Some of us say we have certain goals, but don't actually know what it might entail to achieve said goals.
Some of us want what we want... while being comfortable the whole time and having an otherwise 'easy' life.
And others.... others do it differently. People who are successful at reaching their goals understand what it will take and they're willing to put in the work, even when no one is watching.
CHECK OUT THIS WEEK'S VIDEO for more about how most people end up inadvertently running away from their goals and how you can do exactly the opposite to finally make progress on yours.
XO,
Tara
P.S. Have you decided to end 2020 with some positivity? Maybe you are looking to get a bit leaner and healthier? Maybe you'd like to stop feeling so out of control around food and cravings? Maybe you want to finally commit to a home-based exercise program customized just for YOU.
And maybe you want ALL OF THE ABOVE (yeah....dream big!)
Did you know this is what I do for a living? I help all different kinds of people get from where they are right now to where they want to go. How? Through very targeted nutrition (never restrictive and always with room for FUN foods + drinks), a customized workout routine that can be followed from anywhere, and lots and lots of COACHING to get through the obstacles that derail most people -- time management, meal prep ideas, motivation, emotional eating, and lack of confidence that can make us feel less-than. If you've ever been curious about my 1-on-1 coaching program or would like to see details like the cost and some client before + afters, check it out!
If you're having some guilt thinking about investing into your health, consider this: My top priorities are family, health, and career. When I do a quick audit of my calendar and finances, these 3 priorities are VERY much reflected as such. Is health a priority of yours as well? Does your calendar and budgeting reflect this yet? If not, it may be time to reconsider whether or not it's a true priority.
Whether you and I ever end up working together or not, I look forward to the day when you email me back and tell me you've moved your health to a top 3 priority spot. I know you deserve it. And I know you're here to love others for a long time and do great things ... that deserves your health as well!
If you'd like to chat about how you can be well on your way towards your goals long before we pop the bubbly and say au revoir to 2020, you can sign up for a free call so we can make sure it's the right fit before moving forward. :-)
Fat Loss and Instant Gratification
Instant gratification...
We all want it. Our brain SEEKS it out. And yet, we're barking up the wrong tree when it comes to fat loss.
The answer isn't NOT to look for instant gratification on your fat loss / health journey. The answer also is not to look for instant gratification where the science tells us it's simply not possible.
So where SHOULD we be seeking out instant gratification?
LET ME TELL YOU!
Any questions? I'm a comment away. ;-) Happy Monday, you guys!
XO,
Tara
Saving money NOW so you can stay on top of the priority list
Money is tight for many people right now…
...and yet, more than ever we are reminded that we need to take our health into our own hands! We cannot wait for insurance companies to catch up with true health care, unfortunately. The time is now!
How are my longest clients managing to continue to pay me monthly for our important nutrition, fitness, and health coaching work during this current financial crisis?
I was curious. So I asked them. :-)
And the responses were pretty awesome! Maybe you have been looking for a sign that it's time to take the next step towards feeling INCREDIBLE and vibrant and fit and sexy. Maybe you've felt some guilt (as we do sometimes) about how to make room for a coach like me in your budget.
Or maybe it's just not in the cards for you and I to ever work together but you'd like to hear a few ideas about saving money in 2020 anyway!
Whatever the reasons that pique your interest, CHECK OUT THE VIDEO RIGHT HERE.
And if you think you're worth the $157 / month for a year so that you can feel fabulous and healthy indefinitely, here are the details of my customized, virtual (yay) coaching program. Simply hit reply to this email if you'd like to schedule a (free) time to chat some more.
XO,
Tara
P.S. Attn: MOMS…
I was recently interviewed for this piece about motherhood lessons. "Inner Beauty" is where you can find my response, but check out the whole article. It's such a beautifully written, thoughtful article.
Link: https://circlearound.com/post/15-moms-share-what-motherhood-has-taught-them
Low insulin vs. calorie deficit for fat loss...
Low insulin vs. calorie deficit for fat loss...
Which one is actually more effective?
You might be surprised to learn that one does seem to matter a lot more than the other to achieve your fat loss goals. CHECK OUT THIS QUICK (3 min.) VIDEO to hear more.
