The Relentless Lifestyle

12/03/2025

Do You Really Need That Protein Shake? Let's Have an Honest Conversation 💪

The short answer? It depends—and here's why that matters. As a nutrition coach & personal trainer, I'm not big on supplements unless they're backed by blood work and we've maximized what we can achieve through whole foods first.

Yet one of the most common questions new clients ask me is: "What protein shake should I be drinking?"

My response? "Why do you think you need one?"

The answers are generally the same:
"I always used them before"
"Everyone says you're supposed to"
"My last coach required it"

Let's figure it out 🤔

The Real Question: Are You Actually Struggling to Hit Your Protein Goals?

If NO: You probably don't need a shake. Your whole food intake is doing the job. If you want convenience: Protein shakes can be a solid on-the-go option—especially when they keep you out of the drive-thru.

If YES: You're genuinely struggling to consume enough protein through food alone, or your schedule makes it nearly impossible—then a quality protein powder might complement your nutrition plan.

⚠️ Important Boundaries: I never want protein shakes becoming a dietary crutch where you're relying on them for multiple "meals" daily. Whole foods should always be your foundation. But here's the catch: You can't determine if you need supplementation if you don't know your current intake. This is exactly why tracking protein is a cornerstone of my coaching protocol.

📊 The Numbers Game: As a very general starting point, we typically aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. The reality? Most people aren't even close to their optimal range. If you discover you need 150g daily but you're only hitting 30g, that's a significant gap that requires strategic planning—not just throwing a shake at the problem.

🎯 The Bottom Line: There's no one-size-fits-all approach here. We need to find YOUR optimal protein range based on your unique goals, lifestyle, and preferences.

Your turn: How's your protein intake looking? Are you hitting your targets, or feeling completely lost in the numbers? Drop a comment below.

12/01/2025

8 Reasons You’re Not Losing Fat: What You Need to Know!

Not Enough Water 💧: Dehydration can slow down metabolism and increase hunger. Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces daily.

Not Enough Protein 🥩: Protein keeps you full, boosts metabolism, and preserves muscle during weight loss. Ensure every meal has a good serving.

Too Many Healthy Fats 🥑: Yes, they're great for you! But too much of even the good stuff can lead to calorie overload. Keep portions balanced.

Crappy Sleep 😴: Poor sleep messes with hunger hormones, stress, and recovery. Prioritize 7-9 hours for your body to perform at its best.

Too Much Cardio 🏃: Excess cardio can burn muscle - cardio signals the body to pair down which can result in muscle loss. You want FAT loss, not muscle loss. Lift weights appropriately (for you) with a nice mix of cardio.

No Clue How Much You’re Eating 🍽️: Mindless eating and oversized portions matter. Track intake to understand what’s really going in.

Not Enough Patience ⏳: Fat loss takes time. Trust the process, stay consistent, and know that progress is rarely linear.

No Clue About Liquid Calories & Condiments 🥤: Coffee creamers, sauces, and alcohol sneak in tons of calories. Track and adjust for a realistic picture!

Master these, and your fat-loss journey will become far clearer. And note, in order to master them, it takes intentionality and awareness on your part. Meaning, you need to have a clear picture of where you're at and what you're currently consuming, inn order to make changes.

Which of these is your biggest hurdle? 🤔💪

11/27/2025

11/26/2025

Packaged food I'm loving rn as a Health Coach, Personal Trainer & busy mom who hates cooking & is always looking for quick, decent options...snack edition.

11/24/2025

You’ve been showing up. You’re doing the workouts. You’re checking the boxes.
…and yet you feel STUCK.

This is for you. 👇

Not-so-helpful advice:
“Just keep going.” Cool, thanks.

Actually helpful advice:
Quitting is what keeps you stuck.
And if you’re thinking…“But Bre, I keep failing!”

GOOD. That means you’re in the arena. You’re trying. You’re learning what doesn’t work so you can find what does.

Your brain is always looking for the easy route.

It loves comfort — even if you’re not happy there.

Growth requires disruption.

And disruption feels uncomfortable.

Being stuck is part of the journey. It’s the signal that something needs to shift — not stop.

So tweak the plan:
✨ Try a different workout style
✨ Change your reps or weights
✨ Add (or remove) cardio
✨ Work on mobility & recovery
✨ Mix up your routine so your body keeps adapting

In my coaching practice, we build movement around your life — your energy, your season, your priorities. Because rigidity might get you started… but flexibility is what keeps you going.

