If I wanted to lose excess body fat before the end of the year, here are 4 things I'd start right now

No one waits around until January 1st to set goals anymore, right?

I really love that we're embracing the fact that we can upgrade anything we want about ourselves at any time. With the holidays getting kicked off a week from today with Halloween, it's the perfect time of year to begin to make a change. It's empowering to go off script a bit plus you can make progress on your goals while reducing cravings ... which comes in very handy around your kids' Halloween haul, during Thanksgiving dessert or that Wednesday night holiday party in December.



I have no current fat loss goals but if I did, here are 4 things I'd start doing right away:

1. I'd skip the calorie obsession because it leads to overeating. When we pick meals based on them having a lower calorie count, we are not getting enough of the nutrients that actually turn off our hunger. Therefore, whether later that afternoon or night or a handful of days later on the weekend, we will end up overeating. Instead, I'd be ensuring that I was getting enough -- protein, fat and fiber -- at each meal. I'd want this to be at least 20-30g protein, 10-20g fat and 5-15g fiber per meal (3 meals a day ... maybe with an afternoon snack too). This would make me feel nice + satiated and stop the food obsession, cravings, endless hunger and overeating episodes that feel like a willpower issue but are really just a biological issue.

2. I'd make sure my workouts weren't non-existent, mostly cardio, random, or being phoned in. The way muscle mass helps us have so much more flexibility with our nutrition isn't being talked about enough! More muscle means better blood sugar balance, extra fat burning 24/7 (yes, even when being a sloth on the cough or sleeping), and a higher carbohydrate tolerance. More muscle improves both health and body composition goals. I'd do this by strength training 3-4 days a week, following a comprehensive plan that gets all muscle groups, repeating that same suite of workouts each week for 8-16 weeks or so (not randomly switching it up) and making sure the last few reps of each set feels hard to complete. And then I'd progressively overload by increasing something (reps, sets, resistance) over time. Cardio is great for health, but I would not prioritize that for fat loss goals.

3. I would indulge with intention. I wouldn't swear off any foods for fear of messing up my progress, but I would also have a serious convo with myself about the truth about my indulgences. Am I saying I don't indulge often but when I go out to eat I have a burger with both buns, fries, and a drink? Or some bread from the bread basket, pasta with my entree and a little dessert? Hot cocoa season is coming up. And cookies. And pie. How much alcohol am I drinking on the weekends? And weekdays? Do I indulge at every party, date night, event, holiday...? Once I had that hard convo with myself about my indulgences, I'd then make sure I kept my favorites in while reining things in a bit. It's not deprivation if you're choosing what you want most over what you want right now. It's just a choice and you get to make whichever one you want in each situation.

4. Movement. Knowing 15% (sometimes more!) of our metabolic rate is based on how much we're moving outside of workout time, I'd get creative about how to start moving more. Can I ask my employer for a standing desk or just doctor one up myself by stacking my laptop on a bunch of books? Can I take that call or meeting on a walk? Can I sit on the floor and stretch while watching TV instead of sinking into the couch? Can I plan to walk each morning or lunch break? And if the weather is bad, what's my backup plan? Maybe one of those walking pads or under-desk bikes? Can I plan some family fun on weekends that involves being active ... like a hike, playground games, or after dinner walk or bike ride with whoever wants to join? If fat loss was a goal, I'd definitely not skip out on this and make my metabolic rate 15% slower as a result.

What else? Well if you need some more help, you might be interested to know I'll be briefly opening up early enrollment for the January round of TRANSFORM: Body + Mind around Black Friday. This will come with early access so you will have the whole course and all the materials to be able to utilize all of it starting in November!



If you have some diagnoses you believe are making your fat loss goals trickier or could use some customization or extra accountability, 1:1 coaching might be more your flavor.



Oh and if fat loss isn't one of your goals, that list is still a great one if you "just" care about longevity and optimal health. ;-)



XO,
Tara

5 Unusual Tips for Fat Loss NOW

So you wanna lose some excess body fat?

(If you don't want to "lose weight" or "tone up" at all, then you might wanna skip this one and come party with us again next week.)




Summer seems to be the time when the planners are wishing their weight loss plan worked better ... or that the results stayed and the procrastinators are ready to do some crazy sh*t just to feel a little more confident this season in their shorts. As such, Summer happens to be a time when a lot of metabolic damage is done. Every 1200 calorie diet, Optavia, diet pills, daily bootcamp classes or running are all risk factors that unfortunately can lead to chronic disease and / or autoimmunity years and decades in the future ... plus weight loss resistance which is the exact opposite of what the goal was.



Luckily, we know more now and we can evolve our strategies accordingly (even though most people will be continuing to use misinformed and outdated tactics for way longer than I'd like to even imagine).



