In this episode, I’m joined by the wonderful Jenny Blake of Jenny the Nutritionist. She shares her own struggles trying her hardest to see the results from her time in the gym, yet feeling like she had nothing to show for it. She eventually discovered the missing piece of the puzzle, which led to becoming a nationally qualified bikini competitor and a coach for professional women who lift weights and want to change their shape! She’s helped hundreds of women inside her signature program, Create Your Shape, and she shares the details of her mistakes AND triumphs in this episode.
We cover:
Resources mentioned:
FOLLOW JENNY
Jenny’s Instagram @jennythenutritionist
Create Your Shape with Jenny the Nutritionist Podcast
Feedback? Questions? Comments? Head on over to Instagram and let me know in my DMs!
FREE TRAINING
COURSES
In this episode, I’m joined by the wonderful Jenny Blake of Jenny the Nutritionist. She shares her own struggles trying her hardest to see the results from her time in the gym, yet feeling like she had nothing to show for it. She eventually discovered the missing piece of the puzzle, which led to becoming a nationally qualified bikini competitor and a coach for professional women who lift weights and want to change their shape! She’s helped hundreds of women inside her signature program, Create Your Shape, and she shares the details of her mistakes AND triumphs in this episode.
We cover:
Resources mentioned:
FOLLOW JENNY
Jenny’s Instagram @jennythenutritionist
Create Your Shape with Jenny the Nutritionist Podcast
Feedback? Questions? Comments? Head on over to Instagram and let me know in my DMs!
FREE TRAINING
COURSES
Jessie: [00:00:00] Okay, Jenny, welcome to the show.
Jenny: me.
Jessie: So for those who are listening, obviously, uh, very few people will know this, but Jenny and I met in Bali through mutual friend. We were both living there for, I was there for four months. We ended up living in the exact same apartment building, which of all the places in Bali is actually quite rare.
Jenny: Yeah. I had
Jessie: And.
Jenny: me. They're like, you've got to meet this girl. And I'm like, apparently we're going to be friends.
Jessie: yes, and they were not wrong and we do very similar work, but I love your approach so much. It's deviates from the way I do things a little bit, but in a really great way, but I would love to hear. So you help women change their bodies using a more strategic approach. And like most coaches, you have your own journey.
So what was your experience with your own body composition that led to your work today?
Jenny: Yeah. So [00:01:00] I've always been into fitness and moving my body. And I mean, they're, my cousin told me that There was a time she came to visit, like their family came to visit us and everyone was hanging out watching TV and I was on the floor doing crunches, like just getting after it and they're like, what are you doing?
And I'm like, I don't know. I just, I have so much energy and I love to move. Let's go. And that pretty much was how I, how I grew up at the same time we went to Hooters. every single week. It was like our family Sunday dinner. We went to Hooters and I could eat. Like, I loved wings. I loved all food. It was just like part of my, our family.
I didn't know anything about nutrition. So all growing up, I loved to work out and I would, I was in this mindset of work out more, work out more, work out [00:02:00] more, which It wasn't a problem because I did enjoy it, but I also knew nothing about nutrition and was just like, Oh, okay. I've heard you eat healthier, but I don't really know what that means.
And I didn't, I never was at a point where I had this really terrible relationship with food or this terrible relationship with my body. But I was at a point where I was like, wait a minute. I am working out so much. I am doing so much. I don't, like, have that, a physique that represents that. What is going on here?
And, by no means was I, like, I had a, I don't think anyone can say like they a hundred percent have this perfect relationship with food and they think their body's the absolute best. Like, by no means am I saying that, but it wasn't coming from that place as it was like, [00:03:00] wait a minute, something isn't adding up here.
And that's when I, you know, I mean, I was an athlete through high school, through college, and it was after that, that I was really like, okay. Something just isn't adding up here. I was a competitive cheerleader all through university. And then I started doing CrossFit in same thing. Um, I'm working out so much. What, why doesn't my physique really represent that? And, um, I think the CrossFit world, of course, has so many pros and cons, but one of the pros was it, is it did introduce to me that there was a nutrition component that I was missing. And, luckily I was past the paleo days, so I didn't, I didn't go down that avenue, but I did meet somebody who was competing in bodybuilding shows.
