CONSISTENT by Primal Potential

On June 3rd, 2016, Muhammad Ali died. There's no question that Ali was a relentless fighter both in and out of the ring. One of my favorite things to do is learn from people around me, dead or alive. When I heard that Ali had passed, I knew I wanted to see what lessons I could learn from his life. I knew there was something I could find that would make my journey more significant. I was right. Today, I'm sharing those lessons from Muhammad Ali, through my life. I believe that his wisdom and his fights can help us in the fights of our lives, whether that's health, fitness, fat loss, finances, relationships, careers or anything in between! In this episode I'll share what some of Ali's quotes mean to me & how they've influenced my perspective. http://primalpotential.com/188-lessons-from-muhammad-ali/

Hi. It's me. I have to tell you something. Your excuses aren't valid. I know you think they are. They aren't. I've heard them all, I've used them all and I understand them. But... I want more for you. I know you want more for you, too. So, today I'm breaking down three of the most common excuses I hear related to why you can't do the work or why you can't get results and flipping the script. I don't do this because I'm harsh or mean, I do this because the only way to change is to change. If you change your mind, you can transform your life. If you aren't willing to change your mind, you probably won't change anything. So, your excuses aren't valid. I love you but they're not. Take a listen to the full episode so I can explain why. http://primalpotential.com/187-your-excuses-arent-valid/

Do you ever find yourself Googling, "How much protein do I need?" or "How much protein should you eat for weight loss"? I tried it. I got nearly 16 million results in about a half a second. You know what would happen if I sifted through those "answers"? I'd end up confused, conflicted & frustrated. You know what wouldn't happen? I wouldn't find the answer based on my body and my goals. The only place that answer can from from is me. The only place your answer can come from is you. In today's episode, I'm going to help you understand how you can find your answer. http://primalpotential.com/186-how-much-protein-do-you-need/ How Much Protein Do You Need? Understand that there is no magic number or perfect formula that will tell you how much protein you need. The way to find out if you're eating too much, not enough or the right amount is by listening to your body & monitoring your results. A great way to tell that you're getting the right amount of protein is when: You're making progress towards your goal (whatever your goal is) You feel well (stable energy, stable mood, few cravings) In almost all cases, you do not need to supplement to meet your protein needs. You can easily meet and even exceed your protein needs with whole foods. Individuals will have higher protein needs when they are: overweight high level athletes injured or ill chronically stressed suffering from adrenal fatigue In general, you want to shoot to include protein at your meals and snacks. If you're consuming a traditional diet of 3 meals and 2 snacks, you want to incorporate a serving of protein with all your meals and at least one of your snacks. If you're consuming fewer, larger meals, you can lean more towards a couple servings of protein with each meal. Remember, however, that these are guidelines for a starting point. Adjust based on your progress towards your goal and how you feel. A serving of protein is 3-4 ounces of meat/fish, a couple of eggs or approximately 1 cup of greek yogurt.

Any stress eaters out there? I know I was! Today I want to share with you not just 5 reasons to stop stress eating but also practical strategies to help you get from your current stress response to a healthier, more productive stress response. I used to put my goals & my health on hold in response to stress all the time. Unfortunately, while most stressors themselves aren't permanent fixtures in our lives, stress is. Our ability to reach our goals and maintain our results depends largely on our ability to respond to stress in a productive way. That's what today is all about. Definitely tune into the episode to hear these 5 reasons to stop stress eating but also to learn practical strategies for doing the work. http://primalpotential.com/185-stop-stress-eating/ 5 Reasons To Stop Stress Eating (And How To Do It) In response to stress, you need to choose something that makes you feel better, not worse. When we overeat in response to stress, we often end up feeling worse and less in control than we felt prior to overeating. You don't want to compound a negative hormonal effect You have a unique opportunity to create positive emotion (or even joy!) You need to choose a response that restores or generates energy instead of one that depletes energy How you always respond is how you'll always respond.

Ok guys, let me shoot straight for a second: if you feel like fat loss is miserable and you're missing out, you're not doing it right. Seriously. I get it, because I've lived it and coached hundreds through it. You're not alone, but we've gotta square this away for you. If fat loss is hard, something needs to change. Either your perspective needs work or your strategy has to change. Or both. Probably both. In today's episode I'm bringing forth an uncomfortable truth: fat loss shouldn't be hard. That doesn't mean it's easy, but if it's miserable and you hate it and you are always focused on deprivation, you're just not doing it right. Let's launch into the episode and talk about how to make fat loss easy. http://primalpotential.com/184-fat-loss-is-hard/ What To Do If Fat Loss Is Hard If you feel like fat loss is hard, it's very likely that you're messing up 2 things. You'll definitely want to listen to the full episode to understand the way I identify these common mistakes that make fat loss way harder than it needs to be, if not impossible. I spot it quickly when I get emails that say things like, I made great choices Monday through Friday, but when the weekends come, I totally blow it every time and undo my progress from the week. If I eat really clean, I feel like I'm missing out and end up binging. Here's the reality: If the foods you're eating make you feel deprived and like you're missing out, you're not eating the right foods for you. We're not going to do things we don't want to do or don't enjoy, not over the long haul, anyway. My primary food rule is to eat foods you love that love you back. No one can define these foods for you with a meal plan or food list. You have to identify what you enjoy, look forward to eating and feel great about during and afterwards. Some of the fat loss friendly foods I love and look forward to eating are bunless burgers (especially with bacon!), sashimi, Brussels sprouts and avocado. There are more but that's not the point. You have to find what these are. For a sustainable lifestyle change, you have not just like the food you eat, but enjoy & look forward to it. The second issue is perspective. Describing is prescribing, my friends, and when you argue for your limitations, guess what? You get to keep them. You're making a case for them so they're there to stay. If you decide & prescribe that you make great choices all week & blow it on the weekend, guess what? You're right! You've decided for it. You've argued for it. You're defending that behavior with your words and your thoughts and your choices. Same thing if you argue that you can't eat too clean or you'll rebel and go off the rails. Oh yeah? Ok. If you say so. That's a choice. You could change your perspective. You could decide that the cleaner you eat and the more consistent you are, the better you feel and the better you look. It increases your energy and your motivation and creates a cycle of accelerated returns. You know what? That's probably more true than the limiting belief you've been arguing for but you haven't taken the time to prove yourself wrong! Your perspective is a choice. It's not always easy to change but it is always worth it. If you feel like you need help with the "how" of changing perspective, I'd recommend you check out Breaking Barriers. You can watch a presentation about it or get your questions answered. Your choice, just wanted you to know that there's a resource for you if you're serious about change.

On today's episode I'm taking you inside my mind and sharing some of my own personal success & mental toughness mantras. I'm not even remotely a "woo woo" kind of girl, but I find that without these mantras & affirmations, I'm much more likely to get distracted, emotional or frustrated and then lose my momentum & motivation. No bueno. Been there, done that. I want to set myself up for success, limit ebbs & flows of motivation and continuously be focused on my goals. These mental toughness mantras are a huge part of how I do that. So, I'm sharing a few of my most-high impact mantras and how they keep me focused, redirect my attention and help me crush my goals. I'd love for you to share some of your mental toughness mantras with me! http://primalpotential.com/183-mental-toughness-mantras/ Success & Mental Toughness Mantras Resist the temptation of your comfort zone Little hinges swing big doors Rule over yourself Self-control & resistance to distractions I can do hard things Do it anyway