Fat loss happens best when we work within what we know to be optimal fat loss conditions. This means we're aiming to lose excess body fat but not more (not muscle mass or bone...) so it requires a specific pace. Go too fast and you're losing weight for sure, but not the kinda weight you want to be losing. Here are some tips:




1) Eat more at mealtimes. I know if you want to lose weight, you think a 350 calorie meal is superior to a 600 calorie meal. I'm not a fan of counting calories but to more easily paint this picture, stay with me here. If you eat the 350-calorie meals, 1 of 2 things will happen -- 1, you'll end up being so hungry later that night, on the weekend, on holidays, or vacations that you'll feel yourself losing control around food and overeating. Or if you're so darn stubborn and manage not to ever overeat, your metabolic rate will drop in order to compensate. This means your thyroid will probably become sluggish, you might feel colder, weak, fatigued, low libido, and you will begin gaining weight with much less calories than you used to. Your goal here is to eat meals big enough and balanced enough that they keep you nice and satiated for at least 4 hours.



2) Be mindful of blood sugar. Yes, energy in energy out matters for weight loss. Also true ... not all weight lost is the same. If you want to maximize FAT loss, you need to make sure you are not riding the blood sugar rollercoaster all day everyday. This means you eat fat, fiber and protein at every single meal. It means you keep carb intake moderate. It means you understand that it's best to not eat carbs alone (no bananas or coffee with sugar on your way out the door). It also means that you understand we have an upper limit to what we can use before it gets stored away as fat. Keep carbohydrate-containing meals to 25-35g net carbs if you're a woman (35-50g net carbs for most men). More than that and you'll likely be storing the extra as fat. A "healthy" acai bowl or green juice can often contain 50-100+ grams of carbs / sugar! "Healthy" can be deceiving. 



3) Pick up weights. Weightlifting burns more calories than cardio. "What Tara? I always heard it's the opposite!" Well yes, if you're looking at it in a short-sighted way. Cardio tends to burn more calories in that one exercise session compared to a similar length session of weightlifting. However, the extra calorie burn stops when you stop moving with cardio. Yet when you increase your muscle mass by strength training, your metabolic rate for THE ENTIRE DAY, NIGHT, AND EVEN REST DAYS is elevated. Keep your cardio in because you love your lungs and heart and being alive. But it's not a great exercise focus for fat loss goals. Strength training is.



4) Move your body. Walking isn't your exercise, but hopefully it's a different part of your days! We need our exercise (cardio, strength) and then we need our active lifestyle too (walking, gardening, dancing, yoga, playing tag with the kids or grandkids, standing while watching that live music or game, carrying groceries in..) By making the non-exercise parts of your day more active, you will notice a WAY bigger boost in your metabolic rate. 



5) Daily sunshine and grounding. When we have excess body fat stored up in an amount that's more than optimal health levels and want to do something about that, we need to be thinking about improving our energy usage. We lose fat when we use it up. We use it up when better and more quickly when the batteries of our cells -- our mitochondria -- are abundant and in great working order. Heat and cold exposure help with this, so there's a bonus tip. ;-P But also getting your skin to come in contact with the Earth everyday. Ideally for nice chunks of time as we're really evolved to be outdoors mostly, but anything is better than nothing! If you're currently inside all day, you can start by committing to 5 minutes outdoors, standing in the grass barefoot and go up from there. This "charges" your cell's batteries in a way that allows them to utilize more energy / fuel / food. Meaning, this will improve your metabolic health and help with fat loss efforts.



And a bonus bonus one that didn't make the list because it's not unusual is .... SLEEP. It's arguably the mosts important as it will influence all the rest.



Which of these are you already doing? Which will you be focusing on? Hope you found this helpful! Please note ... this is 1 tiny sliver of the types of things we discuss in much greater detail in my 28-day metabolism-boosting course, TRANSFORM: Body + Mind. The next round starts in September. If you're interested in learning more, check out this link and hop on the waitlist for any special offers and a discount code when the cart opens.



XO,
Tara

When I was sick ...

Once upon a time, I was a metabolic WRECK.

I had PCOS, prediabetes, insulin resistance, and hypothyroidism. Our infertility journey brought about tons of extra testing that let me know things like I was NEVER ovulating. My cycle was all over the place and I didn't feel well, despite living a seemingly "healthy" lifestyle.




But let's rewind to before I got diagnosed. (Warning: sensitive subject matter about infertility)



At some point I went from looking for answers to feeling so hopeless and desperate to become a mother that the focus became getting pregnant and no longer on my body or what was going wrong with it. It was quite a long and windy journey with all the interventions, tests, and heartbreaking outcomes. But then it worked! One of the rounds of IVF had been a success and we had our daughter, Magnolia. Fast forward a couple of years and more heartbreak but then another IVF success! Our son, Jagger. 



