Embrace Your Real
by Julie Ledbetter
Welcome to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, a podcast where I empower you to just be you. My hope for you is to stop hating your body, picking a part every flaw, questioning your worth, doubting your strength, making excuses, and constantly starting over. I get it, I've been there. I know it feels like an impossible cycle to break, but let me tell you: I've successfully broken the decade long struggle, and over the last 8 years I have helped thousands of other woman do the same. I know it's possible and that's why I am here to ensure you do, too! Every episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building the body you want, creating unshakable confidence and embracing your authentic self.Each week I share my secrets on how to honor your body with movement, nourish your body with exactly what it needs, and give you transformative mental shifts that will help you show up for your life in a powerful way. Are you ready to embrace your real? Let's get it,
Episodes
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691: 12 Things I'm Saying No To This Holiday Season
The holiday season is supposed to be one of the most wonderful times of the year, but somehow it can also become one of the most stressful and overwhelming times of the year. Between shopping, wrapping presents, decorating, holiday parties, family gatherings, and trying to keep up with our normal...
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690: 6 Times You Should Actually Skip the Gym
Hey, there! Let me ask you a question: why do you work out? I guess your answer is to feel better, to get stronger, to have more energy, and to take care of the body God has given us, right? And part of taking care of that body is understanding when it needs movement and when it needs rest. So...
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689: 9 Fitness Hills I Will Die On (And Why I Stand By Them)
Hey, hey beautiful human! There's always some new workout trend telling women we need to train harder, sweat more, lift lighter weights, do more reps, spend more time in the gym, or burn a certain number of calories if we really want to see results. And after years of strength training myself and...
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688: 5 Ways to Take Care of Yourself When Life Feels Way Too Hard
Hey hey beautiful human! Some seasons take so much out of you that taking care of yourself starts to feel like one more thing you do not have the energy for. The workout you normally love feels impossible. Making a real meal feels like effort. Texting someone back feels like effort. Even resting...
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687: Macro Counting Vs. Dieting
Hey hey beautiful human! Today we are talking about something I think gets misunderstood all the time: macro counting versus dieting. From the outside, I understand why people mix them up. Both involve paying attention to food. Both can be used when fat loss is the goal. Both require some level…
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686: Why More Reps Doesn't Build More Muscle
If you have ever finished a workout drenched in sweat, muscles burning, feeling like you absolutely crushed it, and still wondered why your body is not changing the way you want it to, this episode is for you. There is this belief that more reps automatically means more results. More burning.…
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685: 3 Things That Change When You Stop Trying To Be A Perfect Mom
Mama, when was the last time you ended the day and actually let yourself believe you did a good job? Maybe the house was still messy. Maybe dinner was whatever you could throw together. Maybe you lost your patience once or twice. Maybe the day looked nothing like the version you had in your head....
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684: Body Image Advice That Didn't Help Me
Hey hey beautiful human! Some body image advice sounds really good until you are the one standing in front of the mirror trying to believe it. "Just love your body." "Say positive things to yourself." "Focus on the parts you like." And listen, I know most of that advice is meant to help. But when…
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683: The Unsexiest Weight Loss Advice That Gives the Best Results
Hey hey beautiful human! I have officially lost 40 pounds since having my baby. And yes, that number is exciting, but what feels even better is that I feel stronger than I have in years. My endurance is better. I am lifting consistently. I am training for a marathon. And when I think about where…
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682: 3 Quotes to Live By This Month For More Motivation
Hey hey beautiful human! The last few months of the year can make everything feel like it is moving faster. The holidays are coming. The calendar starts filling up. There are events, family plans, travel, work, errands, and a million little things that suddenly need your attention. And somewhere…
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681: 5 Hills I Will Die On(Nutrition Edition)
Hey hey beautiful human! Nutrition advice can get real loud, real fast. One person is telling you to eat more fat. Someone else is telling you to fast. Then there is another rule about what time to stop eating, which foods are "bad," how little you should eat, or why your progress is not…
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680: The Most Basic Nutrition Mistake Most Women Are Making
Hey hey beautiful human! Feeding yourself every day should not feel like a full-time job. But somehow, it can start to feel that way. The Pinterest search starts. Instagram gets opened. Another recipe gets saved. The grocery list keeps growing. And suddenly, every meal feels like it has to be…
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679: What Is Muscle Confusion and Is It Actually Real?
Have you ever finished a workout and thought, "Wait… was that even hard enough?" Maybe you were not sore the next day. Maybe the exercises felt familiar. Maybe you have heard someone say your muscles need to be "confused" or "kept guessing" if you want to keep seeing results. And suddenly,...
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678: 3 Things I Wish I Knew About Tying My Identity to My Appearance
Hey hey beautiful human! I want to talk about something I spent way too much of my life doing without even realizing how much it was affecting me. And that is…letting the mirror decide how I felt about myself. When my jeans fit right, I felt confident. When I liked what I saw, I felt good. When...
