Your Ideal Body Weight

You'll lose more body fat eating 1800 calories than you will trying to eat 1200 calories.

Now, I hate calorie tracking (as you probably already know), so this is just to paint a picture here. SOOOOO many people I speak with are trying to eat an unreasonably low amount of calories and it backfires. Willpower is never a match for our biology. Biology. Always. Wins. What that means is that on your quest to eat 1200 calories, the nighttime snacks and weekend 'special occasions' get the best of you because you're HUNGRY and eventually will have to give in. And when you give in, you don't eat the same types of foods that you would (nourishing foods) if you just ate more of those at your meals instead.




Let's talk about your ideal body weight, because it's a topic that comes up a lot.



What IS it for you?
How do you know you're there?
How do you stay there?



Your ideal body weight happens when you are fueling yourself well throughout the day. Your cravings are in check (or more likely -- you don't have them anymore) so any indulgences are intentional, enjoyed, and never with a feeling of being out of control. 



Your ideal body weight happens when you are lifting weights 3-4x a week and walking daily.



Your ideal body weight is NOT AT ALL the weight you achieved once when you did a juice cleanse for a week before Cabo or after you had a lingering stomach virus.



Your ideal body weight was never achieved by cutting out entire food groups because an influencer told you to or dehydrating yourself for an event.



And your ideal body weight is not the weight you're at when you are using food and alcohol as a frequent vice because you're not sleeping enough, not resting enough, not setting boundaries, not taking some time for yourself, and / or not actively working on your emotional health. Food will very easily replace any of those things for many reasons (namely, hormones and neuromodulators) so skip any of the above and you might notice a bit of a struggle here.



So, if you want to reveal your "ideal body weight" to yourself (and no need to weigh yourself ... you'll just SEE and FEEL the shifts), do this stuff consistently:



1) Eat PFF (protein, fat, and fiber) at every meal. Carbs at some, but not all meals.
2) Strength train 3-4x per week.
3) Walk daily.
4) Sleep 7-9 hours.
5) Take rest days from intense exercise and rest time for your brain.
6) Set boundaries with others. Speak your mind in a respectful, but firm way. (Ahhhh ... feels like this could be its own blog topic, right???)
7) Take time for the things that relax you and bring you joy. Even just a little to start.
8) Work on your emotional health! Mindset, gratitude, self talk, internal healing, etc.



Your 'ideal body weight' is whatever it is when you're living what you consider to be your ideal life. It doesn't happen the other way around. And you will maintain that -- with some normal fluctuations -- by continuing to do the same things you did to get there in the first place. By this point, it should be a huge RED FLAG when you start thinking about doing something you cannot maintain. If you cannot maintain the process, you won't ever maintain the results.




If you need help with numero uno, I've created this Fat Loss / Muscle Building Meal Plan that takes all of the guess work out of your meals. Meal plans aren't forever, but if you want to focus on one of these other pillars and still nail the nutrition part all the while, this will be very helpful! (And, I can't wait to hear about the results you notice. I've had some pretty cool messages / emails from others who are feeling amazing after eating this way even after just a few days!!!)



If you need help with numero dos, I share my workouts everyday for free over on instagram. Let's workout together!



And if you're like, "Tara, I need help with ALL of it and then some!", then my 1-on-1 coaching might be the perfect next step for you. Leave a comment below and let's chat.




XO,
Tara

Promising holistic prevention + treatment of covid 19 (and other viruses + diseases)

It's been nicknamed, "The Miracle Molecule" for a reason....

Well, many reasons, actually. The reasons are that it helps prevent diabetes, insulin resistance, mood disorders, heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimers, and erectile dysfunction (yes, even in women -- that's really a thing).


And did I mention ... it's showing very promising results in clinical trials as an effective, low risk treatment option for Covid-19 (and other viruses like the flu).


The best news is that it's a molecule that our body already produces! Under the best conditions, we already have enough of it. But many people do not, and end up suffering the consequences.


IN THIS LIVE VIDEO I discussed 6 ways we can increase this miracle molecule (which is nitric oxide) through simple, healthy lifestyle upgrades. I know so many of us would LOVE to know there's something more we can do to be taking care of ourselves and our loved ones during this pandemic. PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION with anyone you think could benefit from it.


In summary:

1) Eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein. L-arginine is an amino acid we can get more of through our food and is used to convert nitric oxide.

2) Eat more vegetables with nitrates: celery, spinach, arugula, beets, lettuce. These nitrates are healthy, (unlike the nitrates in processed meat like hot dogs and bacon) and provide the raw materials needed to make nitric oxide.

3) Exercise! When we move, we increase blood flow through our body. This blood flow improves the endothelial function (the cells that line the blood vessels) ... and that's important because these are the cells that make nitric oxide!

4) Eat / supplement with antioxidants such as Vitamin E, C, polyphenols, and glutathione. Nitric oxide is a pretty unstable molecule and these antioxidants help stabilize it more so it sticks around longer.

5) Consider ditching the mouthwash. Using mouthwash is associated with an increase in diabetes, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease. Why? Well just like commercials say, it kills 99.99% of bacteria. But just like the commercials DON'T say, that's not necessarily a good thing! Not all bacteria is bad and the ones that are 'good' have very important jobs in our body. Our mouths happen to house a very important bacteria that helps up produce nitric oxide. If you're killing that off with mouthwash, you're at quite the disadvantage. I can't tell you what to do, of course! Chat with your doctors, your dentist.... do your own research. But I am telling you that you may want to look into this.

6) Nasal breathing! Breathing in and out through your nose brings nitric oxide into your body. Breathing in and out through your mouth does not. Think about how you breathe during the day when you're awake and also at night while you sleep... are you a mouth-breather? What might you be able to do about that?



Hope these help! If you've read all the way here and are still more interested in your body composition goals, let me tell you this: nitric oxide helps with metabolism. An insufficiency causes insulin resistance and excess fat storage. So it's a win-win to consider the above strategies. If you want to see the video, here's the link again.

Are the days of Intermittent Fasting over?

If you've skipped some of the headlines lately, you might think that's the case.



But wait! There's more! ;-)



CHECK OUT MY LATEST VIDEO BELOW where I talk about the study that has been referenced in every newspaper and magazine recently and what it tells us. I also share why intermittent fasting CAN be a tool for weight loss and why sometimes it's completely ineffective. 


And if you're interested in more than weight loss / fat loss... if health + longevity is your jam (like it is mine), make sure you stay 'til the end where I talk about IF in the context of overall health and wellness.



Happy Fasting!


XO,
Tara