There are so many awesome questions out there about animal products, fat loss and health. Questions about whether or not eating animal products is healthy, how important it is to make organic choices and if we'd be better off without the animal fats and proteins. We're going to tackle those questions today and I'm providing you with a free meat buying guide. Well, it's a little more than that. It's a general guide to buying animal products - fish, poultry, meat and dairy. In today's episode we'll be talking about what has been omitted from most conversations about animal products and that is quality. Studies looking at health profiles and animal product consumption avoid looking at the quality of the animals consumed. We won't make that mistake. We are what we eat, but we're also what we eat eats, therefore, quality absolutely matters. http://primalpotential.com/182-meat-buying-guide/ Are Your "Healthy" Groceries Making You Fat (Or Sick)? We absolutely must consider what what we're eating is eating. Are the animal products you're consuming coming from grain fed animals? These animals will be much higher in pro-inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids and much lower in anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids. Grain fed animals also have higher levels of insulin, cortisol, herbicides, pesticides and other toxins. These toxins are stored in the fat tissue of the animal and they intoxicate us when we consume them. Toxic accumulation in our fat tissue impairs fat burning. Conventionally raised animals are also polluted with antibiotics & growth hormones. These antibiotics and growth hormones are present when we consume meat and other products from these animals. Be ware of marketing catch phrases that mean nothing including: Natural Grass-finished When buying fish, look for wild-caught fish. When buying beef, pork or poultry, look for: Organic Grass-fed Pasture raised Hormone free Not treated with antibiotics If you're consuming products from conventionally raised animals, Buy lower fat cuts of meat Trim any excess fat Discard any fat that cooks off the animal Avoid eating dairy products from conventionally raised animals

We aren't getting enough sleep. We wear our fatigue (and talk about it) like it is a badge of honor. It's not. You're not tough. You're not hardcore. You're damaging your long-term health and dramatically impeding your fat loss. If you haven't guessed, we're talking about sleep, hormones and fat loss on today's episode. The average American is only getting 5-7 hours of sleep each night. That doesn't make a warrior, it makes a hormonally imbalanced, hungry person prone to fat storage, muscle loss and disease. I hope that late-night TV is worth it! Seriously though - this is really important stuff. Sleep deprivation, even moderate sleep deprivation over just a few short days impacts your hormones, impairs your metabolism, increases your appetite and changes the way the food you eat is metabolized. In today's episode I'll be talking about 3 of the significant fat loss related changes initiated by mild sleep deprivation. http://primalpotential.com/181-sleep-hormones-fat-loss Sleep, Hormones and Fat Loss Today we're diving into the nitty gritty of how sleep deprivation impacts your hormones and fat loss. Lack of sleep changes how the food you eat is metabolized Mild sleep deprivation exaggerates the post-prandial blood sugar response. This means that when sleep deprived, you'll see a more significant blood sugar increase than you would after eating the same meal when well rested. Lack of sleep also impairs pancreatic function, leading to insulin resistance. These effects are seen after just a few days of mild sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep increases your appetite & decreases your feelings of satiety Lack of sleep disturbs the ratio of ghrelin to leptin, the hormones which manage hunger and satiety. This means that when you are even mildly sleep deprived, you experience more hunger and less satiety. Human studies show increases in appetite up to 40% after mild, short-term sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep impairs your cellular fat burning machinery Human growth hormone is one of our night-shift hormones. It is primarily produced & secreted while we sleep and is responsible for growth, recovery and cellular repair. When we aren't getting enough sleep, we aren't allowing growth hormone to do it's job, resulting in lower muscle mass, higher fat mass and reduced fat burning abilities.

Guys: Every choice is a chance. You aren't stuck. You can't be stuck. Stop telling yourself that you're stuck or that you aren't motivated. Every single moment is a new chance, a new opportunity and a blank slate. In today's motivational minisode, I'm providing you with an attitude adjustment and a powerful perspective shift. Stop focusing on everything you've done "wrong" and on all the chances you've missed. Who cares? It's done. This next choice right in front of you is your next chance. Let's snap ourselves out of the powerless funk and start getting results by taking control of each choice as it arises. http://primalpotential.com/180-every-choice-is-a-chance/

If you've listened to much of the Primal Potential podcast, you understand that fat loss is very much about hormones. There are 3 hormones in particular that we can consider "the fat loss hormones". If we understand how they work and what specific choices we can make to make sure these fat loss hormones are working our favor, we're well on our way to our best health & the achievement of our goals. We'll be talking a lot more about hormones in the next few weeks but for today I want to begin with an overview of these 3 powerhouse fat loss hormones: cortisol, leptin & insulin. http://primalpotential.com/179-fat-loss-hormones/ Fat Loss Hormones Leptin - leptin is a hormone produced by your fat cells that acts as a messenger between your body fat and your brain. When working properly, leptin works with your brain to regulate your appetite. As your body fat increases, leptin production increases and tells your body to increase metabolism and decrease appetite. As body fat decreases, leptin secretion decreases so the brain triggers an increase in appetite and decrease in metabolism. Unfortunately, leptin can quickly become disregulated with both crash dieting and weight gain, causing leptin resistance and impairing the brain's ability to receive signals from leptin. Cortisol - cortisol is a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to physical, emotional or mental stress. Cortisol's job is to prepare your body for the fight-or-flight emergency response. One of the ways it prepares your body is by making sure there is plenty of sugar (glucose) in your blood stream so you're able to escape from the threat. Unfortunately, in this day & age, the threat is often a traffic jam, losing your keys or a fight with your spouse and no escape is necessary. Sure, you might see that as a good thing, but it means you're left with unneeded sugar in your blood stream that has to be stored. Many people get frustrated with lack of fat loss results despite eating clean & managing blood sugar. They tend to overlook the stress effect. Cortisol will break down muscle glycogen or muscle tissue to provide sugar for the blood, regardless of your diet. Because of this, stress management is a critical part of fat loss. Insulin - I'll join the ranks of those who refer to insulin as the master fat loss hormone. It's critically important. You can listen to an episode all about insulin here. The point of today's episode is to show you that caring for your carb strategy isn't enough if you want to achieve your health & fat loss potential. You can mess with insulin if you aren't caring for cortisol, which is where most people pay little to no attention. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas in response to elevated blood sugar. Insulin's job is to usher the blood sugar out of the blood to either provide immediate fuel for cells or to be stored for later use. The presence of insulin puts the body in storage mode. Because cortisol can increase blood sugar independent of diet, managing insulin is about both diet & lifestyle. Definitely listen to the full episode for a conversation about what we can do, from a diet & lifestyle perspective, to help these hormones work in our favor! There's a lot we can do!

Success in any endeavor, as Tony Robbins says, is 80% psychology and 20% mechanics. Unfortunately, most of us spend the majority of our focus on the mechanics and very little on mindset. In today's episode I want to introduce you to the triple threat of success: right strategy, right mindset and right effort. I know, that begs the question: what in the world is the right strategy? There's so much conflicting information out there! We're going to get into how you can identify YOUR right strategy - not mine, not anyone else's, just yours. http://primalpotential.com/178-triple-threat-right-strategy-right-mindset-right-effort/ The Triple Threat of Weight Loss Success Right strategy - how to listen to your body, increase energy and decrease hunger. How to balance your hormones, support your metabolism, burn more fat and know when you're giving YOUR body what it needs. Right attitude - you can't create a positive life with a negative attitude. Let's reframe your attitude with this triple threat approach to weight loss success! Right effort - how to get consistent, do the work and bring your focus & energy to each day, whether you're "in the mood" or not!

