I realized this week that we're somehow almost in August??
If your summer has been full of vacations, BBQs, concerts, beach days, baseball games, birthday parties, ice cream, road trips, and every other reason to spend more time outside than in your kitchen... welcome to the club. And yay!
August is a really fun month because you still get all the best parts of summer, but you also get a chance to think about how the first half of summer has gone so far and be a little more intentional where you need it. You know what the next few weeks look like (at least roughly). You can make a plan instead of winging it.
One of the resources my members inside The Metabolic Edge have had for a while is my Healthify My Summer Guide, and I thought it'd be fun to share it with you today.
It's basically how I think through all those real-life situations that people ask me about a lot this time of year. Friends' BBQ? Beach day? Road trip? Baseball game? Concert? Outdoor movie?
You don't need a perfect plan or a huge pile of willpower for every scenario. You do need a few strategies that make the healthier choices feel easy.
If you've been around here for a while, you've probably heard me talk about PFF.
Protein. Fat. Fiber. And then intentional carbs (IC). It's probably the simplest framework I teach because it works almost everywhere.
For most women, meals do really well with 30+ grams of protein. When I'm out somewhere and options are limited, I'll happily call 20 grams a win.
Fat lands around 20-ish grams for most women, give or take.
For fiber, I love seeing 30+ grams across the day, which averages to about 10 grams per meal if you're eating three meals. Real life happens, though. If I get 5 grams with lunch at our vacay swim up bar, I mentally check that box and make a couple slightly different choices later.
Intentional carbs means knowing how many carbs your body thrives with. For most women, that ends up looking like a serving of carbs with 2-3 meals each day. That includes foods like fruit, beans, corn, rice, bread, crackers, pasta...yes, even s'mores. The "right" amount depends on your goals, health history, activity level, muscle mass, training intensity, thyroid health, sleep, stress, insulin sensitivity, and more. As a general starting point, I find most women do well keeping meals around or under 35g net carbs.
Balancing meals is more nuanced and individualized than I could fit here, but I wanted to give you enough context that the suggestions throughout make sense. If you're a member of The Metabolic Edge, I'd highly recommend watching the first 3 videos in the self-paced Metabolism Course. They'll give you a much deeper understanding of how to build meals and, more importantly, how to tweak them based on your body and goals. If you're not a member yet and would like to join us, The Metabolic Edge will open again for a few days at the end of August so everyone can kick off September together. Hop on the waitlist, and I'll let you know as soon as doors open.
I don't track my food, but I am intentional.
After coaching hundreds and hundreds of women — and coaching myself through every phase from disease reversal to fat loss to muscle gain to maintenance — I can tell you that one of the biggest things we work on has very little to do with macros.
We work on all the noise! Getting rid of the guilt, reducing the bargaining, losing the "I already blew it" voice, never again feeling like that one brownie you gave in to somehow made you lose control around food for a whole week.
Learning how to keep your favorite foods, your favorite traditions, and your health goals all in the same life changes everything.
I mean, shouldn't this be taught in school?? Let's put it somewhere between the Pythagorean theorem and square dancing. A shocking number of us can recite a² + b² = c² while we do-si-do, and still have no idea how to go to a BBQ without feeling like Monday has to become a fresh start.
Anyway... here's the guide.
One disclaimer: I found some typos after I finished it. They're staying. I've broken up with perfectionism, and it's going surprisingly well.
I hope this helps you enjoy every last bit of summer while keeping the promises you made to yourself back in January.
Long live summer,
Tara
P.S. In case you missed it
How I make a cable machine at home with bathroom garbage
Doing health from curiosity, not fear
P.P.S. What I'm loving lately (vacation edition)
This sunscreen. It's non-toxic, uses non-nano zinc oxide and while it's a spray, it's non-aerosol. Shake it up well before using! For my face I use Crunchi Sunlight and reapply a lot (it's a bit weak in the water) and wear hats. We stocked up before our trip because they don't sell this at the local Sunsations shops.
These sandals feel more elevated than my flips, but so comfortable and easy to walk in. Carrie Bradshaw would be disappointed in me, but I DO NOT look or feel graceful in most "girly" shoes and I have made peace with that. I have these sandals in black and gold and wear them all summer.
Boogie boards. I mean ... why not? When was the last time you boogie boarded with your kids? Or alone? We have one life! Risking it for sharks and sand rashes seems like a pretty good idea.
Aloha bars -- this flavor is my FAV. I've been eating less of these when at home but while away? 14g of protein and 10g of fiber can come in really handy more often than not while road tripping and hotel living! Also lower carb, only 5g sugar, and ingredients I can get behind. I am not sponsored by this brand (or any here), but you wouldn't know that by my enthusiasm. Haha!
This skirt. I wore them in this reel if you want to see them on. I was afraid it would be too short but not at all! So comfy, pairs well with tank tops, tshirts, knit tops, or whatever you have, moves when I move so I feel like a Disney princess heading into the kitchen to make the kids their 120th meal of the day or heading out to dinner, and the built-in shorts underneath is helpful for how I prefer to sit in every which way except for the normal people way.