I was just a whisper pregnant when I went back to the fertility specialist. She was going to graduate me out of her care and into the care of my OBGYN that day, except she was off. Her colleague knocked on the door and introduced herself instead, my file in her hand. "Hi Tara, I'm ______. Congrats on the pregnancy! I see you have PCOS so ....." 



I'm not sure what she said after that because I was stuck on the whole PCOS thing. You see, I thought I had PCOS for years! I was studying all about women's health and hormones in grad school and everything seemed to fit with what I had been experiencing. But my doctor told me in no uncertain terms that I definitely did NOT have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome ... a condition affecting about 10% of women). So imagine my surprise when I realize that my doctor changed her mind about that at some point, diagnosed me, wrote it on my chart, but never told ME. 



What followed was a visit with my OBGYN where I disclosed my new diagnosis and went for further testing only to find out I was also prediabetic already. Now prediabetes isn't something that happens overnight. Prediabetes comes after YEARS or DECADES of insulin resistance and is almost always preventable, manageable or reversible with nutrition and lifestyle choices.



Then I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism! My doctor said, "Tara, your body REALLY wants to be overweight!" (Insert eye roll)



When that doctor suggested meds for life and mentioned that there's nothing I can do to make things better on my own, I said, "Hold my beer." I mean not exactly those words but you get the idea. And I pulled together what I knew about the human body and metabolism from my education and filled in the holes with up-to-date and quality research. And then I got to work.

• I started eating in a way to balance my blood sugar.

• I tweaked my exercise routine to put on more muscle.

• I wanted to prioritize sleep but was still in the toddler and newborn phases and breastfeeding 'round the clock so that had to wait.

• I started paying attention to stress, toxins in my products and food, grounding, sunshine, gut health, heat and cold exposure.

• I said, "If our behaviors can make certain conditions worse, then how is it possible that different choices can't make certain conditions better? Of course they can!" And I stayed focused on that ... and still am!

• I made sure to see it as the challenge and opportunity that it was. I'm not a victim, I'm LUCKY. Imagine if my body let me get away with more? I would've abused it more I'm sure!

I can no longer be diagnosed with any of those conditions, but you better believe they're still on my radar! Those are my Achilles heels. If I'm not careful (and maybe even if I am! Time will tell), those conditions can definitely resurface again.



The thing about boosting our metabolism and optimizing our health is that it's hard, never-ending work. It's not a '30-day fix' or '6 weeks to a summer body'. There are no pause buttons when life gets busy or restart buttons you can press on Monday after an indulgent holiday weekend. But it is SO freaking rewarding to say, "I did that. I did that even while life was happening. I did that even though it was hard. I did that even while keeping indulgences in."


There's a lifelong confidence that comes from overcoming obstacles. If you're facing one right now, it might just be the thing that brings you an unfaltering inner glow one day ... the kind that only trusting yourself could really ever create.



Metabolism is everything about our body's functions. When it's not up to speed, anything can crumble. When anything crumbles, it won't be up to speed. It's. All. Connected.



If you're feeling frustrated that you have a long ways to go or tempted by your sister's Optavia weight loss, your friend's Ozempic results and your cousin's Weight Watchers journey that "works everytime" (except ... why does she keep having to go back if it worked???), I want you to know I get it. Those things ARE tempting. But they aren't real results (weight loss is just a proxy for fat loss + muscle gain, not the same) and they can also be incredibly dangerous and backfire on you.


Let's do a little exercise, ok?



Tell me, how would you like to feel for the rest of this week?
Now, what is ONE thing you can focus on for the rest of this week that will help you feel that way?



Maybe you want to feel energized so you go for a walk outside every morning.
Maybe you want to feel strong so you strength train 3 days this week.
Maybe you want to feel calm so you commit to journaling for 10 minutes every morning or night.



Whatever it is, pick ONE feeling. Then ONE (reasonable) action. And see it through. Watch your momentum soar by the end of the week.



You got this,
Tara



P.S. If you want to learn more about how your body works best and how to boost your metabolism to achieve your fat loss, muscle-building, or "toning up" goals, hop on the waitlist for the next round of my 28-day metabolism-boosting course, TRANSFORM: Body + Mind. We start next month.

"Do you eat before you workout?"

"Tara, do you eat before you workout?"

I got this excellent question recently on instagram. Here's my 1-minute video response. :-)



Everyone is different! Play around with meal timing around your workouts — or just in general — to find out what you feel best with.



For me, I used to feel awful working out while fasted. I also used to have PCOS, insulin resistance, and prediabetes. I was a metabolic mess!! So, feeling cr*ppy while working out fasted was one of the things that tipped me off to being “off”.



