6 food swaps for fat loss

0:14Rachel: Muscle

0:14Ashleigh: Science for Women.

0:15Rachel: Hello.

0:16Ashleigh: Your favorite podcast. Ashleigh and Rachel. We're here with a very practical episode, I think, 'cause every once in a while, the rest of them aren't practical. The rest of them- super unhelpful- What?… borderline useless. No. Oh my God. But, you know, sometimes- She's kidding.

0:30Rachel: She's kidding…

0:31Ashleigh: sometimes we just wanna be, like, very, you know, short, sweet, to the point, helpful. I think we get feedback that folks just really sometimes want the, like, quick and dirty, useful, I can take this and use it right now kind of thing. Mm-hmm. And one that kinda keeps coming up is, like, I want to lose fat, I want to make better choices with my food, but I don't want to completely overhaul necessarily. What are some, like, swaps? What are some tips? Like, don't tell me to just eat chicken breast and, you know, asparagus for the rest of my life. Like, how do we make this practical? so that's what we're gonna talk about today. We're gonna talk about, like, food swaps, changes, things you can do that could help facilitate body recomp, fat loss- Mm-hmm… eating a little bit f- maybe fewer calories without having a super depressing, sad diet.

1:26Rachel: Yeah. Right. And some things- Basically. Yeah, exactly. And just, like, some things that I feel like people overlook. Yeah. And we talk about this all the time, like everybody wants the sexy thing, but it's like these are the things that you may be overlooking that will actually make the biggest difference. Yeah. and also just make your life a lot easier.

1:44Ashleigh: Yeah.

1:45Rachel: So.

1:45Ashleigh: Yeah. And I mean, I think some of the high level kind of messages, we're gonna be- we're gonna get very, like, specific here, but I think some of the high- higher level messages that we wanna get across, and one, like, one, I think, really tough lesson for me when I was getting started learning about nutrition and learning about health and applying that to my, my own diet is the idea, and it sounds obvious, but people don't really think about it, is that healthy, a healthy diet does not equal a fat loss diet. It does not equal a low calorie diet. And a low calorie or fat loss diet does not equal healthy. They're not the same thing. They can- Mm-hmm… potentially be, but just because you're eating real food doesn't mean you're gonna lose weight.

2:32Just because you're eating unprocessed food doesn't mean you're gonna e- lose weight. Sometimes- Yeah… it's the opposite. And when you eat the way I eat, like my ideal unprocessed healthy diet is full of high fat animal protein and nuts and, like, the most calorie dense healthy foods on the planet. Mm-hmm. And if you're, you know, not a gigantic person who's training six hours a day, you can easily gain weight on a healthy diet. So I think that that's something to consider, right?

3:01Rachel: Yeah. No,

3:02Ashleigh: 100%. So, and I mean, to that point, like one of the things we're gonna talk about a lot, and I think this is something you, you talk about a lot too is really trying to like optimize the nutrient the nutrient or the calorie to nutrient density ratio, right? Like you wanna be getting, if you're trying to lose fat, you wanna be getting like the most nutrients for relatively speaking, the lower calories, right?

3:26Rachel: Mm-hmm.

3:27Ashleigh: That's something I have a hard time with, and we'll talk about my- Yeah… challenges as we go. But That's-

3:33Rachel: Yep…

3:34Ashleigh: something to be thinking about, right? stop me if you have anything to, No… to add. I, I agree.

3:39Rachel: Yeah. I'm just gonna, let you take the lead on kind of going into, Yeah… 'cause we have a few specifics that we wanna touch on- Yes… and give our take on, and maybe we'll argue about something- Yeah… potentially. Yeah, a little bit. But maybe we won't. Who knows? Here and

3:51Ashleigh: there. We'll see. And I think, you know, another, another high-level thing that, like, honestly I struggle with sometimes, not only just for myself, but really for the messaging that I want to give our listeners but l- also my clients, who tend to be women. They tend to be women who maybe have, been taught at some point in their life about how everything should be, like, the lowest calorie and, like, you should be trying to eat as little calories as possible. And so sometimes, sometimes the messaging, like, I feel a little bit of friction in my head about this is useful information about trying to reduce unnecessary calories, but I also feel weird about, like, I don't want people to take from this, "You should swap everything for, like, zero fat options, and you should…" You know, because I… D- do you see what I mean? Like, I, I- Yeah… I, I struggle with it a little bit because again, these are tools, and they can be useful, and we can… It's, it's good to find out where maybe some, like, calories or extra things are hiding that you're unaware of, but I don't want the message from this to be y- swap out everything for low fat options, you know? 'Cause I just, that makes me feel- Yeah… icky.

4:57So I think that that's also just something that you gotta remember that there's nuance in this. Yeah. And so. Yeah,

5:04Rachel: and I think, you know, I agree with that. I think that there, there also just years of doing this, there's so many ways to, like, get creative with things that you might not have even thought about. So-

5:17Ashleigh: Yeah

5:17Rachel: and, and you don't have to, like, you know, make these, like, cottage cheese in everything type, you know, that we see all over the place. I mean, although I love cottage cheese, and I do think that it- Mm-hmm… can be very useful in, as swaps- Yeah… like, lower calorie swaps for different things. But it doesn't have to be, you know, add all these fake sugars and make all this, you know, weird sounding thing- to, you know, lower your calories and, you know, you know, be able to be successful. But there's simple things that, I don't know, that I've learned- Yeah… throughout the years of just trial and error that I think could help too, so.

