074: [RANT] Macro Counting Isn’t a Diet…If You Get This Right

Introduction 

You're listening to Biceps after Babies Radio episode number 74

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, online fitness coach, wife, and mom of four. 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.

(00:49)

Hey, Hey, welcome back to another episode of Biceps After Babies Radio. I'm your host, Amber Brueseke, and today we're going to sit down and have a little chat. So the last time I did a rant was back in episode number 29. So if you haven't gone and listened to that episode, I recommend it. But I talked about macros, macro counting and intuitive eating and um, kind of the line between them and the conflict that often happens between the macro counting people and the intuitive eating people. And I kind of gave my opinion on that. So if you haven't listened to that episode, it's episode number 29 and today we're going to share some more of my opinions, um, and some more of the ways that I look at macro counting. And, um, I'm going to share a little bit more about how I often see macro counting turning into just another diet and how one of the reasons that I love macro counting is because it doesn't have to be a diet, it doesn't need to be a diet, but I see it oftentimes turning into just another diet.

Echo Chambers: (01:50)

And so we're gonna chat about that today. I think it's funny that we as humans, we like to find people who like think similarly to us, right? Um, we're kind of in this world right now, especially with social media where we really can have these echo chambers where if you have a particular political stance, then you kind of surround your self with news stories and people who kind of reiterate the things that you already believe and just kind of reinforce it. And I find that is on social media as well with like the fitness industry or um, you know, where it's like the macro counters are all like friends and you fill your newsfeed with all of the macro counters and what they're saying and it's kind of this reinforcing echo chamber or you're an intuitive eater and then you filter your feed with all these intuitive eaters or you're a weightlifter or you're a runner or you know, it's like whatever you self identify with or beliefs that you have, you tend to surround yourself with a lot of the people who believe the same way as you do. And while that can build a sense of community, it can build a sense of, you know, understanding each other. It can also kind of cover your eyes to options, and other ways of thought and other ways of thinking. And I think there is a lot of value in including people in your feed, in your circle of friends, in your community that believed differently than you then that have a completely different beliefs. And, I think that's really important. And I think it's something that we, you know, we don't necessarily consciously attempt to do. So as I scroll through my feed, I do find that like I follow a lot of other macro counters and other people doing kind of the same thing. And I, I think I could probably be better at making sure my feed includes different styles, different ideologies, different ways of thinking. And that's something that I've been thinking about lately and trying to diversify if I, you know, the community that I have on social media or I guess what is showing up on my feed. But one of the things that I find with macro counting, and I don't necessarily think it's the way that coaches present it, but I definitely think it is based off of clients, previous experiences.

Idea of Right and Wrong: (04:06)

And so let me kind of clarify what I mean by this, but what I find when, when I have clients who have had lots of experience in the past dieting, because to be honest, most women have been dieting for a long time and they've tried different programs, they've tried different things and it didn't work longterm, which is why they're at the point where they are now. And so they have this experience of doing other diets, right? They, you know, maybe you've done Weight Watchers and it has like you have your prescribed amount of points that you're having and you track those. And like, you know, it's this regimented program or you know, maybe you've done keto and so you want to make sure you're doing keto right and you're putting yourself in ketosis and you don't want to have too many carbs. And you know, it's a very prescribed way of doing things. And so I find that a lot of people come to macro counting with this history and this path and this experience of somebody telling them what to do and following this program. And you either do it right or wrong and they come to macro counting and they bring some of that same thought process about how that this process is supposed to work with them. And so, and, and there are some coaches who will, will kind of reinforce this idea and this behavior where they'll say, you know, here's your macros. Now hit them right and you can't hit them. Oh, well I try harder. Right? Like you just got to hit him, like, just do it. Um, and it becomes a thing where it's like either you're doing macro counting, right? Or you're doing macro counting wrong. And so, uh, obviously clients, people who are starting in macro counting like they want to do it right. And so, you know, according to whoever you're listening to, like, here's how you count macros, quote unquote right there, you know, there's a right way to count macros and there a wrong way to count macros. And I find a lot of clients coming into my coaching program with that, that belief that, you know, thought that they have had from previous diets where it's like, okay, here's the, here's the protocol, here's what you do, here's you know, the list of things that you can do and the list of things that you can't do.

