Empower With Anna

Summer is here 🎉 what does that mean for your fitness goals? With bbq’s and pool parties- this isn’t the best time to start tracking macros 🙊or going hard for hours in the gym *in my opinion*.

BUT you can still make progress and feel amazing there’s no excuse💘⤵️

Workout outside! Time in the sun can increase vitamin D levels, which supports strong bones and improved mood.

Walking, dumbell workouts, and yoga are great outdoor exercises that can be done anywhere, making them perfect for summer.

Additionally, focusing on a diet that includes plenty of fruits and veggies, and staying properly hydrated, can help fuel your body and keep you lean.

Instead of ditching your goals all together in the summer because trust me, it’s easy to do- just make simple changes! & please still enjoy that bbq hot dog now and then okay we’re balanced not restrictive over here 🤣

Just a little thought dump 💭

After coaching over 50 women I have learned and changed my coaching style SO much.

My favorite thing about being a wellness coach is diving deep into women’s mentality around fitness and food.

And working on creating a more positive relationship with their body and with food.

There is no one size fits all approach to becoming healthy and it will look different for everyone.

I personally love helping women become stronger, feel more energetic/confident and love their bodies unapologetically.

Anyone can follow a macro plan and exercise. But how you feel and your mental health tops all👏🏼🤍

You can still tone your body and lose weight without tracking macros;

Learning about macros is an amazing tool to improve nutrition & body composition.

Tracking them is awesome too but not for everyone 🙅‍♀️

You can use this knowledge to build balanced meals -

Protein: aim for .8-1.2g per lb of bodyweight. Each meal should have at least 25g and then pic 1 protein rich snack per day to get close to this goal.

Carbs: complex carbs are best for the body and these are whole grains, legumes, veggies, squash, fruits. Carbs make up the majority of a healthy human diet. (35-50%)

Fats: healthy fats are avocado, some dairy, nuts and olive oil.
It’s recommended that 25-35% of your daily calories to come from fat sources.

Need help with your nutrition?

Join Empowered Living Coaching -link in bio to apply for 1:1 coaching or sign up for the app ✅

Why should you care about the quality of your carbohydrates?

Because you care about being toned, feeling more energetic, having better digestion, and are optimal for fat loss.

Cutting carbs is not the answer- unless you enjoy feeling sluggish all day and having very little muscle tone.

Instead- improved the quality of the carbs you chose to eat.

80% of your daily carbs should come from complex carb sources.

These are higher quality, more nutrition and more filling.

Complex carbs are whole grains, veggies, and legumes. Although fruit is considered a simple carb, it does contain lots of vitamins and minerals and is part of a healthy balanced diet.

A diet full of white bread, soda, refined flour, and sugary snacks will leave you with low energy, and make it even more difficult to achieve that toned, strong sexy body you are working towards.

Need help reaching your fitness and health goals? Let my team of certified and passionate women guide you! DM or apply in my bio for online coaching.

Food choices matter.

But this doesn’t mean you completely have to give up the foods that you love.

You can still enjoy eating out and not have to order just a salad.

Let me show you how to make a health conscious order-

Let’s say you love burgers- and without thinking, order a soda, a side salad, and a bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries.

A beef burger with cheese and bacon added onto it is going to be around 1000 calories. The soda has 150 calories (all sugar) and then the fries and salad pack a punch as well.

My tips for making this meal more macro friendly;

💦always drink plenty of water and opt for this over other drinks.

🥤order a diet soda instead

🍔choose a chicken sandwich (grilled is even better!) instead of beef +bacon

🍟order a side of fries if you want but order a small, choose sweet potato (more micronutrients but NOT lower in calories) if possible and if you like them!

🥗 pick a salad or fries for a side. Salads at restaurants often have more fat and if fries are what you want- order a small serving of those instead and save the salad for home!

Wondering why you're not seeing progress for all your hard work?

Well, you may be eating balanced all week,but what are your weekends like?

Not tracking or eating mindfully on the weekend can really mess things up… I know because I have BEEN there;

You work so hard all week to eat well- lots of protein, complex carbs, veggies/fruits, healthy fats and some treats sprinkled in (roughlly 20% of intake)- you feel amazing and aligned af with your goals.

