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Research backed articles about fitness, nutrition, mindset, health and wellness.

If you don't see an article about a topic that you would like to see, shoot us an email and we'll be happy to cover it.

How to Speed Up Your Metabolism: Debunking Myths and Simple Steps to See Results in 2025

1/4/2025

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As the New Year kicks off, many of us are setting health and fitness goals. For those looking to lose weight or build muscle, one question often comes up: "How can I speed up my metabolism?" While the idea of revving up your metabolism sounds great, it’s essential to separate fact from fiction and focus on strategies that truly work.
In this blog post, we’ll bust common myths about metabolism and provide actionable steps to help you support your metabolism for lasting results.


What Is Metabolism? Your metabolism is the process your body uses to convert food into energy. It’s not a single organ or system but a series of chemical reactions that keep you alive and functioning. The speed of your metabolism—your metabolic rate—is influenced by several factors, including:
  • Age: Metabolism naturally slows as you get older. But not as much as think!
  • Body Composition: Muscle burns more calories than fat at rest.
  • Hormones: Thyroid function, insulin levels, and other hormones play a significant role.
  • Activity Level: Movement and exercise directly affect how many calories you burn.



Myth-Busting: What Won’t Speed Up Your Metabolism!

Before diving into what works, let’s dispel some common misconceptions:
  • Skipping Meals: Many believe eating less drastically will speed up fat loss, but this often leads to the opposite effect, slowing your metabolism and causing muscle loss.
  • Eating "Metabolism-Boosting Foods": While green tea, spicy foods, and apple cider vinegar have small effects, they won’t make a significant difference alone.
  • Excessive Cardio: Overdoing cardio can lead to muscle loss, which slows your resting metabolic rate over time.



5 Proven Ways to Support Your Metabolism

1. Build and Maintain Muscle: 
Resistance training is one of the most effective ways to increase your resting metabolic rate. Muscle tissue requires more energy to maintain than fat, meaning you burn more calories even when at rest. Aim for at least 2-3 strength training sessions per week.
Action Step: Start incorporating compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses to build muscle.

2. Prioritize Protein in Every Meal: 
Protein has the highest thermic effect of food (TEF), meaning your body burns more calories digesting protein compared to carbs or fat. Protein also helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss.
Action Step: Include a source of protein (e.g., chicken, fish, tofu, eggs, or Greek yogurt) with every meal and snack.

3. Stay Consistently Active: 
While exercise is essential, non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) also plays a huge role in calorie burn. This includes all the movement you do outside of workouts, such as walking, cleaning, or even fidgeting.
Action Step: Set a daily step goal, such as 8,000-10,000 steps, to increase your overall activity level.

4. Don’t Skimp on Sleep: 
Poor sleep disrupts hormones that regulate hunger and metabolism, such as leptin and ghrelin. Chronic sleep deprivation can make weight management more challenging.
Action Step: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night and establish a consistent sleep schedule.

5. Fuel Your Body Consistently: 
Under-eating can cause your metabolism to slow down over time as your body tries to conserve energy. Ensure you’re eating enough calories to support your activity level and goals.
Action Step: Work with a coach or use a calorie-tracking app to determine the right caloric intake for you.



Kickstart Your 2025 Metabolism Goals

The start of a new year is the perfect time to take control of your health and set yourself up for success. By focusing on building muscle, eating enough protein, staying active, prioritizing sleep, and fueling your body properly, you can create a lifestyle that supports a healthy metabolism—no gimmicks needed.

If you’re ready to start the year strong and want expert guidance, let me help you achieve your goals! I specialize in helping women in their 30s-50s regain confidence, build strength, and simplify fat loss with sustainable methods.

 Let’s work together to make 2025 your healthiest year yet. Click below to learn more about my personalized coaching programs!


Phoenix Coaching
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7 Tips to Stay On Track When Eating At Restaurants

9/9/2024

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Eating out can make sticking to your calorie goals feel like a challenge compared to cooking at home. When you make your own meals, you have full control over every ingredient, and tracking your food in the FatSecret app is straightforward. But when eating out, it can feel challenging to find healthy options or accurately log your meals. But dining out doesn’t mean you have to give up on your goals. With a few smart strategies, you can still enjoy your favorite restaurants and stay on track.


This edition of the Nutrition Nudge explores:

  • Simple swaps you can make at restaurants that support your goals.
  • Customizing your order to fit your diet.
  • Tips for managing portions and choosing healthy options.

7 tips for dining out without compromising your goals. Sticking to your goals doesn’t mean you have to give up dining out. Navigating restaurant menus and making mindful choices is easier than you might think. With a few simple changes, you can enjoy a meal out without compromising your progress. Let’s explore some practical tips to help you stick to your goals while dining out.


