Breaking Free from Diet Culture: Lisa Franz's Journey to Nutritional Enlightenment

Ever felt trapped by the rigid rules of dieting or struggled to maintain a healthy balance with food?

Join us as we sit down with Lisa Franz, whose revolutionary approach to flexible dieting and lifestyle transformation changes everything we've been taught about nourishment and well-being.

Lisa's journey from restrictive eating to the freedom of a location-independent life is inspiring; it's a blueprint for anyone craving a sustainable and enjoyable relationship with food.

Lisa's insights shed light on the tangled misconceptions that equate dieting with deprivation, and we get to the heart of why it's essential to foster a harmonious relationship with the food on our plates.

We cover the ground from the perils of extreme dieting to the benefits of strength training for women, debunking myths that hold many back from their true potential.

This episode is packed with wisdom on embracing a balanced nutritional philosophy that doesn't demonize nutrients but celebrates the joy of eating well.

As we wrap up our enlightening conversation, Lisa and I discuss the transformative power of aligning our daily habits with our deepest goals and dreams.

Whether establishing self-care routines or navigating the complexities of personal relationships and growth, this episode offers the clarity and motivation to craft a unique path.

So, grab a seat and get ready to be empowered—Lisa's story and the wealth of advice shared might be the catalyst for your own transformation.

Be sure to Connect with Lisa:

• Website at Nutrition Coaching and Life
• Instagram 
  
  

Transcript

Dai Manuel: 0:06

Hey there, welcome back to the 2% Solution Podcast, where we uncover the small changes that make huge ripples in our lives. Today, I'm thrilled to have Lisa Frimes with us, a maverick in the world of nutrition and lifestyle transformation. Lisa's not your average nutrition coach. After breaking free from the chains of restrictive diets and embracing a flexible eating lifestyle, she turned her life around and now helps others do the exact same thing. Imagine living a life where food is your friend, not the enemy, and your lifestyle knows no bounds. Lisa is here to show us how, if you're ready to challenge the status quo and explore a life beyond limits, you're in for a treat. Let's dive in and discover the freedom that awaits with Lisa Franz. Lisa, welcome to the 2% Solution Podcast.

Lisa Franz: 0:59

I am super excited to be here. You were on my podcast just a few weeks ago and I think we had a great conversation, so I'm excited to pick it up today.

Dai Manuel: 1:07

I know right, and it's kind of fun because you're in the hot seat, now I'm in the cold seat.

Dai Manuel: 1:13

Or I guess I should say I'm in the driver's seat and you're in the passenger seat, right, but I'm going to get you to do all the work today, all right. But you know, it was such a great conversation on your podcast. It was nice to be able to continue it because I know, when it comes to nutrition and healthy living and fitness and I'm really just getting out of your own way when it comes to getting that mental shift to really prioritize health as a non-negotiable you're living that and so I'm excited today for us to dive in and meet, pick your brain, but also give the audience some insights into how you got to where you are today, Cause it's not like it was a straight line, right.

Lisa Franz: 1:51

I guess.

Dai Manuel: 1:53

So I've got a good question to kick things off. You know, tell you what can you share about the pivotal moment when you decided to shift towards flexible dieting and how it ultimately led to you know your lifestyle now, which is location free Cause I think that's a great way for us to kick off.

Lisa Franz: 2:13

Absolutely yes, um. So actually, the two outcomes, in terms of me being location free and, um, shifting towards flexible dieting, are not necessarily the same pivotal shifting towards flexible dieting are not necessarily the same pivotal moment. So, in terms of nutrition, it had come from years of restrictive dieting where I was trying to figure out what works for me low carb, low fat, paleo, whatever and just being super frustrated and like literally thinking this cannot be it. There has to be an easier way that allows me to enjoy life more than depriving myself or then being restricted. I remember standing in it was in Thailand, in the middle of a mall, and I started crying because I thought there is nothing I could eat, because everything had rice in it or this had processed oils. And I think nowadays, like if we look at all the different diets, at the end of it we're like what the heck can I eat? I can't even drink water because technically there is whatever the heck you think in that water. So I was so frustrated and I'm like enjoying life is just. I mean, of course, everyone wants to enjoy life, but for me it's like, at the core of my being, I need to be somewhat fulfilled. And so then, when I read an article which was titled how donuts gave me abs and a I think it was like 90 kg snatch, which is the lift in Olympic lifting I was like whoa, I want all of these things, I want donuts, I want abs and I want the 90 kg snatch. So I read through it and this athlete her name is Nicole Capurzo, she was a CrossFit athlete she was basically saying how, by shifting from just focusing on whole foods and trying to eat quote unquote clean and then shifting towards flexible dieting, she achieved all these things. And so I was like, well, ok, well, I was so frustrated, I'm just going to give this a go. And, needless to say, years later, I'm still basically practicing the same principles in the sense of, you know, having a good idea of what calories are, having a good idea of what's carbs, what's protein, what's fats, etc. And now I'm helping my own clients to live a more flexible, freer life through that.

