CONSISTENT by Primal Potential

Yup. I love sports. I think they're incredibly analogous to winning in life. And, I love the New England Patriots. A few days ago I watched the 2014 documentary "Do Your Job", a look inside the Patriots organization. The parallels between their practice strategies and what is required for goal achievement in general were amazing. In today's episode we're talking about goals, fat loss, life, sports & the New England Patriots. This is probably one of my favorite episodes so don't miss it! http://primalpotential.com/287-do-your-job/ Resources: Paleo Power Meals (use the coupon code ebprimal20 to save 20% on your first order) Want to hop on the wait list for the spring Fat Loss Fast Track? Check out the new Daily Motivations Podcast here.

In today's motivational minisode I'm sharing a short entry from my journal. I wrote to myself, "When I practice what I preach, my life is pretty amazing. When I do what I know to do, life is easier & I am happier". Guys, progress isn't a mystery. You don't need to know anything more. If you simply do what you know, not only will you make progress, you'll be happier and less stressed. You don't have to do everything you know, but if you're willing to be honest with yourself, I am quite certain you can identify 2-3 things that, if done consistently, would make you happier and healthier. Get to work & do what you know! While you're at it, take a listen to the full motivational minisode! http://primalpotential.com/286-do-what-you-know/

When I get emails from clients or listeners who are sharing a struggle or asking for help, I often respond by asking, "what does your practice look like?" You might understand the problem and you probably understand many of the solutions, too. But, understanding doesn't take the place of deliberate practice. It's not enough to say "I want to lose weight" because there are a million different things you could do on any given day to lose weight. Deliberate practice will dramatically accelerate your results. It requires that you identify one specific improvement you want to achieve and define your practice. From there you must practice CONSISTENTLY & with great effort. Don't miss today's episode for a deep dive into deliberate practice! http://primalpotential.com/285-deliberate-practice/

Let's make this year the year of you! Let's make this year the year when your effort isn't negotiable and your progress is consistent. Today I want to share a personal conversation I had with a client. This particular client is so ready to change but her actions have yet to align with her intentions. We recently had a tough-love conversation about progress, effort, excuses, negotiation and going all-in on yourself. I told her that 2017 is my year, it's her year and I want it to be the year of you, too. If you need a little bit of tough love, don't miss today's episode! http://primalpotential.com/284-the-year-of-you/

I talk a lot about nutrition, hormones & mindset and their role in fat loss. However, today I'm talking about the precursor to all of those things. Today I'm talking about the foundation of fat loss that is most often overlooked: self-respect. Self-care. Even, shudder to think, self-love. Our obsession with diets, detoxes, fasts, cleanses and everything in between has taught us to fight against our bodies instead of being on our own side and in our own corner. You cannot hate your way to a body you love. You cannot continue to resent your body, resist the process and be a complete dick (pardon me) to yourself and expect to reach your goals. And if you hate your way to progress, it won't be enough when you get there. You'll be left longing for something more or something different because you lack self-respect and an understanding of self-care. So we're going there. We're talking about self-respect, self-care and how to develop more of each. http://primalpotential.com/283-foundation-of-fat-loss/ Resources: Want to hop on the wait list for the spring Fat Loss Fast Track? Check out the new Daily Motivations Podcast here.

The book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind begins with a powerful observation: "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few". Undoubtedly, one of the ways we keep ourselves from making progress and getting what we want is closing ourselves off to possibilities that could be the very path to progress. One of my primary objectives within the Fat Loss Fast Track is to encourage my clients to always be a beginner. I want them to set aside any preconceived notions they have an instead listen to their bodies and find their own answers as opposed to clinging to answers they've adopted from other people. In today's episode I'm going to talk about some of the red flags of a closed mind and how you can accelerate your progress by deciding to always be a beginner. http://primalpotential.com/282-always-be-a-beginner/ Always Be A Beginner Quotes from today's episode include: In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's there are few. Right practice, right attitude, right understanding. Practice without effort is not true practice. For the beginner, practice needs great effort. If you lose the spirit of repetition, your practice will become quite difficult. It is when your practice is rather greedy that you become discouraged with it. There is no other way of this life than the way of this life Resources: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki My #1 Fat Loss Recommendation (Journaling) Don't forget! I've launched a brand new podcast! It would mean the world to me if you'd check it out! If you find it helpful & enjoy it, please take a couple minutes to subscribe, leaving a rating and write a review! Check out the new Daily Motivations Podcast here.

I ask every one of my Primal Potential e-mail readers: how can I help? What do you need from me? Recently, I've seen a number of responses talking about self-sabotage. I can't say I'm surprised by the number of people who feel like they self-sabotage - like they are intentionally setting themselves up for failure. Here's the thing though: I don't think it's self sabotage, at all. I think it's inconsistency and lack of practice. I believe that calling it self-sabotage is way more dramatic than it actually is and I think the drama holds us back and prevents us from seeing a far simpler truth: we're inconsistent and we can change it. In today's episode I'm talking about self-sabotage, failures and how to change deeply engrained patterns on behavior. Don't miss it!

Hunger is a spectrum and we all experience it differently. Maybe you feel like you can't stop eating - even if you eat to the point of feeling full, your hunger returns after just 30-60 minutes. Maybe you feel like you are only in control of your hunger when you aren't eating, but as soon as you start, your hunger takes off. Maybe you feel like you're always hungry and never full. Understanding what causes hunger and the options for decreasing your hunger response & improving your response in general can be a transformative change. That's what we're tackling on today's episode. Don't miss it. http://primalpotential.com/280-cant-stop-eating/ Can't Stop Eating? Tips To Take Control of Hunger One of the primary factors that leads to chronic hunger or hunger when you don't truly need to eat is failing to control your blood sugar. When you overeat or eat foods which are primarily starch and sugar, you send your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride. The higher the peak, the lower the valley. When your blood sugar drops down from it's high, your body has to work to bring it back to a balanced baseline. As this is happening, you often experience hunger and/or cravings. This does not mean you need to eat. In today's episode we talk about how to respond to those sensations more intelligently and how to avoid that blood sugar roller coaster all together. We also discuss ghrelin, the hormone responsible for triggering and/or suppressing hunger signals and how we can optimize it's expression. Episodes mentioned in today's podcast include: The Golden Rules of Carbs & Fat Loss 051: Real Hunger & False Hunger Q&A 34: How To Manage Hunger & Cravings 137: Always Hungry? 174: Hacking Hunger Oh! And there was a huge announcement at the top of the episode! I've launched a brand new podcast! It would mean the world to me if you'd check it out! If you find it helpful & enjoy it, please take a couple minutes to subscribe, leaving a rating and write a review!

One of my clients, Chris, joined the Fat Loss Fast Track because though she had already lost a lot of weight, she was beginning to put it back on. This wasn't a new cycle but it was one she didn't want to continue. She didn't want to keep doing what she'd always done - losing weight, gaining it back, working hard to lose it again. Today we're having a candid conversation about why she turned to the Fat Loss Fast Track to help avoid weight regain and how she broke out of that cycle. Not only does Chris talk about what worked for her like journaling and switching to more fat loss friendly breakfast options, but we discuss what's not going so well. We talk about overeating at night and struggling with the pursuit of perfection. I think you're really going to enjoy Chris's story! http://primalpotential.com/279-avoid-weight-regain/ How To Avoid Weight Regain After beginning to put on weight she had lost, Chris joined the Fat Loss Fast Track. She shares that some of the most effective strategies she adopted include journaling and eating a fat loss breakfast. I've shared my thoughts on journaling here and go over the details of what makes up a fat loss breakfast here and here. We also talk a lot about implied apologies for imperfections and the all-or-nothing attitude which I've talked about here. Resources: Check out the all new Daily Motivations Podcast! If you enjoy it, please leave a rating & review. If you have no idea how to leave a review, I've put instructions here. To join the winter 2017 Fat Loss Fast Track, click here. For more on Breaking Barriers, click here.