1. Plan ahead
Before heading out for a meal, take a few minutes to look at the restaurant’s menu online. This way, you can plan your meal in advance and make healthier choices without feeling rushed. Knowing what to order ahead of time helps you avoid impulsive decisions that might not align with your goals. You can also use the FatSecret app to look up the calorie content of meals at popular chain restaurants and log them to your Diary.


2. Customize your order
Don’t be afraid to ask for modifications to your meal. Small changes like requesting dressings and sauces on the side can help control how much you use and significantly reduce the calorie content of your meal.



3. Identify healthy options
Opt for lean proteins like grilled chicken, fish, tofu, or legumes instead of fried or breaded options. Additionally, look for keywords on menus like "grilled," "steamed," "roasted," and "whole grain." This can act as a quick guide to selecting meals that are lower in calories and higher in nutritional value.


4. Be mindful of beverage choices
Beverages can add a lot of calories to your meal without you realizing. It’s a common habit to have a drink when dining out that you typically wouldn’t pour for yourself at home. When choosing a drink to have with your meals, opt for water or diet soda instead of full flavor sugary drinks or alcohol. If you do choose to have a drink, try to limit it to one and select lower-calorie options.


5. Choose healthy sides
Sides are often an overlooked part of your meal that can add significant calories. Choose healthier side options like steamed vegetables, salads, or whole grains instead of fries.


6. Manage portions
Food at restaurants typically comes in much larger portions than you would usually eat at home. Consider sharing dishes with a friend or request a takeaway container when the meal is served. Avoid overeating by saving a portion for later before you start eating.


7. Load up on veggies
Look for dishes that include a variety of vegetables, either as the main component or as substantial sides. They add volume and nutrients without too many calories.

Following these 7 tips if you eat out at restaurants often will make sticking to your health goals 10x easier! Stop overcomplicating your weight loss instead put some guidelines in place so you don't even have to question yourself. 

Good Luck! 

​Coach Kayli



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Why You Can't Lose Weight: Your Under Muscled

4/6/2024

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Welcome, ladies! Today, we're diving deep into a common obstacle many women face on their weight loss journey: being under muscled. You might be diligent with your diet, logging hours on the treadmill, yet still struggle to shed those stubborn pounds. Here's the scoop: it's time to shift our focus from just losing weight to building muscle. Let's explore why your muscle mass matters and how it impacts your weight loss goals.

Understanding the Problem:
So, what exactly does it mean to be "under muscled"? In simple terms, it's having inadequate muscle mass relative to your body composition. As we age, especially between the ages of 30-50, our muscle mass naturally declines due to factors like hormonal changes, decreased activity levels, and even dietary habits. This decline in muscle mass not only affects our strength and mobility but also plays a crucial role in our ability to lose weight effectively.

The Muscle-Fat Connection:
Here's the kicker: muscle is a metabolically active tissue, meaning it burns calories even at rest. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which translates to more calories burned throughout the day. On the flip side, excess fat tissue does little in terms of calorie expenditure. So, if you're carrying more fat than muscle, your body becomes less efficient at burning calories, making weight loss an uphill battle.

The Benefits of Building Muscle:

1. Increased Metabolism: By building muscle through resistance training, you can rev up your metabolism, making it easier to create the calorie deficit necessary for weight loss.
2. Improved Body Composition: Building muscle while losing fat leads to a leaner, more toned physique, rather than simply becoming smaller in size.
3. Enhanced Strength and Functionality: Strong muscles not only support you during workouts but also in daily activities, promoting better posture, balance, and overall vitality.

How to Build Muscle and Lose Weight:

1. Strength Training: Incorporate resistance training exercises into your routine at least 2-3 times per week. Focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, lunges, and rows to target multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
2. Progressive Overload: Continuously challenge your muscles by gradually increasing the weight, reps, or intensity of your workouts over time. This stimulates muscle growth and prevents plateaus.
3. Balanced Nutrition: Ensure you're consuming enough protein to support muscle repair and growth, while also maintaining a slight calorie deficit to facilitate fat loss. Opt for nutrient-dense foods like lean meats, fish, eggs, legumes, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
4. Rest and Recovery: Don't overlook the importance of rest days and quality sleep. Muscles need time to repair and grow, so prioritize recovery to avoid burnout and injury.

Conclusion:

Ladies, if you've been struggling to lose weight despite your best efforts, it's time to shift your focus to building muscle. Remember, it's not just about the number on the scale, but rather achieving a healthy balance of muscle and fat for long-term success. By incorporating strength training into your routine and prioritizing muscle growth, you'll not only transform your physique but also supercharge your metabolism and reclaim your confidence. Here's to becoming strong, empowered women who can conquer any challenge that comes our way!

So, are you ready to say goodbye to being under muscled and hello to a stronger, leaner you? Let's do this together!

