Fuel Your Strength

I am sure you have heard or seen the common rhetoric of 'eat less, move more' online. While this perspective may be well-meaning, it is frequently misused and can have some dangerous consequences. When you are training hard, wanting to improve your performance, and ultimately feel better, it takes the right amount of fuel to achieve those results. Key Takeaways If You Want To Make Sure You Are Eating Enough, You Should: Start unlearning the dialogue that eating less and moving more will give you results Eat enough relative to your activity level, even if you are not an 'athlete' Use activities such as strength training to shift your mindset and improve your confidence Proper Fuelling Is Not Just for the Olympics Recently the Tokyo Olympics have been in the spotlight as women athletes are reporting better performance due to increased food intake. This is not a coincidence, as these athletes need fuel to perform better. But, this is not just limited to the elite level of athletes that compete in the Olympics. Anyone active needs to get enough energy through food to help them gain muscle, improve insulin resistance, create confidence, and ultimately feel and perform better. Feel Like a Badass Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, or RED-S, can have a huge impact on your endurance, strength, risk of injury, and much more. While the awareness around low energy availability is increasing, we need to keep having the conversation and shift our mindsets away from the 'smaller is better' mentality. By approaching your strength training, and nutrition intake as a way to make you thrive, instead of just a laundry list of things to avoid, you can gain confidence and feel like the badass you know you are. Properly fueling yourself is the only way to improve your performance and start seeing the results you are looking for. Are you ready to experience the magic that comes from feeding yourself enough? Share your thoughts with me in the comments section of the episode page. In This Episode How the Tokyo Olympics brought light to the connection between nutrition and performance (4:14) Why you should care about how you fuel yourself even if you are not an elite athlete (9:21) Issues that can arise if people are not eating enough food or are in RED-S territory (11:53) The many benefits of getting stronger and fueling to support your body (21:10) How strength training can help you gain confidence and feel like a badass (26:18) Quotes "For women, there is such a pressure and prize placed on leanness and smallness and getting rid of that extra couple percentage of body fat and optimizing those things to the detriment of performance and honestly health." (6:45) "Here we are, it's 2021, and we have some women performing at the highest, highest levels. And even they are susceptible to a lot of the junk they have learned or the fact that they have not had a lot of guidance to what it really takes to fuel for something of that level." (9:19) "Hey, you know what's going to happen if you eat more food? You are going to feel better, you're going to have more energy, you'll be able to train harder, recover better, and perform better!" (14:35) "Looking back in hindsight, I have learned so much about what it takes to really fuel to perform well and to be healthy." (19:36) "I want you to think about fueling to support your body as really allowing you to expand, to be able to do more, to be able to challenge yourself if that is what you love. And to do it in a way that is supporting your health at the same time." (21:23) Featured on the Show Join the Group Strength Nutrition Program Here Sports Science Is Changing How Female Athletes Train. It Could Help You, Too Article Join the Private Coaching Waitlist Here Steph Gaudreau Website Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative Related Episodes LTYB 348: Improve Your Fitness Over 40 with Robin Legat LTYB 331: Strength Training & Your Relationship to Exercise

If you struggle to feel motivated when going to the gym, feel sluggish, uninspired, or lack energy, and you aren't sure why, your nutrition might be to blame. I repeatedly see three major things when it comes to women who have an active lifestyle but aren't feeling as good as they expected. As Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter would say, when something happens, it's always these three. Key Takeaways Three Things To Watch Out For Nutrition Wise When You Are Training Hard Are: Being too low carb Skipping meals Only eating when you feel hungry Learning and Unlearning If you are engaging with medium or high-intensity activity, your body needs fuel and energy throughout the day. This means eating regularly, fueling yourself with the right types of foods, and listening to your body's hunger signals. We have been taught that carbs are the enemy and that skipping meals is okay if you don't feel hungry, which is just not the case. While these 'rules' may be well-intentioned, they are problematic and require a lot of learning and unlearning in this space. The Three Things Standing in the Way of Your Results The truth is, if you don't take in enough energy, you will feel like shit. We need to use a combination of listening to our bodies but also logic to nourish ourselves and, in turn, see the results we are hoping for at the gym. If you are lifting weights and want to get stronger and build