5:53Ashleigh: Yes. Okay, so number one easy food swap for fat loss. Choose leaner protein options Mm So as I just said, I only wanna eat fatty steaks and chicken thighs and bacon. If that works for you, great. If you're able to do that and have the body composition you want, I mean, again, I guess people could argue, probably shouldn't be eating like that all the time. However, it's such an easy way to, reduce your calories, to just choose leaner cuts. Like, and again, it's not like you can never eat a chicken thigh again, but, you know Mm maybe even mixing it up. Like, if I do, like, a big meal prep, a, of chicken protein, like, it's not all gonna be thighs maybe. It's gonna be chicken breast- Mm… and chicken thighs, and you can kinda mix it up, you know? I know you're very good at going for the lean cuts. I have a harder- Yeah… time, but that's what you gotta do, right?

6:47Rachel: Yeah, I mean, it just, like, makes sense 'cause you're gonna get, especially if you're trying to find easier ways to still eat the same quantity of food but reduce the calories. Obviously, a sirloin steak versus a rib eye, rib eye's gonna be a lot more calories, a lot more fat in it 'cause, you know, the marbling, if you just look at that, versus the sirloin's gonna be a lot leaner. You can s- eat the same quantity of that meat, but the sirloin is gonna be less calories. Mm-hmm… for me, I've always just loved leaner cuts of meat. Pff. Like, that's just, I, I don't like the fatty part. Like, I don't- Mm. Even going to steak houses, like, I went, I remember I went to a steak house and I had, what's, like, the really fatty meat that's, the, the, it's, like, really- Wagyu? expensive. Yeah. Wagyu? Wagyu. Mm-hmm.

7:28And I don't like it. I don't like

7:31Ashleigh: it. Mm. Okay, well, here's- I'm not-… maybe one of the first things we disagree on because- Yeah… I don't understand it. And you've said, like, you get the lean cuts and then you kind of add your own fat, right? Mm-hmm. So you can control it, which is absolutely the smart thing to do when you're trying to track and be meticulous. On a sort of less tracking note, I've always found it so hilarious and so wild, like, Thanksgiving dinner, all of my family are like, "Dark meat's gross. It's fatty, it's greasy, it's so unhealthy," and then they get this dry ass piece of turkey breast- Oh… and they cover it and douse it in gravy. And I'm like, "What do you think that gravy is, my friend? What do you think it is? It's the stuff that wasn't in the breast that was-

8:14Rachel: Mm… in the thigh I'm eating or

8:15Ashleigh: whatever." Yeah. The turkey leg. Like, I don't, I d- I don't get it. Like, again, what I'm talking about is very different than what you're doing. No, I agree with

8:22Rachel: that. You're talking about, like,

8:22Ashleigh: eating chicken breast and adding some avocado or whatever. But, like, I just find it funny that, again, there's this, like, really arbitrary idea that we've been taught, that, like, the fatty cuts are, like, ew, gross, and that's gonna make me so fat. And then you- Mm-hmm… you know, just absolutely douse your, like, dry meat in some fat source- Yeah… to make it palatable, right? It's just crazy.

8:42Rachel: Yeah. Anyway. No, I agree with that, too. I, I mean, to be fair, I like the dark meat on the turkey. Yeah… but- It's good stuff… yeah. But I, I, I think it just, for me, I would rather- have- Yeah… a sirloin with maybe some, like, ghee that I could, or butter, like salty butter that I could put on- Mm top versus a rib eye. Like, if we're comparing calories to calories, like, I wanna- Yeah… you know, be able to control that. I'll be able to control that. And also, to me, that tastes better- Yeah… versus the fat from the rib eye. Again, we can talk about this all day long, but- Yeah… I think just being strategic about, okay, if I'm in a cut, if I'm looking to reduce calories, you know, from specific areas without it making a ton of difference in the quantity that I'm eating, choosing the leaner, leaner, meats. You know, obviously dairy, like full fat versus non-fat, things like that. Like, for example, for me, I love, 0% Greek yogurt, but I also will include 2% sometimes because it's a little bit creamier. but if I'm really trying to, you know, keep things in check or I'm tracking very diligently or I'm in a cut, I'll do the 0%, and then maybe I'll be more satisfied if I add a few nuts as my fats versus- Mm-hmm

10:03having the higher fat- dairy. Mm-hmm. So it's kinda just, like, understanding what are the things that also satisfy you, right?

10:11Ashleigh: Yeah.

10:11Rachel: Versus… 'Cause everybody's gonna be individual with that.

10:14Ashleigh: Yep.

10:15Rachel: So yeah.

10:15Ashleigh: Okay, so point one, it is pretty easy to make some swaps to leaner proteins, right? Mm-hmm. And, like, add some egg whites to your omelet. Oh, yeah. Eat some chicken breast every now and then. Like, the way I rely on egg whites and Greek yogurt when I'm trying to lose weight, like, the am- the sheer volume-… of egg whites. 'Cause it's just easy. You need, you do- Yeah… you know you need your protein, you know you're trying to lower f- fat is the, the culprit. The fats, fat is calorically dense. That's what's gonna up those calories without you even noticing. So unfortunately, I mean, y- yes, you can play with carbs too, of course, but, like, fat is- Mm-hmm… really for most people the lever you're gonna be playing with when you're trying to lower your calories.

10:57Rachel: Yeah. Yeah. But you don't wanna take it out all, all the way, so, like, having- No… eggs, egg whites plus, like, I'll have, when I make an omelet or whatever, I'll have, like, one or two eggs, whole eggs, and then the rest is egg whites. Right… versus having, like, five eggs for the same-

11:10Ashleigh: Yes…

11:11Rachel: volume.

