Brittney Bargholz

You have 100% control over what you put into your body, it is literally the only thing you have control over. I have been asked many times if I choose not to eat vs eat the shitty food and the reality is yes I have. I respect my body and the hard work I have put into it.

Before you all freak out to remember, you absolutely can go and enjoy but you don’t have to use social events as the reason you fall off your plan. Eat before you go. Offer to bring something then you know you can eat it! Instead of stopping at fast food restaurants goto a grocery store. Buy a cooler that you can bring in your car to hockey, dance, and baseball or the mall!

Start acting like your goals matter. Will people question you, yes! Will they make fun of you, probably, should you give a f*ck, nope!! If you want to reach your goal so badly it hurts then stop being embarrassed about it and make the choices that support your goals.

There is always an excuse to not be prepared, how about you start acting like you give a damn about your own happiness and see what happens.

These two situations sound like the same but really they aren’t. For example, right now I am logging my food, I have an idea of where I would like to be and how those macros break down but at the end of the day if I’m hungry I am GOING to eat more. My goals right now are NOT weight loss or performance, just living life, growing our baby bear and trying to get through the day.

Counting macros is logging BEFORE you eat. As a coach, this is the FIRST advice I give but honestly, it’s probably the last thing the client complies with.

We have this idea that if we have GOOD food quality and we LOG the food then it works and that’s really not the case. You see if you’re trying to hit certain numbers you will need to pre-log and then juggle to make them work. This isn’t to discourage this is to set you up for success sooner than later. 

It can feel very overwhelming to sit down and think MAN how do I even start? So this is what I always recommend.

Eat & log a few days, see where you end up. From there go back into your logger and add foods or climate foods, and then play with the qualities until you hit your numbers. Once you have done that, USE that day as a template. For some clients they like to write it out on paper for others they prefer to just transfer it to the day they plan to use it and then log it over. Either way have worked for myself.

When you log before you eat and you pre-plan again it will help you take the stress away of being SO hungry and then just eating and realizing you overate or you ate too much of one thing.

As you become aware of what makes your macros work you will be able to go through periods of knowing how much to roughly eat to hit your macros and then this will give you the freedom to eat/log as you go, remember learning a new skill is always a bit overwhelming but it does get easier and you’ll be hitting those targets and think back and wonder why you ever thought it was hard, to begin with!

Let’s discuss two scenarios, 

#1: You are late all the time, You never know what day it is, you order in or rely on fast food more than you would like to admit, You constantly feel anxious, behind, and scrambled, you buy your coffee because you didn’t have time to make it, You don’t exercise because you don’t have time, You feel like your the only one constantly cleaning up after yourself and your family and the THOUGHT of adding a new exercise routine or nutrition plan is completely out of the question because there just isn’t ENOUGH TIME and you constantly feel tired and overstressed. 

#2: Your family sets their clothes out the night before, school bags are packed for the morning lunches are made while clean up from supper is happening, You have scheduled the time to exercise, you meal plan for the week ahead to purchase the groceries you need, and you go through like happy. 

Which option sounds better?? Routine can absolutely feel boring, so boring in fact I have actually been fired as a personal trainer because my client didn’t like having set appointments and wanted to live each day differently. Of all the OTHER clients I have helped hearing “once I got into routine things were so much easier”.

Somewhere between wanting to achieve our goals and wanting to live each day like our last we are in limbo. We struggle to find the balance of enjoyment and feeling like we live the same day each day. But the truth of the matter is your right we don’t know how many days we have left so we could have 1 or we could have 60 years, so let’s say you have 60 do you really want to go through the next 60 years feeling stressed and tired?? Do you really think that’s the best option for you, and better yet for your family?

Starting new habit can be difficult so I suggest starting small and even make yourself a checklist for example this week’s tasks: Set a reminder in your phone:

• Prepare coffee pot the night before
• Have kids and myself pick out our clothes while getting ready for bed
•  Have your gym bag/back backs packed.

After a couple of weeks of successfully creating these routines set new ones

• Make lunches the night before
• Set time block to meal plan for the next week/or make your grocery list
• Check social media for 30 Minutes total

After a couple of weeks of successfully adding those to your plate you’re now creating a more organized feel to your day and your stress if going to drop. I find that having a routine also allows time and energy to be spent on things that “pop” up. Yesterday I had about 30 extra emails on top of an already busy day but by knowing how my day was laid out it was totally manageable and I got through without and major problems.