Let's talk travel and weight loss today, okay? It's a busy season of travel for me and on today's show I want to share with you some of my most effective strategies for traveling without disregarding my goals. In fact, these travel strategies help me make progress towards my goals no matter where I am! If you have travel coming up and you're feeling anxious about it, I totally understand and I hope you'll listen to this episode in full! http://primalpotential.com/177-travel-and-weight-loss/ Travel and Weight Loss In today's episode I'm diving deep into several strategies that will help you transform your experience of travel and boost your confidence that you can lose weight no matter where you are or what is going on around you. CREATE STRUCTURE Yes, there's a lot you can't control when you're on the road and away from your normal surroundings. However, that doesn't mean you need to surrender all your control. What elements of your normal routine can you maintain? Personally, I maintain my morning routine whenever I can. I get up early, I work for a few hours, workout and have a fat loss friendly breakfast. This helps me begin the day feeling energized, positive, focused and productive. Maybe it's important for you to maintain your bedtime, or to ensure you always drink enough water or get in a leisure walk. Either way, look for ways to create structure regardless of where you are and what is going on. REFRAME INDULGENCES To me, indulgences were always things like cookies, ice cream, cupcakes and alcohol. But, I want to challenge you to think about what it means to indulge. I think it means to have something special that represents a rare treat. With that definition, it doesn't have to be something misaligned with my goals. An indulgence can be something that is special & rare but doesn't have to be something that makes you feel full, heavy, or guilty afterwards. I seek out indulgences that feel really special but make me feel amazing both while I eat it and after. On this particular trip, those were things like octopus carpaccio, snapper ceviche and table side guacamole. THINK ABOUT VOLUME Food does not taste better the more of it you eat. In fact, it's kind of the opposite. The first few bites are always the best, and we pay less attention as we continue to eat. For that reason, more isn't better. More is usually less satisfying. Pay attention as you eat. Are you savoring every bite or are you just going through the motions. Is the current bite as good as the first? If not, let it go. Move on. NO EXCUSES NECESSARY Sure, there are lots of excuses you could make when you're traveling, but you don't have to make them or accept them. You don't have a kitchen. You don't have your normal gym. Your preferred food choices aren't available. Great. Who cares? What CAN you do? What is within your power? What will you do?

I just returned from speaking on Jimmy Moore's Low Carb Cruise about overcoming emotional eating & self-limiting beliefs. I shared with his audience that all the strategies in the world won't help if you don't get out of your own way & do the work consistently. Though I think strategy matters, most people fail to implement because of their mindset & beliefs, not because of the nuts & bolts of "how" to lose weight. In today's podcast, I'm going to share with you the presentation I gave on the Low Carb Cruise about strategies to help you avoid self-sabotage & accelerate progress towards your goals. http://primalpotential.com/176-avoid-self-sabotage 3 Strategies To Avoid Self-Sabotage There are 3 primary barriers to progress that I talk about in today's episode: self-doubt stress & worry fear (fear of missing out, fear of failure, fear of success) To overcome these barriers and avoid self-sabotage, you need to make sure to: Avoid self-limiting beliefs Don't let your motivation escape by focusing on the past or the future Show up for practice I share specific mantras, perspectives and mindset shifts to help you implement these strategies and stay out of your own way! Don't miss the full episode!

In today's episode we're breaking down some recent research about rebound weight gain & the impact of rapid weight loss on hormones & metabolism, courtesy of the popular television show, The Biggest Loser. This article has spread like wildfire, summarizing a study that followed 14 former Biggest Loser contestants over 6 years, documenting their weight gain & metabolic/hormonal challenges. Many people read this article and panicked, which is why I'm doing this episode. They feel like the article suggests that weight loss is hopeless and your body will fight back to get to it's original weight. They feel like the article suggests you can't lose weight without wrecking your metabolism. That's just not true. Take a listen to the full episode to get the facts without the media hype! http://primalpotential.com/biggest-loser/

Let's talk hunger, shall we? It's one of those things that for some unknown reason, we kinda fear. Not anymore. Not after today. Today is all about hacking hunger and improving your response to hunger to increase your peace of mind and accelerate your results. Have you ever felt like you need to keep snacks around "just in case" you get hungry? Have you ever told yourself that you can't get too hungry or you'll go off the rails? I know I have! In today's episode we're talking about improving our response to hunger so we can understand it & embrace it without panicking or reactive decision making. http://primalpotential.com/174-hacking-hunger-5-ways-to-improve-your-response/

Today I've got another motivational minisode for you! It's time to take it to the next level. We need to get out of our way, we need to stop making excuses, stop looking for exceptions, stop focusing on all the mistakes and missed opportunities in the past. What would happen if you brought your level 10 effort to each day for the next 30 days? Where would be? What would you achieve? How much momentum would you create? It's a great thought, right? So do it. Start now. There's no need for more waiting or wishing. Need a kick in the pants? Listen to today's episode! http://primalpotential.com/173-take-it-to-the-next-level/

The vast majority of conversations about weight loss are about diet & exercise. I get it. Makes sense. But here's the problem: the real problem, for most people, isn't about food. It's not. I know, I didn't believe it either, for most of my life. Doesn't make it not true. In today's episode I'm explaining that most people overeat, binge or lack moderation & self-control because of some other issue not related to food. Overeating & weight gain are merely symptoms of a different problem. We keep eating because the food doesn't meet the true need we have. Please, don't miss today's episode. http://primalpotential.com/172-people-arent-saying-weight-loss

When trying to lose weight, most people focus on just that – weight. The number on the scale. Not only do I think tends to backfire for most people, it's also an accurate representation of what we're really after (fat loss) and it often prevents us from focusing on all the other wins – non scale victories we have every day and typically overlook. In today's episode I'll certainly share my thoughts on effective and ineffective ways to measure fat loss and overall progress, but I want to focus on non scale victories. We'll talk about which, if any, you should begin to measure (and how) as well as the tremendous benefit they have in your journey. Here's my 10,000 ft view of non-scale victories: they are one of the most powerful ways to overcome all-or-nothing thinking. You definitely want to listen to this episode if you struggle with the scale or with all-or-nothing thinking about weight loss. http://primalpotential.com/171-non-scale-victories-you-should-measure/ Non Scale Victories You Should Measure When we fall into the trap of all-or-nothing thinking, we fixate on something that we aren't proud of, a choice that was less than perfect, and, due to our imperfection, we count the day as wasted. Next thing we know, one average choice has triggered 10 awful choices. At the root of all-or-nothing thinking is a focus on what wasn't perfect or ideal. This is the absolute opposite of non scale victories. When we practice monitoring & celebrating non scale victories, we're focusing on what is going right. We're looking for progress beyond the scale and we're focusing on the improvements in mindset, moderation, health, energy, fitness and anything in between. Naturally, we focus less on what wasn't right and more on what was right. Plus, we begin to prove to ourselves that progress doesn't require perfect and we clearly see that all-or-nothing thinking is counter productive. There are all kinds of non-scale victories. In today's episode I'm talking about many different categories of non-scale victories and how you can measure them. Health (blood sugar, hemoglobin A1C, cholesterol, triglycerides, migraines, etc) Hormonal biofeedback (sleep, energy, cravings, hunger, mood, menstrual cycle regularity) Fitness (strength, endurance, consistency, speed) Mindset (attitude, negativity, perspective, motivation, consistency, grace, patience) Choices (frequency of binges, bouncing back more quickly) You don't want to miss this full episode to hear about how, why & how often you should evaluate these non-scale victories and what the focus will do for your results & your motivation.

Months ago I shared a quiz to help people identify whether or not they are "carbohydrate sensitive". The vast majority of people are. Fortunately, you can absolutely, positively improve your carbohydrate tolerance. You are probably carb sensitive if you're one of those people who feels like you gain weight at the mere sight of carbs. Or if you struggle with cravings & weight loss seems SO hard. Many people feel like being carb intolerant or highly carb sensitive is just their lot in life but it doesn't have to be. In today's episode I will introduce you to 3 specific strategies you can begin to implement today to improve your carbohydrate tolerance. When you improve your carbohydrate tolerance, fat loss becomes easier, energy increases, cravings decrease, health improves and so much more! http://primalpotential.com/170-improve-your-carbohydrate-tolerance/ 3 Ways To Improve Your Carbohydrate Tolerance In today's episode I'm taking a deep dive into food, exercise & lifestyle strategies that will improve your carbohydrate tolerance, improve your insulin sensitivity and make weight loss much easier. The three strategies include: Adjusting the quantity, quality and timing of your carbohydrate consumption Exercising more Reducing stress When it comes to achieving these goals of accelerating fat loss & increasing energy while decreasing cravings, we have to understand the role of muscle tissue in carb metabolism and insulin sensitivity. There are 2 primary issues at play. We have to make sure there is room within our muscle glycogen stores. If they are always full, that will reduce carb tolerance and increase carb spillover into the fat tissue. We can increase the number and sensitivity of glucose transporters in the muscle tissue. We need our muscle tissue to be more responsive to insulin. We can make this happen. This responsiveness is related, in part, to glucose transporters. They live in our muscle tissue and are the doorways through which glucose enters the muscle tissue. When we have more glucose transporters, our muscle tissue is more responsive and efficient to glucose. In some people, there just aren’t that many doorways. They also might not be very responsive. The factors we need to consider are: how many are there & how responsive are they? When the glucose transporters (doorways) aren’t responsive or there aren’t that many of them, it’s like a pile-up outside the door. That results in blood sugar & insulin staying elevated for longer which impairs fat loss. Imagine you have a people trying to get into a building. What are the factors in making sure that the people get in quickly? How many people are there? How many doorways are there? How easy are those doors to get through? Your glucose transporters are the same way. Do you want a huge traffic jam of sugar, hanging out in the blood, keeping insulin elevated while waiting to get into the muscle tissue? No! You want to clear it fast. Your ability to do so depends on: How much sugar there is (how much you ate and what type of carb) How many glucose transporters there are in your muscle tissue How sensitive they are Today's episode explains how you can control #1 while improving #s 2 and 3!