Lisa Franz: 4:40

Now, when it comes to the location freedom, I guess that happened a little bit later, although it was probably a built up in the years prior to. So I have actually come from a place of working shift work in the police in New Zealand, when I was living in New Zealand, and it was never really my passion or anything like that. It was more, oh, what could I do? What's like a stable job, you know where you think you need to look at security and whatever. And so I got into the police, even though I studied exercise science prior to that. But I just thought, oh, this is a very unpredictable industry, so I'm better off in the police.

Lisa Franz: 5:17

And this whole shift work thing didn't just do a number on my physical body, but also mentally, for my relationships, for everything, and I was just like I need to get out of this. I knew that. I knew that at the core of my being, and so I thought, okay, I need to transition back into something that I'm actually passionate about, which has always been training and nutrition. But how can I make that more flexible? So I thought about online personal training, et cetera, and eventually just realized that nutrition is my true passion and got into that. But out of both of these things, I think I can take and can say that I've realized freedom is one of my highest values, for sure, and that expands into every area of my life, but very much so when it comes to travel, when it comes to nutrition when it comes to creating my own hours, and now I've been able to meld those two together and it's just bliss.

Dai Manuel: 6:14

Oh, I love it. I can attest to that bliss that you were explaining because, you know, for five years a lot of people know that my family and I traveled full time, and two and a half years we lived in Bali, you know, and it was just a wonderful time in our lives and we look forward to getting back to traveling, but the kids are in university now so it's a little bit less conducive, so I get to live vicariously through your Instagram posts, thank you. And I got to say, for everyone that's listening or watching, if you have an opportunity, you got to connect with Lisa on social. She just does such wonderful work, great information, wonderful content, but also tells a great story and and so I invite you to definitely check her out and don't forget the show notes. We've got links to all that. So thank you for mentioning that.

Dai Manuel: 7:02

And I know, just a second ago, when we talked about flexible dieting because I'm sure there's people thinking, well, what is flexible dieting? You know, and so I've got I'm still into two parts here, but let's, let's start with the flexible dieting can you just give us a basic understanding? What is flexible dieting, even?

Lisa Franz: 7:15

mean. So at the core of it, flexible dieting means that technically, no food group, food item or anything like that is off limits, as long as you're not allergic to it or anything like that and as long as you are able to work it into your calorie budget. Of course, we want to make sure that food quality is still there. So nowadays I do you know practice and recommend still aiming for about 80% whole food, but having those 10, 20% for something that you truly enjoy. So it could be for me.

Lisa Franz: 7:54

I was terrified of carbs. I thought you know, just eating bread or even fruit, actually even fruit. I thought just the there was something inherently bad about that. That was my core belief, really, and it took a while for me to realize that it's all just numbers and energy in the end. So flexible dieting basically goes by that in the sense of if you eat as many calories as your body burns, you're going to maintain weight. If you eat more than that, you're going to gain weight whether that's muscle or fat depends on your lifestyle and if you eat less than that, you're going to lose fat or muscle, ideally, just so. That's basically it.

Lisa Franz: 8:36

And now the distinct distribution of those calories towards carbs, protein or fats also makes a bit of a difference, especially when it comes to protein, because if we eat the right amount of protein and most people, if we just eat, quote-unquote, intuitively, or what the traditional Western diet is like we're going to be most likely not eating enough protein and that often leads to the fact that we're not satiated enough, that we have higher cravings, that we lose more weight from lean body mass as well if we're trying to lose weight, or, of course, if we're trying to build muscle, that we're not building quite as much muscle.

Lisa Franz: 9:16

We might be more sore than necessary if we don't eat enough protein, and it has also been linked to some mental health issues etc. So that's really the most important macro and then by fine-tuning carbs and fats we can nudge that even more into an optimization. So in the sense of the right amount of fats helping our hormones, the right amount of carbs potentially helping our training even better, especially if we're doing kind of like explosive work or CrossFit or anything high intensity, et cetera. So yeah, that's basically the crux of it.

Dai Manuel: 9:52

I think that was a great explanation. I have to say, I've had many conversations with people about this idea of flexible dieting and those that listen to me and know what's going on. You know, when we reference the term dieting, we're talking about just way of nourishing yourself. We're not talking about losing weight, and I think there's such a huge misconception. Right, we hear diet, we automatically can, you know, associate that with weight loss and and uh and. As you all know, I hate losing weight.

Dai Manuel: 10:19

I like releasing weight because when we release things, we say goodbye and we never want it back. But when we lose something, oh man, like losing our keys, what do we want to do? We want to find it again. So never lose weight, only release it. But I very much like that, yeah.

Dai Manuel: 10:35

But actually something that I love that you say, lisa, is, uh, that food should enrich life not stress it and and I think this is a good conversation topic because, um, you know what are some of those common misconceptions about dieting that you think create unnecessary stress? Can you speak to that a bit, because I think that's a huge piece for people, because this we're talking about energy and that's all food. Is it's energy, right? Oh yes, so please take it away.

