The body trash-talk antithesis

When you watched the ball drop on January 1st (or fell asleep on the couch just beforehand like me), I bet you had at least a few ideas about how you wanted this year to go. Now that we're halfway through 2022, how's it going so far? What are you most proud of? What might you need some help with in the second half of the year?



I want to take you through a VERY quick, but VERY powerful exercise if you'll indulge me. Grab a piece of paper and pen. Yeah yeah, the notes section in your phone is fine too.



I want you to write down 5-10 things your body did for you within the last 24 hours. 

• Did you carry all the groceries into your house in one trip (b/c what kind of a psychopath takes more than 1 trip, anyway??)?

• Did you pick up your kids or grandkids?

• Did you go for a walk or exercise?

• Did you have a long commute on a standing-room-only train?

• Did you simply sleep while your immune "army" came through and saved the day by helping you heal + repair?

• Maybe you felt the beat of your fav. song when it came on Alexa and you realized that, in fact, your hips DON'T lie.

Write down the first 5-10 things that come to mind. If they're flowing, keep going! If you're stuck, think outside the box. But you're not done until there's at least 5 things written down. Because I said so. ;-)


The point of this exercise is simple: when we feel gratitude for our body -- even just a tiny bit -- it becomes harder to trash talk it. Less trash talk = less disrespectful behavior like over-restriction or over-indulgence.


LMK how it goes!


If you've been feeling lately like something needs to change, you're not alone. So many women have been telling me lately that they're tired of the same patterns repeating. Tired of being confused AF about what to eat, when, how much. Tired of not having the energy to workout. Tired of feeling like their health is slipping. And tired of spending their days not feeling sexy + vibrant as they know, deep-down, is possible.



If you're nodding your head, THIS IS YOUR SIGN to learn how to finally stop doing weird things related to food and your body. When you know how you use and store different kinds of food, how to balance your plate, how to exercise without spinning your wheels, and how to tap into other practices that no diet has ever taught you about, you'll realize there's not that much that you can't accomplish with the right combo.



In September, I'll be taking another group through my 28-day course -- TRANSFORM: Body + Mind. I'd like to help you blow your own damn mind then. Whaddya think? Get more details and join the waitlist here. (Waitlist peeps will be getting a discount code when the cart opens.)



You can unlearn and learn SO much about your body in 28 days. It's enough to change your entire trajectory. Go make yourself a PFF breakfast (protein, fat, and fiber), think about it, and click the button below to join the waitlist if you're ready to put yourself first, finally.



XO,
Tara



P.S. Did you know that I send out a weekly newsletter with my top tips and resources around nutrition, exercise, metabolism, fat loss, mindset, longevity, and how to just feeling freaking amazing?? You can join the inbox party too —  right here.

Period Tawk / Cycle Synching

Let's talk about menstrual things ...

And if you are post-menopausal or someone who doesn't have a menstrual cycle, I'm getting to you guys too.



I've been chatting a lot on instagram lately about menstrual cycles and cycle synching because I decided to add a last-minute resource to TRANSFORM: Body + Mind all about it and since I'm trying to stay hip and share BTS (what the cool kids say for behind-the-scenes), I've been discussing it in my stories.



I also shared that I practice cycle synching related to fitness, nutrition, and some other lifestyle things too. That resource ended up being SIX PAGES because we women really are complicated, beautiful creatures! But I wanted to share a recap here with you in case you find it helpful.



HERE IS A QUICK RUN-DOWN of the 4 phases of our menstrual cycle. It's a bit more nuanced than that, actually. Technically speaking, we have 2 phases: follicular and luteal with our period and ovulation occurring within and overlapping with those 2 main phases. But it's much easier to think about it as 4 distinct phases when it comes to cycle synching, so that's how I'll be referring to it here.



During our period, it's often most natural to reduce workout intensity in the first few days but dial it back up towards the tail end as hormones and energy levels start to climb. Think about using slightly lower resistance but adding a few more reps to strength training workouts, reducing cardio pace, and incorporating longer rest intervals in a HIIT sesh. 


