Self Care Simplified

We’ve all done it. Eaten because we’re stressed out and need a quick escape or have found ourselves mindlessly eating something just because it’s there. You completely recognize that these behaviors aren’t ideal. Mindless munching and eating under stress can completely sabotage any forward movement toward your physical goals, not to mention your emotional and spiritual health, too. But how can you...

"Let's take a deep breath and learn how to relax." This is going to be a marvelously relaxing, life-giving and hope-filled episode...don't miss this! If you want to be strong, healthy, maintain a good body composition, and feel your absolute best, it's nearly impossible if you don't manage your stress well. This episode is PART TWO of Stress Reality Check. On this episode, we're taking a closer, m...

I bet you've been really hoping we'd talk about your core one of these days! Our midsections are usually our "trouble areas", whether it's because we carry too much weight there or because we have weak core muscles that are wreaking havoc on the way our bodies feel. On this episode, we're doing a thorough overview of your core... top to bottom, inside to out.  You're going to learn all about: The...

Coming full circle in our body typing series, we finally come to the Endomorph. An Endomorph is naturally more broad and thick than the other body types, even at their absolute fittest. They excel at powerlifting and weightlifting in general, usually dominating the other body types at Olympic lifting competitions and even the Crossfit games. But the Endomorph has some metabolic challenges to overc...

As we continue to explore the uniqueness of our own individual body types, we come next to the Mesomorph Body Type.  A Mesomorph is naturally muscular and compact. Think of soccer players, bodybuilders and sprinters. They pack on muscle easily, have a relatively easy time controlling body fat levels, have a medium to large bone structure and tend to be naturally strong. When they slim down, their...

There's something in us that craves to be understood...to be known for what makes us different and unique.  It's why we flock to personality and, more recently, DNA testing. We delight in knowing that God created us with a specific design.  In these next 3 episodes we'll be exploring the different "somatotypes" and learning more about how we all bear God's likeness in a unique and beautiful way. ...

There's more to life than getting really healthy and fit! (Which sounds funny coming from a fitness pro...) But we can easily get obsessed without realizing it, especially when we want to see progress. Unfortunately, constant obsession with workouts (and food!) borders on idolatry. There's a better way to get in fantastic shape without ruining your body and heart in the process.  On this episode,...

This episode might ruffle your feathers. With our beliefs about food, we can become very passionate and easily offended. Far more than our exercise beliefs. Food is very personal, and often we have reached certain conclusions about it that make us feel safe and happy. But if what you're believing might not be entirely accurate, wouldn't you want to know?  On today's show, Scott and I are tackling...

I feel like an entire podcast show could be dedicated to busting fitness and nutrition myths. There are millions of opinions and ideas on how to get healthy and fit, and I’d say that more than half of them are flat out wrong.  On today's episode, my co-host Scott and I are breaking down 6 of the biggest exercises myths so you can decipher fact from fiction.  Myth #1: You can Spot Train, or choose...

One of the hardest challenges of life is saying no to foods that are unhealthy for you. Sometimes, resisting food temptations can feel like a daily battle. I bet you  know what you should and should not be eating, but you just can’t do it on a consistent basis for some reason. Why is this so hard?! In this episode, I'm going teach you exactly what healthy eating should look like (so there's not do...

Summer is here! And with summer comes  “vacation mode” . Unfortunately, vacation mode, or summer mode, can quickly become "digress mode". Often, when reach the end of summer, we feel terribly unhealthy and wonder "what have I done to myself!"  In this episode, we breakdown the clear differences between making progress, maintaining where you're at, and digressing, and then what it takes to be in ea...

This episode is the "kick in the pants" you probably need to get your act together. Today, we're talking all about motivation. How often have you said, "I know what I need to do, I'm just not motivated enough"? You're not alone. I think we all feel that having the right motivation is the key to accomplishing big things in life, especially with our fitness and nutrition.  But should we really be re...