What questions do you have about your goals? Leave a comment and I'll be happy to help. :-)
Happy Tuesday,
Tara
You're not stuck because you're UNDEReating
You're not in starvation mode.
Look, it sounds good, right? If we don't eat enough our body holds onto every last morsel of food and we go into starvation mode -- unable to lose anymore body fat.
But it's simply not true.
Due to the society we live in, it's quite a blow to our ego to admit to ourselves that we are overeating. It feels much more gentle to say you're undereating and that's stopping your progress. But I think the bigger blow to our egos come when we are chasing the same goals year after year without seeing progress.
If I locked myself in the basement for a week with no food, I wouldn't weigh the same. I'd have lost quite a bit of weight! Some of it would be water weight, some fat, and some muscle due to the rapid nature of the weight loss.
You can certainly down-regulate your metabolism by undereating, but not enough to stop seeing progress. What's more likely is that your body requires less fuel than you think it does... or on average, you're overeating or eating to maintain your body just as it is now without reaching those fat loss goals. This is VERY common with 'weekday dieters'... the ones that hardly eat anything Monday through Friday and then overdue it on the weekends so much so that they have negated any kind of deficit they had been in.
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO for more and then reach out to me if you have any questions. I'm here and I'd love to help. you. :-)
Happy Tuesday,
Tara
4 years to your dream body?!
Did you go to college or do you know someone who has?
You know that thing you - or they - did where they committed to 4 years or more knowing there would be no tangible results until graduation?
There was no gradual payout system where you'd start making a little bit of your desired salary while still in school.
There was no money given back if you didn't succeed by your own hard work and consistency.
You were expected to show up and keep showing up.
Now let's think about your health and body goals...
Do you want to start seeing or feeling results shortly into a new program, diet, fitness routine? You'll only continue on if you are getting results on the timeline you want, right? So if you have to work hard for a month or two and are not getting immediate and rapid results....you, what... throw in the towel?
Image you did that in college? By month 1 or 2 you didn't have your degree yet, so you quit.
Our health and bodies are worth AT LEAST the amount of time, attention, money (all the things!) that you spent on college. Our health and bodies are worth showing up day after day even if the results aren't coming as fast as you want them to. Do you agree?
Come join me in my car as I discuss this a bit more. ;-)
XO,
Tara
P.S. You know what you get with me...and it's never a hard sell. I don't want to do that to you, but mostly, I don't want any clients who aren't motivated enough to seek me out. I don't want to convince anyone that they're ready for a change. If it takes convincing, it's not a good fit for my coaching style and program. Rather, someone who is ready to put in the work (EAGER even, albeit nervous) will soar in my program. Someone who has been thinking about working with me already, but keeps putting it off. Someone who is attracted to the slow and steady, work your butt off and feel like an absolute badass and role model at the same time vibe ... those are the ones that start coaching with me and optimize their entire lives, not just their health and bodies.
All that to say that I'm here. Even though I don't send you 42 sales emails a week. Even though I'm not tracking what pages on my website you visit so I can sneakily follow up by serving you an ad later on. ;-) If there's something about my emails, videos, or social media posts that resonate with you, it's probably because we feel similarly about how we want to rock this life of ours. I'll never be knocking on your door, but I will always leave mine open for you to walk through when you're ready. I'm UNBELIEVABLY passionate about helping you glow.
Here's more info on my 1-on-1 nutrition / fitness / health coaching program.
And book a free call right here if you've read through that and are ready to get started!
Calorie deficits... a misnomer?
Are calorie deficits a real thing?
Well, sort of. But also not really.
LET ME EXPLAIN.
Questions? Simply shoot an email to tara@taraallenhealth.com to get right into my personal inbox!
XO,
Tara
Track THIS!
Heyyyyy there! I know it's tempting to want to tally calories or macros. You might like to track all the details of your workouts. Or maybe it's points you're used to adding up?
Some of those things can be helpful for certain people, but I'd like to share what I believe is helpful for EVERYONE on a health / body transformation journey and why it should be the first thing (and maybe only thing?) you track.
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO and get ready to implement this simple yet effective metric to track that has the potential to turn everything around for you!