Your next breakthrough is on the other side of staying in the game.

Ready to figure out what that looks like for YOU? Drop a 💪 below!

11/23/2025

Squat day warm. Y’all don’t follow me for my camera skills 🤣 so shut up 🤪

11/21/2025

Hi! If you're new here, welcome!

Here's a quick run down of my 'story.'

Bottom left pic-about 2yrs after having my twins. And before you say anything, no, I don't have a dramatic transformation.

But I do know what it feels like to be miserable in my skin.

I know what it feels like when all your clothes are too tight.

I know what it feels like to hate what you see in the mirror.

I know how all consuming it feels.

And I know that losing weight and seeing that magic number on the scale doesn't really change all you think it will.

I went from a busted can of biscuits to cardio queen. I was that super strict friend who counts her almonds out and works out even when she's sick or injured. I was that friend who calculated how much exercise I needed to do to burn off the food I ate.

I traded one version of miserable for another, only with a smaller frame....and I wasn't any happier.

Yes, losing weight feels great. Yes, fitting into smaller clothes that are buried in yourr closet is awesome. No denying that.

But looking in the mirror and not picking yourself apart? S*x with the lights on? Feeling confident even when you aren't quite where you want to be (yet)? That's where the magic happens.

Lifting weights helped give me that confidence.
Breaking up with all the food rules, gave me that confidence.
Giving myself grace, gave me that confidence.

Baby steps made it possible. It was still messy. It was never linear.

And guess what? It's still not perfect. 😉

Thanks for being here!

11/20/2025

In no particular order:

for clients who listen 😂

for good health

for my new nephew

for some time off next week

for the ability to workout, even when I don't want to

for the upcoming cooler weather

Drop your in the comments! Promise it will make your day better, even if temporarily!

11/20/2025

It's officially the middle of the week. What part of the horse are you? 😉

I would start out as a fu***ng Clydesdale y'all. Seriously. Strong, powerful, sexy....

Then life would happen. Thursday was close enough to the weekend and I did 'so good' earlier in the week...it was all downhill after that.

I'd end up a cheap stick pony at the empty mall parking lot carnival.

It's why I stopped dieting.

I'm curious; does dieting work for you?

11/19/2025

Just in case no one told you. Everyone's way of improving their health looks different and that's okay.

I had a recent conversation with one of my teen clients who is working on improving his health. He was sharing what his meals looked like that day and told me 'yeah but I was bad and had a cookie and I feel guilty."

HOLD. THE. PHONE. KIDDO.

Who said cookies are bad? Who said having one makes YOU 'bad'? Why do you feel guilty?!

It breaks my heart to know he has this narrative playing in his head at such a young age. 💔

Whether this is something you learned growing up or our diet culture has told you it has to be a certain way...I'm here to tell you, it's okay to eat the cookie. Or whole bagel, or banana, etc.

11/17/2025

Stop the all or nothing game.

Here's what happens:

Maybe a health scare, a pic taken where you look exhausted, or you just hit a breaking point—and suddenly you're convinced THIS is the time you'll completely transform your life.

New everything. Gym five days a week. Meal prep Sundays. No sugar, no alcohol, early morning routines. The whole deal.

It lasts about four days before you're eating cereal for dinner and feeling like a failure.

Here's what I've learned actually works from my own struggles and working with hundreds of people: embarrassingly small changes.

I'm talking one glass of water in the morning.
A ten-minute walk around the block.
Adding literally any vegetable to one meal.
Going to bed thirty minutes earlier on weeknights.

It feels too easy, right? Like you're not really doing anything.

But that's exactly why it works.

Those tiny changes don't require willpower or motivation. They just slip into your day.

And after a few weeks, they stop feeling like "changes" at all—they're just what you do now. Then you add another small thing. Then another.

Six months later, you realize you're consistently doing things that seemed impossible when you were trying to overhaul everything overnight.

The unglamorous truth is that showing up matters more than intensity. Drinking water every day beats a perfect week of hydration followed by three weeks of nothing.

So yeah, forget the dramatic transformations. What's one small, almost stupidly easy thing you could do today?

**And make sure you're following me to learn how to ACTUALLY do these small things.