If you don’t want to be standing in the exact same spot with food one year from now…

Then you have to stop seeking short-term gratification.

I know, I know—it feels so damn good (now) to watch the changes occur rapidly & to succumb to every whim!

But how has that worked for you thus far?

I’m guessing not well, or you wouldn’t be here😜

While *patience* may not be the sexiest word on the planet, it’s a HUGE sign of maturity. And it’s a requirement for a long-lasting, healthy relationship with food!

You have to be willing to sacrifice your desire for quick endorphin hits for deep & sustainable health—mentally & physically.

Make no mistake! If you’re consistently…

• Bouncing around from one extreme to the other (all-or-nothing)

• Obsessed with your tightly controlled & miserable routine.

• Eating a bunch of shit that doesn’t serve you all the time (YOLO)

• Refusing to look at your emotional state & are seeking escape.

• Focusing on your appearance at the expense of your mental & physical health…

You’re sacrificing your future self.

You’re letting your ego or monkey brain run the show instead of the real-mature-evolved-deeply-knowing you make the decisions.

What does patience (& maturity) look like?

• Developing a positive relationship with food BEFORE pursuing aesthetic goals.

• Learning skills to navigate discomfort outside of food, exercise & manipulating your body.

• Taking the time to understand WHY you interact with food & your body the way you do.

• Prioritizing physical health over aesthetic goals.

• Taking the time to learn about your own body, preferences, & goals rather than blindly following everyone else’s.

These outcomes are what everyone wants, but very few are willing to put in the work. To sacrifice child-like temptations (I get them too, big time!).

But I promise you—you’ll be SO DAMN HAPPY, PROUD, & EMPOWERED when you do!

Not Sure How to Tap Into Those Hunger & Fullness Cues Yet? You May Need This First!

Hunger and fullness cues often feel very elusive to every single one of my clients, and this is a huge source of frustration and confusion.

"How the hell do you expect me to listen to and trust my body if I don't have any clue what it's telling me?"

Fair question. Very fair!

This issue stems from overriding those hunger and fullness cues that you were once so familiar with as a child.

The good news? You absolutely had the ability to understand and listen to those cues at one point in your life, so it's just a matter of removing the diet layers to get back there!

It's possible, I promise.🙌

This is especially true if you have a history of:

• Going to extremes with an "all-or-nothing" approach—usually under-eating followed by bingeing

• Strictly following regimented eating times & quantities (often happens with tracking macros or following meal plans)

• Under-eating consistently—intentionally or unintentionally

• Eating a lot of processed foods, which can lead to blood sugar dysregulation

• Overeating most of the time.

As you can see, every person BUT a moderate, balanced, & instinctive eater falls into this category.😜

This means that YOU likely need to have some structure before you can fully rely on your hunger and fullness cues. It's very understandable, really, so don't beat yourself up!🙅🏻‍♀️

This structure often looks like:

• Eating every 3-4 hours

• Eating mostly unprocessed foods

• Balancing your day (or plate) with adequate protein, fat, carbs, and fiber

• Sleeping consistently with a routine

• Moving regularly while NOT overdoing it with exercise

• Managing stress, as it can cause hormones to get pretty whacky, leading to blood sugar issues & appetite changes.

No need to be obsessive about ANY of these, but the more you can consistently implement, the better.

As always, your motivation behind these choices matter more than the actions themselves!💕

A Statement From My Dad That Left Me SHOOK

“Your body is one of your greatest tools. Have fun with it!”

• Bill Golden, my dad

I was discussing my work with him a couple weeks ago, and as we mulled over body image, he candidly made the statement above.

It stopped me dead in my tracks.

So simple, yet so profound.

Also the perspective of someone who’s never struggled with any body image hang-ups.

Rain or shine, 20 lbs. up or down, he shows up as the exact same person.

He’s had goals to gain or lose weight as HE sees fit, but he’s never allowed any iteration of his body to deter him from showing up in this world.

We can discuss the differences in pressure that women are subjected to versus men, sure. Although men are absolutely not immune to similar pressures and side effects.

However, I believe it’s really important to seek the perspectives of those who *don’t* have body image hang-ups.

Engage in these discussions, seek alternative view-points, and get out of your own head.

You may be surprised at how differently you view the world and—just maybe—that beautiful vessel you’re experiencing this world in.

Now, let’s go have some fun with these bodies of ours, shall we?

You can find me playing in nature, in the gym, or in yoga class with mine!

What about you?

5 Ways Science Reduced My Food Obsession

With the big cahuna at the end!

You see, I spent years & years of my life blindly following diet trends and believe anything I heard. 

This was the result of pure desperation, and it’s a common place to be!

It’s a dangerous one too, because we lose sight of the long game.

What were the biggest lies (that many still believe)?

1. Can’t gain fat without carbs—You mean I spent YEARS of my life obsessively manipulating my carb intake for absolutely no reason? Yep. Optimal levels vary depending on size, activity level, gender, hormonal function, etc., but they don’t inherently lead to fat gain or ill health. In fact, my well-being greatly improved once increased, as is the case with many clients.

2. Eat lots of fat to burn lots of fat—another aspect of the Atkins, low-carb era, and we’re seeing this again with the prevalence of keto. Fat is the most calorically dense of all macros, so they add up quickly. Necessary for optimal function, but they don’t have magical fat-burning properties. If you’re free-basing butter & coconut oil without expected results, you’re not broken. This idea is.

