Ep112. Comparison Is Killing Your Progress

You're scrolling at night and there she is. Flat stomach, perfect glutes, three kids and somehow glowing. Suddenly your own progress feels like nothing.In this episode, I unpack why comparison hits so hard, what's actually going on behind those photos, and how to shift your focus back onto the progress you're making.The four types of comparison most women get caught in (including comparing to your old self)What's really going on behind social media physiques: lighting, posing, filters and timingWhy your timeline, genetics and life are completely your ownSimple ways to clean up your feed and your headspaceHow to measure your progress so you actually see itWalk away feeling lighter, clearer, and way more focused on your own journey. 💚Love this episode? 💚 Share it on your intagram story and tag me @sami_livestrong  Want to connect?🤝🏽 Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sami_livestrong/💪🏼 Ready to start living a Stronger Life — inside and out? Apply for my online coaching program here: bit.ly/ApplywithSami🔥 Please subscribe, rate & review if you enjoyed this ep!Disclaimer: The Live Stronger with Sami podcast is not a substitute for a health professional's individualised advice. The advice given is general in nature and should not be used to treat any medical conditions, illnesses or injuries. Please consult your medical professional before implementing any of the advice discussed in this episode. 

Sick kids. Crazy work weeks. Travel. Family stuff. Every time life gets hectic, it feels like your health goals are the first thing to go, and then it takes weeks to get going again.In this episode, I show you how to keep your momentum through your hardest seasons with what I call the minimum viable week.Why stopping completely costs you so much more than slowing downThe momentum train analogy and why keeping the wheels turning mattersHow to build your own minimum viable week for training, food and movementA real client story about keeping progress rolling through chaosHow to know when to turn things back up againWalk away with a simple fallback plan so the next busy season slows you down without stopping you. 💚Love this episode? 💚 Share it on your intagram story and tag me @sami_livestrong  Want to connect?🤝🏽 Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sami_livestrong/💪🏼 Ready to start living a Stronger Life — inside and out? Apply for my online coaching program here: bit.ly/ApplywithSami🔥 Please subscribe, rate & review if you enjoyed this ep!Disclaimer: The Live Stronger with Sami podcast is not a substitute for a health professional's individualised advice. The advice given is general in nature and should not be used to treat any medical conditions, illnesses or injuries. Please consult your medical professional before implementing any of the advice discussed in this episode. 

You've got a wedding, a big holiday or a milestone birthday coming up, and the plan in your head is to basically stop eating until then. It feels logical. It almost never works.In this episode, I walk you through what a sensible lead-in actually looks like, and why the crash approach backfires both on the day and in the weeks after.Why crash dieting leaves you flat, bloated and cranky on the day itselfHow to structure the weeks before your event, phase by phaseCalorie banking: the tactical strategy I use myself for meals out, and how to do it properlyWhat to do in the final week (and what to avoid)How to handle the "after" so the event doesn't turn into a month-long reboundShow up to your big day feeling strong, energised and confident, and stay that way after the photos are taken. 💚Love this episode? 💚 Share it on your intagram story and tag me @sami_livestrong  Want to connect?🤝🏽 Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sami_livestrong/💪🏼 Ready to start living a Stronger Life — inside and out? Apply for my online coaching program here: bit.ly/ApplywithSami🔥 Please subscribe, rate & review if you enjoyed this ep!Disclaimer: The Live Stronger with Sami podcast is not a substitute for a health professional's individualised advice. The advice given is general in nature and should not be used to treat any medical conditions, illnesses or injuries. Please consult your medical professional before implementing any of the advice discussed in this episode. 

