If you’ve been feeling puffy, bloated, achy, or stuck with stubborn belly fat that won’t budge, you might be asking yourself: “What is happening to my body?” For many women over 40, the answer isn’t another diet or a harder workout—it’s inflammation.

What Is Inflammation?

Inflammation is your body’s natural defense system. When you cut your leg or fight off a cold, the body launches an inflammatory response to heal and protect you. But in today’s world, our bodies are on constant high alert—exposed to stress, processed foods, chemicals, and lack of sleep. Instead of occasional healing, inflammation becomes chronic, acting like a slow-burning house fire inside your body.

Dr. Shivani Gupta, inflammation expert and Ayurvedic practitioner, describes it perfectly:

“It’s like putting a smoldering candle in the attic. You don’t notice it at first…until one day the entire house is on fire.”

That hidden fire shows up as brain fog, joint pain, fatigue, stubborn belly fat, bloating, and feeling like you just don’t recognize yourself anymore.

Signs It Might Be Inflammation (Not Just Weight Gain)
Puffiness in the face or around the middle
Belly fat that doesn’t respond to workouts or dieting
Brain fog or forgetfulness
Achy joints or unexplained fatigue
Blood markers like cholesterol, A1C, or HSCRP creeping up

If this sounds familiar, the problem may not be lack of discipline. It may be chronic inflammation weighing you down.

Why Women Over 40 Are More Vulnerable

Between perimenopause, hormone shifts, stress, and the pressure to “do it all,” midlife women are especially vulnerable to inflammation. Add in nutrient-poor diets, poor sleep, and the constant comparison trap of social media, and our bodies are left begging for calm instead of chaos.

As Dr. Gupta says:

“We’re trying to live ten different women’s amazing lives in one body, in one lifetime—and it’s fueling chaos instead of peace.”

3 Simple Habits to Calm Inflammation

The good news? Reducing inflammation doesn’t mean overhauling your life. Start with these small but powerful daily shifts:

Prioritize Sleep – Going to bed by 10 PM helps your body repair, detox, and reset.

Add Turmeric – A proven anti-inflammatory spice that supports gut health and reduces oxidative stress.

Pause + Reduce Stress – Even a mindful tea break or chewing your meals slowly can pull your body out of fight-or-flight mode.

These simple practices can help your body finally cool the fire and get back to balance.

The Role of Gut Health and Ayurveda

Ayurveda, the 5,000-year-old system of medicine, teaches that gut health is the foundation of overall health. When your digestive “fire” is strong, your body can process foods, toxins, and stress more effectively. Supporting your gut with nutrient-dense foods, mindful eating, and seasonal rhythms can transform how you feel day to day.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been doubling down on diets and workouts without results, it’s time to consider inflammation as the missing piece. Your body isn’t broken—it’s sending you signals that it’s overwhelmed. By focusing on sleep, stress, and gut health, you can put out that hidden house fire and finally feel like yourself again.

Your Turn: What’s one small habit you could add this week to calm inflammation—better sleep, mindful meals, or stress reduction? Share it in the comments!

Resources + Links Mentioned in This Episode:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheShivaniGupta
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.shivanigupta  and use #turmericlife
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivaniguptafl/ @‌shivaniguptafl and use #turmericlife
JOIN the 7-Day Inflammation Detox Challenge https://www.7dayinflammationdetox.com/optin1641313075014- ( Free videos everyday and resources ) FREE GIFT: Anti-Inflammatory E-Cook Book https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ItNJ1DV3XsOn5MwBbSpeTFH8o3KFu2qk/view?usp=sharing
Turmeric Supplement use code FGM Facebook group

Free Resources:
https://www.fitgirlmagic.com/freeresources_podcast

Flip Flop Life Waitlist 

The post Inflammation or Fat? How to Tell (and Fix It!) appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

So many women in perimenopause or menopause are shelling out cash for HRT (hormone replacement therapy), convinced it’s going to be the thing that finally helps them feel like themselves again. And when it doesn’t? They’re left feeling frustrated, confused, and like their body is broken.

