​We all crave to be supported, especially by the ones we love the most. But we don't often get this luxury. Usually, we're trying to make healthy choices in an environment that may not be very conducive to our success. More often than not, our own home and family members can feel like the biggest obstacles standing between us and our goals.

And not only that, but we truly desire for our family members to jump on board and make the same healthy changes with us! Isn't that ideal?? 

On this episode, Scott and I chat about having the right attitude with our health and fitness journey, and how you can be a powerful influence in your home without being aggressive or forceful. 

We talk about the do's and don'ts for when your family isn't on board with you: phrases you should and should not say, how to ask for their support with humility, and how to stay focused on the things you CAN change, not the things you can't. 

Resources from this episode:

• Couch to Strong Momma 8-Week Beginner Program 
• 1 Peter 3:1-4  

You want details?! I'm giving you details. And lots of them!!

So, how does your menstrual cycle affect your eating habits, your hunger, and your cravings? How does it affect your ability to workout hard and get the most from your training sessions? And how does it affect your mood and enthusiasm? 

The truth is that your menstrual cycle can impact just about everything, so it's foolish to ignore it and not plan for it effectively.

​On this episode, we're going to chat all about the menstrual cycle. You'll learn that there are reasonable explanations and solutions for something that can feel so completely unreasonable at times.

You'll learn about:

• the main phases of our cycle and the primary hormones that are in play,
• the specific effect those hormones have on our hunger, cravings, energy, and mood,
• how to be more prepared with your nutrition,
• and how to organize your month of workouts around your cycle.

We'll also briefly talk about not having a regular menstrual cycle and what that might be indicating for you. 
​
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Couch to Strong Momma 8-Week Beginner Program available now!! 
• (Article from Girls Gone Strong) Menstrual Matters: How your cycle may affect your training

Let's have an honest conversation about candy, sugar, and all sorts of sweet treats! As we come into the holidays, especially Halloween, sweets abound. It's helpful if we can enter this season with a good knowledge base to help influence our choices about treats.

On this episode, Scott and I are going to discuss:

• The short- and long-term dangers of eating a diet high in sugar
• How much sugar is too much?
• Appropriately reading food labels 
• Becoming more aware of the hidden sugars we eat every day

We're going to chat about the best ways to practice reducing your sugar intake on a regular basis so you feel like you have more control. We'll also specifically tackle strategies for handling Halloween candy. 

We want you to have a sound mind. Use good judgment. And be disciplined and wise when surrounded by candy and sweet treats. 

Resources from this episode: 

• Available Friday, November 1st!! The brand new Couch to Strong Momma 8-Week Beginner Workout Program (Don't miss the special early bird pricing for the first 24 hours!) 
• (Article) Halloween: This is why you should eat the candy. 
• (Article) Eight Tips on How to Splurge Correctly ​

​

How can we become more consistent with our eating and exercise habits? Because clearly, consistency is crucial for achieving our goals. If we approach our "consistency" from the perspective of “faithfulness”, we can see that this is as much a quality and maturity of personal character as much as it is about habit choices. 

On this episode, we'll see that as we're being refined to look more like Christ, it must include the area of faithfulness...being true to our word and doing what we say we're going to do. This requires humility, clarity, and lots of prayer.

And it requires learning how to persevere through trials and hardships. 
We're going to address the pitfalls of having the "all-or-nothing" or perfectionism mindset, and why this holds us back more than anything else.

​And then we'll chat all about: 

• How to set realistic expectations for yourself
• Creating backup plans
• Predicting the curveballs
• Having layers of accountability

Your Questions Answered:
At the end of the episode I'll be answering your questions! 

1. From Victoria - (40:12) How should I sync my workouts with my menstrual cycle?
2. From Kait - (46:10) Do you have any tips for getting toddlers to eat healthier? To eat veggies?

Resources from this episode:

• 2 Corinthians 3:18
• Ephesians 4:22-24
• Matthew 5:37
• Romans 5:1-5
• Isaiah 41:10

Are weight loss plateaus inevitable? Are they predictable? Is there a way to avoid them? And what's the best way to bust through a plateau when it happens? That's what we're talking all about on today's episode! 

When we’re talking about a plateau, we’re usually referring to a stall out in body composition changes, even when our habits are still on point. It can feel like all the things that worked in the beginning to create progress aren't working anymore. What in the world?!

In this episode, you're going to learn all about the metabolism, we're going to talk about the concept of "calories-in-calories-out", and we'll discuss metabolic compensation. 

But most importantly, we'll chat about nutrition and exercises strategies to bust through a plateau if you suspect it's occurring. 

MORE RESOURCES: 

• Article about the Law of Metabolic Compensation by Dr. Jade Teta 
• How to Lose 4 Pounds in 4 Days by Megan Dahlman, BS, CSCS
• Leptin, Ghrelin, and Weight Loss by Helen Kollias, Ph.D.

You asked, I'll answer! This entire episode is dedicated to answering all of your questions about exercise, nutrition, and the balance and interplay of these things in our lives.

We're going to talk all about carbs, fasting, bad knees, running, how to be more consistent and setting a good example for our kids. The scope of topics we're covering on today's episode is incredible! 
​

1. (5:25) Are all carbs created equal?
2. (11:55) How do you handle nutrition goals when they differ from your spouse's?
3. (15:09) Is it ok to workout while I'm fasting, and if so, how can I strategically plan for this best?
4. (18:55) Any tips for someone with a very sedentary job and long commute?
5. (22:05) The elastic bands...what are they adding to the exercise? 
6. (24:44) What are the best workouts for someone with bad knees?
7. (26:49) I'm an Endomorph and I love to run, but it sounds like I should be lifting instead. What if I really just love to run?
8. (30:15) How do I break the inconsistency cycle, especially when I'm just not feeling into it?
9. (36:01) Where’s the best place to buy workout clothes and equipment?
10. (37:26) How can we raise our kids to have a healthy attitude about food and fitness?