You know protein matters. But somewhere along the way it turned into shakes, bars, powders and a whole lot of overthinking. And if you've got a busy house full of fussy eaters, it feels even harder.In this episode, I break down how to hit your protein through real, whole foods on a normal day, without living on shakes or cooking three separate dinners.Why protein is such a big deal for fat loss, strength and staying fullA simple way to work out roughly how much you needMy easiest wholefood protein sources and how to build meals around themHow to feed a fussy family and still hit your proteinWhere shakes fit in (as a tool, not the whole plan)Walk away with a simple, realistic way to get your protein in that fits your real life and your real kitchen. 💚Love this episode? 💚 Share it on your intagram story and tag me @sami_livestrong  Want to connect?🤝🏽 Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sami_livestrong/💪🏼 Ready to start living a Stronger Life — inside and out? Apply for my online coaching program here: bit.ly/ApplywithSami🔥 Please subscribe, rate & review if you enjoyed this ep!Disclaimer: The Live Stronger with Sami podcast is not a substitute for a health professional's individualised advice. The advice given is general in nature and should not be used to treat any medical conditions, illnesses or injuries. Please consult your medical professional before implementing any of the advice discussed in this episode. 

"I'm too old for that." "It'll wreck my joints." "It's too late for me now." If you're in your 40s, 50s or beyond and you've ever thought this about lifting weights, this episode is for you.In this episode, I share, as a coach and a physio, why strength training becomes more important as we age, not less, and how to get started safely.What happens to your muscle and bones from your 30s onwards (and why it matters)How perimenopause and menopause change the picture, and where lifting fits inThe research showing heavy lifting can improve bone density in older womenBusting the big myths: joints, bulking, and "it's too late"A simple, safe way to start, even if you've never touched a barbellWalk away knowing that your strongest years can still be ahead of you, and exactly where to start. 💚Love this episode? 💚 Share it on your intagram story and tag me @sami_livestrong  Want to connect?🤝🏽 Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sami_livestrong/💪🏼 Ready to start living a Stronger Life — inside and out? Apply for my online coaching program here: bit.ly/ApplywithSami🔥 Please subscribe, rate & review if you enjoyed this ep!Disclaimer: The Live Stronger with Sami podcast is not a substitute for a health professional's individualised advice. The advice given is general in nature and should not be used to treat any medical conditions, illnesses or injuries. Please consult your medical professional before implementing any of the advice discussed in this episode. 

You've reached the end of your fat loss phase. Now what? This is where so many women lose their results, or get stuck dieting forever without ever building the shape they want.In the final part of our phases series, I cover the two phases that come after fat loss: reverse dieting and building.What a reverse diet is and why the way you come out of fat loss mattersHow to bring your calories back up without undoing your hard workWhy the scale going up in a building phase is part of the processHow to run a building phase that actually builds muscle and shapeHow all the phases fit together into a long-term plan for a lean, strong bodyWalk away understanding the full picture of your fitness journey, and exactly how to keep progressing long after the fat loss phase ends. 💚Love this episode? 💚 Share it on your intagram story and tag me @sami_livestrong  Want to connect?🤝🏽 Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sami_livestrong/💪🏼 Ready to start living a Stronger Life — inside and out? Apply for my online coaching program here: bit.ly/ApplywithSami🔥 Please subscribe, rate & review if you enjoyed this ep!Disclaimer: The Live Stronger with Sami podcast is not a substitute for a health professional's individualised advice. The advice given is general in nature and should not be used to treat any medical conditions, illnesses or injuries. Please consult your medical professional before implementing any of the advice discussed in this episode. 

Fat loss is the phase everyone wants to be in, and the one most people struggle to get through. Hunger, flat energy, stalls, holidays and life all get in the way.In part two of our phases series, I break down how to get through a fat loss phase well, including when and how to take a step back so you can keep moving forward.How to set up a fat loss phase that's effective and sustainableMy best strategies for surviving the tough weeksThe difference between diet breaks and maintenance breaks, and when to use eachHow to travel during a fat loss phase without losing your progressWalk away with a realistic game plan to get through fat loss feeling in control, and come out the other side with results you can keep. 💚Love this episode? 💚 Share it on your intagram story and tag me @sami_livestrong  Want to connect?🤝🏽 Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sami_livestrong/💪🏼 Ready to start living a Stronger Life — inside and out? Apply for my online coaching program here: bit.ly/ApplywithSami🔥 Please subscribe, rate & review if you enjoyed this ep!Disclaimer: The Live Stronger with Sami podcast is not a substitute for a health professional's individualised advice. The advice given is general in nature and should not be used to treat any medical conditions, illnesses or injuries. Please consult your medical professional before implementing any of the advice discussed in this episode. 