muscle, you have to have a strong base of nutrition. Carbs, regular meals, and eating to fuel your body are essential to helping you get the results you want in your muscle gain and also your energy levels. Are you ready to embrace nutrition in order to improve your overall game? Share what goal you are working towards with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Some common problems that women who lift weights run into in terms of nutrition (4:10) Why being too low carb could actually be hurting your results in the gym (6:01) How to stop skipping meals for better overall health (13:30) The role of the Tokyo Olympics when recognizing pre-menopausal women athletes (17:35) Tips for avoiding the trap of only eating when you are hungry (21:20) Quotes "Dame Maggie Smith playing Professor McGonagall, and she says to Hermionie and Ron and Harry, 'why is it that when something happens, it is always you three?'. It kind of brought up this sort of comical reel that I made but with a really serious message behind it." (5:37) "I've been in and around the strength training community for now over a decade. I have, myself, been lifting for over a decade and been coaching for many years now. And I see this happening with monotonous regularity. So, is it happening to everybody? Probably not. Is it happening to a big chunk of folks? From my experience, it is." (8:17) "I think what we are seeing is a lot of things converging at one time. Obviously, there is the recognition now and the desire to say hey, pre-menopausal women haven't been represented super well in a lot of this research." (18:03) "You don't have to be an elite athlete to have this challenge, and skipping meals sometimes, oftentimes, makes it more difficult to get in the amount of energy, and other things like protein, that someone who is lifting weights and interested in building muscle tissue really needs to provide in their daily intake in order to make that stuff happen." (20:36) "Does your body have fail-safes? Of course! Your body is miraculous and wonderful and has all sorts of clever ways to do things like access stored energy and this and that. But when this becomes a pattern over time, especially if you do have access to food, this is something to consider turning your attention toward." (25:29) Featured on the Show Join the Group Strength Nutrition Program Here Join the Private Coaching Waitlist Here Steph Gaudreau Website Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Related Episodes LTYB 282: Anti-Diet versus Functional Nutrition with Michelle Shapiro LTYB 332: 3 Mistakes Keeping You From Getting Stronger In The Gym LTYB 334: How Strong Women Can Lift Eachother Up with Molly Galbraith

How many times have you told yourself you're too old or it's too late to get started on something? The idea of starting a new athletic pursuit after 40 seems impossible to many people, but there are so many people out there proving every day that it can be reality. Key Takeaways If You Are Ready to Explore Your Athletic Potential, You Should: Redefine what athlete means to you Stop waiting to become perfect or elite Get out of your comfort zone Focus on activities that light you up inside Live Agelessly With Robin Legat One of those people is Robin Legat, a badass obstacle racer who helps women over 40 explore their athletic potential, gain confidence, and overcome life's obstacles. Robin is passionate about helping women live agelessly by sharing her wisdom and preparing women to run their best obstacle race. She believes that exploring your athletic potential at every age can help everyone expand their lives. What Is an Athlete? To Robin, being an athlete means having a body that is moved with intention and is tested from time to time. That's it! You do not need to be perfect or elite to get started. Once you can find an activity that you enjoy, the fire you get from that feeling will continue to motivate you. Being able to accomplish something that you never thought you would be able to do can give you joy that affects more than just your fitness but really impacts your whole life. You just have to be willing to show up at the start line. You Don't Need to Be Perfect, You Just Need to Show Up When you gain the confidence to put yourself out there and participate in an experience, you can still feel your 'superhero' moment even if you don't do it perfectly. While your preferences of which activities you engage with may shift throughout the different seasons in your life, the positive benefits you can get from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone can be life-changing. By redefining the rewards and benefits that come from taking on challenges, you can gain the confidence to overcome life's obstacles and explore your athletic potential at any age. Are you ready to run your first obstacle course race after listening to this episode? Share what you loved most about Robin's approach to fitness over 40 with me in the comments section of the episode page. In This Episode How Robin went from a 'non-athlete' to a roller derby star and obstacle course racer (11:44) Tips for redefining what an 'athlete' is in order to see yourself in a more expansive way (20:15) Why it is okay to recognize which training lights you up inside and which training is not for you right now (25:47) The top 3 things you need to know about obstacle course racing (30:24) The importance