Coach Kayli


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Top 10 Reasons You Can't Lose Body Fat: Unveiling the Roadblocks to Your Fitness Goals

2/3/2024

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Blog Post By Kayli Montoya-Huston

NASM Certified Personal Trainer & NCI Certified Nutrition Coach L1 and Mindset Coach
Specializing in Gut Health & Woman's Health 

Embarking on a weight loss journey can be challenging, especially when you're committed to shedding those stubborn pounds but see minimal results. If you're wondering why your body fat isn't budging, you're not alone. In this blog post, we'll explore the top 10 reasons that might be hindering your fat loss progress and provide practical solutions to overcome these obstacles.
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Inadequate Caloric Deficit:
  • Achieving a caloric deficit is crucial for weight loss, but it's equally important not to overdo it. Fad diets like Keto, Vegan, Carnivor, etc.,  may lead to nutrient deficiencies and a slower metabolism. Focus on a moderate caloric deficit and a balanced diet to ensure sustained fat loss.
Lack of Consistency in Workouts:
  • Inconsistent workout routines can impede your progress. Your body needs regular physical activity to burn calories and boost metabolism. Incorporate a mix of strength training and cardio exercises, and stay consistent with your workout schedule.
High Stress Levels:
  • Chronic stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that promotes fat storage, particularly around the abdominal area. Implement stress-management techniques such meditation, deep breathing, or yoga to keep cortisol levels in check.
Poor Sleep Quality:
  • Inadequate sleep disrupts hormonal balance, affecting hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to support fat loss and overall well-being.
Undereating or Overeating:
  • Both extremes can hinder your progress. Undereating slows down metabolism, while overeating leads to excess calorie intake. Find a balance by eating nutrient-dense foods in appropriate portions.
Lack of Protein in Diet:
  • Protein is essential for muscle preservation and metabolism. Ensure your diet includes an adequate amount of lean protein sources such as poultry, fish, beans, and tofu to support fat loss. A good target to aim for is .7-1g per pound of your target goal weight. Example: If you want to be 150lbs aim for 120-150g of protein daily.  
Inefficient Hydration:
  • Dehydration can be mistaken for hunger, leading to unnecessary calorie consumption. Stay adequately hydrated throughout the day to support metabolism and curb unnecessary snacking.
Sedentary Lifestyle:
  • Sitting for extended periods slows down metabolism. Incorporate movement into your daily routine, such as taking short walks, using a standing desk, or doing quick workouts during breaks.
Medical Conditions:
  • Certain medical conditions, like hypothyroidism or insulin resistance, can hinder weight loss. Consult with a healthcare professional to rule out any underlying issues and tailor your approach accordingly.
Ineffective Goal Setting:
  • Unrealistic goals or a lack of specific targets can demotivate you. Set achievable, measurable goals and celebrate your progress along the way to stay motivated on your fat loss journey. 

Conclusion:
Identifying and addressing these roadblocks can pave the way for successful fat loss. Remember, patience and consistency are key. Consult with a qualified nutrition coach or personal trainer to personalize your approach and maximize your results. Your fitness journey is unique, and understanding these reasons can help you overcome obstacles and achieve your body fat loss goals.

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10 no-nonsense strategies to help you lose fat more easily this year.

1/15/2024

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Welcome to 2024!
​

 As we dive into the new year, let's focus on what really matters for fat-loss. I'm not about quick fixes or fads. It's all about practical steps you can actually stick to. This is my 9th January working in fitness, and I'm often inspired and rejuvenated by the new year too. Many people bash "resolutions," making it feel vulnerable to admit having big health goals for the new year. But you aren't alone. There are plenty of others watching this who want to improve how they look, move, and feel.

The number one thing I hear from people at the beginning of each new year is their desire to lose weight, closely followed by wishes to eat "better" and "exercise more."
Let’s tackle two out of these three: losing weight and eating better. These are the two things (besides maybe better sleep) that will help you feel better.

So here is Tip #1 of the 10 no-nonsense strategies to help you lose fat more easily this year.
  1. Go Slow, Be Patient: Losing 1 pound 50 times is more realistic than dropping 50 pounds at once. Patience is key. Weight loss really does take time, and it's rarely linear. Meaning there will almost always be periods on your weight-loss journey where your weight might not be going down (in fact, it might even be going up, yikes). But, as the saying goes, "knowing is half the battle". If you know that losing weight takes time, if you know that rates of 1-2 pounds/week tend to be more sustainable, and if you trust the process you will get there.

    1 pound/week is 52 pounds in a year.
    2 pound(s)/week is 104 pounds in a year.

    Don't freak out when you see your weight bump up *one* day.
 
  1. Stay Hydrated: This is one of the ones that will help in the looking and feeling better department. Few things will have your hair, skin, and nails looking better than drinking more water. Additionally, water will no doubt keep you fuller and result in you eating fuller calories (the key to weight loss).

    Which is why, in a part of the year that's all about habit formation, I beg that you consider just drinking some more water.

    This is without a doubt the easiest of all the things I've put on this list today, and it will help you look, move, and feel better - while making fat-loss easier.

