153: From Macro Dieter to Macro Scientist with Alice Hansen [“I Did It” Series]

Introduction 

You're listening to Biceps after Babies radio episode number 153.

Hello and welcome to Biceps after Babies radio. A podcast for ladies who know that fitness is about so much more than pounds lost or PRs. It's about feeling confident in your skin and empowered in your life. I'm your host, Amber Brueseke, a registered nurse, personal trainer, wife, and mom of four.  Each week, my guests and I will excite and motivate you to take action in your own personal fitness as we talk about nutrition, exercise mindset, personal development, and executing life with conscious intention. If your goal is to look, feel, and be strong and experience transformation from the inside out, you, my friend are in the right place. Thank you for tuning in, now let’s jump into today’s episode.

 

Amber B  0:49  

Hey, hey, hey, welcome back to another episode of biceps after babies radio, another Friday edition, where I bring you another story of a woman who has done the work and has been able to be successful. And today's guest is Alice Hansen and one of the reasons that I wanted to bring Alice on the podcast was because I feel like she has a story that many of you may have. And one of the things that I really want to highlight about Alice' story is that one when she came into Macros 101, she had been counting macros for a year. And so I get this question a lot. Is Macros 101 only for someone who's brand new to tracking or brand new to macros? And I get it. Okay, I suck at naming things. I blame my lack of creativity on the name that I came up with, and I get it like 101, it makes it sound like it's like a beginner course, or beginner program. And that's my fault. I should have named it something better, but I didn't, I named it Macros  101 because I hesitate to say I'm not creative because that's a story to tell myself but my creativity with naming stops at the naming Biceps After Babies. So anyway, I digress. People ask me all the time is this for somebody who is brand new to macros or if I've been counting macros for a long time am I gonna find value in it. And Alice is somebody who had been counting macros for a year prior to joining Macros 101. And she, you know, kind of was like on again off again, hadn't really seen success, wasn't really able to stick to it, didn't really know how to, like, make it work for her. And those are all the things that she learned inside of the program. 

 

Amber B  2:27  

So we talked a little bit about this idea of the macro dieter. Now, if you haven't ever heard me talk about the macro dieter it's a very common occurrence in I would say, like the macro counting sphere of people who turn macro counting into a diet where it just becomes another restriction, you have to hit your numbers. If you don't hit your numbers, well, then you did it wrong, and you need to do it better. And if you are eating 150 grams of protein, then you're never gonna see results. And if you don't hit your numbers, then you just stop tracking, because well, what's the point? Bringing this whole dieter mentality into macro counting. And it's very, very common. So if you're listening to that, and you're like, yeah, check, check, check, I do all of those things. It's very common. And just because it's very common, doesn't mean it has to be that way. And so, you know, a lot of what I'm doing is I talk about having women step into this new identity of the macro scientist and the macro scientists is much less emotional, much more logical, and maybe able to make good solid decisions based on feedback from her body to be able to adjust moving forward to be able to get the results that she wants. And it's such a much more empowering place to be when you're using macro counting, and becoming that scientist, rather than that emotional, reactive. Oh my gosh, the world's ending. Oh, my gosh, I didn't do it, right, I'm not gonna get results, type of person. 

 

Amber B  3:47 

And so Alice had that experience, she had the experience, she knew about macro counting, she had the knowledge. And we also know that knowledge isn't what actually gets you results, it's a piece, like we have to have certain knowledge. And you can have all the knowledge in the world and if you don't take action on that knowledge, if you don't implement that knowledge consistently, you're not going to actually get a different result. So Alice has this experience of having a lot of knowledge, having a lot of book knowledge, and yet not really able to apply it to her life. And when she joined Macros 101, she had this incredible transformation of just like her identity and who she was stepping into this new version of herself. And I'm gonna let her share that story because it's a great one. But I really just want you to, as you're listening, be reminding yourself of the difference between learning something and applying it. Because I see, especially in the fitness industry, that a lot of times people are holding on to this idea that they just need to learn more. They just took more courses, if they just read more books, if they just followed more people on Instagram, if they just had more knowledge then things would change. What I find over and over and over again is that knowledge is important, don't get me wrong, you need to have knowledge. And yet, a bunch of people, plenty of people have knowledge and aren't actually applying it. And there's a lot of reasons for that, that I coached through, you know, inside of Macros 101. But if you find yourself knowing what to do and not doing it, then you've proved my point. We all know we're supposed to exercise and eat healthy, and how many of us actually execute on that. And so this idea that knowledge isn't the end all be all, but it's a stepping stone and then it's that application that really makes the difference. So without further ado, let's hop into the interview with Alice.