Today is a minisode to help you shift from a focus on all the things beyond your control to all the things squarely within your control. We're talking about the difference between having an internal locus of control & an external locus of control. Essentially, when we focus on things we don't control like the actions of our family or the things we've done in the past, we automatically feel less in control of our choices and more frustrated. When we acknowledge all those things beyond our control but redirect our focus to all that is within our control, we accelerate our progress while dramatically improving our attitude & confidence. There is ALWAYS something within your control. In today's minisode I'll show you how to redirect some of the most common frustrations to an effective & simple internal locus of control. http://primalpotential.com/169-internal-locus-of-control-and-weight-loss

I talk on almost every episode about how important it is to write down what you eat & how it makes you feel. It's not at all about calorie or macro counting but bringing mindfulness to your food choices & your body. There are no more excuses! I've created a free food journal food you & we are going to kick off a 31-day journaling challenge for the month of May! That's right. I'll give you a free food journal and you'll commit to writing down everything you eat and how it makes you feel for 31 days. Deal? Not sold yet? That's ok. In today's episode I'm talking about the objections to journaling and the primary benefits (which might change your mind!) To get your free food journal, click the link below or (if you're in the US) text the word tracking to the number 33-444 http://primalpotential.com/168-free-food-journal

After a recent episode on the stress response triggered by caffeine, I received a number of emails about cortisol, adrenal fatigue and if the stress in our lives contributes to weight gain or trouble losing weight. Today we're going to answer the questions. The short answer is this: Yes, the stress you create is keeping you fat and much of the stress we experience is stress we manufacture. We'll talk about adrenal fatigue, chronic stress & what you can do about it. http://primalpotential.com/167-stress-create-keeping-fat/ Your Stress Response We need to have a better understanding of what triggers a stress response. We tend to think about stress as emotional stress but it's far more than that. Much of the stress in our lives is stress we manufacture: Getting worked up over traffic or misplacing our keys Creating anxiety over future worries that may or may not ever pose an issue Fixating on past challenges or regrets Over-extending ourselves Not getting enough sleep Eating foods which trigger our stress responses Stress can be caused by thoughts, emotions, injury, illness, exercise, food, fatigue & much more. When your stress response is on overdrive it can lead to: Decreased metabolic rate Increased fat storage Increased hunger Cravings Muscle burning Depression Anxiety Fatigue Trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep Illness Adrenal Fatigue Your adrenal glands, though small, are a significant part of your health, happiness & ability to burn fat. You've got two of them and each one sits on top of your kidney, like a cap. In response to stress of any kind, your brain instructs the adrenal glands to produce & secrete stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Think about it like a fire alarm. The first time you pull the alarm, you react! The fire department reacts. The alarm stands out and an appropriate response ensues. But what happens if that alarm goes off every single day? Or worse, if it is constantly sounding? You don't react to it the same way, the fire department certainly doesn't either and eventually the batteries will die. When we have constant stressors triggering the alarms in our bodies, these adrenal glands wear out. They get tired. They're constantly pumping out stress hormones. They're both exhausted and less effective. This means that not only are you feeling constantly exhausted and on edge, your body is unable to respond to true issues like injury & illness. It creates systemic hormonal chaos and is a strong precursor to injury, disease and depression. How To Make A Change Adrenal fatigue is absolutely something you can improve. Even if you aren't struggling with full-blown adrenal fatigue, you can benefit from minimizing stress and improving your response to stressful things. Practice perspective. Losing your keys, getting stuck in traffic or your computer giving you an error message are not worth pulling the fire alarm of your stress response system. Prioritize sleep. If you can't increase the quantity of your sleep, you must improve the quality. Here's a podcast I did on how you can improve the quality of your sleep. Avoid or minimize foods which trigger your stress response. These include sugar, processed foods, toxins, caffeine, alcohol and any food to which you have a sensitivity. Practice meditation or breathing exercises. Laugh and smile more. Seek out people & things that make you feel happiness & levity. It doesn't matter if it's weird cat videos or quality time with people you enjoy. Decide to laugh & smile more often. Get a massage, have an orgasm or go for a nice walk. Or, go for the trifecta.

It's our 3rd Primal Potential book club episode! Today I'll be sharing the incredible lessons I've learned from the book The Power of Concentration by Theron Q. Dumont. Sure, it's a book about concentration, not a book about health or fat loss, but I'm telling you right now: if you harness the power of concentration for weight loss, you will dramatically improve your results. A couple episodes ago I talked about a clip from the movie "Any Given Sunday" and how Al Pacino (the coach) shares with the team that games are won & lost by inches and the inches we need are all around us. http://primalpotential.com/166-power-of-concentration-for-weight-loss/ The same is true in behavior change, fat loss and health. The inches we need are all around us and the power of concentration gives us many of those inches we need. Listen to the full episode to learn how we can apply the power of concentration to all our weight loss, health, fitness and personal goals. The Power of Concentration for Weight Loss The Power of Concentration begins by talking about the power of focus. I've shared many times how I think one of the most destructive things we can do is try to achieve too many objectives at once. This is how my simple mind thinks about it - you know that carnival game where you have a gun & a target? When you pull the trigger, the gun shoots water at the target? The more consistently you hit the center of the target with the stream of water, the faster the ballon above the target rises, driven by the concentrated force of water. But, what would happen if you tried to hit 3 targets at once? You still only have 1 water gun & one source of water. You'd make slower progress while still exerting the same amount of effort, balloons over each target rising more slowly. This is why we need to harness the power of concentration. As it relates to weight loss or fat loss, I believe we do this by tackling ONE behavior change at a time. I learned a few key lessons from The Power of Concentration which I share in detail in today's episode. They include: Identify & eliminate areas from which your energy escapes (and is wasted) The bank president story - establish the mission & do something each day to move you in that direction. At the end of each day, evaluate what action(s) you took Never make decisions in a negative state of mind Make decisions more quickly. Silence the internal debate. It wastes both time & energy You will benefit more from doing 1 hard thing than 12 easy things Practice the power of concentration I share some of the ideas about how to practice concentration in ways that relate to your health & fat loss goals including breathing, focus and visualization.