    I aim for around 75oz of water/day. You can push that as high as a gallon/day. But a good rule of thumb is around half your bodyweight (in pounds) in oz. of water.
 
  1. Protein is Your Friend: Build your meals around PROTEIN.

    If you follow me on social media, or subscribe to my podcast, then you know how I feel about protein.

    Of the three macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats) protein has the greatest impact on:

    - body composition
    - muscle mass
    - fat loss

    Protein keeps you full, fuels muscle growth, and promotes changes in body composition. To take advantage of the "power of protein" do this:

    - aim for 0.6-1.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight in grams of protein/day. If you are heavier, you can use your "goal weight" instead of your bodyweight.

    - spread that out across the day. I'm talking 4,5,6 protein "feedings"/day.

    - lots of protein rich snacks.
 
  1. Fiber and Veggies: Every meal should have them. Think fruits, veggies, whole grains. A list of my favorite sources of fiber, fruit, greens, etc.

    - apples
    - berries
    - carrots
    - beans
    - whole wheat bread
    - rice
    - oats
    - spinach
    - green beans
    - peas

    Don't make this a bigger deal than it needs to be. Your mother was absolutely correct in her assertion that you need your veggies to grow up healthy and strong.
 
  1. Rethink Snacking and Beware "Caloric Leak": Out with ultra-processed, hyper-palatable options. In with high-protein, high-fiber choices.

    Snack on more things like yogurt, cottage cheese, protein shakes, protein bars, carrots, apples, grapes, berries, cheese, etc.

    Snack way less on things like chips, cookies, candies, pastries.

    And CUT the liquid calories. This is a HUGE HUGE driver of what I call "caloric leak".

    Huge sources of caloric leak: condiments, creamers, anything you "graze", bite, lick, taste, or sip, coffees, lattes, alcohol, dips, aioli, etc.
 
  1. Audit Your Kitchen: What's in your fridge and pantry matters more than you think.

    Load those two things up with things you regularly snack on and use for meals.

    As for the freezer, I'm a huge fan of keeping frozen proteins, fruits, and vegetables to quickly build meals and prepare ahead.

    What's in your fridge, pantry, and freezer, tends to end up in your belly. Well, except the bag salad you buy every week only to throw out after it expires.

    So take a few hours and overhaul what you have access to at home (to the best of your current abilities of course).
 
  1. Move More: Less sitting, more stepping. It's about movement, not just calories burned. Nothing makes fat-loss harder than being categorically sedentary.

    Besides being a small, sedentary woman. Then it's really hard.

    The smaller your body mass, and the less you move, the harder fat-loss is.

    The larger your body mass, and the more you move, the easier fat-loss is.

    There's nothing magic about getting 10,000 steps/day. But that's all time not spent eating, spent moving, spent outside (often), and all that matters for fat-loss much more than the calories you actually burn moving.

    Aim for 10,000 steps/day.
 
  1. Don't Underestimate Sleep: It's crucial for mood, willpower, and appetite control. Good sleep aids in fat-loss and muscle retention.

    It also helps you feel much better and recover from hard workouts.

    This is harder for people and families with kids, shift workers, and other populations, but if you can make the time for a little more sleep, fat-loss and eating better become much easier.

    One of the big reasons being that time spent sleeping isn't time spent eating.
 
  1. Keep It Simple: Avoid crazy diets and extreme rules. If it's not sustainable for a month, it's not sustainable at all.

    All your fat-loss and food behavior change efforts need to have staying power to work. Because changing your body is a slow process. So a diet you can only do for 2-3 weeks isn't going to cut it unless you only want to lose 8-10 pounds. And even then... kinda sketchy.
 
  1. Consider Cutting Alcohol: It's often a primary culprit in weight gain. Plus, it disrupts sleep and recovery. So if you can cut it, and try a "dry January" I would do it.

    Nothing is going to change the way you "feel" more quickly than giving up the booze for a bit if you like to indulge.

    You might try the same with something else you enjoy that isn't serving your health, maybe it's coffee in the morning, smoking, toxic behavior, who knows. It's the new year, which means it's a great time to take inventory of what isn't serving you, and leave it behind (if you can) in the new year.


That's what I have for you today. But I'll keep dropping by with little blurbs as the year goes on. I want to help make 2024 your fittest year yet.

Stay strong, Coach Kayli!


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7 Rapid Fat Loss Mistakes (& How To Avoid Them)

10/16/2023

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Here's what everyone gets wrong about losing fat quickly...

You might have two pre-conceived notions when you hear words like "rapid fat loss."
  1. You think of fad diets portrayed by the media, instantly turned off by the idea.
  2. You think of credible coaches, influencers, nutritionists, etc., who constantly preach how slow and steady wins the weight loss race. So, you're skeptical.

For the first notion, I get it. The media sucks in almost all ways.
For the second notion, I think that's generally sound advice ⏤ it's advice I give all the time.
But that doesn't mean there's not a right way to lose fat, fast.

