Miscellaneous

FAT LOSS and Meal Timing

Fat loss - when the heck should I eat?


It's a common misconception that we need to be eating a million times a day in order to increase our metabolism and burn more fat.


First of all, let's talk about who is looking to burn more fat? If you are looking to lose weight or even just "tone up"…you're looking to decrease the excess fat you have on your body. 


Watch my latest live video (or just listen - you don't need to see my face) as I get into how to tap into your fat stores to use them up as energy. We're discussing meal timing (when and how often) and we nerd out on what insulin is and the role it plays in fat storage and fat loss. It's a pretty unknown concept to most. Definitely worth the 35 minutes if fat loss is on your agenda!


Here's a quick summary:


1) Insulin is a fat-storage hormone that helps us carry sugar into our cells to use as energy. Whatever we don't use gets stored as fat to use at a later time.


2) If insulin remains elevated, our bodies remain in fat storage mode and do not switch over to fat burning mode.


3) Lowering insulin is what allows us to switch over to fat burning mode. We can lower our insulin by focusing on nutrition upgrades and timing our meals properly (hint: eating every 2 hours will not allow your insulin levels to come down for you to enter fat-burning mode).



Watch or listen to the video for lots more details and for the 3 tips I share at the end so you can get going on your fat loss goals right away!!

In good health,

Tara

P.S. If you’d like a (FREE) 3-day meal plan designed to help you with WHAT to eat and WHEN to eat for healthy fat loss, you can grab that right here! Enjoy!

Get Motivated NOW

Get Motivated NOW



It's a top-5 question I hear, "Why can't I just get motivated to______?" (workout, meal prep, work on my emotional eating…)


Here's why…you are going about it in the wrong order! Motivation doesn't come first. Rather, motivation comes after we've:


1) Decide to change
2) Start asking better questions
3) Take small action ("5-minute action")
4) Gain momentum
5) MOTIVATION shows up!


If you'd like to learn more, watch the (20-min.) video below that I recorded live last week with more details and suggestions on how to work this process. 

In good health,

Tara

Metabolism article (with Dr. Axe)!

Hey guys,

Check this out…

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I didn't pick this picture!! :-)


But, I did get to write alongside one of my favorite writers / educators in the holistic health space… Dr. Axe!

The article all about metabolism came out last week in Glam. If you'd like to find out if we are able to improve our own metabolism (spoiler alert: we can!), you can check out the article right here.

In good health,

Tara

P.S. If you struggle with a sluggish metabolism and are looking for a way to kick things in gear, grab my FREE 3-Day Meal Plan!

What's everyone getting worked up about Keto for? BravoTV feature

Hey all,

Unless you’ve been avoiding all TV, internet, and media of all kind, you’ve probably heard about the very popular “keto” diet (a.k.a. ketosis, ketogenic diet, high fat low carb, HFLC…) What you might’ve noticed, too, is how many people seem to take this diet choice so personally - regardless of which camp they fall into. Check out my latest article feature for BravoTV to read up about what the diet is, what it claims, and why I believe people have such strong feelings about it!

I’d love to hear from you…do you know anyone trying this diet?

In good health,

Tara

Your goals are set. Now what?!?

Don't wait for motivation to 'strike'!


Have you ever entered a new year (like right now) with tons of great intention, motivation, and a list of things you want to magically change about yourself or your routines?  And then something derails your progress a day, a week, or a month in?  Or you're making so many changes at once it becomes impossible to get them all straight?

I've been there!  In fact, I'm the queen of lists and dreaming big and taking on wayyy more than I can manage (sanely, anyway).

My latest Workshop Wednesday video was all about how choose where to focus and how to not rely on feeling motivated to do so. The truth is, successful people are no more motivated than you or I.  Successful people just implement a plan that involves taking action regardless of motivation being present or not.  The specific tactic I get into in the video is called The Domino Effect. If you have been nerding out on goals and creating new habits lately, you're going to want to check out this video!

Happy New Year!

In good health and holiday cheer,

Tara

I have a surprise for you! (Sugar cravings? Health goals? Read this!)

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Psst…


Yeah, you!  The one that knows she's destined to make some amazing progress in her health this year. The same one that's also dealing with the post-holiday sugar cravings and telling herself she'll "start" when those go away...


I get you. I do. The holiday cookies, pies, bread, pizza, chocolate, and wine are SO DELICIOUS, but come with tons of baggage like your favorite toddler when you try to leave the house for 30 minutes.  



