Hey hey beautiful human! Let's settle this once and for all: Do you need to eat before a workout?

You've probably heard all kinds of answers, some people swear by fasted training, others won't touch a dumbbell without a snack first. So what's the truth?

I'm giving you real-world tips you can use starting today, plus snack ideas that are quick, effective, and easy to digest.

Bottom line? Fueling is personal, but there's also a strategy behind it. And I'm walking you through both.

Want to feel better in your workouts and get the results you're working for? This episode is your guide.

In today's episode, we're breaking it all down based on your schedule, your goals, and your body. I walk you through:

• When fasted workouts are fine—and when they might backfire

• What to eat before training (without needing a full meal)

• Why afternoon and evening workouts require fuel

• What happens when you under-eat before a lift (and how to fix it)

• And how to simplify your approach so your body feels strong and steady—without overthinking it
  
  

🎧 If this topic hits home, you'll definitely want to listen to Episode 554: Why Understanding These 2 Types of Hunger Can Change Everything

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!

If you are postpartum and wondering whether you will ever feel strong, confident, and comfortable in your body again, I want you to know that you are not alone. Having a baby can make your body, routine, energy, and identity feel completely different, and wanting to feel like yourself again does not make you selfish.

In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I'm answering your questions about my postpartum fitness journey and what it actually looked like behind the transformation posts. I'm walking you through what helped me rebuild strength, lose the baby weight, and stay consistent without restriction, punishment, or rushing the process, so you can feel encouraged in your own postpartum journey, wherever you are in it.

This is Part 1 of a two-part Q&A series, so use this episode as encouragement, not comparison. My timeline is not your timeline, but feeling strong again, rebuilding confidence, and taking care of yourself in the middle of motherhood is possible when you lead with consistency, grace, and support instead of restriction or punishment.

What's Discussed:

• How long it actually took me to lose the baby weight

• What helped me know I was ready to start my fitness journey again

• How much weight I gained during pregnancy and how much I lost postpartum

• The fear of never feeling like myself again after having a baby

• The hardest part of rebuilding strength, confidence, and routine postpartum

• What I did in the moments when I wanted to give up

• Why I felt nervous posting about my body during the journey

The Movement With Julie app was such a game changer in my postpartum journey because it allowed me to work out from home, on my schedule, and around my baby without needing a gym or complicated equipment. You'll get new workouts every week, 30-minute and 60-minute options, and exercise swaps for limited equipment so you can stay consistent in the season you are actually in. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started.

And when it comes to nutrition, Macro Counting Made Simple will help you understand your protein, carbs, and fats so you can stop guessing and start fueling your body in a way that supports your goals. Head to www.macrocountingmadesimple.com to get started.

If you loved this episode, you'll also love Episode 491: 6 Steps to Embrace Your Postpartum Body. It is the perfect follow-up if you are learning how to rebuild your relationship with your body after having a baby.

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!

So many women think confidence comes after the body changes.

After the weight is lost. After the jeans fit differently. After the arms look smaller. After the stomach feels flatter. After they finally feel "ready" to wear the swimsuit, take the photo, book the trip, go to the event, or show up without hiding.

But what if waiting for your body to change is the exact thing keeping you from becoming the woman you want to be?

In this bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, I'm challenging the belief that you have to earn the right to live fully by reaching a certain body goal first. You can have goals. You can want to feel stronger. You can want to feel better in your skin. But your life is not supposed to be on pause while you work toward those things.

This episode is your reminder that confidence is not something you wait for. It is something you practice. And sometimes the first step is doing the thing you have been saving for "later" in the body you have right now.

What's Discussed:

• How to recognize when your body image is making decisions for you

• The real cost of avoiding photos, trips, swimsuits, events, and new experiences

• Why reaching a goal does not automatically give you permission to enjoy your life

• How to stop treating your body like the price of admission for confidence

• Why living your life now can make your health journey feel lighter

• The one thing I want you to stop saving for "when your body changes"

The Movement With Julie app is there to help you stop waiting for the perfect season, the perfect schedule, or the perfect body before you start showing up for yourself. You'll get workouts you can do at home or in the gym, 30-minute and 60-minute options, new workouts every week, and exercise swaps for limited equipment so you can stay consistent in real life. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started.