If you do it correctly, it can be an excellent way to kickstart your fat loss and ramp up motivation from quick results.
I've seen it work time and time again with my 1:1 fat loss clients, along with the other 50+ people who've gone through the Fat Loss Accelerator Phase of my program in the past.

The key, however, is to avoid these critical mistakes.
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7 Rapid Fat Loss Mistakes (& How To Avoid Them)
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Mistake #1: You don't do an honest self-audit.
  • Do you have an ongoing negative relationship with food and/or your body?
  • Do you currently or in the past have a history of disordered eating or a diagnosed eating disorder?
  • Have you been aggressively dieting and doing lots of cardio for several months without any progress, but see rapid fat loss as the "solution" to push you further?
  • Are you constantly obsessed over your body and food intake on a daily basis?
If the answer is yes to any of those, then rapid fat loss is not for you. Period. No exceptions.
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Mistake #2: You mindlessly cut too many calories too quickly.
How many calories you take away and where those calories come from are what separates successful rapid fat loss from straight-up "crash-dieting." When your approach is to simply eat way less and move a lot more, it's a recipe to ramp up cravings, lose muscle and strength, and slow your metabolism too quickly. You need a "smart" calorie deficit and just enough of the right cardio to lose pure body fat, fast, without "crashing" your metabolic rate.
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Mistake #3: Focusing on losing weight, instead of fat.

Traditional diets focus on total weight loss with no regard to the composition of those pounds lost. Losing 5 lbs sounds great! But what if it was 2 lbs of fat and 3 lbs of muscle? And what if you could improve that ratio to 4.5 lbs of pure fat and only 0.5 lb of muscle? That should be the goal, assuming you want to actually LOOK noticeably leaner, more muscular, and defined. (Not just see an arbitrary number on the scale go down.) How you do that is by avoiding these next two mistakes.
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Mistake #4: Not eating enough protein.
This piggy-backs off the last two points. Eating a higher-protein diet, especially when in a large calorie deficit, is crucial for retaining muscle mass AND keeping those cravings away. You probably know protein builds muscle, but lesser known is that protein is the most satiating macronutrient (more than carbs and fats). So it's great for staying fuller, longer. Aka, you don't feel like you're starving every day, and you can stick to your diet much easier.
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Mistake #5: Not having a smart strength training plan to work synergistically with rapid fat loss.
To avoid having the "skinny-fat" and "deflated" look from losing weight quickly, you have to take your workouts seriously. A smart program for rapid fat loss is designed to 1) retain/build as much muscle and strength as possible and 2) maximize recovery and minimize fatigue. You want to use your diet to lose fat and your strength workouts to retain muscle, which is exactly how I designed the Accelerator Diet Phase and Accelerator Workouts.
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Mistake #6: Not having education, support, and professional guidance to guide you to the finish line.
Rapid fat loss is not for the weak-hearted, nor something to take lightly. It's even harder to go at it alone. The best approach is to use rapid fat loss to "jumpstart" your long-term weight loss journey and NOT as a sustainable, long-term approach. Use it to build healthier habits and learn new skills to use once the rapid fat loss period is over. Ideally, with a coach or expert guiding you every step of the way. Which brings me to the last, and possibly most important point.
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Mistake #7: Not having a plan to transition out of the rapid fat loss period without rebounding.
Rapid fat loss is pointless if you just end up gaining all the weight back. Which, if done incorrectly, you're prone to gain back even more than traditional diets. This isn't to scare you, because it's not irreversible and you won't "damage" your metabolism, but it's the truth. A slower, calculated transition is key. (Again, hopefully with someone who knows their stuff.)
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As you could've guessed, this is the part where I pitch my Phoenix Rising Method as the solution ⏤ and, you're right. I created the Rise Method which includes the (Fat Loss Accelerator) Phase with every one of these mistakes in mind so you can safely lose lots of fat, fast.
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If you've decided you want to learn more,  you can apply here for a free discovery call.

- Coach Kayli


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What is Starvation Mode? Are you eating too little?!

4/1/2023

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Have you ever been told the reason you’re not losing weight is because “you’re eating too little”. 

If so, I am also sure you have been told your body has gone into “starvation mode”. Where people tend to explain it, as your body is holding onto all your body fat because you haven’t been eating enough calories. 

Spoiler Alert: I’m here to explain to you why this is in fact a myth. 

As everything you hear in the fitness and health industry there is a sliver of truth behind this statement. In fact, I myself am guilty of using this phrase in the past. Thankfully I have continued to learn and research the science of our metabolism. 

Next let's break down the common definition of “starvation mode”. 

What is Starvation Mode?

Starvation mode is not a scientific term. It is a popular phrase used to imply that when you cut calories too low, your body goes into a protection mode, slowing your metabolism and calorie output so that you stop losing weight.