Not Just Another Diet: (06:10)

And then now like you're just expected to follow that and you got to plug yourself into the diet and you gotta follow it. If you want to get results, like if you don't want to get results, that's fine, but if you want to get results, you got to do X, Y, and Z. And so I hear this in a lot of the language my clients use, especially when they're first starting out. And this is so like top of mind for me because we, we just closed doors down to MACROS 101. Um, we're diving in with the clients. I'm in coaching my clients and I hear a lot of this language. And so one of the first things that I do with my clients is I kind of help them to recognize like some of the language that they're using and understand that macro counting, and at least the way that I teach it, is not just another diet and, um, kind of breaking that thought pattern that like there's a right way and a wrong way to do it. So some of the language I hear my clients use and you know, it's good to do a little bit of self reflection. Like maybe if you're just starting out with macros or even if you've been counting for awhile that maybe you're telling yourself some of these same things. And so language that I hear them use is like, is this right? Right? Like, are my macros right? Um, what's the right way to log meat? Are you supposed to log it raw or who's supposed to log it cooked? Um, they'll say something like, Oh gosh, I've been logging recipes wrong all the time. So these are all examples of there's like a right way to do this and there's a wrong way to do this. And, and people want to like make sure they're walking on the right side of things. And so one of the first things I do with my clients is, is I push back a little bit.

Can't Hit My Protein: (07:43)

And so when someone says, you know, I can't hit my protein goal, then my question back to them is like, what's preventing you from adjusting your protein goal? And the reason that they're asking that question is because they believe that there's like a right way to do it, right? Like, I have to hit this protein goal and if I don't like the belief is there, if I don't hit this protein goal, then I won't be successful right. Then I won't get the results. And, um, it's just important to understand and to like reflect back to yourself if you've kind of been stuck in that like, Oh my gosh, I can't hit this amount of protein. Right? Like I tried and I like just can't do it or I can't hit all of my macro simultaneously. Like asking yourself, well, what's, what's preventing you from adjusting it? And if it's coming up well, like it has to be right, like it has to be right or I'm not gonna be able to be successful, then you can kind of come back and ask yourself the question, well like are you being successful right now? Because the truth is is that so many people get stuck in this wheel of having it to have to be right or exact or perfect because that's how they think that they get results and it's not true. Perfection is not what causes results. Progress is what causes results.

And for someone who's just starting out, like progress may just be logging everything you're eating. Like that's progress from where you were at. And so I see so many people dive in with like two feet in their entire body into macro counting and they go from where they had no clue about portion sizes, no clue about what they were eating, no clue about what even macronutrients are. And they expect themselves to go from that point in like two days to hitting all of their numbers, tracking everything, Weighing everything and like zeroing out their macros. And then they get frustrated and they quit because they aren't doing it right. And they think that if they're aren't doing it right and they aren't doing perfect, then they're not gonna get results. Right? So what I find with this mentality, and I kind of have a metaphor that I want to share around this mentality that I think hopefully we'll kind of hammer this idea home because I really think this, if you can get this, if you can understand that macro counting is something that you apply to your life rather than you fitting your life into macro counting, then it changes everything. And it becomes this tool that you can use that is not a diet.

Metaphor of a House: (09:57)

Ok, can macro counting be a diet? Absolutely. Can it be a tool that you use? Can it not be a diet? Absolutely. And so you've got, but you got to get some things right in how you're thinking about this process. So let me just share this metaphor with you and you can kind of see if this, this lands, but I look at, you know, um, let's pretend that macro counting is a house, right? And so for somebody, um, they can imagine like this house that has been built, it's been decorated and you know, all the furniture's in place and the curtains are hung and the pink colors are chosen and you move into that house and you're told you can't, you can't change anything. Right? Like, you don't like the couch there. Well, too bad you can't move that couch. Uh, you don't like the pink color in the kitchen wall, too bad. You just got to live with it, right? Like you gotta live with the house the way that it is. And if you walked in and you're like, well, I don't really like that pink color. And they're like, well, suck it up, live with it. And you're like, okay, well, you know, it's a free house, right? I'm going to, I'm going to live in this free house. Um, over time that may get kind of irritating, right? Like every single day you're like, I still don't like that pink color. Like, I just isn't me. It doesn't reflect who I am. Like, I don't really, I don't feel comfortable in this house that somebody else like chose all the finishings.

