CONSISTENT by Primal Potential

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

If you haven't listened to episode 237, please start there!. In episode 237 I talk about the link between the foods you eat & your immune system. I think it's fairly likely that you're consuming something to which you're sensitive. It's very possible that your fatigue, your trouble with weight loss, your acne, joint pain or constipation are related to something you're eating. Can we think about this from the common sense perspective for a second? The only fuel your body receives in order to operate comes from what you food, drink and breathe. Your diet is not a supplement. It is the ONLY thing that powers your body. So if something is not working properly, I think it's safe to say that it might have something to do with what you're providing to your body in the form of fuel. Today I'll be talking about the difference between food allergies & food intolerances as well as the most common foods to which people are intolerant, why they create problems and how you can identify if they are creating problems for you! http://primalpotential.com/238-food-intolerances-are-you-eating-things-you-shouldnt-be-part-2/

There is a difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance. You might have unidentified food intolerances that are impacting your health and your progress towards your goals and not even know it! And, just because you've tolerated a food before doesn't mean you do now. Plus, you can overcome your food intolerances! If you continue to consume a food to which you are even mildly intolerant, you are initiating a domino effect of challenges within your body. In today's episode I'm talking about the direct connection between food intolerances, your immune system, your fat loss & your health. I'm sharing the impact of genetics, lifestyle and diet on your immune system and what happens when your immune system is compromised. In part 2, I'll share common foods that trigger an immune response and might be responsible for your symptoms and how you can strengthen your immune system & eliminate your symptoms. Don't miss the full episode! It's a really important one! http://primalpotential.com/237-food-intolerances-part-1/ Are Food Intolerances Slowing Your Progress? To answer this question, we first need to understand the role of the immune system, as food intolerances are based on your immune system's response to food. Your immune system's primary function is to protect you from toxins, pathogens and other threats. Because most threats to your health are introduced to your body through your mouth (what we eat, drink or inhale), the majority of your immune system resides in your gastrointestinal tract. The immune role in the GI tract is to keep out anything and everything that could be dangerous. Unfortunately, when we knowing or unknowingly consume foods to which we're even mildly intolerant, we break down the protective barrier within the GI tract and create larger problems. What are the symptoms of a food intolerance or autoimmune issue? There are so many possible symptoms but the common ones include: bloating gas diarrhea constipation headaches rashes & other skin conditions acne trouble sleeping low energy indigestion allergies depression irritability joint pain slow healing When we fail to eliminate these food allergens and other immune irritants, our immune system becomes compromised and attacks things it shouldn't, including foods and our own body tissues. This leads to new food allergies or autoimmune diseases like hashimotos thyroiditis, lupus and arthritis. The most common autoimmune diseases include: psoriasis fibromyalgia lupus celiac disease hashimotos thyroiditism rheumatoid arthritis In today's episode I'm talking about how your body's inflammatory response works, what happens when common foods trigger inflammation and how we can quiet the inflammation throughout the body and eliminate your symptoms. I'll also share one of the primary challenges with convention prescription drug treatments for these autoimmune concerns. In the next episode I'll be talking about which foods most frequently trigger this immune response and how we can calm our inflammatory response, heal the immune system and eliminate food intolerances. We'll closely examine foods including: sugar caffeine gluten dairy nuts/seeds alcohol Make sure to listen to today's full episode! Resources The Autoimmune Solution by Dr. Amy Myers

I think we all want to be more productive. We want to be less stressed while making more progress towards our goals. That can be a tricky thing to balance because we see the pursuit of our goals as demanding that more get done. We see being more productive as getting more done. In both cases, we feel overwhelmed before we even start because we just don't have enough time to get more done! However, to be more productive, I don't think you need to get more done. To make more progress towards your goals, I don't think you need to get more done. In today's episode I'll talk about how you can be more productive without doing more and while accelerating your progress towards your goals! http://primalpotential.com/236-be-more-productive/ 10 Ways To Be More Productive Today While many of these strategies might seem like common sense, I don't want you to discount them on those grounds. Instead, ask yourself, "Am I consistently implementing this?" Knowing the strategy or being familiar with a concept doesn't matter. Do you live it? Is it yours? Do you have room for improvement? Is it a habit for you? Don't reject the obvious - implement it. If you want to be more productive, it's not about what you know, it's about what you do and what you do consistently! Start Change your language Question everything Check your priorities Stop rushing Be honest about your distractions Set a timer Stop working Establish a routine Don't believe everything you read (or hear) Resources Fall 2016 Fat Loss Fast Track Join me at ASCEND in Nashville! 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!