You might not believe me, but I'm telling the truth when I say that there is an undeniable (and very powerful) link between your body language and weight loss. There is. I hope you'll be open minded enough to listen to today's episode in its entirety to see what I mean, why & how you can capitalize on this. Not only does our body language influence how we feel, but it influences our hormones. For real. In this episode I will share the link between body language, weight loss and our hormone production. Specific power poses can actually reduce stress hormones in as little as two minutes! http://primalpotential.com/165-body-language-and-weight-loss

I get a lot of questions about nuts. Everything from, "Are nuts healthy?" to "How can I stop overeating nuts?" Let's tackle these questions and everything in between! There is no black & white answer on the nut issue. In today's episode, as we explore the question, "Are nuts healthy?", I want to show you how to find the right answer for you & adjust your strategy based on your needs, not on universal all-or-nothing statements about nuts. I will show the types of things you need to consider such as: What is your goal? How often are you consuming nuts and in what quantity? What type of nuts are you consuming? Is inflammation a problem for you? Is nutrient deficiency a problem for you? How many omega-3 fatty acids do you consume on a regular basis? What other regular sources of omega-6 fatty acids do you consume? Are nuts a trigger for you or are you able to moderate your consumption? Don't miss the whole episode for the facts about nuts and their impact on your health & fat loss. http://primalpotential.com/164-are-nuts-healthy/

This is definitely an "Elizabeth uncensored" episode! When it comes to weight loss, the most important thing you need to lose is your negative attitude. Seriously. When you argue for your limitations you get to keep them and the majority of people spend more time arguing for why they can't change than for why they can & will. They'll be right every single time. There's not much in the way of show notes for this one because the truth is: you need to listen. The single most high-impact change you can make in your life is to change your attitude & your perspective and it's time to change both. In the episode I talk about Breaking Barriers and believe this is a powerful tool to help you in this quest. Of course, if you have questions after listening to the episode, send me an email. http://primalpotential.com/163-negative-attitude/

If you are a regular listener to the podcast, you know I am a huge coffee fan. It's true. I drink a lot of coffee and I drink it every single day. But here's the reality: coffee might be holding you back. Less coffee might actually help you lose weight. It's true - and what I want to do in today's episode is help you find what is true for you: does coffee make you gain weight? is coffee helping your weight loss efforts? would you be better off with less coffee? are you ok right where you're at? how can you minimize the negative effects of caffeine? We'll talk about the impacts of coffee & caffeine on your hormones, how to know if you're having too much and simple changes you can make to enjoy your coffee without compromising your weight loss goals. I've also linked to some super helpful resources below including one of my favorite coffees, a high-quality water filter and some books about understanding the impact of things like coffee on your hormones. http://primalpotential.com/162-does-coffee-make-you-gain-weight/ Does Coffee Make You Gain Weight? Let me first say that there is no one set answer for everyone. The goal of this podcast episode is to help you find YOUR answer because I am certain your body is telling you! Caffeine from coffee, tea, sodas or any source drives your body's stress response by increasing the stress hormone cortisol. Your answer is going to depend on your body's unique ability to metabolize caffeine, your sensitivity to stress and your baseline cortisol level. Here are some signs that your stress response system might be on overdrive and you could benefit from dialing back your caffeine (coffee): Feeling "wired but tired" - exhausted but unable to turn off your mind or slow down your thoughts enough to sleep Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep Anxiety Heightened emotional responses Cravings for sugar, starch or sweets, especially after a meal Irritability Overeating in response to stress Caffeine consumption triggers the production of cortisol by your adrenal glands. It also suppresses the production of adenosine, which helps you stay calm and depletes your "feel good" chemicals like serotonin. When we chronically elevate cortisol, we can see the following impacts: Reduced metabolic rate Increased carbohydrate cravings Increased belly fat storage Blood sugar instability Increased hunger There are also important considerations regarding the quality of the coffee you drink. When the water in our coffee or the coffee itself contains toxins, that impairs fat loss. Here are some recommendations to improve the quality of your coffee: Use a water filter (my recommendation is below under "Resources") Buy single origin coffee Avoid drinking decaf coffee (it has more toxins) Resources Aquasana Counter Top Water Filter Kicking Horse Coffee The Hormone Reset Diet (Book) The Hormone Cure (Book) Episode 046: Water Quality

I hope you enjoyed this Fat to Fit miniseries as much as I did! Today I'll be tackling a few of the most common questions I've received about these nutrition, mindset and fitness episodes. Before you dive into today's episode, please check out parts 1, 2 and 3. The listener Q&A won't make too much sense if you haven't heard these episodes. Fat to Fit Part 1 - Nutrition Fat to Fit Part 2 - Mindset Fat to Fit Part 3 - Fitness http://primalpotential.com/161-fat-fit-part-4-listener-qa Fat to Fit Part 4: Listener Q&A In today's episode I'm tacking some hugely important questions. Listen to the entire episode to hear me answer: If eating puts me in storage mode, does that mean that I'm automatically in fat storage mode after eating? What about the opposite? If I'm in a fasted state, does that mean I'm in fat burning mode? What is your take on fat loss nutrition strategies like ketosis, intermittent fasting or carb cycling? How do I know if these are effective strategies for me? I understand that fat loss is a mindset thing, but I keep stopping and starting. Can you help me stop stopping? Are spin classes or other group exercise classes good ways to burn fat?

Okay folks, today is the final episode of the Fat to Fit series before our wrap-up Q&A episode. Before you dive into today's episode, please check out parts 1 and 2: Fat to Fit Part 1 - Nutrition Fat to Fit Part 2 - Mindset Today we're looking at fitness for fat loss & 3 pillars of efficient, effective fat loss workouts. I also talk about who SHOULD be incorporating fitness into their fat loss efforts and who shouldn't. Yup, there are certain people who I don't think should be adding fitness into their routine. I've also put together a series of workouts you can do at home with little (or no) equipment as well as some inexpensive basics you can have at home to make dozens of workouts possible! You can get them for FREE by clicking below. http://primalpotential.com/160-fat-to-fit-fitness/ Fat to Fit Part 3: Fitness In today's episode I'm breaking down the 4 primary mistakes I see people making when it comes to the way they approach fitness for fat loss. I go into detail with my thoughts on: guilt & doubt pre & post workout nutrition overeating after workouts not providing enough stimulus thinking that "more is more" with exercise (it's not) Then we start having a lot of fun. I share what I feel are the 3 pillars of fitness for fat loss and explain how to combine them for maximum fat loss. These 3 pillars are: maximum muscle recruitment tension intensity

Ready for part 2 of our Fat to Fit series? If you missed part 1, which was all about fear and nutrition, you can listen to that episode here. Today we're diving into mindset. I believe very strongly that fat loss is achieved (or not) only when you conquer the battlefield of your mind. Unfortunately, most of us spend the majority of our time & energy on trying to white-knuckle changes to our diets or fitness routine. We'd make progress faster if we spent the time understanding & tearing down the barriers between what we want to do & what we actually do in moments of temptation or emotion. I also shared that between now and the end of April (2016), I'll be sharing a daily question or mantra on Facebook & Instagram to help you implement these mindset strategies at critical points of decision. You'll absolutely want to listen to this episode if you struggle with: Negativity Excuses Frustration Disadvantages (barriers to change or success) Inconsistency http://primalpotential.com/159-fat-to-fit-mindset/

I'm excited! We're kicking off a new series today! It's called Fat to Fit and I'll be helping you move from wherever you currently are to further along the spectrum towards your goals. This Fat to Fit series is all about sustainable progress. In part one we're tackling nutrition and looking at the kinds of small, achievable changes you can make to improve your nutrition in a way that leads to more fat loss. In parts 2 & 3 we'll tackle improvements in mindset & fitness but, for today, we're focusing on food. You likely fall into one of these categories: You know what to do but you aren't doing itYou're confused about food & fat loss and aren't sure what changes to make or howYou feel like you're doing what you need to do but you aren't seeing results.Today's episode will provide strategies and suggestions for all three. Before we dive into today's episode, I want to acknowledge that improving your food choices for fat loss can be really tough if you don't know what to eat or you're bored with food. I know I used to spend hours on Google looking for fat loss meal ideas only to find that they were either too expensive, used obscure ingredients I didn't have or took WAY too long to make. I'm saving you time & energy! I have curated a list of 100 fat loss meal ideas and dozens of recipes and I'll share them with you for free! Just click the green banner below and they're yours! http://primalpotential.com/158-fat-to-fit-nutrition/