This concept is rooted in your body's survival mechanisms. If you ever found yourself without food for long periods of time, it would not be beneficial for your body to continue to burn calories at a normal rate; instead, your metabolism would shift to preserve as much energy as possible to prolong your life. But starving to death is not quite the same thing as dieting and you will still lose weight in the process of wasting away without food.

How Long Can You Survive Without Food?

With access to water and electrolytes, your body can survive for quite some time without food, depending on the person and how much body fat you have. Some research suggests that you can go more than a month without food. And in some religions, long fasts are commonly practiced with potential health benefits.


Starvation mode is not a real term, but metabolic adaption is, and it’s a known phenomenon. How drastically it affects your weight loss progress is another story.

Your body can compensate for decreased calories by slowing your metabolism down as much as 30% through adaptive thermogenesis. But the effects of adaptive thermogenesis are typically short-lived, and for most the difference could be as little as a 5% decrease in basal metabolic rate (BMR), and it does not indicate a damaged metabolism. 
So what is the verdict?

In all of the studies referenced to support starvation mode, weight loss was a factor. And it is crucial to note that any weight loss can cause you to have a lower BMR - since it just takes less energy to move around a smaller object.

Why You're Not Losing Weight and How to Fix it


If you find that you’ve hit a weight loss plateau, it does not mean you are in starvation mode. Some more common factors are likely at play, including the following:

You're Not Tracking Your Food Intake

It's pretty impossible to know if you are in a calorie deficit if you aren't tracking your food intake. Before assuming something else is at play, keeping an accurate food diary is the best place to start.

Even if you've been tracking, take a look at how diligent you are being with this habit.
  • Are you accurately portioning and weighing out the food you eat?
  • Are you including all foods and drinks, and tracking every day, even cheat days and weekends?
  • Are you including added toppings and ingredients like cooking oil, butter, salad dressings, etc.?

You can also use your tracking app to get weekly calorie and macro averages - this is the best way to see how well you’ve stuck to your diet consistently, as well as where you could use some work. 

You're Not Eating the Right Amount of Calories 

Typically, if you aren't losing weight, you are eating more calories than you think. Or if you've recently lost weight, you likely have a new maintenance calorie amount and may need to eat fewer calories to continue losing. This is why many popular weight loss plans will use a phased approach to cutting, helping you to stay in a calorie deficit and continue losing weight with incremental calorie cuts.

Start by figuring out how many calories you need to eat a day to maintain your current weight and then calculate your new weight loss calorie needs from that starting point. 

You're Always on a Diet

It might also just be that your body needs a break. If you've been dieting for more than a few months, it might be time to give your body time to adjust to your maintenance calorie level. Jumping from one diet to the next and constantly trying to cut calories can do more harm than good. It is much easier to stick to a diet and continue to get results if you understand how to maintain results in the first place. 

Been on a really low-calorie diet for a while and scared to add calories back in? Try upping your intake a few hundred calories a week to start, until you reach your maintenance level. And then stick to your maintenance for at least a month to give your time to adjust and reset your metabolism. 

You're Too Focused on the Scale

Oftentimes dieters are focused solely on fat loss, but their total body composition is crucial to getting better results and making them stick. Not to mention, if you are cutting calories too low for too long, you’re at risk of losing precious calorie burning tissue - your muscle.

Gaining muscle is essentially the opposite of “starvation mode”. Your muscle mass is the biggest determinant of your metabolic rate, and the more you have, the more you can eat and maintain your weight. Plus, muscle is the tissue behind that lean, toned look most of us are striving to achieve in the first place.   

While muscle growth is typically achieved through weight gain, which would ultimately increase your metabolism even further, it is possible for some people to build muscle in a calorie deficit. But at the very least, you should be focused on protecting your muscle while dieting.

To keep your lean mass intact while dieting, be sure to incorporate the following:
  • Lift weights: Research suggests that one of the best ways to maintain muscle is to keep it active and through regular strength training.
  • Eat more protein: Eating a high protein diet has a number of benefits for fat loss and has also been thought to help support your lean mass when cutting calories.

What are the Minimum Calories for Weight Loss? 

While starvation mode may not technically exist, starving yourself to lose weight is still not recommended. A very low-calorie diet may work at first, but it’s likely not going to do you favors in the long run. It can be dangerous for some people, lead to disordered eating habits, and does not typically lead to sustainable results, since most people do not change bad habits once they resume eating again. In addition, extreme dieting is impossible to maintain, causing painful hunger cues, irritability, mood swings, decreased energy, poor concentration, and sucks your willpower dry, all of which makes sticking to a diet that much harder. 

Instead, stick to a more attainable approach to dieting with no more than a 15-20% decrease from your estimated daily energy needs. Slow and steady weight loss of 0.5 to 1% body weight per week is much easier to keep off and you will be much happier and more successful with a more measured and sustainable diet plan approach.
Need help figuring out how many calories you need each day?
​

I’d be happy to help you figure out your starting numbers. Simply click the button below and fill out this short form explaining your goals and I’ll reach within 24hrs! 