So this isn't a pitch for yoga, actually. This is about, however, about a personal yoga challenge I've given myself & the lessons I've learned in my first week that will absolutely improve my fat loss, my fitness, and my mindset. I want to share those lessons with you. So really, this is kind of like yoga for fat loss without having to go to yoga. Haha. I actually think yoga is a great thing for almost everyone, but my purpose in this series is to share with you lessons I'm learning in yoga that I believe can & should be applied to our food choices, our fitness, our mindset, relationships and life in general! http://primalpotential.com/235-yoga-for-fat-loss/ Yoga for Fat Loss, Fitness, Mindset & Crushing Life 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'm not challenging you to do that - my journey is my journey - but I do want to share what I'm learning with you through this challenge. I'm not necessarily taking yoga for fat loss, but I think there are incredibly powerful parallels between what you learn in yoga and the skills you need to reach your fat loss, fitness and health goals. I'm doing it because I need to learn to slow down, to be more present, to breathe and to be gentle with my body, my mind and my heart. Leave it to me to take something like yoga and get all intense with it, haha. 45 90-minute hot yoga classes in 45 days...yeah Elizabeth, way to take it easy... Hey, gotta make it interesting, right? I'm a competitive person! 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 one week into my yoga challenge and I've learned some good stuff! Stay on your mat At my first class, the instructor shared with the new people (I wasn't the only one) that the only goal of the first class is to stay on your mat. Don't quit and leave, don't leave the room for some cool air, just stay. It's okay to rest. It's okay to sit down or lay down, just say on your mat. See, it's 105 degrees in this room and your moving your body in weird, challenging and uncomfortable ways. (In front of strangers! ) You aren't weak if you want to quit. It's not a sign that you're a failure that you don't feel like doing it. But that feeling doesn't mean you need to leave. The desire to leave is just a desire. Don't react. Just stay. How true is this in life & fat loss? It's okay to stop. It's okay to slow down. It's okay to rest. But don't leave. Don't drift. Don't let go of your goals. You can always rest, but don't walk away. Don't leave the pursuit. Stay on your mat. You WILL have times when you want to quit. But that doesn't mean you need to justify ice cream or chips or cookies or alcohol. Just stay there. You're on this journey. Don't leave. Just wait. The maximum benefit comes at your depth In Bikram yoga, which is what I've decided to do, there are 26 poses and, in my class, we do each pose two times. As we moved into a particular posture for the second time, the instructor quietly said, "Keep going. The maximum benefit comes at your depth" See, she didn't want us to stop when it got uncomfortable. She didn't want us to feel the discomfort and not go past it. The maximum benefit, the greatest growth, the fastest improvement comes when you go as far as you can. If she hadn't said that, I wouldn't have looked for my depth in that pose. I would have just done what I felt like I could, held steady when it felt uncomfortable. But this cue from her, this comment, it sent me looking for my depth. For how far I could go. For how deep I could take it. For my limit. For my best. How often do we stop at the point of discomfort in life? We do what we're comfortable with and give in when it gets too hard. But that's not where we improve. That's not how things get easier. That's not the way to transformation. Think about the times in your life when you've grown the most, learned the most or excelled the most. It probably took going beyond your comfort zone - going beyond what was easy or comfortable. When it comes to health, food choices or fitness - where is your depth? Are you going there? Are you bringing your best effort? Where's your limit? How far can you take it? The maximum benefit will come at your depth. Pressure is the beginning of the posture This next one so deeply resonated with me (pun intended). It's pretty similar to the last one but so vivid. I was standing there, waiting for the instructor to declare, "change" so I could release a challenging posture. You hold the posture, usually struggling (certainly for me as I'm brand new to