Here’s the truth most people won’t tell you:

Hormones don’t operate in isolation.
Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone may get all the airtime, but they’re only part of the picture. Hormones work in a complex hierarchy—like a web. And if you tug on one without checking the rest, you risk throwing your whole system off.

This is where a lot of women go wrong.

They start HRT or hop on the latest GLP-1 medication hoping for instant magic—but feel worse or no different. Why? Because the upstream issues haven’t been addressed.

Think of it like revving the engine of a car with no gas, low oil, and a clogged filter. It doesn’t matter how shiny the parts are—it’s not going anywhere.

Here’s What You Need to Know First:

1. Hormones Are a Web, Not a Solo Act
Adding one hormone affects all of them. You can’t support insulin or glucagon without also influencing cortisol, estrogen, thyroid hormones, and more. If your system is inflamed or stressed out, the body won’t respond the way you want it to.

2. Address the Foundation First
Sleep, blood sugar, nutrition, stress, inflammation—those are the pillars. If you skip over these and jump straight to hormone therapy, it’s like putting new tires on a car that doesn’t have an engine.

3. There’s No Silver Bullet
This part is hard to hear, but real talk: the long way is the shortcut. I get it—everyone wants the fast fix. But lasting change takes time, strategy, and a full-body approach. You don’t need another hack—you need a plan that starts with the basics.

So What Can You Do?

Before you jump into HRT or any kind of hormone support, ask yourself:

• Am I sleeping consistently?

• Have I managed my blood sugar and insulin resistance?

• What’s my stress level really like?

• Am I moving my body in a way that supports—not drains—me?

Once these are dialed in, then hormone therapy can actually work the way it’s supposed to.

Final Thoughts:

If you’re feeling preyed upon by quick fixes, influencers, or supplement pushers—you’re not alone. Perimenopausal and menopausal women have been gaslit for decades. My mission is to help you become an informed, empowered consumer who knows how to support her body from the inside out.

You’re not broken. You’re just missing the roadmap.

Need help figuring out where to start?
Leave a comment below 

The post The Realities of HRT: Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

The truth? You don’t need to be on a diet 365 days a year.
You just need a plan that respects your life and your sanity.

Why Your Body Isn’t Amazon Prime

I used to believe results worked like an Amazon Prime order, do the work, skip the fun, hustle harder, and results would arrive in two days. Spoiler: that’s not how it works.

Your body responds best when you work with it, not when you try to force it into submission with endless restriction and grind. And the secret to doing that is matching your fitness and nutrition to the season you’re in right now.

The Four Seasons of Your Fitness Year

Think of your year in 90-day blocks, just like nature cycles through winter, spring, summer, and fall. Your fitness should too.

1. Winter – Build Season
This is your “heads down” phase. You have the time and space to lift heavy, eat more strategically, and focus on building muscle. You’re fueling your workouts, training 3–5 days a week, and checking most of the boxes (about 80% of the time). You might look a little “fluffier,” but that’s okay, you’re laying the foundation for future fat loss.

2. Spring – Downshift
After months of building, it’s time to ease off slightly. Pull calories back just a touch, keep protein high, and start tapering toward maintenance. This is not punishment, it’s a smooth transition so you can keep your energy up and avoid shocking your body.

3. Summer – Maintain & Live Your Life
This is about keeping your non-negotiables while you enjoy life. Three workouts a week, protein-focused meals, movement that feels good, no obsessing, no 5 a.m. gym sessions before vacation. You’re maintaining progress without burnout.

4. Fall – Recalibrate
Time to assess. What worked this year? What didn’t? What does your body need next, another build, a maintenance stretch, or a short fat loss phase? This is where you adjust your plan based on your schedule and goals.

Why Seasons Work

Just like you wouldn’t train for a marathon the same way you’d train for a 5K, you shouldn’t approach every month of the year with the exact same nutrition and training plan. Matching your effort to your life season, busy work quarter, travel, downtime, means you’ll see better results without burning out.

