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holly testimonial

“2020 has taught me you can do anything you choose to do if you show up for yourself.” -Holly

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holly testimonial

This weeks client highlight is all about Holly. You can see from the heading of this post that 2020 has been a year of transformation for her, on so many levels.

I had several conversations with Holly prior to her signing up for coaching, she was nervous. Not nervous for the work that comes along with focusing on a lifestyle change but nervous about failing. She worried that even with her best efforts, she would fall short and never get to that happy place where she felt really good in her own skin. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to stick to it and would fall back into old habits. I see this a lot as a coach, we all have a past that has molded us into who we are today. Maybe you’ve tried every diet in the book with little success and its crippled your self confidence. Or maybe you grew up in an environment that wasn’t a super positive one and don’t think you’re capable. Maybe you’ve faced some really big hardships along the way that makes you question your worth and whether you deserve success.

Everyone deserves success if they want it. You can feel healthy and strong. You can improve your confidence. You can change your path. Just because the things you’ve tried in the past didn’t quite work for you, doesn’t mean you give up. When we face our fears head on, when we challenge our insecurities, when we are really clear on what we want and not afraid to put in the work, YOU CAN do anything.

 

Its been so rewarding for me as Holly’s coach to watch her journey. Not only do I get the opportunity to see her strength improve in the gym, the woman I talk to now each week on her check in day is not the same Holly I talked to back in July. Her confidence radiates from her because she found a plan that works for her. She committed to the process (by the way, she knew NOTHING about tracking macros when she started) and has given it her all week to week. Our plan taught her about food freedom and not to fear snacks. We helped her gain confidence in how to tackle social situations (like dinners out) and how to fuel her hikes so she feels able to really give her all, we talked a lot recently about how to handle the holidays and come out feeling really good. In our time together she improved her body composition and hit her goals but the transformation of her spirit has been the most rewarding to watch. Heading into 2021 we’ll be chatting about some new milestones to aim for and I’m excited to see where her journey continues to lead.

Below is what she had to say about her time working with Flex Fuel, make sure to read it because I know so many of you can connect with her words and it may just be the sign you’re looking for to get started on your own journey!

 

How long you’ve been tracking with Flex Fuel: Since July 27, 2020

 

Goal during the program: Overall improved health and redefining body composition.

 

“I have thought a lot about what I lost in 2020. As I look back on this year I am thankful. It has been a year of mental and emotional healing more so than about weight loss. Breaking perfectionist tendencies. Breaking negative self talk habits. Breaking away from living up to other peoples expectations. 

I grew up in an environment where I heard that I was fat, sloppy and no good every day of my life. I was damaged by 16 and had resigned myself to those standards. I accepted the fact that I was, and would always be, the non-athletic, chubby kid. 2020 has shown me you can do anything you choose to do. 

I am grateful for the things I gained in 2020. I have surrounded myself with optimistic driven people at the gym. People who don’t focus on societies unhealthy standards of health and beauty. I have learned to speak positively about myself. I have learned it’s okay to fail. I have learned that it’s never too late to change. I have learned that you are never too old to do what you want to do. Most importantly, I learned to show up for myself. 

 

How appropriate that I just read that “my past is not a reflection of my future.” I am excited to see where my journey with Mallory and FlexFuel nutrition takes me in 2021!”

 

Way to go, Holly!!

If you would like to hop on a phone call and chat about your own nutrition, your fears, what you’ve tried, what you want to accomplish this year, we are happy to talk! You can use the booking link below to set up a consult for coaching:

Click here to set up a call!

Cheers to an amazing 2021!! ?

XOXO,

Mallory

Why Imperfect Action Leads to Long-term Success

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Im sure we’ve all said something along these lines or heard someone around us say them. I know i’ve made similar excuses in my past and even feel those thoughts still try to creep in from time to time.

But my question is why?! 

Why do we feel that when it comes to our fitness and nutrition, it always has to be “all or nothing?!” Why do we wait for that perfect time to start, when we know good and well, NO time is perfect.

Why do we allow ourselves another day, week or month to take 10 more steps back, feel worse than we did before, before “getting back on the wagon?” 

Not only does this cycle put us in a worse place physically, but mentally as well. Think about it…

How would it feel when a good friend tells you that they want to get together, you set up a time to meet (in your busy, chaotic schedules of life), you’re pumped to have that one on one time and they cancel on you last minute? Not only once or twice, but over and over and over!! Not cool, right?!

