10 Reasons Your Diet Isn’t Working
February 21, 2023
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Nothing is working and you’re frustrated. At the end of the day, you just want to get your energy back or maybe lose that 10 lbs that has been hanging on as long as you can remember.
I get it, I’ve been in your shoes before.
Believe it or not, my friend there is an answer to your problems. I can’t tell you the specific answer (you’ll understand why later) but I can tell you there are a number of reasons that it’s not working.
In fact, I pulled together 10 reasons that diet isn’t working.
Let’s start there on today’s podcast.
10 Reasons Your Diet Isn’t Working
Number 1: You’re dehydrated
Often one of the biggest changes my 1:1 clients and I make right away is upping their water intake. When you are dehydrated, your body can’t flush out the toxins it needs to. Give yourself an extra boost of water for a few days and see if you notice a difference, you’ll be amazed!
Number 2: You are focusing on quantity over quality.
Sure, tracking macros and calories is a great thing to do. At the end of the day, weight loss technically comes down to calories in and calories out… but when you’re eating 1600 junk calories vs. 1600 nutritional calories, that can play a big role in how your body responds. How much nutritional value is in the food on your plate?
Number 3: Are you really sticking to your diet as much as you say you are?
Gut punch, I know.
If you are saying “just a little bite here, or I’ll finish my kid’s pb&j here,” time over time this adds up. There is NOTHING wrong with this approach in being flexible with what you eat, but it will not necessarily bring on results as fast as you would like.
Try using a food journal for a week and see how many little snacks you’re fitting in. You might be surprised.
Number 4: Fast food is still junk food.
There is this myth that getting a grilled chicken sandwich from a fast food place is a healthy choice. Is it a better choice? Yes, is it a good choice? Eh.
Take Chick-Fil-A for example, at the time of recording this podcast, a grilled chicken sandwich with a bun has over 60 ingredients. At least 30 of those are in the chicken. Oh and that doesn’t include any condiments.
A conversation I have regularly as a nutrition coach is to really pay attention to your fast food intake. There’s nothing wrong with fast food once in a while, but if you find yourself in a chick-fil-a drive-through more than once a week it’s time to re-evaluate.
Number 5: You’re not eating enough protein
Protein and fiber are what are going to keep you full for longer, this will result in less snacking and a more filling meal. No matter what diet people say they’re doing, I will always go back to vegetables and protein.
Track your protein for a few days and see where you end up. Where can you increase it?
Number 6: You are averaging less than 6 hours of quality sleep a night.
Sleep, movement, and nutrition all go hand in hand. A poor night’s sleep can lead to
- Poor decisions
- Your body not responding well to what you eat
- Lack of movement
- Overall not feeling great
Number 7: You’re eating too much sugar
Similar to talking about quality vs. quantity, it’s important to realize just how much sugar you’re eating on a daily basis. We’ve talked in depth about how much sugar you should eat before, but just paying attention to food labels can be very eye-opening. The average American eats 24 tbsp of sugar a day, most often without even knowing it.
Number 8: You’re not moving your body.
As we discussed in number 6, sleep movement, and nutrition all go hand in hand. You can eat all of the healthy food in the world but if you aren’t getting some movement in, you’re not going to see the results you want.
Number 9: You’re only focusing on cardio.
Okay, okay, I am not a certified personal trainer, but calling from experience only focusing on cardio will only get you so far. Branch out, try some weights, yoga, or something else to keep your body moving in different directions. Sometimes that little shift can make a big difference.
Number 10: It’s not custom to you.
Fad diets are just that. Keto, paleo, intermittent fasting, etc. There is a reason they work for some and not others. We are all individual people therefore our nutrition should be individual to us.
No diet will work if you are not familiar with how your body works with different types of food. In my Best Self Method, our first step is always research so we can figure this out together.
I promise my friend, there is a way to see the results you want. Take a step back and look at these ten options, where are you struggling the most?
ABOUT ME
Hey There, I’m Kristin, a holistic nutrition coach helping busy moms simplify healthy eating to increase their energy levels and rebuild confidence in themselves.
I Failed At My 2022 Goals – Here’s What You Can Learn From It
January 3, 2023
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When I look back on 2022, it was a year of lessons.
Good ones and hard ones. New Year’s resolutions come with a feeling of excitement. It’s a fresh start in the day-to-day world that we live in. However, as you see people preaching, “set your resolutions” or “what are your goals,” it’s important to reflect on the year prior. What worked and what didn’t?
In today’s podcast episode:
- I am reflecting on the goals I missed and the lessons I learned.
- We talk about my word for 2023.