It can be tricky to gain any traction with your goals when you're still battling those cravings for sugar and carbs.  So, as a thank you for allowing me to hang out with you every week in your inbox, I have a surprise for you!


Coming January 14th to an inbox near you: Crush the Cravings, a 5-day (FREE) Challenge.  No need to do anything if you’re already signed up for my newsletters.  Well, you could tell a friend (or 5) if you want to help me help others!  ;-)


If you’re not yet on my newsletter list, it’s not too late to join! Sign up at TaraAllenHealth.com - right on the home page, and get ready to open a new email everyday next week with a new tip or habit to practice that will have you well on your way to eliminating those cravings by week's end.


Sound good? Great! I'm excited to hear how awesome you feel at the end. Use #crushthecravings and tag me in your posts as you track your progress!


"See" you soon,

Tara

Eliminate these 2 things to see near-immediate results!

You just want someone to tell you what to do sometimes...


I get it! I do.  If you've been reading my blogs for a while now, then you know that I believe in the, "If you bring a woman a fish, she'll eat for a day.  If you teach a woman to fish, she'll eat for a lifetime" approach. (That was paraphrased with a creative twist).  ;-)

However, I do really know what it's like to sometimes just want someone tell you what to do. When it's a week before a big holiday and 2 weeks before another big holiday and there's so much to do and what seems like an unlimited amount of parties with food and alcohol...

It can be hard to stay focused. It can be tricky to remember how to fish for yourself.

Today I'm sharing with you 2 things to eliminate (or greatly reduce) from your plate that will bring you near-immediate progress.  These tips are NOT easy - especially this time of year.  So, you get to choose when to use them.  Save these tools in your tool belt for the day after a particularly fun party.  :-)  Or, start immediately so you can get a bit of traction and energy before all of these events.  It's up to you!

The video is below. If you don't have time to watch or listen to the video for all of the details, here's the cliff notes:

1. Refined sugar
2. Refined flour

They are not doing you any favors for your health.  If they are soul food for you - as in, your soul is happy when you eat them - then by all means, keep some of it in!  But, choose intentionally. Be picky.  Save it for special foods and special occasions.  Watch how much better you feel when you do that!


In good health and holiday cheer,
Tara


P.S. 2019 is coming!  It's our year and we're coming for it.  One of the things that I do to give me a leg-up is keep my healthy habits in place.  If working out consistently or eating properly for my body type and goals weren't a habit, I wouldn't be able to accomplish a whole lot, to be honest. This took some time for me to establish.  And then, I had to figure it all out again post-babies. Things change.  But, the fact that I need my health, energy, and confidence in order to go after my dreams has never changed.  If you are looking to improve your health, energy, and/or confidence in the New Year so you can crush your goals…and your life, then I think you should! That's where the magic is.


I coach women through this transformation through nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle changes that bring great health, energy, confidence…and JOY!  Let me know (email me at Tara@TaraAllenHealth.com) if you are interested in chatting (free of charge) to discuss what some of your goals are.*

*Limited offer: This offer is available to the first 5 people that email me.

Martha Stewart Weddings

Hey guys,

While I’m not so sure that the majority of you readers are getting married anytime soon (maybe?), the tips that were inside of my latest article feature in Martha Stewart Weddings is all about hydration and can definitely apply to you - even if you’re at a different stage in life. ;-)

HERE IS THE ARTICLE

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Tell me, what are your favorite ways to stay hydrated?

In good health,

Tara

Safer Make-up

Save the date! 


This beautiful lady below, Kathryn Lattimer, will be sharing her background story and some important wisdom about safer cosmetics with us!  Not only that, but for those of us (ahem...me!) that are make-up challenged, she will be wrapping up our conversation by doing a make-up tutorial for everyone!

WHEN: Saturday, November 10th at 12:30 PM, Eastern

WHERE: Wherever the heck you have cell service!!  Just be inside my private Facebook group, Lean In with Tara Allen Health.

WHAT IF I'M BUSY?  No worries!  The replay will be made available for you to watch when you have the time.  ;-)


"See you" inside the group!


In good health,
Tara

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Healthy Halloween - here's what we did

Hey guys,

I shot a quick video a few days ago to share what my family was doing to have ALL THE FUN on Halloween and none of the garbage!

  • Do we give out candy?

  • What about the school parties?

  • How do we deal with the trick or treating results?

I get into it all in this video.

