A Step-By-Step Guide to Building the Body You Want
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I know you want to build the body you want…I know I have talked about all the things you can do to build the body you want…but I also know I have never compiled it all into one podcast episodes where I give you a step-by-step guide. So that’s what I am going to outline for you today in this episode of Embrace Your Real.
TRANSCRIPT:
Hey there beautiful human, you're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real, let's get it to go.
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Embrace Your Real Podcast. I'm really excited about this episode because I don't know about you, but for years of my life, I struggled looking at other people, and especially in my college years. I really wanted to learn how to properly feel my body, and I wanted to feel confident in my body, and I wanted to know how to properly work out. I remember being in the weight room of my gym in college and walking through it, because you had to walk through it to get to the cardio section. And I remember just looking at the women in there that were lifting, and I just wished that I knew what I needed to do to properly work out, and to feel my best, and to reach my goals. But I didn't know how to start, and so for years of my life, I went through this circle of trying to reach my health and fitness goals in ways that, now I know looking back, were just not productive.
They wasted so much time and they made me so frustrated. And it really took me down a deep spiral. And so in today's episode, I wanted to give you just a bird's eye perspective of a step-by-step how to build the body that you want. And based off of my personal experience, my experience with working with over 7,000 women over these last seven years, and just learning how to properly feel your body, and what are the things that are most important. Because we can easily get caught up in the weeds, thinking that something is important and spending so much time and energy on that, and then realizing that's actually not important towards the goals that I have. So that's what today's episode is all about.
But first, I wanted to share the review of the day. It comes from Emily Nicole 08. She says, "I never miss an episode. This show is the best. Julie's podcast is one of my absolute favorites. I always look forward to her episodes twice a week, and I truly appreciate her knowledge and passion about health and fitness, and just helping us become the best versions of ourself. She's so easy to listen to, and I always learn something from her episodes. Thank you for all you do, Julie. You're amazing. And you're helping me embrace my real more and more all the time."
That is the goal, Emily, I appreciate your review so much. Every single one of these reviews, you guys, help out the growth of this podcast. And so I just appreciate you in advance. I actually got an awesome direct message from this girl this past week. And she said, "I know you always tell me to steal my friends who have iPhones so that they could leave a review about the show." But she's like, "Unfortunately all my friends have Androids, just like I do, so I wanted to send you over a direct message."
And honestly, you guys, I just love you so much. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to write something about the podcast, whether it's your review on Apple Podcast. If you do have an Apple advice, it really does help us out. But if you're in the Android crowd, or if you listen on Spotify, I totally understand and I just love hearing from you guys, and I love getting your messages. It never gets old and I appreciate every single one of you. So let's dive into the step-by-step guide of building the body that you want, in my opinion, and based off of my experience. Number one, I think it's really important to move your body consistently. Now, obviously this sounds obvious, but it can go a bit deeper. And I think that this is actually a twofold, because first of all, if you want to build a body that you want, you can't overtrain by punishing your body with movement, and that was me in college. I would do two-a-days some days. And I would do cardio for hours, on hours, on hours, you guys.
And I was so scared to do anything else because I just was not educated, and I was over training my body. And that can actually lead you to weight gain. It can prevent you from growing your muscles. And not giving yourself adequate amount of rest and recovery is important, because, of course, you might see professional athletes who are working out hours on hours every single day. But you have to remember that those team of professional athletes, they have people dedicated specifically to them that are helping them properly recover. That are helping them nourish their bodies properly. And they are helping them essentially avoid the negative effects of over training.
But the majority of you listening, my I myself included, we're not professional athletes, so I don't think that more is always better. In fact, I think that more, more, and more, and more and constantly in that mindset of you're not ever doing enough, that's actually going to hinder you. Because the thing about working out consistently is that it's not in your workouts that your muscle grows, it's actually during rest. So if you're not giving yourself and your body enough rest, you're never going to have the opportunity to repair and/or grow. You're never going to give your body the opportunity to repair and grow. Plus, if you continue to overdo cardio, which I know so many people cardio is their default. They sweat during cardio, so they think that sweating equates having a great eight workout. Which don't get me wrong, of course sweating feels great, but there is so much to be said about feeling strong and growing those muscles, and building those muscles during a weight training session.