As I became healthier, more metabolically flexible, and more fat-adapted (no, I’m not keto), I started noticing I could do more and more intense exercise without fueling up first. Truth is, we all have sooooooo much fuel already on our bodies as stored body fat. Even if I’m lean, there’s no reason to “need” to eat before a workout.



Now, if tip top performance was the goal (a race, game, or competition), filling up my glycogen stores before said activity would give me a little bit of an edge. But in my daily strength training sessions, bike rides, runs, hikes, or HIIT ... it’s just not necessary.



Another important note: for the average person (not a pro / competitive athlete), protein timing isn’t nearly as important as people will have you believe. I don’t rush to get it in post-workout. I just make sure I get the amount of protein my body needs (about 80-105g per day) throughout the day in a variety of ways.



Second half of the video I’m showing you a pretty typical meal I break my overnight fast with.



Questions about protein, meal timing, metabolic flexibility, or ... whatever? Leave ‘em below!



XO,
Tara



P.S. Yes my lip is bleeding in this video. They were dry that day and happened to crack right before I shot this. Allllllll good. 😝 (You’d be surprised. People notice — and comment about — everything on social media! 🤣🤣).

What IS a portion of carbs? Protein? Fat?

Portion sizes can be confusing, right??

Even before you can implement balancing your meals and days with the right amount of portions that YOUR body needs to be at its best, you have to understand what a portion of each type of food actually IS.



I calculate customized portions for each of my clients based on many different factors. It's highly individualized and not a one-size-fits-all kinda thing AT ALL.



However, just starting to play around with being able to decipher portions is a great place to start! IN THIS VIDEO, I share 2 ways to do just that. One way for if you have a food label in front of you. And the other is for any other situation (home, restaurant, friend's house, vacation, etc.).



Did you find this helpful? I'd love to hear so I can consider that for future content. :-)



Happy day,
Tara

Fat Loss MUST be slow. Here's why.

Fat loss HAS to happen slowly. Here's why...

I know we want it to happen quickly. I know we hear things like, "I lost 5 pounds the first week of doing keto." and assume those 5 pounds came from rapid FAT loss (it doesn't). But there's actually a limit to the amount of body fat we can lose per day per person (it varies from person to person).



Restrict your energy intake more than that point and you'll be eating away at your muscles instead.... which will lower your metabolic rate. YUCK!



Here are 3 reasons fat loss MUST happen slowly.



As always, if you have any questions you can hit 'reply' to this email. I'm happy to help!



XO,
Tara



P.S. Check out these awesome client success stories squished inside of 27 seconds. ;-)

Fat loss: 6 things you don't need to try...

Fat loss: 6 things you DO NOT need to try...

...and the 3 things you DO!




Check out my latest video all about this topic. I kept it short this time... 3 or 4 minutes. ;-) Let me know what you think about this format by commenting on this post. I appreciate any and all feedback!




Lots of love,
Tara

Will your results be sticking by your side, or.....?

Believe it or not, there's a question you can ask yourself that will give you a really good idea of whether the results you're working on will end up sticking around or will be fleeting like times in the past.



<<< CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO to learn what the question is and why it's so eye-opening! >>>



Do you have an instagram account yet? I'm not exactly an early adopter with social media, but I have been loving instagram for the way in which I can share so many things for FREE with everyone. FULL, daily workouts, lots of recipes and food prep ideas, fat loss tips, muscle-building tips, motherhood shenanigans, etc. And did you know there's a 'save' feature? Lots of people use this to save certain workout posts that they know they'll want to come back to in the future. It's like having your own little folder tucked away! Do I sound like an instagram ad yet? HAHA! Just my favorite way to share stuff with you guys lately since I don't want to pop into your inbox everyday. If you come visit me, make sure you say hello!



XO,
Tara

Hunger: Friend or Foe

Hunger: Friend or Foe?

Is hunger inherently bad? Does it mean we're in 'starvation mode'? Is it an emergency? Does it play a role in fat loss or longevity?



CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO where I chatted live all about hunger and how it might apply to your various health goals.



Questions? Feel free to leave a comment and I'll get back to you soon. :-)



XO,
Tara

Why you can't stick to a plan

You *know* what to eat and how to move to make progress, right?

Some people need help with the information, of course, but most people know enough to get them to their goals. So how come the plan you create in the morning falls by the wayside at 8 PM when you're overwhelmed and need a break? How come you can't seem to stick to an exercise routine for more than a week at a time?



It's your VCR.



Let me explain. You have been trying to take valuable information and plans (nutrition, fitness) that are on a DVD ... and play them inside your VCR. (For you young folks, VCRs are the machines that played videotapes and became extinct around the time the dinosaurs say goodbye). 



You have an old operating system and simply need an upgrade. It's a brain thing and it's been going on for years, if not decades! Once you make that upgrade to a DVD player, whichever DVD you choose to run will work.