And I remember [00:04:00] seeing her shape and being like, wait, that, like, how did she do that? Right. And started talking with her and realized that there's a whole like nutrition. Now, what I call strategy that I just wasn't aware of. And so at that point I was like, okay, I want to learn what I'm missing in terms of like how nutrition works, because I tried, you know, oh, my fitness pal, 1200 calories, and I would do that for a couple of days and be like, okay, I know this isn't it.
Cause I'm starving. And part of me was like, Oh, maybe I just don't have the willpower. But then part of me was like, no, that can't be it. Like there's gotta be a smarter way than this. And, or I tried eating cleaner and then it would get to the weekend and I'd want to go out with my friends and we'd share appetizers and I would be like, well, can I have this?
Can I not have that? I don't know. Maybe not. Oh. [00:05:00] I can't think about this anymore. I'll just try again, try a different approach or a new thing later. And so I was searching for, you know, the internet of, to learn how it actually worked. Like what was I missing? And I couldn't find it. So I. I saw this girl who did bikini shows and I was like, okay, every bikini, bikini, bikini, combining them, bikini competitor looks like this.
Like, what do they know that I don't know? And so I ended up signing up for a competition and I'm so glad I did. And I had a great coach who did it in a very healthy way. But through that process, I learned that nutrition was. 70 plus percent of your results in that there's an actual strategy to use nutrition, to build muscle and decrease body fat.
And that just [00:06:00] completely like turned my world around. Cause I was like that, this is what I've been missing. I've been working so hard, but I wasn't working smart and using actual like science and strategy to achieve the shape that I wanted. And so from there, I took that and just applied it to my. I like to travel.
I like to be social and the competitor world was a little more like rigid and intense than What I saw myself for the longterm. And so I took that and applied it to my life. And, um, through that journey and process, I started coaching others who were like, wait a minute, I see what you're doing. How did you achieve that?
And then I started coaching more and more ladies, which then turned into my program, create your shape. So that's kind of the full story of how I got here.
Jessie: I love it. And so relatable because they, you don't know what you don't know [00:07:00] in the beginning and you hear a lot of these tropes and there's so many misconceptions or just people giving advice without any context. And I think CrossFit is one where, at least for me, I saw the upper echelon competitors, right?
The women in the games who were jacked and it's easy to associate, Oh, if I just do this workout, then I'm going to look like that. When that's not how it works. And I love that you put in your program for ladies who lift. So when you say ladies who lift, is that progressive overload lifting? Is that CrossFit?
What is the differentiation
Jenny: So really anyone who has weights in their hands four times a week. I think that I am really pro as I know you are too. We have a lot of similarities of what's going to be the most efficient way to build muscle while progressive overload training is for sure. However, can you still build muscle doing CrossFit?
Yes. Can you still do it other forms? [00:08:00] Yes. And so once I work with someone, we really optimize to get. How can we get this closer to progressive overload training? If not, make sure you're on progressive overload training program, but it's not necessarily a requirement. But I do distinguish between someone who works out and someone who lifts because I think there's a different mindset there and a different understanding of movement in a different relationship with training.
You know, ladies who Lift I have found love it, right? Like love the movement, love progressing. They love feeling like an athlete. And so I really do kind of. niche down and really focus on that person.
Jessie: I love it. So it's women who are working out a yes, because for their health and because they enjoy, but also they understand that there's a purpose and also a strategy for building muscle. That is helpful to adhere to if they want [00:09:00] to get to their goals as quickly as
Jenny: Yeah. A hundred percent. I think I would say like 50 percent of my ladies are already on some form of a progressive overload training program. And maybe the other 50 percent are, are either doing CrossFit or they're doing something similar, but they're, they don't know about progressive overload training.
And then once they know they're, then they're like, Oh, okay. I can like. Fit this into like how it actually works now.
Jessie: Perfect. Okay. So I know the answer to this, but for those listening, when it comes to things, do you find a lot of ladies think that Orange Theory or HIT classes, HIT, quote unquote, that that is lifting? How do you typically respond to those types of clients?
Jenny: I'm getting less and less of those. I think just because of my content today, it's, I mean, they're attracting people or they realize through my content that that, Oh, that's not going to actually change my shape at the, at the stage I'm in right now. Um, but it, it really depends on, on the individual, [00:10:00] right?