XO,
Tara
P.S. Are we friends on social? If so, you may have seen me mention that I will be increasing my 1-on-1 coaching prices very soon. I've made lots of upgrades to the program and it's time to restructure the investment as well. That being said, I want to extend you the opportunity to jump on and be grandfathered (or grandmothered?) in at the lower rate as a thank you for hanging out with me here on my email list.
Here are the details of the program.
For 2 more weeks I will be extending the lower rate if you simply mention this blog post. That's $30 off per month!
If you are ready to optimize your health, body, and finally feel amazing in your skin and in your life, let's do it! Schedule a free call so we can dive into details about your goals and set a start date. I can't wait to work with you!! :-)
Pleasure + Pain (and how to tap into their potential to change your habits)
Pleasure + Pain (nope, not a kinky email. Don't worry!)
Did you know that we are wired to seek out pleasure and avoid pain? That means some interesting things happen in the presence of either. IN THIS VIDEO I explain why this matters to anyone interested in optimizing their health and habits. More importantly, I tell you exactly how to start using this to your benefit!
Do you plan to start utilizing this strategy? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
XO,
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
Does your reason matter when it comes to weight loss?
I had this client once, I'll call her "Mary". Mary was really excited to be starting fresh on her health journey after years of feeling out of control with food. She tried all the diets and they all ended the same way for her - with a week-long binge after all that restriction. Mary found my instagram page after seeing a comment of mine on a mutual friend's post. Funny how things work out, isn't it?
But anyway.... Mary told me more about her story on her initial phone consultation. She mentioned that she had a certain, specific weight loss goal in mind. In fact, she told me that she weighed herself every morning despite the fact that it usually ruined her day. When I dug in there a bit, we discovered that by focusing on the scale weight, even normal day-to-day fluctuations would derail her progress. If the scale hadn't moved (or went up), she often moped around for the rest of the day. She made very different food choices because of her frustration and lack of self-confidence for the rest of the day.
Thankfully Mary became a client and agreed to slowly shift her focus away from the scale and onto her bigger goals: feeling athletic again and having more energy to get her through the day. Why was that the thing that changed Mary's trajectory? Well, they had nothing to do with the scale. The scale could be up, down, the same, or in the garbage and as long as she was focused on "feeling like an athlete again" (her words) and taking actions that brought her better energy, then she had something to keep her going.
Is this something that might help you? CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO for more!
I'm here if you need me.
XO,
Tara
Your muscles or your life?
What's your choice -- strong, fit, healthy body and energy... or a long life?
I know. I don't wanna make that choice either! Luckily there are ways that science tells us we can achieve both, even though these goals can be considered at odds with one another, traditionally.
IN THIS VIDEO I chat about why they are at odds with one another and what I'm currently doing to chase both goals. I hope you'll learn something, but more importantly, I hope you'll find excitement in all the cutting edge research that's being done telling us -- in greater detail -- how we can take our health into our own hands.
The video happened live last week, but the offer still stands. Any questions? Anything you'd like to chat about? I'm a quick email away. Tara@TaraAllenHealth.com
Happy Monday!
XO,
Tara
Goodbye, curves!?
Bye bye, curves!?
At least that's what she was afraid of when she asked me whether or not she's lose her shape as her fat loss journey continued.
Is there some truth to that? Yup! But there is also a bit that's in your control. CHECK OUT THIS QUICK (6 min.) VIDEO for all the curves + fat loss details.
Is this something you're concerned about as well? Let's chat about it so you feel more confident about your strategy. Shoot me an email - tara@taraallenhealth.com - to get right into my inbox. :-)
Happy day,
Tara
4 steps to optimize body recomposition
Sometimes it doesn't matter what order you do things in.
Curious... do you floss first and then brush or brush first and then floss? I always floss first because I feel like I can brush away the junk then at the end. But, a dentist did tell me once that the order doesn't actually matter for general oral hygiene purposes.
But when it comes to changing your body composition, the order does matter! Nothing bad will happen if you go out of order, but you certainly won't be optimizing your results.
So what's the order? If any of your goals include fat loss / weight loss or muscle growth, CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO for the 4 steps.