If you loved this episode, you'll also love Episode 616: What Changed When I Stopped Waiting to Feel Ready. It is the perfect next listen if you are ready to stop putting your life on hold until you feel ready, confident, or "good enough."

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!

Have you ever noticed how much harder it is to show up for yourself when you feel like you are doing it alone?

You can have the workout plan. You can know what to eat. You can have the best intentions. But when life gets heavy, motivation drops, shame creeps in, or you fall out of rhythm, doing everything by yourself can make the whole thing feel ten times harder.

And that is what we are talking about today: community.

Not the surface-level kind where you scroll through other people's posts and feel like you are "connected." I mean real community. The kind where you are seen, supported, encouraged, reminded that you are not the only one struggling, and welcomed back when you have had a hard week.

What's Discussed:

• Why consistency feels so much harder when you are doing everything by yourself

• How a fitness community can help you feel seen, encouraged, and supported through real life

• Why the women who stay consistent long-term usually have people around them

• How community can calm your stress response and make showing up feel more sustainable

• Why scrolling fitness content is not the same as actually being connected

• How the Movement With Julie community has helped women keep going when they wanted to quit

• Where to start looking for your people, even if finding community feels awkward at first

If you have been trying to build consistency by doing everything alone, this episode is your reminder that you may not need more pressure. You may need more people. The right community can help you feel less alone, less ashamed, and more willing to keep showing up through real life.

If you loved this episode, you'll also love Episode 633: How To Fall Back In Love With Your Everyday Life. It pairs perfectly with this conversation because real connection is one of the things that helps your everyday life feel fuller, more supported, and easier to be present for.

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!

By the end of June, summer can already feel a little loose. Maybe you've had a vacation, a few BBQs, later nights, pool days, skipped workouts, more snacks in the house, and meals that looked nothing like your usual routine.

And you know how fast that can turn into, "Well, I already messed it up, so I'll just start again Monday."

But sister, you do not need Monday. You do not need a perfect routine. You do not need to make some huge plan to fix everything. Sometimes you just need one next choice that makes you feel like yourself again.

In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I'm sharing three quick wins you can come back to anytime summer starts to throw you off. These are simple things you can do right away to support your body, calm the spiral, and remind yourself that you are not nearly as far off track as you think.

What's Discussed:

• Why a busy weekend does not have to turn into a full week of feeling off track

• How starting your day with water and protein can help you feel more steady from the beginning

• Why hydration matters so much when summer heat, travel, saltier foods, and later nights are in the mix

• How 30 minutes of movement can help you reconnect with your body without trying to "make up for" anything

• Why getting back on track should never mean skipping meals or punishing yourself with restriction

The Movement With Julie app is there when you need a workout that is already planned for you. You'll get new workouts every week, 30-minute and 60-minute options, and exercise swaps for limited equipment so you can stay consistent at home, at the gym, or while traveling. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started.

And when food starts feeling all over the place, Macro Counting Made Simple will help you understand your protein, carbs, and fats so you can stop guessing.

If you loved this episode, you'll also love Episode 629: How To Stop Feeling Guilty Doing Things You Actually Enjoy. It is the perfect follow-up if summer has you feeling guilty for eating differently, missing workouts, or enjoying moments that do not fit perfectly into your usual routine.

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!

Perimenopause is one of those things every woman will experience, yet so many of us are completely unprepared for it. Maybe you are in your 30s and starting to notice that your body feels different. Maybe you are in your 40s and quietly wondering why the workouts, meals, and routines that used to work suddenly are not working the same way anymore.

And sister, this is not a discipline problem.

Perimenopause is a hormonal transition, and it can affect your muscle, metabolism, sleep, mood, energy, recovery, cravings, and body composition. So in this episode of Embrace Your Real, I'm breaking down what perimenopause actually is, what is happening hormonally, why your old approach may stop working, and what will help your body the most in this season.

What's Discussed:

• What perimenopause actually is and why you can still be in it even if you are getting your period

• Why perimenopause can begin earlier than many women expect and last for years

• How estrogen and progesterone shifts can affect muscle, metabolism, sleep, mood, and recovery

• Why the same workouts and eating habits that worked in your 30s may stop giving you the same results

• Why strength training becomes even more important for your muscle, metabolism, blood sugar, bones, and body composition

• Why doing more cardio and eating less can backfire during perimenopause

• How protein, carbs, and healthy fats support your body through this hormonal transition

The Movement With Julie app is there when you need a workout that is already planned for you. You'll get new workouts every week, 30-minute and 60-minute options, and exercise swaps for limited equipment so you can stay consistent at home, at the gym, or while traveling. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started.

