​          The biggest problem in fitness today is being unable to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. Whether it's a question on a forum, or a comment on a video, people are always asking for tips and tricks to help them do it!
             Here I'll give you my top 3 ways of how to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. 
Here are my top 3 tips on how to build muscle while you are losing fat.

1. Keep your Calorie Deficit moderate. By having a smaller deficit, you will lose fat slower, but you will not sacrifice lean muscle in the process. If you have too large of a deficit your weight loss is coming from muscle and fat. You will also not have enough energy for effective weight training exercise which leads me to my next tip.
2. Focus on resistant training (lifting weights) . Muscle-building resistance training should be the only activity in your weight loss program (other than a low intensity cardio) because it reduces the amount of muscle you lose while dieting. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat so it requires calories just to exist, which helps prevent muscle loss when calorie intake is reduced.
3. Eat enough protein . Muscle building is all about creating stimulus (through exercise) and then having enough building blocks (protein) available to build that muscle. Make sure you are eating enough protein, around 1g per pound of body weight.

If you follow these 3 tips you will be able to slowly burn off the fat while gaining lean, sexy muscle simultaneously.
I can help you put together a program that will help you to lose the stubborn fat while gaining lean muscle.
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   We all know that weight gain is inevitable as we age. The combination of shifting hormones and slowing metabolism makes it difficult to maintain the same weight we had in our twenties, even when eating what used to be a healthy diet and exercising regularly. However, many women experience more than just normal changes in their weight during midlife; they also find themselves struggling to lose a menopausal "spare tire," even if they continue to eat carefully and exercise regularly. What's going on?
In menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels start to drop. This change may be sudden in some women, while the decrease is gradual for others. In both cases, hormone fluctuations can cause menopausal weight gain in a number of ways. Your energy levels drop causing you to burn less calories than you used to during a normal day. You may even skip workouts all together. You also may experience disrupted sleep cycles. Poor sleep an often lead to increased cravings. So now not only are you moving less you are eating more.
To make matters worse, that weight that you gain may be going to different places than you are used to. Researchers from the University of Alabama in Birmingham recently published a study showing that menopausal women tend to gain weight more in their bellies than they do in other parts of their body. This is mostly caused by a change in hormones that causes menopausal belly fat cells to behave differently. Just as with younger people, menopausal women who lack physical activity and get less than 30 minutes of daily exercise are more likely to gain weight all over their body.
However, menopausal women who get regular exercise and work out for 30 minutes or more at least five days per week may be able to prevent the increased belly fat that leads to menopausal weight gain. If your menopausal weight gain is due mostly to menopause-related hormone changes, maintaining a healthy exercise regimen can help you maintain your weight. Obviously, the more menopausal weight gain that is due to hormonal fluctuations , the more important regular exercise becomes.
Sometimes menopausal weight gain isn't caused by menopause alone. If your weight gain is accompanied by menopause symptoms like hot flashes or night sweats, it's possible that menopause is the root of menopausal weight gain. If you still have menopause symptoms even though your periods haven't stopped for a long time, you may be perimenopausal. During this early menopause transition stage, hormone levels can fluctuate erratically and cause changes in how the body stores fat. As menopause progresses , the changes in hormone levels become more constant, and menopausal weight gain may be driven less by menopause itself than it is by simple age-related weight gain.
If menopausal weight gain has you discouraged, here are a few things you can do to help yourself stay healthy at any size:
● Eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise. Maintaining a healthy weight is the best way to fight menopausal menopause-related menopausal weight gain.
● Challenge yourself physically by trying new types of workouts and sports, like biking or boot camp classes. You'll not only get in better shape, you'll also improve your menopausal fitness level, which will help you maintain your weight.
● Get regular menopause treatments that can help with menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, including hormone therapy (HT) or low-dose menopausal estrogen therapy (ET). These menopause treatments may also help reduce the likelihood of menopausal weight gain. However, menopausal weight gain is a common side effect of menopausal treatments, including HT and menopause medications.
● Talk to your menopause doctor about menopausal weight gain and ask for guidance
It's important to remember that menopause is a part of life for many women, but menopausal menopause-related weight gain doesn't have to be. By eating a healthy diet and getting regular physical activity, menopausal women can fight menopausal menopause-related menopausal weight gain with great results.
If you need help with weight loss or menopause related weight gain, I would love to work with you. Click here for information on my customized program.

