Capable & Worthy: Fitness, Nutrition, & Mindset for People Who Don't Want Life to Suck

In today’s SELECTS episode, we’re joined by Barbie Boules,RDN. Best known as The Cognition Dietitian, Barbie is a registered dietitian, cognitive wellness specialist, and optimal aging enthusiast, dedicated to helping women prioritize themselves, experience confidence, excellent health, and genuine joy.Barbie shares her journey into nutrition and her passion for women's cognitive and cardiometabolic health, especially during menopause. She offers practical steps for maintaining metabolic and brain health, the critical role of metabolic health in brain function, especially in preventing diseases like Alzheimer's, highlighting the urgency and importance of taking preventive measures early on and the Four Pillars of cognitive and metabolic health.Barbie's expertise and compassionate approach provide listeners with actionable advice on how to maintain a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle, manage stress, and build cognitive reserve through lifelong learning and social connections. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in optimizing their health through midlife and beyond, with a focus on nutrition, exercise, and overall wellness.“Our brain's health rests on our metabolic health. We have to be metabolically healthy for our brain to thrive.”- Barbie Boules, The Cognition Dietitian“Stress manifests physically 100% of the time, especially if we're managing stress with food or alcohol.”- Barbie Boules, The Cognition DietitianThis week on Here’s the Deal: Fitness, Nutrition and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck:Barbie’s journey to becoming The Cognition Dietitian and her focus on women’s healthWhat is “metabolic health” and why does it matter, especially in midlife?The connection between metabolic health and brain functionPractical advice on building muscle and maintaining metabolic healthThe Four Pillars of cognitive and metabolic healthThe truth about “hormone balancing” and hormone therapyHow to effectively self-advocate during doctors appointmentsRecommendations for responsible supplementation and identifying nutrient deficienciesConnect with Barbie Boules, The Cognition Dietitian (and Resources Mentioned):Barbie Boules The Cognition Dietitian on InstagramA Guide to Women’s Health: Fifty and Forward, Harvard HealthThe Official MIND Diet by Dr. Martha Clare MorrisThe Brain Health Kitchen: Preventing Alzheimer’s Through Food by Annie Fenn MDThe Vajenda by Dr. (OB/GYN) Jen GunterThanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Here’s the Deal: Fitness, Nutrition, and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck, where we challenge the common understanding of what it means and what it takes to be fit and healthy! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.Apple Podcasts | SpotifyBe sure to share your favorite episodes on social media and tag us!Join Iris Deadlifts on Instagram and Amy Rudolph on Instagram.

In today’s episode, we’re talking about what to do when you’re sick, how to decide whether you should work out when you’re under the weather, and why a few days away from your normal routine isn’t going to undo your progress. We break down the “above the neck, below the neck” rule for exercise when sick, talk about when it makes sense to rest instead of train, and discuss what to prioritize with nutrition, hydration, and recovery when you’re not feeling your best.We also get into a very real problem: what happens when you think you’re in a calorie deficit but your results aren’t reflecting it. We talk about dining out, untracked food, emotional eating, alcohol, and using an accountability calendar to identify patterns instead of relying on the vague feeling that you’ve “been good.” From there, we discuss why sometimes the best approach to sustainable fat loss is to slow down, build the necessary habits and skills first, and trust a coach who is willing to tell you what you actually need to hear - not just what you want to hear.“Maintenance is a love note to your body and your brain."- Amy Rudolph“A good coach won’t always tell you what you want to hear."- Iris DeadliftsThis week on Capable and Worthy: Fitness, Nutrition and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck:The above-the-neck vs. below-the-neck rule for exercising while sick Why a few days away from the gym won't erase your progress What to prioritize with nutrition and hydration when you're sickWhy “it wasn't perfect” is not a useful measure of success Using an accountability calendar to identify patterns in your habits Why you can feel like you're in a calorie deficit without actually being in one Why a good coach may tell you you're not ready for a fat loss phaseBuilding the habits and systems first so fat loss is actually sustainable long termResources Mentioned:Iris Deadlifts on InstagramAmy Rudolph on InstagramWork with us at Beth Feraco FitnessThanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Capable and Worthy: Fitness, Nutrition, and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck, where we challenge the common understanding of what it means and what it takes to be fit and healthy! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.Apple Podcasts | SpotifyBe sure to share your favorite episodes on social media and tag us!Join Iris Deadlifts on Instagram and Amy Rudolph on Instagram.