How to Start

1. Look at your year ahead. Note vacations, busy work seasons, moves, or other life events.

2. Decide which 90-day blocks are best for building, maintaining, or downshifting.

3. Adjust your workouts and nutrition for this season instead of forcing a plan that doesn’t fit.

Final Thought

Your plan isn’t broken, it’s just mistimed.
Pick your season, make peace with it, and remember: no one’s handing out gold stars for perfection. The real win is creating progress that fits your life.

Next Step:
Figure out what season you’re in right now and adjust your plan accordingly. Your body and your sanity will thank you.

Links
Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic

Free Resources: https://www.fitgirlmagic.com/freeresources_podcast

5 Day Belly Fat Reset https://www.fitgirlmagic.com/5daybfc_25_podcast

Website:  http://www.kimbarnesjefferson.com

The post Your Guide to the 4 Seasons of Fat Loss appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

I sat down with Allison Schaaf, a registered dietitian and trained chef (yes, she went to culinary school AND studied nutrition), who is also the founder of Prep Dish. She created a simple system that helps busy women plan and prep meals without the stress or guilt. Spoiler alert: no black plastic containers required.

From Personal Chef to Prep Dish Founder

Allison started her career working in health spas and as a personal chef. While she loved helping her private clients figure out “what’s for dinner,” she realized she could reach so many more people by turning her tips and tricks into a repeatable system. That’s how Prep Dish was born. It’s a weekly meal plan subscription service that includes recipes, grocery lists, and a prep day plan that gets you set up for the entire week—in less time than you’d expect.

How Prep Dish Works

Each week, Prep Dish members receive a new meal plan. Inside, you’ll find:

• A full week’s worth of dinners
• A categorized grocery list
• Optional prep day instructions

Allison breaks it down into a 3-part process:

1. Plan your meals
2. Shop using a streamlined grocery list
3. Spend 1-2 hours max on prep day

The “prep day” might sound scary, but it doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the kitchen. With the Super Fast plan, you can get your prep done in under an hour. And yes, pre-chopped veggies are 100% allowed (and encouraged).

It’s Not All or Nothing

You don’t need to prep every single thing or follow the meal plan exactly as written. Allison encourages you to make the meals your own—swap chicken breast for thighs, try a different veggie, or double a recipe to use for lunch the next day. The system is flexible because life is unpredictable.

It’s More Than Just Food

Meal prep isn’t about perfection. It’s about having a plan so you don’t default to cereal or takeout (again). It’s about creating space to sit down with your family, even if it’s just for 20 minutes. It’s about removing one more decision from your already overloaded brain.

As Allison says, “I have the opportunity to meal prep so I can feed myself and my family delicious, nourishing food. And I get to create space for connection.”

Tired of Half-Used Ingredients?

One thing Prep Dish does differently: they use all of the ingredients. Buy parsley? You’re using the whole bunch. Need half a celery bunch? The rest goes in as a snack or another recipe. No more sad wilted herbs in the back of your fridge.

Picky Eaters or Busy Nights?

Allison has three boys, so she gets the real-life challenges of feeding a family. If you’re juggling soccer practice, late work meetings, or picky kids, Prep Dish helps you plan for those realities. Slow cooker meals for busy nights? Yep. Extra portions for leftovers? You bet.

Try It Free

You can test drive Prep Dish with a 2-week free trial at PrepDish.com/fitmagic. You get immediate access to multiple meal plans and all the tools to start planning meals without the overwhelm.

Bonus: More Than Meal Prep

Allison is also the founder of Miscarriage Hope Desk, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women navigating pregnancy loss. After experiencing six miscarriages herself, Allison created a safe space where women could find resources, share stories, and know they’re not alone.

Meal Prep = Less Chaos, More Calm

At the end of the day, this isn’t about being the perfect cook or creating Pinterest-worthy dinners. It’s about making your week smoother and giving yourself one less thing to stress about.

So if you’re tired of asking “What’s for dinner?” and want to stop letting that question derail your evening—Prep Dish might just be your new secret weapon.