I think we're all sick & tired of dieting failure, dieting obsession and feeling like we've failed. It's exhausting! I don't know about you, but I've tried every diet under the sun. For years I felt frustrated, confused and like something was wrong with me. Nothing was wrong with me. Something was significantly flawed in my approach. Traditional weight loss programs are designed to fail. I don't think it's you. I think it's your approach. In today's episode I want to help you understand why dieting failure is so common - why diets are exactly designed to fail in the long term and what you can do differently to ensure success. http://primalpotential.com/234-avoid-dieting-failure/ How To Avoid Dieting Failure Diets don't work. One of the primary reasons they don't work is because they are based on a leader/follower model. In the leader/follower model, the "leader", whether a person or a company, creates the rules and the structure and you, the follower, step in line and follow their commands. There are many major problems with the leader follower model and I summarize them into the following categories, which I describe in today's episode: Distraction Doubt Dependance Drifting Depersonalization Deflection Instead, if we want long term success we should seek the leader/leader model. The leader/leader model operates based on the premise that some people have great guidance and strategy to offer, but no one knows your body, your preferences, your lifestyle and your results better than you do. In the leader/leader model, you are creating your own plan based on your body's feedback instead of blindly following someone else's strategy. In the leader/leader model, you're identify & creating tools that work for you, not establishing a list of rules you must follow. To watch the full video of this presentation, click here. Ready to join the last Fat Loss Fast Track of 2016? Get More Information Here

Did you listen to part 1 of how to protect & heal your thyroid? If you're wondering how to improve thyroid health, this series is right for you! Make sure you start with part 1! You absolutely can improve thyroid health. You can protect your thyroid and prevent future problems. You can & you should! Your thyroid is about way more than your weight or your metabolism. Every single cell in your body has receptors for thyroid hormones and your thyroid plays a role in just about every aspect of health. Your overall health, metabolism and body composition all depend on the health of your thyroid. In part 1, we covered what the thyroid is & what it does. I shared my recent thyroid diagnosis and the symptoms which preceded it. In researching how to improve thyroid health & function, I've shared several diet & lifestyle strategies that will make a big difference! http://primalpotential.com/233-improve-thyroid-health-part-2/ How to Protect & Heal Your Thyroid - Part 2 What is your thyroid? Your thyroid is a small gland in your throat. It's an endocrine gland, secreting hormones your body needs for nearly every bodily function. What does it do? Your thyroid controls the metabolic rate of every organ in the body. Remember that your metabolic rate isn't just about body weight. It's about energy & fuel. Metabolic rate refers to the ability & efficiency of your body to get the energy & nutrients it needs from fuel you consume or fuel stored in your body as well as the ability & efficiency of your body to store fuel in the form of fat, muscle and bone. Your thyroid regulates & influences countless bodily processes including breathing, heart rate, menstruation, muscle development, fat burning, sleep, body temperature, cholesterol production and more. What can you do to protect and heal your thyroid? Control your blood sugar by limiting processed foods & following the Golden Rules of Carbs & Fat Loss Minimize stress Support your microbiome Get enough vitamin D via food, sunlight and/or supplementation Cut out gluten and gluten-like components (corn, oats, etc) Identify & eliminate food allergens (even mild ones!) Common food allergens include dairy, eggs, wheat, grains, nuts & seeds The food allergen test I am taking can be purchased here Consume enough (but not too much) iodine Eat selenium rich foods like brazil nuts, turkey, chicken Eliminate trans fats and limit unsaturated fats Want to join the Fat Loss Fast Track? Last chance this year! Get More Information Here Resources Chris Kresser's Free Thyroid Report Fall 2016 Fat Loss Fast Track Metabolic Effect Adrenal & Thyroid Protocol Gluten reactions can last up to 6 months (research) Benefits of reducing iodine The Paleo Cure by Chris Kresser The Hormone Cure by Sara Gottfried Food Allergy Testing Vitamin D Supplement Join me at ASCEND in Nashville! 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!