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677: How to Eat Well When Life Is Chaotic
Hey hey beautiful human! Life does not always give you the cute meal prep week. Sometimes work is wild, the kids have something every night, the calendar is packed, and by Tuesday you are standing in the kitchen at 8:30 p.m. wondering what you can eat with the least amount of effort. And then…
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676: Why Eating More Might Actually Be the Answer
This one is for the woman who feels like she is doing everything "right" and still feels stuck. The workouts are happening. The calories are being watched. Portions are smaller. Dessert is skipped. The discipline is there. And somehow, energy feels low, cravings feel louder, workouts feel harder,...
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675: 7 Things I Stopped Feeling Guilty About After Becoming a Mom
Mama, can we talk about the guilt for a second? I swear, after becoming a mom, guilt can attach itself to almost anything. The workout you needed. The easy dinner that saved your sanity. The moment you asked for help. The boundary you set. The quiet thought of, "I need a break," followed...
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674: What It Actually Means to Embrace Your Real
Someone recently asked me what "embrace your real" actually means. Not as a podcast name. Not as a cute phrase. But on a random Tuesday when the mirror feels hard, life feels messy, and the version of yourself in your head does not match the season you are actually in. And honestly, I have not...
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673: How to Build the Perfect Workout Plan
A workout plan can sound like it needs to be complicated. Pick the right split. Choose the right exercises. Decide how many days to train. Figure out what equipment to use. Make sure it fits your goal, your schedule, your energy, and your real life. And that is where so many women get stuck. Not...
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672: What I Wish Someone Had Told Me About My Body After Having a Baby
Postpartum body talk can get so loud. The bounce-back pressure. The timelines. The before-and-afters. The feeling that your body is something to fix as quickly as possible after it just did the most incredible thing. But mama, what if your postpartum body does not need your punishment? What if it...
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671: 5 Things You Need to Hear as the Summer Comes To An End
The end of summer can feel a little loaded. Maybe the routines got loose. Maybe workouts were missed. Maybe nutrition felt more relaxed than usual. And now that fall is right around the corner, there can be this sneaky pressure to buckle down, get serious, and make up for lost time. This is not...
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670: What Is a Superset and Why You Should Be Doing Them
Hey hey beautiful human! Some fitness terms sound way more complicated than they actually are. Superset is one of them. It sounds like something you need a gym membership, a trainer, or a bodybuilding background to understand, but sister, it is actually so simple. A superset is just two exercises...
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669: Fitness Q&A
A workout plan can be great and still feel hard to stick with. Motivation fades. Progress feels slow. Travel throws off the routine. Discipline starts to feel confusing. And suddenly, the thing that looked simple on paper feels a lot harder in real life. Not to burst your bubble, but the plan…
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668: How to Feel Confident in Your Body Right Now — Not When You Lose the Weight
Hey hey beautiful human! So many of us have made a quiet deal with ourselves. Once I lose the weight, then I will feel confident. Then I will wear the dress. Then I will book the trip. Then I will stop hiding in photos. Then I will finally feel comfortable in my own skin. Well, I get why that…
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667: Nutrition Q&A
Food can start to feel really heavy when every choice turns into a rule. Should I track this forever? Did I overdo it this weekend? Can I eat out without starting over tomorrow? Is this nutrition advice actually true, or just another thing someone on social media made sound convincing? If food…
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666: Why You Need to Track Your Weights To See Better Results
If you have ever walked into a workout and thought, "Wait… what weight did I use last time?" this episode is for you. Because here is the thing. A lot of women think better results come from finding a harder workout, adding more exercises, or switching up the plan again. But sometimes the thing...
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665: Mindset Q&A
Hey hey beautiful human! The halfway point of the year can hit a little harder than expected. You think back to January, the goals you set, the promises you made to yourself, and the version of you that said, "This year is going to be different." And now you are looking at where you are today...
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664: Mid Year Check In: Is What You're Doing Actually Working?
Hey hey beautiful human! If realizing we are already past the halfway point of the year makes your stomach drop a little, this episode is for you. Maybe January was supposed to be the start of the year you finally got consistent, stopped starting over, built the body you wanted, or followed…
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663: Nutrition Tricks for The Mom Who Feeds Everyone But Herself
This episode is dedicated to every mom who has ever cooked a full meal for her family and then stood over the sink eating crackers because she ran out of steam before she got to her own plate. Because that is just reality sometimes, right?! In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I am getting into...
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662: What happens when you chase too many goals
Have you ever looked at your life and felt like you should be doing better in every single area? You want to stay consistent with your workouts, eat well, be present with your family, show up at work, keep your home together, grow as a person, take care of your relationships, and somehow not feel...
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661: Should You Train Legs Multiple Times a Week If You Want More Definition?