Creating routine allows you to walk through your days moving forward, you can feel more relaxed and less stressed, once you start feeling better now your sleeping better, once your sleeping better you have more energy, more energy makes you feel like you have more time, more time allows you to take care of YOU! While this all seems boring, I encourage you to choose “boring” for a while and see how much better you feel!

Earlier this week I posted about heading over to Shelley’s to meal plan, grocery shop and then prep some of her meals for the week. We had a lot of fun and it got me to thinking about how important meal planning is. Here are my top five reasons I think you should take the time to sit down and plan!

#1: It provides you with your grocery list and you will actually buy fewer groceries. Having that very specific list will keep you on task of what you are needing for your meals vs buying everything and not knowing what to do with it all. 

#2: Less food will be wasted. By having your sheet on your fridge and buying only the groceries you need for recipes or meals that week you will have less go bad. Instead of buying every fruit and every veggie, this can help you to rotate through your flavors based on the meals you have chosen.

#3: It allows you to have a couple of quick and ready to go options! This week on Shelley’s menu she mentioned they bought half a beef so they have a lot of ground beef so we bought the supplies for Mexican rice bowls. Everything can be prepped and really easy to through into one container and be out the door. Also buying frozen beef burger and turkey burgers are her other option for having something quick!

#4: It cuts down your time. Instead of thinking oh man, What are we having for dinner you have everything you need, and you won’t have to waste time with an extra stop at the grocery store or catch your self-eating out because your running late and don’t know what you make. On your busy or late evenings having planned that crock pot dinner will keep you organized.

#5: It can allow you to meal prep without taking your weekend to meal prep. This works for individuals who have the time to cook supper daily. Cooking extra prepares your lunch, and now its as quick as weigh measure and log the night before and you are one step ahead for the next day.

Planning your meals doesn’t have to take hours on end, in fact for Shelley and I to sit down and plan her 5 meals, 2 snack ideas for the week, make her grocery list, and go through her fridge and pantry it took us less than an hour. Creating that template takes all the guess work out of the week and not eating the same thing for five days will keep her successful. While cooking a few items we prepped some of her other items to keep her time minimal for the rest of the week. It may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but just like anything the more you do it the faster you will become at it!

Will it be worth it? Right now all over social media, we are bombarded with promises of quick weight loss tips, pills and whatever bullshit products someone has created. Unfortunately, we feel so desperate to change we pay for these products only to leave us in worse condition, so the cycle continues. Then one day you decide to take a leap and hire a coach. You’re completely motivated and hopeful but things take longer than you want and are a bit harder then you expected, and then the mind games start, is this worth it?

Many times I found myself asking the same thing until I really got it together and started seeing the results. When you diet all year round or bounce from one fad to the next it will feel like you have spent your whole life dieting and when your coach tells you to gear up the old thought process of “is this worth it?” comes back. Let me tell you it is!

As a gym owner and nutrition coach there comes a certain amount of expectation about how I perform and how I look. I have felt this judgment for the past 12 years of being in the industry, the good news is I like to work hard and I like the be super fit and I like to look a certain way, but I’ll admit that when I go through pregnancies i find it hard not to let that judgment get to me. 

Time spent on nutrition is where most struggle or have the wonder of if it’s worth it. We have used social events and celebrations to revolve around food and drinking. We feel as though if we don’t indulge in the food or drinks we won’t have fun. Ask yourself is it about the food and drinks or the company? Next, we talk ourselves into “balance” But is that balance really the cause of your problem? For example, you want a six pack but you want balance in a cut, that’s not going to work. You have to pick your first goal, is it the six-pack or is it balance? What if you had to give up “balance” for a few months to reach your goal and then you could achieve balance again? Sounds good hey, so why are you talking yourself out of it?

For me, nutrition is the key to life. Having a good quality nutrition plan allows me to sleep better, train more, enjoy health benefits and most importantly it gives me the body I want. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look a certain way and feel comfortable in your own skin. It doesn’t mean you have to be completely shredded, you deserve to feel good and what that looks like can be different for everyone! If you lose 100lbs but don’t have a six pack you’re going to feel awesome! If you finally lose that last ten and have a six pack you’re going to love that too! So find out what you really want and go for it.