Of course in a perfect world you eat whole nutritious food and avoid packaged snacks... I preach the same to my clients, however let's be realistic sometimes convenience wins. Also, its just nice to feel like you are having a treat sometimes right?! I personally allow myself one protein bar per day and on days that I'm out and about and just unable to eat my regular meals I will allow even more. These are my 4 go to favorite protein bars. I incorporate them into my routine regularly and have had no issues with any of these spiking blood sugar , keeping me out of ketosis or negatively effecting my progress.
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My absolute favorite go-to protein bar is from Built Bar . They have a soft chewy filling and are like unlike any other protein bar I have ever tried. They have tons of flavors and I have yet to find one that I do not LOVE. They are the closest thing to a actual candy bar that I have tried. The Macros are excellent. At only 110 calories and 15g of protein you can fit them into just about anyones macros. Use my code for a discount. CODE: MRSCEOJ Click Here to purchase

Stoka bars are so delicious and I love how versatile they are. You can either eat them as a bar or even better yet crumble them and use it as a granola type topping on pudding or greek yogurt. My Favorite flavors are birthday cake and vanilla almond. They have a nutty texture super clean ingredients and great macros for the ketogenic diet. Use my code for a discount. Code: MRSCEOJ

Quest bars are like ole faithful for me. I have been eating them for 7 years. In fact they got me thru my Bikini Competitor prep days. They are so delicious and even better if you warm them up for 12 secs in a microwave. My favorite flavor is Birthday cake, but in all honesty there are dozens of flavors that I love. If you have not tried quest then you must be living under a rock. They are the most readily available bars for purchase in most retail locations and are always good when in a pinch when I am out and about.

I get asked this question a lot... How do I feel about cheat meals on the Keto Diet? In fact, a client asked me about this recently and I replied to her via email... Sometimes I just ramble on and on in email and don't even re read before I send. Only after sending the email did I decide to read my response to her and I had to stop and give myself a pat on the back LOL It's always been hard for me to fully articulate my philosophy regarding cheat meals but for whatever reason this day I nailed it. I'll paste the email below for you to read if you choose, but in a nut shell. Cheat Meals are essential to long term sustainability and results. They also help you to outsmart your body and keep it guessing. If you consume a predictable amount of calories every single day your body will learn to work around it trust me. So in short, cheat meals when done correctly keep your body guessing, teach you discipline and help you to stick to your Keto Lifestyle long term!  Just keep a few things in mind:
Cheat Day should be an active day, increase your calorie burn, the more you burn the more u can eat

• Keep your Calorie intake moderate, approx your Maintenance calories (See Above)
• Take Blood Sugar Support Pills from perfect Keto (2 in the AM 2 before the meal) (Code MRSCEOJ 20% off)
• Do not weight yourself post cheat (You will be retaining water for approx 24 hours)
• Get your water intake in, will help to flush out the water retention

EMAIL (Truncated for Privacy)
How you are feeling is completely normal. Perfectly ok to have a cheat meal and a cocktail or 2 on Valentines day. The key with cheat meals is that YOU are in control. You pick the day and what you are eating based on your plans, not because someone walked into your office with your favorite cupcakes… Does that make sense? The key to long term sustainable results is really maintaining discipline. The process of having a cheat meal actually trains you to have discipline. You cheat on your terms because you have decided to. The problem with going too long without one in my experience is that when you do finally have one, it can open some flood gates and be difficult to stop. Not to say that having one will be easy, you will have mixed feelings about it unsure if you want one, worried if it will ruin your progress etc. One weekly cheat meal NEVER has made someone gain weight. It’s scientifically impossible unless your meal was in excess of 6,000 calories. Where it causes an issue is when one leads to 2 leads to entire weekend etc. but that is why introducing a weekly cheat meal can be so important. It will help you to learn discipline it will also teach you how to only have one meal then right back to Keto eating. If you do ever get cravings for something you can just schedule your cheat meal and it makes you feel so much better. For example say you are craving pizza, knowing that you can have pizza in a few days because you are allowed a weekly cheat meal takes he edge off ,makes it bearable. If you were not supposed to have cheat meals and were craving pizza suddenly you would feel deprived and upset and would likely cave in then feen guilty etc. It might sound crazy but it really is all part of the process and the key to long term sustainable results where you aren’t yo-dieting but can live a life of balance and maintain your goals.

