After over seven years working as an online nutrition coach (and years in the fitness industry before this!), I want to share four major nutrition mistakes we often see as coaches working 1:1 with our clients. These mistakes aren’t because our clients are uninformed or wrong; they’re just often things we have been told (incorrectly) most of our lives.

If you’re a perfectionist, chances are you’ve been told repeatedly that “perfect is the enemy of good”. The problem, though, is that the goal is still to be good. And if there’s anything I’ve learned from my perfectionist clients, it’s that good is never good enough.

One of the most frustrating forms of sabotage is chasing an old version of ourselves. Even if we do instinctively know that it’s a fruitless task, it’s something we often do that leaves us spinning our wheels in frustration and overwhelm because we’re chasing a goal that is not physically possible.

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 (and far more complex) than just “eating less and moving more.” One roadblock I see hindering progress over and over is not being in the right place to commit to these goals from the start.

Individuals who strength train gain muscle, lose fat, look leaner, improve their health, and are more athletic than the general population. The reason we talk about strength training as nutrition coaches is because, alongside digging into our nutrition more, adding resistance training can aid in the pursuit of these goals.

Eating enough protein is very important for maintaining muscle and burning fat, especially when tracking macros with the goal of being in a calorie deficit. Eating higher protein snacks throughout the day has two major benefits: (1) high protein snacks help us eat enough protein (duh), and (2) they help us manage hunger levels. Here are some easy high protein snacks that require minimal or no prep, are widely available, and are easy to pack and take with you anywhere.

What if we acknowledged that you can still have your “hot girl (or guy) summer” WHILE starting to initiate the changes you may desire to make starting NOW? And what if I told you that as you begin those changes NOW, you may be able to develop multiple hot girl summers in a row without a quick fix?

Today’s post talks about the power of setting minimums - how they can be an effective tool for progress, and the recurring theme that progress is about flexibility, not about an “all or nothing” approach.

I had an overwhelming response to my call for your nutrition questions, so here are some of those great questions answered in part 2 of this Q&A series. Nutrition can be confusing and overwhelming, and I hope some of these responses help clear up some questions you’ve been wondering about as well!

I had an overwhelming response to my call for your nutrition questions, so here are some of those great questions answered in part 1 of this Q&A series. Nutrition can be confusing and overwhelming, and I hope some of these responses help clear up some questions you’ve been wondering about as well!

Despite the body confidence we might have, we're bound to have days where we pick ourselves apart - where we feel insecure, believe we're "feeling fat" or "bloated," or we don't feel comfortable. Generally, I find it's easy to blame our bodies for those feelings when so many other aspects might actually be at play.

Here at KLN, we don’t do meal plans. A meal plan doesn’t give you an alternative when it’s girls night, when you’re out for drinks after work, or when you’re on the road with your family. Most of all, a meal plan doesn’t take into account that life is chaotic and constantly changing.

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.

This fixation with the scale is a pattern we see with clients often. It’s natural, but it’s also preventable. Rather than just suggesting that you don’t let the number on the scale bother you, today’s post dives a little deeper into how you can make the most of this (often inaccurate) measure of progress and other ways to determine the true changes you are experiencing on your fat loss journey.

If you have some goals you want to accomplish but haven’t been feeling particularly motivated lately, here are a few strategies that may help you create some motivation if it’s been lacking

Most of the calories we burn in a given day aren’t during our workouts, and the majority of the differences in most people’s activity levels are unlikely to be just from that hour or so most of us are used to spending in the gym.

Most people have some time in their life when they think they performed or looked their absolute best, and then wonder why they weren’t able to hold onto that forever.  But, if you take a moment to reflect on all of the pieces of the puzzle that had to come together for that brief moment, it’s unlikely that everything can stay aligned that way for long.