Um, and so what you probably would do after awhile is like, even though it's a free house, like you might be like, you know what, I'd rather have another house, like a smaller house, a less expensive house, and be able to put the finishings on myself and choose where the, um, you know, what kind of carpet we have and choose where the couch is sitting and all of those things. Now, there probably would be some people who like it. They're like, Oh my gosh, I don't have to do anything. I don't have to decorate. Like I can just move on in, sign me up. That sounds amazing. But for a lot of people it's like, it's not gonna ever feel like home, right? Cause you're like in somebody else's home, somebody else chose everything. So it doesn't ever really feel totally comfortable and it doesn't really ever totally feel like you're home. Right. So I find that this is kind of what happens with, with macro counting and how it can become a diet. If you were able to take the same structure that you had a house, but you are able to, yeah. You know, you had to have a couch, right? But you were able to pick out the couch and you were able to orient the couch.

It would feel much more like home. It would be something that would be enjoyable to live in. You would feel comfortable there. And this is how I find people implementing macro counting, like a diet where they feel like it's like this house that they've moved into that like they can't touch anything, right? You have to track all of your meats raw or you're doing it wrong. And they're like, Oh, but, but like what if it's already cooked? You know, what if like, what if this, what if I go out to dinner and it's like already cooked? Like how do I do it if I can't log it raw? Um, and so it's like these rules that you just have to follow, and this is when macro counting becomes a diet. When you are moving into the house and you feel like you can't move anything around, you can't change anything. There's a right way to do it and there's a wrong way to do it. And if you're looking at macro counting, I was like, there's a right way to do it and there's a wrong way to do it. My friend that is that is like diet mentality of like a right and a wrong way to do it.

It is a Tool: (13:18)

And I truly feel, I believe, and I've seen it in my life and I've seen it in my client's lives as they really start to clue into this, that macro counting isn't a diet, but rather than it is a tool, ok? And a tool can be used in a lot of different ways, right? If you have a hammer, you can use that hammer to build a house. So you can use that hammer to like, you know, break a window, right? It doesn't mean like the hammer is necessarily good or bad, it's just that how you use the tool and how you implement it into your life determines, you know, the results that you're getting. So that how you use a tool matters so much more than what the tool actually is. And so macro counting doesn't have to be a diet, right? Just like a hammer doesn't have to be something that you use to break a window with. But that's so often how I see macro counting and presented and I, and I totally get it right. It makes things simple. Like when there's a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it, it makes it simple, right? What's the right way? What's the wrong way? I just got to do it the right way. It makes it cookie cutter and it's how our brains like to see things. Our brain likes that differentiation. Our brain like this is right, this is wrong, this is okay to do, this is not okay to do. This is a good food to eat. This is a bad food to eat. Like our brains, like that kind of categorization. And this is the behavior that I see in a lot of my clients who joined MACROS 101. They want confirmation that they're doing it right and that they aren't making a mistake.

Diets: (14:39)

But diets are not my jam, right? Telling you what to do does not work longterm, which is why most diets don't end up producing longterm results. It's why so many follow a program, lose weight and then just regain it back. Because when they don't have that structure, when they don't have that, this is good, this is bad in place anymore. They have no concept of how to keep going in a way that works and integrates into their life, right? You're able to do the diet for a period of time because you know you can suck it up and you can live in the house for a period of time just like you can suck it up and you know, eat zero carbs for a period of time. But the problem is after it's over, then you have no idea how, how to fit that into your life, into a lifestyle that you actually want to live long term.