 

Amber B  5:38

I am so excited to have a chance to be able to have a conversation with Alice Hansen. Alice, how are you doing? 

 

Alice  5:45  

I'm doing well. I'm so excited to be here.

 

Amber B  5:47  

This is really gonna be fun. I'm just really honored that Alice is willing to come on and share her story. And I think some of you who are listening to this episode are going to find yourself in her story. And that's really exciting, because it's going to kind of give you hope, and a view of what's possible for you on the other side as Alice walks through the kind of the journey that she's been on. So let's just kind of give the listeners a little bit of an overview of where you were at prior to coming and joining Macros 101, like, what were you struggling with that felt really hard, you know, where were you at when you made that decision to come and join us?

 

Alice  6:24  

Sure. So before Macros 101, I was in a place where I was struggling with my identity and just shedding some old pieces of my identity that were important to me, but that were really no longer serving me. And I was doing a lot of research about what the next steps were going to be for me. And I was in a place where my kids didn't need me like they used to, they were getting older, I had quit my job to raise my kids. And so I was just in this place of really rediscovering myself and also shedding the identity of being a competitive runner for 20 years, and dealing with an injury that sidelined me that I wasn't going to be able to do what I loved. And I kept thinking I need to strengthen my bones, I want to be strong, I need to start doing something else. So I really consumed a lot of content. I listened to most of your podcasts and read Atomic Habits by James Clear and discovered macro counting, and really, I had a lot of knowledge. And I would probably say it was a macro dieter. I did not know how to really push past the knowledge I was consuming and put it into action.

 

Amber B  7:58  

It's so good. And it's such a common experience because we all know that like knowledge is power, right? We always hear that, like knowledge is power. And you're like me, it's like when you want to learn something, you're gonna go on, like, find all the resources, and you're just gonna like learn, learn, learn, learn, learn, which is amazing. And it's so helpful and that knowledge is very helpful. But what you're talking about is what we see all the time is that knowledge is really helpful, but then it doesn't really change anything unless it's like that application of that knowledge. And that's where it's like this missing piece of like, how do I apply what I'm learning? How do I adjust my macros? How do I tweak it? How do I make it work for me, rather than the other way around? And so we talked about this idea of the macro dieter, and identifying with this idea that you've taken macro counting and turned it into a diet. So when you came into Macros 101 and had you been counting macros for a while?

 

Alice  8:51  

Yeah, I had been counting macros off and on for about a year. But it wasn't doing anything with them. I was like, oh, I'll track on My Fitness Pal. But if I ate over or my goal, I wouldn't track it. I'd be like, man, whatever. So I really wasn't seeing the results I wanted. 

 

Amber B  9:11  

Yeah. And that's super common. And that's one of the things that we highlight about the macro dieters, someone who likes if you hit your numbers like yeah, you're gonna track it. But it's like the moment that you don't or you know that you're not gonna hit it or you can't track it accurately then it's like you stop tracking, again tomorrow. Yeah, so I think that's awesome to share with people that you had been tracking for a year because a lot of times and I will raise my hand and say that I am terrible at naming things. Macros 101, people are like, Oh, it's just for beginning macro counters. So what was your experience like having come into Macros 101 already having tracking macros for a year like was there anything for you to learn?

 

Alice  9:53  

So much for me to learn in Macros 101. I felt like I thought I knew I didn't feel like I knew everything. I feel like I thought I had a good handle and this was just gonna be like the bump I needed to lose the weight that I wanted. But really, you're sneaky in Macros 101 and I realized I had a lot of underlying emotional things I needed to deal with. And that's the best part of the whole thing.