Something tells me you wouldn’t be okay with being treated that way, it shows a lack of respect for you as a person and your time. So, why do we treat ourselves this way? Why do we make promises to ourselves that we continually break? By doing this we show a lack of respect for ourselves, and we deserve so much more than that!

 I would venture to say that when we promise to start that new habit  whenever the “time is right,” and we end up putting it off or failing at it because we built it up into a major, monumental event, the sting is worse. It’s a bigger knife to the heart than that a**hole friend, because now the only person to blame is ourselves.

Taking no action at all is a paralyzer. It makes us stagnant, suffocates motivation and moves us further and further away from actually achieving our goals. So what gives? How can we change this cycle? 

Let go of perfection

 In a world where we see “perfect” lives, bodies, fitness, travel, nutrition smothered all over social media, it’s important to remember, most things- espeically on social media- are not what they seem! If you look at a photo and think, “wow, they must have it so easy, or they have it all together,” i’d argue that quite the opposite is true. We all have struggles, challenges and messy lives and that’s okay- I think that’s what makes life interesting! But, how we handle those imperfections is what changes the game. Don’t wait for the perfect moment, because it will surely never come! 

Start Small

I find it easiest to start with the little things so you can start off with a win. If we start off with a goal that we end up failing at then we are starting from a negative place and only leads back to square one. This of course will be easier for those of you who aren’t perfectionists like me, I have always struggled with waiting for the right time or for all the stars to align! Start with something you can do right away to just get the momentum rolling. It’s a snowball effect once you start making small changes and feel little bits of accomplishment, it starts to get easier and easier and the wins become bigger and bigger! 

So even if it’s Thursday, in the middle of the month, and you know you need to give up soda pop…start now. Do what works for you, maybe it’s giving it up on during the week, maybe it’s starting with one day a week- do something that you know you can succeed at, make it a win, and then build from there! Maybe the rest of your nutrition still needs work, maybe you still need to be more active, but i garuntee you, if you start small, it will only motivate you from there. 

Accountability

 This is something we preach time and time again, and you know why? Because it works! When we set goals, no matter how big or small, it can be REALLY easy to talk ourselves out of it when the going gets tough or temptation arises. The excuses creep in and we can easily convince ourselves why it’s okay to veer off track and make exceptions. Having that person to answer to that you know will be asking if you stuck to it, can be that push we need to stay focused. Find a friend, a coach, a co-worker to be that person for you. Make sure it’s someone you know you will take seriously and someone who will give you some tough love and hold you to a high standard! Aside from that person, make sure you identify and communicate the level of accountability you need. Are you someone who needs daily communication, just once a week or maybe the weekends ? Knowing what will work best for you and making sure your accountability buddy is on the same page, will create the most success!

So, this holiday season, we ecourage you to start. Take action, even if it’s messy, imperfect and beginning with the smallest thing. If you’re sick of being in the same place, in the same vicious cyle, don’t wait another day. Create those wins for yourself and feel that sense of accomplishment and then keep pushing for bigger wins. Your time is NOW. Your time to prove to yourself you are deserving of feeling your absolute best is now. Stop waiting, start doing. Look in the mirror and make a committment to yourself today that you are enough. You are capable and you WILL succeed. No and’s, if’s or but’s! Set a goal and take action. If it doesn’t pan out exactly how you envisioned, look at what went wrong, learn from it and then take action again and do better. 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and let’s make this the year to start now, go into 2019 feeling AHEAD and accomplished!

Love,

Katy

 

 

 

 

Cashew chicken stir fry

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Ingredients for one serving:

5.5 oz of diced chicken

170 grams of stir fry veggies (I needed something quick so I bought the big bag of already mixed broccoli, carrots and snap peas from my local grocery store)

1 TB corn starch

4 tsp of Bragg’s coconut aminos 

1/4 cup(30 grams) of whole roasted cashews, smashed into pieces. I used the bottom of a drinking glass to gently break up the whole cashews. 

 

-First, spray your pan with non stick cooking spray and add chicken.

-Cook diced chicken until white all the way through and no pink shows, remove from pan.

-Spray again with non stick spray and add veggies and cashews. Put lid on pan and cook veggies for about 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring every couple minutes, until veggies are cooked and easily pierceable with a fork.