Please note: This is what we choose to do as a family. This is by no means a judgment on your choices. ;-)

In good health,

Tara

My virtual nutrition & fitness coaching program - behind-the-scenes

Hey guys,

I'm peeling the curtain back and taking you behind the scenes...

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If you have heard me talking about my VIRTUAL, one-on-one nutrition and fitness coaching program, you may have wondered HOW it all works.


HOW do I deliver the habits and daily lessons?
HOW do the workouts work?
HOW do we stay in communication?
WHAT the heck does the software look like?


These are some of the questions I reveal in THIS VIDEO TUTORIAL in which I turn the camera onto my laptop and show you EXACTLY how it all works.  :-)

If you would like some more information about my program - Pioneer Nutrition and Fitness Coaching - check it out and hit 'reply' to this email with any of your questions.  I read and answer every single one myself.


Have a fabulous day and week!

In good health,
Tara


P.S. Here is that tutorial again:



How to achieve ANY goal you have!

Do you want to lose weight? Do you wish you could eat better more consistently? Have you been putting off your workouts?

In the video below, I share everything you need to know to break down ANY goal you have into action steps and daily practices. I discuss The Habit Loop and The Cycle that you can apply to any area of your life that you’re looking to upgrade.

**Warning: The video gets wonky around minute 4 but then picks up around minute 7 or so. This was a livestream and my internet connection was poor. However, you don’t miss much at all (what the heck was I talking about for those 3 minutes, anyway?!?) and I believe you will gain so much from watching this if you are looking to achieve something in particular.



If you are not on my email list, hop on ASAP so you can receive the companion worksheet I mentioned that’s heading to an inbox near you on Tuesday, October 23, 2018. :-) Sign up right here!

In good health,

Tara

Why my virtual coaching program is 12 months!

Hey people!

Have you ever noticed the ridiculous claims some health and weight loss coaches make?

“Drop 20 pounds in 21 days!”

“Lose 3 pants sizes in a week!”

Blah, blah, blaaaaaaaaah.

Why are we drawn to such statements? Well, because we want to believe it’s true, even though we’re skeptical. The truth is, it doesn’t work that way. The other truth is, even if it DID work that way, when you when back to doing life after the week or 21 days, it would all. come. back (sometimes with interest).

My private, virtual coaching is a longer-term commitment at 12 months and I LOVE IT that way. It works. Check out this video to find out why. :-)

Happy weekend!

In good health,

Tara

Wrapping up 2018 with a WIN

October is HERE!

Isn’t that bananas?! I can’t believe we have entered the final 3 months of the year…the last 90 days…the 4th quarter…

Anywho, here’s what’s awesome about that: YOU get to decide how you want to end 2018. YOU get to choose to hold your head up and see this year out with tons of momentum going into the New Year. The holidays certainly bring up some unique hurdles and traditions, but it never has to mean that they have control over you. Never. YOU are always the one in control.

If you’ve been feeling like you want to focus on something - a goal - to wrap up the year and feel accomplished, then this video is perfect for you. We get into the 7 steps you need to choose what to focus on.

HOW do you want to feel on December 31st as you’re counting down 10-9-8-7…?

HOW do you want to show up for yourself?

HOW do you want your energy, your strength, your immune system, your confidence, your patience, and your life to look? Give yourself the edge this year and COMMIT to something.

It’s your journey. What will you choose?

In good health,

Tara

Is that a protein bar...or a carb bar?

As a health coach - slash - nutritionist - slash - personal trainer - slash - RN, you can imagine that while I work with lots of ‘general health’ requests, weight loss is a top priority for many of my clients.

One of the most common mistakes I see people make on their weight loss journey is mislabeling their food groups. Watch the video below to find out if you, too, are making this common mistake. The good news is that with a few simple swaps, you may be right back on track with your weight loss goals.

If these videos are helping, make sure you sign up for my newsletter list so you don’t miss any!

“See” you soon!

In good health,

Tara

To Purell or Not To Purell...?

Now, for the more sour part.  My daughter, Magnolia, is starting Kindergarten in 2 days and one of the items on her list of school supplies was…Purell antibacterial hand sanitizer!  

Some of you may be thinking, "OK.  What's the big deal?" Others might be appalled. So, I decided to shoot a quick video all about how I feel about this and how I will be handling it.  Check out the video below!

I want to first point out that I did not get into too many details here - kept it pretty general.  There is so much more to know (like how it isn't as effective as we've been told and that it can cause infertility and estrogenic weight gain / obesity, etc.)  Rather, this video is to start the discussion and open the topic to continue to talk and / or allow you to dive into some more research on it.