I used to set a lot of goals. I didn't achieve most of them. I thought about them a lot & wanted them badly - I even had a plan for achieving them. But routinely, I failed to do the work and, year after year, I had less confidence in my ability to achieve. Fortunately, things have changed. I have changed. And in today's episode I want to share with you my 2017 blueprint for achievement, completely goal-free. http://primalpotential.com/278-2017-blueprint/ 2017 Blueprint for Achievement When I set goals, I didn't realize at the time that I was basically convincing myself that things, as they were right now, weren't enough and I was always wishing for some future point in time. When I lost weight... When I had more money... When my relationship was better... By always wishing for a different time, place, or circumstance, I wasn't fully present in the moment. And not being fully present, I couldn't really take advantage of the ONLY time & place where change was possible: the present. But, I'm a high achiever. I don't want to settle. How to remain fully present in the current moment and also reach my highest potential? I do that by having a manifesto or a blueprint. By creating the standards by which I want to live my life and focusing on them each day, the results take care of themselves. When I live according to my values and principles, the outcomes are a byproduct without sacrificing mindfulness and gratitude. In today's episode, I'm sharing with you my revised manifesto. I created it and put it up on the Primal Potential blog in August of 2015 and boy does it ever need some updating. I hope you'll tune in to hear my blueprint for success in 2017 and also take some time to create your own. I am strong with purpose & light at heart I give myself the best I look for chances to make myself proud I travel light, refusing to carry what's not mine to hold I cherish those who cherish me No matter what happens, I am not a victim Life is hard, and I'm grateful for the challenges I am unapologetically authentic and those who don't accept that help me ensure my inner circle is true & real I spend for more time acting on what I want than thinking about it My attention flows to solutions, not problems I challenge myself to go a step further than I think I can I make no assumptions – when I am unclear, I ask questions I never lie, especially to myself I am generous with my time, my heart and my money I am patient with myself and everyone I meet I appreciate moment and maximize minutes I outwork yesterday's best Doubt is a liar and courage will set me free

I know just about everyone & their mother is talking about how to set goals. Except me. I actually think we've made goals way too important. The magic isn't in the goal. The magic is in the work you do each day. We all need to focus more on the work we can do TODAY to help us get what we want instead of perfecting the art of goal setting. I'm not suggesting that goals aren't helpful - they might be for some people. No matter what though, the magic is in the work. In the process. In what you do, not in what you want to achieve. Today I want to help you get what you want in any month, week, day or year, and I want to put the focus where the focus needs to be - knowing what you want and staying focused on the work that will help you get it! http://primalpotential.com/277-get-what-you-want/ How to Get What You Want in 2017 Define ONE THING that will make the most difference (it doesn't have to be a big thing, but it does need to be tied to a primary thing that is holding you back) Identify "the work" you can do on a daily basis that will help you get the one thing you want. These are the steps, choices, actions & inactions that exist as opportunities TODAY. Be honest with yourself by acknowledging what thoughts, circumstances or actions could get in the way Evaluate your progress every few days by asking, "Am I doing the work? Is it helping? What could I do differently today?" Have a positive attitude about it! "His goal attracts him because he doesn't let anything enter his soul that might oppose the goal" ~ Siddhartha Resources: Siddhartha by Herman Hesse To join the winter 2017 Fat Loss Fast Track, click here. For more on Breaking Barriers, click here.

This year has been a major one for me. It's been full of challenges & lessons, ups & downs, wins and setbacks. In today's podcast, I'm sharing with you the top lessons I've learned in 2016 and what I'm carrying with me into the New Year. I had a few breakthrough moments that I've shared with many of my clients and today I want to share them with you. Some are about weight loss, some are about emotions and others are about money. We're covering a lot of ground today! Don't miss it! Want to know my fave books of 2016? I'll share those, too! http://primalpotential.com/276-top-lessons-from-2016/ EB's Top Lessons from 2016 It's been a really powerful year. Today's episode is short and I think you'll really want to take a listen to hear how these few lessons have transformed my peace of mind, improved my health and saved me time & money! Set it down Travel light Do things that scare you My favorite books of the year! Deep Work (work/business) Tools of Titans (everything but the kitchen sink) The Way of the Peaceful Warrior (mindset/emotions) The Slight Edge (achievement) The Most Important Thing (finance) Try Paleo Power Meals - use the coupon code ebprimal20 to save 20% (If you haven't listened to my episode where I review my experience with them, check out #273 here) My top songs of the year (these were most frequently played on my Spotify playlist) Let It Go by James Bay No Mediocre by T.I (explicit) There Will Be Time by Mumford & Sons Pour Johanne by Jean-Michel Blais Unstoppable by Sia Resources: To join the winter 2017 Fat Loss Fast Track, click here. For more on Breaking Barriers, click here.

I get so many emails from people who feel like they are stuck. Do you want to do the work but you aren't doing it? Had you made a lot of progress but it has stalled? Today I want to help you identify how you can start from stuck. This is a powerful tool you can use on any day, for any challenge and in any moment. If you implement the strategies in today's episode, you will never feel stuck again. http://primalpotential.com/275-start-from-stuck/ Resources: To join the winter 2017 Fat Loss Fast Track, click here. For more on Breaking Barriers, click here.

One of the final episodes of the Primal Potential podcast for 2016! I get super fired up debunking this notion that some people are "all or nothing". No, you aren't. However, you won't exceed your expectations so if that's the story you keep telling yourself, that's the path you'll continue to choose. You control the narrative, the narrative doesn't control you. As I explain in today's episode, maybe you always sleep on the left side of the bed. Does that make you a "left side of the bed person"? No, of course not. You're 100% capable of sleeping on the right side of the bed or on the floor. It's just that you've made the decision, the choice, to sleep on the left side of the bed a lot. That pattern has nothing to do with what you're capable of today. However, if you tell yourself that you can only sleep on the left side of the bed, guess what? You'll be right every time. You won't exceed your expectations so if they aren't getting you where you want to go, it's time to change them. This is an episode you won't want to miss! http://primalpotential.com/274-exceed-your-expectations/

I had been really resistant to try any kind of paleo meal delivery service for a couple of reasons: they seemed really expensive and difficult to customize. I felt like it wasn't worth the price to buy a package of meals most of which included components I wouldn't personally eat (potato, sweet potato, fruit, etc). I changed my mind when I found Paleo Power Meals. Today I'm sharing my 2-3 week experiment with Paleo Power Meals - the pros, the cons, what I loved and what I didn't and how I plan to make this work for me moving forward. **I have not been compensated in any way for this review. I paid in full for my meals and only reached out to them after 3 weeks of orders to request a coupon code for my listeners, which they gave. If you want to try Paleo Power Meals, use the coupon code ebprimal20 to save 20%** Please note: there is no transcript for this episode. http://primalpotential.com/273-paleo-meal-delivery/