 

Amber B  10:23  

Like the secret, it's the secret that you don't find out until you get in. So, you know, when you clicked purchase, what was your goal in coming in? Like, what did you think you were coming in to do and then what actually happened?

 

Alice  10:36  

Yeah, I thought I was coming in to really learn more of the science behind macros, and really, how to reverse properly. That was like my biggest goal. If I can just figure out how to reverse then I'll then I'll be fine. If you know, um, but what did I really learn? Is that your question? Oh, I can't even try my best but what I really learned is that I discovered who I was. And I discovered an identity. And I discovered that I could do hard things, and I could show up for myself. And I learned how to show up for myself. And I learned how to take action. Which is funny to say, because I would think I take action every day. But it's different. You learn it differently in Macros 101. 

 

Amber B  11:35  

You said that you discovered who you are. Who would you say that you are? 

 

Alice  11:43  

Well, before, I would say that I was a victim. And I was a woman who always thought things just happened to me, I was cranky, I had a short fuse. I was an emotional eater. I had cookies in my closet for the bad day where I would just put the kids downstairs, watch a show and go eat my sleeve with cookies. And I made a conscious choice to say goodbye to that woman. I remember listening to Melissa Porter on podcast 124. And really identified with her story of just saying goodbye to this victim mentality of this cranky Mom, this woman who I knew I was letting go of an identity and I really made a choice after listening to that, and learning what I did Macros 101, to take action, I have control over my life and step into a confident version of myself to believe in my success, I think if you don't believe in yourself, you're not going to go very far. It's just your old habits are just going to keep showing up. So I think that was a huge piece, and then just grow and keep using the tools that I learned and believe in myself and keep saying these things over and over to myself. I am worthy of the time it takes that I spend on myself, my success is inevitable. I am confident, I am enough.

 

Amber B  13:09  

I'm worthy of the time that I spend on myself. 

 

Alice  13:13  

I think that was huge. 

 

Amber B  13:14  

That's a huge affirmation. Will you kind of talk about that and how that's changed your perspective?

 

Alice  13:20  

Yeah, well, I am the type of person that will show up for other people at the drop of a hat. I'm an enneagram 2, I serve others. Yep, I'll be there for you, be there for you but I don't let others show up for me. And I realized that in this if I don't show up for myself, if I don't take care of myself. And if I don't believe that I'm worthy of the time that I spend on myself. I'm never going to get to where I want to go.  I'm never going to be there for my family the way I want to be for my friends the way I want to be.

 

Amber B  13:57  

Yeah. And you made a really good friend in Macros 101, a really good accountability partner. Will you talk about that relationship and what that did for you and has continued to do for you and your journey.

 

Alice  14:12  

Yeah, I think a huge, awesome part of Macros 101 is the community for sure. You're in a group with like minded people who have the same goal who are going in different seasons of their life, but going through something similar. So I had a friend who, you know, we would post in the group and she would say, oh, gosh, I identify so much with what you're saying. And we kind of kept saying that to each other. And I finally reached out to her and said, Hey, do you want to be accountability partners? Which felt kind of weird, like, do you want to be my friend? Does it feel like you're proposing to somebody like we're really friends? And so I think for like 110 days, we've been texting back and forth every day. We haven't missed a day and just encourage each other and I feel like you need somebody outside of your family like I have my husband who's great and that supports me. But somebody who really understands the journey, I would say, that has been a huge, huge gift to me and I know to her as well,

 

Amber B  15:15  

Yeah, it's been so awesome to see you guys in the community, just supporting and showing up for each other, and pushing each other. That's one of the things I think the mark of a true friend is somebody who sometimes sees the potential that you have that you don't quite yet see and they hold you to that standard. And so what I've seen you guys do in the group is like, push each other or like, No, no, no, she has a really good story. And she should share that story. And I think that's what good friends do. They make us show up as our best version of ourselves, because they see that and that's even sometimes before we see that in ourselves. And that's been so exciting to see you guys as accountability partners really show up for each other in such a big way. And I know it's been such a blessing in both of your lives to be able to have that person in your journey, though. I think that's so awesome. 