of strength training when obstacle racing (34:55) Quotes "One of the things I am trying to break down in my little corner is the rewards and the benefits that come from taking on challenges such as obstacle races, that's just one example, but the rewards and challenges that come from stepping beyond your comfort zone, taking on new challenges, and discovering your ability to do things you never thought you could." (11:19) "Obstacle racing is a lot of being a grown-up kid. You are doing monkey bars, and rope climbs and crawling in mud, kid stuff. And we forget that. We lose track of that and forget how fun that side of ourselves can be, and you can access that at any age if you want to." (19:36) "That's why I love helping women, particularly women over 40, find that thing that lights them up. Because that can be life-changing in regards to your relationship with exercise and training and how you view yourself as an athlete." (25:44) "All that other stuff does not matter. You need to have the ability to show up to that start line, just like I needed to have that ability to show up to my first roller derby practice. So know that you can get from the start line to finish line." (30:26) "When you see you just did something, that you have never done, that you didn't think you could ever do, that's an amazing feeling that permeates into all areas of your life. And that's why I want to reach women over 40." (41:30) Featured on the Show Join the Group Strength Nutrition Program Waitlist Here Robin Legat Website Seasoned Athlete Podcast Seasoned Athlete Live: Start Line Strong Follow Robin on Instagram | Facebook Steph Gaudreau Website Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Related Episodes LTYB 319: Why Fitspo Needs To Die

If you struggle with staying motivated when engaging with exercise, you are not alone. Starting a fitness plan is very exciting initially, but when reality sets in about the amount of time it can take to see results, especially as our bodies change through the different phases of life, it can be a bit disheartening. This is why I have brought the ultimate motivator, Christa Shelton, to the show today. Key Takeaways If You Want To Get Clear On Your Fitness Motivation, You Should: Adapt your training schedule to where your body is at right now in this phase of your life Get clear on why you want to accomplish a goal and if it is coming from yourself or outside conditioning Harness the confidence you get from strength training into all areas of your life For The Love of Motivation Christa is a certified personal trainer and behavioral change specialist who is passionate about helping her clients use motivation as a vehicle for long-term success. She loves helping women in mid-life feel confident with their movement practices and get to the 'why' behind their goals. She has combined her enthusiasm for fitness and her love of motivating people into a purpose that serves her clients, herself, and her community. Feeling Confident in Movement at Every Age When getting back into fitness, especially if some years have passed since the last time we engaged with that exercise, we all tend to compare what we can do now to what we could do back then. But the truth is, how you are training now should be different than how you were training 5 or 10 years ago because your body needs different things. By being tuned into what your body is saying to you, you can get over the barriers of movement and learn to embrace the changes your body is going through. Know Your "Why" The best way to stay motivated is to be confident in the 'why' behind your goal. Christa uses strength training as a gateway to getting into your internal mindset and figuring out what each unique person needs at that moment. When you can own and feel good about your intentions and feel secure in what your body can do, that confidence translates into all areas of your life. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be strong. While the definition of the word strong may change from person to person, the positivity that comes from feeling assured in your body's abilities is universal. Are you ready to stop procrastinating and start using your mindset to fuel your motivation? Share what you loved most about Christa's approach with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Common fears and barriers surrounding women holding women back from getting started on a fitness journey (14:06) How to address the changes in your body mid-life and adapt your training program accordingly (22:54) The role of mindset and listening to your body when doing any type of training (25:21) Tips for overcoming your mindset challenges when it comes to strength training (28:51) How strength training can help you tap into your motivation and create inner transformation (36:45) Quotes "Because I am walking this journey, it really compelled me to really immerse myself in how we are looking at aging and how we are feeling about our bodies as we age. And that's really what made me want to make the shift to really focus here." (8:39) "Generally speaking, it still takes work and time to build muscle. So to think you could go from where you are to somehow ever get to 'The Rock' or anywhere near that is in itself a huge misconception." (18:40) "I am very much more the type of trainer that is going to talk to you about how you are feeling, specifically that day when I