'Tis the season for temptation! I've got two practical strategies today to help you make it easier to turn down temptation without willpower or feelings of deprivation! Some people argue that if you let enough time pass, the temptation will subside. Sometimes that works, often it doesn't. I believe the two factors we need to take control of are attention & resistance. In today's episode I'll go through what it means to leverage resistance & attention to turn down temptation. http://primalpotential.com/272-turn-down-temptation/

What if you could lose weight for the last time? What if this next time you get results, you keep them...forever? Think about how much weight you've lost & regained. How much money you've spent doing the same work over and over while not enjoying the process? Not only is it possible, you can do it now. You can lose weight for the last time, end the struggle, earn the results and keep them without hating every second of it or feeling like you're missing out. In today's episode I'm taking you inside of my recent webinars where I'll share specific strategies to help you lose weight for the last time without dieting, without being miserable and while implementing strategies to make it easier than ever. If it sounds gimmicky...it's not. Take a listen. I'm sharing how you can do less, skip the tricks, ditch the deprivation and earn lasting results. http://primalpotential.com/271-lose-weight-last-time/

What if you decided that the thing you're struggling with, the obstacle in your way, the valid excuse in your life, the true barrier isn't actually a burden at all. What if you decided that it's a chance, it's an opportunity for you to step up, show up for yourself and prove just how damn strong you are? That's the challenge I gave to Sarah, my FLFT client on today's episode. Sarah is a working mom. Not only does she have 4 kids, she works 24-hour shifts as a flight paramedic. She shares a real, valid challenge in today's episode and we completely turn it on it's head and decide it's a chance. A really exciting chance. Don't miss it! http://primalpotential.com/270-its-a-chance

At first glance, this question, "tools or weapons?" doesn't make much sense. But, after a conversation with Faith, we recognized that she has the ability to use her choices & her thought as either tools or weapons. She can beat herself up for a choice, effectively using it as a weapon against herself. Or, she can learn from that choice and create a more informed strategy for next time, using it as a tool. She can use her thoughts of guilt, frustration and regret about putting weight back on as a weapon against herself or she can use them as a tool to empower & encourage her. So - your thoughts and your choices - are you using them as weapons or tools? There's so much other great stuff in this episode including thoughts on: Are you making this too hard? Faith's advice to anyone who is struggling to get started The value in the struggle might be greater than the struggle in the success How to become more mindful of your choices This is a value-packed episode! Don't miss it! http://primalpotential.com/269-using-tools-or-weapons/ Are You Using Your Thoughts & Choices As Weapons Or Tools? Here are some of the highlights from today's episode: Is that thought or behavior a weapon or a tool? It's not as hard as you're making it There is likely more value in your struggles and setbacks than you'll ever find in your success - look for the lessons! Why you should let go of "good food" "bad food" associations Why you're probably not as "all or nothing" as you think you are (and tell yourself you are) Final words from Faith: Do the next thing that makes you feel better. Then do the next little thing & keep doing it until you don't feel so bad anymore. Resources: Join the FREE "Lose Weight For the Last Time" webinar series! We'll be talking consistency, all-or-nothing, attitude, perspective & sustainable strategy! Don't miss it! I'll take your questions and we'll have a blast! For more on Breaking Barriers, click here. Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017!

Awareness. It's an obvious, common-sense kind of word but I'm not sure we totally understand it. When people talk about how tracking or journaling makes them more aware, that's great, but does it actually improve the choices you make? Or do you just have a greater acceptance of the choices? These are the questions I ask Diane, one of my Fat Loss Fast Track clients, in today's episode. She shares how tracking & affirmations are the tools that have helped her the most and I said asked her point blank: "did these actually improve your choices? Did it change anything for you?" We get into a powerful conversation about awareness and the power that comes from being able to create a personalized strategy that reduces your reliance on willpower. Don't miss it! http://primalpotential.com/268-awareness-develop-simple-strategy Awareness - How to Develop The Simple Strategy That Improves Choices (Without Willpower) Here are some of the highlights from today's episode: How awareness allows you to create a strategy that reduces the need for willpower A gradual process for improving habits (without an all-or-nothing approach) How to overcome the tension created by confronting temptation Why I don't think you should ever look at a food choice as "sabotage" Resources: Join the FREE "Lose Weight For the Last Time" webinar series! We'll be talking consistency, all-or-nothing, attitude, perspective & sustainable strategy! Don't miss it! I'll take your questions and we'll have a blast! For more on Breaking Barriers, click here. Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017!

Do you listen to the podcast or read blogs & articles but struggle to translate the ideas and strategies into actions of your own? Are you losing & gaining the same 5-20 lbs over and over? Do you know what to eat and how to exercise but fail to consistently implement? That was Marcelle's story and she is sharing her success strategies as well as candidly discussing where she still struggles and what she can do about it. She describes how she routinely got swept up by the chaos of life, failing to take care of herself. Most importantly, she shares how she was able to take a step back and create space between what's happening around her and the choices she makes in response to the chaos. She shares some powerful analogies describing how she's overcome some of her biggest challenges. Don't miss her story! http://primalpotential.com/267-when-you-know-it-but-dont-do-it-then-what/ When You Know It But Don't Do It (Then What?) Here are some of the highlights from today's episode: Why Marcelle felt like she needed content and strategies metered out so she wouldn't binge-listen and fail to implement How she's breaking through the cycle of feeling like she's always compensating for "damage done" How she feels about tough love and reminders that things often don't happen to us but rather we do them to ourselves The value of creating a protective bubble Journaling, affirmations and other helpful success strategies Keeping your head up and not feeling like a victim Strategies for identifying when you need to do the work the most Is food truly soothing or is it a distraction? What's the difference? Resources: Join the FREE "Lose Weight For the Last Time" webinar series! We'll be talking consistency, all-or-nothing, attitude, perspective & sustainable strategy! Don't miss it! I'll take your questions and we'll have a blast! For more on Breaking Barriers, click here. Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017!

What if you didn't attach emotion to food? What if your days weren't "good" if you made good food choices and "bad" if you made bad food choices? What if you never felt guilty about a food choice or skipped workout? What would that mean? Would it mean that you stop trying? I really doubt it. I think it means that you've found freedom. And, when you find freedom, food choices get so much easier and life gets better. You are in control. Food isn't in control. That's exactly what happened for Amanda and she's sharing her story today. http://primalpotential.com/266-food-guilt/ Ending Food Guilt & Creating Freedom Amanda had already lost 80 lbs but still wasn't happy. She had food guilt. Workout guilt. Ongoing shame & judgement that was completely exhausting. However, she found freedom. She removed all the emotional baggage she had attached to her food & fitness choices. When she was able to do that, everything got easier: her food choices, her workout consistency, her role as a mom & a wife. But she's not totally in the clear. Now that she hasn't hitched her happiness to the number on the tag in her jeans, she's trying to define what she wants. In today's episode we talk about how Amanda found freedom, what it meant for her, and how she can figure out what she's after now and how to get there. To register for the free "Lose Weight For the Last Time" webinar series, click here.

The other day I was reading an article from an author I love, Ryan Holiday. He shared a powerful collection of 29 tips from successful people. He curated the thoughts & wisdom from a couple dozen individuals with what he calls "strategic minds". As I read it I found myself thinking about how these 29 tips & lessons apply to improving our health, attitude, consistency & motivation. I began to write in my journal about these lessons and their application to my life and then thought, "I need to share these on the podcast!" You can read Holiday's article here but don't miss the podcast where I talk about what we can do TODAY to apply these powerful lessons to our own food, fitness & lifestyle choices. http://primalpotential.com/tips-from-successful-people/ Resources: Join the FREE "Lose Weight For the Last Time" webinar series! We'll be talking consistency, all-or-nothing, attitude, perspective & sustainable strategy! Don't miss it! I'll take your questions and we'll have a blast! Ryan Holiday's full article on 29 lessons from strategic minds For more on Breaking Barriers, click here. Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017!