Give it a try. Your future self will thank you.

Links Meal Prep Monday podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Facebook group Free Resources: https://www.fitgirlmagic.com/freeresources_podcast
5 Day Belly Fat Reset
Belly Fat Reset
Guilt Free Alcohol Guide https://www.fitgirlmagic.com/alcohol_evergreen_2025podcast

The post How to Make Healthy, Delicious Dinners Easy appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Here’s what nobody warns you about: Your body doesn’t send a memo before it changes the rules.

One minute you’re cruising along with the same habits that always worked. The next, you’re googling “why do I look pregnant but I’m definitely not” at 2 AM while stress-eating pita chips.

Welcome to the wild world of hormonal chaos, where your body decides to store fat in places it never bothered with before.

It’s Not Your Fault (But It Is Your Problem)

Let’s get one thing straight: This isn’t because you got lazy or lost willpower. Your hormones are literally rewiring your metabolism like a toddler with a screwdriver.

Estrogen starts ghosting you. Cortisol moves in and makes itself way too comfortable. Insulin gets moody and stops doing its job properly. Meanwhile, your metabolism is like, “You know what? I think I’ll just… slow down. A lot.”

The result? Your body starts hoarding fat around your middle like it’s preparing for the apocalypse.

Why Your Body’s Actually Trying to Help (Plot Twist!)

Here’s the mind-bender: Your body isn’t betraying you — it’s trying to protect you. In your mind you are like, I don’t need this kind of protection! 

When hormones go haywire, your smart little system thinks, “Something’s wrong! Better store some emergency fuel!” So it parks extra fat right around your organs, just in case.

Sweet of it, really. Completely annoying, but sweet.

The Simple Evening Ritual That Changes Everything

Want to send your body a different message? Try this tonight: Take a 10-20 minute walk after any meal today. 

I know, I know. It sounds almost too simple. But here’s what happens:

• Your blood sugar stabilizes (no more fat storage signals)
• Cortisol starts to chill out
• Your body gets the memo that everything’s actually fine

It’s like a gentle conversation with your metabolism instead of a shouting match.

The Real Story Behind Your Stubborn Belly Fat

Look, you deserve to understand what’s actually happening in your body. Not some vague “hormones are crazy” explanation, but the real deal about why this is happening now and what actually works to fix it.

Ready for the full story?

👉 I break down exactly what triggers midlife belly fat in Day 2 of my free 5-Day Belly Fat Reset podcast. We’re talking about the specific hormones, the timing, and most importantly — what you can actually do about it.

Have a listen, because once you understand what’s really going on, everything starts to make sense.

The post The Belly Fat Sneak Attack: Where Did This Even Come From? appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Ever feel like your body has ghosted you?
You’re doing everything “right”—cutting carbs, logging your food, fasted cardio, workouts on repeat—and STILL nothing’s changing?

Let’s cut through the noise:
You’re not broken. You’re just following rules that no longer work for the version of you today.

This blog is your real-talk permission slip to stop chasing the perfect plan… and finally start building a strategy that fits your actual life.

Plateaus Aren’t Personal — They’re Just Math

So many women tell me, “I’m doing everything, Kim. Why isn’t it working?”

The truth?
Your body isn’t punishing you.
It’s adapting.

That plateau you’re frustrated with? It’s not a sign to go harder or eat less. It’s your body saying, “This strategy isn’t working anymore.” That doesn’t mean you’re doomed. It means it’s time to get curious, not frantic.

Let Go of the Fantasy Routine

If I had a dollar for every time I heard, “I just need to get back to what I used to do…”

But let’s be real:
Your life looks NOTHING like it did 5, 10, 15 years ago.
– Maybe you have kids now.
– Maybe you’re taking care of aging parents.
– Maybe your job is 10x more demanding.

Your body, your time, and your energy are different now. So why are you still expecting the old plan to work?

Let’s build a strategy that fits this season—not some fantasy version of your life that only exists in your head.

The Power of 1–3 Non-Negotiables

You don’t need a 12-step system or a full-body detox to see results. You need consistency with the basics.