 

Amber B  16:03 

You talked about listening to Melissa Porter's episode, as kind of a little bit of a pivotal moment. Were there any other moments during the process where you were like to have an aha moment or have like a realization that really shifted things for you from this, like, cranky? I'm using your words, cranky, like a victim mentality version of Alice, that you started with moving to this more empowered, feels like she's enough shows up for herself in a big way. I think that first of all that transition is huge. And it's major. And I know that there are women listening who are like, Yes, I would love to be that version, I would love to be leveraged. How did you do it? Like what was the process that brought you from that victim mentality into this new version of Alice?

 

Alice  16:57  

Yeah, well, I think a huge part is the belief that I'm worthy. And I'm worth the time I put into myself, but I think a huge part was seeing other people step into that version before me and knowing if they can do it, I can do it. And another piece was being brave enough in the beginning of Macros 101 to post about my why, and going back and forth with Linnae. Well, I think I know, it's because I'm worth it. I'm worthy. And I'm like, but why am I worthy? She's like, because you are, because you're Alice, because you were put on this earth to do great things. Because, you know, she just drills down. And I remember reading, and going back and forth, and just sobbing. And just like, I don't know, just like, I don't even know this woman, and she is building me up. And she is telling me I'm worthy. And she believes in me. I think that was like this awakening I needed. And what's so great about the group, and the coaching is that you have all these people that believe in you. Like Sherry believed in me, Linnae believed in me, you believe in us, all these other people cheering you on, and you're like, gives you motivation to keep going, keep going, keep going. Yes, these people see things that I don't even see yet. 

 

Amber B  18:23  

Yeah. And here's what I love that you said, you know, it's almost like other people believe it for you first, and you have this idea that like if other people can do it, then I can do it first. And I think what's so awesome is that now Alice, you get to be that for somebody else. Because I guarantee that there's somebody who's listening who is in that position, who is hearing your story. And it's like, that's me, like I identify so much with where Alice was. And now how awesome. It's like a full circle moment that other people were that for you. And now you get to be that for other people. And I love bringing clients on, because I think being able to be that for someone else to help them believe in themselves is like one of the greatest joys that I have as a coach is like, I'll believe in you so hard until you friggin just believe in yourself. And I will hold that space for you until you get there. And I think it's so amazing that you get to be that for other people now. 

 

Amber B  19:19 

And I will say here's something that I really want to highlight for you, Alice, because coaching can only happen when vulnerability and openness happens. I, the coach, Linnae is a coach, we can't coach anybody who doesn't isn't willing to ask a question or who isn't willing to like to be vulnerable and share what they're thinking. And so I think it's such a reminder to everybody who's listening that if you want things to change, you have to be willing to go through the process of what it's going to take and a lot of times going through that process is like sharing things that are scary to share. Putting up a post that's scary to say like here's my wife being willing to go back and forth with somebody who's working through this with you to dig down, like when they can't do that on their own. That requires you showing up for yourself and in a big way. And those clients who get the best results are those who are willing to go through the process. The uncomfortableness, vulnerability of like saying, hey, I need help, and then allowing themselves to be coached. And you were that like you remain coachable. And that's why you're able to get that breakthrough that you had. So we talked a lot about this identity shift that you've been able to step into this new version of Alice. What do you say is the biggest result? What are some other results, I guess, that you got from that process? Physical or mental, or emotional, or whatever comes up for you?

 

Alice  20:49  

Oh, I lost 10 pounds. That was huge and fun. And I really discovered like, I can do awesome things like I believe in myself and I started doing build workouts, and I am believing in myself that my success is inevitable. And I don't think I could have. I've always said, Oh, I can't build my own workout, or I can't lift I always hurt my back at the same like, no, I believe in myself, I can do this. So I decided to invest in myself that way, because I'm worth it. 

 

Amber B  21:20  

And I've seen your pictures. 