Today I'm going to share my own personal success strategies. These are the specific strategies that brought me out of a really dark place. I weighed over 350 lbs, I was completely miserable and felt like food had WAY more control over my life than I did. Interestingly, these strategies have nothing to do with food. I'm not talking about strategies like a fat loss breakfast or having my carbs at night. These strategies do, however, drive my food choices. While they aren't directly related to food, they shape how I think about food and how I make decisions when I'm tired, emotional, hungry or tempted. But wait! There's more! If you're listening to this before December 13th 2016, I'm hosting a totally free 2-part webinar series to help you lose weight for the last time - create consistency and put an end to the exhausting "all or nothing" thinking cycle. You can grab your spot here. The webinars are Tuesday and Wednesday December 13th & 14th at 8:30pm ET. They're completely free, they're live and I'll happily take your questions! Come hang out with me! http://primalpotential.com/264-ebs-top-4-personal-success-strategies/

If I could help you figure out how to stop giving up, giving in and making excuses, I know your whole world would change. Life would be easier, you would be happier and you'd absolutely crush your goals. I have no doubt. Let's do that today. Seriously. Today is your day. This episode is going to outline a specific strategy that will show you just how to stop giving up, how to put your excuses aside and learn how to stop talking yourself into surrender & delay. http://primalpotential.com/263-stop-giving-giving-making-excuses/ Resources: Why Quantity Should Be Your Priority (Medium article) For more on Breaking Barriers, click here. Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017!

What's the deal with bone broth? Is it the latest in a long line of nutrition fads? Are there real benefits of bone broth? How is it different from stock? Is there any difference between buying it online and making it myself? What will bone broth do for me? I'm answering all those questions and more on today's episode of the Primal Potential podcast! Don't miss it! http://primalpotential.com/262-benefits-of-bone-broth-recipes/ Benefits of Bone Broth (And Recipes) What is bone broth? As the name suggests, bone broth is a broth made from the bones of an animal. Much of the bone broth you'll find in a grocery store is from cows but you can also make or buy it from chickens or fish. I prefer mine from chickens. Why is it good for you? In addition to being incredibly rich in vitamins & minerals, bone broth is an exceptional source of collagen. Collagen is a protein found in the connective tissue of animals (and humans) which provides a wide variety of benefits from skin health to joint health & more. It's important to remember that there are different types of collagen and the different types have different roles. Also, the animals I mentioned – cows, chickens & fish – tend to predominantly provide a certain type of collagen. Collagen found in broth from cows' bones is primarily types 1 & 3 which are best for the health & strength of your skin & nails. Collagen found in broth from chickens is rich in type 2 collagen and provides amazing benefits for joints & gut health. Super cool factoid about collagen from fish: it appears to increase our own collagen production! Pretty cool, right? How do you make it? You guys know I'm a pretty simple person. I like simple, no-fuss recipes. I buy the highest quality chicken I can find (this really matters when boiling bones) and I throw the feet & backbone section in a crockpot, submerge it with water, add onions, carrots, salt & apple cider vinegar and let it slow cook for 24 hours. There are absolutely more complex recipes but I'm a simple girl. A word on "high quality chicken" – I buy organic, free range chicken from a local farmers' market where the chickens not treated with hormones or antibiotics. You can also buy bone broth. Please know, however, that much of the commercially produced bone broth contains MSG and I'd recommend you stay away from that. Buy bone broth without MSG or make your own. (For anyone who is local to Winston Salem, North Carolina, definitely check out Caldero Bone Broth. Her chickens are happy, healthy & her bone broth is outstanding. Are there health concerns? Yes. We're boiling bones. This is why I emphasize buying very high quality chicken/beef/fish if you're making your own. Bones, including human bones, naturally contain both minerals & heavy metals. Though you're not eating the bones, many of the nutrients are extracted while they simmer. You want to make sure that you're using bones from grass fed animals who have not been treated with hormones, antibiotics or given feed that has been sprayed with pesticides & herbicides. When in doubt, buy your bone broth. Keep in mind, however, that you can purchase low quality bone broth just like you can make low quality bone broth. The same animal standards apply to products you purchase and you'll want to stay away from MSG. 5 Reasons to Drink Bone Broth It is fantastic for your immune system. I mentioned that bone broth is rich in collagen. One of the amino acids that makes up collagen is known as proline. Proline is essential for tissue repair. When you give your body the tools it needs, like proline, for a strong immune system, you will recover more quickly & completely than if you rob your body of these critical tools. It supports gut health. One of the primary components of gut health is the strength & integrity of the lining of your gut. When we eat diets rich in processed foods, that gut lining begins to break down. The breakdown triggers inflammation, gastrointestinal issues and pain. The collagen within bone broth helps to protect & repair the lining of your gut. It will make you more beautiful. I'm talking primarily about skin & nails here. Of course collagen is a major component of our skin (and the source of many cosmetic procedures). Collagen helps with fine lines, wrinkles & even cellulite. It can increase your own body's production of collagen. When we don't give our body the nutrients it needs, our own production of collagen can slow. This may lead to premature aging, skin wrinkling, joint pain and inflammation. Fish collagen has been shown to increase endogenous production of collagen in humans! It can reduce joint pain. Collagen is concentrated in our joints. When collagen breaks down, we see more joint pain and inflammation. Increasing your consumption of collagen and increasing your body's production of collagen can make a major difference in joint pain and inflammation. Of course it goes without saying that this isn't a miracle food. There are tons of foods with health benefits &

What is the one hour strategy? Great question. I came up with it the other day while brainstorming a few ways to help some of my clients. It is often straight-up hard to create momentum with good choices you feel proud of when you haven't been making them consistently. Breaking the cycle of choices you don't feel good about and repeatedly making choices you do feel good about, well, that's not always easy. Enter: the one hour strategy. http://primalpotential.com/261-one-hour-strategy-create-winning-days/ The One Hour Strategy To Create More Winning Days The one hour strategy is based on one or all of the following questions: What can I do in the next hour to take care of myself? What's the best way to spend the next hour? What can I do in the next hour to feel proud or more in control? In the next hour, what choices would be my best? You can implement the one hour strategy in the middle of a tough day, at the start of a day, or towards the end of a day during which you need to feel more balanced, focused or in control. You can use the one hour strategy once or you can use it every day for the rest of your life. The one hour strategy can help you focus at work, it can help you overcome temptation, it can increase the consistency of your workouts and help improve your relationships. Give it a try and let me know what you think! Resources: For more on Breaking Barriers, click here. Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017!