Here’s where I want you to start:
Pick 1–3 non-negotiables. That’s it.

Think:
– Protein at every meal
– Walking 8,000–10,000 steps
– A bedtime that doesn’t involve doom-scrolling
– Lifting weights 2–3x per week

They don’t have to be fancy. They just have to be doable—even when life gets lifey.

Because sustainable results come from repeating what actually works for your life.

You Don’t Need to Try Harder—You Need to Train Smarter

Stop dipping your toe in and out of the latest trends.
Stop chasing fast results that burn you out in two weeks.
Stop restarting every Monday.

You’re not lazy.
You’re exhausted from doing too much of what doesn’t serve you.

What if—hear me out—you gave yourself an entire year to build a strong, resilient, energized body instead of trying to force 30-day transformations?

That’s what real change looks like.

Pick Your Pace (And Make Peace With It)

Your results don’t come from doing more.
They come from doing what you can actually maintain. And that’s going to look different in each season of life.

Every 90 days, check in with yourself:
– What’s working?
– What’s draining me?
– What do I need to adjust?

And if you find yourself saying, “I know what to do, I just can’t stay consistent,”—you don’t need more willpower. You need a new strategy.

Final Word: You Are the Magic

You don’t need to earn your food.
You don’t need to “undo” anything.
You don’t need another detox, reset, or 75-day bootcamp.

You just need a plan that works for YOU.

The name of my podcast is Fit Girl Magic for a reason. Because the magic?
It’s not in the scale.
It’s not in the plan.
It’s in YOU.

Links

FREE alcohol resource guide https://www.fitgirlmagic.com/alcohol_evergreen_2025podcast

Help me build your Flip Flop Life Era (complete the survey and I’ll give you a free cup of coffee)  https://forms.gle/dx1EPdE3dmfZeX6V7

Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic

Free Resources: https://www.fitgirlmagic.com/freeresources_podcast

The post Why Your Old Diet Tricks Are No Longer Working appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Realize You Don’t Have to Be Perfect

A big problem people have is that the moment that they deviate from their diet, they feel like they’ve lost all their progress and that there’s no point in continuing with the diet. This is what people call a perfectionist mindset and it can be very difficult to overcome. If you’re one of the many people who have this mindset, then you need to get it into your head that the occasional mistake doesn’t set you back to square one. Just because you went out and overindulged one night doesn’t mean that you should give up on a diet.

I coach my clients to focus on the 80/20 rule. Out of your week if 80% of your meals are healthy and clean don’t sweat the other 20%. This is the main key of moderation. When we cut out the fun foods, the struggle becomes real!

With the 80/20 rule it helps you to blend in fun foods vs banning the outright. Say you love French fries, every time you go out and you gotta have French fries, but instead you tell yourself you are on a diet, so you have a salad instead. But those fries are on your brain.

What if instead you ordered the fries and didn’t have the bun on the burger or maybe you ordered the fries and didn’t dessert or a glass of wine. Do you see what I’m doing’ I’m making trades so that I can have the fries AND have clean food choices.

Make Sure That You Regularly Reward Yourself

Ideally, the knowledge that you’re becoming healthier would be motivation in of itself. But, that’s just not the case. So, from time to time you need to make sure that you’re rewarding yourself. It will give you something to look forward to, which will help with motivation, especially in rough patches. As for what the reward is, that’s entirely up to you.

I encourage my clients to have at least 2 treat meals/week. This could be a scheduled date night with your sweetie or movie nights with the kiddos, but it’s a meal where you have your fun foods. With that said, this isn’t the lose my shit at night. You will eat normal portions without the guilt. What are some of your favorite treat meals’

Set Realistic Goals

This is the crux of my REPS Formula . For the past 15 years I’ve seen so many women struggle with their goals because they reach for the stars and then get frustrated when the results aren’t coming as fast as they want them to.