And some of my best weight training sessions are the ones that I'm not sweating a ton, but I know that is helping me reach my goal of building my muscle. But anyways, going back to overdoing cardio, if you do that, you can actually heighten your hormone cortisol levels. And when you do that too much, then you can deplete yourself of cortisol. And when one hormone is out of balance, the rest can be out of balance as well in your body, which could potentially lead to body fat gain. Which I know many of the people that I work with, that's the thing that they're trying to avoid. So you can essentially be counterproductive when you overtrain your body. So, one thing that I always tell people that I work with is, I encourage you to, at least at the bare minimum, commit to working out three days a week. Three to five days a week would be amazing for 30 to 45 minutes, in conjunction with dialing in your nutrition. And that's going to help you lead to results.
And then the thing about my rest and recovery. So I call one day... I personally work out five days a week for the majority of the weeks. I would say, probably, 48 weeks out of the year I work out about five days a week. And I then have a rest and I have a recovery day. So my recovery day typically lands on a Saturday, if I am consistent with my training Monday through Friday. And my recovery day is me still being intentional with movement, but it is not my normal workout. So I will block off 30 minutes to 60 minutes, and I will either go on a hike with the dogs. I will do something like a cycling session in my basement. I will go out for a cycle ride. There's so many different things that I can do during that recovery day. And then my rest day typically lands on Sunday, aka my Sabbath, and that is the day where I completely allow my body to rest.
And I will get up and move. I might clean for 30 minutes. I really do try to stay consistent in moving my body for 30 minutes, but it is not vigorous activity whatsoever. It is allowing my body to rest and recover, so that come Monday morning, I can crush my workout. So I encourage you, first things first, to just commit to three to five days a week for 30 to 45 minutes at minimum. That's 90 minutes out of 10,080 minutes that you get every week. Do you think that you can commit 90 minutes out of the 10,080 minutes that you get per week? I think you can. I believe that you are able to find that throughout your week. So I encourage you to do that.
Number two is figuring out how much nutrition you should be eating based on where you're at and where your goals are. So this is something that I struggled with for years, you guys. Oh my gosh, especially in college. I was so dang confused about everything. I would read one article in Women's Health Magazine as I'm doing my cardio. And they're saying only eat this, or they'd give an example of a full day of eating, and I would see what they're eating. And half the stuff I'm like that sounds disgusting, but if you say that this is what I should eat in order to look like this, that's what I'll do. And I was so, so confused because I didn't know how much my body needed. And here's the thing, I didn't even take into account that every single person's body is different. Even if the person's body is the same, they might have different goals. They might have different activities that they do throughout the day. They might have a different job that they have. So their day-to-day is totally different in the sense of what they're doing outside of their workouts, as well.
But I didn't realize this until afterwards, and I'm so grateful that I know now. And this is why I've really committed myself to teaching this time and time again, because nutrition is the most important thing when it comes to building the body that you want. So many people have come to me and they're like, "Julie, I feel like I am at a loss for words, because I'm injured, I can't work out. And I feel like I'm going to lose all of my progress." And my response is always, "Absolutely not. I know that this might suck, this season of life might suck right now that you are not able to do the regular movement that you do, but you can manipulate your nutrition. And that, in and of itself, will allow you to at least sustain and be in maintenance mode. So don't fear you losing all these results."
And the cool thing about nutrition is that, like I said, you're able to manipulate it based on where you're at and what your goals are. And so it's really important that you fully understand nutrition. And I think for years of my life, I steered away from it because I said, "Well, I struggle with an eating and body image disorder, so I don't want to lean into nutrition. I don't want to lean into learning how to properly feel my body or, count my macros, because I think that's going to make me obsessive." For me personally, I'm speaking from my personal experience, learning the tool of macro counting in nutrition has been one of the single most important things that has helped me get through my eating and body image disorder.
Because I finally was empowered around food. I finally understood food. I finally realized that food itself is not the enemy. I realized that I could eat whatever I wanted and still reach my goals. And so my biggest piece of advice to you is to learn how to properly feel your body. If you don't know how to do that, I can help you. There are so many resources on the internet, which I know can be a double edged sword because it can feel overwhelming because every single website or article that you read might be a little bit different in the approach that they take. So if you're wanting to learn more about how to properly feel your body, how much your specific body needs based on where you're at, what your goals are, how much protein, carbs and fats that your body needs, I can help you out.