11:12Ashleigh: Yes. speaking of volume, nice segue, number two, try to go for higher volume foods, right? So again, this is the opposite of what I like to do. I like to eat, like, just the most calorically dense, like, peanut butter straight from the jar. Like, just a billion calories per mouthful. That's the kind of food I love to eat. It's just, in a perfect world, that's what I'd be eating all day long. That's the opposite of what you wanna be doing when you want to- lose weight because you, to your point, you wanna feel satisfied. You don't wanna be eating tiny, depressing amounts of food. And again, if you're a smaller human being, it's even worse, because we're looking at, you know, people who might be six feet tall and 200 pounds or whatever, eh, they get to eat a lot more and still be maybe losing weight than if you're a smaller human being. So really try to go for things like, you know, non-starchy veggies and fruit, really high water content, fruits and vegetables. salads, like, let's not get into salads-… because that's a sore point for the two of us. But, like, salads are great. So, like, these kinds of things. You have other options, right? For, like, swapping out. Yeah. Yeah.

12:15Rachel: Yeah. So I mean, all of those are important. You know, you don't have to eat salads if you don't love salads. I love

12:21Ashleigh: salads so much. It's all I eat, honestly.

12:23Rachel: Oh. Just four salads a day. Oh, is it

12:26Ashleigh: April Fools?

12:27Rachel: No. Yeah. so personally, like, making swaps, if we're talking about carbs, I, you'll never catch me typically eating, like, rice, just because- Mm-hmm I, un- unless I'm, you know, at an- Thai restaurant or something, which honestly I don't even really eat the rice. But I much rather fill up on, like, potatoes and squash, and there is something behind that. Like, potatoes are, especially boiled potatoes, if you look at kind of the scale of, like, the most filling foods, that have been researched and studied forever, potatoes is, like, the top one. just because you're gonna get a lot, especially boiled potatoes, because it's gonna soak up a lot of the water. You'll get a lot more volume, per calorie compared to, like, let's say you're just having white rice. Nothing wrong with white rice. Totally fine.

13:14but comparing those two, you'll get a lot more volume f- from, like, potatoes versus the rice per calorie. and so those are things that I always talk about. And then if you are someone who loves white rice and you're looking to get a little bit more volume in, doing like s- half rice, half cauliflower rice. That's just an easy, an easy kind of tip in there. yeah, those are kind of like the, in terms of carbs, and then like you said, fruit, right? Thinking about- Mm-hmm… the, higher water content fruit versus not. So berries versus bananas, right? Mm-hmm. You're gonna get a lot more berries versus, you know, half a banana probably, or a whole- a full banana, probably the same calories, but a lot more, volume with that, or watermelon. there's other… Something that I wanted to- Oh, one, one thing that I have been doing lately, I'm not gonna cut, but edamame, like frozen edamame.

14:10Ashleigh: Mm.

14:11Rachel: That's, it's super high in protein actually. Mm. but that, if you're someone who loves the act of eating right? Yeah. You get a lot of satisfaction and p- and reward from that. Finding ways to, like, make it, like, extend that. So things that are, like, quote-unquote hacks, or things that you can think about are edamame, right, in the pod. You know, microwave that. Mm. I think a bag is, like, 150 calories for the whole bag. I'll put some sea salt, or I'll put some, like, coconut aminos and sea salt on it and just- So good it takes, like, 20 minutes to eat a huge thing of that, and it's very satisfying. frozen, like, grapes, putting grapes in the freezer. I can't get into- Frozen grapes…

14:51Ashleigh: frozen grapes. I've tried that. Like, people have said that's such a, like, s- you know, sweet tooth snack hack, and I can't get into a frozen grape- Yeah for some reason. I don't know. I tried, but yeah, okay.

15:00Rachel: Yeah, it's for some people, it's not. I go through, I go through phases for that. Yeah. Obviously, I mean, I think we're gonna talk about this too, but the Ninja CREAMi, right? Like, what are, like, some ways that you can get creative to be able to kind of enjoy things for a little bit longer? I think that's a big- Mm-hmm… a big piece of it too.

15:17Ashleigh: Yeah, I like that, and that goes with the high volume thing. It's like the last thing you want when you love to eat, think about eating all the time, are stressed out about eating less- Mm-hmm… or whatever, is to have these kind of meals that you, like, wolf down in a second, and then they're done, and you're already thinking about what's coming next. Yeah… I really think this edamame thing, like, that might be the most vegetarian thing about me- Mm… is how much I really love edamame. I actually find it- Mm… really good.

15:42And the, the potato thing is key, is a good point because I, I am, like, major rice girlie, like, just from bodybuilding days. Like, I just always have rice going. Yeah. And it is a great, easy, versatile, healthy, you know, carb source. But the potato thing, not only is it, is it, you know, h- feels probably more satiating and higher volume, you know, and potentially, like, it's a lower calorie option, it also is really healthy. And I think people forget- Mm… that potatoes are a healthy food- Mm with a lot of vitamins and minerals, and, like, it's actually quite good for you. and I sometimes forget, like, I go in and out of, like, like, I'll, like, buy, like, a p- sack of potatoes, and I'm like making them. Like, this is a health food.

16:19I forgot about this. Like, this is good for me. Yeah. so that's- I've been- a really good option.

16:25Rachel: Yeah. I, I mean, o- obviously everybody knows I love sweet potatoes, I love squash. Japanese sweet potatoes are my thing. Mm-hmm. but lately I've taken a little bit of a break from those because they've- I've been, enjoying them a little bit too much- Mm… so I'm trying to, like, reset my reward centers for that. We talked about this a little bit on a few podcast episodes ago. Mm-hmm. But I've brought in, like, gold potatoes into m- the mix. Mm. And so I'll boil a bunch of gold, gold, you know, either baby or, you know, regular- Mm-hmm… in the beginning of the week, keep them in the fridge, and I'll s- I'll, smash them down in a pan, like, with the- Mm back of a cup and make, like, smashed- Crunchy… potatoes. Mm. Crunch them up.