-While your vegetables are cooking, mix Bragg’s coconut aminos, corn starch and 2 TBL of water. 

-Once veggies are done, add chicken back to pan and pour the corn starch mixture over the stir fry, cook another couple minutes while stiring to coat everything.

-Remove from heat and enjoy! 

 

Macros for one serving:

27.4 carbs/ 14.4 fat/ 46.8 protein

 

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Consistency Breeds Progress

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We all want results and we all want them now. We live in a world that is moving faster, we can access information in the blink of an eye and we are promised a new body in 30 days. We can hop on a plane anywhere, any time and we can go through a drive through and have a hot meal in 3 minutes. Our world is changing at a lightening speed pace and by the time we get that shiny new toy, the next, better one is already coming out. But how does this affect our health and fitness journey? Are we getting sucked into that “quick fix, want it right now” mentality? Have you bounced around from diet to diet or workout to workout and have yet to see the results you are looking for? What if there is no such thing as the perfect diet or the perfect workout and all you really need is a little time and consistency?

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I have worked in the health and fitness world for 7+ years and many years before that dabbled in all various diets and workouts. Sure, I have completely fallen in love with the sport of Crossfit and the world of Flexible Eating but that doesn’t mean im closed off to other methods. I love trying new foods and new workouts and am a firm believer that if you find something that works for you, all the power to ya! Could you imagine if we all loved the same things? Lame! Everyone brings something different to the table and if we are open minded enough, we can all learn a little somethin’ from each other. 

However, the biggest problem I see that I believe holds people back from seeing big results is consistency. Irregardless of what method you choose, you have to have consistency to see progress.

This is what separates the men from the boys, the winners from the losers and takes you to the next level.  It’s that thing that prevents you from gaining all the weight back after you lost it all on that 30 day challenge, it allows you to achieve goals you never dreamed of, have a body you never thought possible and most of all, creates a mindset that is laser focused and cannot be shaken.

It seems so simple, yet it is the one characteristic that I constantly see being overlooked and taken for granted. Consistency breeds progress. 

The road to our goals is not linear. There are a lot of ups and downs, challenges and points where we just want to flat out quit. It is in those times that it matters most to keep pushing and fighting for what we want. I had a Crossfit coach last year that really taught me a whole new meaning of what it meant to work hard, stay in my own lane and do the work day in and day out. I was focused on my goal and no matter what the daily grind threw at me, I put in the work. I had her to answer to each day and I knew excuses weren’t going to get me anywhere. The point is, looking back over a year, there were a lot of challenges but without those I wouldn’t be in the place I am today. That is not only a place where I can say I reached the goals I had set out, but It helped me to create new, bigger goals, mature and grow as an athlete, a coach and a person. Consistency, even when it seemed like the last thing I wanted to do, brought me major progress in more ways than one. 

Make the time. Create routine, create habits, create the space and the time in your day to make consistency exist in your life. If you haven’t already, you should read, 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, by Stephen R. Covey. It is a game changer and paints the picture of how and why successful people are the ones who are habitual in the way they do things. They know that consistency doing the small things every day, makes the bigs things happen over time. Make the time to be consistent.

Do What you Love. It’s not near as hard to be consistent doing the things you love. If you absolutely hate the treadmill, don’t do it!!! Find something you actually enjoy and stick to it. Sure, there will be days those things you enjoy seem daunting, so make sure to find the balance in it all. Dedicate yourself to sticking to a certain form of exercise, or certain food types for a week, then if you get bored or burned out, make a small tweak to your routine to spice it up. Small changes over time will create longevity and allow consistency. 

Live in the Moment. Focusing on the NOW, rather than worrying about what is ahead is the best way to stay consistent. It never ceases to amaze me how many people will try something for a week and be SO discouraged and shocked they aren’t seeing progress! A week?! Or even a month! Think about it, it took how long to get in the state you are now, why would it all go away or even improve tremendously in just a week?! Focus on each day, doing the WORK that it takes to achieve big goals and it will happen. It never happens as fast as we would like but it will happen and you will be able to look back, know you worked your ass off for the results you achieved and feel like a total badass.  