 When I have a body composition I’m happy with I never look back and think damn I wish I didn’t cut for the past 16 weeks and give up all that shitty food, I think man!! I am so happy I did that cut! I feel good in my jeans, tights, crop tops, and bathing suits! I feel happy so my family is happy! I feel confident and healthy and my family feels that! The benefits outweigh the sacrifice every damn time! The trick is to buckle down, get it done and move on!!

It’s time to get off the hamster wheel of diet, quit, diet quit because all your doing is making your journey feel like a waste of time! Stop listening to your bullshit and just do what your nutrition coach tells you! It’s that simple! If you have to log before you eat to be successful do it if you have to drink more water, do it if you have to go to a gym or workout at home, do it, because the only regret you should ever have is the regret of not doing it sooner!

It drives me so crazy when every year around Christmas and New Years you see all the NEW YOU Bull shit. Like how is that going to work? The clock strikes midnight and because you decided this year again you just turn into someone new?? How about you don’t waste your time on that shit and set some real goals and intentions.

Have you ever tried to create a new habit? Or break a bad habit? It takes some time and SERIOUS work. It’s great to have that January motivation but hey, how about trying to continue into February and that require routine and discipline. Discipline and support is what is going to keep you going,  your motivation will run dry.

So start with goals/intentions

#1: For most of you that will be exercise. You’re going to set a goal of exercise EVERYDAY, yeah… Don’t do that UNLESS you’ve been exercising. If you have NOT, start out with 3 times a week. Schedule it into your planner or on your calendar and treat it like any other appointment. Better yet, if you can afford classes or a private coach sign up for that!

#2: “Eat Better” Like come on, what does that mean?? Like, make better choices? Not eat out? Pick up a fad diet? Make it clear. My suggestion, start logging your food so you can see where your calories are coming from and how many your eating. For some of you, this might be a huge eye opener for you and you may need to just juggle where those calories are coming from. Typically I see HIGH processed Carbs, HIGH fats, and NO protein. Your protein should absolutely be higher in grams then your fat.  DON’T START A DIET YOU CANT GO ON FOR MORE THEN 30 DAYS.

#3: Setting unrealistic goals and putting expectations on yourself. Some clients come to me eating less than 1000 calories and they have 30-100lbs to lose, and 0ne of their goals is to lose 30lbs in one month! That is scary shit because that is NOT going to happen. This topic is a huge rabbit hole. If you aren’t familiar with reverse dieting, you’re going to want to check that out! Set a goal like, I am going to start focusing on my sleep, stress management by meditating 10 minutes a day and drinking all my water. Those are great goals because when you start your process of reverse dieting A LOT of great things happen but I have yet to see someone lose 30lbs in one month.

#4: Create a no bullshit policy with yourself and be ready to take responsibility for the situation you have created. The worst thing you can do is blame your inability to lose weight on EVERYTHING and EVERYONE else. Like I tell my clients, I help you with the path, I draw you the map but you have to follow it. You actually have to do the work. It doesn’t always come easy, and every week we may need to adjust the map but YOU have to work and admit your shortcomings. 

#5: What works for one doesn’t always work for the next. I see this A LOT. “My Friend Suzie ________, and I tried it and it didn’t work” Set yourself up to BE OUT of the comparison game. Everyone’s lives are so different! Everyone deals with stress and their lives differently. Don’t expect things to happen as fast or as slow as someone else. Focus on your own accomplishments. Having my clients fill in biofeedback forms allows us to ACTUALLY see the progress on a number scale! So if you’re needing something to keep you on track create your own checklist in relation to how your feeling, sleeping, mood, energy and if things are always getting better and you’re quality of life is getting better it will help keep you motivated despite what the number between your toes says!

I’ve said it a few time. Nutrition and Fitness is like a relationship leading to marriage. It’s exciting at first and comes easy but after a while, you have to be willing to put work in through the good times and bad times and when you do, it’ll be the greatest thing you have ever done.

Have you ever said something that maybe your child shouldn’t have heard you said in an adult conversation and now you’re trying to backpedal so they don’t repeat it? Or maybe you had to then explain yourself but they weren’t understanding because they are a child? Well, keep that in mind in the way you talk about yourself, body image and food.