So you can click the show notes below. I do have a program on this, it's called The Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy. Inside that academy, we teach you step-by-step, how to properly feel your body. We have worked with over 7,000 women and I'm telling you that this program really does empower people to finally take control of their nutrition. And when they're able to learn that tool, whether they decide to continue to count macros for the rest of their life, which many of them don't, but they have the tool of macro counting. And they've said, without learning this tool, they wouldn't have been able to feel at ease, or to go into social situations, not feeling stressed or anxious anymore, simply because they know and they have learned that food is not the enemy. So if you want to learn more about the program, you can go to macrocountingmadesimple.com. Again, that's macrocountingmadesimple.com. You can read all about it. We have so many testimonials of people that have successfully gone through that program, and just learned the tool that has helped empower them around food. I will also link that in the show notes below.
But going into number three, I think it's really important that we learn different phases. And this is something that I didn't really learn until I was probably about a year, a year and a half into my fitness journey. I didn't realize that our body needed to go through different phases. So there's three phases that I always teach people about. It's our maintenance phase, body fat loss phase and reverse diet phase. So I think it's really important that you learn about these spaces because everybody is different when they come into their health and fitness journey. Their history is different. Where they're currently at is different. Their goals are different. Their body's different, their age, weight, height, all of those factors are different.
And so it's really important. This is why I am a firm believer that when you pay, you pay attention. So if you hire a coach, you purchase a program, whatever it is, you actually pay attention when you invest your money into it. Because there's so much free information out there that, I think, sometimes it can just feel so overwhelming and people are not invested. Maybe they have one foot in, and they're just not invested in it fully. And I have found that when you can invest in a program, or you can invest in a coach, you actually get the proper guidance that you need through the different phases. So when you hire a coach or you purchase a program that's customized to you, the coach, the expert is going to look at that and they're going to say based on where you're currently at... For example, in our program, The Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy, we have you fill out an extensive questionnaire form, so that we can identify where you are currently at, and it will help us guide you in the next steps that you need to take.
So for some people, they might go into a body fat loss phase. Depending on how long that phase is, sometimes it's 12 weeks, other times it's 16 weeks, other times it's 24 weeks, but slow and methodical. Other times it's someone going into a reverse diet. And if you have no idea what a reverse diet is, I encourage you to tune into episode 46. I break down exactly what a reverse diet is, and I will link that in the show notes below. But a reverse diet essentially is if you have been in a caloric deficit, and you've been eating in such a high caloric deficit, you going from your high caloric deficit. So let's say you've only been eating a thousand calories or 1200 calories. And let's say that your maintenance calories are about 2200. You can't just take the jump from a thousand or 1200 calories to 2200 calories. That is going to easily going to shock your body, and you're not going to be able to see the results that you want.
And so having a reverse diet can be helpful. So that's another phase. So like I said, these phases don't go in order. I wouldn't say that they go in order simply because everybody is starting differently. So one phase could be a body fat loss phase, which I'm sure most of you guys are familiar with. But the approach that we personally take is a slow and methodical body fat loss. So aka, you have to stay consistent with what you're eating. You have to. This is why it's so important to know, and understand, and track how much you're eating, so that you are staying consistent with that. Because if you're staying consistent Monday through Thursday, but Friday, Saturday, Sunday, you completely blow it. Well, that's almost half the week that you're not staying consistent.
And so that's why it's really important that when you are in a body fat loss phase, you do it slow, you do it methodical, and that is always going to give you sustainable results because you're not completely shocking your body and just going on a crazy fad diet that puts you in a very, very low caloric deficit. Another phase, like I just mentioned, is a reverse diet. And then the other phase is maintenance. And so understanding those three phases and when to go to what phase is really important. And that's why I am a firm believer, like I said, in investing in a coach, or investing in a program that will help guide you in those phases, so that you don't feel lost, so that you are actually able to successfully go in and out of those phases and know why you're doing it. Not just following a coach, because they're telling you, but the coach is actually saying this is why you are in this phase, and this is what I encourage you to do for this length of time, or let's start here and see where it goes.
But that's so important to a sustainable lifestyle. Not only are you getting educated on the phases and why you're in what phase at the starting period, and what phase you go into, and et cetera. But also feeling empowered in your journey, so that you know exactly what to do so that you don't have to rely on a coach for the rest of your life. For example, I typically go into a body fat loss phase for about, maybe, one or two times a year. It totally depends. I typically do it around when we have our challenges, and my body fat loss phases will last anywhere from four to six, sometimes, eight weeks. Again, it totally depends. And then I will reverse diet out of that body fat loss back into maintenance. And then for the majority of the year, I live in a maintenance mode.