Also, I recommend having your cheat meal as your last meal of the day, try not to have a cheat lunch because it will be hard to have a Keto dinner afterward. Best to have that as your last meal of the day and then the next day is a new day and you are right back to Keto eating. Honestly sometimes a Cheat meal will rejuvenate your motivation and even trigger weight loss.

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Let me help you to optimize your body to use Fat as Fuel. No more Yo-Yo Dieting. Get to your goal weight and stay there all while living a life of balance

Came across a great article regarding calories on the keto diet written by Nate Martins onhvmn.com.
It's a great read! Excerpt from the article below:

Are All Calories Created Equal?The question sparking hot debates in scientific circles!
The first law of thermodynamics (or the law of conservation of energy) states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. When applied to weight control, this law translates to the basic formula:
weight gain = energy (calories) in - energy (calories) out
This traditional viewpoint argues that the food eaten is unimportant–a calorie is a calorie. To lose weight, create a calorie deficit by either eating less or burning more. To gain weight, increase calorie intake.
The opposing viewpoint maintains that calories still count, but the type of food consumed has a trickle-down effect on the amount of energy expended, and what foods the body craves. It takes way more energy to process and store protein than it does carbohydrate or fat–this is called the thermic effect of food. Essentially, one burns more energy dieting protein because it requires more energy for the body to process. In one study, twice as much energy was expended after meals on a high-protein diet versus a high carbohydrate, low-fat diet.1

Code: MRSCEOJ for 20% off Total Human

Often times people find themselves stalled on KETO and cant figure out why? Keto does not have to be complicated. in it's simplest form all you need to do is replace Carbs with Fats in your diet and watch your overall portions! My Custom Keto Plans now include my tried and true method for success on Keto without having to track Macros Keto-Quation™, but one important component is that you figure out how to avoid HIDDEN carbs! 

This is an excellent article from Perfect Keto regarding hidden Carbs and keeping things simple! Click to read!

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Has your progress stalled after some initial success? Or perhaps you just aren't sure if you are doing it right? Let me help you take the guess work out of KETO! 

 A big announcement to share from Perfect Keto HQ. Their new Keto Nootropic is in stock for launch week, it starts today and I have a big discount for you.  
Most folks start keto for the weight loss, but they stay on it because of the way it makes them feel. Dr. Gustin will tell you, he really made this product for himself, and it's all about maximizing that keto feeling and mental sharpness.
There's a big buzz about nootropics for a reason. The term nootropics comes from the Greek words for "mind-turning" and these smart drugs could be the biggest breakthrough for brain health (besides, of course, eating healthy) in the last 100 years.
I hope "smart drugs" doesn't scare anyone off. Food is a drug. Nootropics are completely legal, you don’t need a prescription to use them, and Perfect Keto's is completely natural.
True to Dr. Gustin and Perfect Keto's insanely high standards, Keto Nootropic is fully loaded with the herbs, amino acids, and lipids that support mental alertness, clarity, and concentration so you can operate at full capacity.
What else is in Keto Nootropic?

• 3.6g of BHB for a nice lift in ketones (which are use preferentially by the heart and brain)
• 4g grass-fed collagen for soft-tissue support
• 5g MCT powder for no-carb energy and to blunt insulin spikes to make this nootropic blend especially keto-friendly 

At 70 calories and an amazing cocoa flavor, this will be a game changer for snack-replacement and boosting morning regimens.
When to use Keto Nootropic?

• In the morning, fasted or not
• On heavy work days help power your mind
• When studying or attending class to support mental performance
• Before workouts to support energy and performance

Want to learn more? They have an awesome guide to nootropics: https://www.perfectketo.com/what-are-nootropics?
When I heard about the launch I reached out to the team for a discount. If you go through this page and use BRAINGAINS20, you can pick yours up now for 20% off. Click Here

Arm yourself with the tools to improve your heart health thru nuttrition

Every year, heart disease is the cause of almost 25% of all deaths - meaning that you or someone you know will likely deal with cardiovascular issues at some point in your life [*].
Thankfully, there are changes you can make to your lifestyle to decrease your risk. Listen here to learn more about what you can do to improve your chances:

Preventing Heart Disease by Cutting Out Grains, the Truth About Cholesterol, and Optimizing Your Health with High Quality Nutrition - Dr. William Davis