Most moms struggle to eat well because necessity and convenience are the highest priorities. Life is too busy and overwhelming to devote any more mental energy to our eating habits! But unfortunately, we get a sense that we're messing it all up...that we should be eating better. Cue the shame and mom-guilt.  Let's figure out how to make eating healthy foods more convenient for you as an overwhelme...

What is it about some people that can make certain exercises look so effortless? Why do some some people seem to be so fit and move so well? We all realize that being "fit" is far more than just being really lean or ripped. There's something about the way really fit people operate their bodies. Clearly, there's so much more to good training than just picking exercises for individual body parts. Wh...

The bathroom scale. This is big conversation, which might seem trivial at first. But there are countless women that are weighing themselves daily and have been for years, and not just for an objective source of data.  In this episode, we're discussing what the scale is meant for and what it does well. You'll learn the details of everything it's measuring and explore other methods of assessment and...

Are you a stressed out mom? If so, I bet you try to "power through", refusing to let stress hold you back. But pretty soon you're not sleeping well, your willpower is tapped out, you're eating horribly, and you're turning into a terrible parent and spouse. And where is all this extra weight coming from?  We grossly underestimate the physical power of stress on our bodies.  In this episode, we're t...

I'm chatting with Jocelyn Bohnet today, a women's health physical therapist that specializes in all things pelvic floor health: urinary and fecal incontinence, pain with intercourse, pelvic organ prolapse, tearing during delivery, and other pelvic issues. In this episode, we cover so much ground! We discuss: Pelvic floor muscles and general anatomy Bladder leakage Pain with intercourse How to do a...

If you have had a baby, you will forever be postpartum, which can be a frightening thought for many moms. "Postpartum" often makes us think of a body that’s broken...a body that’s been thrashed and put through the ringer. When our bodies feel weak, squishy, misshapen, and mangled, how is it even possible to love it?  In this episode, Megan Dahlman chats with you about our perpetual quest for the b...

Off the top of your head, how many "diets" would you say are on the market right now? Too many to count? And a little overwhelming, right? Yep, that's how I feel, too. Oh "diet-shmiets".  When we diet, we have to follow rules...restrictions and limitations that tend to bind us up and strip away our freedom to make decisions on our own. Most of us crave freedom from a life of dieting...the on-again...

"Just getting started is so overwhelming!"..."I know I really should get my act together."..."Every time I start something I end up giving up soon after!"  If you've ever said any of these things, this episode is for you! Megan Dahlman has spent years helping her clients get the ball rolling with a fitness and nutrition routine, so she knows what works and what doesn't work when you're just beginn...

Does exercising and eating stir up a well of deep feelings? You're not alone. Often, as soon as we start eating healthier and exercising more regularly we experience fear, doubt, trust issues, pride, jealousy, and a lack of motivation...just to name a few!  On this 4th episode in the Strong Mommas Intro Series, Megan Dahlman will encourage you to keep your heart pointed in the right direction as y...

Is eating healthy just about weight loss? Do you feel like food is your enemy, standing in the way between you and your ideal figure? And why on earth have we made nutrition so complicated??  In the 3rd episode of the Strong Mommas Intro Series, Megan talks about our damaged outlook on food that has been perpetuated by the "diet culture". Many of us feel like we've been tossed around from one diet...

Do you love or loathe exercise? Do you know if your training methods are the best? And why should we even exercise?   In this second intro-episode to the Strong Mommas podcast, Megan Dahlman discusses her approach to exercise and her philosophy on training.   You'll learn more about the Proverbs 31 woman that was strong and not afraid of aging. And you'll also learn the 6 key components of fitness...

Welcome to Strong Mommas! I'm your host Megan Dahlman, and on this first ever episode of the Strong Mommas Podcast, I'll be introducing myself and my co-host. We're so excited to meet you!  The Strong Mommas Podcast is all about practical fitness and healthy eating tips, motivational strategies, and Biblical inspiration to pursue a strong and healthy body for all the right reasons.   "My hope with...