In the follicular phase, we are usually feeling stronger and can push the weights and pace a bit more. We tend to have more manageable hunger levels and can tolerate carbs and caffeine a bit more (more insulin sensitive).


During ovulation and the few days surrounding it, while we may notice PMS-like symptoms (such as mood changes and water retention), the surge in testosterone means we're usually at peak strength. This is a great time to lift heavier and maybe even go for a PR (personal record) if you're into that sorta thing. 


In the luteal phase, you'll likely notice a gradual drop off in energy and desire to be social. The same amount of tasks that you handled like a pro during your follicular phase might now seem extra overwhelming. As your energy dips, you can slightly decrease resistance and / or pace and / or increase rest time between sets as needed. We are slightly more insulin resistant in this phase and caffeine can trigger worsening PMS symptoms, so consider being extra intentional about eating enough carbs but NOT too much and cutting back on coffee or weaning to decaf during this phase. Metabolic rate is slightly elevated, so go ahead and nourish yourself well with PFF (protein, fat, and fiber) at every meal and carbs at 2ish meals per day. Most people need an afternoon snack as well.



What if you are post-menopausal or a man? Well, you have some more wiggle room! You can use some of these same strategies to cycle around just regular life. Feeling like pushing yourself more today? Go for it! Having a little less energy? Show up and be proud of just doing what you can and listening to your body.



That's it for now! Hope it helps you stay consistent but flexible as you act like a best friend to your body rather than a mean girl.


XO,
Tara


P.S. If you could use a meal plan that's already balanced with adequate amounts of protein, fat, and fiber in each meal plus carbs at 2 meals (a moderate carb approach), GRAB IT HERE. You'll get two, actually: a plant-based version and an omnivore version. Use the one you want or both if you'd like! Hope you enjoy.

Is it bedtime yet??

Sleep is boring.

I mean, most people enjoy sleep I think. They certainly enjoy the way they feel after they've gotten a a decent amount of shut eye. But the whole topic is so UNsexy.  It's not the new, promising tip we've never heard before that we crave. 



But it works. Annoyingly so.



How many less car accidents, fights with spouses, and "mom brain" moments would there be if everyone just got enough sleep every night? I'd argue a lot. 



But also ... sleep helps us make better choices, gives us energy to do things like exercise, cook, or even just take a nice walk during a work call. Quality sleep helps to balance our blood sugar, hormones, hunger, satiety, AND ramps up fat burning and muscle-building (which boosts metabolic rate).



Super annoying, right? Because that means in order to be the type of human you want to be in this world and make the type of progress you're after, you can't ignore your sleep habits.



So let's talk about a few of the biggest needle-movers:

1. Morning sun. Getting outside at close to sunrise as possible for about 10 minutes on a bright, sunny day and closer to 30 minutes on a cloudy day (without sunglasses!) is so powerful. Besides doing all kinds of other metabolism and mood magic, it shuts down melatonin production during the day (so you'll be more energized) and tells melatonin to start creeping back up closer to a reasonable bedtime. Not 2 AM when you finish episode 6 of the series, but the sleepiness will start to set in at a more natural time like 9 or 10.

2. Turn off bright, overhead lights a couple of hours before bed. Again, the bright light stop melatonin and asks it to return much later. So when you do this in the early part of the day, it's perfect. When you do this close to bedtime, you're shooting yourself in the foot.

3. No electronics before bed. Blah blah... you've heard this but it's worth repeating.

4. Sleep in a cool room.

5. No coffee within 8 hours of bedtime. I don't make the rules. I'm just a little messenger sent by your future self who really doesn't want to have trouble asleep or get lower quality sleep later tonight.

This week, I want you to focus most on number 1 as it's usually the most impactful and almost no one is doing this consistently. Will you do me a favor? Take a pic of your early morning view and tag me in it so I can see. It will help you stay on track and besides, I think everyone should know how important morning sun is even if we need to use a little FOMO to get there. ;-)



Most of you won't do this morning sun thing -- at least not consistently -- but for those who do, will you let me know how it goes after a week or two???



