Sarah Hoffman- Coach, Realtor, Wife, Traveler

If your workout feels comfortable, you’re probably doing it wrong.

I don’t mean you should be in pain or hurting yourself- that’s not the goal. What I mean is this: if your lifts, rep ranges, runs, or classes all feel like they’re perfectly in your wheelhouse… you’re staying safe in your comfort zone. And comfort zones don’t build strength, endurance, or growth.

They keep you spinning your wheels. They keep you at maintenance.

If you’re happy with that, totally fine. But most of us train for a reason. We train to get better than we were yesterday. And that doesn’t happen when you keep things easy.

Progress lives on the other side of challenge. Push past comfortable. That’s where the real results are.

Today in the gym, I caught a glimpse of a very defined line down the center of my chest.

Could be growth. Could be the lighting. Either way… cool.

Then I knocked out 22 pushups (7 more than pre-Phase 2). Chest press. Flys. Pushups. On repeat. Even went heavy on those flys last week if you caught my story, you know. 💪

Later, saw that same line in my mirror at home and thought.. nope, definitely never seen that before.

Still blows my mind that after all these years of training, you can still make progress and see the proof right there in front of your face.

Phase 2 of Pyramid Power → took me about 6 weeks, even with vacations for both me and my lifting partner. We ran it just 4x/week. On to phase 3 💃🏻

If you want the same kind of progress- DM me 🤍

We were all so inspired by Coach Stephanie’s wild idea to run a mile every day for 50 days (I mean, who does that voluntarily? 😂) that the Elevated Macros coaching crew decided to put our own spin on a 30-day challenge.

Here’s the deal:
• Coach Steph = pull-ups (seriously, I think she might be broken).
• Coach Cindy = farmer carries (she’s prepping for a powerlifting meet and working that grip).
• Me = push-ups. Phase 2 of Pyramid Power had me finishing upper body days with a max rep set, and I went from 15 to 22 push-ups. Naturally, this feels like the perfect challenge for me ~ plus, I can knock them out on the road, even in Glacier National Park next month. 🙌

We’d LOVE for you to join us. Pick one, pick all, or make up your own. The goal is simple: daily consistency and seeing how much you can grow in 30 days. We’ll be posting updates in our stories (and maybe with a special hashtag) so we can cheer each other on. Who’s in? 💪

We hear it all the time:
💬 “I’m eating 1200 calories and not losing weight!”
But when we take a closer look?
👩‍🍳 Two tablespoons of dressing here…
🥄 A heavy-handed pour of oil there…
☕ A splash of creamer (that’s really a pour)…
🍚 Sauces, syrups, nut butters, and even that “drizzle” you swear doesn’t count.

It adds up. Fast.
The truth Is thst you may be eating more than you realize… not because you’re out of control, but because some of the most calorie-dense items are the smallest ones on your plate (or in your cup).

No, you’re not broken.
But if you’re “dieting” and not losing weight, then in the simplest terms- you’re consuming more calories than you’re burning.

Instead of slashing your intake even further, let’s start with dialing in accuracy. That liquid gold (aka creamer) you pour into both cups of coffee, and that generous “tablespoon” of peanut butter… Yeah… those unmeasured bites are enough to push you right out of a deficit.

✨We can help you fine-tune your approach, bring clarity to your intake, and make sure your efforts actually match your goals.

Because you’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re just missing the details. And that’s what we’re here for.

Being aware of your intake is EVERYTHING.

This is why I preach tracking. Not because food is “good” or “bad,” but because calories and macros don’t lie. Tracking teaches you:

•What 2,000 calories with 150g of protein actually looks like.
•How quickly fats can sneak up on you.
•Which carbs make you feel amazing and which leave you sluggish.

Collecting this data is how you EARN the freedom to eventually eat intuitively- and still enjoy your favorite foods in moderation without derailing your goals.

Tonight’s dinner is the perfect example: burgers and tater tots.

I already knew the macros for my beef, bun, and toppings. I dumped a mountain of mini tater tots on the air fryer tray because… well, tater tots. 😂

But while prepping the meat, I thought about the calories in that pile and decided to cut it in half, then filled the rest of my plate with veggies.

✅ I still got my crispy, fried potato fix.
✅ I stayed in line with my macros.
✅ And I didn’t have to “give up” a food I love.

This is the magic of tracking: small, intentional choices that teach you moderation and build long-term, sustainable success.

If you feel overwhelmed by the nutrition part of the equation, reach out. This is one of the many things we are good at!!

