High Intensity Hybrid Training

While groceries are more expensive now, it’s still less expensive (& healthier!) to eat home cooked meals. A restaurant meal for a family of 4 can easily cost $100, not incl 🍻or tip. It doesn’t, tho, cost $100 for a family of 4 to eat a meal at home. AND, that meal will be more nutritious than any restaurant meal.

So, w/o denying the struggles when it comes to paying for groceries, can we flip the script a bit? What CAN we control?

➡️ How much 💵 is saved by eating at home vs eating out?
➡️ While our financial portfolios might not look so healthy, consider how we get to build our wellness portfolio by eating at home vs restaurant meals.
➡️ How much 🕰️ is saved by cooking at home vs driving to a restaurant, waiting for a meal, & driving home?
➡️ How much is saved by not using gas to drive to the restaurant?
➡️ Look for ways to save money when shopping. Create a list so random things don’t end up in the cart. Shop at grocery stores where prices are lower. Buy in bulk. Opt for no-name brand vs brand name. Buy frozen veggies/fruit vs fresh.
➡️ Look for other ways to save money - walking/riding a bike instead of driving, carpooling, not stopping for a daily Tims, asking ourselves if we really *need* that thing we’re online shopping for.

I’m not saying the cost of living right now is a cake walk. But, I am saying that it’s not completely out of our control. There are many ways we can feel better about it, not the least of which is the way we think about it. Another chance to change habits & behaviors that support our overall wellness!

Some caveats:
⭐️This post comes from a place of privilege. Some already do these things, & still struggle!
⭐️Not all restaurant meals are unhealthy, but most will be less nutrient dense & more calorie dense vs home cooked.
⭐️I’m not talking fast food, which may be less $, but you may offset the difference by eating more frequently, b/c fast food doesn’t fill you up.

🧡 Keep coming forward - Coach K

🚗✈️Your next trip, short or long, doesn’t need to result in you feeling like you’ve thrown in the towel on boosting your Wellness Portfolio through nutrition!

As always, you get to decide what you want the look & feel of your trip to be. If you decide you don’t want it to look much different, food-wise, than what you do at home, there is a solution!

When I travel, near or far, I bring food with me. The first order of business is to ensure you stay at a place with at least a microwave & mini fridge, & breakfast included in the rate (that way you don’t also need to bring cutlery & dishes!). A place with a kitchenette is beautiful, too, & an AirBnB with a full kitchen is 👌🏼 If you stay where breakfast is included, you can use food in the breakfast room to add to what you bring along (e.g. there are usually some form of 🍳served in the breakfast room).

Once my accommodations are booked, I pack my breakfast oats/ground flax/chia/powdered PB in separate zip-loc bags, 1 for each day. I also pack enough snacks (protein bars, Rx bars, trail mix) for each day, as well as supplies for my morning protein coffee. Finally, I pack oatmeal & nut butter for my bedtime snack.

Upon arrival, I buy eggs, egg whites, & fruit to use for breakfast & bedtime snack. Depending on activities & whether I have an AirBnB, I also buy food for lunches & dinners. However, eating out is an option, & I look ahead for places that I know will suit my needs. AND, with confidence, I suggest those places to the people I’m traveling with, while still acknowledging there may be some give & take with final dining choices 😉

I’ve used this setup for weekend road trips, as well as two week long air-travel vacations. No excuses!

🧡 Keep coming forward - Coach K

“I recently listened to a podcast with a nutrition coach who self-described as “someone who doesn’t have the body of a nutrition coach.” She isn’t shredded, and although she is going through a fat loss phase right now, that hasn’t been her focus of late, so she is walking around a few pounds heavier than what some would say is appropriate for someone who guides others through fat loss and body re-composition. She spent part of the podcast discussing how some people will choose their coach - nutrition and fitness - based on body type.

It struck me that it goes both ways…”

Link in profile to read the full blog post.

🧡 Keep coming forward - Coach K

Well, well, well…looks like summer might be on its way in the Great White North 🇨🇦

That means outdoor workouts and other activities in warm temps and hot sunshine ☀️

So, how much water should you drink to ensure you are staying well hydrated 💦

The general calculation is (body weight in ounces x 0.5) + 15-25 oz for every hour of sweaty exercise 🧐

Huh? What does that even mean? 🤓

Here’s an example: Let’s say you weigh 150lb. Your calculation would be (150oz x 0.5) + 15-25 oz = 90 to 100 oz of water each day (assuming only 1 hour of sweaty time). For my Canadian friends, 100oz is almost 3 L of water…Yup!😲

That’s a lot of water! Feel free to keep it interesting by adding fruit or veggies to flavour your water. I really like liquid water enhancers like Mio - some of these also come with electrolytes added, perfect for summer activities!🍋

Also, milk, juice, smoothies, soup, coffee, tea, etc, all count toward your calculation!

Fun fact: BCAA’s are just expensive water flavorers, and assuming you are getting enough protein daily, are not necessary. Save your dolla dolla bills!🤑

What’s your way to keep your water interesting and delicious?👇🏼👇🏼

🧡 Keep coming forward - Coach K

Maybe you’re thinking, “Meh - we are on the verge of summer. Vacations, BBQs, camping, get togethers, celebrations. It’s gonna be tough for me to manage anything around food, & my commitment to that. I’ll start in the fall.”

Let’s try flipping the script on that. Maybe that’s EXACTLY why you need to hire a coach now!

Whatever your wellness goals are, working with a coach through the toughest periods in your life can be the most beneficial, giving you the biggest bang for your buck.

Think about it: when the water is rough, you need the extra support & guidance to help get you through to the other side. When it’s all smooth sailing, it’s much easier to take time to make decisions around how you want to get from point A to point B.

And, when there are multiple things thrown at you over a period of a few months or so, having someone else in your corner who can take a step back & view the bigger picture can be immensely helpful. There is a lot to be learned in rough waters.

For example, when working with a coach through the summer months, it may very well be that you don’t see any change in body composition, body measurements, or the number on the scale. But, does that mean you failed? How would that compare to other summers? I assert that many folks would say that other summers result in an increase in weight & body measurements, & possibly an undesired change in body composition.

So, if working with a coach now allowed you to make some changes before July, & if working with a coach through July/August allows you to maintain what you’ve created, wouldn’t that be worth the investment?

Not going backward is progress, too.

One last thought: think you can’t afford nutrition coaching? Challenge: sit down & look at how much you’re spending each month on restaurant meals. Often, the monthly cost of coaching is the equivalent of 1 or 2 dinners out for a family of 4. No need to give up those experiences completely (they support wellness in a different way), but budgeting some of those funds toward nutrition & exercise is a choice you may want to make.

🧡 Keep coming forward - Coach K

A Starbucks-esque bento-type box. This one isn’t super well rounded, but it will still hit the spot, and tide you over to the next meal.

Starchy carbs in the high fiber crackers.
Fruit carbs in the grapes.
Fats with a tiny bit of protein in the cheese and almonds. 

Grab a package of turkey pepperoni, or some beef jerky, and you’ll round this out nicely.

🧡 Keep coming forward - Coach K