Today I am going to share with you some of my own personal weight loss success strategies. Lately, I've been hearing a lot of comments and getting emails about how people wish they were as motivated as I am or had as much willpower as I do. It is not about motivation or willpower. There is nothing I have that you don't have, except practice. I have practiced more and I have simplified more. I'm going to take you inside my personal thought processes and into my daily life to show you these simple things I practice in order to create my own weight loss success strategies (without super human anything). http://primalpotential.com/157-weight-loss-success-strategies/ My Personal Weight Loss Success Strategies Let me first share a few high level personal philosophies that set me up for success and then I'll get tactical. Here are my non-negotiable philosophies: I refuse to lie to myself I ask myself a lot of questions I won't make things more complicated than they need to be - I eat whole foods that I enjoy eating & I pay close attention to my body & the signals it sends me I spend more time DOING than PLANNING So what does that look like on a day-to-day basis? How to I keep myself on track during the day through the normal ups and downs of life? I don't keep convenience foods around. If I want to eat, I have to prepare something. This forces "the pause" and eliminates mindless eating. Nothing is mindless when you have to stop what you're doing & cook instead of grabbing an easy handful. I create energy through movement (instead of always eating in response to low energy) I do one good thing first. I make sure I approach decisions from a positive, not negative, frame of mind I wear tight things. Around the house. All the time. This helps me keep a close eye on what is happening with my body.

I get a lot of questions about fat loss, family & friends. I guess, more specifically, I hear from a lot of people that their family & friends make their fat loss more difficult. Today, I want to tackle those challenges (and I do believe they can be simply tackled without trading in your friends or abandoning your family). A lot of this comes down to personal responsibility & understanding that you are the only one controlling what does (or doesn't) go into your mouth. But, I totally know it's not as easy as simply ignoring other people's comments, questions or challenges. So today we're tackling fat loss, family & friends from both tactical & mindset standpoints. http://primalpotential.com/156-fat-loss-family-friends Fat Loss, Family & Friends In today's episode I cover some of the most common challenges I hear about between fat loss, family and friends including: How to tell your friends that you're trying to make healthier choices without coming across as judgemental How to handle fear of missing out in social situations if you choose not to drink or indulge How to indulge in social situations without going overboard How to handle an unsupportive spouse or partner The ways by which you might be setting your partner up to be negative about the changes you're making How to handle a partner or kids who don't want to eat the healthier food you're preparing How to handle situations when your children or partner bring tempting foods into the house Quotes in today's episode If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Today we're having another Primal Potential Book Club episode all about the end of self-sabotage! I read a lot of books and I'm constantly going through books about health, nutrition & fat loss but I only want to share a book with you when I feel a sense of, "Oh my goodness, they NEED to hear this." I most recently got that feeling with a book that has nothing to do with fat loss, yet EVERYTHING to do with fat loss. The book is called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. The book is written for anyone struggling with internal resistance - excuse making, procrastination, quitting - and is perfect for individuals who are trying to get healthy, burn fat or improve their food choices. In today's episode I share the passages that moved me the most & discuss how they apply to health & fat loss. http://primalpotential.com/155-end-self-sabotage/ The End of Self-Sabotage “There's a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is this: It's not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.” This is 100% true of weight loss. It’s not the good choice that is hard. It’s the thinking about it. The debating. The internal arguing back and forth and the situations you create and battle with in your head. That’s the secret that most people who have lost weight know that people who haven’t lost weight haven’t yet accepted: It’s not the fat loss part that’s hard. It’s tackling the junk in your head that is hard. On the very next page he writes, “Most of us have two lives. The life we live and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands resistance. I think if you have any amount of weight to lose you get this. I think you get this if you feel like food is controlling your life. It's this sense that there’s the life I am living and the life I plan on living after weight loss. Or, the life I wish I could live if I could just tackle this battle. What does resistance look like? What does it sound like? As soon as I explain how Pressfield explains it, I think you’ll start to see it pretty clearly in your own life. I know I can. I see it immediately in my clients. It stands out once you recognize it. “Anything that rejects immediate gratification in favor of long term growth, health or integrity. Here’s one of the first ah-ha moments I had when I was reading The War of Art: “Resistance” can be an incredibly valuable tool. If we aren’t sure what we SHOULD be doing – what is BEST for us – look to where the greatest resistance is. You can USE it in that way. The more important or significant something is, the more resistance we often feel. That’s so true in weight loss. You know where I’ve seen this most with clients? Alcohol. There is so much resistance to dialing back or working on moderation with alcohol (for some people.) Where there is the greatest resistance is often a fantastic indicator of where we need to be doing more work, Now here’s what I think is scary: how does resistance gain strength? From us. We feed it. We feed it with our fear. It has ABSOLUTELY NO STRENGTH of it’s own unless we fuel it with our fear and our belief and our focus. We can choose not to do this. We can starve resistance by not giving in to it. When you give in to resistance, it gains power. One of the most common forms of resistance is procrastination. We aren’t telling ourselves “no”, we’re just saying “later” (even though we know that we don’t do it later.) I took a picture of the page Pressfield writes about procrastination. Well, just a couple sentences, really. "NEVER FORGET: This very moment, we can change our lives. This second, we can sit down to do our work." This second, we can make a good choice. This second, we can do something that will move us forward. Pressfield writes about sex as a form of resistance – distraction – but I think his argument there is maybe even more true of food – I’m going to read what he wrote but replace the word sex with food, okay? You’ll love this: “Sometimes resistance takes the form of food, or an obsessive preoccupation with food. Why food? Because food provides immediate and powerful gratification. Resistance gets a kick out of knowing that it has distracted us with a cheap, easy fix and kept us from doing our work. Of course not all food is a manifestation of resistance. In my experience, you can tell by the measure of hollowness you feel afterwards. The more empty you feel, the more certain you can be that your true motivation was not real, but Resistance. Uh – yeah, ya think? The immediate and powerful gratification? The hollowness afterwards? Yes. And no. Say no to that. That is fueling resistance. Resources The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

I used to talk myself into indulgences & exceptions by saying things like, "This one thing won't hurt" or "it doesn't make a difference." But the small choices can hurt and one thing does make a difference. In today's episode we're talking about how to make the small choices count. One of the tough things about food choices is that they don't usually have immediate negative consequences but they do often have immediate positive consequences. What do I mean? Well, if you have a handful of M&Ms, your pants aren't immediately tighter but you do get an immediate sugar rush. Imagine if our bodies responded to food the way Pinocchio's nose responded to lies. Whoa. Game changer, right? Even though we can't see or feel immediate negative consequences, that doesn't mean they aren't there. Today's episode is a short one but helps you see that nothing is without consequence, nothing is free and everything is either an investment in our health or costs us our health. http://primalpotential.com/154-make-small-choices-count/

Today we're talking about some of the best vegetables for weight loss & how they make fat loss easier! We start off by exploring how you can determine which vegetables are the most (or least) fat loss friendly and then we take a closer look at cruciferous & allium vegetables and the ways they support fat loss. Allium vegetables & cruciferous vegetables support insulin, metabolism, detoxification & much more. They are certainly some of the very best vegetables for weight loss. http://primalpotential.com/vegetables-for-weight-loss/

What a special episode today! Some of the amazing folks in my Winter Fat Loss Fast Track are sharing their progress, struggles, challenges & successes! Yup! Real life success stories! My hope is that you can see yourself in them & have hope in your ability to transform, to get consistent & to achieve the results you want. http://primalpotential.com/152-success-stories/

Last week I shared a personal episode about my experiences with binge eating. I talked about how & why I binged & how I stopped. The response to that episode was overwhelming. Whether you could relate to binge eating or just emotional eating and overeating, hundreds of you reached out for help and support. Today I want to help you take that next step. I want to cover how to stop overeating & repeatedly giving in to temptation. So many people feel like it's beyond their control - like they just can't stop. You can. I will help you. http://primalpotential.com/151-how-to-stop-overeating/ How To Stop Overeating & Giving In To Temptation I was a champion overeater and binger. I used food to cope with emotions and I would often eat until I felt (or became) sick. I felt that in many ways food owned me and had more control than I had. I was wrong. There were a few strategies I began to gradually implement to help me radically change my relationship with food, my mindset & my body. I strongly encourage you to listen to the episode because I think it will be helpful to hear exactly how & when I'd implement these strategies. The first step I encourage you to take, before implementing any of the strategies described in this episode is to identify the lies you tell yourself. For me, the lies were often, "I'll start tomorrow. Just this once. It won't hurt. I deserve a break." I want you to challenge those lies and ask yourself, "Is that true?" When you tell yourself, "I'll start tomorrow", is that true? Do you? Or is this how you make yourself feel good about being indulgent? Are you telling yourself what you want to hear? Then, you can try one of the following 4 strategies: Just for today The 3 questions How do I want to feel in 1 hour? How will this choice make me feel? Is it worth it? 1 more (rep, choice, minute, hour) Do not go back to what broke you In today's episode I explain how these work & how I apply them in moments of indecision.