- Most importantly, I’m sharing my take on how YOU can learn from my failures.
We touch a little bit on goals throughout the episode, but to dig more into setting achievable goals, don’t miss episode 12
Know Your Body 101
It’s easy to rely on that third cup of coffee to power you through the afternoon, but what about the season of life you are in? Spend three weeks understanding the food you eat and how it affects your energy levels, and get away from feeling hungover and relying on that third cup of coffee.
ABOUT ME
Hey There, I’m Kristin! I coach women to make small changes in their daily nutrition to become the best version of themselves.
Holidays, Conversations, Family, Food, Stress & More
November 24, 2022
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A holiday involving food inevitably brings up the conversation around diets, weight loss, and what’s “healthy.”
You know the conversations I’m talking about… “you’ve lost weight, what are you doing? My brothers sisters best friends neighbors did xyz diet, you should try it, etc”
As part of this list, chances are at some point you have been in a season of life where you are focusing on your eating habits. Whether you are in that season or not right now, you do not have to join in these conversations.
Nutrition should be custom to your needs, not someone else’s.
Let’s talk today on the podcast about handling these situations.
The beauty of the human body is that we all respond to food differently.
Instead of joining in the discussion of what diet to do in January… spend your day eating the food on your plate, knowing that you are working towards what is best for you and your body.
Just because that family member encourages you to try a diet, does not mean you have to join in the conversation.
How To Respond When Asked About Your Food Choices:
- “I’m glad you’re seeing results; I’m currently focusing on what is best for my body.”
- “I appreciate the conversation, but I’m not on a diet; I’m focused on the long term.”
- “Great for you! I’ll be here to cheer you on as you continue on your health journey.”
TLDR, you do not need to engage in the diet talk with family if you don’t want to. Just because you’re looking out for yourself, doesn’t mean you need to give those quick fixes the time of day.
I have an important question for you: What food are you most excited to eat this week?
ABOUT ME
Hey There, I’m Kristin! I coach women to make small changes in their daily nutrition to become the best version of themselves.
Your Health Shouldn’t Wait Until January
October 27, 2022
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“I’ll start in January” is one of the most common phrases I hear these days.
This week I am sharing my story of eating 16-20 cookies on December 16th and weighing in for a fitness contest on December 17, 2013. While it might seem crazy, this moment changed everything for my long-term health journey.
It started with little changes and little habits to add up to significant results. It wasn’t a matter of going all in the first 10 days, or even the first two weeks. Part of me waited until January to truly go all in.
However, for the month of December I made small changes such as replacing a pack of cookies for snacks with a smoothie, eating over night oats instead of poptarts for breakfast.
When I look back at the changes over the last 9 years, it didn’t stop with the weight loss. I went from losing 40lbs to another pregnancy, getting my anxiety under control and learning to truly listen to my body. There was a half marathon, learning to love lifting weights, gut issues, and setting a healthy foundation for my family.
Each step of the way is a learning process but the learning process doesn’t start unless you start.
Do you still think it’s not a good time to put your health first? Listen to this episode and let me know what you think.
Don’t wait until January, your health is more important than that. Come join our free Kick Start a Healthy Holidays Community and join us for November to focus on those little habits.
ABOUT ME
Hey There, I’m Kristin! I coach women to make small changes in their daily nutrition to become the best version of themselves.
Building a Healthy Lifestyle Shouldn’t be Complicated
October 20, 2022
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Building a long-term healthy lifestyle can be overwhelming. Take one look at Pinterest, and you can see 1000 different rules about how you should eat, move, etc.
The truth is, most of those come back to 3 core habits:
- Movement
- Hydration
- Whole Foods
Ultimately, these three core habits will build the foundation for a healthy lifestyle, no matter your goal. A goal, such as having more energy, could result in weight loss. A goal to reduce cholesterol could result in more energy.
Today, on the podcast, we’re digging into each of these habits and how they can contribute to your overall health
It Takes On Average 66 Days To Form A Healthy Lifestyle Habit
Time to bust some myths. While many people like to declare that it takes 21 days to form a habit, research suggests habits take an average of 66 days to become actual habits. What you do now will play a part in how your 2022 wraps up and 2023 kicks off.
Starting now with 70ish days left in the year can make a big difference in having a healthy holiday season.
Come Kick Start A Healthy Holiday Season With Us
If you are ready to focus on these three core habits, come to Kick Start a Healthy Holiday Season with the Be Your Best Self Community. Starting on November 1st, we will focus on THREE core daily habits: drinking your water, moving for 30 minutes a day & eating a vegetable. 😉.