see you, and then we are going to move according to that." (23:44) "Getting down deep and relating to people on a human level is not something that I feel is really talked about as much as it should be for people coming into this work. Because when you are dealing with people's bodies, I feel that that is a very personal space, and it needs to be treated with the utmost respect." (27:46) "What are your motivations behind the things that you do? I think it is important to dig into that so that you can really understand if your motivation for doing something is based on conditioning and messaging that you have been getting... or is it something that you have a clear mindset about this approach and why you feel it is important." (32:23) Featured on the Show Join the Group Strength Nutrition Program Waitlist Here Coaching With Christa Website Follow Christa on Instagram Steph Gaudreau Website Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Related Episodes LTYB 239: Demystifying Menopause Fitness & Nutrition with Amanda Thebe LTYB 331: Strength Training & Your Relationship with Exercise LTYB 334: How Strong Women Can Lift Eachother Up with Molly Galbraith

The constant pursuit of shrinking your body can have major costs on your life. Instead of listening to what external validation tells you, you can listen to what your body needs and start validating yourself from the inside out. Key Takeaways If You Are Ready To Take A New Approach To Diet and Exercise, You Should: Shift your goals from aesthetic based to ability based Reject the notion that you have to limit your dietary intake to what external sources tell you Learn to listen to what your body is telling you The Impact of Searching for External Validation Deanna Harder has been involved in the fitness industry in some way or another since the age of 16. She used sports such as figure skating and bodybuilding to stay lean and stay compliant because of her previous disordered eating. It wasn't until she got a speeding ticket on the way home because she was so eager to get home and finally eat a handful of almonds that her compliance to the sport had taken over her whole life. Now, she works with women to help them shift their mindset, validate themselves, and quit the all-or-nothing mentality. How Is Your Mentality Serving You? Aesthetic-based sports and physique-based competitions played into Deanna's desire to get smaller and perform harder. She didn't realize that she was starving her body of the nutrients it needed and using validation from others to justify her all-or-nothing mentality. It wasn't until the age of 40 that she sought help for her exercise compulsion and eating disorders, which is why she is so passionate about helping other women make the change that she did and live better for it. Learn to Trust Yourself Again When coming from a place of restriction and diet culture, it can be scary to navigate the middle, learn about moderate eating, and eat for satisfaction. While it will take some internal work to remember how to trust yourself when it comes to food and exercise, Deanna knows deep down that those intuitive powers reside in all of us. The more you learn to trust yourself, listen internally and stay mindful, the easier it gets to listen to what your body is saying to you. It is fascinating what you can discover about yourself when you tap into what you have ignored for so long, but Deanna is confident that if you can make that jump into the unknown, you will forever be happy that you did. Are you ready to start taking the steps and shift your goals from aesthetic-based to do-based? Share what you resonated most with Deanna's story with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode How aesthetic sports culture lead Deanna to the work she is doing today (8:18) The moment Deanna realized that her mindset and beliefs were not healthy (17:22) Why the attention someone receives 'before' or 'after' plays into diet culture (21:35) Challenges that are faced when changing your perspective on physique based goals (25:46) What is the #greatdietdisruption and how you can become involved (32:54) Tips if you want to shift away from an aesthetic based goal to a do-based goal (36:13) Quotes "Those who didn't have such a great experience have a completely different story. So not all of it is bad, but for me in particular, it was not a smart idea to use that sport as a goal because I already had suffered from body image and eating disorders previously before I entered my first competition." (9:41) "There were so many times that I really should have stopped, but I didn't. The obsessiveness was more powerful than anything I could have controlled at that time." (19:48) "It was only when I went to eating disorder counseling and stopped competing that I started validating myself. And it was a game-changer." (23:52) "My poor body was going through hell, and I didn't listen until I had had enough. And I think until you have had enough, you can't help anybody, until they are ready, and I was finally ready." (31:08) "The ultimate form of control is trust. And the control isn't working anymore. So if it is not working anymore, what are you getting out of it?" (36:24) Featured on the Show Join the Group Strength Nutrition Program Waitlist Here Deanna Harder Website Deanna Harder Online Coaching Programs Moderation 365 Certification Follow Deanna on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter Steph Gaudreau Website Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Related Episodes LTYB 342: Fitness Trackers and Listening to Your Body LTYB 219: How To Lead With Purpose & Positivity with Jill Coleman

