07/17/2025
My specialty as a coach is 100% in strength training. With that goal, I also help clients navigate skills and habits that support them outside of training. Weight loss can be a beast especially for those who are overly stressed. Each of these examples take time, patience and the ability to set a goal and continue it long enough to make it a habit. I created this graphic to highlight the most impactful habits I work on with clients.
1. Walking after eating - instead of looking for a one time walk and trying to cram in 10k steps, a nice approach can be to take a brisk, short 15-minute walk after each meal. This helps metabolism by aiding in digestion.
2. Regular bedtime - Circadian rhythm (sleep cycle) works with your hormones to tell the body when its time to wake up and when to go to bed. This dictates the rise and fall of cortisol. Cortisol is essential not a monster. Not getting enough sleep, big drops in blood sugar, and high stress can all release unwanted cortisol which will mess with your sleep. Tip - aim for the same bedtime (within 1-2 hours max) & grab some blue light glasses for the evening.
3. Morning Light - continuing off #2 we want to support that sleep cycle by getting sunlight first thing when we wake up. Vitamin D helps reduce inflammation and the UV is much lower first thing in the morning. (perfect time to complete the daily body scan!)
4. Eat Veggies first - Weight loss is all about insulin. Eating veggies before your meal can help slow down digestion with fiber. Then eating protein, fat and carbs last help reduce the blood sugar spike. Check out the Glucose Goddess for more info. (I mix all my food together, this one is not for me 😆)
5. Balance Blood Sugar - How you balance your blood sugar comes down to your lifestyle and ability to prepare food. Making sure you're eating whole foods requires an awareness and planning and more planning.
6. Strength Training - I could write an entire post - its good for all things, always and forever - bones, connective tissue, digestion, cognitive health, cardiovascular system, its always important. 3 times per week, minimum 2 full body workouts.
7. Grounding - Physically and emotionally learning to ground yourself is a lifelong skill. Personally, this took years to practice, and it changes over the seasons. What works sometimes may not work others. Meditation, barefoot walking, breathing, somatic practices, there are many ways to explore!
8. Fiber Intake - Too much and too little can be a major problem. This is probably the most under-rated next to walking after meals. I like to say, imagine your meal working its way through your body. Is there any soft whole foods helping to push through? Are you chewing your hard foods like meat enough? Sweet potatoes, bananas, avocados, etc. Building a balanced plate is a skillset! If you're not pooping daily, this should be #1.
9. Time for you - As much as I love training, its important to carve out time you spend doing something you love that's not fitness driven. It could be writing, singing, walking on a beach, what makes your soul happy? We will always have stress, that is a part of life. How we approach it, that's where we rise up or trip up. Any of these is a great place to start. Ask yourself, which would be the easiest? Success builds confidence, start small and stick to it!
Have you tried any of these and seen a big improvement? Which do you struggle with the most?