If fat loss, metabolism-boosting, and / or muscle-gaining is your thang, I cannot WAIT to share with you some details on what I've been working on! Check out TRANSFORM: Body + Mind deets and hop on the waitlist if it sounds like something you're interested in for the future.



Happy sunrise-chasing,
Tara

P.S. P.S. Last week I created a new, 3-day sample meal plan. It's balanced the PFF way ... with adequate protein, fat, and fiber at every meal and intentional carbs at some but not all meals. HERE IT IS. Enjoy!

Booty Building Goals??

Do you want to build a strong booty?

Most women I talk to these days mention that this a current goal. The best part of this goal is that while you're trying to fill out your jeans, you'll also be helping to prevent knee pain, improving your insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation, and boosting your metabolism up, even at rest.



So let's go for these goals!!! Here's how:


1) Train your glutes 1-2 times per week. Your glutes ("booty muscles") are made up of 3 muscles: gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, and gluteus medius. They all come together to give you a rounded, 3D shape. It's important to train them frequently enough that they stay under construction (in a good way). BUTT (pun intended), overtraining them is a terrible idea as they only actually repair, strengthen, and grow during rest. So stick with 1-2 challenging lower body sessions per week.


2) The right plan. Ideally, you are incorporating all the most important glute exercises into these lower body sessions and repeating them each time. The key is to dial up the intensity so that even if the workout is the same, you're increasing resistance, reps, or sets each time. 

Important to include:

• Hip hinges (like deadlifts)

• Hip thrusts / glute bridges

• Squats

• Lunges (particularly reverse lunges)

• Single leg step ups

• Abductions (like banded fire hydrants)

• Glute kickbacks (with a band or cable machine)

Check out my Lower Body 1 and Lower Body 2 highlights on instagram for complete and effective -- and FREE ;-) -- workout routines.


3) Eat to grow. The best and fastest booty building results will happen if you are eating in a calorie surplus. This means you'd be bringing in more calories than you are using up for a period of time (usually at least a few months) as you focus on growth. This approach will increase overall body size and usually increase body fat percentage a bit as well. So if that doesn't align with your goals, just plan on it taking longer to notice results. But it CAN be done in a calorie maintenance or slight calorie deficit. In other words, you CAN lose body fat all over and grow your glutes at the same time. It will just take a lot longer.



4) Protein. Regardless of whether you're in a calorie deficit, maintenance, surplus, or you have no idea which and don't care, you will need to be eating enough protein to give your body the building blocks it needs to create new muscle. Can't build a big, strong brick house without enough bricks, right?? Same idea. Shoot for .75g - 1g of protein per lb of body weight you feel most comfortable at per day.



5) Sleep. When you sleep long enough, well enough, and without a belly full of food, you will release a nice amount of growth hormone overnight. This growth hormone will help you heal, repair, and do some important immune surveillance. AND ALSO, it will help you rebuild your muscles stronger than before (but only if you're doing all of the above too).



So whaddya say? Are you growing a strong booty (and whole body, I hope!)???



Hope you find this helpful. Tag me in your workout and food pics on social so I can cheer you on.



XO,
Tara




P.S. If you need some help with eating to promote both fat loss AND muscle gain (the right balance, portions, etc.), THIS MEAL PLAN will take the guesswork out for you and give you a bunch of recipes to work through as you crush your goals. It's 2 meal plans, really, as I give you both the omnivore version and the plant-based version when you purchase. Hope you love it!

Your Ideal Body Weight

You'll lose more body fat eating 1800 calories than you will trying to eat 1200 calories.

Now, I hate calorie tracking (as you probably already know), so this is just to paint a picture here. SOOOOO many people I speak with are trying to eat an unreasonably low amount of calories and it backfires. Willpower is never a match for our biology. Biology. Always. Wins. What that means is that on your quest to eat 1200 calories, the nighttime snacks and weekend 'special occasions' get the best of you because you're HUNGRY and eventually will have to give in. And when you give in, you don't eat the same types of foods that you would (nourishing foods) if you just ate more of those at your meals instead.




Let's talk about your ideal body weight, because it's a topic that comes up a lot.