Do you struggle with the concept of giving yourself permission to do or not do the things you really want? Like taking a rest day, sleeping in, eating enough to nourish your body, or setting boundaries and saying no? You are not alone in this struggle. However, when you can give yourself the radical permission you deserve, you can take care of yourself and those you love in a transformative new way. Key Takeaways If You Want To Allow Yourself Radical Permission, You Should: Stop the search for external validation and start listening to your own inner expert Never abandon yourself by consciously choosing to live more expansively Create compassion and self-compassion so that you can connect to the rest of humanity Give yourself permission to set boundaries and say no to others, society, and yourself Compassion Warrior Hayden Dawes Hayden Dawes is a social worker, therapist, researcher, speaker, and self-proclaimed 'Compassion Warrior' passionate about helping people give themselves permission, do what they want to do, and reclaim their power. Hayden has harnessed his past to examine our social systems and find a way to help people connect to the larger community of humanity. Writing Your Own Permission Slip Many of us are used to seeking permission from an external source, such as a teacher, coach, parent, partner, or boss. Have you ever considered that you have the power to write your own permission slip? A permission slip is an opportunity to come back to yourself and ensure that you are not abandoning yourself whatever you decide to do or not do. By raising your permission consciousness over time, you can lean into self-compassion and choose to live more expansive and open lives. Creating Self-Compassion Through Radical Permission Being compassionate and giving yourself permission can feel scary and vulnerable. While being your authentic self can feel like a risk, it is the only way that you will become connected to the larger community of humanity. Some people believe that giving themselves compassion will end their accountability or dedication. This is not the case! Hayden wants you to know that there is space for both, and by practicing coming back to the expert within yourself, you can sustain yourself through self-compassion and radical permission. Are you ready to start listening to your body and giving yourself the permission you have been longing for? Share what you loved most about Hayden's vision with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Learn about 'Petty Tuesday' and how it relates to work being done in the world (6:30) Why people who have marginalized identities have a hard time giving themselves permission (15:27) Ways that you can begin the process of giving yourself more radical permission (23:30) How to give yourself compassion without giving up on your discipline (28:30) Discover how self-compassion and radical permission are woven together as a practice (33:35) Tips for allowing yourself permission to set boundaries and say no sometimes (38:41) Quotes "I really use it as an invitation for everyone to air our their grievance in a way that can be really healthy. Because in a lot of ways, if we don't, it will work its way out in other ways that really aren't as healthy." (8:08) "I try to use my work first and foremost to help myself so that I can help others help themselves. It's a reciprocal, bidirectional relationship." (14:12) "A permission slip is an opportunity to come back to yourself and not abandon yourself. Because whether that coach, that teacher, that doctor, your partner is for you on the other side of the thing you decided to do or not do, I would hope that you haven't abandoned yourself." (20:23) "There is enough space for accountability and self-compassion." (29:20) "When your parents gave you a permission slip to go on a field trip, most people wanted to go, but I'm sure if you didn't go, it probably wouldn't be the worst thing ever. So let's just take the pressure off of everything." (37:47) Featured on the Show Join the Group Strength Nutrition Program Waitlist Here Hayden Dawes Website Follow Hayden on Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Johari Window Steph Gaudreau Website Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Related Episodes LTYB 305: Using Body Language To Understand Yourself and Others Better with Tiff Lee LTYB 298: How to Show Up More Authentically with Grace Edison LTYB 290: Start Living Your Life By Design with Rai Henry