In today’s episode, we're revisiting one of the most misunderstood parts of a fitness journey: maintenance. We answer listener questions about wanting to eat more without gaining weight, dealing with mental hunger versus physical hunger, and why learning to maintain your results is every bit as important as losing weight in the first place. We also discuss the influence of social media, unrealistic expectations around calories, and why maintenance should never feel like a punishment.We also tackle another coaching question we hear all the time: when is it time to take a break from a calorie deficit? From recognizing diet fatigue and understanding maintenance breaks to overcoming the fear of "undoing your progress," we explain why strategically stepping out of a deficit can actually help you build a healthier body composition and a more sustainable relationship with food.If you've ever worried about gaining weight in maintenance, struggled with constant hunger, or felt nervous about increasing your calories, this conversation is for you."If you take care of your body, your body's gonna take care of you."- Amy Rudolph"The skill is in recognizing I don't actually want more or need more.”- Iris DeadliftsThis week on Capable and Worthy: Fitness, Nutrition and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck:How to tell the difference between physical hunger and mental hungerWhy comparing your maintenance calories to people on social media can be misleadingPractical ways to increase calories while maintaining your weightHow meal structure and food choices can improve fullness and satisfactionSigns that it's time to take a maintenance break or diet breakWhy your scale weight and body composition naturally change in maintenanceHow long to stay in a calorie deficit before considering a breakWhy practicing maintenance is essential for long-term fat loss successResources Mentioned:Maintenance Masterclass EpisodeQ&A: Maintenance Refresher, Mindset Shifts, and Real-Life Strategies for Success in MaintenanceConnect with Us:Iris Deadlifts on InstagramAmy Rudolph on InstagramWork with us at Beth Feraco FitnessThanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Capable and Worthy: Fitness, Nutrition, and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck, where we challenge the common understanding of what it means and what it takes to be fit and healthy! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.Apple Podcasts | SpotifyBe sure to share your favorite episodes on social media and tag us!Join Iris Deadlifts on Instagram and Amy Rudolph on Instagram.

In today’s episode, we’re catching up on where we are in life, health, fitness, and our current goals - and, unsurprisingly, life has not exactly been smooth sailing. Iris is in the middle of a 10-12 week fat loss phase at 11 months postpartum, while Amy is continuing to live in maintenance after a major move and a year of focusing on building muscle.We chat about how to make long-term nutrition and fitness sustainable, and how to specifically be flexible without completely abandoning your goals.We discuss the difference between an exception and a pattern, why you shouldn't compare your chapter 2 to someone else's chapter 45, and why sometimes the healthiest decision is to not pursue fat loss right now. Most importantly, we talk about building the kind of confidence where a stressful week becomes a road bump instead of a roadblock.“Maintenance is a love note to your body and your brain."- Amy Rudolph"Rearrange some things, say no, delegate, and put strength training on your freakin' schedule."- Iris DeadliftsThis week on Capable and Worthy: Fitness, Nutrition and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck:Navigating fat loss as a busy momWhy you need a foundation before a calorie deficitPlanning for food when life gets chaoticUsing flexibility within structureWhy strength training is a non-negotiableThe importance of maintenance for long-term resultsRecognizing exceptions versus unhealthy patternsAvoiding FOMO and comparison in your fitness journeyResources Mentioned:How to Eat More Calories at Maintenance (& Other Questions) EpisodeIris Deadlifts on InstagramAmy Rudolph on InstagramWork with us at Beth Feraco FitnessThanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Capable and Worthy: Fitness, Nutrition, and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck, where we challenge the common understanding of what it means and what it takes to be fit and healthy! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.Apple Podcasts | SpotifyBe sure to share your favorite episodes on social media and tag us!Join Iris Deadlifts on Instagram and Amy Rudolph on Instagram.

In today’s episode, we’re talking about diet culture, body image, extreme thinness, and the ever-changing standards women are expected to meet with dietitian and social media educator Abby Langer. We dig into the return of extreme thinness as an aspirational ideal, the influence of GLP-1s and social media, and why we should be questioning the messages telling us that smaller, younger-looking bodies are inherently healthier or more desirable. We also talk about what malnutrition can actually look like, why you can’t determine someone’s health from their appearance alone, and how easily we can internalize these standards without even realizing it.We also get into the practical side of navigating diet culture, including how to identify nutrition misinformation, why credentials and follower counts don’t automatically make someone trustworthy, how social media can exploit our insecurities, and how parents can help their kids develop a healthier relationship with food, bodies, and the internet. Most importantly, this conversation is about learning to recognize when we’re being sold something designed to make us smaller—and deciding that we don’t have to buy into it.“If we don’t talk about it, we’re allowing it.”- Abby Langer“After decades and decades of internalizing this messaging, we have to start to wake up and recognize that we've been sold a lie. It's been a lie."- Abby LangerThis week on Capable & Worthy: Fitness, Nutrition and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck:Why extreme thinness keeps coming back as an idealHow GLP-1s have changed the conversation around weight lossWhy you can’t determine someone’s health from their appearanceHow women internalize body standards from an early ageWhy menopause and aging have become targets for the wellness industryHow to spot nutrition misinformation and fear-based marketingHow social media can reinforce body dissatisfaction and diet cultureRaising kids without passing down body shame and food rules Connect with Abby Langer or Langer Nutrition: Abby Langer on InstagramAbby Langer - Canada's Food and Nutrition ExpertLanger Nutrition BlogBite Me. By Abby LangerAggressive Salad with Abby LangerThanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of Capable & Worthy: Fitness, Nutrition, and Mindset for People Who Don’t Want Life to Suck, where we challenge the common understanding of what it means and what it takes to be fit and healthy! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.Apple Podcasts | SpotifyBe sure to share your favorite episodes on social media and tag us!Join Iris Deadlifts on Instagram and Amy Rudolph on Instagram.