What IS it for you?
How do you know you're there?
How do you stay there?



Your ideal body weight happens when you are fueling yourself well throughout the day. Your cravings are in check (or more likely -- you don't have them anymore) so any indulgences are intentional, enjoyed, and never with a feeling of being out of control. 



Your ideal body weight happens when you are lifting weights 3-4x a week and walking daily.



Your ideal body weight is NOT AT ALL the weight you achieved once when you did a juice cleanse for a week before Cabo or after you had a lingering stomach virus.



Your ideal body weight was never achieved by cutting out entire food groups because an influencer told you to or dehydrating yourself for an event.



And your ideal body weight is not the weight you're at when you are using food and alcohol as a frequent vice because you're not sleeping enough, not resting enough, not setting boundaries, not taking some time for yourself, and / or not actively working on your emotional health. Food will very easily replace any of those things for many reasons (namely, hormones and neuromodulators) so skip any of the above and you might notice a bit of a struggle here.



So, if you want to reveal your "ideal body weight" to yourself (and no need to weigh yourself ... you'll just SEE and FEEL the shifts), do this stuff consistently:



1) Eat PFF (protein, fat, and fiber) at every meal. Carbs at some, but not all meals.
2) Strength train 3-4x per week.
3) Walk daily.
4) Sleep 7-9 hours.
5) Take rest days from intense exercise and rest time for your brain.
6) Set boundaries with others. Speak your mind in a respectful, but firm way. (Ahhhh ... feels like this could be its own blog topic, right???)
7) Take time for the things that relax you and bring you joy. Even just a little to start.
8) Work on your emotional health! Mindset, gratitude, self talk, internal healing, etc.



Your 'ideal body weight' is whatever it is when you're living what you consider to be your ideal life. It doesn't happen the other way around. And you will maintain that -- with some normal fluctuations -- by continuing to do the same things you did to get there in the first place. By this point, it should be a huge RED FLAG when you start thinking about doing something you cannot maintain. If you cannot maintain the process, you won't ever maintain the results.




If you need help with numero uno, I've created this Fat Loss / Muscle Building Meal Plan that takes all of the guess work out of your meals. Meal plans aren't forever, but if you want to focus on one of these other pillars and still nail the nutrition part all the while, this will be very helpful! (And, I can't wait to hear about the results you notice. I've had some pretty cool messages / emails from others who are feeling amazing after eating this way even after just a few days!!!)



If you need help with numero dos, I share my workouts everyday for free over on instagram. Let's workout together!



And if you're like, "Tara, I need help with ALL of it and then some!", then my 1-on-1 coaching might be the perfect next step for you. Leave a comment below and let's chat.




XO,
Tara

Why diets always fail ... but you think it's YOU

I just turned away a potential new client.

She is sweet and desperate and while I absolutely hate not being able to help, she just isn't ready for my coaching. Why? Because she's still looking for a 'diet' and not a lifestyle change. I know lifestyle change is a trendy catch phrase these days, but it actually means something -- health and habits above outcomes. When aspects of our day-to-day, nutrition choices, fitness routine, sleep, stress management tools, and longevity practices are done for the sake of improving our health on a cellular level, our metabolism begins firing at a more optimal level. Our hormones begin to regulate. Our moods are elevated and more stable ... so we stop turning to our vices (like Pringles or complaining) and start having the bandwidth to keeping pushing forward.



And guess what happens? Those body composition changes you've been chasing for months or years or decades start to happen naturally. Not because you gave up peanut butter. Not because you swore off all alcohol. Not because you allow only 1 "cheat meal" per week (Have I ever told you how much I cannot STAND the term cheat meal? Ugh. I'll save it for another day). No ... your body composition changes because that's what bodies do ... they adapt in accordance to how we live our lives. When we balance hormones, sleep more, nourish ourselves well, have real ways of dealing with our stress, and move our bodies effectively (not too much or too little), they get a bit stronger and leaner. It's not an uphill battle because you changed your life BEFORE you changed your body. When you try to do it in the reverse order (like every diet ever), it won't work or last.