All for free, you get recipes, motivation, tips in the kitchen, and two awesome giveaways (hint: one is a free month of nutrition coaching).
ABOUT ME
Hey There, I’m Kristin! I coach women to make small changes in their daily nutrition to become the best version of themselves.
Getting Started With Meal Prepping & Meal Planning
October 6, 2022
One of the most underrated ways to stick to healthy eating habits is meal planning and meal prepping. However, sometimes meal prep can get a bad reputation for being a boring way to make lunch for yourself or a way to waste your Sunday afternoon. Getting started with meal prepping doesn’t have to be overwhelming and it can benefit you more than you might think.
Meal prepping can make life easier, help you stay on track with your goals, and take A LOT of thinking out of your week. Our brains work enough during the week; any chance to give it a break helps more than you might think.
The most important thing to remember is that there are so many levels of meal prep. It doesn’t have to be an all-in or waste your Sunday situation.
Let’s chat on the podcast today about getting started with meal prepping and meal planning.
Basic Levels of Planning
If you have any form of a nutrition goal, you should be doing SOME level of meal planning. It doesn’t have to be detailed for 21 meals a week, but being able to look at your plan for the week and know what you will eat for most of your meals. This not only helps you stay on track but also helps you plan your grocery trips.
When it comes to meal prep, you don’t have to go all in. Something as simple as organizing your fridge to make sure you have all of the ingredients you need for your weekly meals is a basic level of meal prep.
You don’t have to have everything pre-cooked or in fancy meal prep containers, just organized with recipes so you know exactly what is needed when you start to cook. Not only does this take the thinking out of your evening, but it takes the panic of missing ingredients out too.
This is a great way to get started meal prepping. Just take the baby step, plan and organize your week.
Next Level Prepping
Moving up to the next level of meal prep means getting things organized but also cleaned and maybe partially cooked.
For example, if you plan on eating 3-5 meals with chicken throughout the week, get all of the chicken cooked at the start of the week. By doing this level of prepping, you’re able to take some of the cooking steps out of the recipe you’re making. This can save you time throughout the week.
Another piece of next level prepping is washing and cutting up your fruits and veggies. Ultimately, the goal is to take the hard part out of eating healthy. By having fruits and veggies cut and ready to go, there are less excuses to keep from eating unhealthier foods.
All-In Meal Prepping
This is where meal prepping can get a negative reputation… the all-in mentality. There is the cute meal-prep containers, the hours spent on Sunday and meals planned every moment of the day.
Granted, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are ways to cut down on the amount of time spent and meals needed to be cooked.
My number one tip is to stick with one type of protein. Instead of cooking 3 or 4 different proteins, pick one protein and cook it 3 to 4 ways. For example, chicken can be made into chicken salad, a salad with chicken on it, taco bowls, nachos, chicken Alfredo, etc. This way, you won’t get bored with your food every day, but don’t have to spend as much time cooking on Sunday.
Tell me in the comments below, are you going to get started with meal prepping? What level of meal prepper are you?
ABOUT ME
Hey There, I’m Kristin! I coach women to make small changes in their daily nutrition to become the best version of themselves.
Finding an Accountability Partner For Your Health Goals
September 29, 2022
Did you know you are 65% more likely to hit your goals if you have an accountability partner?
Today I shared my story of having an accountability partner and the difference it made in my health journey nine years ago.
I also shared three ways you can find your accountability partner that doesn’t involve begging 😜
Why Does Having An Accountability Partner Matter?
How many times have you declared to your social media that you will lose weight… only to give up shortly after?
The most common conversation with potential clients is, “I know what to do; I just can’t make it happen.”
Do you know what the missing piece is?
Accountability.
My Story With Accountability
Nine years ago, I entered a weight loss competition at my office. My best friend and I spent the next four months competing against each other for that first-place spot.
Technically speaking, she beat me, but in reality, we both won.
Without her by my side, I most likely would’ve given up. Almost every day, we chatted about what we were eating, what we were doing to move our bodies, and most importantly, pushing each other to be a better version of ourselves.
Research suggests that you are 65% more likely to succeed at your goals if you have an accountability partner.
65% more likely to succeed without an accountability partner. Think about that.
I recognize how lucky I am to have her by my side during that contest; I know for certain I wouldn’t have kept going without her.
Where To Get An Accountability Partner
That’s EXACTLY why Nutrition Confidence comes with a community…. that group of people to chat about food, push you through the bad days and encourage you on the good days.
What if this time it was different? What if this was the last time you restarted your health journey? The doors for Nutrition Confidence are only open until Sunday. We start as a group on Monday, October 3rd.