So someone who just started walking. If they're walking every day and then they start going to Pilates a couple times a week, they're going to see a change, right? But then if someone's done Pilates for a year and not, maybe not reformal, reform, how do you say it? The, yeah, that one. Because I've heard that's intense, but you know, let's just say you're, your grandma's Pilates.
Then if someone's doing Pilates for a couple days a week and they're doing that for years, If they go to Orange Theory or F45, right, and they start putting weights in their hands, they're going to see a change, right? But same thing, the, it kind of the, to create that adaption, you have to create, keep creating that adaption, like in what you're doing.
So I would say most of my ladies are past the Orange Theory and they're in that next phase where they're going to the gym or they're in the garage gym or CrossFit or on a progressive overload training program. However, my, one of the big things that I'm. Like in my program is teaching, right? And [00:11:00] education.
And so one of the first things we talk about is how do we actually build muscle and how do we achieve that from one, a science perspective, but then from an actual application of it, and what is a progressive overload training program? What does that look like? What does that mean? What are options there?
What if I'm new to it? And once they go through that module, they're, they all are like. Oh, doing orange theory that I've been doing for a year or two now, you know, I've already reached the point where this isn't going to change my shape. If I want to take it to the next level, I understand now that I need to do something different.
And then I, they typically change. Um, so again, all individual based, but based on a lot of these I work with, that's kind of what I see when it comes to orange theory and F45 and those type of classes.
Jessie: the standard
Jenny: Mm hmm.
Jessie: amazing. And [00:12:00] you did a bikini competition, which I think is so incredible and you seem to have a very healthy mindset when it comes to your relationship with food, body image. What was that whole bikini competition experience like for
Jenny: Yeah, I remember afterwards being interviewed on a podcast and this is like back in the day when it was like new thing to be on a podcast or interviewed in the guy asked me, so what was it that you didn't like about yourself that you had to do this competition and he did not mean it in a like a derogatory terms at all, like, and I was just blown away by that question because it never even crossed my mind.
Mm hmm. That, that was, I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, but dude, you got it all wrong. Like this is a sport, like any competing competitors, like they are athletes. It's a sport and yes, totally agree. It can be taken to the extreme and it's not always, let's say the healthiest at that level, [00:13:00] but just like any other sport.
And I wanted to do it to learn and understand and. Like in compete, right? That's, those were a handful of reasons that I wanted to do it. And then I forget your actual question around this.
Jessie: Yeah, no, just what your, your overall experience was like. And then I'd also love to know if you do have advice for women who might be considering one.
Jenny: Okay. So the, the overall experience I think comes down to having a good coach. My coach was very focused on doing it in a healthy way where I was. In a calorie deficit, meaning I was decreasing body fat and in they call it prep at. 1, 650 calories. Like that is a decent amount, especially cause I'm a, like a petite person.
That is a decent amount of food for someone at that stage. Whereas I knew a lot of other competitors who were eating 1100, [00:14:00] 800 calories. Um, and so I think it really, especially for your first one, it's just so unnecessary, so I think it really comes down to having a good coach. So. It was, um, that part I think was, was good, but, but in the moment, and at the time I was going from having no nutrition routine or understanding, and I was just trying, like trying things going to a kind of strict, it wasn't necessarily a meal plan because I was following macros, but it felt to me at the time, very intense and very, um, very like difficult and.
I realized now that it was just, it wasn't much, so much the actual nutrition. Cause I wasn't really being restricted. Um, cause I was kind of following if it fits your macros. Um, but it was just the application of it and [00:15:00] being on top of it and having a routine instead of frantically every day being like, Oh my gosh, I gotta get this.
I needed this. And I, like, it was that part to me was the hardest, just because it was such a change from what I was doing before. However, I learned so much and I. Felt like an athlete again, cause it's like your main priority and you have to commit to it. And there's other people who are competing too, that go to the same gym, at least for me.
And so I love that aspect of it. And then I am a performer at heart in my background. So I love being on stage and doing the routine and all of that. Um, But honestly, like what I learned was so valuable for, for the longterm and realizing like, what's important to change your shape and what's, what's not.