The problem with diets -- as I hear from my clients, social media followers, friends, and family -- is that they are set up to work (mayyyyybe) Monday - Friday, 9 - 4 PM. But not during the week before or during your period. And not on vacations. And not on days when Margaret brought in munchkins for Pat's birthday at work. And not when you haven't had time to prep lunches for the week.



THEY. ARE. NOT. REAL. LIFE.



And yet, people continue to try and try because you need to do something, right?



What if that something is that you need to learn more about how your body metabolizes, uses, and stores food? What if you truly understood how each meal choice and exercise choice affected how you feel in the moment and in the hours to come, how your body responds, and whether or not it allows you to use up excess body fat or store excess body fat instead?



I think then you'd never need another diet again. Truly. There would be no need to eliminate foods or food groups (unless you're allergic or for another medical reason). And there would be no deprivation ... just you in the driver's seat with the music turned up and the windows rolled down making intentional choices that sometimes include having the thing and something include not having the thing. But YOUR brain makes that call now knowing full well the pros and cons of each, not just abiding by some list you took a screen shot of from the diet-of-the-week's handbook.




Diets fail because they are designed to work against our biology, not with it. Against our neuroscience, not with it. And what's worse is that for every diet you've tried, you've told yourself YOU are the failure, right? At least that's what most of my clients tell me. Think about that. Most women are 5, 10, 20 diets deep by the time they hit their 30s and 40s. That's 5, 10, 20 times that you told yourself that you "can't commit to anything", that you're "broken and hopeless", that you "will always be like this, I guess". Ugh! That's heart-breaking.



Let's turn this around. You know I'm not gonna leave you down in the dumps! YOU didn't fail any of those attempts. You simply tried things that were never meant to work anyway. Do some people find lasting success with this approach of eating less and less and exercising more and more? Yes ... about 5% of people. Though there is no data that I'm aware of that tell us how their hormones, stress levels, or quality of life is.



The answer is not another diet. Not even a diet masquerading as a lifestyle change (think: Noom). The answer is a TRUE lifestyle change where you understand that it will take a little time to unlearn all the B.S. you've been taught from the diet industry and society and while your body begins to repair itself from any metabolic damage that has occurred. If you want to lose 5 pounds in the first week, I can never and will never be able to help you. Not with a clear conscience, anyway. But if your goal is to optimize your health, body, mind, and life ... and allow science to do its thing over time (stronger, leaner, better digestion, better sleep, better sex drive...), then I hope you will join me live on Wednesday, May 11th at 8 PM, Eastern where I will be sharing my top strategies for mending your metabolism that you can implement right away to start feeling and looking your best WITHOUT a diet.



Sign Up Here -- it's free. :-)



Can't wait to see you there!



XO,
Tara

Is it really a fat loss plateau?

"I want to lose more body fat, but I've hit a plateau!"

Ahhhh ... those darn plateaus! Let's chat about it ...



Very often I hear from clients and regular ol' folks alike that they have hit a plateau and think they need to decrease their food intake in some way. While that is possible, it's certainly not probable. And that's good news b/c who the heck wants to cut out more food??



Before you start whittling down your portions and getting cranky, cold, and tired, run through this checklist. If the answer to any of these questions is "no", then THAT is where you need to be focusing in order to breakthrough your current plateau.



1) Are you sleeping 7-9 hours a night (at least 90% of the time)?

2) Are you eating 1g of protein for every lb of bodyweight where you feel the best? (In other words, if you weigh 250 pounds but feel your best at 150, you can aim to consume 150 grams of protein per day).

3) Are you strength training 3-5 days a week with the last few reps feeling hard to complete? And are you adding reps, weight, and / or sets week over week? (In other words, progressively overloading).

4) Are you walking daily and / or getting at least 5,000 - 6,000 steps everyday in total?

5) Are you taking 1-2 rest days a week? Ok to be adventurous / active those days, but no strength training, HIIT, or vigorous steady state cardio.