Don’t Make others Extraordinary. I heard this saying on a podcast with Lisa Bilyeu and it really hit home. It is so easy to make someone else extraordinary, why they can lose the weight, why they have it easier, why they can live the life they live because of “X,Y and Z.” But this is the very thing often holding us back, comparing ourselves to someone else’s journey, to why someone else CAN and we CAN’T. Stop it already!!! Like I said above, EVERYONE has struggles, no matter how successful, pretty, in shape, or happy they may seem, everyone has something they have dealt or are dealing with. Being consistent every day, focusing on ourselves and what we need to do to move ourselves closer to our goals is the only energy that should be spent. Stay in your own lane, be consistent, don’t build others up on a pedestal. 

Do every day, that which moves you closer to your goals. Consistency in the actions that contribute to our goals  can often  be overshadowed because of other clutter in life that ultimately doesn’t matter. If you sat down and wrote your top three priorities in your life and then made a list of every little thing that you do in a day, I bet you could eliminate a lot of fluff that is taking up time. Can you say Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, email, TV, Internet… just to name a few?! Make the routine of food prepping, pre-planning meals, working out, going to bed early, reading a book, journaling, drinking water or whatever it may be, a consistent part of your day just like brushing your teeth or going to work. Set your excuses aside and just DO and if it doesn’t have to do with your current goals, get rid of it!

Bag the excuses-you are your biggest road block! Yes, life will happen, but the majority of the time, AN EXCUSE IS AN EXCUSE!!! The more you make, no matter how small they may seem, the longer you are holding yourself back. Stay out of your own way. Every time an excuse creeps up, become consistent with shutting it down. Often times becoming slightly robotic in your routine will allow you to make no room for excuses, don’t even allow them to be an option! 

Today, I want you to pick that one thing that will move you closer to your goals. Be consistent in that and do it every day. Put in the WORK and you are destined to succeed! 

Much love,

Katy

 

 

 

Take control of your Mind!

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These thoughts can creep in not only in the gym during a hard workout, but with our relationship with food, in the workplace, at school or in our relationships. So when a negative thought creeps in, we should just turn it off and think of something positive right??

If only it were that easy.

We may not be able to flip a switch and make these negative thoughts disappear but we can practice daily, small adjustments in our way of thinking that can turn our overall mindset into an optimistic one, The more we practice a positive mindset, the more it will reign true in our lives. 

Replace your thought. 

When less than ideal attitudes set in, replace it with something positive. Turn your mind in another direction. Example: “I only made it to the gym twice this week, im a failure, I might as well give up.” Replace this with, “two workouts this week is better than none and next week I will get 3!” 

Even if you don’t 100% believe yourself at first, the more you practice this, the more it will become reality. Your thoughts can change your actions. 

Fake it til’ you make it. 

Those days when you are tired. You are unmotivated. You don’t care. You are burned out. This is where the magic happens. If you can train your thoughts to turn in moments like these, this could change your life. Pushing through the toughest time with positivity will create a higher level of mental toughness and this will soon become second nature. 

Change your verbage. 

“Replace ‘im sorry’s’ with ‘thank you’s’ like instead of ‘sorry im late’ i’ll say ‘thanks for waiting for me.’ ” -themindjournal.com

Adee Cazayoux posted this quote the other day and it paints a perfect picture of how changing your verbage can change your attitude and how you affect those around you as well.

STOP PLAYING THE VICTIM ROLE!!!

This might sound a little heartless and brutal, but I don’t care what it is, an excuse is an excuse! The more of them you have, the more you are holding yourself back from success. Instead of pointing the finger at all the reasons you can’t succeed, turn the finger to yourself and start there. Your mind is your biggest cheerleader, or your biggest enemy. You choose.

Face your fear head on.

Fear can make our minds play some crazy tricks on us. Embrace your fears and tackle them head on. Instead of letting your fear steer you away from getting out of your comfort zone and believing that you CAN, acknowledge that your fear is real but it can be overcome. Each time you conquer a fear, no matter how small, you will become more confident and in turn have a more positive mindset. 

Life changes can’t happen without just that. CHANGE. It’s not always easy, it’s not always fun, but it can be a hell of a lot easier if you start changing your mindset.

How will you start working on your mind today?? Comment below and share your ideas!

Much love,

Katy

 

 

 

 

Are Your Goals Realistic and Sustainable?

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If you knew the hard work and discipline it took would you want it? If you finally achieved 6-pack abs could you sustain that year round? What does health, happiness and sustainability look like to you? Everyone’s journey and goals are different, so what will work for you?