Lisa Franz: 11:05

Take it away really really good point, and I think I've already alluded to my stressors that I was feeling when I um had misconceptions essentially. So I was just being too restricted. I felt like, for instance, when I was at someone's birthday party, I couldn't have that cake and if I did have it after all, I felt guilty. I honestly it felt like morally guilty because I had attached that moral value to that certain food. And that's absolutely where that relationship with food and the enjoyment of food can stand in our way of enjoying life. I think so if we release that and just think of, hey, it's all just energy. Of course some foods are more nutritious than others. Some foods are going to maybe satiate us more than others, but in the end it's all a bit of a balance. I think that's what really can lead to a very healthy relationship with food. So I think just being too restrictive when it comes to what we're eating is number one. The other misconception when it comes to dieting is often that we have to be too restrictive in the sense of how much we can eat. So, especially as women, we tend to be really good at that just following like a 1200 or whatever calorie diet for some time until we then binge because of course it's not sustainable or like we think we. It's almost like punishing yourself for a little bit, especially at this time of the year, you know, as we're recording this, where it's the second week of January, so maybe people have a little bit of guilt from the holidays, so they think, oh, the less I eat, the better, the more exercise, the better. And both of these things I have had to learn the hard way that that is not true, because often, if we under-eat and over-exercise, especially at some point, our body is just going to say nope, no more. We might, you know, break down in one way, shape or form. If this is adrenal fatigue or whatever you want to label it, or if it's just simply your body not releasing weight anymore because it's learning to be so stubborn, it's like nope, you're not treating me well, I'm holding on to that lower body fat for my life because it's my main job to keep you surviving. So I think that that would be the second point, in the sense of simply being too restrictive when it comes to the amount of calories. And then probably the third one would be that whole all or nothing thinking in the sense of oh, I'm just going to be really, really strict for five days and then I'm going to, you know, let loose completely over the weekend, or even be really, really strict for six, eight weeks, and then I'm just going to ditch everything for that trip that I'm doing in Cancun or whatever. So I think that honestly and of course that doesn't just apply to nutrition, but everything else also Moderation is the hardest thing for us humans.

Lisa Franz: 14:00

Like it's so much easier to compartmentalize and just say, like I'm on my plan, I'm off my plan, I'm allowed this, I'm not allowed that. But at the end, in my opinion, true contentment and happiness and also best successes are going to happen with moderation and over time. Like not beating yourself up for a little quote-unquote slip-up, which is not even a slip-up, but you know, you just eat a little bit more than you had planned, potentially, but at the same time, on the other side, not trying to be perfect and just saying you know, I'm just going to do something that feels manageable in terms of the deficit, in terms of the healthy foods that I want, but still including maybe a glass of wine here or there or whatever your pleasure is, and just focusing on that moderation piece rather than thinking on and off. I think those would be the three biggest points I'd name.

Dai Manuel: 14:55

Those are great. Thank you for expanding on that because you reminded me of there was some really negative PR back in the day on a show called the Biggest Loser and in its heyday it was around the 10th or 11th season. There was one lady that won and it was ridiculous the amount of weight that she released, but also mass muscle loss. And it was crazy. Restrictive calories right, they were doing like 800 calories a day but on top of that, training three hours a day. It's just extreme and the amount of duress they put on those people, to the point that there was this guy I don't know if it was LA Times, it's one of the bigger publications in the States.

Dai Manuel: 15:34

They did a sort of an expose where they went back and talked to all the past contestants. There's like, not a single one that hasn't put the weight back oh, exactly. Or something critical not a single one that hasn't put the weight back, oh, exactly, yeah. Or something critical like and they're at the point now where a lot of them have metabolic syndrome. You know, like this, this issue where the metabolism has become so retarded that it's it's, it's literally slow, it's like moving, like molasses. So, uh, this extreme dieting especially, and this constant, you know, going to these two points, like anything, it's like do you experience extremely hot weather and then experience extremely cold weather? And you're going this major contrast, and not in a controlled way, right, controlled fashion, but just ongoing. I mean, our bodies never do well in extremes, you know. They just don't. And so why should dieting be any different? You know A hundred percent.

Lisa Franz: 16:19

I'd like to add something in here as well, which I think is also aligned with many of the things that you usually speak about.

Dai Manuel: 16:26

But because this is such an extreme thing and also because it's a short time frame, so I mean they lose I don't know what five, six, ten pounds a week or whatever crazy number, or sometimes the first week's like 40, 50 pound loss, which is a lot of water, of course, but regardless, it's ridiculous.

Lisa Franz: 16:43

Not a healthy amount in any case, um, but I think the issue, the other issue, aside from the physical point, is that you're not giving your mind and your personality the chance to catch up. So, like your, your identity is not going to change because of that. And it's the same. I mean, we hear this and over. It's like when people win the lottery many of them, you know later on, are in debt or they are not able to maintain that wealth. And this is a similar thing.

Lisa Franz: 17:12

When it comes to that extreme situation, of course, they're even also pulled out of their natural environment. They're not with their families and not with their friends that encourage them to drink, they're not in their stressful work environment. So then, naturally, when they go back to all of that, it's like, okay, who am I in this? Now, I don't know, I'm just going to go and step back into those old natural patterns that I've had. But if you approach it much more moderately, with much more grace and kindness towards yourself, and you're just like I'm just going to focus on, you know, changing those little bits here and there, you're going to give your mind, your mentality, the chance to catch up with all the changes that are happening, so that, over time, you're actually transforming your identity as well, which then allows you to maintain your success well said, very well said.

