02/06/2022
These 6 things could be the reason you're not losing weight.
To lose weight, we need to be eating less calories than we're burning off through everyday activity and exercise. That's what it means to be in a calorie deficit.
But if you don't pay attention to the details, you might not be in the deficit you think you're in.
Extra calories from butter, oils, and sauces add up quickly.
If you've never measured or weighed out 2 tbsp of peanut butter/nut butter, you could be in for a big surprise.
Did you know that a glass of wine is 5 oz? Not half the bottle? Lol
How many "small" snacks are you grabbing on the go and forgetting about later?
Just because your favorite chain lists the calories in a scoop of rice doesn't mean there's a scoop in your bowl.
And I guarantee that the serving of pasta you serve yourself at home is smaller than the one on your plate at the restaurant.
You can lose weight without being super meticulous about these things, but being AWARE of the factors that might be off in your tracking can be a game changer.
Don't forget to share!
01/06/2022
This is always a tough conversation to have.
If the issue is option 1, it feels like I am accusing you of lying. But I want you to know that I don’t think you’re a liar.
It’s just really easy to underestimate, especially if you’re not really tracking.
We remember that we ate eggs for breakfast, but not that we cooked them in a bunch of butter for an additional 100+ calories.
We know that we ate peanut butter for lunch, but was it really two tablespoons? Or more like a third of a cup?
Did you count the handful of M&Ms that you grabbed on your way out of the office?
Or maybe you DO eat 1200 calories on weekdays, but your weekend calorie count, including Friday, is closer to 3000.
This situation is more common than you might think. All of these things add up. The 1200 calorie day you think you had could, in fact, be well over 2000 calories.
And if you ARE really eating 1200 calories or less and the weight still isn’t coming off, your metabolism is adapted. Not broken, just adapted. It’s doing exactly what you taught it to do. You’ve been underfeeding your body, so it learned how to live on less food.
This also isn’t fixed with a sub-1200 calorie diet. If this is the case, you are in desperate need of a reverse diet, my friend. We need to slowly increase your calories to get your metabolism in a better place.
Because continuing to lower your calories to see progress certainly won’t be fun or sustainable.
Need help?? DM me to chat about online fitness & nutrition coaching!
18/06/2021
Beginner's Guide to Tracking Macros | Tiffany Pappalardo Fitness
Tracking macros for the first time can be overwhelming. This might be your first time using a food scale, downloading an app like MyFitnessPal, or thinking about how to structure a meal that will keep you on target. The good news is that the longer you stick with it, the easier tracking macros will....
20/05/2021
You'll never see me writing meal plans.
For one, it's actually 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 (at least in the US) for pretty much anyone but a Registered Dietitian to write meal plans.
But even if I COULD write meal plans, I still WOULDN'T write meal plans.
Why? Because meal plans teach you absolutely nothing about how to eat.
If I give you an appropriate meal plan to follow over the next 12 weeks and you actually follow it, you'll absolutely lose weight. (Or gain weight, if that's the goal.)
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝟷𝟸 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴? Are you going to follow a meal plan for the rest of your life?
I hate to break it to you, but if you go back to eating the way you were eating before the plan without learning anything new, the weight will come right back on.
Meal plans are also completely unnecessary. There are no specific, magic foods you need to eat to reach your goals. If you can reach your goals just as easily eating tacos as you can eating rice and chicken, why would you want to cut out the tacos??
That's why I don't do meal plans with clients. Instead, I educate my clients and what their diets look like and what they could look like.
✅We go through their current diet, the foods they enjoy eating, and the foods they hate.
✅We figure out what they're struggling with and problem solve to find a diet that works for them.
✅We find protein and veggie sources that they love and can eat conveniently.
✅We figure out how to incorporate ice cream and donuts, or a girl's night out, into their plan so that they can still reach their goals while having fun.
And the best part is that in doing all of this, my clients know how to eat in a way that fits their preferences and lifestyle while still reaching their goals and maintaining results long after working with them.
Don't get me wrong. There's a time and place for meal plans. I would never tell an elite athlete or someone who needs to follow an elimination diet not to follow one.
But if your goal is just fat loss, b***y building, or general health? You absolutely do not need to follow a meal plan to be successful.
30/04/2021
I posted about this on my story yesterday, and the response was overwhelming.
This topic deserves a feed post.
If you've been following along for a while, you know that we shouldn't be worrying about scale fluctuations.
They happen. Your weight can fluctuate as much as 5-10 pounds in a day depending on a number of factors.
And this has nothing to do with body fat.
But even with this knowledge, it's easy to let changes on the scale get to your head.
So I've done the math for you.
And in order gain 3 pounds in one day, you would need to eat roughly 40 donuts. 🍩
I love donuts, but I've never come close to that. And I'm sure you haven't either.
So save this one for the next time your weight on the scale has you down. And share with a friend who needs to hear.
That three pounds you gained overnight is NOT fat.
Need help reaching your fitness goals? Head to pappa.fit/train to apply for online coaching or in person training!
23/03/2021
We love to hear about the hot new trends, but what about the basics?
Be honest: are you actually hitting all of the basic movement patterns through your training??
If your goal is strength gains, muscle building, or general health and longevity, you should be!
Some variation of each of these should be showing up in your programming AT LEAST once per week.
But I want to make something clear: that doesn't mean you need to be doing barbell back squats or conventional deadlifts.
Sure, there's a ton of value in those movements, but depending on your goals, fitness level, equipment, and limitations, lots of variations will do!
Squat/Knee Dominant: this could be a barbell back squat, front squat, bulgarian split squat, reverse lunge, goblet squat, the list goes on and on.
Hinge/Hip Dominant: could be a conventional deadlift, sumo deadlift, RDL, rack pull, kettle bell swing SO MANY OPTIONS!