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What you AREN'T being told about Wegovy and Ozempic.

3/18/2023

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Blog Post by Coach Julie

NCI Certified Nutrition Coach L1 & Certified Mindset Coach
Specializing in Women's Health and Gut Health

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Wegovy and Ozempic are both GLP-1 (glucagon like peptide).

With GLP-1 drugs, you will lose muscle mass if you are not doing some sort of resistance training. “Much of the "weight loss" resulting from GLP-1 agonists is the loss of muscle, bone mass, and other lean tissue rather than body fat (Ida, et al.).”

When taking GLP-1 drugs it’s important to focus on getting adequate protein to at least maintain muscle mass.  (Usually .75g of protein per pound of lean body mass is adequate.  If your goal weight is 150 pounds that means 113g of protein per day.)

A significant loss of bone mass, for example, predisposes serious bone diseases such as osteopenia and osteoporosis. And a significant loss of muscle mass lowers metabolic rate (increasing the risk of weight regain), raises the risk of falls, and impairs function and quality of life.

Research has found that when people stop taking Wegovy/Ozempic, they rapidly regain weight. (Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism: Journal, June 2022) Experts say this is because the drug is not a cure and it does not prevent the metabolic adaptation that occurs during weight loss.

A study published in April 2022 which sought to examine changes in body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors upon the termination of the drug, found that after a year people had regained two-thirds of the weight they had lost. The positive changes they had seen in cardiometabolic risk factors like blood pressure, blood lipids, HbA1c, and C-reactive protein had similarly reversed.According to the study authors, these findings reinforce the need to continue treatment in order to maintain the benefits of the medication. (Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism: Journal, April 2022)
The fact that people may need to stay on Wegovy indefinitely in order to maintain the weight loss has raised concerns about long-term use. (NPR, 2023)
​

As a nutrition coach, I have been asked several times about these two drugs.  I always suggest talking with your doctor about this and making sure that this is the right answer for you.  My opinion though is to always work on lifestyle, diet and fitness interventions first.  I would invest in a coach before I spent the money on this very expensive drug.  If you have further questions, shoot me a DM, we’ll talk.


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How To Set Up A Calorie Deficit For Fat Loss (6 Steps)

3/4/2023

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EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT IT.
Unless you follow Dr. Oz, the #ketowarriors, or the descendants of Vegan Gains — you’ve heard that a “calorie deficit” is the key to losing fat.

We’ll get into details later, but to refresh: a “calorie deficit” simply means your body is burning more calories than you’re consuming (i.e., calories out > calories in = weight loss (few exceptions)).

A “calorie surplus” means you’re burning fewer calories than you’re consuming (i.e., calories out < calories in = weight gain).

And if you’re eating at your “maintenance calories,” you’re burning around the same number of calories as you’re consuming (i.e., calories out = calories in = maintain stable weight).

Now, I could get deep into the minutia of calories in calories out and how your body “burns” calories, but you probably don’t care about the science.

What you do care about: me knowing the science and giving you the actionable steps to put into practice.
And that’s exactly what I’m gonna do, so take a quick glance at this pretty picture and let’s keep it movin’.

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That’s the why. Now, I’ll share the how.

For the record, I’ve never seen another fitness coach put this information out for free. This is exactly how I set up a calorie deficit for my online coaching clients, so listen up.

STEP 1: BUY SCALES. Buy a bodyweight scale and a food scale. These are reasonably cheap and some of the best investments you can make for managing your body. Plus, there are two things humans suck at: estimating and remembering data. In fact, one study on daily food reporting showed even dietitians to be off by up to 800 calories. Some non-dietitians were off by over 1,000 calories! So, yeah. Buy the scales so you don’t do this.  

STEP 2: DOWNLOAD A FOOD TRACKING APP. I recommend FatSecret  or My Fittness Pal to my clients. Don’t use the macro calculator for any of them as that’s the point of this post ⏤ this way is more accurate. MFP might just be more accessible in terms of how to use the app for some people. However, another downside of MFP is their calories can be off with some of their foods due to user inputted data. Just make sure your total daily macros match up to your total daily calories and you’ll be good to go. Any tracking app or using a pad and pen (if you’re a neanderthal) will work just fine. We’ll cover your macros (proteins, carbs, and fats in a bit).

STEP 3: EAT NORMALLY AND TRACK EVERYTHING. Without drastically changing how you currently eat, track every single thing (very important this is accurate!) you put in your mouth for at least four days (preferably three weekdays and one weekend day). I say to eat normal because you want to find your current baseline. If you go changing everything you eat, you’ll skew your results. And when I say track everything, I mean EVERYTHING — alcohol, condiments, oils, drinks, supplements, butter, sauces, dessert, etc.

STEP 4: AVERAGE OUT YOUR BASELINE. After tracking at least four days, find the average number of calories you ate during that time period.