(Yes, I totally get the fact that DVDs are a bit outdated as well, but I think it's an analogy that you guys will get.)



IN MY LATEST VIDEO, I got into the old operating system you have, the new one you need, and how to make the upgrade. 



If your transformation starts with nutrition or fitness or both without addressing old patterns, habits, thoughts, connections... it won't stick. Band-aids only help when there's healing going on underneath.



Hit 'reply' to this email and let me know if you'd like to learn more about how to upgrade your operating system so you'll be able to stick to the changes you make going forward. :-)



Stay well,
Tara

Comfort eating / comfort sitting on the couch....

It's true that we need comfort right now. In fact, without some comfort in our days, our brain will takeover and seek it out even against your will. Maybe you've seen this in action already? You had every intention to skip the pantry surfing after dark and workout, but instead you skipped the workout and devoured everything in the pantry in what seemed like a semi-conscious state.



Sound familiar? It's something you may be used to doing long before quarantine started. But certainly now it's heightened. Of course... we are worried, bored, stuck at home, not sure what lies ahead, stressed - it's a recipe for comfort-seeking.



But seeking comfort isn't as simple as that. Often, the way we choose to seek out comfort actually leads us to DIScomfort in the future. So, to find true comfort, we need a balance of some in-the-moment strategies that work in the here and now but don't deter from our future selves. AND, we need to do some things that might bring us a little discomfort right now for the sake of future comfort.



Let me explain in this live video I recorded last week on facebook.


Is this something you're dealing with? If so, I have tons of resources that I'd love to share with you. Hit 'reply' to this email and let's chat.
If you'd like to see a quick video sharing more of how I help people (including before and afters - even my own before & after!), check this out.



XO,
Tara




Here's what happened on social:


Dumbbell shoulder workout

Easter morning

Slow cooker lentil chili

Suitcase upper body workout

Salsa dancing - The Left Turn

Bodyweight legs + glutes

The weight of the world

Breathing + COVID-19 

No jump HIIT workout

Quarantine Creativity

Now is as good a time as any to be mindful of getting in enough of the immune-boosting vitamins + minerals.

I'm excited to announce the launch of my Immune Support Meal Plan! I created this meal plan by focusing on balancing not just macros (protein, fats, and carbs), but also made sure that each day has plenty of zinc, selenium, and vitamins A, C, and E.

The plan happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian too. Oh, and I've worked leftovers in so you're not cooking 3 meals everyday.

You'll get 2 copies instantly - 1 regular one with all the mouth-watering pictures, and 1 text-only so you're not cursing me out as you run out of color ink. ;-)

What else do you get? The 7-day meal plan plus grocery list and all recipes.

So whether you're having trouble getting your hands on your usual immune-boosting supplements or just prefer to get the goods through tasty meals instead, this plan will have you covered.

Enjoy!

My PCOS backstory...and how I healed myself naturally

I was once diagnosed with PCOS and prediabetes...

....I can no longer be diagnosed with either. How in the world?!?



In this video, I'm sharing a little of my backstory and the big ticket items that has allowed me to heal my body naturally - without medications or targeted supplements.



If you know anyone with PCOS, please forward this email to them. I would love to spread the word that there is a lot more in our power than the conventional medicine would have us believe.



And if you don't have PCOS? Please take this as the sign you need that what you do or don't do on a daily basis has a lot more influence over your health and body than you might have been lead to believe.



Questions? Going through infertility and wanna chat? I'm here! Just leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you!



XO,
Tara




P.S. New private + virtual client availability is coming soon - health, nutrition, and fitness coaching! Let me know if you'd like to chat about getting your name on one of the upcoming spots.

Nothing changes if nothing changes

Nothing changes if nothing changes.

You know that already, right?



In fact, there is probably a lot that you already know you could be doing to move closer to your goals. 



And you might even be frustrated by the very fact that you know things and still seem to have trouble implementing them on a consistent basis.



First of all, I want to let you know this is VERY common. Just knowing things does not build up the skills required to carry out these interventions. In fact, it's an entirely different part of the brain used for learning vs. implementing and staying consistent.



And here's the cycle I see repeat over and over with many people: Big goal, big motivation (at first), trying to change too many things at once with no reasonable long-term plan, sees no results or has too much difficulty staying consistent, gives up and feels down. Rinse and repeat - every Monday, every new season, every New Year...?



Does this resonate with you? It will for many people!




Check out my latest Workshop Wednesday video in which I discuss how the mismatch between your goals and your actions are blocking you from your results. The more you understand about the behind-the-scenes stuff happening in our brain and with our mindset, the more you will be able to take the wheel and make the lifestyle upgrades you have been trying to make.




