Eating Healthy but Nothing’s Changing?

00:00Healthy doesn't always mean effective. Effective means you giving your body enough protein, it means giving appropriate portions, it means awareness of calorie density, it means consistency across the entire week, not just Monday through Friday, and it means you being in alignment with your goal. You can't be in alignment with your goal if you're quote-unquote eating healthy, eyeballing, and just guessing as you go. Hey you guys, what's up? Welcome back to another episode of The WarriorBabe Show with your host, Nikkie Stott.

00:30And on these episodes, we talk about mindset, methodologies, and tactics that will help you lose body fat, build muscle, be strong, and feel insanely confident. So my friends, today, episode number 335, we're going to talk about something that I see every single day, and especially more over the last few weeks because I've been traveling a lot, if you guys follow me on Instagram. And I've been in various different locations, and I've sparked up a lot of conversations around nutrition and fitness and working out and this type of lifestyle.

01:03And it inspired me to bring this episode to the podcast. I think that this is the topic I'm going to talk about today is a big frustrating place for women that think they're doing things the right way, but they're not getting the results that they want and they feel very stuck. And that is around the healthy eating, like women saying, I eat healthy. Like there's conversations that I was having around mainly nutrition, because anybody and everyone can work out. Everyone loves to go to the gym.

01:33They love to be there. They love to get it done. Like working out always isn't, or what I'm seeing isn't generally the big problem. It boils down to the nutrition aspect. And when I'm having these conversations, I hear women saying, yeah, I eat healthy until I unpack that a little bit further. Or like I don't eat any junk food. I really focus on like whole ingredients, whole food, and X, Y, and Z. And like, you know, well, yeah, we don't really go out that often. I mainly cook from home, or I'm just trying to be very mindful of the food that I'm eating.

02:06And yet, when I started to unpack this and get into deeper conversations with them, it's like, but I'm not losing fat. Or I'm not seeing my body change. Or I'm eating clean, but I'm still feeling tired. I'm still feeling hungry. I'm still feeling bloated. Overall, like these women are just getting to the point where like I'm just very confused. And so I just want to say like clearly out of the gate with this episode, healthy eating, it does not automatically equal you being effective with your eating.

02:36And I'm not judging you guys. Like that's just the psychological aspect of it and the physiological aspect of it. Like today, like what I hope to break down this episode with you guys is why your healthy eating habits might not be working. And what actually needs to change if you want to experience that fat loss, that change in your body composition, having that energy, and most importantly, being consistent with it. Because I boiled it down too, when I was talking to these women, it always led to the inconsistency aspect of it and not letting it marinate with eating the right way for a period of time in order for the body to be able to adapt and change.

03:20So amongst these conversations that I was having, the one area that I saw a lot or most of women getting tripped up in was them looking at or labeling food as it's clean, it's healthy, it's whole, or it's organic. And then they assume that if food is labeled that way, if it's labeled clean, healthy, organic, whole, then that must support the goal of fat loss.

03:52But I want to make very, very clear here, your body doesn't respond to those labels. What it responds to is the calories. It responds to the macronutrients. It responds to the portion sizes. And most importantly, it will respond to you being consistent with those things over time. So you can still, you can eat all of the clean foods and you can still be overeating in calories. You could still be under eating in protein. You could be spiking your blood sugar because you're not giving your body enough of maybe one proper nutrient that won't, that will help to stabilize that.

04:29And you could still stall in fat loss if you, if you're, if you're saying you're eating these healthy, clean foods. All of these things can still be happening. When I think about it, when I boil it down in conversations with them, they're like, yeah, I eat clean. I'm like, okay, can you tell me what that means? And they're like, yeah, or I eat healthy. I'm like, okay, tell me what that means. And they're like, well, you know, I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And I'm like, okay, tell me what those meals consist of. And out of the gate, I'm like, in my mind, I can just tally up the calorie numbers and even down to maybe ballparking the macros, depending if they're telling me how much is on their plate.

05:03But broadly speaking, I'm like, okay, that's probably maybe 1200 calories in a day, if, if that. Or some of them, you know, it'll be a breakfast and a lunch and it'll be a very, very, very big dinner. And then they're overeating or they're overeating in the carbs and the fats, which I'll get into in a second. And they're under eating in the protein, right? So like you can say you're eating healthy. You can eat all of the quote unquote clean foods and give them labels. But still you are under eating or under eating protein or overeating in calories mainly.

05:38Okay. So when women are saying, I eat really healthy, but nothing's happening. What that usually means is I'm eating foods I believe are good, but they're not aligned with my actual needs. They're not aligned with what my body actually needs in order to fuel, in order to adapt and fuel the type of processes, results that you want to see.