Dai Manuel: 18:03

I was like spot on, because you're absolutely right, and I mean, in those extreme situations they're completely in a different environment, but also, um, a lot of the things are done for them, right and I mean, of course, if you have that kind of wealth where you just pay everybody to do everything for you, with that, with the exception, no one can work out for you, uh, but you know, if they did everything else, I mean that's awesome, you know it's, I mean I think it's good for you. But are you really learning? They did everything else. I mean that's awesome, you know it's, I mean I think it's good for you. But are you really learning? Are you growing as a human being and, you know, gaining that extra knowledge to be able to sustain it on your own when those support systems aren't there? And I think that's such a valid point and and something that we need to consider, you know.

Dai Manuel: 18:39

So that self-education piece is a big deal long-term and, to be fair, I understand the frustration. There's a lot of misinformation and we see contradictory comments all the time. I mean, netflix has a new documentary right now and the same people that did that one. I mean there's an underlying bias as well. They compare the veganism, but you know, of course they've got Stanford. They put Stanford on it to make it look more official, but it's the same people that really have an agenda around veganism you know.

Lisa Franz: 19:13

And oh yeah, don't get me started on the Netflix documentaries Honestly make me want to pull my hair out. Well, I appreciate.

Dai Manuel: 19:17

I think it's good what they're doing. I mean I love that they're doing the blood work, they're doing all these pieces to be able to show certain things. But I mean it's a controlled eight week experiment, right, we're not talking about eight, 10, 20, 30 years of consistency. And so, again, it's that sort of extreme, because I'm listening to what you're saying, especially on the flexible dieting but more importantly, also around that sort of omnivore approach. You know it's like gosh, we can consume and digest so many different things, but it's a little bit different for everybody, how we respond to it.

Dai Manuel: 19:51

Um, you know, I, I, I love to ask you a question, lisa. You know, um, cause, you know you've got this background in exercise science. Obviously you have a. Uh, you know you really promote healthy living as well in a big way, and especially all the knowledge that you share around nutrition. Promote healthy living as well in a big way, and especially all the knowledge that you share around nutrition. And I guess you know, with the premise of the two percent solution, it's all about these little habits that we create we do regularly to create big changes over time. You know what? What do you believe could have a huge impact on someone's overall well-being?

Lisa Franz: 20:20

you know, like, what, what do you?

Lisa Franz: 20:21

think would be the most significant small change that people could start with that is such a tough question, of course, to ask and because, as you said, of course it's a very dependent on where we're picking that person up. But I would say, if you try to include whole food protein so meaning something that's not processed in all of your main meals, I have no doubt that your diet, your body, your mind is going to be better off later on. Of course, there's many things we can layer on top of that. Generally, as I was hinting to, you know, 80% whole foods in general, or not drinking your calories.

Lisa Franz: 21:05

I think that that's actually a big one too, because also that includes alcohol, that includes sugary coffee, that includes you know, lots of things like that sodas and so on. But I think if you make that your goal to include whole food protein I'm saying whole food protein because in my opinion that would include, and I'm saying whole food protein because in my opinion that would exclude things like hot dogs or processed meats and those things If you instead focus on, maybe, chicken breasts and eggs and some beef, or if you are inclined to be plant-based, make it some tofu granted that is processed, but still things like that If you focus on having that in your main meals, you're going to be more satiated, you're going to eat less of the other crap and you're definitely doing your body something good on many, many levels.

Dai Manuel: 21:59

So, oh, thank you for bringing that up, because I think that, especially as it relates to nutrition changes I know that's a big part of our conversation today that the protein piece is like often, like the one little piece that is actually one of the easiest and, to be fair, a lot of us. I mean, I like eating protein, you know, especially when it comes to whole foods, whole food sorts, because I do feel satiated, I get this nice sustained energy. I don't get the blood sugar spikes and dips, you know. So I appreciate that.

Lisa Franz: 22:31

Now I know there is a big question and everyone sort of thinks, well, how much there is?

Dai Manuel: 22:33

such a debate around this. Lisa, I want to hear your thoughts on that. All right, so how much protein, especially on a per day basis? Like what should we be shooting for? And, of course, you can give them a range.

Lisa Franz: 22:50

I think that's even better than a like, a formula we got to memorize right. Well, I would say, if you're really, if you're pretty, pretty new to nutrition and you're just trying to clean your diet up a little bit, I would say something as simple as in like if you're a female, something like a palm sized portion of a protein in terms of you, you know, chicken or eggs or so that's a good start for a meal. Definitely a full handful or two palm-sized portions or so. If you're actually interested in tracking macros, or you have been tracking macros or so, overall, I just like to keep things simple and and therefore I still say about a gram of goal body weight so not necessarily your current body weight, but your goal body weight I would say you're definitely on the safe side with that.

Lisa Franz: 23:35

If you can't quite get there and you want a more specific number, like something like 0.8 times goal body weight, is also fine. If you really enjoy protein, you can go higher than that. 1.2 grams or so per pound of goal body weight or even pound of current body weight is fine too. But I think that that's a really good aim. Ideally, we want to spread that. As I was saying, we want to spread that out relatively evenly throughout the day, just for those steady blood sugar levels, and that's really the main one, not even necessarily in the sense of muscle protein synthesis but in my opinion, more because of the blood sugar levels.

