Why Calories Don’t Matter

It’s been a whirlwind of travel these last couple of weeks. I left Mexico three weeks ago, where I had been for the past 4 months, flew to Colorado, then to North Carolina, and then to Connecticut, and now I’m back in paradise - in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica - where I’ll be for at least the next month. I am so happy to be back on the beach for the most delicious fresh, local seafood, papayas, and coconut water! And, of course, for the most gorgeous sunsets!

I wanted to share a few of the books I’ve recently been reading, since it’s been a while! I try to post interesting tid-bits and screenshots from my reads on Instagram stories, and so many of you always want to know what I’m reading, so here you go!

My reads have recently been a mix of nutrition, fitness, finance, and business. I’ve also been adding in some fiction and “fun” books to read before bed to help turn my brain off. Feel free to send over anything interesting, educational, or inspiring you’ve recently read.

(me, getting the additional benefit of sunlight in my eyes and on as much of my body as possible, 😜 while also reading in the morning.)

The Poor Misunderstood Calorie

I loved this book, it was a very easy read, but it was also a great breakdown of the science as to exactly why most people don’t understand calories, why they really don’t matter, and why they actually do.

Some Takeaways:

• We absorb more or less calories from the same food eaten at different times. For example, eating carbohydrates around the time of exercise will minimize the impact on fat storage.
• Eating protein immediately after exercise is more likely to increase muscle mass and decrease fat loss than not.
• Exercise is important for health and wellness, but it does not result in weight loss.
• When most people go on “diets,” they tend to lose ⅓ of that weight from muscle. This is why many “diets” fail. Both protein and weight training are important here to avoid the loss of muscle.
• You can actually keep eating the same amount of calories, if you change not only what you eat, but when you eat it.
  
  

One thing I put into action after reading this book:

I now incorporate a protein shake (protein powder and water) immediately after my weight training workouts.

The LeanGains Method

This book took me about two days to read - I couldn’t put it down. It’s not only a book with so much great, tangible information on getting leaner, but it’s also a heartwarming story about the benefits and lessons of failing. This was a great addition to the book above, since both authors talked about the thermic effect of foods along with the importance of when and what you eat.

Some Takeaways:

• Calories matter, but they’re not all that matters.
• Eat your carbs before or after training to yield a higher thermic effect.
• One cup of coffee every other hour throughout the day burns an extra 150 calories, primarily affecting fat metabolism. Caffeine also increases appetite suppression, improves exercise performance, insulin sensitivity, and increases muscle glycogen synthesis.
• Less frequent meals (looking at all of you eating 6-7 meals a day) results in a higher metabolic rate.
• Fruit is the perfect carbohydrate.
• You should learn to love fat loss plateaus, as they’re a sign that progress is just around the corner!
• Stop circuit training and doing light weights - lifting heavy with lots of rest is where you will actually see real long-term results.
  
  

One thing I put into action after reading this book:

My coffee consumption has dramatically increased (LOL). 

I Will Teach You to Be Rich

I read this book a few years ago, but I’m currently re-reading it and actually implementing the steps he lays out in this book, instead of just putting it down and moving on.  I love that nothing in here is “sexy,” but it’s simple and it works, just like sustainable weight loss and health - no sexy get rich/fit schemes here.

Some Takeaways:

• The single, most important factor in getting rich is getting started, not being the smartest person in the room.
• Spend extravagantly on the things you love and cut costs mercilessly on the things you don’t.
• Exactly how to get a bank or credit card company to lower or reverse your fees.
• Maybe buying a house isn’t the best investment?
  
  

One thing I put into action after reading this book:

After I read this book the first time, I automized everything in my financial life (ie. automatic weekly transfers into my savings account, which helped me save money for the first time in my life).  Now, I’m working on opening up a 401-K, since I’ve always worked for myself - and WHY DON’T THEY TEACH YOU THIS IN SCHOOL?!? 

Oversubscribed, by Daniel Priestley

Loved this book for confirming a lot of the things I’m doing in my business intuitively, as well as giving me some ideas to continue to grow and scale!

Some Takeaways:

• Spending 7 hours with someone moves you from “acquaintance” to a “friend”. Which is why I truly feel like all of you who follow along on IG daily are my friends!
• When you have more than 11 interactions with a brand, you are more likely to buy from them.
• Get people interested and signaling to you they want your product before releasing or selling that product.
• People don’t buy what others want to sell, they buy what others want to buy.
• Your goal is to place a high value on what you do, work with people who recognize value and exceed their expectations. Set your boundaries, have your terms, protect your space so you can deliver something special.
  
  

One thing I put into action after reading this book:

The truth is I’m very much over-subscribed in my 1:1 private coaching. I always thought I would be able to fit in anyone who wanted to work with me, but as my business grows, it’s really important for me to create boundaries and only take on as many clients as I can comfortably handle, in order to give my clients the best service I possibly can! After reading this book, I actually limited the number of private clients I take on per month even more, which meant turning away a significant number of clients and also a significant amount of money. This has actually created more space in my business to create and grow, which will means not only more money in the long run, but also happier clients and an even better service from me.

As much as I love reading and learning, I love using that information even more to improve the lives of my clients. While I'm usually on a 4-8 week waitlist for private coaching  (you can book a call with me here), I also have self-guided courses that are always available here and are a compilation of everything I know in tangible steps that I know actually and truly work!

I hope this was helpful. Leave a comment here or send me a message on Instagram and let me know if you have any questions!