17:04Add, you know, I'll do like an egg white potato type egg, egg white, potato, kale type thing. I've just been loving that, but that's like another way- That's good… get creative. Like, you know, you, you could literally make your own hash browns and make them- Mm-hmm quote-unquote healthy. Mm-hmm. You don't have to use a ton of butter. I use, like, a little bit of ghee or butter. I just like ghee. and it goes a long way. So yeah, just get creative.

17:28Ashleigh: Yep. Yep. All right. So number two. Yay. High volume, high volume foods. Okay. Next, number three, minimize just plain carbs on their own. And the reason that we added this one is because it does seem to be sort of a universal experience that a lot of people who like to snack, snacky folks like myself included- Mm… when you're not thinking, when you just want a s- whatever, it's always, it's always a carb you want, right? Like, you always want, like… And this has, this has been the experience I've had with, like, clients too, when they're like, I'm like, "What do you snack on?" And they're like, "It's crackers, it's popcorn, it's chips, it's…" I don't know, maybe nuts. That's kind of more of a fat thing. But like- Mm… carbs are the thing people reach for, they grab for. it's very rare that people are craving a little something, a snack, and it's like a chicken breast or a piece of steak- Mm… or a couple eggs. It's like it's almost always carbs. And-

18:20Rachel: Or

18:20Ashleigh: chocolate,

18:21Rachel: if you're Ashleigh…

18:22Ashleigh: or chocolate, which is, you know, fat and carbs. Carbs and fat. So maybe not. I'm just kidding. There you go. There you go. But that is, you know, and again, we're not demonizing anything. It's just- Mm… from a practical standpoint, that's not gonna be the best use of your calories, and it tends to be something that your body's gonna burn right through, not find super satisfying for a long period of time. And so what we always kind of want to recommend, and again, I don't always practice what I preach here, but it's really… What, what I'm always recommending for people to swap for their snacks is whatever you're eating, like a, a, a carb, and then add protein to it. And ideally move away from, like, the hyper-palatable kind of cracker, snack, cerealy type stuff and more towards- Mm-hmm unprocessed, like, produce type things. So it's like the yogurt and the fruit- Did you say

19:11Rachel: produce?

19:12Ashleigh: Yeah

19:13Rachel: Produce?

19:13Ashleigh: What? Produce? Produce? It's tomato, tomato, my friend. Listen

19:18Rachel: I think that's just a- Weigh

19:19Ashleigh: in

19:19Rachel: in

19:19Ashleigh: the

19:19Rachel: comments… Canadian acc- Canadian accent comment We-

19:21Ashleigh: weigh in in the comments Produce. Listen.

19:24Rachel: Sorry.

19:24Ashleigh: You know what I, you knew what I was saying. Okay? I know what you were saying. Vegetables.

19:27Rachel: I never heard it said like that.

19:29Ashleigh: All right. Produce. All right. Moving on. Anyway. But, like, yeah, like beef jerky, you know, beef jerky, nuts, fruit, vegetables, but, like, add some protein, add something that's actually gonna make it satisfying, that's gonna make you feel like you ate something- Mm-hmm and give you energy and let you go for another couple of hours. just the plain carbs on their own, it's just a bummer because you just, at least in my experience, it's like you're hungry so soon after that, you know?

19:53Rachel: Yeah. No, I agree. I'm trying to think of some other, like, you know- things that I implement. So, you said cereal. I, I love cereal. Me too. But I obviously don't keep that in the house. I know, same. but I made, so I told you that I s- I gave a- I gave away, I sold my Ninja CREAMi because I'm moving, and I just- Mm-hmm… there's just, I can't. It was a big thing. I'm just gonna buy a new one. so I haven't been having my Ninja CREAMi, and I've been taking a little break from it as well, but I've been making this, frozen blueberry cereal. Sounds so weird. Okay. you're, you're gonna… Yeah. you're probably gonna judge me, 'cause it's definitely not cereal. But y- those wild blueberries, you know, like the tiny ones?

20:33Tiny, yep. Have you seen… Yeah. Yep. So they're like the tiny little ones. So I always have those. I put those in, like my oatmeal, my cream of rice, things like that. But, the last, like two weeks I've been having, I pour the frozen berries into a bowl, little blueberries, and then I'll add like half a scoop of protein powder- Mm like whatever tastes good, chocolate, vanilla, unicorn. True Nutrition. True Nutrition.

20:55Ashleigh: Mm-hmm.

20:56Rachel: True Nutrition. and then I'll mix it up, and then I'll top it with, the Fairlife protein milk. It's like the higher protein milk.

21:05Ashleigh: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

21:05Rachel: It's just milk that's h- filtered more- Mm-hmm… so it's higher protein than like a regular milk, and I mix that up, and I put some cinnamon on it, and it's literally turned into like this blueberry cereal, but it's just protein and fruit. Yeah. and it's actually really good. And the protein powder gives it the flavor. So those are like… Or I'll do frozen cherries the same way. I love frozen cherries. and I'll do that with like protein powder, or I'll just do frozen cherries with, like some milk, which sounds weird-

21:33Ashleigh: Yeah…

21:33Rachel: but it's, it's good.

