A maintenance phase is arguably the most important season of our nutrition since it’s where we can best focus on the habits that help us find harmony with our physical, mental, emotional, and social health. Without the prioritization of changing our bodies, the other aspects of our lives that we value can better be at the forefront. However, that doesn’t mean that body composition can’t remain in the periphery. The foundational habits that we develop before or alongside a focused fat loss phase, with the goal of long-term physical change, continuously support small aesthetic changes over time.

When I start working with a client, they typically believe that they can't enjoy pizza AND eat “healthy” at the same time. Their experience tells them that pizza is a “bad” food, it’s a cheat meal, and it will definitely make them gain body fat. But often, that’s a fear of food and diet culture talking. By embracing a flexible approach to eating and incorporating some macro-friendly strategies, pizza can be part of a balanced approach to nutrition. Grab a slice, and let’s dig in!

The goal of this post is to share with you some of our favorites but, more importantly, give you some ideas of how you can use these pre-made, ready to go foods to simplify the process of feeding your body and, ideally, save some time while you’re at it.

One of the best things we can do for ourselves is to eliminate the fixed mindset that medication means weight gain, and to instead shift our focus to prioritizing our mental health so that our physical health can follow. We need to reprioritize and recognize that the benefits of stable mental health outweigh the desire to lose weight.

When considering fat loss, the number one thing we talk about is energy balance. In order to lose fat, it’s necessary to eat a calorie deficit (eating less calories than you expend). However, our bodies aren’t made to exist in a calorie deficit forever.

Elevated stress levels and lack of adequate sleep can mess with the regulation of hormones that impact hunger levels and fat loss rate, and can also lead to mood problems that impact decision-making skills. This can create a one-two punch that makes fat loss much, much harder than it needs to be.

We already know that a calorie deficit is the most important factor at play when it comes to pursuing fat loss goals. But, for most, staying in a consistent calorie deficit is a lot more challenging than “just eating less and moving more.”

If your goals are geared towards changing your body weight, body shape, or body composition, your focus should be on fat loss and eating in a calorie deficit.

If your focus begins on Monday and ends on Thursday, you’re really only working toward your goal 4 out of 7 days per week. Even if you only loosen up on Saturday and Sunday, you can still cause your progress to lag or even stall out, depending on what your weekend intake looks like.

Alcohol is fine for most diets in moderation.  However, if you are on a fat loss diet and already struggling with compliance, that lower inhibition after a drink may make it very hard to stay on track.  If that’s the case, it may be wise to cut alcohol consumption as much as possible, at least until you’re comfortably able to stay compliant without it feeling like a struggle.

A summary of last week’s Live Class: 3 Keys to Your Most Successful Diet. This live class wasn’t about the one secret to dieting or how to lose fat fast. Rather, it was about 3 principles that, if followed, will result in successful fat loss no matter how old you are, how active you are, or what your lifestyle is. 

Poor carbs always get a bad rap, but here at KLN we love all the carbs. However, sometimes our favorite calorie-dense carbs, like rice, pasta and bread products, don’t exactly fit into our macros. So, today, we’re sharing how to do this with some of our favorite high-volume alternatives to our favorite carbs.