ABOUT ME
Hey There, I’m Kristin! I coach women to make small changes in their daily nutrition to become the best version of themselves.
Don’t Wait Until Monday To Start Your Diet
August 7, 2022
This week’s topic couldn’t have been more relevant to kick start [most of] the second half of 2022… Why Not Now?
In this episode of Be Your Best Self Health Chats, we talk about what’s holding you back on your health and nutrition goals and how you can get started today WITHOUT overwhelming yourself.
It’s easy to “wait until Monday to start your diet” or “wait until we get past a certain date” to start our weight loss goal or diet. That’s hurting instead of helping you.
Don’t Wait Until Monday To Start Your Diet.
By waiting, we’re just continuing to make excuses as to why we shouldn’t do it. We can come up with 1,000 reasons why it’s better not to do it right now. In reality, the sooner we get started, the better we will feel.
You will always find an excuse to put it off. There could be Summer vacation, back to school, holidays, etc.
Instead, break it down into one habit at a time.
Start With a Realistic Change.
My one-on-one clients and I often pick one new habit to start today and focus on that for the next week. By the time Monday rolls around you’ll already be on your way to a healthier lifestyle.
Habits I love working on starting with:
- Drinking your water
- Adding a vegetable to your lunch
- Starting a food journal
Instead of going all in, focusing on one habit will make an overall lifestyle change more manageable.
Listen to the podcast for more information on why you should not wait until Monday to start your diet. Instead of waiting until Monday, ask yourself… Why not now?
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Enjoy this week’s episode of Be Your Best Self Health Chats.
ABOUT ME
Hey There, I’m Kristin! I coach women to make small changes in their daily nutrition to become the best version of themselves.
Are Carbs Really That Bad For You?
May 17, 2022
This week we continue our three-part series on macro nutrients, which means, we are going to have an honest conversation about carbohydrates. Carbs are very demonized these days so I mean this in a nice way… they are so important and their importance needs to stop being overlooked.
Last week, we came out and we talked about protein. As I mentioned macro nutrients are the three nutrients that your body needs the most to function at its best. They are protein, carbohydrates and fat.
Today we’re going to talk about carbohydrates and the ways they benefit your health.
What Is a Carbohydrate?
Carbohydrates are one of three macro nutrients. In fact, they are your body’s primary source of fuel.
- Your body uses carbohydrates to give you energy to:
- Get out of bed in the morning
- Walk down the street
- Walk to your car and drive to work
- Function during the day
Therefore, carbs are extremely important.
Are Carbs Really That Bad For You?
However, carbs have become very demonized throughout society these days. With all of the diet trends out there, keto, Atkins, low-carb, etc. they have gained a pretty negative reputation.
What’s missing from the context of a lot of these diet situations is what types of carbs were REMOVED when someone goes on a low-carb diet. Chances are… they removed processed carbs and replaced them with healthier options. In turn, this would result in weight loss, feeling better, improved health, etc.
Approaching a low-carb diet means removing your body’s primary source of energy in finding a replacement for it. Therefore, these diets make it hard to fuel your body. There is a new level of exhaustion during the first few days of a low-carb diet, some people even equate it to the flu.
Who wants to feel like that?
Carbohydrates Are Necessary
Our bodies are meant to use carbs as energy to fuel them. Instead of looking at carbohydrates as a bad thing, we need to look at the healthier options for carbs. This means focusing on increasing whole foods while lowering the processed carbs.
Anything that’s in your pantry that comes in a box and has a whole list of ingredients next to it probably is not necessarily a great source of carbs.
However, there are plenty of good sources of carbohydrates.
- Dairy
- Whole grains
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Lentils,
- Dairy alternatives
- Beans
The important thing is to be eating the right carbs for your body, not what the rest of society thinks you should eat.
What are your favorites?
ABOUT ME
Hey There, I’m Kristin! I coach women to make small changes in their daily nutrition to become the best version of themselves.
You Don’t Need A Holiday Detox – Episode 15
November 30, 2021
As many of you probably did too, I had many regrets after opening up social media this weekend and seeing some of the advice that was put out this year surrounding Thanksgiving.
This week kicks off the rest of the holiday season. On Episode 15 of the Be Your Best Self Health Chats Podcast we are chatting about:
- Why you don’t need a detox.
- Why you don’t need to skip the mashed potatoes.
- Why there is no number of squats to do for each piece of pie you eat.
Enjoy the cookies and hot chocolate, the holiday season only comes once a year.
ABOUT ME
Hey There, I’m Kristin! I coach women to make small changes in their daily nutrition to become the best version of themselves.
