Some of the most popular fitness advice out there sounds smart, and some of it is even true. But the way I was using it was exactly what kept me stuck.

In this episode, I'm sharing the advice I followed for years, the fitness "rules" I believed without question, and why I eventually had to ditch them or completely rethink how I used them to see real results. These are the habits and mindsets that led to injuries, kept me on the dieting roller coaster, and had me working harder without making progress, and you might be following some of them right now without realizing it.

I'm also sharing the reframes that changed everything for me and my clients, especially as we've gotten older and needed to train and eat smarter, not just harder.

Stick around to the end, because the last one is probably going to make some of you mad. It sounds great in theory, but it was the one holding me back the most.

"I leaned out eating more. I didn't have to starve."

That's a real quote from a client email. I recently asked the Redefining Strength community what advice actually made a difference for them, and the same lessons kept coming up again and again. So I pulled together the top 10 pieces of coaching advice that my clients say changed their results, from fat loss and body recomposition to strength training, metabolism, and finally breaking the yo-yo dieting cycle.

Some of these might surprise you. The #1 answer is the one clients fought me on the hardest, and it's also the one they said made the biggest impact. If you've been doing "all the right things" and still aren't seeing results, this one might be what's holding you back.

For every lesson, I'll give you one simple action step you can start this week, whether you're trying to lose fat, build muscle, fix your metabolism after years of dieting, or just stop feeling like you're starting over every Monday.

This is especially for women over 40 navigating perimenopause, menopause, and a body that doesn't respond the way it used to. What worked before may not work anymore, and it's never too late to change.

Go for a walk, meal prep, or get comfy on the couch and stay until the end for #1.

Let me know which lesson hit home for you or if there's a piece of advice you'd add to the list!