But if it's not working for you, it's not right for you. You have tweaks to make. You need to make a change.
Stop getting frustrated and invest that energy in being strategic.
In today's episode I'll be sharing 10 potential tweaks you can make to accelerate fat loss.
http://primalpotential.com/139-accelerate-fat-loss/
Do not take shortcuts here. You absolutely need to listen to the full episode to understand the how & why behind each of these tweaks.
Most importantly: only implement ONE AT A TIME.
Seriously! Being an overachiever will not serve you here!
If you want to accelerate fat loss, you've got to know which strategy works & which doesn't. If you implement more than one at a time, you don't know which one is responsible for your results!
Let's talk about your goals. How's it going? Or, maybe, WTF happened?
Is there a gap between what you said you were going to do and what you've actually been doing?
Are you finding that you make excuses & exceptions on the regular?
You're not alone.
But let's not let the year slip away feeling like we could have done more or tried harder. Let's assess the situation and get real about how we can get the results we want. That's what today is all about.
http://primalpotential.com/138-wtf-happened/
In today's episode we're talking about how to break out of the cycle of setting intentions and not doing the work. Unfortunately, we take the approach of "same pond, same frog" and end up wondering, "WTF happened?" The intentions were there, the motivation was there when we set the intentions, but same pond, same frog, nothing new to see here.
The notion of "same pond, same frog" basically means that we don't change ourselves and we don't change our environment but try to change the outcome. It doesn't work.
I want to teach you, in this episode, how to set yourself up for the situation of either:
You must change YOURSELF if you want to change your results.
We cannot focus on the external only. When we focus on eating differently or exercising differently, those are external foci.
Our external results are reflective of our internal results. Change must start inside.
To be successful in achieving our goals, we must strengthen the following mental muscles:
In this episode I detail these 5 keys to creating new results & becoming a new frog.
Let's try something new! I'm going to be kicking off a monthly series on the podcast - you can consider it the Primal Potential Book Club! We're starting with Always Hungry by Dr. David Ludwig.
I read a ton. I've always got a couple of books going. Each month, maybe even a couple of times a month, I want to share with you the best books I've read, the most interesting things I've learned and how I've changed my fat loss approach (if at all) based on those books.
Without question, one of the best books I've read recently is Always Hungry by Dr. David Ludwig. In today's episode I'm sharing the most powerful lessons in the book and my thoughts on his "Always Hungry Solution" that he argues (quite well) will conquer cravings, retrain your fat cells and help you lose weight permanently.
http://primalpotential.com/137-always-hungry/
In today's episode I'm sharing what I feel are the most powerful & high-impact points made by Dr. Ludwig in his new book. I share my commentary and what changes I made based on this great read (as well as how my body responded). Definitely take a listen to the full episode but here are the highlights of what I share from the book.
The Always Hungry Solution is all about minimizing your body's insulin response and controlling inflammation via food choices. Of course it emphasizes whole foods with the greatest emphasis on plant-based fats like avocado, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil followed by non-starchy vegetables and high quality animal proteins.
After reading Always Hungry, I was inspired to make a few changes. Just these tiny changes to my already clean diet improved my sleep, significantly reduced my hunger (and I wasn't really hungry to begin with) and in just 10 days led to noticeable changes in my lower abdominals.
I spent the last couple weeks going through my email to identify where MOST people are running into the most trouble reaching their goals. The two words that jumped out at me most often were "motivation" and consistency".
I started thinking about the process of creating consistency and motivation and how I could really help you hone those skills. Ultimately, there's no food rules or goals that are valuable without recurring consistency & motivation.
In today's episode I share 3 very specific strategies for creating consistency and motivation. One of them is related to what I'm calling a "Motivation Mixtape".
http://primalpotential.com/136-creating-consistency-and-motivation/
This minisode is all about creating consistency & motivation. I start by sharing what is known as The Paradox of the Growing Heap or the Sorites Paradox.
It goes like this: If ten coins are not enough to make a man rich, what if you add one coin? What if you add another? Finally, you will have to say that no one can be rich unless one coin can make him so.
When it comes to fat loss, we see our choices as that one, insignificant coin. We justify excuses and exceptions by telling ourselves that this one small choice or action doesn't matter.
It's just one cookie.
It's just drink.
It's just one day.
But, if we shift our perspective to consider the growing heap, we understand that we have the opportunity to grow our heap or not. We have the opportunity to reinforce good habits or bad.
In an of itself that one choice might not seem significant. But without that one choice, you can't accumulate the consistency you need for results.
Here's the challenge I have for you:
Here's the theory behind that: we humans like to see immediate results. Unfortunately, with health & fat loss, we often have to generate consistency before we'll ever see results. If we don't see immediate return on our efforts, we'll often give up. Then we're sure to NEVER get there.