And so what I find, and I found this with them even with macro counting, is people then hire a coach. And that coach tells them what to do and they find success and then they finish with the coach and then they can't figure it out their own, right? They can't figure out how to continue it on. They don't know how to adjust their macros. They don't know how to tweak it for like different exercises when they, you know, change their exercise routine. They're like, now what? Now what do I do with it? So what does work well, what does work is learning about the tool of macro counting and having a coach and a program who is able to guide you. How to take that tool and use it in your life, right? Teaches you how to use the tool so that you can then figure out how do you want to use that tool in your life. And here's a secret one that my clients will tell you that they learned through MACROS 101, I don't know the best way to fit the tool of macro counting into your life because I'm not you. I'm not you. Um, and so like what I do know is that there is somebody who knows how to use that tool best and it's you. Okay? And so a lot of what I do with coaching is not telling my clients what to do because that doesn't work. Um, it may seem like the easy thing to do, it may seem like, well, I just want to tell him, I just want someone to tell me what to do. Right? Like I hear that a lot like, just tell me what to eat. Just tell me what to do with workouts. And I, and I get it right. It just seems easier. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it. But what happens longterm is that it doesn't actually fit into your life, right? If I tell you what to do, how do I know that that fits with your life? How do I know if that fits with your priorities? How do I know that that fits with the values that you have? And I truly believe that you have everything inside of you that you need in order to hit your goal. And so a lot of what I do with my coaches, with my coaching clients is not just telling them what to do, but rather as a coach, what I help them do is I help them sell them, ask themselves better questions and they're currently asking themselves so that they can then tap into the answers that are already inside of them.

My Job as a Coach: (17:41)

So my job as a coach isn't to give you rules. It isn't to tell you whether you're doing it right or wrong. My job as a coach is to guide you and empower you to tap into the things that are already inside of you and to how we can take this tool, a macro counting that I can teach you all about and how can we make it fit into your life. Now this is not how most coaches coach. Why not? Well, it's harder, right? This is not cookie cutter. It's not like here's the program to follow. Now just follow it. Um, when you recognize that you want to be able to take this tool and you want to apply it to your life in a way that works for you long term, and you start to recognize and understand that all the answers are inside of you and you get help from a coach on learning how to access those answers that are already inside of you and learn to trust those answers and learn to trust yourself. I think that's a big thing with, with women following diets is they don't trust themselves. So they put their trust in all of these rules, right? The rules will keep me on the straight and narrow. The rules will keep me safe, they'll keep me seeing progress. They don't have that trust in themselves. And what I want you to understand and learn is that you have everything that you need inside of you. And when you can start to trust that and you can start to listen to it and you can start to tap into it, which is exactly what a good coach will help you do, then you can take macro counting and you can fit it into your life and your journey and your non-negotiables. And that is what changes. That's what changes you. That's where transformation comes from. And that is when macro counting is not a diet.

Restriction is a Choice: (19:21)

It is when it is a tool that you can apply to your life and it, and it goes from being, you know, I can't eat that because it doesn't fit into my macros to, you know, I get to make a choice. I'm gonna make a choice whether I eat it, it's not wrong to go over my macros. It's not, you know, it's not right or wrong. Like it just is a choice that I get to make. And so it goes from, you know, I feel restricted because I have to stay inside of my macros. I get that a lot where people are like, they feel this restriction, right? When you give them these like macros that they're supposed to hit, then they're like, Oh my gosh, I feel restriction because I can't go outside of this. But when you start to understand that you get to apply macros as a tool in your life any way that you want, then it goes from, you know, I feel so restricted because I have to stay inside of these macros to like I have the knowledge to use macro counting and apply it to my life in a way that balances my goals with you, the life that I want to live. Right? So it goes from I have tried and I just can't hit that high of protein to I understand the process and I can adjust my macros to be as optimal as possible while still achievable. Too many people quit macro counting because they hear from influencers and coaches and friends that there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. And if they can't or they don't want to do it the right way, then it's not going to work for them. So I want to cover three ways that you can help keep macro counting from becoming a diet that you can step into this place where it's used as a tool, where it can apply to your life, which we did different from somebody else. And it can still get you results because that's the last piece that I like I haven't talked about yet.