If you didn't answer yes to all of the above, that's your place to start. Stop reading the rest of this blog post so you're not tempted to move on to the rest. ;-)



But if you said yes to all of the above, let's move on. Here are a few things you can try next:



1) Get real with yourself. Have you really been sticking to the metabolic way of eating? Clients, this is your customized portion recommendations I gave you. Non-clients, the guidelines I suggest as a starting place are: 20-40g protein, 10-30g fat, and 5-15g fiber with each meal. Fruit or starchy carbs with 1-2 meals a day. (While this won't be everyone's best formula, it works like aa charm for most women, most of the time). Maybe there have been some extra snacks, unbalanced meals, more than just an occasional drink, handfuls of chocolate chips before bed (or is that just me)? Maybe you're forgetting to count that EVOO you roasted or stir-fried your veggies in as a fat? Maybe you're having fruit or starchy carbs with every meal or many portions in a meal? You might just need to dial the extras back a bit rather than think your actual meal guidelines need to shrink.


2) Fitness check. Are your workouts truly as effective as they should be? For strength training, this has nothing to do with how much you sweat or lose your breath and everything to do with how much you are pushing your muscles. When you finished that set of 10 squats, did you have maybe 1 or 2 left 'in the tank' that you could've cranked out if you had to? Or was it more like 10-20 more reps left in the tank? The former will get you incredible results via strength and muscle gain (and therefore, metabolism boosting all day, e'ryday). The latter isn't technically strength training. It's movement, but that's all. So add reps, weight, or sets to get to that near failure point.


3) Could you be overdoing the exercise? This can blow up in our face when it causes inflammation, cortisol spikes, thyroid and sex hormone imbalances, and lack of energy throughout the rest of your day. Besides your 3-5 strength sessions per week, you can add 1-3 QUICK HIIT sessions (about 5 minutes each) and a few steady state cardio sessions per week. But if you're the one who is lifting weights, doing a 60-minute spin class, and then running on the treadmill for 30 minutes and wondering why you feel like sh*t, this is your sign to cut back.



The suggestions about will help 98% of you continue making progress or breakthrough a plateau without letting your brain tell you the meal guidelines aren't working for you and trying to cut back to minuscule portions. But if they don't work and / or you'd like to be supported fully through the process, my 1-on-1 coaching program might be an excellent fit for you.



And if coaching just isn't in the cards right not, here's a meal plan you can start with that takes all the guesswork out for you. It's already balanced to the meal guidelines I outlined above and will help you feel better and notice some results as you work on making these changes a more permanent part of your lifestyle.



I can't wait to hear about how much you blow your own damn mind when you troubleshoot your way through your next plateau. ;-)



Until we meet again,
Tara

Ever feel deprived?

Have you ever felt deprived around food?

HERE'S THE REASON ... and how to start to move away from feeling that way so you can get on with your merry self and goals. :-)



As always, if you are in need of some help, simply hit "reply" to this email and let me know where you're struggling.



Happy day,
Tara

Are you a longevity nerd like me??

Do you geek out on all things health?

Me too! But... sometimes it feels like a never-ending mountain to climb with all of the recommendations and goals we have, right?



Where to begin? I discuss this in my latest (3 min.) video.



We’re never too advanced for the foundations! And the foundations (like nutrition, exercise, sleep, mindset ...) will be your biggest needle-movers! It’s why these things come first in my 1-on-1 coaching program ... with the Longevity Phase of the program at the end. 😉



But what if you’re already doing the foundations well and CONSISTENTLY? You’ve conquered healthy body composition goals, you move your body daily, you have a great relationship with food and your body, you’re sleeping well, and you have noticed a shift in your mindset / emotional resilience ....?



What’s next??


Well, the foundations forever! Seriously. 😜 And then some fun, more detail-oriented longevity-focused habits, tweaks, and experiences.



I talk up on my stories on Instagram a lot about breathwork, meditation, supplements, hot / cold, fasting, dry brushing, oil pulling, homemade charcoal toothpaste, natural products, mTOR, AMPK, mitochondrial health, grounding, 4th phase water, autophagy, apoptosis, circadian rhythm setting, etc. If that’s your jam too, set aside an hour or two each day to watch my stories. (Kidding! But they CAN get long sometimes. 😂😂)



And while I will be sticking to a lot of the foundations on my social media pages and right here in my newsletter because I believe strongly that it’s what is most helpful and most necessary, if you want me to include some more of this content here as well, let me know with a quick reply!