21:34Ashleigh: You like a frozen fruit. I'm learning this about you. I love a frozen fruit. You really like a frozen fruit. I'm always seeing that. And for someone who, like, won't drink a beverage without an ice cube in it, I, I weirdly cannot get- Yeah… into the texture of it. I, I'm, I'm not… Maybe I'll have to give it another shot, but I do- I think it

21:49Rachel: just comes from being lazy.

21:52Ashleigh: Yeah, you like don't wanna like warm them up. Be- But it, that wouldn't be s- that wouldn't be a good cereal, like the frozen, little frozen blueberries- Well, no… with the milk. That makes sense.

21:58Rachel: Yeah. No, I mean being lazy of like buying fresh produce.

22:02Ashleigh: Yeah, I suppose

22:02Rachel: that's- 'Cause I just… Same with like veggies recently. Well, for the last, like year or two years, I just like have frozen bags of veggies and frozen fruit in my freezer 'cause it's just so easy.

22:14Ashleigh: Yeah.

22:14Rachel: You know?

22:15Ashleigh: Yeah.

22:16Rachel: Whatever.

22:16Ashleigh: can I just share, because you shared a little- cereal hack, that if you happen to be listening and you're someone who is, I don't know why you'd be listening to this episode, but if you're not- Mm-hmm trying to lower your calories, if you're trying to up your calories because you're bulking, trying to put on mass, whatever- Yeah… I wanna share with you a similar treat that my husband likes to make, that I will never make, I will never eat, because I'm not trying to- eat four billion calories. But again, this is a human being who, like, has never worried, like, is trying to get more food all the time. Jealous. And he'll do versions of this with like, I know, right?

22:51With like fruit in a bowl, except he'll… His cereal will be like fruit and then like cream. He'll do cream instead of milk. Mm. And his favorite thing is just a giant bowl of dates, and then he pours some almond butter and honey in there too.

23:05Rachel: Mm. Wow. And

23:05Ashleigh: I'm just

23:05Rachel: like- I mean-…

23:06Ashleigh: this person,

23:07Rachel: like- But that's exactly what you just said in the beginning of the episode. It's like all those things are super healthy, but like that's probably 1,000-plus calories right there.

23:14Ashleigh: 100%. Yeah. And he's like, "Yes, give it to me. I need it or I will perish." And I'm like- "G- congratulations, guy." Congratulations. Okay?

23:22Rachel: Leave.

23:22Ashleigh: Right. Get out of here. Get out of here, but congrats. but no, so we've talked about some things like, you know, l- trying to… I think the other thing too, and again, I say this and I… with full transparency that I do not always follow this-… that less processed does tend to be generally more filling. more processed stuff tends to… 'Cause there, there, there's, you know, the sh- the fake sort of hidden whatever, sugars that are in there. There's usually less fiber. There's, you know… It's this hyperpalatability of these processed snacks. Mm-hmm. Like, they just are made to be a little bit less satisfying. And again, the… there's a caveat, like we've talked before about like how I love a protein bar, specific protein bars, which maybe I won't mention right now because-… they're not paying us. but there are good, there are very good-tasting protein bars out now that maybe in previous years there have… Like, they do taste just like a candy bar, 'cause they pretty much are. Yeah. They pretty much are, with a little bit more protein. And in some cases, that is highly satisfying to me because it's hitting a sweet tooth thing that I, that I need, and it's, it doesn't carry the like, I feel like I failed sadness of like binging

24:29on like a peanut butter cup. Mm-hmm. it does give me a little bit more protein that's maybe a little more macro-friendly if I'm trying to follow a plan. Is it something that I should probably be, you know, relying heavily on all the time, especially during a fat loss phase? Probably not. I should probably be doing more of the Greek yogurt and fruit and the- Yeah… you know, whatever. but again, this is where there's like nuance involved. Like generally speaking, yes, less, less processed, more whole foods- Mm whatever, but you also gotta know yourself and what works for you.

25:00Rachel: Yeah. Well, and that's what I was gonna say. Like, a lot of that does also come ba- come back to like the reward- discussion that we had a few episodes ago, when we were talking about emotional eating. It's like the highly, like with that protein bar for example, yeah, every once in a while, totally fine to, you know, if you're gonna have that versus a candy bar or something. But if it's something that you're having that and you're hitting high reward centers in your brain, and then that's making you want more, that's just the, the, the typical like, okay, this processed thing is literally processed this way to taste this way to want us, to make us want more. So are we making our lives harder by incorporating these things, when then, then we get to a point where it's like, okay, now I want this protein. Or u- I'm using an example of like some clients that I've worked with in the past where it's like a protein bar every single day, and then it's turns into sometimes two times a day, and it's like, oh, it's okay 'cause it's filled with protein. Mm. But it's because potentially it's giving you way too much reward and so now you're fighting against your own self to- Mm-hmm you know,

26:04"Oh, I could have this Greek yogurt with these berries or whatever, but I want the protein bar because I know that's gonna give me that dopamine hit more." Yeah. And then you're, and then maybe that's causing you to then overeat something else. Mm-hmm. And that's where the kind of like that cascade of, events happens, and that's where we wanna like take a step back and be like, "Okay, yes, this is satisfying me in the moment, but what is it doing in the long term?" And, again, not saying like you can never have the protein bar, but let's, you know, be smart about how you're incorporating that into your weeks, I guess you could say.