If you'd like to continue the discussion on this topic, or ANYthing health / nutrition / fitness related, please head on over to my Facebook group - Lean In with Tara Allen Health - and join us.  It's a FREE resource for you.  :-)




In good health,
Tara


P.S. Are we friends on social yet?!?!  Check out my Facebook and Instagram pages and let's connect over there!

How to save time so you can COOK more

Hey there,

With my husband out of town, it dawned on me that I am NOT the only mama (or parent, or busy person) that struggles with time management and being able to feed myself and my family the healthiest food I can.  In fact, it requires quite a bit of planning, prep work, and thinking ahead to the 'what ifs' (What if someone gets sick?  What if I have a last minute client or meeting that pops up?).  

With the 5 tips I share in today's video, you will find you have some more time to be able to allow cooking to rise higher on your priority list than it has been lately.  :-)

I hope this helps!  Let me know in the comments below...will you be trying any of these tips or do you have any tips of your own to share?

In good health,

Tara

How often should you eat for weight loss?

Hey there,

If you are on a weight loss journey, you may be wondering how often you *should* be eating.

Is it 6 mini meals?

3 meals and 1 snack?

Three squares?

Check out my latest video to find out!  I'm also chatting about meal timing, frequency, metabolism, real foods, intermittent fasting, balancing meals, detoxing, and more.  :-)

Do you find these videos helpful?  Let me know!  Is there something else you'd like me to do a video on?  Drop that in the comments below!

In good health,

Tara

The 6 components of any successful weight loss program

The weight loss industry can be maddening!!

Am i right?!?

When you're looking for a coach or program to help you lose weight, you may be wondering what it is that you should be looking for.

Watch the video below to learn about the 6 components of any successful (sustainable!) weight loss program. Please do not go with something or someone that does not address all of these 6 pieces of the puzzle!

Here is some more information about my coaching program, Pioneer Fitness and Nutrition Coaching

In good health,

Tara

The 4 reasons you eat (yup, there are ONLY 4!)

When it comes to losing weight, you MUST treat the cause...or the results will be temporary!
— Tara

Here's the deal...diets are bandaids.  They are NOT getting to the root cause of why you are overweight.  They are NOT teaching you anything except for how to conform to someone else's rules for a set amount of time.  And?  The weight comes right back...and then some.

Boo!

But there's good news too...

There are ONLY 4 reasons why you ever eat.  You may eat for 2 or more of these reasons at a time, but it will ALWAYS fit into at least one of the following reasons:

1) Fuel.  You're physically hungry and want to fuel your body with healthy foods.  Cool!

2) Joy.  You want the pleasure of the way something tastes or the experience (social, usually).  This can be a glass of wine, some dark chocolate, or your favorite cupcake or ice cream.  There is a time and place for this in our lives.  Frequency of the indulgence should depend on your goals.

Goals are dreams with a deadline. Treat them as such.
— Tara

3) Distraction.  You really need a break or to veg out.  You think you deserve _______ (insert junk food here) because you've been working hard all week.  You find yourself at the bottom of a bag of chips and don't remember eating them all!  You will recognize this as feeling out-of-body - like you're in a fog while you're eating.

4) Numbing.  You're avoiding feeling sad, angry, bored, lonely, frustrated, stuck, powerless, etc.  This gets deep.  And, this one means that when you stop overeating, you will HAVE to start to accept feeling your feelings and not resisting them.  It takes us just as much energy to resist our feelings as it does to just feel them and carry on.  Wowza!  You will recognize this category as binge eating...lots of food in a small window of time.  It will feel as though it's out of your control.  But, it's not.  There's that good news I mentioned!

Once you become aware, things can start to change.  Awareness alone can be a powerful change agent.

Check out this live video I did on facebook last week all about this topic.

If you're feeling like you're ready for a change, let's make a change!  Consider me your tour guide.  Check out my customized, all-online (no appointments necessary), one-on-one coaching program - Pioneer Nutrition and Fitness Coaching.  ***This is only for those that are serious about making a change and who are ready to experience the added benefits of boosted energy, healthy emotions, and overall wellness that will come with their weight loss.

In good health,

Tara

P.S. Are you inside of my private facebook group yet?  If so, "see" you there!  If not, why not!? You will get a community of like-minded women, challenges to participate in if you wish, healthy recipes, and weekly workouts...all for FREE!  ;-)  Join us!