Which one of these do you need the most help with? Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know. I'd be happy to create extra content around the area that the most of you need some guidance on. :-)
It's the last day of June! March felt like 4 months, April like 3, and May and June felt like a half a month combined. Just me? Regardless, a new month is always a great opportunity to reset and be intentional about some new habits. I'm here to help.
XO,
Tara
The world is reeling...
The world is reeling...
Twenty twenty has been off to an interesting start, to say the least. And as we're pushed beyond the sharp edges of our comfort levels in what seems like ALL areas, we must choose to learn and grow from it all. Without that very deliberate and often tricky decision, we will merely wallow in self-pity and sorrow for others. Rather than wallow, let's let it in, feel it, and move through it.
Let's move to awareness.
Listening.
Action.
Hope.
Help.
Community.
Momentum.
Resilience.
Strength.
In all areas. In all we've been experiencing.
And if you know anything about me, you know I'm the biggest believer that everything starts with us. If we are taking care of our physical and mental health, we are able to focus on our needs and the needs of our family, friends, and community.
If we are energetic and vibrant and confident, our voices get a little louder. Our hobbies creep back in. Our family sees more smiles out of us. We stand up for what we believe in. If we are healthy and glowing, we can be better leaders, more productive, calm and kind. We can volunteer. We can take an extra few minutes to give the better answer to our kids' complicated questions. With greater health comes greater capacity - we can love all over others.
Today, I want to remind you of this one thing: taking care of your physical and mental health so you can be that elevated version of yourself is something you get to have power over right now.
So while some will say this is not the time to focus on you, I offer the opposite perspective. This is not the time to take the focus OFF of you as you are needed now more than ever, regardless of how that is showing up in your life. This year has rocked our worlds - every single one of us. I know you're needed. Whatever your role, do it with magic. And how can you be magic when you don't feel magical?
Upgrade your habits one by one.
Sleep, seriously. Please sleep.
Eat well, balanced, and not more than your body needs. Most of our chronic disease comes from excess.
Move your beautiful body.
And learn some tricks for dealing with stress. You might be 'Type A' like me or easily wound-up, but you can teach yourself to become much less reactive through mindfulness and breathing protocols. It's a change worth making. I promise.
If you need help with the specifics of any of this, let me know. I'm here to help YOU.
Peace + love,
Tara
P.S. Come say "hi" on Instagram. I was muted & listening for a week to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter as I shared resources and many beautiful voices and perspectives of people of color. And now I'm back doing what I do best - focusing on healthy bodies and minds for everyone. I share my workouts, tips, recipes, and answer every single (appropriate) DM. I'd love to connect with you over there.
Breathing and Fat Loss.... Connected?
Your breathing + your fat loss efforts...
...they may be more connected than you realize.
IN THIS VIDEO I get into the specifics of fat metabolism as it relates to the way you breathe. But it would be boring if I stopped there, wouldn't it? So I'm sharing some very specific and actionable ways for you to optimize both as well. Watch the video...or just listen -- you don't need to see my talking head. ;-)
I'd love to hear from you... will this change the way you think about your breathing? Leave a comment and let me know.
Be well!
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
Stubborn Weight Loss?
There's weight loss....and there's STUBBORN weight loss.
You know the kind, right? It's often the last 5 pounds as opposed to the first 5 pounds. It's when you feel like you've tried everything, but nothing works or lasts (even though it seems to work for everyone else!).
Bad news, good news. Bad news first? Ok.... there isn't anything different about the way your body works.
Ready for the good news? There isn't anything different about the way your body works. ;-) We all have very different energy needs, for sure. This depends on how much and how hard you exercise, how much you move between workouts, your age, your body size and composition, your dieting history, thyroid function, etc. BUT, there is one common set of rules for EVERYONE: If you take in less energy (calories) than your body requires for fuel, you will lose body fat. If you are not losing body fat, you are not in an energy deficit for YOUR body. That may mean you're not losing weight on 1500 calories a day, but your friend is losing on 2000 calories a day. Super frustrating, right? But the same principles apply. Their body simply requires more calories to function on a day-to-day basis than yours does. (If we knew for sure that the calorie tracking was accurate - which it's nearly always not. But that's a different story).