06:09Right? So I touched a little bit on overeating calories and I want to talk about that or unpack it a little bit more. Because I believe it could be a silent sabotage or to a lot of individuals. But I want to talk about calorie density. Because what that means is, is how many calories are packed into a small volume of food. And this is where quote unquote healthy foods get very, very sneaky. Foods like nuts, nut butters, avocado, olive oil.

06:43These are all healthy foods. These are all great foods that I will still incorporate into my everyday. However, they sneak up on you because they are calorically dense. Things like granola, things like hummus. I know women love to eat. If you like hummus, hummus with celery and carrots for a snack. People love their granola and yogurt because it's healthy and it's small. But these are sneaky things. Smoothies, trail mix, especially the nuts. I'll never forget the client that I worked with out of the gate years ago.

07:16That was like, yeah, well, I eat like a handful of nuts midday. And maybe I'll have a little bit later on in the day. I'm like, do you know how much calories and fats are in that handful of nuts that you're probably sending yourself overboard just alone there? Or at least halfway overboard in what you need for the day. Right? So it's like, I hope that this, I just want to educate you guys on these. Because these foods are, they're nutrient dense, yes. But they're also calorically dense. Which means that you can eat a healthy meal that looks small and accidentally consume 700 to 900 calories.

07:52And the issue isn't the food. It's just the unawareness around what I'm talking about here. Right? It's like, oh, this is healthy food. To the story about the nuts, it's healthy. Yes, it's nutrient dense. But it's also calorically dense. And so you can, and even with the yogurt and granola or the hummus and the carrot and the celery, it's a small meal. It's a healthy meal that looks small. But you can accidentally consume a ton of calories in it. So I hope to bring awareness to that.

08:22Because most women aren't tracking portions, honestly. It's the same thing can be broken down with the portion size of peanut butter. Right? Like it's, you can consume so, you can over consume peanut butter very quickly, but the portion size is only two tablespoons. But I remember like women, when I'm talking about them and bringing this awareness to them, they would eat spoonfuls of it. Because it's healthy, it has protein in it, but also has fat, which makes it calorically dense. So women aren't tracking portions, honestly.

08:55What they're doing is they're eyeballing the handful of nuts, the tablespoons of peanut butter. Right? They're pouring sauces or they're pouring dressings, which are also very calorically dense. And those calories can add up very, very, very fast. And so as a reminder, fat loss doesn't care that the calories come from avocado or, you know, or, or cookies, the fat loss doesn't care about that. Your body only has an energy budget. So if you're over consuming in calories or in these small, healthy meals that will put

09:30you overboard early on, then you're also consuming a lunch and a dinner in the rest of the day that will send you over in the calories you're supposed to consume. Right? So just bringing in portions matter the most. And that's what also, you know, gets people tripped up because they think that they have to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, the portions of those are small because people think they need to eat less. And when you actually give your body what it needs to consume in the day and you break it down to five meals, people are afraid of that because you think of five meals and you think,

10:05oh, it's going to be a big meals. No, it's just portioned out appropriately to what is going to give you the good amount of protein, fats, and carbs in each meal so that you're giving your body what it needs in the day. Reminding you, your body has an energy budget, energy budget. Okay? And a big issue that I see is the protein aspect of it. Right? Women eat quote unquote healthy meals that are carbs and fat. Carbs and fat.

10:35Right? Even the hummus is carbs, fat, and the carrots are carbs, and the celery barely has anything in it, but or going into the nuts, carbs and fat. Oatmeal with nut butter, avocado toast, carbs and fat. Salad with oils in it and seeds, carbs and fat. Right? Smoothies with fruit and almond milk, carbs and fat. And then they say, man, I'm starving all of the time. Or I snack nonstop throughout the day.

11:07Like, I have this meal, oatmeal and nut butters, but I'm hungry in an hour. And I can't stay consistent because I'm always snacking. It's because protein is missing. And I know that I've been nailing this in in a few episodes lately. But protein is what stabilizes your blood sugar. So you're not experiencing those spikes in blood sugar, which makes you feel hungry. And then a crash. And then a spike. And then a crash. And a spike by you snacking constantly. That's what's happening when you're snacking constantly. Ladies, are you feeling frustrated with body changes you're experiencing during menopause?

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12:18Take charge of your health and join our community of strong, empowered women. Visit warriorbabe.com forward slash apply today to start your transformation. That's warriorbabe.com forward slash apply. All right, let's get back to the show. Protein is what is going to control your hunger. It's going to, again, I talked about this, preserve your lean muscle mass. It's going to support your metabolism. Mainly on those two things I said, it's going to control your hunger.