When you are setting goals I ask my clients to work through their REPS
Your goal is it REALISTIC’ For example, it’s not realistic to lose 30 pounds in 30 days despite what you’ve read on Facebook 12 Something more realistic would be to focus on losing 1 pound a week.
Are you EXCITED about your goal’ In order to reach your goals do you need give up your fun foods’ Do you need to spend hours at the gym’ If that doesn’t excite you then you will not stick with it long term.
Can you make a PLAN for it in your life’ Can you make this work in your current lifestyle without a lot of gymnastics’
Lastly is your goals SUSTAINABLE for the long term’ Can you see yourself doing this for the next 30 day, 1 year or 5 years’

If this interests you, take a listen to this podcast where I go into greater detail.

Don’t Weigh Regularly

I get it. You want to lose the weight and you want to lose the weight right fucking now!! Repeat after me this is a long-term goal! You will need to pack your patience. You will see basically no progress when you first start. A lot of people make the mistake of weighing daily. This will kill your motivation because you’re going to have days and weeks where the scale barely moves if it moves at all. Weigh once at the start of the diet to set a baseline, then don’t weigh for at least a month, if not longer.

There are so many factors that go into your scale weight.
Many you haven’t pooped, you drank a lot of water, ate a lot of salt, you are getting your period. So instead of just using the scale, find some other non-scale victories.

Think physical
Less heartburn
Increased sleep Less pain
You get sick less often
Increased mood
Less cravings

What’s a non-scale victory that would work for you’

5 Days Effortless Weight loss.My signature weight loss mini course that teaches you the 4 disciple changers that will leave you feeling better, stronger and more confident. This time you’re guaranteed not to fail. 

The post 4 Ways To Stay Motivated To Stick To A Diet appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

What do you do if you are in a season of obsession’ I have asked a few of my friends to talk about what they have experienced with obsession and what they have done to create a turning point in their life, how they got out of this obsession. But first, before I fill you in on all the amazing information, they have given us, I want to tell you more about the obsessions that I had for years and had to overcome.

I know you have heard me speak a little on this, but I had my obsessions too. Food and working out were those for me. I had to weigh and measured everything I ate. I even went as far as when going to a restaurant, basically telling them how they should make my food. But fortunately, I had a good personality about it, but I have seen people lose their shit over things like this I thought I was balanced, but now that I look on the other side of it, I see that I wasn’t.

I brought my own food to a lot of places, wherever I was able to bring it. I was so petrified that one false move and I would lose all of my gains.

I feel like I didn’t really come out of the other side of this until about 6 years ago. It broke for me when we went away for a month-long vacation and I realized that I didn’t want to worry about what I was going to eat everywhere; I didn’t want to worry about if I would be able to get a workout in. I didn’t know if I would be able to do any of those, so for me, I just didn’t want to worry about it.

What I did know was
1. I knew I would get in my steps because we didn’t have a car and we had to walk everywhere.
2. I knew everywhere we went I could get at least a salad to eat with protein on it, so I knew I would have at least 1 really balanced meal per day.
3. I also knew that I would be able to sleep because jet lag kicks my ass. And I would have to sleep!

I decided for shits and giggles to document this experiment while we were away. So, I weighed myself when we left and when we got home. And with only working out maybe 3 times a week and everything else, I had only gained 2 pounds! ONLY 2 pounds WITHOUT freaking out about every single thing. After seeing this, it is when I created my non-negotiables, the minimum things I need to do because LIFE HAPPENS! And we have to learn to give a little!

Kim Schaper

The thing that I have definitely worked on overcoming was my food and workouts. What I have found is when I do less, my body responds much better! So instead of doing excessive cardio, I focus more on lifting and walking. And I’ve found by far, that this is so much more beneficial for my body and my mind. It reduces inflammation so I feel a million times better, I sleep better, and I don’t have as many cravings.

I know the jump feels scary, especially if you’ve been doing chronic cardio. But what I found is we often end up eating more the more cardio we do, versus if we’re doing weight training and some walks and maybe a HIIT here or there. By doing less, you’re much more likely to reduce your caloric intake, naturally, build more lean muscle and just overall feel better!