So that was huge. Um, so that's kind of my experience. And then for somebody who is maybe considering doing a show just for themselves or for fun, I [00:16:00] would definitely say, see what the coaches approaches first and. You know, ask a cow. Low. Do you typically take someone in their calories just to make sure it's not too low, especially for your first one?
And the second thing I would ask is, you know, based on where I'm at, how long do you think I need to prep for the show to compete and be at second place? X level, if you know, or be competitive, if that's what you want to want to do.
Jessie: Mm. Great questions. So putting, because I do think people underestimate how much body fat they have to lose in order to get the look that they want. And so I would assume that you have to factor in an appropriate amount of time so that you're not, Cutting calories so severely to get there.
Jenny: definitely. And you may, you may have to build some muscle first or increase your intake first [00:17:00] before going into that deficit phase. So, and I know people are thinking like, okay, well, how long does it typically take? I would say. To give yourself either two to three months of building muscle or getting used to your, that nutrition routine, right?
Or you might have to be increasing calories and then two to three months, potentially two to four months of being in that like prep phase or that calorie deficit phase.
Jessie: Mmm. Okay, great advice. So, along the same lines, when you said some women need to increase their calorie intake, what is the biggest mistake that you see women making when they are coming to you?
Jenny: So this is actually a new way of, of talking about it. So I'm going to try it out is it may not be that they're under eating, but typically it's the case [00:18:00] that they are under fueling. So I stole that from Jeremiah there and because he works with very similar demographic. So essentially it feels like, or it's the, the root cause to me is that I see is that they are consistently under eating, which let's say 60 to 80 percent of the time.
So they'll come to me and they're like, okay, I'm working out. Okay. I'm trying 1200. And I am so busy that actually I skipped breakfast or I skipped lunch half the days and I am doing added cardio in addition to my lifts, right? They're like trying so much, but then they have. You know, come Friday night and they're like, screw it.
I'm exhausted. I can't think I'm starving. I've got to eat, you know, got to eat it all. And then they're [00:19:00] way over on. You know, then, then they're over consuming on that day. And so, or they get home after a long day of at work and they worked late and then they didn't have time to make this dinner that they wanted to make.
And then they're like, screw it. I just, my body is telling me to eat now and I'm going to grab. quick carbs and get as much as I can in. So it's like this, the mindset in the, the approach keeps them at very low calories to then have moments that are offset by that, which then has put them in this position where then they potentially gain weight over time.
Um, because of that. So it's like a combination of. under eating and being under fueled in, in how they actually apply their nutrition day in and day out.
Jessie: Yeah, I think that's an important distinction because I think when people, it's [00:20:00] funny what we do to ourselves when it comes to being aware of our eating habits. Some people I talk to, they can swear to me and these are people in my life who will say I'm eating 1200 calories and then with some further digging, it's actually, you're eating a lot more than that.
It's just, you're so mentally deprived. During the day or during the week that you're almost not even registering that on the evenings or in the weekends, you are going to town because you're so mentally fatigued, which is very normal. But all they think about is the restriction and the fact that they are trying so hard to, to diet and to follow this strict diet.
So on an average, they're actually at maintenance calories or even a surplus, but. With the lack of strategy, to use your terms, they are under fueling.
Jenny: Yeah. And it's even to kind of going like more than macros, like. Yes, obviously, no, you know, it all comes down to calories and calories out. That's, [00:21:00] that's for sure. But at the same time, if they aren't eating before and after their workouts, right. And, and if their macros are, they're so low on protein and then super high and fats, and then they're like, as I mentioned, not eating around the workout or they're.
going to bed stuffed or they're having the just quick carbs and they're getting a majority of their Your calories or carbs from like quick digesting sugars, right? Like all of this fine tuneness, um, to, I feel like plays a role in them being underfueled.
Jessie: Mmm, yeah, I love that term under fueled, because it's focusing more on the health aspect, and giving your body the nutrients it needs, versus just focusing on the calories.
Jenny: definitely. 105,
Jessie: Do you see that stress is something that has a big [00:22:00] impact on client results, and is that something you've dealt with yourself? I
Jenny: as you can imagine, like they're very. They're go getters, they're typically type A ish ladies where they're like, I'm gonna get this done, I'm gonna get this done, I'm gonna get this done, I'm gonna stack my calendar or I have 15 minutes to spare there, I'm gonna do this and I'm gonna do that.