I ask my clients who are parents do you eat differently than your family? Are you willing too? But the real question is, should you? Now that being said if you do have legit food intolerances you might be swapping things out but when it comes to health reason everyone should have balance.

One question I get is how do I get Bentley to eat what I eat and its pretty simple, I cook the food. She eats the food. We have always been really lucky she has always wanted to eat the same foods as us and she eats all sorts of things. But I find it more important HOW we approach what we eat.

Making dinner, she will ask “momma what is this” I can then explain to her its a vegetable, its called a carrot. She will say “a carrot” and I say “Yes! We need it for GOOD energy so that we can have lots of fun at school and dancing and work out” and she will say “OH I like carrots” We do this with ALL the foods. Now she is a bit older so I do start to say “Oh did you know we also call this a Carbohydrate and carbs give us the BEST energy” and she gets pumped up!

Now it comes treats time… “Momma can we get ice cream shopping today?” I reply “YOU bet baby!! Shopping is such a fun time to get a treat!!” She will reply “Treats are good only once in a while right” I reply “Yes”.

Now I’m sure you’re like WHOA that’s all very dramatic but she is three so it sticks and it works for us! Creating the understanding at the young ages of Everyday and all the time foods and treats will help you communicate with your child as well as set boundaries with them and their choices. Please do not Lable foods as good or bad, this is why our teens and adult populations feel guilt about food and develop eating disorders. 

Helping your child understand the balance will also empower you and make you feel confident and more open with your family about the changes coming to the family! 

For the record, I would also like to point out Bentley loves Spaghetti! So We still get her that! She also has had her fair share of chicken strips and pizza, but a balance is what we are after! 

Some tips if your struggling with your child and their food favorites are chances are they are enjoying the sugar in products and processed foods, so instead of just cutting them, cold turkey help be switching our snacks foods for fruit and smoothies. Slowly add more veggies into their days. Sneak in a bag of cucumbers and carrots with some bolt house yogurt ranch, they won’t be able to tell the difference! Choose rice crackers over chips and rice cakes with chocolate chips with almond butter! Gluten-free cereals and almond milk! These things will really go along away.

The reason i want to instill good habits into Bentley now is so that she has this as a life skill! Weighing and measuring our food is NOT so mommy can have a six-pack in her mind its so that MOMMY knows HOW much to eat so that I can compete at CrossFit, again it opens the conversation up about making sure we eat enough GOOD foods!

I Hope this helps! It can be overwhelming to make changes for yourself and family but Don’t expect to do it overnight, take your time It will come!

After three solid attempts loading my thoughts on this topic, IG gave me the hint that it was a matter to take to the blog.

So let’s smash some bullshit myths out there.

#1: Muscle weighs more than fat. WRONG, 1 pound is 1 pound. The difference in 1 pound of fat vs one pound of muscle is the shape it takes on our bodies. If you don’t believe me measure one pound of chicken and one pound of apples, they will weight the same but look very different.

#2: Fat turns to muscle. No, no it doesn’t. Through training and the loss of fat, you may start to notice your muscle mass, but there is no way to magically turn your fat to muscle. 

#3: Muscle Toning. There is no such thing as “toning” your either building muscle or decreasing fat. You look more defined because you are losing the body fat covering your muscles. But let’s not forget we have to weight train to build muscles. 

#4: Lifting weights will make you bulky. Wrong and right. Your training style and nutrition will determine the look your after. If you want to look like a bodybuilder you’re going to need to train like one. If you want to be fit and less defined you can carry a higher body fat percentage. Some athletes yes are blessed with genes that allow them to carry a natural physic of being lean while choosing a method that wouldn’t otherwise make them look so shredded. 

Why would you want to lift weights? Well, have you considered how your body will look if you decrease your body fat but don’t have muscle holding your skin up? Your bones will hold your skin up. Also if you’re working towards looking fit you have to have muscle shape under your skin when that body fat goes away. Doing hours and hours of cardio will not build your muscles you need to add weight training into your programs.

The best part about having muscles, you get to eat more food! Having a healthy muscle mass combined with a healthy body fat percentage will allow you to eat more calories! Building muscle requires more calories! This is why it’s equally important for you to be eating a good amount of protein if your working at decreasing body fat and building muscle!

But in the end, no, lifting weights doesn’t automatically make you bulky.