What about the people that tell you you're gaining weight because you're UNDEReating? Not true. It's nice to think about, but it's simply not true.
Now, can you get yourself up to the point where your body does burn more calories everyday so you can maintain or lose more body fat while eating more calories? YES! That's a process called reverse dieting and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have about that.
But let's stick to the science here, ok? Losing body fat requires an energy deficit so that your body is required to make up the additional calories it needs by taking it off of your stored body fat. Your stored body fat contains calories / energy... just like your food! If you want to decrease body fat, you need to use it up. That's how it 'goes away'.
I got into this even more in last week's live video. Check it out here.
Here is some more information about my online coaching program - including cost and before / after pictures.
And if you'd like to chat to see if we're the right fit to work together, schedule a call here! Looking forward to hearing about your goals so we can devise a plan for how you can CRUSH THEM. ;-)
Hope your week is off to a great start.
XO,
Tara
You cannot control the scale. Here's the work-around. ;-)
You have no control over the number on the scale.
Let's just get that disappointing fact out of the way. You can do everything according to plan and wake up to a higher number. You can go off the rails and wake up to a lower number. There will always be fluctuations that are very much out of our control - water retention, sodium levels, hormones, bathroom habits... there are many outside factors!
So, when we focus on something that is not exactly in our control, we get frustrated. We try to control it more only to realize that no matter what, weight loss goals OR weight gain goals will never be a linear process. The frustration and feeling of being out of control messes with our head and ultimately leads to us throwing in the towel. Why strive for something we're not able to control anyway, right? Ugh!
But there is a better way. ;-)
We DO have control over our consistency. We should be tracking our consistency with precision and laser-focus. Here's how it works: you have ONE nutrition and fitness goal for each day. They need to be things you can easily say you either did or did not do at the end of the day. Then, you track whether or not you did those things each day.
That's it! Not bad, right? Grab a journal, notebook, wall calendar, or use your phone. Simply circle the days you hit both goals and mark an 'x' for the ones you. missed one or both of the goals. Looking back, you should have at least 80% consistency. If you are at least 80% consistent and patient (you wait at least 4-6 weeks), you will absolutely notice results if your plan is a good one.
Rinse and repeat. Tweak as necessary. Enjoy your newfound freedom and confidence from finally reaching those health + body goals. ;-)
Enjoy your week!
P.S. Do you need help with a customized plan so you know exactly what to be working on? Might you benefit from having accountability from a coach to help you stay on track and be consistent? That's what I do! I help clients (virtually) with health, nutrition, and fitness. It's an all-in-one program and is completely customized to your needs and your goals. I've had many new clients start with me since quarantine started because they tell me they are more conscious of their health and have no more excuses since they can workout at home and don't have the usual temptation of driving by the fast food places anymore. If you are ready to start feeling confident, fit, strong, and vibrant by summer, I'm ready to help! I've shifted things a bit and am opening up a handful of new 1-on-1 coaching opportunities for this month.
Learn more about the program here.
Then, schedule your (free) 15-minute consultation here.
Can't wait to speak with you and help you achieve those goals that you've had for so long!
XO,
Tara
My Immunity Plan during COVID-19 and Beyond...
My Immunity Plan - Pandemic 2020 and beyond...
A few of you asked me over on social media what I'm doing to keep myself as healthy as possible during this time.
It's a fair question, even though what I'm doing might not necessarily be exactly what you need to be doing. And, even though there's not nearly enough research out yet about this virus to let us in on specificities.
But ya know what the best news is? It's never a bad idea to optimize your health, body, and immunity. So while I'm not obsessing over doing these things to prevent getting sick, I am focusing on making my health a priority now and moving forward.
Check out the video right here.
I'd love to hear from you. How's it going in your quarantine neck of the woods?
XO,
Tara
What's been happening on social?
Box O' Blocks Workout
Health-promoting responsibility to others?
Beginner vs. advanced resistance band workout
Home HIIT workout
Little Yellow Chair Workout
Kettlebell workout
Chocolate Protein Mug Cake Recipe
Shoulder workout
Stoics and a quarantine epiphany