Dai Manuel: 24:16

Excellent, okay, well, I appreciate that and just to sort of surmise on that, I love that equation that's sort of 0.8 to 1.2 grams per pound, and I love that you do talk about the goal weight. I used to figure out people's lean weight and then recommend based around that and then, of course, based on their goals increase or decrease, you know.

Lisa Franz: 24:36

Yes, that's definitely a good recommendation. Also, I think people just sometimes have a hard time knowing what their own lean body math is. Again in the terms of, in terms of simplicity. I just always like to keep things simple. If we think goal body weight, you're on the safe side with that.

Dai Manuel: 24:53

Yeah, and I love the analogy and or just the commentary around just using your hand for sizing charts, like in my book I've got a, a little picture of a chart around that you know and and uh, like, even including the fat which so many people I mean it's. I grew up during the time when there was this massive no fat campaign, you know and, and I mean it really shifted the worldview on nutrition and it really screwed a lot of people up. If I look at the health conditions today that are lifestyle conditions especially, a lot of them stem from poor nutrition value and it's not like people are starving.

Lisa Franz: 25:28

People are.

Dai Manuel: 25:29

Actually, it's the full opposite of the spectrum. It's just the type of calories that they're feeding themselves, unfortunately, is creating a lot of harm, and these lifestyle issues. So where I was going with this is I wanted to get your thoughts on just nutrition for yourself. When it comes to sources, of course, I'm going to suggest that people follow you because it's a good, trusted resource. You're someone that works in this field, but also you're a participant. You're actively doing this. You walk the talk.

Dai Manuel: 26:03

I stress this, I stress this so much when people are looking for a coach or a mentor, someone to work with to help them make sure the people that actually practice what they preach. You know, and I, I know this is something you're very passionate. So I, I love that, you know, I, I absolutely love it because I work the same way. And what would you say outside of, obviously, your own content? But what's a good, trusted resource for people nowadays? Like, is there a couple of websites that you rely on or trust to have good, solid information? Because I'm always. I know people are always wondering, because self-education is good, but I mean, you go on YouTube and you start typing in stuff. You're going to get 20 different opinions. You know it's like what's what, and so I'm just curious about your thoughts for resources.

Lisa Franz: 26:44

It's like what's what? And so I'm just curious about your thoughts for resources. Yeah, that's a great question and I generally would always say never, no matter when it comes to your finances or whatever else, nutrition, never just rely on one resource, like even in terms of, you know, following me. I would not recommend that someone just follow this lead. But, you know, expand your horizon and listen to multiple people and, of course, if you have their information overlapping, that's probably a good sign that there you know that there's some truth to it, potentially, especially if they're quote unquote evidence based.

Lisa Franz: 27:21

And I do very much like the information that Dr Andy Galpin is putting out, if he is more in the exercise science space, putting out if he is more in the exercise science space. And now, when it comes to like health information, I also like what Dr Peter Attia is putting out. That's very much in terms of longevity, heart health as well. And then another one would be Dr Lee Norton. He is more in the sense of debunking, especially things like false information out there, but very, very much from an evidence point of view. So I would say those three are good resources for women. Also, looking at someone like Dr Stacey Sims or Dr Lyon I forgot her name, gabriel Lyon and they put out great information also, especially for the time of perimenopause and menopause. So those would be, you know, five people that I'd recommend. And again, when you listen to their content, you might find some things overlapping or just generally a common theme, and that's what I would go and run with.

Dai Manuel: 28:18

Those are great resources, amazing. I mean. I think I follow all the same, you know, so I'm going to make sure I include those links, thanks, I mean, for people that are listening. Those are going to be trusted resources. But the amount of information you're going to get and learn is sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. So I would say, take it in small chunks, okay, like I really encourage people every day non-negotiable personal development time. So if you're setting aside at least 10 minutes to just feed your mind.

Dai Manuel: 28:51

that's when you go consume some of that content, right, it's a little, a little bit by day by day, and, um, I, you know I got to ask you, so you have got this uh, a philosophy. Philosophy I've seen you talk about, where you're talking about, um, not settling for a mediocre life, and I love how you sort of frame it. But I know this is going to be new to a lot of individuals that are listening to you for the first time. So if there's somebody that's feeling stuck, you know, and it's that sort of normalized feeling, you know what I mean Like it's just been so standard. I mean some people equate it to like I feel like I'm in a rut, right, so there's no choices, you're stuck on this path, but that becomes our normal. But there's somebody that yearns for more than the normal or the tradition or the status quo of their life, the rut. What's your piece of advice for them, or what's your thoughts for supporting them to start making some changes?

Lisa Franz: 29:45

So, first of all, I have 100% been in that exact same place I thought I have. You know, I have a nice husband, I have a decent job, I have a reasonable income and it's all pretty stable. Why am I unhappy? Why am I hating going to work, why do I think this marriage is kind of boring or he's kind of annoying, etc. And is it normal? And then, of course, you hear things, or you hear people talking about these things where it's like, oh, it's normal to you know, only look forward to Friday night and basically live Friday night to Sunday, and it's normal that after a few years of marriage there's nothing there anymore and you basically are happy when the other person leaves the house, et cetera.