26:38Ashleigh: Yes. Well, you have a note here, like it's kind of similar to what I'm saying about the protein bar, where it's like if you're gonna have a treat, maybe just consider adding some protein. And then it's like it's, you got a, you had a treat, you got, you, you had your cake and you ate it too. You got a treat and you have some protein. Like I had a friend the other day, I was talking about something on Instagram, and she was like, "Well, lately I've been having a cookie and pairing it with my protein shake, and then I just call it a protein cookie." And I'm like, "Listen, it's all the same to us." Exactly. And if it makes you feel good, you know? Yeah. Like again, maybe not every single day multiple times a day. Mm-hmm. But like at, at the end of the day, we're always gonna say, "Just add some protein to it." Yeah. Just add some protein.

27:16Rachel: But I mean, let the, if that co- if having, I have some, people, friends and clients where they're the type of people who can keep, you know, Pff pre-batched cookies in their freezer, and they'll like literally take one out and bake it every night, and that's their treat at the end of the night. Imagine. And they pair it with a cup of literally m- it doesn't have to be high protein milk, but they take milk and add a scoop of protein powder, and now you have 30 grams in your milk, and you can have your milk and cookie, right? And that satisfies you versus thinking about it all day long and then feeling guilty about it, and then you- You know, binge on something else, and now you're way over your calories. Again, everybody is different. Some people can't do that- Yeah can't keep those things in the house or whatever, but you have to kind of know your own limits, right? That's the biggest thing.

28:04Ashleigh: Yep. Yep. Okay, number four. What's number four?

28:09Rachel: I think we talked about this, but, the lower fat. So we kinda talked about this with the, the first one, with the protein Like ham,

28:16Ashleigh: yeah. Yeah

28:16Rachel: but this is more so thinking about like, you know, if you're gonna be choosing-

28:21Ashleigh: Add

28:21Rachel: ons, right? higher fat con- yeah, like higher fat condiments or like mayo and creamy dressings and things like that. This is, you know, especially if you're going out to eat, always get that stuff on the side so you can control it. But there are a lot of ways to make your food taste good, without having to rely on a ton of like higher fat. Obviously, the fat gives it the flavor. But for me, I use sugar-free sauces. Like G Hughes, have you ever had that before? Mm-mm. Mm-mm. They make bar- barbecue sauces, sweet chili sauce. Like I, I love that stuff at, but I use a, use a small amount. It's not like I'm dousing it. I'll use like a tablespoon on my chicken or something, and it's, yes, it's not like the most high quality ingredients in the world, but it works for me, and I think those are things to just like think about if you're using, you know, like not ignoring the condiments. Mm-hmm. So even things like ketchup and stuff like that, like that has calories. It has stuff in it, and if you're not tracking that, if you're having like dousing your eggs in a ton of ketchup, just be aware of that versus, you know, if you could use like a salsa or something that's- Mm-hmm… a little bit lower calorie, Or hot sauce hot sauce.

29:32Ashleigh: Right?

29:33Rachel: Yeah.

29:33Ashleigh: Cool spices. Yeah. Yeah. Add more spice to your food. I will say I haven't really experimented much with the like low calorie or like zero-… calorie stuff. Like I once, years ago in my bodybuilding days, like tried one like Walden Farms. You know about Walden Farms? Oh,

29:49Rachel: yeah, yeah, yeah.

29:50Ashleigh: I don't know what it was, but I like it will haunt my dreams. Yeah. Like it was the most horrific tasting thing. I don't even remember what it was. I've like, I've, I've like- It was probably

29:59Rachel: like-…

29:59Ashleigh: labeled it

30:00Rachel: out… maple syrup or something.

30:01Ashleigh: It was- I don't like that flavor… vile beyond belief. Yeah. Yeah. So like again, you gotta pick and choose, but I think it's… And one of the things that I think you kind of mentioned, and this is something to pay attention to, is just like the mindfulness part too. It's like you never have to only have zero fat Greek yogurt or never use mayo again or whatever, but like just being really aware and mindful and using it intentionally and then where are places that maybe you don't have to use it and you can do something else instead, I think, it really just makes a difference. And like again, it's- Yeah… the fat that it just creeps up so quickly and easily.

30:34and when, you know, I know you've done this before with your clients and so have I, when you're doing some kind of like nutrition audit and you're like, "Yeah, on paper your food is super healthy," but like that, that handful, that generic handful of nuts or whatever you're throwing on your salad, that could literally be 500 calories you're adding that you're not- Mm-hmm thinking about, right? Yeah. 100%. so yeah. Lower fat. and that's what we talk about the next one, number five, be mindful of, of added fat. Yeah. So we're talking about olive oil Nut butter. God, so depressing, right? The nut butter thing. Nuts, like all of that stuff- Yeah… you just have to be so, so depressingly, Yeah aware of the serving size with fats, sadly. Yeah.

31:10Rachel: yeah. And then- And then like even just like- Yep… but again, there's, I feel like there's, like we just talked about this, but like using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Like they- Mm-hmm… are very similar in texture and even taste, I would argue, if you get a good Greek yogurt, like Fage- Mm-hmm which Fage all day. Mm-hmm. I think it's the best Greek yogurt.

31:27Ashleigh: Mm-hmm.

31:27Rachel: But like those are some things that you don't have to, like you'll still… You might not even notice that. but yeah, I, I just think it's also being like, you know, strategic about the way that you're using your fats too. Again, kind of going back to like, okay, would I rather have a sirloin steak, or would I rather have Or sorry, would I rather have a rib eye steak, or would I rather have a sirloin with, putting my fats towards something else, right?

31:50Ashleigh: Yep.

31:51Rachel: You know, it's all depends on you and what satisfies you, but just being smart about it. And also, like w- we can, I mean, I think everybody has sort of talked, talked about this a lot, but the spray oils, right? Like in the spray bottle.

32:06Ashleigh: Yep.

32:07Rachel: There's zero, quote-unquote, zero calories, and you look at the back and it's like 600 servings.