12:48When you have anywhere upwards of 25 grams to 30 grams in each one of your meals of protein, I will lay my life on it that in an hour to two hours later, and I will lay my life on it if you're being consistent with this. I need to say that you will not feel hungry in an hour or maybe two hours later because you gave your body enough protein. It's going to stabilize the blood sugar. It's going to control your hunger. And I'll say this too. Most women think that they're eating, quote unquote, enough protein. Women, I've seen that and even the conversations I've been having, oh, I get enough protein in my day.

13:22Okay, unpack that. What does that mean to you? But they're only eating like 10 to 15 grams per meal, if that. Let me say this loud and clear. That is not enough. And when protein is too low, your body will keep asking for more food because you're under fueled by the lack of nutrients that you're giving your body in order to feel fueled. Quick pause, because in my opinion, February always feels like the month to show a little

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14:55And if you get a post-purchase survey, make sure to say that you heard about them here on the MACROHOUR. So celebrate this month and every day with love, with comfort. That makes the little moments count, guys. Go check it out and get these items. All right. Back to the show. Let me just say that again. If your protein is too low, when it is too low, your body is going... That is why you are constantly craving snacky foods throughout the day. That is why at the end of the day, you eat your dinner and you feel hungry afterwards.

15:26You feel snacky afterwards because probably the majority of that meal was carbs and fat and a little bit of protein. It happens when you go out to restaurants too as well. The portion sizes are mainly carbs and fats. Why you always need to ask for extra protein in it. Okay. And that's because you're under fueled. Why your body keeps asking for food is because you are under fueled. When you are quote unquote eating healthy without an adequate amount of protein, that is going to lead to constant hunger, to cravings, to overeating later on the day

15:56and to poor body composition. You're going to struggle to see the results that you want to see. Okay. Something that I just want to add in here too, because as I was having those conversations with women, liquid calories got brought up. And this one shocks a lot of people. Liquid calories and what I mean by smoothies, protein shakes made wrong, fancy coffees, juices, wellness shots, wellness drinks. These can quietly add hundreds of calories without providing you any type of feeling satisfied.

16:30And that is because these liquid calories, they are going to digest faster. They don't require you to chew, which adds some type of stimulation to the brain and to your stomach. They don't trigger fullness in the same way that eating a whole food, nutritious meal, protein, fast and carbs is going to do for you. And so some women say, I barely any, anything because they're drinking 400 calorie smoothies. They're drinking oat milk lattes.

17:02When I see women at Starbucks, I'm like, holy cow, the Frappuccinos alone is probably 400, 500 calories. Juice shots. Those things add up. But none of them keeps them full. Now, they're not bad. But I need you to tell you, like shots, juice shots, like treating yourself to an oat milk latte. They're not bad. But you need to be intentional around it. Otherwise, they're going to blow your calorie budget without you even realizing it. Again, you could easily accidentally consume 700, 900 calories just in a, in those, in those

17:38examples I gave you. And you're blowing a calorie budget for the rest of the day. That's why people are overweight because they're over consuming the food. And then they go into, I need to do the opposite and eat less, which only sends a shock to your body to try and hold on to that fat. And why women get more weight added to their body. If you can find, this is literally the answer, the secret sauce, the secret balance with the right calories and the right macros that you guys, your body needs. And I'm just going to add this plug because we have this product that can help you guys.

18:09And it's $27. $27. And you guys can get the macro method. I'm going to link it in the description below. Or you guys can go to Warrior Babe and check out our products. But essentially, or how it works. That will give you guys the right protocol in order for your individual, unique body to set you up for success and understanding what calories and macros you need. Because the hard truth is, and I'm going to say it with love, you guys. The honest truth is most people underestimate how much they're eating. Not because, you know, they're lying or they don't know or whatever. It's because humans are bad at eyeballing.

18:41Especially when it comes to oils, nuts, dressing, sauces, rice. Like, majority of people are eyeballing these things. And people are bad at eyeballing it. But they're trying to estimate these portion sizes. And the majority of how the brain works is like, I need to eat less. I need to eat less. I need to eat less. So having a smaller portion for your plate is what's going to help your brain think it's working. But also, if you're overconsuming these things I'm talking about, you're underestimating portion sizes. You're underestimating how much you're eating.

19:12And that's why I'm saying tracking, even if it's just temporary, it can be very, very educational for you. And I don't say it in an obsessive way. I know a lot of women are like, I don't want to have to track for the rest of my life. You don't have to track for the rest of your life if you understand that tracking markers is a skill set that will serve you for the rest of your life. It's just temporary. If you can just be able to see, and when I say this, what I mean by it is, you're going to be able to have an app that supports you with tracking your macros.