Lisa Franz: 30:33

And then at some point I started with more of this self-development work, in the sense of really listening to other people that have gone through transformations, of feeling that way into living an abundant life, into tapping into their full potential. Because I just felt like, again, life has to be enjoyed in some way, shape or form and I can contribute in so many more ways than just doing what I was doing. And that led me to, yeah, really also scheduling more time for myself, as you were saying in terms of going inside and figuring out what do I actually want. I think that's where it should start, or where it needs to start, like, what are your values and what do you actually want? Because, in my opinion, the reason why many people never or don't live the life of their dreams is because they don't define what their dream truly is. They just have that feeling within them where they're like oh okay, you know this is not quite right, I'm not enjoying this, but I don't really know what else I would want, kind of thing.

Lisa Franz: 31:37

So once you get super clear on what you actually want, it becomes easier to backtrack that and just be like okay, what do I need to do in order to do that? And for me, it was things like quitting my job, it was things like moving away and, just, you know, having that freedom there. And so, yeah, I think that my number one advice would be don't let anyone tell you that that is what your life is supposed to look like, just because everyone around you is unhappy. Don't settle. You have so much more potential because if you have that feeling within you, you have the potential. Otherwise you wouldn't be questioning that. That's simply the answer.

Lisa Franz: 32:18

And number two get clear on what you actually want and some of those answers you're going to find along the way. It's not like suddenly on day one, where you sit down for five minutes and go within you have like, oh okay, here are the 10 points that I want to achieve by the end of my life. It's much more, you know, transformative, and over the course of time it's going to reshape. But still figuring out those first few steps, even if it's scary, do it. It's so worth it. It's so so worth it.

Dai Manuel: 32:46

That I agree. I agree Because when we feel clear, we feel confident. We feel confident we take more action. You know it's, it's, it's amazing how that works. And and so that clarity of getting to the nut of well, what do I really want?

Dai Manuel: 33:00

And what you said about, you know, living the life that you want, not the life that others expect of you. It's actually one of the top five regrets of the dying, you know. So it's like let's learn from people that say that at end of life. It's like why should we, you know, feel the same way at end of life? They're telling us, they're giving us the clues to be successful with this right.

Dai Manuel: 33:19

But it takes work to get to that clarity and I think that's the hard part, right. It's just sustaining that energy to keep moving forward, which is why I think you and I both agree on this. You got to get your house right first, and what I mean by that is you got to get yourself in a good place before you can really start thinking about some of the bigger picture ideas like are you healthy? You know how are the quality of relationships? How's your sleep every night? You know how much water you drink a day like basic, but it's the basics that create the foundation, you know, and if you're not doing basics right or very well, I mean come on, you can't have these huge expectations for yourself or get disappointed with yourself if you don't see things progressing the way you want. And I like to let people know that, because give yourself some grace, Be a bit more flexible with yourself, right?

Lisa Franz: 34:22

do the, if you don't do the right things, and I would add to that, if you don't do them consistently, what I have seen, not just when it comes to nutrition, but literally everything across life. Moderation is not just one of the words that I really like, I also love the word consistency. So I think you know, with that clarity thing, with that going within, I would recommend doing two, three minutes per day, every single day, rather than every now and then doing 20 minutes or half an hour. It's going to take you much further. It's going to impact your day-to-day living much more.

Lisa Franz: 34:52

The other thing I was going to add, because you mentioned the quality of relationships be clear that it's going to be normal that through that transformation, breaking out of that quote-unquote normal life, you're going to lose people, and that's going to be A required for it and B just a part of it, and that's okay.

Lisa Franz: 35:10

Some people are just meant to be in your life for a short amount of time or a certain amount of time. But you can't expect and I'm sure we've all heard that, but you can't expect to see change or feel change if you're not actually making any changes to the things that matter the most, which is your environment and the people that you live with. And the third thing I was going to add is that truly, as you mentioned, we sometimes need to give ourselves that true permission to break out of that norm. Because I just felt, you know, a little bit guilty, even subconsciously, and it took me a while to uncover that, but just thinking why should I deserve to live that life of my dream when so many other people don't, when the majority of people is, you know, overweight, unhappy, whatever, like what entitled me to do that? But the truth is we all have that permission. We just need to give it to ourselves and most people, again, they just settle for, unfortunately, the footsteps that are laid out in front of them, instead of creating their own path.

Dai Manuel: 36:10

Yes, and also, you know, back to the relationship piece which you were saying, because I know this is what you were alluding to is, as you change that sphere, that tight first circle, that tight first circle, because most, most people and I would say, like this is more evident than it isn't evident is the people you spend the most amount of time with you tend to be very much like them, okay, or them like you. And so if you're hanging around a bunch of people with unhealthy habits and negative thought patterns and they like just the normal, but they like to complain about the normal, you know what I mean. It's like, yeah, I live in it, but I, but they like to complain about the normal. You know what I mean. It's like yeah, I live in it, but I'm just going to complain about it all day, but I'm not going to do anything to change it.

Lisa Franz: 36:47

I just like to complain about it.

Dai Manuel: 36:49

You know it's. You know you have to be able to break through that cycle if you expect to see the change. And I think that's just such a an important point. And and I know there's always people on the line Well, this is my family. Yeah, it's tough, but don't worry. Unconditional love is good.