Now, I personally have gone through four full reverse diets. And when I say full, I mean, they were extensive, they were 16, 20, 24 week long reverse diets. And two of those reverse diets, one was going into my last show as a competitor, which was in 2014, and then the second reverse dieting out of that show. And then I have done two other full reverse diets in that time period, from 2014 to now current 2021. So I personally have gone through four full reverse diets. I've also done mini reverse sites where I've been in a slight caloric deficit, reverse dieted out into maintenance. But this is the beautiful thing is that I am very familiar with these phases and this is why I always encourage people to be familiar with it, to educate themselves.
And there is nothing more empowering than feeling like you can take your health into your own hands. Feeling like you are able to have the tools at your disposal to know what to do when to do it. That is one of the most empowering things that you can do. And the last piece of advice, when it comes to building the body that you want, is to recognize and understand, and this is essentially number four, is to learn to love your body. You have to learn to love your body first, and out of loving your body so much, you are actually able to reach your health and fitness goals. Because I have tried to hate my body so much into changing my body. And guess what? I, yes, have hated my body to change my body significantly. But at the outcome of that, I realized I might have lost the weight that I wanted to lose, but I hate my body, and I still hate my body.
10 pounds less, I still hate my body. 20 inches less, and it is the most discouraging thing to spend so much time and energy hating your body so much, that you're forcing it and you're punishing it and nothing is fun. Your movement isn't fun. Your nutrition isn't fun. Your day-to-day is not fun, because you are constantly bullying your body. I'm telling you that no amount of weight, and no amount of inches lost, is going to make up for the lack of self-love. You have to learn to love your body so much that it actually encourages you to change. And out of that change comes a deeper appreciation for your body, because you are saying, I love my body so much that I want my body to feel its best. I love my body so much that I want to nourish my body in a way that honors it.
And I want to have the energy that I need to keep up with my kids, or for my career, or whatever it is, your day-to-day responsibilities that you have. And so learning to love your body right now, in this moment, is one of the biggest pieces of advice that I could give you if you are struggling. And I have countless episodes on this podcast as to how to help you in terms of your mental, when it comes to learning to love your body, some tangible and practical tips and tricks. So scroll through the over 180 episodes that I have. I can guarantee that I have some very practical advice when it comes you getting down to the nitty gritty of how to learn to love your body. But I think it all really starts with setting the intention of I'm going to set out on this journey of loving my body. And out of that, as a result of loving my body so much, it will likely lead me towards reaching the goals that I have.
One thing that I've learned too is that when you start with learning to love your body, sometimes the goals that you previously had, they might change. Because you actually realize that's not what's most important. What's most important is peace of mind. What's most important is feeling confident. And not always does confident or peace of mind actually, in most cases, it doesn't just come from losing weight. It comes from working on your mental health. It comes from working on becoming more confident, becoming more self-aware and asserting yourself in certain situations, and allowing yourself grace in other situations. And so I encourage you to really start with this. Start with learning to love your body. And out of that, then you can go to movement and being consistent in that. And then you can go to nutrition and learning about that. And then you can go into learning about the different phases of nutrition, and your goals, and all of those things.
But I'm telling you that starting with learning to love your body right where you're at, and as a result of loving yourself so much, that's where true change, and that's where true growth comes from. So I hope that this episode was helpful for you. Like I mentioned earlier at the beginning of this podcast, I wish I had something like this back in college. And so if I could reach someone, whether you are in high school, you're in college, you're in your thirties, you're in your forties, you're in your fifties, you're in your sixties, whatever age you are at, if you are struggling and you are confused, I hope that this episode gave you just some insight as to a step-by-step guide to help you get on the right track towards building the body that you want. Because I am a firm believer in setting goals, I will never be that a person that says never set any goals, just let life fly by.
No, I'm a firm believer that we are put on this earth to achieve things. Does achievement itself make us any better? No, it doesn't make us any more worthy. It doesn't do any of those things, but we are put on this earth to get things done, to set goals and you set ourselves to a higher standard. And so I'm a firm believer in goals, but I also know that it can feel super overwhelming and confusing. So I hope that this episode was helpful for you. If you have a girlfriend or someone in your life that you feel would really benefit from this episode, I just ask that you shared out with them. You can send this to them in a text message. You can screen shot this, post it up on your story to add me, Julie Ledbetter, and I look forward to connecting with you guys. Thank you so much for tuning in and I'll talk to you in the next episode.
All right, sister, that's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so, Julie A. Ledbetter. Yes, it's with an A in the middle. For that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks, and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcast to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world. And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your reel because you're worth it.