Thick AF.
That’s the recurring mental battle lately.

It comes in waves… usually tied to my cycle or some kind of GI drama (aka, I ate something dumb and now I’m a bloated balloon).

Let’s be clear: I know I’m fit.
I don’t think I’m fat.
I don’t have body dysmorphia… most days. 🫠
But I’m not immune to the head games that come with not being at your leanest or lowest weight.

Here’s the truth no one talks about:
It takes just as much work to “not diet” PROPERLY as it does to diet.

It’s the other side of the same damn coin.

This was my first spring in 5 years not running a deficit heading into summer. And whew- this has been a mental challenge. But I’ll keep showing up. I’ll keep talking myself through the feelings of “thickness” and doing what protects my mental health while pushing hard in the gym.

One big tip:
Buy clothes that fit your current body.
We coach SO many people who refuse to buy the next size. Not because their health is spiraling- but because their body is changing and they fear it is in a negative way.

Muscle growth comes with some size changes.
In my case? Glutes.
She’s growing 🍑
And guess what doesn’t fit anymore?
My shorts. Like… I enjoy form-fitting but this is entering sausage-casing territory 😂

So I ordered new shorts. Easy fix.
Now I’m not trying to shove this caboose into a size 4. Mental health = protected.

Nothing wrecks your confidence faster than squeezing into clothes that create unnecessary lumps and bumps.

Sometimes the answer isn’t to slash your calories.
Sometimes it’s to keep training hard, keep eating for your goals…
…and just buy the damn shorts.

I am never more grateful for my commitment to functional fitness than on a day filled with back-to-back squat-and-hovers. 💪🚽
⁣
National park restrooms: where your quads get more work than the hike itself. 😅
⁣

Another version of saving for retirement. That is how I view this labor of love. A project that I diligently contribute to on a consistent basis.

Just like your 401k, you make deposits into this retirement account in hopes of having a joyful future. Eating enough to support activity, muscle growth, strong bones, and a healthy heart.

And just like your monetary retirement, you can borrow off of this one too (diet). But if you do that too frequently, in either account, you’ll have nothing left for your goals. It is all too common for people to under eat and do excess cardio in the endless pursuit of a lower number on the scale without much thought into what that means for the body as they age and slide into retirement.

Retirement is never a sexy subject. Thinking and planning for what you will do in 20 or 30 years feels so far away. Squirreling away dollars to slowly watch them grow and then MAYBE enjoy them in a few decades is quite the lackluster topic. But the work you do to prepare your body for a healthy future isn’t that dull.

Planning and consistently sticking with it can give short term gratification too. It is fun to see the deposits you make into that account when they give you quick gains AND long term gains at the same time. If you are only focused on the current balance of the account and not the dividends that are paid out yearly, you are selling your “health” retirement account short.

Update 69: As you can imagine, I wasn’t on plan for most of this week. Between early wake-up times and float plane rides to the national park, breakfast was a bagel on the go. Maybe there was lunch. Maybe there was early dinner. There was no high-protein dessert like usual. I’m sure most days I was lucky to get 75g of protein. But man, was it all worth it.

Because for two days, I was in one of the wildest places in the country- Katmai National Park- watching grizzlies catch salmon straight out of the falls. The trip started with a floatplane flight over rugged Alaskan wilderness, landing right on the lake next to Brooks Camp. Our welcome committee was bear walking the beach just as we stepped off the plane. After a quick stop at “bear school,” where you learn how to not die (basically), we geared up in waders and spent the day wading in the river… yes, with the bears. The sun was shining, salmon were jumping, and it felt like we were dropped into a Nat Geo documentary.

The next day delivered even more magic. After another floatplane ride, we stuck to the trails and spotted grizzlies in every direction- fishing, napping, play-fighting. There’s just nothing quite like standing 30 yards from a massive bear while he locks eyes with you, then casually turns his attention back to lunch. The salmon run was so strong that bears weren’t all crowded at the falls this year. They were everywhere, which meant they were less agitated with one another’s presence and ate and played in peace. This also meant more solitude, more connection, and more moments of pure awe.

We got back home Friday after basically 24 hours of travel time and I used Saturday and Sunday as my re-entry days. Groceries were ordered and delivered. I took daily walks to slide gently back into my routine and hit the gym first thing this morning. Alaska filled my cup, but now it’s back to fueling the body and lifting heavy things until the next trip… and there quite a few good ones coming up! 🫡

Today’s weight: 146.8
Avg calories: ?
Units alcohol: 0