Is it weird for me to say that I love this episode? Because I REALLY love this episode. I used to DREAD holidays, vacations, dinners out, birthdays and pretty much any celebration because I had no idea how to enjoy myself and enjoy the food without going way far overboard. That was exhausting and a lot harder than it needed to be. In today's episode I'm sharing anti-diet holiday success strategies so you can enjoy your holiday, enjoy your food and feel great afterwards. You don't need to ditch your goals to enjoy the holidays and you also don't need to deprive yourself of the special things that are really worth indulging in. http://primalpotential.com/260-anti-diet-holiday-success-strategies/ Anti-Diet Holiday Success Strategies In today's episode, I ask you to consider a couple of questions: What would it look like for you to go to a holiday gathering, party or dinner out and feel amazing during and after? What would you need to change to make that your new normal? What's "the middle" for you - that area between deprivation and over-indulgence? Which indulgences are totally worth it? Which indulgences aren't worth it? What's your favorite thing about holidays or gatherings? How can you amplify those elements? Which choices make you feel your worst? How can you make improvements there? When consuming an indulgence, at what point does eating more make you enjoy it less rather than more? What can you do, in preparation for a holiday or vacation, to make yourself feel amazing? Resources: For more on Breaking Barriers, click here. Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017!

Today's episode is an activity I want you to go through with me. I'm going to ask you a series of questions and I want you to write your answers down on paper. Sometimes, we aren't doing what it takes to make progress because we haven't defined the work we need to do. If that's your problem, I'm going to help you define it today. Other times, we aren't doing what it takes because of mental or emotional barriers. As I'll share in today's episode, many people's issues aren't food or fitness but rather self-talk, self-discipline or self-doubt. We'll start with a basic question "Do you know what to eat for your goals?" and take it from there. If you're looking to overcome your internal barriers, be sure to check out FAQs about Breaking Barriers here or enroll here. http://primalpotential.com/259-what-to-eat-for-your-goals/ Do You Know What To Eat To Reach Your Goals? In today's episode, I talk you through a workflow of the following problems so you can determine your next steps toward your goals. Do you know what to eat for fat loss or to move towards your goals? Can you identify improvements in what you're currently eating or doing that would generate more progress or consistency? Are you doing those things? What would need to change for you to implement those improvements? Don't miss the full episode where I'll help you determine if your "big rock" is nutrition or if it's mindset. Resources: For more on Breaking Barriers, click here. Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017! Wanna Help? If you find the Primal Potential podcast help, it would mean the world to me if you'd take a minute to leave a rating & review! That helps show platforms display my podcast to new listeners! Thank you so much for your support! I can't tell you how valuable it is!

In episode 257 I talked about the danger of diets. I repeated what I've said a million times before: short term strategies lead to short term solutions. However, I talked about how there aren't short cuts to lasting success. If you want to not yo-yo diet anymore, if you want to not obsess about food and weight loss for the rest of your life, if you want to feel like you can enjoy indulgences without guilt or regression, there are certain skills you HAVE to build and most diets aren't teaching them. In today's episode, I'm talking in more detail about those 4 skills and going through specific, real-life examples of how you can begin to build them today. http://primalpotential.com/258-4-required-skills/ 4 Required Skills You Can't Be Successful Without Thinking before you act & not being owned by your impulses or emotions Living in the middle (not being only "on" or "off") Becoming a "now" person (and not putting off your goals until tomorrow, next week or next month) Paying more attention to your body and your goals than other people or programs In today's episode I'll explain why these are critical skills required for success but also how you can begin practicing them today.

I think we can all relate to being attracted by a diet promising rapid results. We want the results and that matters more, in the moment, than whether or not we can sustain them. I loved what I read in a recent issue of The Harvard Business Review: The good news is, you're making good time. The bad news is, you're lost. All too often, we care more about pace than sustainability. This means that we do the same work over and over, we spend far too much time, money and energy on results we won't sustain. In today's episode, I'm sharing something that most people aren't talking about. It's really not about how you lose the weight. It's about whether or not you develop the life skills you'll need to sustain your results. http://primalpotential.com/257-the-appeal-of-a-new-diet-what-no-one-is-telling-you/

A couple months ago I shared with you guys that I was taking on a scary-for-me challenge: hot yoga. Specifically, 45 90-minute hot yoga classes in 45 days. The 45 days have now gone by (dang, time flies) and I'm sharing with you my final thoughts. Specifically, I'm sharing what this challenge taught me about all-or-nothing thinking and why there is no "wagon". Yeah, that notion of being on or off "the wagon" has got to go! http://primalpotential.com/256-there-is-no-wagon/ Anti-Perfection & Why There Is No "Wagon" I didn't make it to 45 classes in 45 days and I still count it as a massive win. Yeah, we build this vision of perfection and expectation when we start something new or set a goal. That's normal. What's normal but not helpful is to see anything short of that vision as "failure". It's not black and white. There are more possible outcomes and more possible ways to win than the way you've pre-defined it. In fact, I think success will almost NEVER look like you envision it before you start. Don't sell yourself a destructive story that anything other than your pre-defined vision of success is a failure. That's just not true! In today's episode we're talking about other ways to find success, to be successful even when it isn't "perfect" and why there is no "wagon". Don't miss the full episode! Resources: For more on Breaking Barriers, click here. Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017! Wanna Help? If you find the Primal Potential podcast help, it would mean the world to me if you'd take a minute to leave a rating & review! That helps show platforms display my podcast to new listeners! Thank you so much for your support! I can't tell you how valuable it is!

For most of my life, I desperately wanted to change but didn't believe I could. I doubted myself and my ability to change. I was completely overcome by paralyzing self-doubt & negativity. It was toxic. In today's episode I want to talk about these things and share my thoughts about how we can overcome self-doubt, disbelief and negativity to take action and improve our lives. No more waiting. Now's the time. http://primalpotential.com/255-dealing-with-self-doubt-disbelief-negativity/ Dealing with Self-Doubt, Disbelief & Negativity You cannot hold someone else to a higher standard of doing right by you than that to which you hold yourself. The fastest way to overcome self-doubt is to take small, incremental steps in the direction of your goals. You are only confined by the walls you build - what walls are you building with your thoughts, words, actions or limiting beliefs? What are you negatively manifesting? What barriers or obstacles are you building with your thoughts, words or actions? How can you redirect? For more on overcoming self-doubt, disbelief or negativity, listen to the full episode! Resources: For more on Breaking Barriers, click here. Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017!

Fear will hold you back. I get emails every single day from listeners looking for how to overcome fear. The fears are different, but the problem is the same. I'm afraid I don't have what it takes I'm afraid that even if I'll lose the weight I'll put it back on Fear of missing out gets me every time What if I have loose skin when I lose the weight? Fear impedes action and is fueled by thought. In today's episode I am sharing how to overcome fear and turn "what if" into "what now". http://primalpotential.com/254-how-to-overcome-fear/ How to Overcome Fear Fear is a case of too much future & not enough present Thought fuels fear Use affirmations to redirect your focus when you're focusing fear I'm not there yet That's not real now What can I do now? What is my next step? In this moment, you are creating the conditions of your future - is it the future you want or the future you fear? "Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will." W Clement Stone Turn your "what ifs" into "what nows" "Remove the veils so I might see what is really happening here and not be intoxicated by my stories and my fears" Elizabeth Lesser Don't borrow trouble from tomorrow Resources: For more on Breaking Barriers, click here. In today's episode I mentioned a recipe from Bulletproof Executive for Golden Milk - I misspoke - it was Dr. Mark Hyman's recipe & you can find it here. (I omitted the stevia.) Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017!

