You're going through a breakup, someone you love died, you lost your job, or it feels like the world is crumbling around you. That isn't to make light of what you're going through. But often the hardest seasons of our lives become the ones that shape us the most. For me, losing my dad and losing a relationship that was tied to my identity forced me to grow into a different version of myself. Looking back, those losses were painful, but they also helped create opportunities for growth that I never would have experienced otherwise. I've come to believe that we don't just go through hard things, we can grow through them. What loss, setback, or difficult season have you grown through, and what did it teach you?

If anyone else has a birthday in May/ June happy late/ current birthday!

1. You’re not eating focused vegan proteins. . Now I know vegans get a bad rap for being protein deficient, but most vegans are still using lentils, beans, peanut butter, as their main protein sources, which to be clear, are NOT main sources of protein. Tofu, tempeh, seitan, TVP, are all main sources of plant-proteins that you can swap to make sure you’re getting enough protein without overdoing it on your carbs and fats. 2. You’re not training hard enough (this is huge!) Most of y’all are not training until failure. That’s just the truth. It’s hard to train until failure. Failure is hard - but it’s where we grow the most. 3. You’re not tracking your macros (or at least your calories) What doesn’t get measured, doesn’t get managed. You can’t expect to grow or lose weight when you don’t know exactly how much you’re eating. Nutrition plays a huge role in losing weight or building muscle, so you *have to track* if you’re serious about reaching your fitness goals.

Yes, of course. Calories in versus calories out. If you are taking in more calories than you're burning, you're going to be gaining weight. If you're taking in fewer calories than you're burning, you're going to be losing weight. So yes, fats matter. How much do they matter? Do we need to avoid them at all costs? I would say no. For both men and women, fats are essential for hormone production, skin health, brain health, and things along those lines. So you do want to include dietary fats. For women, I don't really like to take them under 35 to 40 grams of fat a day. For men, more like 45 to 50 grams. Those are kind of my bottom-line numbers.

TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) is a high-protein, budget-friendly plant-based food that can make hitting your macros much easier. TVP is flavorless on its own, so think of it like a drier version of tofu. It works best when you rehydrate it in broth or seasoned liquid rather than plain water, as this adds much more flavor. Once hydrated, TVP becomes incredibly versatile. You can season and cook it just like you would ground beef or turkey. It's great for taco meat, bolognese sauce, chili, sloppy joes, and even vegan jerky. You can also combine it with other ingredients to make burgers or meatballs. To prepare it, simply soak it in broth or a seasoned liquid for 5–10 minutes, then cook and season it however you like. Learn how to cook TVP and hit your macros easily by watching the full video on my channel. https://youtu.be/V4d-J12qbys?si=Nbzj10EQ-fMnl7ZB