Dai Manuel: 37:05

Okay, they're still going to love you, you're going to love them, but you might have to agree to disagree you know, and and uh, and I know that's the hardest one, right, and, as you mentioned, like even those significant relationships, I see this a lot with partners, cause I and uh, I always try to encourage you know I'll get a spouse to come to me and then you know their spouse, their partner, life partner, may not be as supportive or not being willing to make the changes, and then as soon as you see one person make the changes, it's like these two ships going different directions and we grow apart and that can be really.

Lisa Franz: 37:36

I'm sure you see this a lot right, I see that a lot in nutrition, but, of course, in any other transformation in life, and I would say that often the first instinct usually subconsciously of the other person that is not changing, is to try and pull you down to their love back. The amortization Exactly, it's like you've decided to go on a diet. Next day your partner brings home a pizza and your favorite treat, type of thing. But I would say number one communication around that is going to be, of course, super helpful. If you say like hey, I want to improve my health, this has nothing to do with you. You know I don't expect you to make the same health choices. You can still have this and that. Maybe it would be great if you don't hold the pizza under my nose while you're eating it, because it does smell good, but you know I don't expect you to make the same cuts. Number one, but, more importantly, telling them also that you still love them and it has nothing to do with them. I think often, them trying to pull us back down is their subconscious fear of losing us, because, of course, if you change, then they're afraid that they're no longer good enough. So it doesn't have to be, though, that you fully grow apart, because eventually, maybe it takes your partner longer, but maybe they go on their own journey and maybe you can evolve. You know, parallel somewhat not necessarily together, but parallel as long as you're still like showing each other the love and respect that you deserve. And in other ways, of course, they do need to realize that you're going to change.

Lisa Franz: 39:11

I think most of the time when people tell us, oh, you've changed, it has this negative connotation of like, oh, you know, you're no longer the person that I thought you were of. Like, you know, you're no longer the person that I thought you were. But we need to reframe. That in our mind is actually something good, especially if you're someone who is striving for self-development and self-improvement. There's nothing nicer than hearing you've changed. In my opinion, it really means you're doing something right. You're no longer the person that you were two years ago, that you were five years ago, etc. So so yeah, I guess my main point here would be open communication with the partner and just realizing if they're trying to pull you down, they're just afraid of losing you. So maybe just reassuring them on a regular basis that you're not running away from them, you're just wanting to get the most out of you know who you are.

Dai Manuel: 40:00

Great points, you know who you are. Great points and uh, I, I. It's interesting. You sort of uh reminded me. I've seen this happen in the past, where one person wants to make a change and they go to their partners and it's kind of weird. Right, they want to share that, they're excited about wanting to make this change, but it's like they're seeking permission to do it.

Dai Manuel: 40:23

And you know it's reframing that. It's like you never want to go to your partner and ask for permission to make an improvement in what's going to be better for your both your lives, your happiness, quality of life Like it's not a matter of permission, it's a, it's a yeah, but it is a matter of support. And and I think it's important when couples start to have these conversations and one person gets vulnerable and expresses their desire to make a change, is that they're in doing that. They're actually seeking for support. They want their partner support to help them navigate that, to support them through those changes and and but. But it's interesting because a lot of relationship dynamics make us feel like we need to ask for permission to do it, and, and so I always invite people to think about that.

Dai Manuel: 41:05

When you are having those kinds of vulnerable interactions, it's like, are you thinking, even yourself as a person asking are you looking for someone's permission to do it? Because it shouldn't matter? You know it's your light partner. They want you to be happy. Okay, at the end of the day, at least that's what we say when we make those little promises to each other. You know the outfit of those vows, um, and so it's a matter of trying to stay that course.

Dai Manuel: 41:28

I think you know you speak so well to this, so I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on that today, lisa, and uh gosh, I can't, I can't believe how quickly time flies and you know I'm going to throw in a couple more questions, but I know they're going to have to wrap it up, you know. But but don't worry everyone, if you've loved this conversation with Lisa and you want to see her back because I think I, you know, I really want to have her back I mean, we, you know, tip the iceberg stuff here Make sure you leave some comments, shoot us a note, tell us how much you liked the episode and I'll be sure to get her back if she's willing to come back she's willing to come back, my pleasure.

Lisa Franz: 42:00

Okay, you heard it there. You heard it there, okay.

Dai Manuel: 42:02

So, uh, I should have checked with her first, but, uh, good, good, I don't have to edit that out. So, um, um, okay, um, let's talk about, I guess I know I don't know what's the best way to put this. All right, let's just say, right now, there's a lot of myths in nutrition, okay, and fitness, like there's a ton, no pain, no gain, like there's some old cliches, but those were at one point believed to be true and that was the way. And you know, is there a couple nutrition or fitness myths that you would love to debunk today or at least share with our audience? Fitness myths that you would love to debunk today or at least share with our audience, you know. So maybe tell them, reframe some of those underlying beliefs that they may not be aware that is actually just a myth yeah, I guess the first one still goes back to that.