And they're probably successful in their careers. They probably worked late. You know, went to school and did extra curricular things. Like that's their kind of their MO their whole life. And it crosses over with their training nutrition too, right? They're like, I'm gonna work out more. I'm gonna work out more.
I'm gonna add this cardio. I'm gonna add this arm day. I mean, I remember a time where I was doing like three a days because I would do cross in the afternoon. And then at lunch, I'm like, Oh, if I can squeeze in an arm workout, then my arms would be defined. And then I'm going to run in the morning. Like just.
Ridiculous. It made [00:23:00] zero sense. Um, but all of that is, it's a lot of stress on the body. So not only is training stress on the body, especially if you're kind of over doing it there and then under eating is stress on the body. That's just like unknown stress, right? Then we have actual life demands of career, expert aspirations, booking our calendars with social events.
Um, wanting to wake up earlier so we can, you know, do our whole morning routine. Like just so, so, so much that's putting more and more stress on us. And then. The mindset to of, um, Oh, I need to do this better. Oh, I need to do that better. Oh, I need to hit this deadline is stressing the body. So that's like my person.
Yes, I see that a lot. And actually a lot of the times when I'm coaching ladies, this isn't everyone, but at least a couple of people. Around, I have [00:24:00] to coach them to not be so perfect on their macros. Like they get so into like, Oh my gosh, I gotta be down to the gram. And I'm like, we've got to like rewire that to kind of like bring down some like stress and then be like, actually you don't let's talk about it.
You know, and let's, let's actually see why you may not. Um, that's kind of a side note. So something that I have all my ladies do is get blood work done. And. Time and time again, especially with the type of lady that I work with, I see high cortisol and with high cortisol typically Cortisol is gonna pull from hormone progesterone to make more of it.
So it's almost like stealing from progesterone because People don't realize that hormones are connected to what we eat, right? We need the building blocks of nutrients to build in and create hormones So if cortisol is [00:25:00] high enough for long enough, it's gonna say, okay, I need more nutrients I need the building blocks need more material Oh, I'm gonna go tear down progesterone and I'll use that to increase or to produce more cortisol.
Well progesterone is an important sex hormone that we need, and that impacts the whole rest of our sex hormones. So then potentially, everyone's gonna be different, but potentially I'll see then higher estrogen. And then with higher estrogen, they're complaining symptoms of really bad PMS symptoms. So they're getting headaches, they're feeling really bloated, they're holding onto water, they're feeling moody.
And then potentially even some where they get this kind of ring of body fat around their midsection, that it, that they're like body fat pattern storage is more favorable to, to storing that way with higher estrogen. So I'm kind of going down in details now, but that's just 1 example of things [00:26:00] that I see.
With higher stress and especially this demographic.
Jessie: think I love the detail and I think that's such an important item to address for the type A high achieving women that are naturally drawn to typically changing their physique in a strategic way. So I would imagine those go hand in hand for your
Jenny: Yeah, definitely.
Jessie: What are some of the lies or misconceptions that you have believed, maybe that you see clients believe, that led you further away from your ideal body, from changing your body composition? Mm.
Jenny: to mind is the first that I needed to work out more. That I needed to add on cardio and I needed to add on training sessions. We've kind of already talked about that, but that's definitely the biggest one that I need to [00:27:00] work out more and more. And then the second one is that I needed to eat clean chicken and broccoli only have clean foods only have whole foods.
And while that's not terrible, it is just. Not like what, what changes your shape. So it was like, I was putting so much emphasis on the wrong thing that moves the needle, which is quantity of food in calories and calories out. So that was, um, definitely a big one. And I still see a lot of ladies stay like, I'm trying to eat clean.
I'm trying to eat better. It like puts us in a very much like, Oh, I'm either being good or I'm being bad. And if I'm being bad, I'm not making progress and I feel terrible about it. Or I'm being good and I'm feeling like restricted where I'm like, just, just leave that whole world for a second, [00:28:00] because it's not about the quality of food.
Let's go over and actually learn what actually makes changes. So I see those are the two biggest things.