If you want stronger legs, more glute growth, or that lean, defined look, it makes sense to wonder if one leg day is really enough. And if you are already putting in the work, it can be frustrating when your lower body still does not look as defined as you want it to. So naturally, your brain…
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660: How I Am Getting My Fitness In This Summer While Still Fully Enjoying It
Summer can make it feel like fitness has to wait. The schedule is looser, the kids are home, trips are happening, weekends are fuller, and suddenly your normal routine feels harder to hold onto. So you tell yourself you are being flexible, you are enjoying the season, you will get back to it…
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659: How What You Eat Affects How You Feel
Hey hey beautiful human! Most women are taught to think about food in terms of what it will do to their body. Will this make me gain weight? Will this set me back? Did I stay on track? Did I mess it up? But, what if that is the question keeping you stuck? In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we...
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658: Pros and Cons of Volume Eating
Hey hey beautiful human! If you have been on social media lately, you have probably seen the giant bowls, the huge salads, the low calorie snack plates, and the "look how much food you can eat for 300 calories" videos. And at first, it sounds like the perfect solution. You get a full plate. You...
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657: My Postpartum Fitness Journey Part 2
Postpartum fitness can feel confusing when you are trying to heal, feed a baby, sleep when you can, and somehow feel like yourself again. You may be wondering what workouts make sense, how often you should move, what to do with nutrition, how breastfeeding affects progress, and how to stay…
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656: Should You Eat Before Your Workouts? Let's Talk About It
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...
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655: My Postpartum Fitness Journey Part 1
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...
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654: Is your life centered around your body?
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...
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653: Why You Need People: Community as Medicine
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…
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652: 3 Quick Wins to Get You Back on Track
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…
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651: Perimenopause: What's Actually Happening, What It Does to Your Fitness + What Will Help the Most
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,...
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650: How to Work Out in the Heat Without It Wrecking Yourself
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.…
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5 Fitness Rules Then vs. Now: What We Got Wrong and What Actually Works
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.…
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+9 Ways to Pick Out the Perfect Bathing Suit That You Actually Feel Confident In
Bathing suit shopping can bring up a lot more feelings than it should. You walk in looking for something cute for summer, and suddenly one tiny piece of fabric has you questioning your body, your confidence, and whether you even want to go to the pool anymore. But please hear this: your body is…
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The Comparison That's Actually Worth Making
Hey hey beautiful human! Most of us have been told to stop comparing ourselves to other people, and honestly, that advice sounds good until you remember that your brain does not really work that way. You can tell yourself to stay in your own lane, but then you open your phone, see someone else's...
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3 Things I Want You to Remember This Summer
Hey hey beautiful human! Summer has a way of making us feel a little more aware of our bodies than usual. The swimsuits, the pool days, the photos, the warmer weather, and being around other bodies can bring up thoughts you may not have been dealing with the rest of the year. And even if you have...
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The Minimal Effective Dose for Your Workouts/Nutrition When Life Gets Crazy This Summer
Summer always sounds fun until your routine suddenly disappears. The kids are home more, weekends fill up fast, vacations happen, BBQs are on the calendar, pool days run long, and somehow your workouts, protein, steps, water, and goals start feeling like way too much to keep up with. And when…
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5 Ways to Make Your Health Feel Like Self-Care Again
Hey hey beautiful human! Have you ever noticed how something that started as taking care of yourself slowly turned into something that feels heavy? You still want to work out, you still want to eat well and you still care about your health. But somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling good and...
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What Is the Mind-Muscle Connection (And Why It Changes Everything About How You Train)
Hey hey beautiful human! There is nothing more frustrating than doing the workout, checking off every set, and still wondering if the right muscles even got the message. You feel tired, you know you worked hard, but your glutes are quiet after glute day, your arms take over on back day, and...
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Are You Actually Resting - Or Just Not Moving?
Hey hey beautiful human! Most women know they need rest days, but a lot of them have never been taught what a rest day is actually supposed to do. So they skip the workout, sit on the couch, scroll for hours, stay up too late, maybe eat less because they "did not earn it," and then come back to...
About this show
Welcome to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, a podcast where I empower you to just be you. My hope for you is to stop hating your body, picking a part every flaw, questioning your worth, doubting your strength, making excuses, and constantly starting over. I get it, I've been there. I know it feels like an impossible cycle to break, but let me tell you: I've successfully broken the decade long struggle, and over the last 8 years I have helped thousands of other woman do the same. I know it's possible and that's why I am here to ensure you do, too! Every episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building the body you want, creating unshakable confidence and embracing your authentic self.Each week I share my secrets on how to honor your body with movement, nourish your body with exactly what it needs, and give you transformative mental shifts that will help you show up for your life in a powerful way. Are you ready to embrace your real? Let's get it,
Hosted by
Julie Ledbetter