I don't think any of us would argue that having more self control would be a positive change in our lives. But, easier said than done, right? In today's podcast I'm helping you understand effective and ineffective ways to build more self control and I'm also sharing a willpower challenge that will help you make this a more concrete, tangible objective. http://primalpotential.com/253-building-more-self-control/ How To Build More Self-Control "If you conquer yourself, you can conquer the world" Paulo Coelho If you rule over yourself, there is no door that won't open for you. Today I'm sharing a 7-day willpower challenge and explaining how we can be smart about our attempt to build more self-control. Here are a few key points from today's episode: Self control builds self-esteem, not the other way around! If you want more self-esteem, build more self-control. Will power gets stronger with use. Repeat decisions require less and less energy Are you creating a willpower deficit? Identify opportunities to operate from a place of strength as opposed to constant willpower depletion. Resources: Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017! Wanna Help? If you find the Primal Potential podcast help, it would mean the world to me if you'd take a minute to leave a rating & review! That helps show platforms display my podcast to new listeners! Thank you so much for your support! I can't tell you how valuable it is!

Do you know what you really want? I used to be incredibly frustrated with myself & confused: I desperately wanted to lose weight but I wasn't doing the work. How could I want something so bad yet continuously make choices which sabotaged that desire? I figured it out: I didn't really understand what I wanted & why. Today we're talking about values and principles because I strongly believe this is required work if we want consistency & progress. This is one of my Fat Loss Fast Track veteran webinars where I challenged them to establish their values and principles and showed them how we experience tension & frustration when we aren't thinking or acting in alignment with what we want most. Values & Principles Today I'm sharing one of my webinars from my Fat Loss Fast Track veterans group. I hope you love it! Definitely take a listen! Are these things aligned: What you want What you say What you think What you do Your values are what is most important to you. Your principles link your values to action.

Let's stop justifying indulgences. Let's stop talking ourselves into treats when we want our goals more. Today, I'll tell you how! You don't have to justify brussels sprouts or chicken, so why do you feel like you need to justify treats? Beyond that, is the way you're justifying them even true? Are you being honest with yourself with your justifications? In today's episode I'm talking about HOW you can stop justifying and start owning your choices, whether they're aligned with your goals or not. http://primalpotential.com/251-justifying-indulgences/

There are so many things competing for your focus. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and like the deck is stacked against you. It's easy to focus on what you can't do. Maybe your schedule isn't conducive to the changes you want to make. Maybe your spouse isn't supportive. Maybe you're overwhelmed. Maybe you have a long history of giving up on yourself and you struggle with belief. I get it. Those are all very real. But, focusing on those things don't help you and focusing on those things isn't your only option. In today's motivational minisode, I'm challenging you to focus on this: what you can do. What you are willing to do. What step you can take. What options you do have. What progress you're ready to make. Do not miss this powerful motivational minisode! http://primalpotential.com/250-motivational-minisode-focus/

Today is about ending excuses, especially that tried & true excuse of, "I'll start tomorrow". Here's the reality: it doesn't matter how motivated you are, it doesn't matter how great your plan is or how much you want it if you are in the habit of talking yourself into delay, deferral or excuses. Instead of focusing on what to eat, when to eat or the latest, greatest diet, I encourage you to look at the ways you talk yourself into not doing the work, and focus on overcoming those limitations. We're doing that together in today's episode. Don't miss it! http://primalpotential.com/249-ending-excuses Ending Excuses: "I'll Start Tomorrow" Yes, tomorrow exists. However, it has nothing to do with what you can do today. When we put off our plans, when we defer our goals to tomorrow, it's just a way of making ourselves feel better about not doing the work. We don't want to say "I'm not going to eat healthy" so instead we say "I'll do it tomorrow". What you can do tomorrow doesn't have anything to do with what you can & should do today. When you defer the work until tomorrow, you reinforce a pattern of delay. The more you use that excuse, the more likely you are to continue to use it. Become increasingly aware of when you're avoiding taking action. Replace thoughts of what you pledge to do tomorrow with reminders of what you're capable of now. Tell yourself, "I'm a person of today. Right in front of me is an opportunity to make progress and I won't pass it up." Do not delay until tomorrow what can be done today. Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome." — Samuel Johnson If you look for an objection or reason to delay, there will always be one. Stop searching for excuses and start looking for opportunities to act. Resources: Breaking Barriers: How To Overcome Emotional Eating & Self-Limiting Beliefs Wanna Help? If you find the Primal Potential podcast help, it would mean the world to me if you'd take a minute to leave a rating & review! That helps show platforms display my podcast to new listeners! Thank you so much for your support! I can't tell you how valuable it is!

The other day I asked my Fat Loss Fast Track veterans (folks who have been through more than one Fat Loss Fast Track with me) where they feel strong in their fat loss journey and where they don't feel so strong. One of the most common areas of struggle was evenings. Nighttime choices. The choices made after work and during/after dinner. I don't think they're alone in that struggle. Are evenings hard for you? They used to be my biggest area of struggle, for many reasons, and today we're talking about how to improve your evening eating habits and get to a point where you feel confident in and proud of your nighttime choices. http://primalpotential.com/248-improve-evening-eating-habits/ How To Improve Evening Eating Habits There are many reasons for the evening struggle. Unfortunately, we tend to focus on what's wrong with the evenings instead of focusing on how we can make improvements. Think about it, it makes sense that evenings are hard. We tend to be more tired in the evening and have more energy in the morning There's more downtime in the evening. Most snacking happens during down time & screen time and there's less of it in the morning We're great at "beginning" - we've started countless diets and beginnings start in the morning, for most of us, so we are just more practiced at improving our first choices of the day than we are improving our last choices of the day. We aren't unskilled, we're unpracticed. We tend to have less structure in the evenings than we do in the AM We haven't built up trust and follow through But we have power. We have opportunity. In today's episode I'm sharing several strategies that will show you how to improve evening eating habits, build confidence, accelerate your progress and get results. Definitely listen to the whole episode! Lots of great strategies in there, including: Change your attitude - stop arguing for your limitations and focusing on how hard nights are. Instead, focus on what you can do to make improvements today Practice building back trust in small & large ways (this can be practiced throughout the day by doing what you say you'll do instead of negotiating with yourself) Focus on improvements - instead of being a Debbie Downer and judging yourself for suboptimal choices, look for the improvement. Choose what represents even a marginal improvement for you Finish strong. No matter what happens, decide that you'll finish each day strong, even if it's the last 10 minutes of the day Resources: Interested in the Fat Loss Fast Track? The fall group is currently closed but you can get on the wait list for our first group of 2017!

Totally random episode here! So random it doesn't even get a number or official show notes! Take a listen to this short episode I recorded while pacing in my living room with my new thoughts on all or nothing thinking and what yoga taught me about the on/off approach to nutrition & fitness.

I'm sure you've heard that comparison is the thief of joy yet most of us manufacture insecurity & shame by comparing ourselves to others. In today's episode we're talking about why it's so important to keep your eyes on your own work but also HOW to do it. It seems like we almost automatically compare ourselves to others. Plus, when we stop comparing and pay attention to ourselves, we are often confronted by negative thinking & judgement. http://primalpotential.com/eyes-on-your-own-work/ Eyes On Your Own Work (And How To Stop Comparing) In today's episode, I explain the dangers of comparing yourself to other people. Frankly, they have NOTHING to do with you and your journey. See, when we focus our attention on other people, we can't be focused on ourselves and the opportunities in front of us to grow, improve and take action. The only journey that matters is your journey. Any time or energy spent on someone else's journey is time wasted. One of the reasons we focus on others is because we aren't comfortable focusing on ourselves. When we focus on ourselves and our journey, we often face negativity, shame and judgement. It feels far more comfortable to judge others than to judge ourselves and face our own challenges. First, it's dangerous to look away from your own journey. Second, if you change your attitude about yourself & your journey, you will dramatically change your trajectory. You must keep your eyes on your own work and you must improve your perspective about your journey. Don't miss today's episode for HOW to change your perspective on your journey. Resources: I get lots of questions about the coconut butter I eat & where to get it. Here's the brand I buy. The first 3 episodes reflecting on lessons learned about life & fat loss through yoga can be found here, here and here. Wanna Help? If you find the Primal Potential podcast help, it would mean the world to me if you'd take a minute to leave a rating & review! That helps show platforms display my podcast to new listeners! Thank you so much for your support! I can't tell you how valuable it is!