XO,
Tara




P.S. January 1-on-1 coaching spots are filled, but I will have a few spots opening in February. If you are interested and ready to commit to a complete health, nutrition, and fitness transformation, leave a comment or email me: Tara@TaraAllenHealth.com and I will send you my calendar so you can schedule yourself for a free call to chat. Never any sales pressure (I don't play like that), but we need to both be sure that it's the right fit before moving forward. ;-)



P.P.S. We all have goals! I've been working on tilted inversions, wrist mobility, handstands, etc. And guess what? I kinda suck! Sucking at something is awesome....so much room to improve. I'd love to hear what you suck at and see if it's something I can help with. 

When you screw up on your resolutions (and why it's not exactly when you think)

Hey guys,

The first week of 2020 is coming to a close already!

And for some of you, you've already given up on some of those life-changing resolutions you were so romantic about last week, am I right? Usually that happens when we've set too many goals at the same time or set one goal that was just a bit too unrealistic. 



But maybe you're not a resolution setter. Maybe you're like me - trying to use everyday to progress and challenge yourself to get better. Or maybe you are still going really strong on those goals!



Either way, you will find yourself saying at some point, "I screwed up." And here's what's important to know: You did NOT screw up at that point. But you're about to. Let me explain...



Check out my latest Workshop Wednesday video where I share why you did not screw up when you think...and how it's actually foreshadowing that you're likely on the path to actually screwing up. Of course I'm going to tell you how to turn around and NOT screw up, after all. 



I explain a bit about some of the content you can expect more of from me in 2020 in the beginning of the video. Make sure you're following me over on Facebook and Instagram to get all content. I post a lot inside my stories as well, so check those out if you need more healthy information + inspiration (with an occasional dose of cute kiddos). ;-)



I'm always happy to hear from YOU as well... anything in particular that you'd like me to cover this year? Hit 'reply' to this email and let me know. I've got a running list and plan to hit it all, if possible!




Happy New Year!!




XO,
Tara

Why the scale won't budge: weight plateaus and fluctuations explained

Weight fluctuations and plateaus explained...

I'm writing this blog with a child home (unexpectedly) from school and a full plate of work and other mom / house stuff going on. Besides client work, admin. tasks, and content (like this!) to create and schedule, I will be interviewed for an article in a certain newspaper today and am being asked if a photographer can come over today for a quick photoshoot. Um....if you don't mind a sick kid in my arms?!? Not the look you're going for?

Kidding....we're trying to reschedule. However, I'm telling YOU this because I speak a lot about less-than-ideal conditions and how the show must go on. Whether it's running a business or maintaining the level of fitness, nutrition, sleep, and self care that you aspire to, things will always pop up that can compromise your plans. How can you work with what you've got? How can you do at least a portion of what it is you committed to? Maybe you move your body for 5 minutes instead of the 45 you planned on today.


In my case, I look through my task list and start moving non-essential things to other times whenever possible. I will do what's necessary and appreciate the fact that I can tend to my daughter that's feeling a bit under the weather today. (We're actually snuggling on the couch as I type this. Thank goodness for light + mobile laptops!).


Anywayyyyy..... weight fluctuations! They happen to us all - even if you do not weigh yourself and you're unaware. Our weight is never stagnant. Any weight or fat loss journey is never linear. There are plateaus, spikes up, drops, etc. The most important thing to look at is the trend over time.

Important to note: I'm not a fan of anyone weighing themselves if it will at all impact your emotions. In other words, if weighing yourself will be anything more than simply data, I don't believe the scale is the best tool for you to track your progress. 


However, if you have ever noticed plateaus and or increases in your scale weight while you believed you were 'doing everything right', then you must watch my latest Workshop Wednesday video! I get into the 8 most common reasons this occurs. This will allow you to figure out what's going on the next time you notice a plateau or spike. Not only that, but it will (hopefully) prevent you from throwing in the towel in frustration next time around.


If you are on a fat loss journey and have 15 minutes to watch - or even just listen - to this video, it will be worth your while.



As always, I'm open to topic ideas to address in future videos, blogs, social media posts, and newsletters. Just leave me a comment below if there's something in particular you want to see me cover.


XO,
Tara


P.S. HAPPY HOLIDAYS! As a reminder, my healthified holiday desserts e-cookbook, Smart Cookie, is still available for purchase for ONE MORE WEEK before it gets pulled until next year. If you have any parties to host or head to in the next week and would like to make a quality, real-food version of a holiday treat, this recipe book would be perfect for you! It contains 42 gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free...and DELICIOUS...dessert recipes. Many are baked goods, but there are also stovetop, slow cooker, and NO BAKE options in case you want easy peasy.

Avoiding unwanted holiday weight gain...

Avoiding (unwanted) holiday weight gain...

While the same principles apply to gaining excess weight and / or body fat any time of year, the holidays do bring a unique set of circumstance for many of us.