19:45You log your food. And then the same time of you logging your food, you're looking at this plate and you're seeing what a portion size of, a good portion size of protein looks like, a good portion size of carbs and fat, what that looks like. And you're teaching, educating your brain to see this as enough food or what I need. And you do that consistently, you're becoming more educational, you're becoming more educated around macronutrients and becoming more aware around food freedom.

20:17Once you see what portions actually look like, you can stop guessing. And then when you stop guessing, fat loss stops feeling so confusing. That's why I say, dude, just track macros, even if it's just temporary, to give you the education. And I hope that it just changes your mindset around looking at it in a very obsessive way. It's not obsessive. The only one that's labeling and obsessive is you and potentially the women that you're talking to in your circle or the things you're following online. Because to me, it's worked for thousands of women and me.

20:51Okay? So one thing I also need to add in is that consistency marker. Because this one matters a lot. Many women eat, quote unquote, good. I eat perfect Monday through Friday. I hear this all the time. And then they eat out on the weekends. They drink more on the weekends. They stop tracking on the weekends. They snack mindlessly on the weekends. And they say, oh, it's just the weekend. But this is the thing. Fat loss doesn't put a reset on Monday. A calorie deficit for five days

21:22can be erased easily in two days. So women feel like, oh, I'm doing everything right. But again, I'm not seeing the results that I want. But this is where consistency matters. Consistency isn't just for the weekdays. It is about averages. So you could show up. This is what consistency looks like. Because you don't need to be perfect. You don't need to be 100% Monday through Sunday. You could be 70% one day, 30% one day, 90% one day, 50% one day, 100% one day.

21:57Like, that is consistency. And then you'll work your way into, wow, I feel better on my 70 to 90 to 95 days to 80 to 85 days. I need more of that. And then you go into this bracket of my consistency looks like 70 to 80%. Oh, 75. But then 90. That's what matters. It matters about then the averages. You don't need perfection. But you do need awareness across all of the days.

22:28And you need some type level of consistency across all of the days. That's what's going to make you win. This is the core lesson to take from this episode. Clean eating focuses on food quality. Yes. Macros focuses on quality plus consumption. You need both. You can eat clean foods, whole foods, organic foods, and still not lose fat. If the macros don't align with your goal, macros are not the enemy here.

22:59They are the framework. You can still not lose all of the fat. You can still not be where you want to be with eating clean foods, eating quote unquote healthy. If the macros don't align with where your goal is and where you want to go. If you are trying to lose fat, you need to dial in the consistency of your calories and even more take it a level up in the consistency of your macros. They are the framework here. They give you structure to healthy eating. They turn the I think I'm doing okay. I think I'm eating healthy. I think I'm like, you know, I'm eating.

23:30I'm eating enough. They turn it into I know this is working. I have data. I have proof. Here are my numbers. There's anybody that has an analytical mind should be eating this up. I can understand that it could be tough for anybody that may be a type B and, you know, more of the creative, a go with the flow type of mind. But data is data. And if you can log your food and you can see it and you can look at your consistency over weeks and you know what your macros are, you can say, I know this is working.

24:01And you can stop being in this like limbo field of like, oh, I'm eyeballing. I'm guessing. This is I eat healthy. I eat okay. This is what I eat. No, if you know exactly what you're eating, you can say, I know this is working. So if you've been telling yourself, I eat healthy, but nothing's happening. I need you to reframe it to I eat foods I believe are healthy, but my strategy might not be as effective. And that's not you being a failure.

24:31That's you being aware and giving yourself the ability to be open to information. Because healthy doesn't always mean effective. Effective means you giving your body enough protein. It means giving appropriate portions. It means awareness of calorie density. It means consistency across the entire week, not just Monday through Friday. And it means you being in alignment with your goal. You can't be in alignment with your goal of your quote unquote eating healthy, eyeballing and just guessing as you go. Point blank. And once you understand that, fat loss stops feeling like it's a mystery.

25:04And consistency stops feeling exhausting. All right. So I hope that you guys took away that from this episode. If you're healthy eating, I need you to change your perspective. I need you to, you know, be like, okay, cool. Yeah, I'm eating healthy, but I need my strategy to be more effective. And that's where macros comes into play. All right, my friends. I love you guys. I hope this episode helped. And I will see you. And if you need macros, the macro method is linked below this episode. Go get it. $27. Love you guys. See you in the next episode. See you in the next episode.

25:35Peace out. Real quick. If this episode resonated with you or gave you the push that you needed, I'd love for you to pay it forward. Drop a quick rating and review. Share the podcast with someone who might need it. And help me keep spreading the word. Your feedback not only helps to show grow, but it might just be the nudge someone else needs to kickstart their transformation. Thank you so, so, so much for your support. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

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