Friday’s here and it's the end of the week, thank GOD- you grab some fast food (This is all fine in moderation- but eating a burger, fries and soda can be upwards of 2000 calories depending on the size) on the way home before heading out for beers/wine with friends. Without realizing it, 4 drinks later (roughly 600 calories right there).

Then Saturday rolls around- you go out with the girls, but instead of stopping at 1-2 margs (or switching to lower calorie options after), you have 3. Later, the drunchies kick in and you and a bestie split a pizza because alcohol makes us hungry af. When you get to the bar you have ‘just 2 more drinks’ and head home.

Sunday morning you are hungover, can't stomach anything healthy and opt for more fast food because the grease is saving your existence. and maybe you even grab a dessert to end the night.

The pattern repeats monday and the progress pics are NOT changing. You still don’t feel toned and jeans are STILL hard to button.

Girl I know this all too well, I’ve lived in this cycle for years.

You have to learn moderation. You CAN have the best of both worlds but there will be a sacrifice.

Set a drink limit when you go out-*minus special occasions of course* (recognize that alcohol is empty cals and messes with muscle growth), have one slice of pizza not 4, and opt for grilled meat with light sauce if you are ordering fast food. And skip the soda or order a small or a diet one.

Your habits will ultimately make or break you on this journey. You CAN change them, no it will not be easy, but if your goal lies on the other side of bad habits, you must overcome them.

Need accountability and guidance?
Book a free strategy call with Empowered Living Online Fitness/Nutrition Coaching and figure out which program is right for you. Allow one of our experienced coaches to show you how to achieve your dream body while learning how to enjoy in moderation!

𝔽𝕖𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕨𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕤?

You need to be in a caloric deficit to lose weight.

Avocados and nuts are full of healthy fats (yum love them!) and can definitely be part of a healthy fat loss diet BUT simply switching to “clean” foods does not guarantee weight loss.

Being in a caloric deficit does.

Some simple ways to do this are to;

💦increase exercise and prioritize weight lifting
🍔decrease the fat in your diet by limiting processed foods, switching to low fat options, and avoiding high fat sauces and salad dressings
💧stay hydrated- 1 gal of water per day
🍗prioritize lean protein in every meal
✅discover your (ESTIMATE) maintenance calories by using an online calculator, and subtracting 100-500 from that amount to be in a deficit.

𝔽𝕖𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕨𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕤?

You need to be in a caloric deficit to lose weight.

Avocados and nuts are full of healthy fats (yum love them!) and can definitely be part of a healthy fat loss diet BUT simply switching to “clean” foods does not guarantee weight loss.

Being in a caloric deficit does.

Some simple ways to do this are to;

💦increase exercise and prioritize weight lifting
🍔decrease the fat in your diet by limiting processed foods and high fat sauces and salad dressings
💧stay hydrated- 1 gal of water per day
🍗prioritize lean protein in every meal
✅discover your (ESTIMATE) maintenance calories by using an online calculator, and subtracting 100-500 from that amount to be in a deficit.

ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕙𝕪 𝕣𝕠𝕒𝕕 𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕡 𝕤𝕟𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕤🥳

Never go on a trip unprepared- Im not kidding when I say I bring snacks everywhere.

After you heal your relationship with food you understand that you need it to fuel your body, and it’s about having nutritious options on hand at all times.

Not bringing filling snacks will leave you swinging through the drive through or stopping at 7/11 for some meat sticks and Cheetos.

Notice how “granola bar” isn’t on here. That’s because they can often be higher in fat and you can eat something tastier for less calories and with more protein.
(A protein bar is a better option.)
Cause I’ve never met anyone who listed granola bar as their fav snack 🤣

Bring that cooler on the road trip! Be that person who has packs of tuna in their purse. Whooo cares- we’ve got goals sis 💪🏼

𝔻𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕘𝕘𝕝𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕪 𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕗𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕕𝕒𝕪? 𝔼𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕖𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕔𝕦𝕖.

Look, no one said adulting was going to be easy. But there are quite a few life hacks such and prepping your food— to ease the stress.

Imagine working your 50 hour work week and NOT having to think about food, not having to drive through McDonald’s on your lunch break, or do a million dishes each day.

Make meal prep Sunday’s fun! Blast music, dance around your kitchen. Think of all the time & MONEY you are saving. Then you can invest that money in stocks or yourself 🥳