For example:
  • Day 1: 2,300 kcals
  • Day 2: 2,100 kcals
  • Day 3: 2,300 kcals
  • Day 4: 2,100 kcals

Your average would be 2,200 kcals. (2300+2100+2300+2100=8800 ; 8800/4 days = 2200 kcals)

STEP 5: REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH TRACKING WEIGHT AND FOOD FOR 14 DAYS.Try to hit within +/- 50 of that average calorie amount (2,150 – 2,250) every single day for the next 2 weeks (including weekends!) AND weigh yourself every day in the morning – before you eat and after you take your morning dump. It’s important you try to mimic each day so you can get a realistic idea of what your “typical” intake and weight would look like, i.e., don’t do this during vacation.

STEP 6: ANALYZE WEIGHT TRENDS. Given that you followed step 5 correctly, we should now see a trend in what your weight does based off how much food you’re eating. If you’re eating ~2,200 calories per day and your weight is trending downward (not down every single day because weight fluctuates) over the course of two weeks — you’re likely in a calorie deficit. If your weight is staying about the same (within a pound or so), subtract 250 calories from your daily calorie goal and keep consistent. This means you are eating around your maintenance calories. If your weight is trending upward, take away 350-500 calories per day (you’re in a calorie surplus).

-Coach Kayli
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Hierarchies of Importance

2/10/2021

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Fitness Hierarchy
I want to teach you where you should put the majority of your focus on if you're wanting to lose fat, build some muscle and just care about your overall health. 

This Hierarchy was explained very well to me by my Coach Jeremiah Bair. 

I would love to share with you what I have learned from him. 

To the right, you will see The Fitness Hierarchy
Ranked from most-least important: 
  1. Nutrition
  2. Resistance Training
  3. Cardio

Most people are surprised by this, expecting cardio to be the number one focus, followed by stepping into the gym a few times, and dieting hard for a couple weeks every January. 

Now why doesn’t this work?

Nutrition

​In order to lose fat we must eat fewer calories than we burn in a day.

It is impossible to erase a poor diet with exercise. Why? Because you just don’t burn very many calories when you exercise (about 5% of your total daily calorie burn comes from exercise.)

Calories in < Calories out = Fat Loss. This is called Energy Balance

Main takeaway here is watching your diet to control the “calories in” side of the energy balance equation is much easier than trying to lose fat by ramping up the “calories out” side of the equation. 

This is why Nutrition is the most important factor to pay attention to. 

Resistance Training

Lifting weights actually burns fewer calories than cardio. But, resistance training has many more benefits for you than cardio:
  1. Nutrient Partitioning: Lifting weights shuttles calories towards the calorically expensive mechanisms of building muscle and maintaining muscle. This leaves fewer calories for the energy of efficient process of fat storage.
  2. Metabolic Benefits: The more lean body mass (LBM) you carry, the higher your metabolic rate will be (the more calories you’ll burn.) More muscle means more LBM. Resistance training significantly increases your LBM. Cardio does not.
  3. Health: Resistance training builds functional strength, healthy tendons, increases bone density. Resistance training properly will keep you strong, mobile, and capable your ENTIRE life. 
  4. Aesthetics: You likely want to look some combination of lean and muscular/toned/defined/shredded/athletic. The lean part comes from your diet. Looking toned/defined/muscular/athletic requires losing fat AND building muscle.
  5. Adherence & Sustainability: In my experience, resistance training can be made fun for most anyone. No matter the stage of their life, or physical capabilities. 

It’s rewarding

It’s a huge psychological boost

Find a plan you can see yourself sticking to for a really long time. 
 
Cardio

Cardio is still helpful. We just don’t want to put the majority of our focus in it. 

Cardio has obvious cardiovascular health benefits-it’s good for your heart.

Cardio has carryover to your resistance training. It allows you to recover quicker - both between sets and between training sessions. 

Now the biggest issue with cardio is that your body adapts very quickly to it. 

When you adapt to something, you become more efficient at it. Becoming efficient means you’re burning less calories. 

So take this for example:

If you were to run 1 mile you might burn 100 calories. As the adaptation occurs, the calorie burn decreases. So after running a mile every day this week and burning a 100 calories each time you may end up only burning 90 calories the next week, and then 80 the next. The only way to keep burning 100 calories is to increase the distance and/or time spent running. The problem is - who has the time or desire in our busy lives to keep adding miles forever?

Conclusion:
  1. Nutrition-Most important factor for manipulating your body composition (burning fat & building muscle)
  2. Resistance Training - Lots of health and fat loss benefits. And it makes you look sexy.
  3. Cardio - Not as important as 1 & 2, but does help a bit with fat loss and overall health. Use it sparingly. 

-Coach Kayli
​

Questions?
 Email me: [email protected]

 
 
 
 
 


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    Kayli is a certified personal trainer and online coach that specializes in fitness, wellness, nutrition, mindset, mobility and everything in between.

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