I want to challenge you to pay more attention to your body & less attention to everyone else's. I want to show you how to interpret the signals your body sends every single day & use them to your advantage. The reality is that your body is constantly communicating with you. It's letting you know what's going right, what's not, which hormones are struggling and which ones are cruising right along. Many of us, however, are so busy living life & paying attention to other people and things that we don't pay attention to the signaling & signs of our own bodies. Today we'll take a dive into keeping a journal of what you eat & the signals your body sends without the cumbersome tasks of counting calories or macros. We'll uncover the common sense approach to fat loss & hormone balance. The primary signals we get from our bodies related to fat loss & hormones are quality of sleep, hunger, energy, mood & cravings. Those are the signals we'll evaluate today. http://primalpotential.com/episode150/

Do you ever have silent debates with yourself? You know, you make a decision to eat clean & then find yourself debating Girl Scout Cookies? The cartoon depictions of the devil & angel on opposite shoulders certainly originated from someone who knows exactly what I'm talking about! In today's episode we're talking about how to win internal debates and how to identify, understand & overcome them. http://primalpotential.com/149-how-to-win-internal-debates/ Have you ever heard the Cherokee story about two wolves? I share it on this episode & adapt it to the internal debates I have over food & health. A fight is going on inside me. It is a constant battle between two lions. One is stubborn & lazy. She is greedy. She stands for pity, guilt, resentment, lies, abuse, avoidance, excuses, exceptions and delays. The other is beautiful. She is hopeful. She is strong. She is optimistic. She is determined. She cares for me, believes in me and knows that everything is possible. She is my guardian and wants to guide me to my potential. The same fight is going on inside you and inside every other person, too. Which lion will win? The one you feed.

Today's episode is different. It is intense, it is personal & there are tears. I am talking about binging. I am taking you inside a binge. I'm not doing this to share my secrets or cleanse my soul. I am sharing this episode for 3 reasons: It feels like the right thing to do To publicly share details that most of us never talk about. We talk about dieting, we talk about being frustrated and dealing with temptation, but most people aren't talking about binging. My hope is that by sharing my own experiences, you will feel comfortable asking for help. Maybe not asking openly to the world, but at least you'll know that I understand and I want to help. To give you hope. I was so deep in a cycle of using food as a drug that I didn't think I could ever break through, but I did. So, I share my story to give you hope. http://primalpotential.com/148-personal-intense-inside-a-binge/

Hidden food sensitivities - sensitivity to foods or types of foods you don't even know you have - might be contributing to fatigue, joint pain, headaches, depression, weight gain or a whole host of other challenges. We need to keep in mind that food sensitivities are possible if you aren't truly "allergic" to an item. Unfortunately, many of us see sensitivity and allergy as all-or-nothing scenarios. That's not the case. Chronic discomforts that you attribute to "aging" or "just the way you are" might very well be avoidable causes of a food sensitivity. In today's episode we're looking at these hidden food sensitivities and the common triggers as well as how they might manifest themselves. I challenge you to eliminate the common triggers for 2-3 weeks and slowly add them back in, one at a time, so you can understand what you're truly sensitive to. http://primalpotential.com/147-are-hidden-food-sensitivities-hurting-you/ You might think that a small paper cut on your finger is no big deal, and you'd be right. But what if you kept getting paper cut after paper cut in the same place on the same finger 3-10 times each day? In just a matter of days you'd have a pretty serious problem on your hands, right? (Pun intended. It's okay to smile and think I'm cute.) This is the exact thing that happens with hidden food sensitivities we might not even realize. With each meal or snack, we introduce an inflammation-triggering food that on it's own is pretty harmless but with repeat exposure creates a serious issue. These implications of hidden food sensitivities might be as mild as acne or bloating and can be as severe as chronic, systemic inflammation. Symptoms like eczema, acne, headaches, depression, joint pain, weight gain and mood swings can be the result of repeat exposure to foods we don't even realize are problematic for us. In today's episode I will introduce you to the most common food allergens, I'll share how they impact health, where we find them and how to avoid them. I'll challenge you to eliminate them for a few weeks and slowly re-introduce them one at a time. Most Common Food Allergens: Dairy Eggs Gluten Sugar & artificial sweeteners Soy & peanuts When we eliminate processed foods and focus on whole foods, we avoid the majority of these. It's not as simple as skipping the omelets and the yogurt. We have to keep in mind the huge array of processed foods that contain dairy, eggs, gluten, sugar, artificial sweeteners, soy products or peanuts. Keep in mind that you don't need to avoid these forever. You need to, however, remove them for long enough to allow the inflammation to die down and your gut to heal. Just the like example of the repetitive paper cut, it's not enough to stop cutting your finger, you also have to allow ample time for your finger to heal. I've put together a detailed list of meal ideas, recipes & snacks to help you in your quest to eliminate these common allergens and monitor your body's response.

It's pretty tough to talk yourself into doing anything if you aren't motivated. I know. I've been there. But I've got you covered today with 8 ways to get motivated so you can stop THINKING about what you want & starting GETTING it. For most of my life I desperately wanted to lose weight, I hated my body, had no energy and was tired of trying and failing but it seemed like I wasn't motivated enough to do the work. So frustrating. I know I'm not alone. I get emails every single day like this one: I look up recipes, buy groceries, fail at making them (usually turns out bland and nothing like the recipe) and don't meal prep so I end up eating out for every meal. I still hate the way I look and feel and constantly feel defeated. How do I change or overcome apathy? No idea. I'll be honest, though: I love getting emails like that. I love it because they're asking for help, they want to make a change and I know I can help. I'm thrilled that they've opened the door for me to nudge them in the right direction. Before we dive into the 8 ways to get motivated, I need to establish the fact that most people really don't understand what motivation is or how to create it. It's a bit of a paradox. Most people think, "I'm not taking action because I'm not motivated." The reality of motivation is close, but opposite: you aren't motivated because you aren't taking action. http://primalpotential.com/146-hacking-motivation-8-ways-to-get-motivated/

Obesogens are a real thing. They are a class of chemical compounds found all around us that impair the functioning of our fat cells, interfere with metabolism & initiate hormone chaos. Obesogens are truly chemicals that make you fat. Have you ever heard of endocrine disrupters? Endocrine disrupters are chemicals that interfere with any aspect of hormone action in the body. Obesogens are a specific class of endocrine disrupters that specifically target fat gain, fat loss, appetite and hormone balance related to fat loss. They cause major problems but we can make a difference. Today's episode talks about two specific obesogens: BPA and PFOAs. We'll talk about what they do, how we're exposed to them and what to do about them. Don't miss this episode. It's a good one! http://primalpotential.com/145-obesogens-chemicals-that-make-you-fat/ Obesogens: Chemicals That Make You Fat In today's episode we're covering the following questions: What are obesogens? How do they impact fat loss or gain? How do these chemicals impact your hormones? What is BPA? What is PFOA? What kinds of things are they found in? Why are they legal? How can I avoid them? Is it possible to detox from obesogens I might already have in my system? Why do these obesogens target body fat? Research on Obesogens State restrictions of BPA More detail than you could ever want on obesogens Understanding obesogens More research on obesogens