Vertical Push: strict press, seated DB press, push press, z-press. This one is important and you would be surprised at how quickly people lose the ability to extend their arms overhead.
Horizontal Push: often neglected by the ladies. Bench press, incline press, pushup. Don't neglect this one! Even if you don't care about building the chest, incline presses are one of the best shoulder builders! And pushups are such a staple for home workouts!
Vertical Pull: pull ups, chin ups, lat pulldown. This is the trickiest one to do at home with no equipment, but bands or a pull up bar will do the trick!
Horizontal pull: Bent over row, inverted row, seated cable row. Really, most of the rows.
Of course, this isn't an exhaustive list. There are SO MANY options. Pick at least one of each that suits your preferences, goals, equipment, and any limitations.
Now, be honest! Which one do you neglect the most?? 🙈 For me it's definitely horizonal push movements! But we're working on it!
✨ Need help creating a balanced program? DM me and we can discuss your options for online coaching!
19/02/2021
It makes me sad that cardio still seems to be the default tool for fat loss.
Don’t get me wrong - cardio can certainly be a piece of the puzzle!
When your diet is in order and you’ve gotten consistent with your workouts, adding in a bit of cardio can help to increase your caloric deficit without cutting out more food.
And if you actually like cardio, you should incorporate it into your routine for sure!
But it shouldn’t be the primary tool you use for fat loss.
Cardio won’t boost your metabolism. Resistance training can. Who doesn’t want to eat more food while dieting?
Most of us don’t actually just want to drop pounds on the scale. We want to look good. That means ensuring that you’re losing fat and not muscle. Resistance training can do that. Cardio cannot.
It’s also really nice to have something to focus on other than your weight/physical appearance. Setting some performance based goals (your first pull up, squatting your body weight, overhead pressing the 30s, etc.) can do that and feel SO empowering.
And finally, it’s not as if you aren’t burning any calories at all during your resistance training sessions. If you’re squatting and deadlifting, trust me. You’re burning plenty of calories during your workout. As well as after your workout.
Questions? Shoot me A DM, I'd be happy to help!
Share this with a friend who needs to hear it!
14/02/2021
Final reminder that today is the LAST day to enroll in Forever Fit, my 12 week online coaching program! The program starts tomorrow!
Enrollment won't reopen for AT LEAST another 6 weeks, and think about how much progress you could make by then!
I often hear that now is not the "right time" to get started due to stress at work, scheduling constraints, etc. But two things:
1) When will it be the right time? When's the last time you truly had nothing stressful going on? If you keep waiting for the right time, you'll never get started!
2) You're likely assuming that the time commitment here will be much larger than it is. My program is 3 full body workouts/week that can be done in under 45 minutes from the comfort of your home.
So if you're ready to invest in yourself, head to pappa.fit/forever for more info and to enroll! Comment below for more info or shoot me a message!
Forever Fit | Tiffany Pappalardo Fitness
12/02/2021
This is a topic we’ll probably keep coming back to.
The majority of my clients come to me not eating enough protein.
Why? Because it’s hard!
Eating adequate protein for your fitness goals isn’t easy, especially if you’re busy.
The meals we get at restaurants tend to have small protein portions. They’re loaded up with carbs and fats.
It’s easy to grab a carb heavy snack on the go. High protein snacks are harder to come by.
But with a little planning, hitting your protein goal can be made much easier.
Here are my top 3 tips:
🍳 Eat a high protein breakfast.
⬆️Reach for protein sources that are actually high in protein. (More info in the blog!)
🥤 Prioritize minimally processed foods, but supplement with convenience items.
For more details, check out the blog post! I go into much more detail. The link is in my bio! (Last link!)
These are just a few of the tools I provide my clients with to help them reach their goals! I’ve got a lot more up my sleeve.
If you’re looking for more, shoot me a message and we can chat about my Forever Fit program! Next round starts on Monday, 2/15!
How to Actually Hit Your Protein Goal | Tiffany Pappalardo Fitness
If you’re reading this, you’re probably not eating enough protein. Most people don’t eat enough protein. Are you eating enough protein to survive? Sure. Are you eating enough protein to actually meet your health and fitness goals? Unlikely. Whether your goal is to gain strength, build muscle, ...
11/02/2021
Are you pushing yourself during your workouts?
Or are you just hitting the same sets and reps week after week?
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut. Especially with home workouts.
BUT if you want to see actual gains in muscle and strength, you need to see gains during your workouts!
In order to increase muscle size, build strength, and gain endurance, we need to make our muscles work harder.
And even if your only goal is fat loss, this is still relevant. Seeing improvements during your workouts while losing weight is an extremely good sign. If you’re seeing strength gains while maintaining or losing weight on the scale, you’re pretty much guaranteed to be losing fat instead of muscle while preserving (or building on) the muscle you already have.
ALL GOOD THINGS.
Not to mention, gaining strength in the gym is incredibly empowering, takes the focus off of the scale and onto performance, and gives your workouts some purpose beyond just getting it in.
How do we make progressive overload happen? So many options!
👉Increase the weight.
👉Increase the reps.
👉Increase the sets.
👉Increase the range of motion.
👉Improve form.
(There are a few more, but this is the place to start.)
When people think of progressive overload, they often only think about the first way. Increasing the weight. That would be bad news for home workouts, but the good news is that you can always increase the reps, perform more sets, get a little deeper into your movements, and tighten up your form. Top that off with a challenging exercise selection and you're golden!
Need help with progressive overload? (Or really anything fitness related?) Message me for more details about my Forever Fit program, currently open for enrollment! Program starts Monday 2/15. Or head to pappa.fit/forever for more info!
23/03/2021
19/02/2021
14/02/2021
12/02/2021
11/02/2021