Jessie: I resonate, I've been there. And what, how do you find the balance between macros but then quality of food? How do you walk your
Jenny: Yeah, that's a good question because. It's not that quality food doesn't matter, right? It's just what's going to actually move the needle. So going back to education, right? The first thing we talked about, which I call is the nutrition seminar, where you actually learn how the strategy works, how, how it works to change your body.
Um, but then talking about short term versus long term so. To make short term changes, let's say over four months, considering short term, I could just focus on quantity of foods, just calories in, calories out to make changes, for [00:29:00] sure. However, when you think about long term, think of your body as a factory.
So, let's say you have a few different assembly lines in there, which represent your Your organs, so maybe your digestive system is one assembly line and your hormonal system is another assembly line or your endocrine system. And if you're just putting crud through those assembly lines, meaning processed foods and in vegetable oil and, um.
Dyes and sugar and alcohol, right? Over time in that factory crud's going to build up, right? Your, your, your assembly lines. Are aren't going to be as efficient. They're going to be more sluggish, right? Same thing in. In your body, like, again, this is just like. Visual example, you might not have actual crud on your organs, but visual [00:30:00] example.
So this, so then your calories in calories out. So quantity or quantity food is still supreme, right? But if your machine isn't optimal, it's going to be a lot harder to get calories in calories out to do what you want it to do when, when the machine and your factory isn't running optimal. So you want to still have. I'm putting quotes clean foods the majority of the time, right? Because you don't want to weigh down your machine and what that may look like in, in a body, right? Is. Your digestive system, right? I have worked with a lot of ladies where your digestive system You're not you're not properly breaking down your food to be used as fuel or then it goes down further in your Digestive system it causes bloat which causes stress on the body right?
So things like that can have [00:31:00] happen over time. Um, or if you're under fueling, under eating for long enough time, right? Again, going back to those are those building blocks, those nutrients for your hormones. So then if your hormones are suppressed, that's definitely going to impact. Your body's ability to build muscle in decrease, decrease body fat.
Um, so all of that, like, again, that's just like the education part, but then all of that to go back to say, like, how do you actually apply that? I do like the 80 percent real foods rule and then the 10 to 20 percent of. Add your, you know, your, have your taco shell, have your toppings, have your sauces, like add in that stuff to make it taste good, but try to stick to like your base of 80 percent real foods.
And I know people are like, that feels so vague, but no, you can actually do the math and say, okay, my goal is 2000 calories. If I add up all of the foods that are like whole foods, whole real [00:32:00] foods, I could figure out if that's close to that 80 percent or if that's only 30%. You know, you don't have to do that all the time, but you do it a couple of times and you start becoming more aware.
Jessie: Mm. Yeah. And I have found too that even if someone is struggling with the percentages of just our bodies kind of naturally will tell us when we're going beyond that 20 percent mark anyway because you're going to feel like
Jenny: Yeah. And it's funny because I have found that typically after like a month and a half, two months, and then my ladies will go, like, well, especially the holidays, right. They just have an event and they're like, okay, I'm going to like, where we have specific time to, to be like, oh, I'm going to take. time off.
I'm just not going to think about it. But then they feel awful afterwards. And they're like, wait a minute. And I'm like, yeah, your standards have changed. Like your body standards have changed. And it like, does not want to deal with that anymore.
Jessie: Yes. And it's [00:33:00] simultaneously the best thing, but also such a pain to be like, wow, I actually have to work to feel good because now I know what it's like to feel good.
Jenny: I like to compare it to like maybe guys that used to date back in the day. And then you met the fabulous person now. Could you even imagine dating that person back in the day? You just like, your standards have changed so much that you're like, Oh, I just don't desire that. I don't want that. Don't get near me with a 10 foot pole.
Like that's kind of how it feels.
Jessie: That's such a great analogy. It just gives you the
Jenny: Yeah, the ick.
Jessie: Yes, I sound like a young Gen Z er when I say that. Okay, what is something that you don't think is discussed enough in the industry?
Jenny: This is my favorite. So, I feel like what's never discussed. Anywhere is systems and I call it a nutrition routine, [00:34:00] but essentially it's a system to actually implement and make this part of your life. So, so many times it's like, okay, here are your macros are like, here is your meal plan or here are your guidelines.