Here's the deal guys: your thyroid is about way more than your weight or your metabolism. Whether you have a thyroid issue or you don't, we all must ensure we're doing all we can to protect & heal this critical endocrine gland. Every single cell in your body has receptors for thyroid hormones. Your overall health, metabolism and body composition all depend on the health of your thyroid. Even if you don't have a thyroid gland and you're on synthetic thyroid hormones, you absolutely can & will from many of these strategies. In today's episode I share my recent thyroid issues and what I'm doing about them along with what your thyroid is, what it does and some of the things you can do to protect and heal your thyroid. http://primalpotential.com/232-heal-your-thyroid/ How to Protect & Heal Your Thyroid What is your thyroid? Your thyroid is a small gland in your throat. It's an endocrine gland, secreting hormones your body needs for nearly every bodily function. What does it do? Your thyroid controls the metabolic rate of every organ in the body. Remember that your metabolic rate isn't just about body weight. It's about energy & fuel. Metabolic rate refers to the ability & efficiency of your body to get the energy & nutrients it needs from fuel you consume or fuel stored in your body as well as the ability & efficiency of your body to store fuel in the form of fat, muscle and bone. Your thyroid regulates & influences countless bodily processes including breathing, heart rate, menstruation, muscle development, fat burning, sleep, body temperature, cholesterol production and more. What can you do to protect and heal your thyroid? In today's episode, part 1, we talk about the importance of blood sugar balance, gut health and bacterial balance. We'll go into many more strategies in part 2. For now: Control your blood sugar by limiting processed foods & following the Golden Rules of Carbs & Fat Loss Minimize stress Support your microbiome Want to join the Fat Loss Fast Track? Last chance this year! Get More Information Here Resources Chris Kresser's Free Thyroid Report Fall 2016 Fat Loss Fast Track Metabolic Effect Adrenal & Thyroid Protocol The Paleo Cure by Chris Kresser The Hormone Cure by Sara Gottfried Join me at ASCEND in Nashville!

I'm not sure if you're familiar with the shame spiral, but I sure am. Here are the cliff notes: it sucks. We have this terribly inefficient habit: we keep returning to approaches that don't work. I want you to really think about this question: do you need a different approach? That's what we will investigate on today's episode as we explore the shame cycle & how we can break free from it. http://primalpotential.com/231-the-shame-spiral/

Some of my clients shared recently that they have found the missing piece of what they felt like was a fat loss puzzle. They knew something was missing - maybe that something was consistency, motivation, focus or the right strategy for their own body - but they've found it. Today you'll hear from those clients in their own words. They'll share their results, their fears, what they've found and how they found it. These clients have a few things in common: They all were frustrated with a lack of results They all struggled with weight for their entire adult lives They all felt like something was missing They are now seeing results in fat loss & life in general They're all members of the Fat Loss Fast Track Some are men, some are women. Some are married, some are single. Some have kids, some don't. Some are older, some are younger. But there's so much they have in common, including results. If you want to join the last Fat Loss Fast Track of 2016, you can get all the details and your spot right here! http://primalpotential.com/230-the-missing-piece/ The Missing Piece - Solve the Puzzle & Get Results Meet Sarah Sarah is a 40-year-old married mother of children ages 2 to 22. She is also a flight paramedic for an air ambulance service. Sarah's job requires her to maintain a specific weight, and every month she must weigh in to keep her job on track and in good standing. Her high-stress career and busy family life left her feeling desperate for stability with her weight. She turned to the Fat Loss Fast Track to help find the answers within herself. Here are some of the lessons Sarah has learned that have helped her lose weight and feel more in control: Everything you need is already within you, you just need to look for it and seize it If you slow down & simplify, you'll go faster Meet Dave Fat Loss Fast Track is not just for women! Here are some of the insights Dave gained aside from the weight he has lost! Every choice is a chance - the perfectionist mentality has got to go! Seek consistency & daily effort over perfectionism Mindset drives your choices - focus more on mindset than skillvset Meet Jen Jen is a married mother of two teenagers who works as a full-time pediatrician. Jen has struggled her entire adult wife with her weight and she began to view her weight as a failure in an otherwise very successful life. Here's what Jen shared about her Fat Loss Fast Track experience: Things get easier when you focus on just one choice at a time It gets easier when you simplify! The Fat Loss Fast Track lessons help every single area of life Her energy is through the roof! Want to join the last Fat Loss Fast Track of 2016? Do you want to gain the type of tools and empowerment that Sarah, Dave, and Jen have found? The missing pieces are all there, you just need to reach out and learn to use them! Learn more about the Fall 2016 Fat Loss Fast Track featuring: Weekly challenges Daily coaching Ongoing motivational messages & encouragement 12-week journal Weekly webinars Private Facebook group Workouts for all fitness levels This is the Last Group of 2016!!! Get More Information Here Resources Fall 2016 Fat Loss Fast Track Cashew Basil Pesto Recipe Join me at ASCEND in Nashville! 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!