Results: (20:56)

So many people have this belief that if they don't do it right, right, whatever right is if they don't count macros right, then they aren't going to get results. And so the fear for a lot of people is they're like, well that sounds great. Amber's like using this tool in my life and being able to figure out how to apply it to my life, but like is that going to get me results? Okay? And the answer is yes. And it's going to get you results that are able to be sustainable. And so yes, in, you know, in my program, in my coaching program, I help clients to figure out that balance between how do you want to live your life, what's non-negotiable for you? It's just we'll talk about in just a minute and how can we still see the maximum results inside of this framework that you want for yourself. And then not only like will that help you to get the results, but it will help you continue to be able to like sustain it longterm. Because because you have, you're not fitting yourself inside of a diet, you're, you are using a tool that you're applying uniquely to your life and situation. Okay. So three ways to keep macro counting from becoming a diet.

Step 1: (22:06)

The first one I kind of alluded to just as I was talking, getting clear on your non-negotiables. Okay. So before I teach, I dive into teaching my clients about how to count macros, which in my program is step number two. We first focus on step number one about believing that their success is inevitable. So one of the exercise I take my clients through is identifying their non-negotiables. Okay? So to me a non negotiable is like what you are not willing to give up in order to hit the goal that you want to hit, right? What, what does it nonstarter? So while you'll need to be a member of MACROS 101 where I walk you through this whole exercise, I do want you to ask yourself the question right now what? Like what is my current goal? And then number two, what am I willing to give up? What am I willing to change in order to hit that goal? And then number three, what am I not willing to give up or change in order to hit that goal? And both of those are really, really important. And there's not a right or wrong answer. There's just an answer that fits with you and your lifestyle. Now, some women, they're like, you know, desperate and hungry for whatever result they, you know, they, they want. And so maybe like they're like, yes, I am willing to change all my eating patterns. I'm willing to invest in protein powder. I'm willing to go to the gym five times a week, I'm willing to cut out all like eating out in order to hit my goals. That's awesome. Like once you get clear on that and now you can create a plan and a structure that fits with you, somebody else may be like, you know what? I really want to lose 10 pounds. But if it means cutting out my weekly date night with my husband, like that's a nonstarter, right?

Like if you said, you know, I'll wave a magic wand and you'll lose 10 pounds, but you can never go out to eat. You know, you can't go out to eat every Friday night with your husband, then that's like a nonstarter, right? So there is no right or wrong with this. And I think that's really important to affirm. There is just what you, what's a nonnegotiable for you? What are you willing to change and what aren't you willing to change? And when we do this first, right, but we do this first and we get clear on that first. Now we can ask ourselves better questions about how we can work within the framework of what is going to work for you and your life. Now we can talk about, okay, now that we have, we know that like you are not willing to cut out Friday night dates, you know, eating out with your husband. Great, that's awesome. Now the question could become how can we implement macro counting and help you be as successful as possible while protecting you and your date nights on Friday night? Right? So we can ask ourselves a much better question then you having somebody tell you that you need to cut out date nights and you feeling resentment and restriction because you don't want to, right?

So being able to, to understand your non negotiables allows you to be able to create a program and a process that is actually going to be successful for you longterm. And again, I want to clarify like reiterate one more time. There is not a right or wrong answer. Okay. There doesn't need to be any shame of like what you're willing to do and what you aren't willing to. Some women are willing to go to the gym six days a week. Some women are like, I would die first. I'm willing to go to the gym like twice a week. Right. Cool. Like own that, acknowledge that and then we can build your program around that. Okay. I would say, all right.