And it's like, just go do it. Right. Just go do it. And being the type of ladies that my ladies are, they're like, Oh, someone tells me to do something. I should just be able to do it instantly, instantly. It should just happened. No problem. But people don't realize there are a thousand steps to actually make that happen day in and day out in when all these different life scenarios pop up.
So for example, let's just say it's macros or it is, you know, meal plan or. Guidelines, whatever it is. First, you have to be like, okay, well, how do I plan for the week? Most people aren't even talking about planning, right? Planning is going to [00:35:00] set you up for the entire week. So how do you, how do you even plan for the week? Then. What about getting the food, right? People like, okay, you just go to the grocery store. Okay, but when you, when you actually think about that, some people are like, oh my gosh, I ran out of food. I gotta go to the grocery store right now, but then I have something else going on later and then I don't have time.
Like there's no systemizing of it or like emphasis on like, oh, actually let's plan what, when you're going to the grocery store and just make it repeatable every week. So that's your flow. And then actually tracking macros, right? Like. People don't, are never taught track eat macros. Like, that's the biggest thing when people come to me.
They're like, oh my gosh, macros are so tedious. It's so like, oh, I've got to do all these things. It's like, I've got to do a math problem every single time I eat. I'm like, oh, no, no, you just haven't been taught it. It can be really simple. You've just never been taught it. I've never been taught that there's categories to foods and you can guesstimate [00:36:00] and that you actually could guesstimate and not even use a food scale and still be pretty close to macros.
So like all of these steps in between aren't, I feel like talked about a lot or coached on a lot, but aren't systemized either. And when it's systemized, you get to this place where it just happens. Naturally, and it's just supporting you and serving you and kind of like, I like to think of it as like lifting you up versus something that's like another thing on the to do list, like weighing you down.
That's the difference.
Jessie: I love it. It's like automation in a business. It's running in the background so that it's, you can show up and you and I can show up as business owners in the way we need to not getting bogged down with all the little details that are not actually how we want to be
Jenny: Yeah. And in a way that like a good analogy in something that I just realized is I've started to treat [00:37:00] my personal life like a business. So. I'm here in Bali. You have to do a lot of these admin things where I have, you have to like transfer wire, transfer people money, you know, to pay, we have a gardener.
I have to pay every month, like things like that. Um, and so I, I created like a monthly. where it's like I get paper towels for the month. I get, I pay the five people I need to pay, um, for, you know, our services, you know, the same time every month. Like it's like, I got this checklist. So it's not like beforehand.
It would be Tuesday at 3 PM. I'd be in like a middle of a work block and then in big, Oh, Jenny, you need to pay this, Oh, don't, we ran out of paper towels and just felt so hectic and something else now I feel like ahead of it and it's supporting me and it's given me so much time back. Same thing can be applied with your nutrition.
Jessie: Um, [00:38:00] it's like that masculine feminine yin yang dynamic where you need that masculine structure to support the feminine to be in flow. So I think
Jenny: Yes. Yeah. I've really felt that because it's given me so much more like time and freedom to just be in. It's not like another thing on my to do list.
Jessiev: Yes, yeah, I really feel that like weighing down analogy. So changing lanes a little bit, you and your boyfriend Aaron live In unconventional life compared to most people, at least most people I've been exposed to in their thirties, you're in Bali, you're both self employed. You are going with your own timelines.
You're pursuing incredible careers to expand others. What have been the most poignant mindset tools that have been helpful in you kind of tuning out what everybody else does and following your own path?
Jenny: this is a good one. I feel like you get so used to this [00:39:00] lifestyle that you forget that it's Kind of different. I would say that it really was just was the first domino because once I got all the benefits and I realized the, like how much more enjoyed my life, anything else that somebody said. It was just so diminished because I'd like, Oh, they just don't understand.
So it was definitely the first one, the first move. And I would say the first move, um, to kind of create this lifestyle. There was, I mean, especially my mom, right? Like what about health insurance? You have such a good job. Don't, don't change it. Or, you know, or leave, or, you know, you, the States is the best, like all these different things, right.
And the biggest thing we always came back to is like, we could always come back. I could always go back to my old career. I could always go back to that same [00:40:00] city, that same lifestyle. Like you could always go back. So the worst thing that's going to happen is you don't like it or you, I put in quotations, fail, which I feel like.