Christina Malone has been an athlete in a larger body for her whole life. When she found the sport of powerlifting, she used what she had been told would hold her back for her entire life as a positive attribute. Christina is dedicated to helping others who are hurting, stuck in the cycle of diet culture and body negativity by learning to love themselves and fight for body diversity and acceptance in the fitness industry. Key Takeaways If You Want To Live Your Fullest Life You Should: Accept that your value has nothing to do with what you see in the mirror Stop feeling responsible for other people's reactions to you and your body Find a fitness routine that focuses on what your body feels good doing Advocate for your health and your options at every size Fitness as a Big-Bodied Person Christina is a state-record holder and national-level athlete in the sport of powerlifting, a body inclusivity coach and speaker, and happens to be in a larger body. Her passion is finding ways to help other people find peace with their bodies, learning to appreciate everything they are, and how to be in fitness as a big-bodied person. She is powerful and raw and here today to share how picking up a barbell has helped her feel more at home in the gym and her body. The Power of Powerlifting At one point in her life, Christina was using exercise to punish her body for being the size that it was. That was before she fell in love with the technique of powerlifting and how it made her body feel. Powerlifting allowed her internal perspective about her body size to shift, which was a life-changing experience for an athlete in a bigger body. Instead of being told that her weight was going to hold her back, powerlifting allowed Christina to harness her energy on learning to come home to her body's purpose. Other People's Comfort Is Not Your Responsibility While the conversations and attitudes towards body diversity and body acceptance in the fitness industry are changing, we still have a long way to go. Just as we have accepted height differences and race differences in the fitness industry, Christina believes that we also have to accept body size differences. What you look like in the mirror has nothing to do with your value, worth, or ability. It is not your responsibility to make others feel comfortable around your body. Everyone's body is different, and when we are able to accept others regardless of what diet culture and body negativity tell us, we can break down the barriers of the fitness industry and explore fitness with freedom. Are you ready to start living your fullest life? Share what part of Christina's story resonated with you most with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode The lifts that are involved in powerlifting and how it is specifically unique (8:50) Which practices can help you get into the right mental space to perform (13:42) Why body diversity awareness in fitness and sports is important, especially now (21:51) How the industry is changing in relation to conversations around body acceptance and bigger bodies (29:47) What it is like navigating the medical system as a plus-size athlete and woman (34:20) Quotes "[Powerlifting] is really the only sport I have ever done that I am not sitting there saying 'hey I am big, but…', it's 'hey, I am big, and…'." (8:25) "When I weight lift and when I am powerlifting, it's me, it's the bar, and it's the plates on the bar. And nothing else exists for me outside of that platform, the judge in front of me, and what I need to execute on the platform." (14:12) "You could take 100 or 200 people and give them the exact same diet and the exact same exercise routine, and they could have a similar background, and they would still come out of it looking different. And that is just inherent, that everyone's body is going to be different." (23:47) "We are at that point, where how do we go from accepting and valuing bigger bodies that are athletic to accepting bigger bodies without needing that modifier. And how do we become compassionate to all persons, because you exist in the world and you deserve to be treated with a certain amount of humanity, and I think that is a bit lost unfortunately with a lot of bigger-bodied people." (31:25) "For me, living my fullest life means living up every single part of my life and reaching out to the very edges of everything that I could be, and not saying no to opportunities or to things because I doubt myself or it's something that you 'shouldn't do'." (40:53) Featured on the Show Join the Group Strength Nutrition Program Waitlist Here Christina Malone Website Follow Christina on Instagram | Twitter Steph Gaudreau Website Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Related Episodes LTYB 335: Breaking the Body Stereotype with Amanda LaCount LTYB 331: Strength Training & Your Relationship to Exercise LTYB 302: Finding Joy & Acceptance in Fitness for Every Body with Kanoa Greene

Have you felt like there is a misalignment between your strength goals and what society tells you your goals should be? So often the fitness industry is focused on shrinking your body, but it doesn't have to be that way. The Health at Every Size movement is a prime example of your ability to work with what you have to be the best possible version of yourself each and every day. Key Takeaways If You Want to Embrace Health at Every Size, You Should: Create fitness goals that have nothing to do with your size Find a form of fitness that you enjoy and brings you happiness Focus on what you are gaining, not what you are losing Becoming The Best Version of Yourself Stacey Sorgen felt that misalignment first hand. When working to become a personal trainer, Stacey felt like she had to shrink herself to be taken seriously in the industry. Finally, Stacey said enough is enough and has found great success helping people of every size and shape work towards their goals that have nothing to do with the number on the scale. Making Fitness Accessible Society tells us that being a larger person is the worst thing that can be done to you. Stacey is here to