This jar will be the visible, tangible representation of your efforts, or lack thereof.
It's been too long since I've done a Q&A episode! Let's fix that! I get a lot of emails from people who are struggling with lack of momentum and feeling unsure how to get "back on track" after a rough day, week or series of weeks.
In today's listener Q&A podcast I'm going to share my thoughts on listener questions related to lack of momentum, feeling stuck in a rut and battling cravings.
Don't forget: if you have questions or you need a bit of encouragement to get moving in the right direction - please don't hesitate to reach out for help! That's what I'm here for!
http://primalpotential.com/135-lack-of-momentum/
Sometimes we get stuck in this trap of focusing more on consuming information than on implementing it. And often, we get a false sense of affirmation from all this learning, as if we've actually DONE something and we haven't. Information is awesome. Learning is wonderful. But there is no value in it without implementation.
In today's episode I want to help you bridge this gap between learning and doing. Between knowing more and doing more. I want to help you overcome information overload so you can take what you know already and what you continue to learn and use it to improve your health, your physique, your finances or absolutely any area of your life.
http://primalpotential.com/134-overcome-information-overload/
Let's talk about 5 common mistakes with carbs and cravings. I think we'd all agree that motivation & willpower can only go so far. If we're battling cravings, fat loss is a lot harder than it needs to be.
I have ZERO doubt that cravings can be eliminated. And if you're striving for fat loss & health, they should be.
In today's episode we're going to talk very specifically about 5 common mistakes & misunderstandings I see related to carbohydrates and cravings.
I want you to understand that carbohydrates are not bad. They aren't. In fact, if you look at my average meal plate (or that of most of my clients) you'll find that the majority of my plate is carbohydrates. What?!?! Yes! Non-starchy vegetables! Vegetables are carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are not the enemy.
They do not need to be eliminated for fat loss. It's not the carbohydrate that is the problem. It's lack of control of blood sugar & insulin that is the problem. When we don't control blood sugar, we set ourselves up for fat storage, low energy, cravings and hunger.
http://primalpotential.com/133-common-mistakes-with-carbs-and-cravings/
I think that most of us, weight problem or no weight problem, are overfed and undernourished. We focus on foods that deliver an imbalance of energy & nutrition. We get plenty of energy in the form of calories but we starve our bodies of the nutrients they need for both proper & optimal function.
Specifically, in this overfed and undernourished 2 part series, I want to talk about 5 nutrients I feel most of us aren't getting enough of. I'll dive into why they're important and how we can get more.
Did you miss part 1? No worries - you can listen to it here.
http://primalpotential.com/overfed-and-undernourished-part-2/
I think that most of us, weight problem or no weight problem, are overfed and undernourished. We focus on foods that deliver an imbalance of energy & nutrition. We get plenty of energy in the form of calories but we starve our bodies of the nutrients they need for both proper & optimal function.
Specifically, in this overfed and undernourished 2 part series, I want to talk about 5 nutrients I feel most of us aren't getting enough of. I'll dive into why they're important and how we can get more.
http://primalpotential.com/overfed-and-undernourished-part-1/
We have an unfortunate tendency to rely on processed foods that deliver energy without nutrition (or with little nutrition). This leads to "malnutrition of affluence" or a situation of being overfed and undernourished.
We simply aren't giving our bodies the raw materials they need to function optimally. This leads to:
Instead of looking at health & weight loss through the lens of restriction and deprivation, I'd encourage everyone to focus on equipping your body to function optimally so it creates a state of leanness, energy and vitality. When making food choices, ask yourself:
In this series, I want to focus on 5 things I feel we need more of. In part one, I'll be focusing on essential fatty acids & vitamin D.
In today's episode I'll focus on essential fatty acids and:
Related to vitamin D, this episode addresses:
In the next episode of this series we'll tackle
We need to have a little chat about starting strong versus staying strong.
I've been getting a lot of emails lately from people saying that they need a fresh start, the new to begin again, they need a clean slate. Do you need to reset? Does that make sense? Or might that be the exact reason you're not seeing the progress you want?
I actually think that the resets, fresh starts and do-overs are actually in the way of progress and today I want to tell you why.
http://primalpotential.com/starting-strong-versus-staying-strong/
I was recently inspired by a Motley Fool article on successful investing that talked about the importance of mindset. I immediately knew that these principles were intimately related to success in all arenas of life, including weight loss. Today I'll share 7 ways to avoid failure based on success strategies that have the power to transform absolutely any area of your life.
I've talked before about the link between financial transformations & physical transformation and today I'm going to take that a step further. Don't miss the full episode!