"Every vice has it's excuse ready" ~ Publilius Syrus If you aren't taking action, if you aren't being consistent, if you aren't doing the work, you've probably got a line up of common excuses to justify why. In today's episode we're going through 5 big buts - the most common excuses for not doing the work required to move towards your goals. We'll establish the truth behind these excuses to help you clear them out of your way and clear the path towards progress. http://primalpotential.com/229-common-excuses/ 5 Big Buts - Crushing Common Excuses Know what? I'm not going to give away my excuse-busting tips & strategies here! You've got to listen to the full episode to hear how I suggest you tackle these common excuses! It's a short episode and I know you'll enjoy it so be sure to take a listen! I don't know where to start I'm too busy - I don't have time It's too hard My spouse/kids aren't on board with changing what we eat I can't be consistent Resources Join me at ASCEND in Nashville! 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!

Many of us, myself including, hold ourselves back by hanging on to past pain, shame, disappointment or rejection. That's a choice. It's a choice to hold on. It's a choice to let go. In today's episode, we're talking about how to let go of past pain so you can be happier and make far more effortless progress towards your goals. This isn't an easy charge but it's one of the most powerful things you can do! Listen to today's full episode to hear how on of my clients made the choice to let go of what was holding her back and how it immediately transformed her cravings and desire to overeat. http://primalpotential.com/228-let-go-of-past-pain/ How To Let Go Of Past Pain When we release the pain associated with people who have let us down, rejected us or hurt us, we are free to take care of ourselves, be happy and live our best lives. In today's episode, I'll share how I've done this and, more recently, how one of my clients did this and the impact it had on her food choices. We create & maintain problems because they give us a sense of identity ~ Eckhart Tolle Choose not to be offended and you won't be Ships don't sink because of the water around them but because of the water within them You do not have to attend every argument to which you're invited Does this offense need to impact the choices you make right now? Will it move you forward to allow this offense to influence your choices today? Pour your energy into what you do have control over and ignore what you don't have control over You only have control over 3 things in your life - the thoughts you think, the images you visualize and the actions you take ~ Jack Canfield Resources Episode 221: Turn Off the Thought Faucet Episode 204 - The Problem Behind The Problem Join me at ASCEND in Nashville! 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!

Are GMOs dangerous? What are GMOs? Where are they? Should I avoid them? These are all the questions we're answering in today's podcast. I'll share my thoughts on whether or not these are something you need to worry about and what risks exist with exposure to genetically modified organisms. http://primalpotential.com/227-are-gmos-dangerous/ Are GMOs Dangerous? What Are They? GMO stands for genetically modified organism. Genes from one plant, animal, virus or bacteria are transferred to another plant or animal. Generally, this process is used to make crops more resilient against environmental factors like frosts or insects, or to enhance physical features or increase shelf life and reduce spoilage. In today's episode, in addition to discussing my thoughts on the question, "Are GMOs dangerous", we talk about how they are created and what impact they have on the modified organism. Using corn as an example, we explain how corn is genetically modified. Did you know that the genetic modification of corn causes every cell in the corn plant to emit a pesticide? Plus, the genetic modification of corn appears to change the nutrient profile. Take a look at the side-by-side comparison of GMO and Non-GMO corn below. What does this mean for our health? The technology used to create GMO crops has developed so rapidly, we cannot be certain of the long-term health effects. The burden of proof on large agricultural companies is limited and most of the research has been done on mice and rats. How to avoid GMOs Buy foods and ingredients that are USDA-certified organic, or from local growers you trust that don't use herbicides. Check out the link for the Non-GMO Shopping guide below to find out more information. Resources Non-GMO Shopping Guide Join me at ASCEND in Nashville!