tell you that that is absolutely not true. The Health at Every Size movement is all about making fitness more approachable and accessible for as many people as possible. Because the truth is, there is nothing wrong with the size of your body, and you can become the healthiest version of yourself without focusing on becoming smaller. It's Not About Shrinking Your Body When you use fitness as a tool to expand your strength, confidence, and ability, instead of contracting our bodies to fit a certain mold, you gain the ability to advocate for your needs. Instead of using fitness as a means to an end, Stacey wants you to enjoy what you are doing and focus on what you are gaining, not what you are losing. Fitness is about so much more than shrinking your body, and with the right perspective, you too can find health at any size. Are you ready to set some fitness goals that have nothing to do with the number on the scale? Share how you are embracing Health at Every Size with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Learn what Health at Every Size means and the main core values of the philosophy (5:41) How to maintain a sense of independence in an all-consuming diet-culture industry (13:32) Addressing the concern troll mentality and the misconception of Healthy at Every Size (17:18) Tips for reframing the narrative around fitness and movement (23:08) What to do if you are ready to do something different but are reluctant to put yourself back out there (32:26) Quotes "It's kind of a revolution of discovering that we can learn to respect or accept our bodies where they are at and do the best that we can with what we have in this moment now." (7:16) "We can be larger people, and still be strong, still be active, still be fit, still be any of the things you want to be at the size that you are in your body today." (10:50) "If we do not support and love all people, how can all people support and love themselves?" (18:41) "As soon as you hit a plateau, if you are focused on contraction, there is only so far you can go. But the other direction, it's like the sky is the limit, you can really do anything." (27:52) "We are always focused on everyone else. But that hour or that hour and a half or that fifteen minutes, focus on yourself and get out of it what you need out of it." (35:22) Featured on the Show Join the Group Strength Nutrition Program Waitlist Here Register for the Summer Strength Camp Here Stacey Sorgen Website The Anxious Entrepreneurs Podcast Follow Stacey on Instagram Steph Gaudreau Website Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Related Episodes LTYB 335: Breaking the Body Stereotype with Amanda LaCount LTYB 314: How To Set Health Goals Beyond the Scale with Steph Dodier LTYB 273: Opting Out Of Diet Culture with Naomi Katz

Recently I decided to welcome back a wearable fitness tracker into my life after a decade-long break from one. This topic brought up a lot of questions for me. While the decision to stop or start wearing a tracker is very personal, I want to bring to light a few of the questions that have surfaced for me in the hopes that they can help you out when making this call for yourself. Key Takeaways If You Are Considering Stopping, Or Starting, Using a Fitness Tracker, You Should: Examine the pros and cons of fitness trackers and how they play into your personal relationship with your body Find a tracker that suits your lifestyle and provides you with the data you are curious about Keep listening to the signals of your body as your guide to what your body needs Getting Curious About Your Body Patterns It took me over ten years to get to the place where I am confident enough to listen to my body signals to be curious about the patterns and trends that a wearable fitness tracker can provide. How my recovery is correlating with my heart rate variability, menstrual cycle, and fatigue are incredibly interesting to me. The key is to not be so reliant on these numbers that you stop listening to your body and only listen to the numbers on an app. It's All About Balance Wearing a fitness tracker is an incredibly personal decision and depends on your ability to combine the data from a tracker with the signals your body is sending you. While most of us don't have the same relationship to data, such as heart rate variability, as we do to the numbers on the scale, it is still something to be sensitive to. An app can never tell you everything that is going on in your body. The question is, does the data from a fitness tracker help you reinforce the way your body feels, or distract you from it? How do you feel about your relationship with fitness trackers? Do you believe they are diet culture? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Why I decided to start using a wearable fitness tracker again (4:48) The pros and cons I see when using a fitness tracker (9:10) How to deal with fitness trackers if you have an all-or-nothing personality (20:38) Which tracker I am using currently and why I personally like it (23:42) Explore if fitness trackers are in fact a part of diet culture (29:04) Quotes "I am not in an all-or-nothing situation with training anymore, I am able to really listen to my body, but I am curious about bringing some sort of fitness tracker back into my life." (8:37) "I am not here to present my argument necessarily for or against, but if it is something that you have kind of been thinking about, maybe these will be some interesting points." (14:34) "There is a tendency to become too reliant sometimes on external trackers at the expense of also developing a sense of what your training and recovery feel like overall so that you get to know your body a lot more intimately." (19:27) "If you have started looking at data, do you sort of tune out what your body is telling you? Or are you looking where they overlap and using both to make decisions? Or can one help you make decisions about the other? Can having data help you connect to how your body is feeling? In some cases, potentially yes, but it is really about you individually." (23:20) "I don't think fitness trackers are in the same league as the scale and tracking body weight. However, could they potentially become an issue for some people? Potentially. So this is where it is really important to know yourself." (32:18) Featured on the Show Join the Waitlist for my Group Strength Nutrition Coaching Program Here Get a Free Month of the Whoop Tracker Here Follow Steph on Instagram Steph Gaudreau Website Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Related Episodes LTYB 336: Bathroom Scale Real Talk You Need To Hear LTYB 333: Overcoming Fitness Comparison-itis with Craig Zielinski LTYB 322: Hungry For Change: When Too Much Info is Too Much

Having tougher body image days is perfectly normal. Yes, even when you're actively working on your mental and physical health. Yes, even when you're strength training every day. Let's look at how we can start being kinder to ourselves when these thoughts happen. Key Takeaways How to Work Through Negative Body Thoughts Journal it Out: Mentally backtrack in your day, or the day before, to see what, if anything, influenced that event. Check-in with Yourself: Is there a basic need you're not meeting for yourself? Understand your Menstrual Cycle: Your cycle can impact your mood and how you feel about your body Practice Gratitude: Especially when you're feeling challenging ways about your body Body Image Issues Impact Everyone Challenging and negative thoughts about your body are perfectly normal. They're not pleasant or productive, but please let me reassure you that they're absolutely normal. We all experience them, even when we're actively working on our positive mental and physical health. It's not realistic to never have a negative thought about your body. And that's okay. Working towards some form of body neutrality is a journey, not a destination. Working Through a Negative Body Image When you do have negative or challenging thoughts about your body, it's important to try to get to the root cause of these thoughts. First, take some time to journal out what might have influenced these thoughts throughout the last day or two. You might also be neglecting one of your basic needs. When was the last time you ate or drank water? Are you getting enough sleep? For longer-term solutions, start tracking your menstrual cycle as your cycle has an impact on how you feel mentally and towards yourself. Finally, take up a daily gratitude practice to help shift your entire perspective. How do you currently feel about your own body image? What struggles have you gone through? Share your experiences with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Why it's normal to have challenging thoughts about your body [6:00] Why it's not realistic to expect to never have a challenging thought about your body [7:45] The importance of body neutrality [13:00] You deserve to eat. Make sure you're eating regularly [33:30] Why you should track your menstrual cycle [24:00] How challenging yourself with practicing gratitude can help shift your perspective [27:45] Quotes "It is still normal to have challenging thoughts about your body. You're not failing or doing this wrong if you still have those doubts, negative self-talk, or aren't at body neutrality or beyond to body liberation, or wherever you are on that spectrum." [6:28] "By thinking or expecting that we're never going to have the negative thought or the challenging feeling ever again, we're actually setting ourselves up for not being as adept or experienced with getting through those challenging thoughts or feelings." [9:45] "You need to eat. We need to eat. When you're running on low energy, your blood sugar is really low, and you're hangry, your mood is affected. You're feeling mentally foggy, more anxious, and on edge. Food is essential." [20:03] "Gratitude is a muscle that you have to practice. Yes, you can feel these ways about yourself, you can feel down, sad, grief. All of those emotions are normal. At the same time, you can challenge yourself to give even a little bit of gratitude, just a little bit. It can be both - and." [27:18] "It's okay for those negative body thoughts to pop up, even at positive times in our life. They probably will. Working on that resilience, instead of walking around on eggshells, is ultimately what makes you more resilient, more able to unlearn the things that aren't serving you, and lean into what it's like to be on this journey. It's never going to be perfect but it is so worthwhile." [31:31] Featured on the Show Join the Waitlist for the Online Strength Nutrition Program Follow Steph on Instagram Steph Gaudreau Website Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Related Episodes LTYB 332: Dealing with Negative Body Image w/ Beauty Redefined