We grow up being like, that's such a bad thing, but that's actually how you move forward. You have to fail. Like we talked about this before in our business, it's like failing. It's going to, it's like part of the process. If you're not feeling, you're probably not moving forward. Um, With your nutrition too.
Like, you know how many things I tried before I found the thing that worked, but so many people are just afraid to try a new thing. 'cause they're like, well, what if I fail? Like, yeah, you keep failing until you, you find it and you figure it out. So that's kind of the worst thing that happens, but you could always go back.
So that, that really, like, I feel like held us to, like grounded us to be like, oh yeah, let's just. The desire and the dream is so much bigger than just staying where we're at.[00:41:00]
Jessie: I love that. You let your own authenticity kind of drown out the noise of other people's doubt or
Jenny: Yeah. Yeah, because I feel like they don't Like in my mind, I'm like, Oh, they just don't want, they don't want the same life that I, that I have. And that's totally fine. Like I have a friend who loves the, I always say this word wrong. Mudane, is that how you say it? Mundane, mundane, right? She just loves it.
Right. And she doesn't want to move. She doesn't want to do any of that. And I'm like, Oh, like I, I see how you love it. And I love that for you, but I know I wouldn't like that. So it's like the same, same thing. It's like, Oh, they just don't want the same thing that I want. And that's totally fine.
Jessie: I, it took me a long time to learn that not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur because we all just project that everyone must want what we want right until you grow up and realize that's not the way it works. And I would look at people who didn't want to be [00:42:00] entrepreneurs and be like, there's, there's no way like you would just have to want to do that.
And now, of course, now that I'm an entrepreneur, I'm like, okay, it's much harder than everyone thinks anyway. But also everyone's just wired differently. So. To each their own. I love that you gave yourselves that permission. And I think Bali, too, is such a beautiful environment to be in, because everyone is just doing life so differently and in their own way.
Jenny: Yeah. I would say that's the other thing too. Surrounding yourself by people who are doing it and who are living like a life or, or different that you want, because it's just going to give you more proof and more evidence that you can do it or more ideas. So we've met so many people here who own all these different businesses that were like, Oh wait.
We could do that too. Oh, and we can do this or I could have a coffee shop and we can open a gym and we could do, it's just like endless possibilities where we wouldn't have been exposed to it in the States. Cause it would have [00:43:00] felt out of reach even if it was possible.
Jessie: Mmm. I agree. And I don't think there was ever one time in Bali when discussing business plans or life plans with anyone that anyone ever showed anything but support. It was always like encouraging and everyone lifting each other up no matter how wild the idea was. Nothing was off the table.
Jenny: I love that.
Jessie: Okay, wrapping this up, what is one book, you can choose two if you want, but one book that you find yourself recommending most to
Jenny: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, who started Nike, and it talks about his journey. So it is an entrepreneur book, but I think it could be applied to anything. And if you're listening to this podcast, you're probably into achieving some goals, whether it's nutrition, you know, fitness, travel, whatever. I think the main message again, [00:44:00] but it's done through great storytelling in through giving examples to a brand that we really know of how risky it was, but not even risky.
He wasn't like, Oh, I'm going to go do X. But it was just like, what do I need to do to make this happen? And I'm going to figure it out along the way. I think we think people who are successful or have achieved something that we want to achieve have. They're just, it was just innate to them that they just, they already had the shape, right?
They just knew how to do that. They just don't crave sweets or they're just super smart with business. They were born with that. Like none of that is true. Like everybody is just figuring it out as they go, including brands like Nike.
Jessie: Mmm. I love that. Okay, I'm definitely going to be putting that
Jenny: Oh, it's so good. Like you can't put it down. Good.
Jessie: Ooh. [00:45:00] Okay. Yeah, I'm excited. And Jenny, where can people find you and how can they
Jenny: Yeah, they can find me at Jenny the nutritionist on Instagram and Jenny, the nutritionist. com slash create slash or dash your dash shape to learn more about the program and how to work with me. And then I also have a podcast, which I interviewed you on, and it is, um, create your shape with Jenny, the nutritionist.
So all of the same names.
Jessie: Perfect. Okay. Love it. Makes it easy. And I will have all of those linked in the show notes below. Jenny, thank you so
Jenny: Thank you, Jesse.