 

Alice  21:23  

I gained some muscle 

 

Amber B  21:24  

I know and that's so exciting. And I think I mean, this is such a great way to wrap up this episode because before you can get anywhere, right before you can go anywhere. We've talked about this idea of having to believe that it's possible, and then almost having to take that step into the dark and get ready to fly. And I feel like that's what you've kind of done is like, I'm just gonna take this step in the dark. I don't know if I can build my own workouts. I don't know if I can do these things. But I'm willing to believe that someone else thinks it's possible. And I'm willing to step into the dark and I'm willing to fly and it's been awesome to be able to see you go through that transformation.  Last  question, If somebody is talking to a friend who's thinking about joining Macros 101 what would you tell them?

 

Alice  22:17  

This is a lifelong gift that you will discover things about yourself that you never thought you would. You won't ever regret that you are worth it. Like, I think that is the biggest thing you are worth. And I just want to shout from the rooftops, everybody does it. And it's hard to even summarize why but I just think that you'll discover the you that you've always wanted to be.

 

Amber B  22:48  

I hope you enjoyed that interview with Alice. And we're inspired by her story and what she shared in the episode. It's so amazing, it's such an honor to be able to interact with these women and be able to have a front row seat to their transformations. I'm always very clear as a coach, that it's, you know, I create an environment I coach, I stand by somebody, but at the end of the day they do the work. And so I'm super proud of my clients. But I also recognize that it's not about me, it's about them doing the work and coming out on the other side like Alice has. And it's just an honor to be able to have a front row seat to that process. 

 

Amber B  22:50 

If you are tired of your only tool for transformation being restriction and deprivation and you want to be able to look in the mirror and see results. But you're not willing to have to choose between ice cream and seeing progress, then my upcoming free five day challenge is for you. In this five day challenge, you're gonna learn how easy and fun it can be to crush your goals. And do it without cutting out sugar, without doing hours and hours and hours of cardio or starting a restrictive diet. In the five days you'll have the formula for results without having to overhaul your lifestyle, which means that you're going to get to eat what you like, and be able to see the changes in the mirror. Because the truth is, and you know this on some level that misery does not get you better results. And when you cut out your favorite foods well that just usually backfires. Which is why in the five days to a fitter you challenge it's going to be all about making your reaching your goals as enjoyable and effective as possible. Here's things I'm not going to ask you to do. I am not going to ask you to go through your cabinets and throw out anything with sugar in the ingredients. I am not going to force you to not eat dry chicken breast and broccoli five days a week. There are going to be no rules about what time of day that you have to eat or how you have to space out your meals. Instead, you'll get access to tried and tested mini challenges every single day that will make your fitness journey easy, and maybe even fun. I'm not even going to say maybe it will be so much more fun than the old way you've probably been doing it. I'm going to take you through many of the same exercises and education during these five days that I give my paying Macros 101 clients, including a unique goal setting exercise on day two. That is typically one of the highlights of the week. In fact, if you've been at all curious about what it's like to work with me inside of Macros 101, think about this five day challenge as a free sneak peak week. If you are someone who wants to crush your fitness goals, and you want to do it without deprivation without restriction, and without cookie cutter dieting, then this challenge is for you. Go to bicepsafterbabies.com/challenge to register for the free five days to a fitter you challenge starting August 23. If you like the podcast, you are going to love our five day challenge. So go to bicepsafterbabies.com/challenge and see how fun it can be to hit your goals. That wraps up this episode of biceps after babies radio. I'm Amber now go out and be strong because remember my friend you could do anything. 

 

Outro

Hold up, sister friend. Do you love Biceps after Babies radio? If so, the best way to say thank you is to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on iTunes. I know, every podcaster wants you to leave a review, but it's because those reviews help the podcast to reach more people. And I do truly want to know what you think. If this particular episode resonated with you, will you also please share it? Either send the link to someone who would find it valuable or take a screenshot and post it to your social media and tell your friends and family why they should listen. Make sure you tag me @biceps.after.babies so I can hear your feedback and give you a little love. And you know, if you aren't already following me on Instagram or Facebook, that's the perfect time to hit that follow button. Thank you for being here and listening to Biceps after Babies radio.