Author: Ashley Cates

Do you get overwhelmed with what you should be doing to get fit and be balanced? 

One day carbs are bad, the next day fat is bad. One day cardio is the ultimate workout and then the next day everyone is raving about crossfit! There’s SO much noise and misinformation about what NEEDS to be done to be fit and healthy, so I’ve decided to break it down to the 5 Things Fit & Balanced Babes Do to take out the guesswork!

1: A Fit & Balanced Babe Tracks or Understands Macros

No matter your goal, if you want to be fit and healthy then you need to understand the basics of balanced nutrition. I’m PASSIONATE about sharing this because I’ve seen in myself in the hundreds of women I’ve worked with, on how adjusting nutrition to be more macro balanced can be truly LIFE CHANGING in regards to fat loss, getting lean, and just having better energy levels!

If you’re confused on what a Macro Balanced meal is, EVERY meal and snack I share on my site or Instagram is macro balanced by having a good amount of protein, carbs, and fats! Each macro has a different role for the body (protein repairs muscle/cells & is satiating, carbs are our bodies main source of fuel, & fats provide hormonal balance & are satiating as well). Having too much of one without the other can lead to unsteady energy levels and make it harder to recognize hunger and fullness cues. This can create a cycle of: eating, then getting a boost of energy, then a drop in energy shortly after, then reaching for more food for energy again. But eating Macro Balanced meals leads to longer and more balanced energy and allows hunger to present itself more naturally about every 3-5 hours.

I know that macros can seem overwhelming if you’re new to the concept, but even if your goal isn’t fat loss just learning how fueled and powerful your body can feel with balanced nutrition is SERIOUSLY worth the effort! And what you learn can be applied to the rest of your life! 

If you want more FREE info on macros, sign up for my email list to get a free Macros Explained Guide!

2: A Fit & Balanced Babe Lifts Weights

We live in a fast paced world and we are BUSY! So getting the most bang for your buck in regards to workouts is SO important!

We will often look at the calorie burn during a workout to determine if it was a “good workout” BUT while 30 minutes on the treadmill may burn more calories in the moment vs 30 minutes of strength training, the strength training workout will actually help you with burning MORE calories continuously throughout the day! This is because when muscles are pushed with strength training they will tear (I know sounds gross LOL) but this is what we want! Because then throughout the day they will heal and rebuild to create more muscle which also leads to a boost in metabolism! This means burning more calories throughout the day and even when we sleep!

Also, the relationship you can develop with lifting weights vs cardio will likely be much more balanced! When you are lifting weights you are becoming stronger and this is SO empowering! Cardio can easily lead to feeling like a “punishment” for how we look or what we ate, while strength training focuses on how the body NEEDS fuel to get strong!

You can read more about this in this instagram post 🙂

3: A Fit & Balanced Babe Makes Daily Movement a Priority

Many studies have shown that those with a higher NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) are typically leaner than those with a lower NEAT. What’s considered NEAT? Walking, typing, vaccuming, yard work, folding laundry, fidgeting, etc. Basically all types of movement we do outside of exercise. 

It can actually greatly be seen how NEAT can make one leaner when comparing different countries to the US/Canada, as most other countries have work, restaurants, and homes within walking distance and also have slightly more active jobs. Whereas the Sates/Canada we are mostly sedentary with commuting from home to work, sitting at work most of the day, and then sitting on the couch to watch TV when we get home. Because of this sedentary lifestyle, this makes more planned exercise very important BUT it is also great to have a step/movement goal to help with increasing NEAT!

With increased NEAT, you will naturally burn more calories in a balanced way and can actually better recognize your body’s fullness and hunger cues! It sounds kind of crazy but we can feel hungrier the LESS we move! But this likely isn’t actual hunger, it’s more cravings/boredom. And since food is SO easily accessible to us, then it’s easy for us to think we need food’s energy when we don’t. Having a higher NEAT helps with being able to better recognize when our bodies ACTUALLY need fuel!

