688: 5 Ways to Take Care of Yourself When Life Feels Way Too Hard

Hey hey beautiful human! Some seasons take so much out of you that taking care of yourself starts to feel like one more thing you do not have the energy for. The workout you normally love feels impossible. Making a real meal feels like effort. Texting someone back feels like effort. Even resting can feel hard because your brain keeps reminding you of everything that still needs to get done. And then comes the guilt. Like you should be handling it better. Like you should be doing more. Like you should somehow be able to keep your normal routine while life feels anything but normal. That is exactly who this episode is for. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about five ways to take care of yourself when life feels way too hard. Not the cute, perfect, "reset your whole life" version of self-care. The real version. The kind that meets you when your capacity is low and helps you take the next small step without making you feel like you are failing. What's Discussed: Why hard seasons need a different kind of self-care How to stop measuring today's capacity against a different version of your life What to do when your normal routine feels completely out of reach How to let support in without making it feel like a huge thing Why coming back slowly can be more helpful than making up for lost time What it can look like to keep taking care of yourself in small, realistic ways If movement is one of the small things that helps you feel a little more like yourself, Movement With Julie can make it easier to start. Open the app, choose a 30-minute workout, and follow the plan without having to think through what to do. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 612: Why Imperfect Consistency Beats Trying to Be Perfect Every Time. It is the perfect next listen if you need the reminder that showing up in a smaller way still counts, especially when life feels heavy. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Hey hey beautiful human!  Today we are talking about something I think gets misunderstood all the time: macro counting versus dieting. From the outside, I understand why people mix them up. Both involve paying attention to food. Both can be used when fat loss is the goal. Both require some level of intention. But they do not feel the same in real life. One can make food feel like a list of rules you are trying not to break. The other can teach you how to understand what your body actually needs. That is why in this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about five differences between macro counting and dieting that can completely change the way you approach food, your goals, and the way you live your life. Because when you understand the difference, you stop treating food like something you are constantly trying not to mess up. You start learning how to make choices with confidence, adjust when life changes, and stop feeling like one imperfect meal means you have to start all over again. What's Discussed: Why macro counting and dieting can look similar from the outside How food rules can make eating feel harder than it needs to be Why learning how foods fit can change your relationship with food How macro counting teaches you skills you can keep using Why understanding your body's needs can help you feel more confident around food If macro counting sounds helpful but you have no idea where to begin, that is exactly why I created Macro Counting Made Simple. Inside the program, I calculate your personalized macro targets and teach you how to actually use them so you understand how much protein, carbohydrates, and fat your body needs and how to fit those numbers into your real life. Head to macrocountingmadesimple.com to learn more. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 313: 8 Reasons Why Macro Counting Isn't a Fad Diet. It is the perfect next listen if you want to understand why macro counting can support you long-term instead of becoming another trend you try for a few weeks and quit. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

If you have ever finished a workout drenched in sweat, muscles burning, feeling like you absolutely crushed it, and still wondered why your body is not changing the way you want it to, this episode is for you. There is this belief that more reps automatically means more results. More burning. More sweating. More pushing through. More "just keep going." And I get why that feels like it should work. A high-rep workout can feel intense in the moment, so of course your brain starts thinking, "This has to be doing something." But what if the thing you are building is not actually the thing you think you are building? In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about what high reps actually do, why that burn can be a little misleading, and what your muscles really need if your goal is to feel stronger, more defined, and more confident in your body. What's Discussed: Why high-rep workouts can feel so effective in the moment What the burn is actually telling you during lighter-weight sets Why sweat and soreness are not always the best signs of progress What your muscles need when the goal is building lean muscle Why the right rep range matters more than chasing more reps How progressive overload helps your body keep changing Why lifting heavier does not mean you are going to get bulky How Movement With Julie is built to help you train with the right challenge The workouts inside Movement With Julie are built around the kind of challenge that helps women build lean muscle without spending hours in the gym. The app gives you the structure, the rep range, and the progressive overload so you are not guessing whether you are doing enough. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 566: What Most Women Get Wrong About Progressive Overload. It is the perfect next listen if you want to understand how to keep challenging your muscles over time so your results do not stall. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Mama, when was the last time you ended the day and actually let yourself believe you did a good job? Maybe the house was still messy. Maybe dinner was whatever you could throw together. Maybe you lost your patience once or twice. Maybe the day looked nothing like the version you had in your head. But your kids were fed. They were loved. They were safe. And somehow, even with all of that being true, it can still feel hard to say, "I did enough today." If that feels familiar, this episode is for you. Somewhere along the way, the bar for being a "good mom" got set so high that no real human could reach it. And now so many moms are walking around feeling like they are failing when they are actually doing an incredible job. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about three things that change when you stop trying to be a perfect mom. My hope is that this helps you loosen your grip on the version of motherhood that was never realistic and start seeing the ways you are already showing up. What's Discussed: Where the pressure to be a perfect mom starts to come from Why the "good mom" standard can feel impossible to reach What your kids actually learn when they see you handle real life How chasing perfect can pull you out of the moments you want to be in Why taking care of yourself matters inside motherhood too What can happen when motherhood stops feeling like a performance The simple question that can help you quiet the guilt at the end of the day If you are looking for a simple way to take care of yourself in the middle of motherhood, Movement With Julie was built for exactly that. The workouts are already planned for you, with options that can fit into real life, even when your schedule feels full. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 515: How Exercise Transforms Your Mental Health as a New Mom. It is the perfect next listen if you want to understand how even small amounts of movement can change the way you show up for yourself and your kids. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Hey hey beautiful human! Some body image advice sounds really good until you are the one standing in front of the mirror trying to believe it. "Just love your body." "Say positive things to yourself." "Focus on the parts you like." And listen, I know most of that advice is meant to help. But when I was really struggling with how I felt in my body, some of it did not make me feel better. Some of it made me feel like I was failing at body confidence too. And that is such a frustrating place to be. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about the body image advice that did not help me, why it felt so hard to actually use, and what started to make a difference when forcing myself into body love did not feel honest yet. My hope is that this episode gives you a more realistic place to start if body positivity feels too far away right now. What's Discussed: Why "just love your body" is not always helpful when you are struggling What to do when positive affirmations feel fake Why focusing on the body parts you like can still keep you stuck in appearance mode How body neutrality can feel more believable than forced body love Why confidence does not always come before you live your life How discomfort can still exist while you show up anyway What it can look like to respect your body before you fully love how it looks Taking care of your body matters, even on the days you do not feel amazing in it. That is part of why I built the Movement With Julie app the way I did. The workouts are there for you at home, in the gym, or wherever this season has you, so you do not have to wait until you feel confident to start showing up for yourself. Head to movementwithjulie.com to learn more. If you loved this episode, you will also love Body Neutrality vs. Body Positivity: Why You Need to Know the Difference. It is the perfect next listen if body positivity has ever felt too far away and you want a more honest, sustainable place to start. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Hey hey beautiful human! I have officially lost 40 pounds since having my baby. And yes, that number is exciting, but what feels even better is that I feel stronger than I have in years. My endurance is better. I am lifting consistently. I am training for a marathon. And when I think about where I started postpartum, it honestly feels wild. So if you have been wondering what changed, I get it. Did I overhaul everything? Did I follow some intense plan? Did I cut out foods? Did I start working out every single day? Did I finally find some secret that made the weight come off? Not exactly. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I am sharing the very unsexy advice that helped me lose 40 pounds, feel stronger, and build a routine I actually believe I can keep. It is probably not the flashy answer most people want, but it is the one I keep coming back to because it works in real life. What's Discussed: Why big results do not always come from big overhauls What changed when I stopped trying to make every day impressive How smaller habits can still count, even when they do not look exciting Why a realistic routine will always beat a perfect one you cannot keep How giving yourself a range can make consistency feel less fragile Why one missed workout does not need to become an entire missed week What the last 40 pounds taught me about the boring basics How to build a routine that can actually survive real life If you need help building a routine you can repeat, that is exactly what Movement With Julie is for. I did not want to create another rigid program that only works on your best week. I wanted something that can flex with you, with 30-minute and 60-minute options you can do at home, in the gym, or while traveling. Open the app, follow the plan, and choose the version that fits the day you are actually having. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 619: 7 Unconventional Ways to Stay Consistent (And Actually See Results). It is the perfect next listen if you want to build realistic systems that make consistency feel doable instead of relying on motivation to show up. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Hey hey beautiful human! The last few months of the year can make everything feel like it is moving faster. The holidays are coming. The calendar starts filling up. There are events, family plans, travel, work, errands, and a million little things that suddenly need your attention. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, it gets really easy to tell yourself, "I will get back to me in January." But I do not want you to lose the next three months just because life feels full. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I am sharing three quotes to carry with you this month when motivation feels low, your schedule feels busy, or one imperfect decision makes you want to throw the whole thing away. These are the reminders I want you coming back to when showing up for yourself does not feel easy, exciting, or perfectly planned. What's Discussed: Why the last few months of the year can make consistency feel harder How the version of you that you want to become is built by what you repeat Why the routine you can actually come back to matters more than the one that looks impressive How to stop asking whether you feel like doing it and start asking whether it matters to you Why motivation is not required for something to still matter How to walk into January building on something instead of starting over The Movement With Julie app is there for the days when motivation is not. Open the app, follow the plan, and let me take the guesswork out of your workout so you can still show up, even when life feels busy and your energy is not perfect. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 619: 7 Unconventional Ways to Stay Consistent (And Actually See Results). It is the perfect next listen if you want practical strategies for making consistency feel doable, even on the weeks when nothing goes to plan. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Hey hey beautiful human! Nutrition advice can get real loud, real fast. One person is telling you to eat more fat. Someone else is telling you to fast. Then there is another rule about what time to stop eating, which foods are "bad," how little you should eat, or why your progress is not happening fast enough. And suddenly, feeding yourself starts to feel way more complicated than it needs to be. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about five nutrition hills I will absolutely die on. These are the things I come back to over and over again after years of counting macros, working with women, and watching so many people bounce from one nutrition trend to the next. My hope is that this episode helps you stop chasing every random rule and start feeling a whole lot more confident about what your body actually needs. What's Discussed: Why fat matters, but more fat does not automatically mean better nutrition Why an eating window is not required for weight loss How labeling foods as "good" or "bad" can make your relationship with food harder Why protein is one of the biggest things I want women to prioritize How eating too little at meals can make the rest of your day feel harder Why balanced meals can help you feel more satisfied and less snacky How macro counting can take the guesswork out of your nutrition Why understanding your own numbers can make food feel so much simpler If you listened to this episode and thought, "Okay, but I still do not know how much protein, carbs, and fat I should personally be eating," that is exactly why I created Macro Counting Made Simple. Inside, I teach you how to calculate your macros based on your body and your goals, then show you how to make those numbers work in real life without cutting out your favorite foods or following random rules from the internet. Head to macrocountingmadesimple.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 357: 7 Ways to Simplify Your Weekly Meal Planning. It is the perfect next listen if you want to make eating well feel easier, more realistic, and less dependent on having the perfect plan every week. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Hey hey beautiful human! Feeding yourself every day should not feel like a full-time job. But somehow, it can start to feel that way. The Pinterest search starts. Instagram gets opened. Another recipe gets saved. The grocery list keeps growing. And suddenly, every meal feels like it has to be new, exciting, flavorful, balanced, and cute enough to belong on the internet. Then Wednesday rolls around. Life is busy, nobody feels like cooking, and the meal you planned suddenly feels like way too much work. That is the kind of thing that can make eating well feel way more complicated than it needs to be. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about one of the most basic nutrition mistakes I see women making and the small mindset shift that made feeding myself feel so much easier. After this, I hope you stop looking at a basic meal and thinking it is not "enough." I hope you stop feeling like every meal needs to be new, exciting, or recipe-worthy to support your goals. And I hope this gives you permission to make feeding yourself feel a whole lot less dramatic. What's Discussed: Why feeding yourself can start to feel harder than it needs to be The mistake that makes meal planning feel overwhelming Why some meals create more pressure than they need to What to remember when there is no recipe planned How to make a meal feel easier without making it too small Why repeat meals can help during busy weeks How to stop treating shortcuts like a failure Why macros can make basic meals feel less confusing If nutrition feels harder than it needs to, Macro Counting Made Simple can help you bring it back to the basics. Inside, I teach you how to figure out the protein, carbs, and fat your body needs, then show you how to use those numbers with meals that actually fit your life. Head to macrocountingmadesimple.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 357: 7 Ways to Simplify Your Weekly Meal Planning. It is the perfect next listen if you want to make eating well feel easier, more realistic, and less dependent on having the perfect plan every week. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Have you ever finished a workout and thought, "Wait… was that even hard enough?" Maybe you were not sore the next day. Maybe the exercises felt familiar. Maybe you have heard someone say your muscles need to be "confused" or "kept guessing" if you want to keep seeing results. And suddenly, repeating the same kinds of movements starts to feel like you are doing something wrong. I get why it sounds convincing. New workouts feel exciting. New exercises can make you sore. New formats can make you feel like you challenged your body in a completely different way. But does your body actually need to be confused to change? In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about muscle confusion, where this idea comes from, and what really matters if you want your workouts to keep working. We will also talk about why I give you five brand-new workouts every week inside Movement With Julie, while still bringing you back to the foundational movements your body needs to get stronger. What's Discussed: What people really mean when they say "muscle confusion" What soreness can make you assume about your workouts How to know when your body needs a greater challenge Where variety actually belongs in your workouts Why Movement With Julie gives you fresh workouts without random programming How to keep training interesting while still building strength Inside the Movement With Julie app, you get five brand-new workouts every week so training stays fresh, fun, and challenging without you having to piece together random workouts on your own. I handle the programming, the variety, and the structure so all you have to do is open the app, choose your weights, and press play. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started. If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 566: What Most Women Get Wrong About Progressive Overload. It is the perfect next listen if you want to understand how to keep challenging your body as you get stronger without feeling like you need to start over with a completely new workout every week. If you want more from me, be sure to check out… Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/ Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/ Website: www.juliealedbetter.com