Stephanie Kahn
One thing I used to obsess about was how many carbs I ate. I went very low carb, and I went even keto for a while, and this all started in late 2017. I did not fully overcome obsession, until late last year and it got so bad. The low point was maybe early 2020, which at this point, it had gotten so bad that I was too scared to even eat berries.12 It was at that point when I knew that I needed to do something, or this was just going to get worse.

So, I stopped listening to what the experts were saying, and I decided to just really focus on how my body felt and what I was feeling in my body when I ate carbs. It had been so long since I ate carbs, that I wasn’t really sure how it was going to feel. I just started reintroducing them in small amounts. I started with berries and sweet potatoes. Those two foods not only felt really good when I ate them, I really enjoy those foods, but they were helping me in my workouts, and they were actually making my workouts better. I continued to eat more! I tried out different amounts, different types, and all with the general leading principle of how this is making me feel and like not really worrying about what people were saying about carbs, or what the keto people were saying, what the low carb people were saying, I was just going with my own intuitions.

This was around the spring or June of 2020, when I really started adding the carbs back into my diet. It took time and I would say I really didn’t overcome this completely until late 2020. At the beginning when I started doing this, I really thought I was going to go crazy that I was going to eat all the carbs. I thought that there was no way that I’m going to be able to control myself around these. But in the end, my body knew what to do it. It knows what it likes!!

Of course, I also eat cakes and cookies occasionally. The main thing is, is that I eat the carbs that I like AND I DON’T obsess about them anymore. I don’t count my macros. I don’t count my calories. I just eat what I like. I have been sticking to this for three or four months now and I am feeling really good about it. I feel like the obsession is still a little bit there, but it is slowly going away. I really feel strongly that continuing this intuitive process with the carbs is the way that I’m going to fully get over the no-carb obsession and that’s all okay!!!

Lisa Mustard
One of the things that I used to obsess about, like OB-CESS about was intermittent fasting and cardio. Many years ago, I was asked to be in a fashion show and the fashion show had me wearing something like a bathing suit. But it definitely showed off my midriff and my legs, plus I had just had a baby. I had done some research about the fastest way to lose weight and I came across intermittent fasting.

In the beginning it worked well and then I just hit a plateau. So, I thought in order to up my game, I would just add in some cardio to that. And that was the recipe I needed for results. But it was also a recipe for disaster because I was so burnt out and tired of intermittent fasting and exercising by the time that that fashion show rolled around, I had hit a wall. And because of this, I didn’t know of another way to reach my goals unless it was that kind of extreme behavior.
So, after the fashion show, I just hit that wall and I knew I couldn’t go back to what I was doing. My body wasn’t responding anymore, I was tired all the time, I was hungry all the time and I was just really grumpy. When I hit rock bottom, my husband was the voice of reason. He said, While I know what you are doing gave you the results, moving forward, do something that’s going to be healthier and going to give you more of vibrancy and longevity and help your build strength. Not just a scale weight kind of goal or what you see in the mirror kind of goal.

When I finally wrapped my head around that and then started to get back into a training plan that made sense and was enjoying working out again, everything started to fall back into place. It took some time, and it didn’t happen overnight. But let me tell you, that intermittent fasting and doing a lot of cardio was a recipe for me to hit a wall.

Now I still intermittent fast these days, but I do it in a sane way. And I rarely do cardio like I used to. Instead, I focus on lifting heavy, I focus on getting my nutrition right, I focus on walking, I focus on mindset and I am in such a happier and better space. And I have found peace!!! I have found peace with my body, I have found peace with my mindset, I have found peace with food and just really am able to now enjoy activity again and not be so focused on vanity goals.

I hope your Magic Makers, find this helpful and I’m here if they have questions or need support!!

Kyra Williams

For me, I can’t actually say that I have stopped my obsession with working out and eating perfectly because I’m still pretty obsessive over these things. I’m actually in training currently for nationals, weightlifting and CrossFit open. So missing workouts is something that I have a very hard time wrapping my head around and it is something that I really tried not to do. BUT I had a local competition this past weekend and, on the Monday, after I showed up at the gym, and I just took it easy.

