Hey, there! Let me ask you a question: why do you work out? I guess your answer is to feel better, to get stronger, to have more energy, and to take care of the body God has given us, right? And part of taking care of that body is understanding when it needs movement and when it needs rest.

So today, I want to share six times when you should actually give yourself permission to skip the gym. And if you're someone who struggles with feeling guilty for missing a workout, I especially want you to hear this.

If you still find it hard to take a day off without feeling guilty, I think you'll love Episode 413: The Importance of a Rest Day

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! There's always some new workout trend telling women we need to train harder, sweat more, lift lighter weights, do more reps, spend more time in the gym, or burn a certain number of calories if we really want to see results.

And after years of strength training myself and helping women work toward their fitness goals, there are some things that I keep coming back to over and over again. These are things that I genuinely believe can make a HUGE difference in how you train, how you recover, and ultimately, the results you see.

So today, I'm sharing nine fitness hills I will absolutely DIE on, and why I stand by every single one.

What's discussed:

• Why cardio is helpful but not a game changer

• Why a good workout can't help without good nutrition

• How to train efficiently without overdoing it

• Same effort over time equals same results

• Why sweating a lot in the gym doesn't equal results

• Why counting calories doesn't determine how effective a workout is

• How rest is crucial to get results

If you're still reaching for the same dumbbells you were using a year ago, I think you'll love Episode 566: What Most Women Get Wrong About Progressive Overload.

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 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