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When first starting to count macros, most people will see great results cosmetically and in their performance. The adjustment of getting the right balance of macros alone, will usually alter someone’s appearance and allow them to feel better in the gym. Everyone wants to look good naked and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this! However, if your goal is to lean down and have 6 pack abs, this may come with a cost. Let’s look at an example:

Suzi hires a nutrition coach to lose some weight and “see some abs,” as well as increase perfomance in the gym. She works out 5 days a week, mixing in weights and cardio variations. She definitely doesn’t want to get “bulky” but she does dream of looking like Christmas Abbott or Kayla Itsines. In her first 3 months she is feeling amazing, leaning down, seeing muscle tone where she never has before and progressing in strength and performance in the gym. Life is good and she doesn’t mind living in a caloric deficit because the results are worth it!

6 months in Suzie is looking leaner than ever, but would still love to be stronger, leaner and see even more abs and lean muscle tone! Her performance is still maintaining but she feels she is slowly plateauing. Suzie loves the progress she has made but still wants more and is slowly burning out being on such a restricted caloric intake.

This type of situation can often results in two things: Suzie lives in a deficit long enough to where she see’s those abs and hits that all- time low body fat but is now in a daily caloric deficit that she is struggling to maintain, or she is living in a caloric deficit where she still can’t quite see that lean muscle she was hoping for, but her body isn’t producing enough energy to build the muscle she dreams of.

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This is where we all must come to the realization that we cannot have peak performance, stage-ready abs and super low body fat all at the same time. Are there exceptions to this rule? Sometimes, but all in all this is just science! 

Low body fat and walking around super lean usually requires living in a caloric deficit and seeing weight loss. Building muscle mass and performance requires living at maintenance or surplus calories and seeing weight gain. You cannot live in both of these worlds at the same time. In the first 6 months to a year of macro- counting you might, but beyond that you must face reality! 

This process takes TIME. Painful I know, but if you wanted the quick path to the Brooke Ence or Rich Froning body, I’m sorry but you aren’t going to find it here! We are all in a never ending eb and flow of improving our mind and bodies and anything worth having does not come quickly. You must put in the work day in and day out in the kitchen and in the gym and know you’re in it for the long haul.

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I encourage you to sit down and write out what is most important to you and what you are and are not willing to sacrifice to achieve your goals. Whether it is to just lose weight and get healthy, see abs or perform your best; make sure you are clear on what it takes to get there. Most of all, whatever your goals are, make sure you can sustain and enjoy the process. 

A good coach will be up front and honest with you on what it will take to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. Be leary of anyone serving you a “quick fix” diet and choose a coach that asks the hard questions and wants to know more about YOU and what is going to be sustainable for your life, because it is no one else’s but yours. 

All the Love, 

Katy

The Daily Struggle… Balance and Keeping a Healthy Mindset

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Many people always put their job first, or their kids first and swear this takes precedent over healthy eating. This does not have to be the case, you CAN excel in your career, in raising a family and hitting your goals in the gym. 

There are million different diets and eating regimens out there, and new ones popping up all the time. Whichever one you choose, somewhere along your diet road, you will slip up, it’s inevitable. We are human beings and it’s a fact of life. How you deal with these slip ups can make the difference in long-term success or failure. Even if you succeed for 30 days straight, on day 31 you might “reward” yourself with a cheat meal and then another, and another, until you are back to where you started. We start to develop the mindset that, “well I screwed up so I might as well just quit.” Then starts the never-ending cycle of stopping and restarting diet after diet. 

In order to succeed, you have to be okay with failing. Failing is what makes us learn and makes us stronger. The next time you have a drink too many, eat that piece of cake, or go back for thirds, remember that tomorrow is always a new day. Cash it in as a weak moment, and know that that one cheat will not ruin all the hard work you have put in. A week of weak moments will ruin your progress, so stop it with the “screw it” attitude or that guilt trip you put yourself on when you slip up! Buck up and make the conscious decision that you will not let it stop you and that you are not a failure!

Enjoying life and being able to “cheat” with a healthy mindset is why I love Flexible Dieting. If you want to have a drink with friends or have a piece of pizza with the family, you can! If you go over your given Macronutrients and mess up, tomorrow is a new day and you know exactly how to get back on track and hit those numbers on the head the next day! The main goal is to develop a healthy  mindset with food. Let’s eliminate the guilt trips and reach our goals while enjoying all the yummy foods!!