And part of me really didn’t want to take it easy, but I knew I had that rational thought of, Okay, you need to take it easy, so you can recover and be good to go for the long haul.And I think that that rationalization is huge. We have to have that constant self-talk with ourselves to let ourselves remember and feel okay when we know, things aren’t gonna go as we necessarily want them to or would like them to. And that same thing applies to food as well. And that is also one place I don’t obsessive over. For me, I definitely have the desire to eat clean and eat healthy, but if I’m not perfect about it, it’s not that big of a deal.

LINKS
5 days effortless weight loss https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/5-days-effortless-weight-loss-march2021
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FabFitSquad
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic/
Website: https://kimbarnesjefferson.com/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fit-girl-magic-healthy-living-for-women-over-40/id1476883661

The post Are Your Living Rules Affecting Your Progress appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

How often do you exercise’

I know you’ve read or seen some social media influencer tell you that you need to workout everyday and you must be SORE! That seems a little overwhelming when you have so many other things on your plate.

For my clients I recommend that you lift 3-5 days. Put those days in your calendar and treat it light an appointment that you can miss.

Now let’s look at how many meals you eat every day.

The average person eats either 2 or 3 major meals each day. Many people enjoy a snack or two daily as well. The human body craves hydration more than it does food, so throughout the day make sure that you are drinking water. . Did you know that the human body can go more than 30 days without food, but only about 3 days without water’ Make sure you are hydrating frequently.

How many meals should you eat’

Focus on eating when you are hungry. I was of the school that you had to have 5-6 meals/day or you wouldn’t build any muscle. When you start to feel hungry ask yourself are you even hungry give yourself 30 minutes and if you are eat, if you aren’t ride it out a bit longer.

What should you eat’

Why yes you need a caloric deficit to lose weight. HOWEVER you need to figure YOUR caloric deficit vs blinding following someone else “plan”. Yes, this takes a bit of fine tuning but once you do it! Man, you will be very happy you did. No more struggling or suffering!

On your plate focus on having 30 grams of protein and at least 400 grams of fruit and veggies.

Nutrition alone accounts for as much as 60% to 70% of your fitness level.

I am not saying exercise is bad, but as the late great Jack Lalane said, nutrition is queen and fitness is king. We all know if the queen is not happy, then no one is happy.

Have you fully considered that losing weight is a 2 prong approach’ I’m a big fan of the show CSI. When you watch CSI they enter a crime scene and do an analysis. The same can be said for your nutrition. Take a look at your results up till now. If you haven’t reached the weight loss and fitness goals you desire so far, but you exercise all the time, you may not be giving nutrition the best opportunity to help you get where you want to be.

Would you like a lifestyle assessment to see where you can fine tune your current program’ Schedule right here 

Together we will take a look at your current routines so that we can see where refinements can be made. I will walk you through my 4 pillars of wellness so that you can determine where is the best place to start. Then we’ll walk you through my REPS formula so that you are guaranteed to not fail.

The post Why Ignoring Diet and Focusing on Exercise is a Mistake for Weight Loss appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

When I work with clients, I encourage them to break free from the good/bad food list remember number 2. I work with them factor in their fun foods. I also ask them what foods are non-negotiables (ie. for me it’s cream and sugar in my coffee)

Think of it like this, you love French fries you could torture yourself and not have them or steal them off your dining partner’s plate OR you could order your own.

Take a look at what you are ordering is there a healthier choice you can add. If you are having a burger can you tell them to not serve you the bun. Can you order a side salad’ Can you ask them to grill or broil it so you can have those fries.

Are you picking up what I’m putting down’ Finding a way to make it a “bit” healthier but not denying yourself. As I mentioned before when you keep denying it sets you to go on a big-time bender. 

Would you like a few more tips” Grab my #invincible40 Guide. It’s a resource guide that can help you fight and beat weight gain over 40. 

The post Blend and Don’t Ban Foods appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.