If you feel stuck, frustrated, confused or like you aren't seeing the progress you want, don't miss these 5 dietary changes for faster results. The key to today's episode lies in not seeking new information but in measuring your own consistent implementation of what you already know but aren't yet doing. http://primalpotential.com/246-5-dietary-changes-for-faster-results/ 5 Dietary Changes For Faster Results Often, we sift through information evaluating what we know instead of what we're consistently doing. If we know something already, we gloss over it, whether we're consistently doing it or not. Today that stops. As you listen to these 5 dietary changes for faster results, I don't want you thinking of what you know or what you don't, I want you evaluating what you're doing consistently and what you're not. As you hear each strategy, ask yourself the following questions: Am I doing this? Am I doing it consistently? Is there room for improvement? How will I implement those improvements today? How can I practice consistency with that improvement? While there are dozens of dietary changes you could make to accelerate your fat loss progress or improve your body composition, today we're talking about the following: Stay off the hot mess express blood sugar roller coaster (especially in the morning) Slow down on the sweets (the more sweet you eat, the more sweet you crave - this is true whether it's a "healthy" sweet or not) Dial back on dairy (for more on dairy and fat loss, listen to episode 25 and 128) Limit labels - how much of the food you consume has a nutrition facts label and added ingredients? Do an inventory of the % of your intake that comes from something with a label and strive for an improvement. Eat more foods that have no label and eat fewer foods with labels. Stop snacking - snacking is often out of boredom/habit or because your meals aren't satisfying you for long enough. Either improve the composition of your meals so they satisfy you for longer (adding more non-starchy veggies, protein or whole-food fats) or increase awareness of when you're eating when not hungry. Resources Q&A 6: How To Make Breakfast A Fat Burning Meal Episode 115: More on Breakfast Fat Loss Friendly Lunches Fat Loss Friendly Snacks Episode 007: Carb Timing Episode 025: Pros & Cons of Dairy Episode 128: Is Dairy Slowing Your Progress E-Course: Carb Strategies for Sustainable Fat Loss Wanna Help? If you find the Primal Potential podcast help, it would mean the world to me if you'd take a minute to leave a rating & review! That helps show platforms display my podcast to new listeners! Thank you so much for your support! I can't tell you how valuable it is!

I don't know about you, but I used to think that people who reached their goals simply had something I didn't have. They had more motivation. More self-discipline. Better genes. Whatever they had that made them successful, I just didn't have it. I was wrong. And if you think that way, you are too. In today's episode, I want to talk about how successful people think. I want to look at how successful people respond to things that might be a real challenge to you - temptation, setbacks, frustrations - so that you can stop letting those things stop you. Today is about figuring out how to turn your stop signs into starting lines. http://primalpotential.com/245-how-successful-people-think/ How Successful People Think There are two ways to approach your choices: You can blame them on other people and circumstances outside your control (work, time, etc) You can acknowledge that you are totally in control of every choice you make How successful people think: No matter what happens around them, they acknowledge that they are in control of what they choose and how they think Everyone faces temptation. Whether the temptation is to hit the snooze button, skip your workout, grab a biscuit at the drive through or have the second glass of wine, we all have temptations. When you "zoom in" on the temptation, locking in like a laser beam on whatever tempts you, you're less likely to overcome it. How successful people think: They "zoom out" when facing temptation. They see that there are two things - what they want most & what they want now. They ask an answer the question, "If I say yes to this, what am I saying no to?" Everyone encounters setbacks. Things don't go according to plan. You drop the ball. You don't get the results you want. If you focus on the setback, and you harp on what went wrong and how you've failed, you're bound to feel defeated and far less likely to make progress & overcome it. How successful people think: They look for the lesson. Instead of settling for the setback, they're seeking a solution. They don't focus on what went wrong but rather they look for the next right move. Remember that if you aren't getting the results you want, add more effort. You will get out of life what you put into it. Wanna Help? If you find the Primal Potential podcast help, it would mean the world to me if you'd take a minute to leave a rating & review! That helps show platforms display my podcast to new listeners! Thank you so much for your support! I can't tell you how valuable it is!

Life can be very hard. Many of deal with far too many negative emotions. We get frustrated, we feel lonely, overwhelmed, angry, sad. We focus on fear of the future and shame around the past. Instead of helping you improve your responses to negative emotions, today's episode will help you overcome negative emotion. Yup, put it behind you. Let it go. Because honestly, the ROI (return on investment) of letting go of this negativity is far greater than the ROI of practicing a better reaction to it. If you found this episode helpful, I think you'll really enjoy my self-guided e-course, Breaking Barriers, which is all about overcoming emotional eating, negativity & self-limiting beliefs. http://primalpotential.com/244-overcome-negative-emotion/

Let's get back to the basics of metabolism to help you figure out why you aren't losing weight and what you can do about it! I recently shared with you guys that episode 240 was one of my favorites - we were talking about how your body allows or disallows fat burning and what you can do to control this cellular & hormonal signaling. Understanding these concepts is really the key to figuring out why you aren't losing weight or why you're always hungry or why you can't get your cravings under control. After that episode, some of you shared that it went a little over your head. Since this is your show, that's not okay with me! I want every episode to be FOR YOU so we're breaking it down today to ensure that everyone understands these important basics of why you gain weight, why you aren't losing weight and what you can do about it. http://primalpotential.com/243-metabolism-101-why-you-arent-losing-weight/ Metabolism 101 - Why You Aren't Losing Weight If you want the detailed science & technical explanations, I've linked to a bunch of those episodes below in the Resources section. Or, you can check out my comprehensive course on Carbohydrate Strategies for Sustainable Fat Loss. But for today's episode, I want to simplify, perhaps even over-simplify, the process that takes place when we eat and how it addresses why you aren't losing weight. Just because you don't get immediate feedback when you eat, that doesn't mean the food you eat has no impact. Just because your jeans aren't tighter immediately after eating cookies or looser immediately after eating a salad doesn't mean the choice had no impact on your rate of fat storage or fat burning. In fact, I would argue that both choices impact fat burning & fat storage, you just don't immediately see or feel the impact. Every time you eat, a conversation begins inside your body. The fuel you consume each time you eat triggers hormones & enzymes to spring into action and consider what should be done with the fuel, if it should be burned, if it should be stored and where it should be stored. The answers depend on what you ate, how much you ate, if you needed to eat and what you've eaten in the recent past. In order to respond to & process the fuel you've consumed, your body begins by breaking it down into it's simplest parts. Without first breaking it down, it would be too large to travel through the body. Only in it's smallest parts can it get into and out of cells to be stored or used as fuel. In the case of carbohydrates (whether they are from bread, pasta, oats, cookies, crackers, potatoes or fruit), the simplest parts are small, singular sugars. The conversation in the body changes when the simple sugars hit the blood stream. Your body must respond immediately because sugar hanging out in the blood stream for too long can be toxic. Your body sends out signals "blood sugar has risen beyond a stable level! All available personnel come help clear it out" Metabolizing sugar takes priority because it is toxic. The primary responder to this blood sugar situation is the hormone insulin. You see, sugar isn't allowed to roam freely through the body. It requires a chaperone. The chaperone charged with ushering sugar out of the blood to be burned or stored is insulin. Insulin is a storage hormone. Insulin begins a conversation with the body which goes like this: "Please stop all fuel breakdown activities, including fat burning. We have a fuel excess situation and while I'm dealing with the excess, do not break down any more fuel. We are now in storage mode." This signaling from insulin stops fat burning and initiates storage mode. But that's not the only signal from insulin. As I explained in more technical terms in episode 240, when insulin is chronically elevated and running the show due to overeating or consuming too many sugars & starches, it siphons off too much fuel and shuttles it to the fat tissue. Insulin is preferential to fat storage versus muscle storage Insulin diverts fuel to the fat tissue and decreases delivery to the muscle tissue Insulin slows fat burning Insulin triggers the creation of new fat cells so there are ample storage sites available In today's episode I talk about simple changes we can make to help control insulin and spend more time in fat burning mode and less time in fat storing mode. Make sure to listen to the full episode! Resources Carb Strategies for Sustainable Fat Loss - Course Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes Carb Timing for Fat Loss Carb Spillover (And How To Stop It) Carb Tolerance Understanding Insulin Golden Rules of Carbs & Fat Loss Wanna Help? If you find the Primal Potential podcast help, it would mean the world to me if you'd take a minute to leave a rating & review! That helps show platforms display my podcast to new listeners! Thank you so much for your support! I can't tell you how valuable it is!