Step 2: (25:46)

Number two. So number two is prioritize achievable over optimal. And this is, and this is with everything in macro counting, but especially I find for my people who are just starting out, um, for when you're setting your macros, prioritizing achievable over optimal. Now I did a podcast episode, episode number 11 about setting your macros and how macros aren't magic. So if you haven't listened to that episode, that's definitely a good one to go back and take a listen to episode 11. But I talk about in that episode about how I don't care how optimal your macros are. If you can't hit them, it's pointless. Okay. And so, so many people get caught up in the fact that their macros have to be right, that their macros have to be perfect. That like when they calculated them, set them though, like those are some magic numbers and they have to hit them or else they're not going to be successful. And what I want you to understand is that you could have the most optimally set macros, like whatever that means, the most optimally set macros in the world. If you are unable to achieve them in a lifestyle that you want to live, then it is entirely pointless. Okay? So, and this is especially for my people who are starting out, if you can't hit your macros consistently, adjust them. This is not like suck it up and just do better. This isn't like just keep trying and just work harder. That's not the answer. Adjusting them is the answer. Ok? And it kills me how many coaches just adjust their clients' macros for them without teaching them what data they're looking at to tell them to change things or even where they heck they got those new numbers from. Ok, and so here's a mistake that I see all the time and I want anybody who is listening to me to never make this mistake again. Once you set your macros one time, you don't ever need to recalculate them. Okay? I'm gonna say that again. Once you have set your macros, you do not ever need to recalculate them.

No Need to Reset: (27:50)

What you need to do is you need to adjust them, okay? But you never need to go back to the drawing board and just like sit there and like calculate it out. That's like calculating out your macros, gives you a starting point. And then the beauty and the magic that comes with macro counting is that you take that starting point, you look at the results that your body is giving you and you adjust your macros accordingly. And so that's why in step four of my process inside MACROS 101, I teach my clients how to look at the data and how to let it guide your adjustments rather than letting emotion play a role in the process. And then knowing you know, what you actually need to adjust based off of what results that you're seeing. And this is how I am so sure that we can take whatever non negotiables you have and whatever lifestyle you want to create, and we can take macro counting and we can find a way to be successful in it because this is not a matter of just setting your macros and now you have to achieve it. We can adjust and tweak and um, you know, move your macros around so that you can both hit them and be successful at the same time and see the results that you want to see. Okay?

Step 3: (28:53)

Number three is I want you, yes, you listening here. I want you to stop asking is this the right way to do it? Okay. Now I am not saying that we can't have a conversation about how to optimize your workouts for your goals, right? Or I'm not saying we can't have a conversation about why weighing your food is more accurate than using measures, measuring spoons or like how pre logging can help you have a plan to hit your macros. So all of those things are conversations that we absolutely can have, but I want you to stop approaching those questions from a space of like what's right and what's wrong. Okay? It's not wrong to use measuring cups. It's not wrong to estimate your dinner. It is not wrong to to go over your macros. It's not wrong to only run during your workouts and it is not wrong to weigh your meat cooked. There isn't a wrong way to count macros and it's really not a matter of am I doing it wrong or right? It is a matter of am I seeing the results I want. Ok, that's a way better question to ask yourself. In fact, this is the last podcast episode I'll reference to have you go back and listen to, but if you haven't listened to episode number 51 Asking Yourself Better Questions in Your Fitness Journey. I know it's like not a sexy title and it's like not click. You know, it's like really not like a clickbait title. That episode is so life changing when you come to understand that, when you can start to learn to ask yourself better questions that you weren't going to get better answers in every area of your life, not just your fitness, you know, goals, but in every area of your life. And so a better question than am I doing it right or wrong? Is am I getting the result I want? That's way, way, way, way better question. Okay, so I want you to do some self reflection with yourself. That's how we self-reflect. Are you currently seeing the results that you want? Like ask yourself that question. Am I currently seeing the results that I want? There is two answers, right? Either you're like, yes, I'm, you know, maybe I'm not there yet, but like we're moving in the right direction.

Better Questions: (31:02)

I'm seeing results like I'm seeing progress. Awesome. Keep going. Okay, that's it. Right? If you are moving towards, if you are moving towards the goals that you want and you're seeing in progress, awesome. Don't do anything different. Keep going. Now the second answer is no, right? Like I'm not seeing the results that I want, which means that you need to get it make a change, right? Because what got you here won't get you there. You can't keep repeating the same actions and expect different results. And so I cannot make the generalization of like what change you need to make, right? Like, that's impossible for me to do here on a podcast cause it's not universal. Right? But that's exactly what I guide my clients through in MACROS 101. And I, and I know I've like name drop MACROS 101 a lot. And that is because one of the reasons that I created the program the way I did was because I see so many women looking at macro counting as a diet. And it just breaks my heart because it doesn't have to be that way. And so there's a reason that my program is like unlike any other program out there with other coaches, and I am proud of how I've created this program in a way that takes macro counting and uses at a tool and fits it in individually into people's lives rather than just giving them a prescription to follow of like, here's your macros, suck it up, hit it, do these workouts. And if you don't, then don't wonder why you're not getting results. Like that to me is that to me is lazy coaching. Um, so I, yeah, so I am dang proud of this program and I am dang proud of the women who are going through this process right now.