And when food starts feeling all over the place, Macro Counting Made Simple will help you understand your protein, carbs, and fats so you can stop guessing.

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!

Summer workouts can humble you fast. You go to do the same workout you have been doing for months, and suddenly your heart rate is higher, you are sweating within five minutes, everything feels harder, and you start wondering if you somehow lost your fitness overnight.

You did not lose your fitness. Your body is just working in a much more demanding environment. When it is hot, your body has to keep your muscles working and cool you down at the same time, which means your heart, hydration, energy, and recovery are all under more stress than usual.

In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I'm breaking down how to keep working out in the heat without burning yourself out. You'll learn what is actually happening in your body, how to adjust your workouts, what hydration really needs to look like, when electrolytes matter, and how to know the difference between normal summer discomfort and signs that your body needs you to stop.

What's Discussed:

• Why working out in the heat feels so much harder, even when your fitness has not changed

• What happens when your body has to fuel your muscles and cool you down at the same time

• How heat affects your heart rate, sweat, energy, and workout intensity

• Why adjusting your workout time and intensity can help you stay consistent without overdoing it

• How to hydrate throughout the day instead of trying to catch up right before your workout

• When electrolytes can help and when plain water is probably enough

• How to tell the difference between normal summer workout discomfort and warning signs like dizziness, nausea, confusion, or a heart rate that will not come down

The heat does not have to be the reason you stop showing up this summer. Your workouts may need to look a little different, but different does not mean less effective. With the right timing, hydration, intensity, and awareness, you can keep building strength without wrecking yourself in the process.

Ready to make your summer workouts simpler? The Movement With Julie app gives you structured workouts you can do at home, in the air conditioning, on your schedule, with 30-minute and 60-minute options ready for you. Head to movementwithjulie.com and get started.

If you loved this episode, you'll also love Episode 637: How to Make a 30-Minute Workout Actually Count. It's the perfect follow-up if the heat, your schedule, or summer plans are making your workouts feel harder to fit in, because it will help you make a shorter session feel focused, effective, and worth showing up for.

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!

Let me ask you something. Were you ever taught that more cardio means better results, soreness means your workout counts, eating less is the fastest way to change your body, pain means progress, or you need a gym to get a real workout?

If so, you are definitely not alone. A lot of us built our early fitness routines around these rules because they sounded disciplined, serious, and like the "right" way to get results. And when they did not work, we usually blamed ourselves instead of questioning the advice.

But here is the truth: some of the fitness rules we were handed were never actually helping us. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I'm breaking down five outdated fitness beliefs, what we now know actually works, and how letting go of these rules can help you train smarter, fuel better, recover well, and finally make progress that lasts.

What's Discussed:

• Why more cardio does not automatically lead to better body composition results

• Why soreness is not the best way to measure whether a workout was effective

• How under-eating can work against your metabolism, muscle, energy, and long-term progress

• Why "no pain, no gain" can lead to injury, burnout, and inconsistent results

• Why you do not need a gym to build real strength when you have a smart, progressive dumbbell plan

• How to let go of the rules that keep you stuck and start focusing on what actually moves your body forward

Working hard without seeing the results match your effort usually means it is time to look at the rules behind your routine. This episode will help you spot the outdated fitness beliefs you may still be following and replace them with an approach that actually supports your body.

For a structured strength plan that takes the guesswork out of your workouts, the Movement With Julie app is there for you. You'll get new workouts every week, how-to videos for every exercise, 30-minute and 60-minute options, and a plan you can follow at home or in the gym. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started.

And if nutrition is where you feel stuck, Macro Counting Made Simple will help you understand how to fuel your body instead of constantly trying to eat less.

If you loved this episode, you'll also love Episode 636: 5 Fitness Habits That Are Secretly Sabotaging Your Results. It is the perfect follow-up if you are ready to spot the habits that may be keeping you stuck and replace them with habits that actually support your goals.

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