I'm coming at you with another Motivational Minisode, tough love style! We're talking about indulgences - the repetitive food & drink choices that are keeping you from your goals. Here's the thing: despite the fact that you keep choosing them, they're almost never worth it. Sure, you're in the habit of giving in to temptation, cravings & social pressure so it's easy to say "yes" than "no". But it's not worth what you're giving up in favor of a minute or two of indulgence. This minisode is going to bring the tough love to help you do the work, invest the effort and finally leave the excuses behind. http://primalpotential.com/242-tough-love-almost-never-worth-it/

Do you find yourself making promises to eat healthy or workout, only to talk yourself out of it hours or days later? I used to do that all the time & it left me feeling frustrated and prevented me from making the progress I wanted desperately! In today's episode I want to help you stop breaking promises you've made to yourself! You cannot reach your goals if you are constantly talking yourself out of taking the steps to achieve them. Every choice you make leads you somewhere, either closer to or further from your goals. http://primalpotential.com/241-stop-breaking-promises/

I am SO pumped about today's Book Club episode! This might be one of my very favorite podcast episodes! Today we're diving into the book "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes. In this book you'll learn what drives insatiable hunger, what decreases satiety, makes us feel tired and unmotivated and what triggers us to store more fat than we should (and burn less fat than we should). The book is definitely worth the read and Taubes goes deep into both history & science. But don't worry, if you don't have the time or desire to go through the whole book, I want to share the highlights with you today! I really think this episode is a game changer packed with super helpful information about how we can store less fat and burn more fat! http://primalpotential.com/240-why-we-get-fat/ Resources Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes Carb Timing for Fat Loss Carb Spillover (And How To Stop It) Carb Tolerance Understanding Insulin Golden Rules of Carbs & Fat Loss Wanna Help? If you find the Primal Potential podcast help, it would mean the world to me if you'd take a minute to leave a rating & review! That helps show platforms display my podcast to new listeners! Thank you so much for your support! I can't tell you how valuable it is!

If you are looking to take your motivation, consistency or progress to the next level, today's podcast is full of ways to do just that! If you need help setting expectations that are ambitious enough without setting you up for disappointment or failure, you don't want to miss this episode! A huge part of success in any goal is improving your responses to temptation, frustration, setbacks or emotion. I'll be sharing lessons I've learned in my new yoga practice to help you set appropriate expectations, avoid comparison, build consistency and fast track your results. http://primalpotential.com/239-setting-expectations/ Improving Your Responses & Setting Expectations As I've recently shared on the podcast, after being diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and some stress-related health challenges, I'm making some changes in both my diet & lifestyle to help my body heal. One of those changes is yoga. I am not a yogi, I do not like group exercise, but I've taken on a legitimate mental, physical and logistical challenge: 45 yoga classes in 45 days. I've walked out of every single class so far feeling like I've learned something beyond the mat, beyond the yoga pose, and I'm planning to share those lessons with you each week for the next 45 days. So, I'm two weeks into my yoga challenge and I've learned some good stuff! Always come back to stillness In life, more often than not, when we experience tension, frustration, emotion, anxiety or temptation, we react, respond and make things worse. We do the opposite of returning to stillness. We kick up a frenzy. We panic. We perseverate. We worry. Instead of saying to ourselves, "Wait, slow down, take a breath, be still, don't react", we eat. We distract ourselves with food. We yell. We make snarky comments, we withdraw. We manufacture drama. We are an instant gratification society and unfortunately that means we feel like every thing must be reacted and it must be reacted to NOW. This idea of "come right back to stillness" can be a game changer no matter what your goal is. When you feel rattled, return to stillness. Don't react. Slow down, be still and understand that often times, the best response is no response. However, you can't return to a place you don't know. If you don't know what stillness is or where to find it, you can't go there when you need it most. You need to practice moments of stillness so you understand where to go instead of reacting. You can practice by meditating, praying, journaling or simply focusing on your breath. You can practice for 30 seconds or 30 minutes, just practice. Set expectations based on YOU It's easy to set your expectations and standards based on other people. It's easy to look to someone who is further along than you are and decide that you need to perform at their level. Don't. In yoga, striving to match the practice of someone who is more advanced doesn't mean that you're a motivated hero, it means that you're likely to get hurt and set yourself back. In fat loss & fitness, setting expectations based on someone who is further along than you are could mean setting yourself to feel not good enough, to feel defeated, overwhelmed and then give up. Set your standards and expectations based on YOU. Build consistency to see improvements The fact that I am practicing yoga every day for 45 days makes it really easy to see my improvements. Since my last class was just yesterday, when I sit in class today I can easily see what is different and better from the day before. The daily practice allows me to see my improvements and my progress. If I was going once or twice a week, not only would I probably not make progress as quickly, I wouldn't recognize as easily. Both making progress and being able to recognize and observe and notice the progress you make – it's so motivating! And it drives the desire to continue practice and then you get into what I call the cycle of accelerated returns. The same is true with consistency in improving your food choices or consistency in your workout routine. When you are inconsistent, you're robbing yourself in multiple ways. #1, You don't make progress as quickly, of course You aren't as aware of progress you do make If you reject temptation every single day, it's gets easier and easier and you have a closer comparison to have it felt yesterday to be able to recognize that it's easier today. Build consistency. Practice every single day. Don't let your ego get in the way of your progress Oftentimes, after hearing the same message a dozen or more times, a client will excitedly say to me, "I know you've said that a million times but I finally get it! It clicked today!" We have a natural tendency to tune out when we think we know or understand something. We don't listen with full attention to concepts we're familiar with. However, we only retain about 40% of the information we hear (and that's when we're giving our full attention!) Therefore, don't let your ego get in the way of your progress. Continue to lis