Please note: I do not represent any other brand but my own at this time. None of my posts or stories are sponsored. Could that change in the future? Maybe! But it will have to feel just right as a partnership for me to agree to it and so far, I haven’t had that feeling with any of the offers. 🤷‍♀️



So ... foundations first and most. Then room for the cherries on top. ;-). That's my take. What's yours?



XO,
Tara

Intuitive eaters vs. "fit pros"

Intuition? Scientific research? Which *should* be dictating our nutrition?



Both sides are a little wrong ... and a little right, in my opinion. Intuitive eating and the body positivity movement is BEAUTIFUL. And there’s much that can learned from scientific research and professionals on the other side of the spectrum. But until we can blend the two, we’re going to have a society full of people debating their way in the opposite direction of the deep health and vitality they’re actually after.


We learn. We practice. We build skills. And then we allow it to just become part of who we are. It gets more intuitive over time! Naturally. When we go at it with the right intentions in the first place.


It’s not a certain look you’re after. It’s the way you believe that look will make you feel (full of energy and life, confident, capable, strong, sexy). It allllll boils down to love and acceptance, if ya wanna get deep here. 😉 So if we skip the obsession with looks and focus on that health + vibrancy, we have this new North Star that never steers us wrong.


MORE ON THAT HERE.


XO,
Tara




P.S. If you need some help navigating this middle ground approach as you strive for optimal health, leave a comment below and let's chat about where you're at and where you'd like to go. :-)

Brain "reps"

What are "brain reps"?

Most people understand that in order to getting stronger physically, they will need to put in some work. Or, do the reps. No one is walking around saying they were born with a certain amount of strength and they can't improve it. That's silly, right?! We *know* strength can be improved in proportion to the amount you are challenging your muscles.



So why is it that many people think their mindset is fixed? Many people believe they were born with a low tolerance to be able to handle stress or a glass-half-empty attitude. But that's simply an underworked mind. Our mental and emotional strength + resilience will improve with 'more reps' just like our muscles do.




CHECK OUT THE LATEST VIDEO here (and please excuse the mention of Monday as this was recorded and shared with social media prior).




Why is this incredibly important? Well without mental and emotional strength + resilience, you will find yourself falling victim to any and all excuses, giving up easily, waiting for. motivation to show up, annoyed by the littlest things, seeking out vices (like extra food, alcohol, staying up too late) in an attempt to self-soothe, etc. Powerful stuff, right? It's the reason I focus so much on the the mindset piece with my clients. It's simply not addressed out there with other programs or coaches and it's why other things don't 'stick'.




Questions? Comments? I'd love to hear 'em!




Happy day,
Tara

You are too comfortable!

Are you too comfortable?

Ever think, "I'm ALWAYS putting myself LAST!"?? I'd like to invite you to think of that in a different way. Now, I'll warn you, THIS VIDEO is a bit tough love (with an emphasis on love). So if you're already having a day, maybe watch this one later. ;-)



I'd love to hear your thoughts! Let me know if this resonates at all.



Happy day,
Tara

Anxiety + your breath

Anxiety + your breath.

What is the connection, if any? Recorded a quick video about this on a recent run. So, don't mind my own breathlessness ;-) and CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HERE.



Our breath signals things to our brain, and our state of mind alters our breath. We have “top down” feedback loops as well as “bottom up”. Pretty incredible, intricate systems that are constantly working to try to keep us in a state of homeostasis.



What this means is that not only can anxiety change our breathing, but the way we breathe can also INDUCE or REDUCE feelings of anxiety. 🤯



Generally speaking, we want to be
1️⃣ breathing more slowly (less breaths per minute),
2️⃣ more deeply (we are rewarded with better gas exchange due to increased blood perfusion towards the bottom of our lungs), and
3️⃣ nasally (in AND out through our nose).