Most women jump straight into a fat loss phase without ever building the foundations to support it. Then they wonder why it falls apart three weeks in.In this episode, I kick off our three-part series on the phases of your fitness journey, starting with the two phases most people skip: prep and maintenance.What a prep phase is and why habit building comes before any deficitThe key habits to lock in first, from protein and training to sleep and stepsWhat maintenance actually is, and why it's a productive phase in its own rightHow to find your maintenance calories and learn to hold your resultsHow to know when you're ready to move into a fat loss phaseWalk away with a clear starting point and the foundations that make every phase after this one easier. 💚Love this episode? 💚 Share it on your intagram story and tag me @sami_livestrong  Want to connect?🤝🏽 Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sami_livestrong/💪🏼 Ready to start living a Stronger Life — inside and out? Apply for my online coaching program here: bit.ly/ApplywithSami🔥 Please subscribe, rate & review if you enjoyed this ep!Disclaimer: The Live Stronger with Sami podcast is not a substitute for a health professional's individualised advice. The advice given is general in nature and should not be used to treat any medical conditions, illnesses or injuries. Please consult your medical professional before implementing any of the advice discussed in this episode. 

The sun comes out, the shorts come out, and suddenly it feels like there's a deadline on your body. So you go all in… and by week three you're exhausted, starving and back at square one.In this episode, I break down why the spring crash diet keeps failing you, and why the 10 to 12 weeks before summer is plenty of time for real progress when you stop trying to do it all at once.Why going "all in" in week one is the fastest way to stall by week threeWhat's genuinely achievable in 10 to 12 weeks with a sensible approachThe dimmer switch approach to building habits that actually stickA simple Good / Better / Best plan for your pre-summer weeksWhy summer should be a checkpoint, not a finish lineWalk away with a calm, realistic plan that gets you results by summer and keeps them long after. 💚Love this episode? 💚 Share it on your intagram story and tag me @sami_livestrong  Want to connect?🤝🏽 Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sami_livestrong/💪🏼 Ready to start living a Stronger Life — inside and out? Apply for my online coaching program here: bit.ly/ApplywithSami🔥 Please subscribe, rate & review if you enjoyed this ep!Disclaimer: The Live Stronger with Sami podcast is not a substitute for a health professional's individualised advice. The advice given is general in nature and should not be used to treat any medical conditions, illnesses or injuries. Please consult your medical professional before implementing any of the advice discussed in this episode. 

You can meal prep like a pro. You've got your nutrition dialled in and you're actually enjoying food again. But the second you walk into a gym or stand in front of your home setup? Total freeze.Sound familiar?In this episode, we break down exactly why training feels so different to nutrition when you're starting out, and give you the dead-simple starting point to actually build confidence in the gym.You'll learn:Why your brain freezes on new exercises even when you're smashing it elsewhereThe exact starting point for total beginners (no guessing required)How to pick your first few exercises without needing to know the whole gymWhy "good enough" form today beats "perfect" form you never startThe simple way to build real competence over time, one session at a timeYou'll walk away with a clear, doable first step and zero excuse to keep putting it off.💚Love this episode? 💚 Share it on your intagram story and tag me @sami_livestrong  Want to connect?🤝🏽 Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sami_livestrong/💪🏼 Ready to start living a Stronger Life — inside and out? Apply for my online coaching program here: bit.ly/ApplywithSami🔥 Please subscribe, rate & review if you enjoyed this ep!Disclaimer: The Live Stronger with Sami podcast is not a substitute for a health professional's individualised advice. The advice given is general in nature and should not be used to treat any medical conditions, illnesses or injuries. Please consult your medical professional before implementing any of the advice discussed in this episode.