When I was in college, I got into distance running with my roommate. I had always struggled with carrying my extra fat around my midsection, and when I started training, I remember thinking I would be soooo skinny after I finished the half-marathon I signed up for.

Before the race, one of my high school friends I hadn't seen in years called me up and we were chatting about the race. I'll never forget when she asked me if I was "super skinny" now with all that running.

Hmmmm. I realized I looked the same as I always had.

Now, it's not all about looks of course, but if you want the fat off your midsection, you want your program to be effective, right? And mine clearly wasn't.

Ironically, that didn't make me question cardio for weight loss...at that point.

And I'm not against cardio at all, but I do think by itself it isn't the solution to losing fat.

I explain why in today's episode, so click below to listen😊

-Rachel

Free Workout Template

Getting enough protein for weight loss and strength training can be a CHALLENGE! Especially if you are a busy mom and just plain eating meals can be a struggle.

I get it-I remember juggling multiple babies and toddlers at once and there being times when my kids scraps were what I ended up eating. Much less a good source of protein!

Even if you aren't in that boat right now, getting enough protein can still be a struggle-especially if you are strength training for fat loss.

Realistically, a good starting point for most women is about 100 grams per day of protein, but this can seem impossible to achieve.

In today's podcast episode, I share 3 strategies that I use to meet my protein goals (which is about 130-150 grams of protein per day).

Today's episode goes into detail about these 3 tips, and I hope that these help you meet your protein goals!

Enjoy!

-Rachel

Simple Guide To Fat Loss Without Counting Calories

P.S. Struggling to put everything you are learning about strength training and nutrition together? Consider working with me. You can set up a discovery call here to chat with me about how I can help you.😊

Most of us that have ever had a baby notice that we still have a tummy even after delivery.....sometimes a long time after delivery. Some of that is extra fat of course, but some of it is actually a sign of a weak core!

And that's what we are talking about on today's podcast episode. In today's BONUS episode, I'm interviewing Dr. Jena Bradley, host of The Fit Postpartum Mom Podcast, mom of four, and a Physical Therapist with a passion for helping women lose the "mom pooch" and strengthen their core.

Dr. Jenna helps moms feel empowered to live that "fit mom" lifestyle easily amongst the chaos of motherhood so they feel strong and confident in their own skin.

In this episode we talk about why moms get a "pooch", why core strength is so important (especially for strength training), and where to get started with strengthening you core.

Listen to the episode now!

-Rachel

P.S. Want more resources for improving your core strength? Dr. Jena has some free resources to share:

Watch Postpartum Abs 101: How To Safely Start Postpartum Ab Exercises in Less than 2 Minutes A Day https://livecorestrong.com/class

Get started with Dr. Jena’s 30-day postpartum ab workout challenge

https://livecorestrong.com/postpartum-ab-challenge/

I've been saying for a looong time that I was going to start a Facebook community for us...well, I finally did it!

I want to invite you to join the Strength Training & Weight Loss for Moms Community!

I love podcasting, but I also really want to be able to interact with YOU. This group gives us a perfect way to do that!

And, to start us off, I'm also inviting you to join me in a 7 day protein challenge!

Most of us struggle to eat enough protein, so this challenge will encourage all of us to eat more protein.

The challenge will start THIS FRIDAY, November 8.

And...the most engaged member will win a prize!🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

Challenge details will be in the group😊

Click here to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/strengthtrainingformoms

-Rachel

Ever been curious about doing a season of muscle gain?

If you are confused right now, let me introduce you to "the seasons". I talk about them a lot on the podcast.

I take a seasonal approach to fitness. This means that I'm not aimlessly dieting until I reach some illusive end goal...I have different goals for different seasons of my life and my workouts and eating plan flow between these seasons.

I do this because I've realized that having shorter term seasons helps me achieve my goals. Who wants to eat in a calorie deficit forever? Not me!

So here's a run down on the seasons (I go into detail inside the podcast episode):

1. Fat loss. This is where your primary intention is to lose fat. For this season you eat in a calorie deficit.

2. Maintenance. This season can have a few different intentions that I discuss in the episode. For this season you eat at maintenance.

3. Muscle gain. This is where your primary intention is to gain muscle. For this season you eat in a calorie surplus.

Intrigued by this? Wondering if you are ready to enter a season of muscle gain?

Listen to the episode to find out!

-Rachel

P.S. If you want to start a season of fat loss by working with me, you can set up a discovery call here to chat with me about how I can help you.😊

We all know that despite our best efforts, sometimes our week derails and we don't meet our fitness goals.

We miss a workout (or 3!), we eat off plan or emotionally eat, and just plain have an "off" week.

When that happens (notice I said when, not if), you usually have 2 choices:

1. Give up, let it snowball and let your feelings control your actions; or

2. Have your moment, then get up and move forward.

One of the best ways to get better at being consistent is to "fail forward".

Acknowledge that failure is part of the process, and practice getting up and back on track. It's skill you learn, and you have to practice.

Did you struggle this week? Listen to this episode and I hope it encourages you to fail forward. 😊

-Rachel

Want to get started losing weight? Start here.

Hey Mamma!

Can I tell you something?

You don't have to follow a new diet to lose weight.

You don't have to cut out food groups, only eat at certain times, or demonize certain foods.

I was so tired of trying the newest diet craze-you know what I'm talking about, it could be keto, carnivore, paleo-and trying for a few months only to realize it doesn't work with my life and end up back to square one, only a few pounds heavier and extra discouraged.

Anyone else been there? 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️

So here's what I'm suggesting instead.

(Side note-none of this is revolutionary. Because often, the simplest answer is the best, but it doesn't make it easy).

These are simple, science based tips that, if implemented well, will help you lose fat.

You ready?

In today's podcast episode, I'm sharing 4 ways to lose weight if you are tired of doing all the things and none of them are working.

Just start here.

Step 1: Prioritize and Organize. You MUST get your priorities straight. This is the number one thing people miss. I'm not just talking about "just do your workout" here. Listen to the podcast episode for more details.

Step 2: Strength train twice a week. This is a great starting point, and where most of my clients start. If you need help with this, check out my free Strength Training Template for Beginners to help you get started.

Step 3: Eat 1-2 cups of veggies at lunch and dinner. I know, I know, its almost too easy, but do you eat this many veggies? There's lots of reasons why this helps that I cover in the podcast episode.

Step 4: Eat more protein. Another easy one that people miss. There's also several reasons why this specifically helps with weight loss that you can learn in the episode-in addition to a practical starting point for you.

So there you have it. This is a fantastic starting point for beginners, and when you are tempted to try the next fad diet that promises the answer to all your problems, why not give this a try for a month instead?

Let me know if you do, and listen to the podcast episode for all the details on these steps!

-Rachel

P.S. Ready to cut to the chase and get started? Join my 1:1 coaching program to get where you want to be without having to figure it all out on your own. You can set up a discovery call here to chat with me about how I can help you.😊

Listen in on this really insightful conversation I have with one of my coaching clients, Annette.

She is new to my program and we discuss what is realistic for her in terms of inches lost and weight loss, plus other measures of success.

Enjoy!

-Rachel

Want to get started? Here's a FREE workout plan.

Want results faster? Start here.