32:12Ashleigh: Yeah. Yeah.

32:13Rachel: Obviously, if it's oil, there's gonna be calories in it, so just being mindful of that. If you're using that spray oil three to four times a day, and you're counting it as zero calories, you're probably missing out on a few hundred calories, and you're wondering, you know, why-

32:27Ashleigh: Mm-hmm

32:28Rachel: it's not working.

32:30Ashleigh: Yep. Okay. That

32:32Rachel: is-

32:33Ashleigh: Number six, this is probably the biggest one, I would say arguably the biggest one for, like, general population. I would say that probably most of the people listening are, like, very on board with this and, and know and it's a no-brainer to them, but it's the drinking your calories thing. Like, recently I had a, I don't know, I was hanging out with some people. This is kind of like I'm being such a, like, health narc right now. But it's just like-… sometimes when you hang out with people who are not… This isn't, they don't, this isn't their life the way it kind of is with us, you know? Yes. And, like, they're not constantly thinking about nutrition the way we are.

33:06and again, this is not a judgment call, 'cause not everybody has the time or energy or to care about this stuff. But again, when we're just thinking about this issue of being aware of calories, somebody had a bunch of different drinks, and some of them were, like, non-alcoholic canned beverages, and some were this kinda drink and that kinda drink and just whatever. And I'm just, like, curious. I'm looking at them, and I'm looking at the back and the nutrition on some of these. And I'm like, "Guys, like, this can has, like, 65 grams of sugar in it," and the people had no idea. Not paying attention, not looking before they buy it, and some of them maybe were just like, "Yeah, I don't care. I do not care how much sugar or calories is in this. I'm gonna drink it. I like it." And other people were like, "Oh my God. Like, I don't wanna put that in my body." But they had no idea, and people don't even necessarily think. And, like, especially if this thing is marketed as, like, non-alcoholic or if it's, I don't know, probiotic soda or whatever, just- Yeah I'm just throwing terms out now. But if it's in some way marketed that it's fancy or healthy or good, and then you're, like, looking at the back and you're like, "Holy God, like, this is insane," and you

34:10don't… And the worst part about it, 'cause again, sometimes you drink a frothy sugary drink from a coffee shop and you love it and it's mindful and it's worth it and that's what you wanted. But the thing about drinking your calories tends to be that it's the least satisfying way- Mm-hmm… because you're not even chewing. It's not even spending any time i- i- where you can, like, enjoy. You talked before about how useful it can be to have food choices that you can really kind of, like, draw out and enjoy and, like, be present for and your brain can actually process that you're eating something. That's the opposite with the drinks a lot of the time. Like, you're chugging- Yeah… down one of these cans, and there goes, like, your sugar intake for the day, and you haven't even thought about it. And then you got four more that you're drinking, you know? It's just, it's crazy how that stuff adds up. Yeah.

34:56And the, the, like, coffee industry, like, I mean, we could have a whole podcast just talking- Hmm… about the insane- things people are drinking, right? Like, it's- Yeah… it's crazy. So again, it's just about, like paying attention, mindfulness. There are, there are lots of different swaps. There are more and more… There's, the drink technology is crazy right now. Like, there are so many fun, tasty, sparkling, carbonated, cool beverages that have zero calories. Yeah. yeah,

35:17Rachel: it's- Yeah, that's what I was gonna say. Like, if there are two areas where I recommend… Like, I typically say or recommend, like, don't drink your calories when- Yeah especially if you're in a fat loss phase, because you're just gonna get so much more satisfaction from chewing. But the two, I guess yours is not drink your calories, but what you just said, like non-um, calorie drinks, seltzer water. Even diet soda, people are like- Mm-hmm… "Oh, diet soda's whatever." But- I

35:43Ashleigh: love a Zevia.

35:44Rachel: Love a

35:45Ashleigh: Zevia

35:45Rachel: I love straight up Diet Coke. Like-

35:47Ashleigh: Yeah…

35:48Rachel: give me… That's my guilty pleasure, but q- quote unquote, "guilty pleasure."

35:52Ashleigh: Mm-hmm.

35:52Rachel: Just because it, I mean, does have a lot of- chemicals and stuff in it, but if I'm gonna have that once in a while and it's gonna f- you know, satisfy that, you know, everything else is on point, right? So I don't know. I think that, you know, you gotta pick and choose what you, quote-unquote, "splurge on" or some people say never e- drink a diet soda because that's all chemicals. But I'm like, okay, but now you're over here- Everything's

36:20Ashleigh: chemicals…

36:20Rachel: Yeah, exactly. So that's one thing. And then the other thing I was gonna say in terms of, maybe this sh- should have gone in another category, but soup is something that I'll have a lot. Like in a fat loss phase, I'll kind of try to turn s- things into soup. So instead of having just like ch- you know, meat and veggies, I'll make like a meat and veggie soup, 'cause you do get a lot more volume and you fill up a lot faster with the liquid from the soup- Mm-hmm… while obviously still having things to chew on.

36:50Ashleigh: Mm-hmm…

36:51Rachel: but that's a good hack as well, especially like in the colder months. yeah.