And as someone who works from home coaching online clients, I TOTALLY get how hard it can be to hit a 10K step goal with a desk job! So start with what you can and then build from there! Start with trying to hit 5K steps daily and then seeing how easy or hard it is to hit that goal before deciding if you can push yourself for more! And you don’t need a fancy fitbit or apple watch! Most phones have step trackers so you just have to be mindful of keeping your phone in your purse of pocket 😉

And easy ways to add in steps: Park farther at work, the gym, the store, etc., use a bathroom that’s farther away or the next floor up at work or in your home, take the stairs, take a walk on your lunch break, or even a short walk after any meal can help with digestion as well!

4: A Fit & Balanced Babe Drinks Water

Staying hydrated also directly lends itself to having better energy levels and being able to better recognize what portions of foods are going to leave you fueled and full! I’ve had tons of clients tell me they’re hungry even when it seems like they’re eating more than enough, and it often comes back to them not drinking enough water! Water helps with digestion and nutrient absorption, and I’ve legit had meals that I didn’t feel that full from and then I drank a glass of water after and then felt full!

Also, keeping water intake up can help with more steps to the bathroom 😉 A basic recommendation on daily water intake is to take your weight in lbs and divide it by 2 and that’s how many oz of water you should have daily. Ex: 150 lb person would drink 75 oz of water per day.

5: A Fit & Balanced Babe Knows That Fitness Isn’t Everything

Even as a Personal Trainer and Nutritionist, I get very honest my clients (and have to remind myself too sometimes) that fitness is NOT everything.

There was a time 5 years ago where I was OBSESSED with reaching my “goal weight” that I made fitness EVERYTHING. I would miss parties, workout twice a day, only eat foods I prepped, and ate so low calorie that I literally had no energy to do anything else, this lead to me creating barriers with loved ones and even losing my period. I maybe “looked great” because I had lost weight, BUT I was SO mentally, physically, and emotionally unhealthy and unbalanced and quickly realized that reaching my goal weight didn’t lead to any type of happiness or satisfaction that I thought it would 🙁 

You can read about how I got out of that mess here

It’s SOOOOO important to remember that health is SO much more than how we look! Mental, Physical, and Social health are all equally important to us feeling our best and most balanced! 

Balanced mental health would be us feeling good in how we view food, exercise, and our bodies. 

Unhealthy mindsets of these would be: Seeing food as good or bad or overly restricting foods. Exercising for punishment. Wanting to change our bodies out of hate or social pressures.

Balanced mindsets for these would be: Knowing all foods can fit. Exercising to get stronger and feel empowered. Wanting to change our bodies to be more healthy and strong with an internal focus.

Balanced physical health would be us taking action to be more physically fit without taking it to an extreme that it becomes unhealthy.

Unhealthy mindsets of these would be: obsessing over reaching a goal weight/body fat % or reaching a certain level of performance that you neglect your bodies basic needs and ignore possible dangerous signals like: extreme hunger, lack of energy, loss of period, loss of hair, blotchy skin, poor digestion, poor sleep, or extreme stress.

Balanced mindsets for these would be: staying at a healthy weight with balanced nutrition intake so that our hormones are balanced and we aren’t having any types of nutrient deficiencies. Pushing ourselves with workouts but being sure to not go extreme that it leads to injury.

Balanced social health would be that we make time for others and know that laughter as well as having purpose with care and helping others gives us more balance and purpose.  

Unhealthy mindsets of these would be: Obsessing over our own goals. Neglecting other’s feelings or needs as they affect our wants and needs. Skipping events/parties/dinners because you’re nervous the food may be too high calorie or that there will be alcohol.

Balanced mindsets for these would be: Recognizing how healthy it can be to laugh with your significant other over a glass of wine, pick up a cake for a birthday, or missing a workout to help a friend with a flat tire. 

BUT it’s also important to remember that your goals are important and valid! It can be hard to find a balance but at least working on it is I think what’s the most important 🙂 

Did you find this post helpful? Comment below or contact me 

Do you feel like you need support in order reach your fitness goals with balance? Having an outside perspective to keep you focused on the big picture of health and fitness (which is WAY more than just the scale) can be extremely helpful and it’s actually one my most rewarding passions to help women with this! 

Check out my 1:1 coaching services to work with me on making fitness work with your life instead of consuming your life. Finally drop the “All or Nothing” Mentality and learn to be strong and balanced for life!

*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.