Lisa Franz: 42:52

Uh, the point that I was making earlier in terms of my recommendation, and that is with regards to protein I think there wasn't still is a common misconception that it's going to affect your kidneys negatively, even at the level of, you know, about a gram per pound of body weight or whole body weight, and there's literally no evidence, or, on the contrary, there is a lot of evidence that this is not true and that unless you have a pre-existing kidney condition, it is absolutely safe and all the other health benefits, especially that helps you attain healthy body fat levels and, you know, a proper muscle mass, etc. They're going to way outweigh anything that could potentially have anything to do with your kidneys. So that would be the first one have anything to do with your kidneys. So that would be the first one. And then, more broadly speaking and this is just more going towards your female audience probably is that strength training doesn't make you bulky.

Lisa Franz: 43:51

It does not make you bulky unless you're like, specifically aiming to get really big or you're trying to become a bodybuilder or whatever. You're training that way and potentially helping out with some illegal substances, and you know most people, or most women that try to put on muscle mass. They would probably be happy if that was the case. But I have been strength training for about 10 years now and I don't believe that I'm bulky. I'm probably more muscly than most women are, but in general I would not consider myself bulky, and so I can only again, also from that perspective, encourage you to engage in strength training, because the benefits are way going to outweigh anything where you're like, oh my gosh, I'm going to get big because of that, and me and Lee and whatever have a dark, deeper voice and grow some facial hair.

Dai Manuel: 44:40

This is not going to be the case thank you for sharing that, because it's true, it's like crazy. Uh I I still run up against that. When I first started having conversations with some of my female clients, you know is that there's always that concern oh I can't do too much weight, so I'll get big, and I'm like it takes a lot of work, to put muscle on A lot of work, but it is a sign of health and resiliency.

Dai Manuel: 45:06

I mean, we see this as people. Age and decrepitude is something we're all fighting against, especially when it comes to health spans. And as soon as you start losing muscle mass as you age not a good sign your metabolism slows down, your energy slows down, your resiliency to illness slows down, Like it's just. It's a slippery slope. So strength training is critical for quality of life long-term, especially as we get older. So thank you, Lisa, for sharing that and busting that myth again. Um I I'd like to have one more question with you today, because obviously we're going to have to have you back to talk more. But if you could leave our listeners with one message to carry with them away from today's conversation, what would you like to leave them with?

Lisa Franz: 45:54

I would. Instead of making it a sentence, I'm going to give you the three words to focus on. So number one was moderation. That I spoke about. When you think of anything, think of okay, how can I just be more moderate with that? And number two would be consistency how can I be consistent with what I'm doing, whether that's my strength training, whether it's my going within period, whether it's my protein intake, my food quality? And then the third one would be clarity, and focus on what you actually want. So what you want in life, but also what you want your days to look like, what you want your relationships to look like, who you want to be just clarity in general.

Dai Manuel: 46:42

You're awesome, thank you.

Lisa Franz: 46:45

Well, thank you for having me on. It's been a pleasure, absolutely.

Dai Manuel: 46:49

Oh well, thank you Honestly. It's been an honor to host you. I know we've been playing tag for months, quite literally, and to try to get the right time zone lined up, get the technology working, because where are you calling from today? We didn't even talk about that.

Lisa Franz: 47:03

I'm in Colombia, in Bogota, in the capital of Colombia, at the moment, so I'm, as you were saying, nomading around, but this is my current base.

Dai Manuel: 47:11

Ah, rub it in. Well, that's wonderful and, as mentioned, connecting with Lease Online is very simple.

Lisa Franz: 47:32

I'm not going to speak for you. But if people were going to connect with one social channel to really start to get to know you, learn from you, connect with you, what would be the best platform for them to do that? Instagram is definitely where I'm most active, so nutrition, coaching and life on there. We do have a website, facebook group et cetera, but I would direct them towards Instagram.

Dai Manuel: 47:42

Great and, don't worry, all those links to all of Lisa's assets will be in the show notes. Please, if you liked today's episode, let Lisa know. Let her know, go to her profile, send her a DM and say thank you Because, honestly, it's guests like her that help all of us. They come on these shows. They give their wisdom bombs, their advice, their love, their support, really because it's part of their life missions is to help people. Okay, like Lisa told you, she's been on the other side of the fence. She's now on the other one and she's looking at everybody that's on the other side of the fence wanting to help them get over. So I respect you greatly. Thank you for coming on the show again today, lisa, and I can't wait to have you back.

Lisa Franz: 48:26

Same here. Thank you for having me. It's been a pleasure.

Dai Manuel: 48:32

Wow, what a ride we had today with Lisa. Her journey and insights are a testament to the power of embracing change and stepping into a life of freedom as well as fulfillment. Lisa reminds us that breaking free from old patterns and daring to live differently isn't just possible. It's the pathway to truly thriving. Her story is a beacon of anyone feeling stuck in a rut, showing us that with the right mindset and a pinch of courage, we can transform our lives. For those of you inspired by Lisa's journey and eager to take your first steps towards a more liberated life, be sure to follow her journey on Instagram as well. Let Lisa guide you through the twists and turns of transforming not just how you eat, but how you live. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear this message. Leave us a review if you love today's convo, and don't forget to subscribe for more inspiring stories like Lisa's. Here's to making those small changes that lead to big transformations. Keep pushing the boundaries, one 2% shift at a time. See you in the next episode.