36:55Ashleigh: And even like, this sounds kinda silly, but it's something that some, some coach told me and I never forgot it, is if you like love a protein shake and you like put fruit and stuff in it, or you like, you know, you drink s- stuff like that, like chew your shake. Oh, yeah. Like if you have a big thick shake or like a, a soup or something, chew it. Because when you chew it, your brain is like activating enzymes and it's like telling your body you're eating something, and it slows it down and it helps with the digestion process. So it, I mean, it's advice that we should be giving all of us for every meal is like try- Yeah not to just wolf down your food and barely chew it, which is something I often find myself doing in stressful-… on stressful days. But the more you can slow it down, the more you can chew, and even things that are liquid, I'm not telling you to go out and like chew your morning coffee, but like if you're e- if you're drinking something that has some texture to it, chew it. And that- Yeah… that will help with your digestion. It's a interesting- Yeah… I, I've never forgotten

37:49Rachel: that

37:49Ashleigh: advice.

37:49Rachel: Before the… Yeah, before the Ninja CREAMi was a thing, I used to make protein ice cream in my blender, and I would just make the protein shake or smoothie, whatever, as thick as possible and then put it in a bowl and eat it with, you know, some extra fruit on top or nuts and stuff. So yeah- Mm-hmm… I think that's a great tip

38:08Ashleigh: Yeah. speaking of guilty pleasures, I, if you ever wanna see something really scary, there's an account on Instagram that, It's, like, faceless, but it's just like, "I'm making…" It's, like, at Starbucks or something, and it's, like, making drinks that people actually order, and it's just, like, these horrific- Oh, my God like, orders that are, like, 40 pumps of sugar and, like, caramel and then, like, Splenda on top of it and just, like, just crazy wild stuff. And

38:32Rachel: then the, the foam, like, the foam. There is- I mean-… a lot of people don't realize… whole foam is- They're like, "Oh, there's… It's foam." Yeah, it's actually 400 calories.

38:40Ashleigh: It's literally whipped cream. It's delicious. It's

38:42Rachel: delicious.

38:43Ashleigh: Yeah. But yeah, don't think you're getting away with anything is the- Yeah… is the advice. Okay, so quick recap here, okay? So for everybody, from the top. Hmm. Our suggestions, six s- swaps or concept ideas for fat loss is choose leaner protein sources. Go for higher volume foods. Try to avoid just plain carbs as your snacks. Always attach a protein. Try to go a little less processed with it. lower fat sort of condiment and add-on choices. Be mindful of your fats that you're adding anywhere, when it… whether it's olive oil, nuts, whatever, that kinda stuff. Don't drink the calories. there's more. That's not exhaustive, but those are really… Like, if you're doing those, if you're paying attention to that, that's gonna solve- Mm-hmm… a lot of the problems, I think.

39:31Rachel: Yeah.

39:32Ashleigh: Is there anything you wanna add to that?

39:35Rachel: No, I think we covered it, and hopefully some of the little, like, tips and things that we mentioned for, like, my blueberry cereal and, all of the salads- I kinda wanna try it that Ashleigh eats. No, I'm just kidding. Dude-… like, I

39:49Ashleigh: will fight you. I will fight you. Oh, okay. When I come to San Diego, I'm gonna just sneak up, 'cause I ha- I'll have to sneak up, 'cause you're stronger than me and fitter. No. And I will fight you. But I am, I am vicious. You

40:00Rachel: box.

40:01Ashleigh: Exactly. I- I don't box… yes. You, you may be stronger than me and younger than me- but I do know how to punch now, so.

40:09Rachel: Oh, man. All right.

40:10Ashleigh: That's pretty exciting. Oh, man.

40:12Rachel: I

40:12Ashleigh: won't mess with you

40:13Rachel: anymore. So you know,

40:14Ashleigh: I like a salad, okay? I promise. I promise. You can make me some salads when I come visit. I haven't e- I… Okay,

40:20Rachel: not gonna get into it.

40:22Ashleigh: What? You don't… Why? 'Cause you don't… Oh, yeah, you don't make salad?

40:26Rachel: I actually, I haven't had a salad in a really long time, if we're being honest.

40:28Ashleigh: You know what I think also makes, like, what's your definition of salad? Because you, like, you'll eat, like, a bowl of something with a lot of vegetables in it, and as far as I'm concerned-… that's a salad. You know?

40:40Rachel: That's probably-

40:41Ashleigh: If your bowl has mostly vegetable, it's a salad.

40:44Rachel: That's probably when I make my stir-fry, which is literally a- There you go… bag of frozen veggies that I put in a skillet with some meat and some sauce, and then- There you go… put it in a bowl.

40:54Ashleigh: Yeah. I realize that we didn't… I did mention briefly our sponsor, True Nutrition, but I'm just gonna mention them here at the end- Oh, yeah because if you're gonna drink your calories, here's a way to do it. True Nutrition, we have a code. it's 20% off your first order of a custom protein blend with the code, you guessed it, MUSCLE. the website is TrueNutrition.com/muscle. We'll put it in the show notes. you can make your own custom blend of protein. They have, like, 12 different flavors that all sound delicious. I've got some new ones coming. I will keep you posted. really, really high quality, and you can customize the type of protein base that you wanna add- Mm-hmm… the flavor. All the add-ons you could possibly ever imagine wanting to put in your protein, they're, they exist. They ship everywhere. and I've been really, really happy. They actually taste good.

41:44They taste really good, and I've been really happy with everything I've been using, and I think it's, a really smart company, and it makes a lot of sense. so yeah, TrueNutrition.com/muscle, code MUSCLE for 20% off your first custom protein blend. Check it out. Now, I think that's it. That's it. Let's go, drink our calories, everybody. To the bathroom.

42:05Rachel: Okay.

42:06Ashleigh: To the bathroom. I, I have to go to the bathroom. I mean, that is usually how we end our podcast. Okay, guys. Everybody go to the bathroom. Take care of yourselves. Don't do stupid shit.

42:16Rachel: Don't be insane.

42:17Ashleigh: We love you. See you next time. Bye.