In today's episode we're talking all about apple cider vinegar and weight loss. I'll be sharing the research related to apple cider vinegar, weight loss, fat burning & fat storage. Plus, we'll dive into how & how much apple cider vinegar to use to get these weight loss benefits. If you're going to give apple cider vinegar (ACV) a shot, it's super important to know which type to buy. Not all ACV is created equal and we'll be diving into that in this episode. Here's the brand of apple cider vinegar I use. Apple Cider Vinegar and Weight Loss In today's episode we're answering the most common questions about ACV What is apple cider vinegar? How is it different from other types of vinegar? Does apple cider vinegar help you lose weight? How does apple cider vinegar impact blood sugar, fat burning & fat storage? Are all types of apple cider vinegar the same? What kind should I buy? How much should I take? How do you take it? What are some delicious apple cider vinegar recipes? What about other uses for ACV? Carrot Ginger Dressing with ACVBlend all ingredients in the blender and use as needed for salad dressing 4 large carrots 1" piece of raw ginger (peeled) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar the white part (bottom) of a green onion Sprinkle of salt I also love to add 1-2 tbsp ACV to 20 oz of water with the juice from 1/2 a lemon http://primalpotential.com/144-apple-cider-vinegar-and-weight-loss/

I want to challenge you today. I want to show you how to silence your inner critic. You know, that voice that says, "I'll do it tomorrow" or "I can't" or "This is so hard". That voice. How do we make it go away? There’s no strategy, no plan, no protocol, no diet that will work if you don’t get out of your own way & do the work. Unfortunately, many of us stay stuck for too long, if not forever, in our own way. We are the only reason that we aren't living the life we want. We are the only reason we don't have the body we want. We are the only reason we aren't who or where we want to be. And we have the power to change that. Today's episode is all about "how". http://primalpotential.com/143-how-to-silence-your-inner-critic/ How to Silence Your Inner Critic Identify your most common excuses, limitations or methods of procrastination Determine when you anticipate them to pop up in the next week Pre-determine your response Most of us misunderstand motivation. We think it’s just wanting something badly enough, and if we do, we’ll do the work. That’s not true. That’s grossly incomplete. Motivation is like a fire. We misunderstand when we think it's a simple as lighting a match. When you light a match, do you have fire? You sure do! But then what? What happens to a match? It fizzles out really fast. It's just the beginning. It's just potential for fire. It is a spark. It must be sustained. If you just have the spark, you find yourself wondering, "What's wrong with me? Why am I not doing the work? Why can't I follow through? Why aren't I strong enough?" You're just missing a step. You're missing the step that keeps the fire burning. That step is ACTION. Action fuels motivation. Action stokes the fire. You might be wondering, "what does this have to do with how to silence my inner critic?" Everything. Our inner critic keeps us from taking action. The voice of doubt & delay makes excuses that tell us tomorrow will be better. That's the dragon we must slay. That is how you silence your inner critic. Know it. Expect it. Deny it.

Fake flavors and frankenflavors are everywhere! The biggest challenge we face is that these fake flavors trigger us to overeat & experience strong, consistent cravings. Today I want to share 10 tips to beat fake flavor so you can burn more fat, feel less hunger & get rid of your cravings. This is the tactical follow-up episode to the 2 part series I did on how our food has changed. In part one, I talked about the changes to whole foods and how/why they're more bland than ever. In part 2 I talked about processed foods & how flavor is designed to make us overeat. Today is all tactic. These 10 tips will help you beat fake flavor, retrain your palate, enjoy food mood, eat less, free yourself from cravings & conquer the world (too much?) http://primalpotential.com/142-10-tips-to-beat-fake-flavor-fall-in-love-with-whole-foods/ Pay attention to where your flavor comes from Set a goal to reduce fake flavor Cook at home more often Buy quality over quantity Dial down the use of sweeteners (even honey, agave & stevia) Try new things & taste bold flavors Slow down Eat for hormone balance Vote with your wallet Build mental toughness For the details on how to execute these tips, definitely listen to the full episode!!

Is fake flavor making you fat? What is fake flavor? Why does it seem like year after year we crave food more yet experience less satisfaction from it? What has changed? A lot has changed. Our food has changed. Whole foods are different and processed foods are different. This combination makes fat loss tough and fat gain pretty easy. In part 1 of this 2-part series we talked about how whole foods have changed. We went into detail on what has happened to our chicken, beef, pork, fruits & vegetables to reduce their quality and their flavor. Today we're talking about processed foods & how their flavor has skyrocketed as have their addictive qualities that set us up to overeat & keep coming back for more. Most importantly, I invited you on a challenge with me. A challenge to break the chains of fake flavor and stop allowing your palate to be held hostage by the food industry. This 14-day challenge is 100% free and you can do it as many times as you'd like! I really hope you'll take the leap & take control of your food choices and your life. http://primalpotential.com/141-is-fake-flavor-making-you-fat-part-2-of-2/ There are a couple problems I want to tackle in today's episode: Whole foods are being turned into processed foods Processed foods are out of control, addictive & often dishonest I want to help you understand how & why processed foods are causing problems, what foods are a problem & how we can overcome it. We often approach dieting from the willpower first standpoint of "don't eat the donuts". I want to challenge you to a new approach: "create a state where you don't desire the donuts to begin with". That is 100% possible & that's what I want to kick off today. Relying on willpower against processed foods is like trying to arm-wrestle a crane. We can be smarter. There are several ways processed foods are engineered to hijack our palate: Flavor (taste & smell) Texture Emotional state Hormonal state Brain response These foods, from cookies to soups are fake, cheap & addictive. Functional MRI (fMRI) is used to ensure addictive qualities. Emotional profiling is used to ensure these foods satisfy emotional needs & trigger desired emotional outcomes. Macronutrient profile is manipulated to ensure that we stay hungry, avoid satiety & experience cravings Natural doesn't mean natural "Natural flavoring" doesn't mean the ingredients are from natural sources. It may mean that the processing method was natural. According to the Environmental Working Group, the chemicals used in natural and artificial flavors are often the exact same or nearly the same. There is no legal requirement in the United States to disclose the components of "natural flavorings".

Is fake flavor making you fat? What is fake flavor? Why does it seem like year after year we crave food more yet experience less satisfaction from it? What has changed? A lot has changed. Our food has changed. Whole foods are different and processed foods are different. This combination makes fat loss tough and fat gain pretty easy. Today is part 1 of 2 episodes talking about what has changed about food & what we can do about it so we enjoy food more, eat less of it & reach our fat loss goals without deprivation. http://primalpotential.com/140-is-fake-flavor-making-you-fat-part-1/

I can't tell you how often people email me and say, "I'm doing everything right & it's not working". Here's what I say in response: "If it's not working, you're not doing everything right" You need to keep in mind that your mental construct of what's "right" might be holding you back because if it's not working for you, it's not right for you. It might be right for someone else. It might have been right for you a year ago or 20 lbs ago. But if it's not working for you, it's not right for you. You have tweaks to make. You need to make a change. Stop getting frustrated and invest that energy in being strategic. In today's episode I'll be sharing 10 potential tweaks you can make to accelerate fat loss. http://primalpotential.com/139-accelerate-fat-loss/ Do not take shortcuts here. You absolutely need to listen to the full episode to understand the how & why behind each of these tweaks. Most importantly: only implement ONE AT A TIME. Seriously! Being an overachiever will not serve you here! If you want to accelerate fat loss, you've got to know which strategy works & which doesn't. If you implement more than one at a time, you don't know which one is responsible for your results! Eat less frequently Dial back the sweet stuff (even "healthy" sweet stuff) Increase non-starchy vegetables Eat more fat Eat less fat Decrease protein Increase the intensity of your workouts (you'd better listen to the full explanation here!) Get more sleep Reduce stress and/or increase frequency of stress-relieving activities Practice self-discipline