OVEREATING. This is simply eating more than your body requires for fuel and is the case if you are at a weight or body fat percentage that YOU believe to be greater than you'd like it to be for optimal health and mobility. Emphasis on YOU here because I strongly believe YOU are the only one that gets to decide this.



Here are a few of the reasons weight gan can be accelerated this time of year:

• Baggy clothes help us 'forget' about our body and hide.

• Seasonal Affective Disorder and / or lower Vitamin D levels wreak havoc on our emotions and ability to choose our long-term goals over short-term satisfaction.

• Heightened emotional states - both positive and negative - usually exist this time of year. Where you have big emotions, you will often find overeating.

• A false promise of a clean slate coming on January 1st tends to 'allow' us to throw caution to the wind between now and then.

• Greater access to comfort foods, social events, alcohol, etc.

Here are 4 tips you can start to implement to help right away...


1) Stop over-restricting. When you focus so hard on avoiding certain foods, and then have more access to them (such as this time of year), it often has an 'opening of the floodgates' sort of result. Allow the 'fun' foods to exist in your life at a frequency that you look forward to, but also that allows you to move closer to your goals.



2) Trigger Foods. Remove any food from your house that you just cannot control yourself around. Maybe it's peanut butter? Maybe it's ice cream. If you love ice cream but can't control yourself around it, remove it from the house and just go out to get a cone - or single serving - when you want it.



3) When you find yourself reaching for the food that you don't want or need, ask yourself this series of questions:

• What's going on with me right now?

• Will food help? (If the problem is not hunger, then food is not the solution)

• If not food, then what WILL help right now? (Maybe you just need a break)

4) Delayed gratification. Allow yourself to have whatever it is you're craving....but only after 5, 10, or 20 minutes. Even if you end up eating THE SAME amount of food after that time, it's still a huge win because you are teaching your toddler brain that it won't always get what it wants, when it wants it. In turn, the intense cravings (tantrum) will slowly dissipate, reduce in duration, frequency, and intensity. Win!



I'd love to hear from you now...do you struggle with overeating? I don't know anyone who doesn't at least sometimes! I'd love to help. :-)




XO,
Tara

Pain + Pleasure: The secret ingredient to your health / body goals

What do PAIN + PLEASURE have to do with your health / body goals?

Lots! Everything, you might say.

Have you ever noticed how there are certain things that just don't ever end up on your to do list, but happen often anyway? Things like eating food, sex, and sleep. Why are these some of the exceptions? It all comes down to pain vs. pleasure when talking about curating the lifestyle you want for yourself.

Check out my latest Workshop Wednesday video where I break it down and give you a few specific examples of how to apply this concept to your goals.

Oh, and welcome to November! It's the start of my favorite 'recipe season'. ;-)


XO,
Tara

Break up with nighttime overeating: Steps 1 & 2

Do you end up eating more - or differently - than you wanted to after the sun goes down?

This is verrrrry common for a number of reasons. Today, I want to focus on the biggest reason: willpower.


You may have heard me talk about this before. In fact, you may notice that I talk about many of the same concepts often if you've been hanging out with me for a while. The truth is, these things aren't always the sexiest and don't always work as clickbait, but they are real, important, and necessary to address for any and all health transformations to occur.


YOU ARE NOT LACKING WILLPOWER! Seriously, you're not. For argument's sake, let's say we all each start the day with the same 20 willpower 'points'. Every decision you make uses up a point. Skipping the doughnut in the break room, biting your tongue when your boss pissed you off, deciding whether or not to honk the horn when the jerk cut you off on your drive home...point, point, point. We make so many decisions throughout the day (more than we even consciously register), that by the end of a long day, we're all depleted of willpower!


Have you ever noticed that it becomes harder throughout the day to say no to your favorite sweet treat? Have you had those days where you put off your workout 'til nighttime only to skip it in the end and tell yourself you'll do it tomorrow instead? Willpower depleted!


So when it comes to planning for your success, part of your plan needs to include what to do when you're not actually able to stick to your original commitment to yourself. Rather than hope it'll be different tomorrow, "trying" again, or resisting this fact, let's learn how to work WITH the way our brain works.


I want to share 2 important steps in doing just that with you today. There is no video attached in today’s blog because I made a mistake and didn't end up saving my latest video workshop. Oops. But that's ok! I'm still going to give you all of the information today. ;-) If you do prefer to watch or listen instead of reading this, head over to my facebook page and look for last Wednesday's live video recording.


STEP 1:


Think ahead to the time when you normally start feeling out of control with your food choices. This is around 8 or 9 PM for most people, but can occur at other times as well. What are you usually feeling at that time?

• Tired?

• Stressed?

• Overwhelmed?

• Anxious?

• Needing a break?

• Wanting to 'unwind?

