Today’s note is a little different — a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 format to give you exactly what you need:
5 go-to meals,
4 calming breaths,
3 root causes of fat gain (and how to flip them),
2 stanzas to remind you who you are,
and 1 place where it all comes together.
5: Emergency meals that save the day
Ever have one of those days where maybe you're low on groceries, time, patience or brain cells? And the last thing your body needs is you spiraling into a bag of stale pretzels and telling yourself you'll start over Monday. You don't wanna Doordash again. But you're not about to go Pinterest-perfect. Or chef-level. You can't even do exciting. Just fast. Familiar. And something you actually like enough to eat when your bandwidth is near zero.
Steal my "5 emergency meal" method:
I’ve always got five meals I can throw together on autopilot. They fit the PFF / PFF + intentional carb framework. I keep the ingredients stocked. They require minimal effort. And on a crazy or wildcard day where I might need breakfast, lunch AND dinner to be handled without a single extra decision, I can always rotate between these and know we're good to go.
Two of mine (I have ones for if I'm making a meal just for me and ones for when it's the family):
A protein smoothie with ½ frozen banana, handful frozen strawberries, 2 scoops vanilla protein, basil seeds, water.
Egg sandwich: 2 slices Unbun bread, hummus, 1 slice real American cheese, 1 scrambled egg, spinach or cucumber, tomato, sriracha.
Try it! Make your list. Know your list. Post it on the fridge if needed.
4: A breathing technique that’s basically magic
It’s called 4-7-8 breathing and it’s a nervous system game-changer.
Inhale for 4
Hold for 7
Exhale slowly for 8
That’s it. Just a couple rounds and you’re signaling your body that it’s safe to shift into rest-and-digest. Great before meals. Great before sleep. Great before you throw your phone into a lake.
3: The trifecta of fat cell expansion
Want to grow your fat cells real big? Here’s the recipe:
Excess calories
Excess insulin
Chronic inflammation
So... let’s reverse engineer. To lose fat (which means shrinking those cells), we want to:
Avoid overeating (but not under-eat to the point of wrecking your metabolism)
Keep blood sugar stable (hi, PFF)
Lower chronic inflammation (movement, sleep, breath, food quality, reduce toxins, sunshine, grounding, all the things we chat about)
Simple. Not easy. But now you know.
2: Two stanzas for you.
This was inspired by another poem I wrote 2 weeks ago for someone very close to me. But this version ... this one is just for you.
For the woman who feels behind on her body, her goals,
Behind on the laundry, the dreams, the controls.
Behind on the bills and the papers + texts,
Behind on the workout she meant to do next.
Behind on her glow and her gut and her grace,
Behind on the patience she wore on her face
This is for her, the one still in stride,
Running a race where the start's deep inside.
She’s behind the smile on her daughter’s face,
Behind the hugs that still hold space.
Behind the safety, the didn't-happen fight,
Behind the choosing rest some nights.
Behind the no one ever sees,
Behind the strength in worn-out knees.
She may feel lost in what’s undone,
But she’s behind... like the roots are behind the sun.
She’s behind the backstop at his baseball game,
Behind the stage whispering, “You’ll be great.” (no shame)
Behind the counter, cooking with care,
Behind her desk, building more than they’re aware.
Behind that paycheck or a clean toilet bowl,
Behind RSVPs and the birthday scroll.
Behind the doctor’s calls, the gifts, the replies,
Spirit Week picks and the tears in her eyes.
She’s not behind. She’s right on time.
The future wide open, her goals still aligned.
The only behind that truly holds weight
Is the magic she’s behind ... not a minute too late.
1: One place that holds all your tools
One place where you don’t have to do this alone. If you want support with fat loss, metabolism, energy, blood sugar, workouts, hormones, or just life... The Metabolic Edge was built for you.
We’ve got:
✔️ All your workouts
✔️ All your meal guides
✔️ Your self-paced metabolism course
✔️ Monthly workshops, Q+As, and guest experts
✔️ And the kind of community that makes it all actually SUPER supportive + fun
It’s filled with women who are mostly in their 40s–60s sharing lazy girl meals, troubleshooting real life, celebrating wins, and hyping each other up.
And if you’re reading this thinking "This sounds like the place I didn’t know I needed"...
This link was basically written with you in mind.
XO,
Tara