Sometimes, we actually hold ourselves back in our attempt to make rapid progress. More often than not, we have to slow down to go faster. In today's podcast, I'm talking about how doing less, focusing on fewer things and slowing down your thoughts can actually accelerate your progress towards your goals. http://primalpotential.com/226-slow-down-to-go-faster/ Slow Down To Go Faster In today's episode, we're covering how to take a step back, simplify, and create a baseline to avoid frustration, and achieve your goals. You want results NOW. Trust me, I've been there. You hit the ground running and you are doing EVERYTHING you can think of to get to your end goal. But are you doing too much, too soon? Are you considering the sustainability of your actions? Do your intentions match your actions? And are your actions consistent? Does our motivation exceed our training? Often times, we create false fantasy plans in our head that do not reflect the reality of our actions. We set a baseline so high that it may not be doable at our current training and commitment level. The fantasy plans and inability to stick to these crazy expectations lead very quickly to frustration, which can easily turn into quitting altogether. Breaking the cycle Breaking free is about doing less. I really believe that you can achieve MORE when you do LESS. The key is separating the fantasy plans from reality.You must build a base that you can obtain, and grow from there. Your base will help you break free from food obsession and yo-yo dieting. Revisit the 80/20 Rule The 80/20 Rule is simply 80% of your results stem from just 20% of the things you do, the actions you take. Focus your energy on the 20% of actions that are truly effective and ditch the 80% that doesn't. Turn off the thought faucet It is so hard to slow down when our minds are moving at 100 miles per hour. When you catch yourself bouncing all over the place in your thoughts, slow down and focus on RIGHT NOW. Don't create big plans that you can't execute that then create feelings of failure. Instead, pick one thing to focus on each week. After the week has ended evaluate your progress on that one thing. Take those evaluations and go from there making one change for the next week. These changes will become habits that you can sustain and create a healthy lifestyle that reaches your end goals. Resources Episode 221: Turn Off the Thought Faucet Join me at ASCEND in Nashville! SizzleFish Fat Loss Breakfast 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!

As of today, there are only 4 months left before 2017. No matter what you've done for the first 8 months of the year, let's finish strong. The year will fly by and I want you going into 2017 without regrets and carrying forward a sense of pride, hope and accomplishment. In today's podcast I'll share 3 ways you can capitalize on these next 4 months of the year. We're heading into a time of the year where there are challenges - back to school, holidays, cooler weather - but we have a fantastic opportunity to capitalize on these challenges and make unparalleled progress towards our goals. Check out these 3 simple strategies and pick the one that feels the most feasible for you! http://primalpotential.com/225-dominate-the-rest-of-2016/ How To Dominate The Rest of 2016 In today's episode we tackle 3 ways to make the most of 2016. Card-a-Day Buy a few packs of index cards. Count out as many cards as there are days left in the year (as of September 1st, 2016, there are 122 days remaining in 2016). Every day, take a blank card from your stack. On one side, write down ONE thing you can & will do that day to move in the direction of your goals. On the back of the card, write down one affirmation or mantra. Carry your card with you and conquer that ONE thing. The next day, grab your next blank card and start fresh with your one commitment for the day and your affirmation or mantra. Singular Practice Pick ONE thing you want to practice each day between now and the end of the year. Maybe you decide that between now and the end of the year, you'll practice mastering the fat loss breakfast every single day. Maybe you'll decide that between now and the end of the year, you'll sweat every single day. Maybe you want to practice carbs at night every day until the end of the year. Pick one thing and commit to daily practice for the remainder of 2016. Ladies - Go To ASCEND! I'm hosting a small group of women where we will take our journeys to the next level. We'll spend the 4 weeks before the event gathering tons of valuable information about your schedule, your work ethic, your barriers, excuses and limitations. Then, we'll spend 2 jam-packed days together in downtown Nashville Tennessee creating YOUR specific action plan for results. I give you my word that ASCEND will be completely transformational and you and your journey will never be the same!