MACROS 101: (32:31)

Now doors are closed to MACROS 101. I'm not trying to sell you into MACROS 101, you can't even join right now. Um, but if what I've shared here is interesting to you and you want to know when you have the chance to join again, you can go to www.bicepsafterbabies.com/waitlist and then you'll be the first to know when we do open doors up again. So I want to close up this little discussion. Hopefully it's helped you to have a little bit of enlightenment, a little bit of understanding of like this concept of when someone says that macro counting is a diet and someone tries to like accuse you like it's just a, it's just a diet that you can understand the difference that absolutely 100% macro counting can just be another diet. If you are looking at it as a list of rules and things that you can do right and wrong, you're looking at it as like you have to just follow this prescribed pattern of eating. Yes, like that's just another diet, right? But that does not mean that it has to be implemented that way.

Macro counting can be used as a tool and it can be applied individually and customizably if that is even a word to your life and what your non-negotiables are and what you want to create in terms of results. And so I gave you those, those three things. The first one being make sure that you have established your non-negotiables ahead of time. That's one of the most important things. You can't create a plan and a program around your lifestyle if you haven't figured out what you are and aren't willing to cut out or stop or change. Number two, make sure you're prioritizing achievable over optimal, especially when it comes to starting out, especially when it comes to setting your macros. And then number three, I want you to stop asking yourself, is this the right way to do it right? And instead of saying, is this the right way, is this the wrong way? So asking yourself the question, am I seeing the results that I want? And let the answer to that question guide what you do next. Okay. Phew. I think I hope this rant episode will be a little less, uh, I dunno, controversial. Then the last one I did, I did about macros and intuitive eating. Um, but let me know what you think. I would love to hear your thoughts and feelings on this. Have you had the experience where you felt like macro counting was a diet? Have you experienced and maybe other people have been like trying to convince you that it's a diet? Like what is your take on this? Do you, do you believe that there's a way that you can apply macro counting in a way that is, is something that can be customized to you and what you want to do and still see results.

Use it as a Tool: (35:01)

And I, and I want to like end on that note because again, so many people think they're like, well, if I just don't follow the program, then of course I'm not going to see results. And that is absolutely not true. You don't necessarily have to follow a prescribed program. You have to be able to take that tool and apply it into your life and you can absolutely 100% see the results within your constraints, within your non-negotiables and within the lifestyle that you are choosing to live. So do me a favor and go and DM me on Instagram. I'm at Biceps After Babies or send me an email at [email protected] And or DM meon Facebook. I'm Biceps After Babies on Facebook, basically Biceps After Babies everywhere. But I would love to hear what you thought about this was this, maybe, maybe this was something new, maybe that you're like, I hadn't ever considered this idea that I didn't just have to follow these rules that I didn't just have to like hit these macros, that there is so much more opportunity to be able to adjust your macros and tweak your macros and customize this to the lifestyle that you want. But I would really love to hear any feedback that you have. And the last thing is if you have not left a rating and review on iTunes, I would love it if you would take two to three minutes of your day right now. And to do that, that really helps out the podcast. You just go to iTunes, you can rate the podcast, you can leave a review for the podcast, and I appreciate those so, so much. So if you really enjoyed this episode, go ahead and go rate and review the podcast, share this episode on your Instagram with your friends and make sure to tag me in it. I always love to see when you guys are sharing the podcast. That wraps up this episode of Biceps After Babies Radio. I'm Amber, now go on and be strong because remember my friend, you can do anything.

Outro

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