Who has ever heard of the word macronutrients or in short Macros?  Probably not many people unless you've been in the "fitness world" for a while.  You may hear me mention macros in some of my posts but I've never actually talked about what they are. What is the deal with macros?  What are they?  Why do I care about them?  To answer some of those questions, let's go over some details. Macros are short for macronutrients.  Macronutrients are broken down into 3 categories: protein, carbohydrates and fats.  These 3 categories make up all foods (excluding water) and are the building blocks of nutrition.  These nutrients are described as 'macro' because you need them in large quantities. The macronutrients that you eat in your food make up your calories.  We all know when it comes to weight loss, you have to eat fewer calories than your body requires, i.e be in a calorie deficit.  So it's pretty simple right, eating fewer calories than your body n

It is no secret that the key to losing weight is being in a caloric deficit.  A caloric deficit means that you are intaking fewer calories than your body requires for daily function.  It does not mean that you have to eat 800 calories a day, even just a slight 20-30% deficit can make a difference.   When it comes down to weight gain/maintenance/loss, it is a matter of calories.  For some people who like numbers and don’t mind tracking, using a calorie tracking app such as My Fitness Pal really helps put things into perspective.  Some find they just need to track for a few months consistently until they understand what they can intake on a daily basis and then they can relax on the counting. Then there are others who cringe at the thought of having to track their food. If you’re one of the people who think “oh dear God NO, I am not counting calories” don’t fear, there are some easy things you can do to cut down on calories and get yourself closer to your goals without having to

With inflation, cost of fresh goods and being located in great white North, it seems like eating healthy is a costly challenge.  It makes it hard to buy healthy food when you look at the cost of fresh fruit, veggies and meat at the supermarket in comparison to less healthy, packaged foods and see the significant price difference. Like most people out there, I too have to shop on a budget, however with my goals and lifestyle, I make eating healthy a priority and over the years, I have figured out a way to do so without breaking the bank. 1. Make a list and stick to it. Before you go shopping, go through the house and write down a list of things you need.  This will help you avoid buying more of what you already have as well as make sure you don’t miss anything. Then remind yourself if it's not on the list, it can wait. 2. Cost compare with different stores. Look through flyers and online to see where the best deals are.  Maybe you can get it cheaper at

Long-term weight loss and workout routines are hard to stick with.  If it was easy, everyone would be fit and toned and the diet/supplement industry would be fading.   In our current days of the internet, there is so much conflicting information out there that sounds so believable, that it is hard to distinguish what is real and what is not. When you start to get serious about some lifestyle changes, it's tempting to fall into some of these traps.  The diet industry and "Influencers" on Instagram thrive on people being desperate for a quick fix, and with some great marketing, they can fool you into almost anything.  Here's looking at you weight loss lollipops! I compiled a list of some of my favourite myths that people seem to fall for all the time! Here are the top 5 fitness myths: 1.  You don't need weights to "tone" they will just make you huge.      I've addressed this one a lot, but it seems to be the most common one!        Think

I thought I would give a fun little list to 10 facts about me related to fitness!  So here they are! 1.  I am not a long distance runner!       I am not a fan of long distance running.  For me, long distance is really anything over 10k.  I don't even think I could run 10km, 5-7 would be my max!  I like short distance where I can see the endpoint.  Since I injured my knee and have had to have (multiple) surgeries, running has been taken off my list of things to do, but I am ok with that. 2.  I hate burpees with a passion!        I'm pretty sure that whoever invented burpees used it as a mid-evil torture move.  I mean, you would never think that jumping up and going down would be so exhausting, but it is. Burpees are terrible and if you say you like them, you are crazy and need your brain fixed!  3.  I tend to zone out in the gym and stare at people.... sometimes they make it weird.       Sometimes I am just tired or focused on something and I zone out completel

When I first started working out, I honestly had no idea how to get started. I didn't know what workouts to do, what foods to eat if I should do cardio or more weights, how often I should go to the gym; my questions went on and on. Through a lot of trials and a bit of error; starting & stopping; eating healthy and eating garbage, I finally brought myself to now.  Now that I've been doing this seriously for the past few years and take this on as my career, I always tell people I wished I started years before. I wish back then, I would have just committed to it, rather than spend 4-5 years of on and off working out and getting nowhere! As a personal trainer, I hear all the time from people that they want to start working out and eating better, but they don't know how or where to start.  With all the information out there on the internet and most of it is contradicting, it's hard to find out what really works.  Do you cut out gluten? Eat more protein?  Eat fewer

Since I have a few new people to this page, I thought I would do an introduction & tell you about myself! My name is Jackie Lindal and I am a certified Personal Trainer & the owner of Fit Like a Girl. My journey to being a personal trainer/entrepreneur/business owner was not what I had intended for myself but I am so glad it led me here! Some background! I was raised on a dairy & beef farm outside of Barrhead, a small town north of Edmonton, Alberta with my parents and 4 siblings- that's right 5 freaking kids! Growing up on a farm, and being a tomboy, I always was drawn to a lifestyle not exactly typical for a young girl. I loved being outside, playing with the farm animals, riding horses, roughhousing with my siblings, not brushing my hair and definitely not a fan of wearing dresses! From the time I was 9 years old, I spent every evening going out with my siblings and helping my dad in the dairy barn feeding calves, and eventually helping milk cows. Not exactly