3. Sugar is addictive—do you stand in the kitchen and drool over a bag of sugar? Don’t think so. Sugar is, however, mostly found in processed foods that combine sugar, salt, and fat—a HIGHLY palatable combo. It’s not the sugar prompting you to overeat.

4. Eat several meals per day to increase the metabolism—I still hear this one a LOT, which is the opposite end of the “intermittent fasting” extreme. Eat when you want & in a way that works for your body and lifestyle.

5. Calories don’t count—this is one of the most problematic. You know I’m not a huge fan of counting calories or macros, but this idea is important. They absolutely DO count, and ignoring this concept will lead to a lot of frustration. This should be liberating, not restrictive, as it simplifies everything!

Our intuition will naturally lead us to understanding these concepts, but a period of “un-learning” is required.

We fall into these traps when we try to out-think our bodies--Mother Nature wins every time.

Which one did/do you believe?

5 Things to do After a Big Weekend

We all know that bloated, inflamed & uncomfortable feeling after eating like 💩 and/or boozing too much, right?

It doesn’t take much to make me feel like I’ve had a “big” weekend these days:)

Back in the old days, this would send me into a tailspin.

One that would make me go to the extremes of restriction in an effort to "undo" all the damage I had done.

Excessive exercise, a strict list of “clean” foods, monitoring every bite that went into my mouth with laser-like precision.

At the core, this was driven by *NOT* caring for myself. I treated myself and my body like objects without any real sense of respect & compassion.

Unsurprisingly, it was miserable, and it perpetuated a significant amount of negativity for my mind & body.

As I began to develop my sense of self and started to TRULY care for myself on a deep level, the negative mind chatter slowly dissipated after these big weekends.

And I started a completely different plan of action as a result!

***Note that this happened as a RESULT of shifting my mindset. My mindset wasn’t the byproduct.***

So, how to manage without going to extremes?

1. Forgive yourself ASAP. Talking shit to yourself is NOT remotely helpful. Have a sense of humor about it!

2. Ask yourself what you can do to support yourself with movement—mind & body.

This might mean rest one day, or it might mean a workout! Usually a workout for moi (although this can backfire with a hangover🤪).

3. ADD items to your self-care regimen that contribute to your well-being. For me, that’s usually lots of time outside.

4. A shitload of water & electrolytes. NUUN is my preference

5. Foods that get that body of your fillllled with nutrients. Eat well, feel well (most of the time). That’s lots ‘o veggies for me.

No extremes, nothing intense.

Just good old-fashioned steps that any women who cares about herself would do!

What do you do after you’ve had a big weekend?

Is It Time for Your Workout Routine to Evolve?

Hiking over crossfit these days!

I'm currently on month number five with my break from Crossfit, and I continue to receive messages from women on Instagram about their fears of taking a step back from their intense regimens.

Are you allowing yourself—​and your exercise habits—​to evolve?✨

Or are you forcing them to stay the same, despite your body & mind telling you otherwise?✋

What worked for you then may not be working for you now.

At the very least, there's a chance it won’t in the future.

I learned this lesson the hard way last year when I had to take a step back from Crossfit.

I STRUGGLED with it.

It wasn’t used for weight management—it was used as performance/self-worth management (without knowing it at the time).

Whether you find yourself clinging to your detrimental workout routine to…

prove yourself via your performance

OR

to control your appearance

...it’s likely time for a break.🥴

Movement is something we’re designed to do (usually), and it should be a means of celebrating our bodies.

Of having FUN!💃

What to do if you’re showing up to the gym out of fear rather than love?

1. Take a break. I promise, you don’t die!

2. Focus on methods of moving that allow you to connect with your body. Things like yoga, dance, walking & slower weight training are great places to start.

Consider WHY you feel the need to run yourself into the ground & prove yourself.

Just as “it’s never about the food”, it’s also not about the exercise.❤️

What’s your fave way to move?

Should You Be Tracking Your Food?

For the vast majority of women, I don't believe in tracking food.

Unless you’re using tracking coupled with a:

✔️Strong sense of self-worth & self-respect outside of your body (i.e. you’re not trying to hate yourself to change)

✔️Commitment to your body’s health over aesthetic goals.

✔️Commitment to your mental health over aesthetic goals.

✔️Solid understanding of your body’s biofeedback (digestion, hunger/fullness cues, menstrual cycle, sleep, performance in the gym, cravings, mood) and are attuned to these the ENTIRE time.

It’s not a good idea.

All of these should be met prior, and the reality is that most women just aren’t there!🥴

No shame in that either, as we’re bred by society to mistrust & hate our bodies. #yourenotalone

If you begin tracking your food without trust as the foundation, what do you think the result is going to be after the fact?

I don’t even want to know what it would take to calculate/track this meal! It would ruin my ability to tune into myself, though. That’s for sure.

That’s right!

A total shit storm of mistrust.

This only furthers the cycle of not understanding your body & ignoring it.

Not to mention, who the fuck wants to spend their time entering food into an app for the rest of their lives?

I sure as hell don't, and I know most of you don't either.

If you’re a performance athlete and/or meet the criteria above, go for it! With a knowledgeable coach.

Otherwise, it’s not only unnecessary, but it could be incredibly detrimental to your overall well-being.🏻‍♀️

I’m curious, what is your history with tracking? Love it or hate it?