Next, ask yourself how you're hoping the food will make you feel in that moment. Are you hoping it will give you a needed break? Help you relax? Numb a certain emotion?



***Important to remember: The only thing food can actually solve for you is physical hunger. Any other feeling or emotion can only be temporarily distracted by food - not solved!



Lastly, ask yourself what you can plan ahead of time to do instead of reaching for the food that will help you feel the way you're looking to feel. It's important that you plan for this ahead of time, because in the moment, you won't want to have any obstacles in the way. They will only act as a deterrent.


Examples: Call a friend (put it on your calendar), read a book (have it out on the nightstand), watch a show on the DVR without a snack or with a healthy option you choose in advance, go for a walk, listen to a podcast, journal, meditate, have relations with your partner.... ;-) Anything (other than overeating) that will help you get to that end goal of relaxation, unwinding, calming down, or getting the break you deserve.



STEP 2:

Delayed gratification. We all have a toddler brain and an adult brain. (These are actual parts of our brains, but obviously not the technical terms.) Our toddler brain wants what it wants, when it wants....just like a real toddler! But our adult brain actually has reasoning capability. Our adult brain can make plans and decisions that serve our greatest good, not just what feels best right now.

When we have the urge to overeat / stress eat / binge eat, it's our toddler brain requesting it. And guess what? It's probably pretty used to getting what it wants by now, right?

No worries! Here's how we start to discipline our toddler brain: we delay our gratification. Next time your brain asks you for a gallon of ice cream at 8:00, give it ice cream at 8:05 or 8:10 instead. You will likely still eat the same thing. You'll likely still overeat. AND THAT'S OK because you've starting doing really important work in rewiring your brain!

That toddler brain will stop thinking it's always going to get what it wants, when it wants it. Eventually it will stop being so bratty. And at some point, you'll be able to delay gratification for long enough that you may end up choosing NOT to eat the ice cream at all. BIG WIN!

These 2 tools are considered steps 1 & 2 in breaking up with nighttime overeating because they are so effective and foundational! Try these tonight - or whenever your toddler brain throws its next tantrum.


Talk soon,
Tara


P.S. Every week I share more content than I could possibly put into a blog on social media. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and / or Instagram for more tips and free resources.

Did you want a free recipe book?

…because I made you a gift and I'd like to give it to you now...

Low Glycemic Anti-Inflammatory Recipes in 30 minutes or Less



That link above, it's a recipe book. And it happens to be gluten free, dairy free, and completely plant-based. Do I think you need to eat that way? NOPE! But these are some of my favs and they work for most people. ;-)

And if you want even MORE plant-based, gluten-free, healthified recipes, you’re gonna want my (also free) 3-Day Meal Plan designed to help balance blood sugar, improve fat loss, and keep those hangry cravings at bay. ;-) I gotcha covered! Here’s that meal plan!

In health + gratitude,

Tara

Are you tired of the weekday restriction / weekend indulgence cycle?

Happy Monday!

Or should I say, "Happy 3.5 days until it's weekend mode"?!

If you're like many of the ladies I talk to, you might find yourself stuck in a weekday restriction / weekend indulgence cycle.

This is you if you recommit to a "plan" every Monday that's unmanageable enough to have you breaking up with said plan by week's end. Then one happy hour, a baby shower, and a big Sunday dinner leaves you feeling bloated and unhappy with your affinity to overdue it every. single. weekend.

Or maybe you're experiencing shorter cycles - daily cycles. You restrict most of the day only to find yourself out of control by the time the sun goes down.

There are many reasons for this happening and, thankfully, many tools we can put in place to be able to take back control. Side note: make sure you're popping inside my Facebook group, Healthy, Fit, & Strong with Tara Allen Health often so you don't miss any of these tools!

For today's purpose, I want to focus on one, important tool…MODERATION.

Moderation is a word we hear tossed around all the time and often think it's for those of us who are already at our goals, right? Like, can you possibly practice moderation AND STILL make more progress?

Yup!

In fact, you'll be making it much easier to reach your goals if you practice moderation.

Moderation in this case means allowing some "fun foods" into the mix on any day that ends in a "y" if you feel like it.

Moderation means no foods are off limits (unless, of course, it's an allergy or sensitivity that will make you feel like garbage - totally not worth it).

But just because something might be higher in calories, or more rich, or higher in carbs…it doesn't mean it should be shunned Monday through Thursday only for you to be left pining for it come Friday night. I see you chocolate, wine, chips and dip, ice cream...

Is there a way you can nourish your body and also allow a little flexibility for some things that you really enjoy?

If this is something you struggle with, you're like 90% of the people I know. ;-) Leave a comment below and let me know. I'd love to help you get to a place where you're not just comfortable with moderation, but you enjoy it and thrive with it.

In health + happiness,
Tara