Resources from this Episode: 
Strong Hips and Core Free Workout Download
Perform Better Minibands
​

I have found that the most helpful thing with fitness and nutrition is to learn from those that have gone before us. It's good to know the facts and the strategies, but when we can see how a professional is actually doing it, how they are specifically implementing these things, then it clicks even more. 

In this episode, you're going to get a behind-the-scenes look at what a professional's own workouts actually look like!

I'm going to pull you into my workout space and show you how I train. You'll find out how I lay out my own personal workouts, what my week of workouts look like, and how long I train. And there are certain things that I allow myself to be flexible with, whereas I have a handful of aspects that are completely non-negotiable.

I'll reveal my complete training history (including a random, terrible triathlon!), and even all the injuries that I've battled. We'll chat about yoga, running, weightlifting, goal setting, and so much more! 

You're going to love this episode! 

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED! 
At the end of the show, I'm answering listener questions:

1. Sara asks - "I feel a cold coming on. Should I do my workout as planned or should I just rest?"
2. Mandy asks - "What’s the best thing to do for shin splints? I can’t seem to beat this…whenever I try to run they come back."
​

More Resources From This Episode:

• The Strong Hips and Core FREE training program download 
• 1 Thessalonians 2:8, 2 Timothy 2:2, Titus 2:3-5 
• Megan's favorite YouTube yoga: Leigha Butler and Gayatri Yoga
• Scott's favorite YouTube yoga: Yoga with Tim

Today's episode is all about "cheat meals", splurging, and how to find balance so you can still see results and be healthy.

It's human nature, isn't it? As soon as we know what we should be doing, we immediately want to know how much of the wrong thing we can do before facing the consequences.

In order to make a breakthrough here, we need to completely change the conversation. Let's move away from calling it "cheating" and let's let go of restrictions in general.

You're going to learn:

• Why it's actually important to make sure you splurge,
• How to stop demonizing and labeling foods as "bad", 
• What exactly constitutes a splurge,
• How to have more self control with splurges so they don't derail you.

If you struggle with "trigger" foods or have a hard time going overboard when you stray from your healthy eating habits, this episode is exactly what you need. 

​YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED! 
At the end of the show, I'm answering listener questions: 

1. From Karen (42:30): "Any advice for those of us with thyroid dysfunction? I have hypothyroidism, and it’s a lot of effort to maintain my current body let alone lose some pounds and tone up.”
2. From Heidi (48:22): "Do you have any good verses for when I feel worn out and ready to give up?” 

​“Working out and eating healthy isn’t supposed to make you cry.” 

We've been told that self care, exercise, and good nutrition is strictly physical. It's just surface-level actions and behaviors. But then why on earth are so many of us falling apart into a ball of tears in the middle of a workout?

Whether the feelings we have are sorrow, anger, a sense of being overwhelmed, or pure rage, the fact remains: it's completely normal to come face to face with some pretty big emotions during a workout.  

This episode seeks to unravel what's going on underneath the surface when we're asked to do something extremely challenging and outside of our comfort zones. We'll stare down our pride, weaknesses, and true motivations for exercising. In the end, we're going to be called on to deny ourselves and our deepest ambitions, and adopt the ambitions and purpose of Jesus instead. 

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED! 
At the end of the episode, Megan will be answering your questions about Faith, Food, and Fitness. 

1. Lindsay asks: "Can you talk about the big exercise ball? What’s the benefit of using it, and how can I get better at it?"
2. Paula asks: "I always find myself so hungry only an hour or two after I eat. Then I start looking around for something else to eat. Any ideas?" 

More resources from this episode:

• Matthew 6:5
• Romans 3:23
• Mark 8:34-37
• 1 Peter 2:9
• Colossians 3:1-3
• 2 Timothy 1:7 
• For my favorite physioball click here

We’ve all done it. Eaten because we’re stressed out and need a quick escape, or we have found ourselves mindlessly eating something just because it’s there. I'm sure you completely recognize that these behaviors aren’t ideal. Mindless munching and eating under stress can completely sabotage any forward movement toward your physical goals, not to mention your emotional and spiritual health, too. 

But how can you stop self-sabotaging?

On this episode, we’re going to discuss emotional vs. unemotional eating, and how both are a result of turning your brain off while eating. You’ll learn how to become more mindful, intuitive and aware in these situations. You’re also going to be armed with strategies to combat these behaviors and stay the course with your eating habits.

These are some great questions to ask yourself while you pause and slow down to eat:

• How do I like the taste, the texture? Is it overly salty or fake or super sweet?
• How does this food make me feel? How will this food make me feel in 10, 20 or 30 minutes?
• Does this food line up with how I know I should be eating right now?
• If this is more of a splurge-type food, is this my favorite splurge? Or am I kind of wasting a splurge right now on something I don’t even really like?
• Is there anything that I can add to this or do entirely different right now to make this meal or eating situation even better and line up with my eating habits?  

Your questions answered!
At the end of the episode, I’ll be answering your questions about food, fitness, and faith.

From Jenna: "Any tips on how to slow down while eating? I feel that I race through meal prep, eat quickly between standing up 5 times during the meal, then hop up to be in front of the kids after the meal."

From Heather: "I see you working out barefoot a lot in your workout videos. Is that something I should be doing, too? What are the advantages of working out barefoot?"
 
More Resources from this episode:

Registration for the Strong Mommas Coaching Program ends 9/11! Click here to learn more and to join now!
Philippians 1: 9-10
Proverbs 15:14
2 Corinthians 1:3-4a
Psalm 107:9
Jonah 2:8