Just because we can breathe continuously on autopilot (thank you, nervous system 🙏🏼), it doesn’t mean that’s optimal. Taking a minute or 2 (or 5 or 10) a day to practice breathing is all you need to start to be more intentional and feel confident in this powerful tool you’ll have at-the-ready in times of need.



Do you have a breathwork practice? If not, do you plan to start playing with ventilation and respiration?

Testing my Blood Sugar...

IN THIS VIDEO I am doing something I only do every once in a while these days ... checking my blood sugar.



One of the ways I was able to reverse my PCOS and prediabetes was by testing my blood sugar very often several years ago when I first learned of my metabolic issues. In doing so, I was able to gather such useful information to help me figure out what my body needed (and what it didn't!) in order to optimize.



I don't believe everyone needs to be checking their blood sugar regularly at home, but if you or someone you know is having signs of -- or diagnosed -- metabolic conditions, this might be a very helpful step for you to consider. I'm not a doc, so I have to tell you to check with your doctor first ;-) or simply purchase one over the counter and study up on it.



Metabolic conditions may include or show signs such as PCOS, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, hanger, intense sugar cravings, frequent night wakings (we often think it's because we need to pee, but it's common for it to be blood sugar fluctuations that actually wake us up. And once we're up, we feel the need to pee.)



Questions? Always happy to answer!



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. ;-)

An ENJOYABLE health journey? Yup. For real.

It doesn't have to suck.

The journey, that is.



We don't have to be miserable "until _____". You've heard this before, right? Maybe you've even said this before?



I'll be happy when _______.
When I lose 20 pounds.
When I get that job.
When I get married.
When I get divorced.
When I have a baby.
When I can do a pull-up.

When everything is perfect.



But nothing is ever perfect and because we are these amazingly complex individuals who always have new goals on the horizon, it's important that we learn how to be happy now. How to enjoy the riiiiiiiide.




CHECK OUT THIS QUICK VIDEO for 3 ways you can make your health transformation journey more enjoyable right NOW.



I'm just BETTER when I'm enjoying myself. You too?



Hope you're making it a great week!



XO,
Tara

Controlling ONLY the controllable

Here's the biggest mistake I see people make on their health journey...

They focus on trying to control that which they can't, and hardly spend time controlling that which they CAN!



For example, no one can control what the scale will say and when. No one can control how your body will look at various stages of the process. And you certainly cannot control every bit of your moods, emotions, or motivation.



But that's totallyyyyyyy fine. Ya know why? Because those aren't the things that move the needle anyway. Stay in your lane, control ONLY what is controllable, and you'll get the results you are after.



CHECK OUT THE VIDEO below for more.



Hope you're having a great start to your week!



XO,
Tara

Coaching demo!

Tara + "Sara" ... a coaching conversation.

Today, "we" are demonstrating the S.T.E.A.R. Cycle that we chatted about in last week's newsletter. Don't worry if you don't know what I'm talking about -- I give a quick recap in THIS WEEK'S VIDEO.



Any questions? Want to run through a cycle or 2 with me as a sounding board? I'm here! Leave a comment below or email me at Tara@TaraAllenHealth.com :-)



Enjoy the day,
Tara

The S.T.E.A.R. Cycle

What if you had a trick to improve your MENTAL GAME so your health transformations would be more successful?

Enter.... The S.T.E.A.R Cycle. CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO to learn more about what it is. Stay tuned for next week's newsletter where I'll share a little role-play between "Sara" and me to show you how it plays out with old thought patterns and the new ones we're looking to replace them with.



Questions for me? Feel stuck? I'm an email reply away and will get back to you shortly. Tara@TaraAllenHealth.com



Happy day,
Tara

Does protein burn more calories?

Technically, it does! CHECK OUT THIS QUICK VIDEO where I explain the "Thermic Effect of Food" -- basically, how many calories it takes to digest each type of food we eat. You might be shocked at how different it is between the various macronutrients (fat, carbs, and protein).



And of course, if you have any questions or need some help with your own customized portions, I'm an email reply away. ;-)



Happy day
Tara