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How to Maintain Progress When You’re at 60% Effort

Embrace Your Real

Release Date: 11/13/2025

My Fitness Goals for 2026 show art My Fitness Goals for 2026

Embrace Your Real

This episode is for you if you are heading into a new year and realizing that your fitness goals need to support more than just how you look. Instead of chasing weight loss, control, or short-term intensity, we talk about what it really means to build habits that support energy, strength, and consistency for the long haul. I walk you through my fitness goals for 2026, not as a checklist to copy, but as a framework you can use to rethink your own goals in a way that feels supportive and sustainable. This is about shifting the focus from extremes to aligned daily habits, building trust with your...

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Anti-Hustle January: Progress Without Burnout show art Anti-Hustle January: Progress Without Burnout

Embrace Your Real

This episode is for you if January already has you feeling behind, tired, and overwhelmed by the pressure to change everything at once. Instead of pushing harder or trying to force motivation after the holidays, we talk about releasing the urgency that leads to burnout, so you can move forward in a way that supports your body, your energy, and your real life. We walk through five reasons why an anti-hustle January leads to more sustainable progress, along with grounded truths to hold onto as you reset your expectations. This is about building stability before intensity, stacking small wins,...

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5 Things to Let Go Of This Year + 5 Things to Remember Going Into the New Year show art 5 Things to Let Go Of This Year + 5 Things to Remember Going Into the New Year

Embrace Your Real

This episode is for you if you are walking into the new year feeling a mix of gratitude, exhaustion, hope, and maybe a little disappointment that things did not go perfectly. Instead of trying to become a whole new person on January 1, we talk about gently releasing the pressure, shame, and all-or-nothing mindset that weighs you down, so you can actually build a year that fits your real life. Julie walks through five things to let go of that quietly sabotage your progress, and five truths to hold onto so you feel grounded, supported, and clear on how to move forward. This is about stacking...

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A Reminder on The Real Meaning of Christmas show art A Reminder on The Real Meaning of Christmas

Embrace Your Real

Today’s episode is a simple pause in the middle of a full day. Christmas can feel busy and rushed, and it’s easy to move through the morning without slowing down long enough to remember why we celebrate it in the first place. This conversation brings you back to what matters so you can step into the day with peace instead of pressure. We talk about the heart of Christmas, why presence matters more than perfection, and how small quiet moments often hold the most meaning. If this season feels emotional, complicated, or heavier than usual, this episode will help you breathe, soften, and feel...

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Boot Camp + Group Fitness Classes: Why They Aren’t Ideal for Building the Body You Want show art Boot Camp + Group Fitness Classes: Why They Aren’t Ideal for Building the Body You Want

Embrace Your Real

Today’s episode is for the woman who has been showing up, sweating through boot camps and circuit-style classes, but not really seeing the muscle definition or body composition changes she hoped for. If you have ever wondered why you feel fitter and more exhausted, yet your progress photos look the same, this conversation will bring a lot of clarity. Group workouts can be amazing for community, accountability, and conditioning, but they are not always built to truly change the shape of your body. If you are craving structure, strength, and visible progress, you need something a little more...

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5 Weight Gain Truths You Need to Hear Right Now show art 5 Weight Gain Truths You Need to Hear Right Now

Embrace Your Real

Today’s episode is here to help you breathe a little easier. If the scale has shifted or your clothes feel different after the holidays, it can bring up worry or pressure. But your body responds to changes in sleep, stress, meals, travel, and routines, and that response is normal. This episode gives you five simple reminders that bring everything back into perspective so you can move into your week feeling calm, supported, and confident again. Inside this episode, you will learn: • Why most weight fluctuations are water, not fat • How many calories it actually takes to gain one pound of...

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25 Things I Learned in 2025 show art 25 Things I Learned in 2025

Embrace Your Real

Today’s episode is a look back at the lessons that shaped me this year. 2025 stretched me, softened me, and taught me so much about motherhood, faith, strength, and what it means to care for my body in a season that looked nothing like the old rhythm I was used to. If this year felt messy, refining, or slower than you expected, this conversation will remind you that every season has purpose and every step counts. Whether you’re rebuilding routines, learning to trust your body again, navigating motherhood, or stepping into a new chapter, these 25 lessons are shared to encourage you, ground...

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What Is a Deload Week and Why You Need One show art What Is a Deload Week and Why You Need One

Embrace Your Real

Today’s episode is for the woman who has been training hard but feeling more tired than strong. If your workouts suddenly feel heavier, your motivation is dipping, or you’re waking up tired even after rest, your body may be asking for a reset. A deload week is a simple, strategic way to support long-term progress without losing momentum. If you’ve been pushing through fatigue, feeling unusually sore, or wondering why your strength has stalled, this episode will help you understand the signs your body is giving you and how to build a deload week that leaves you feeling recharged and ready...

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7 Metabolism Myths That Are Wrecking Your Progress show art 7 Metabolism Myths That Are Wrecking Your Progress

Embrace Your Real

Today’s episode is all about one of the most misunderstood topics in women’s health and fitness: your metabolism. If you’ve ever felt like your body has “slowed down,” or you’ve wondered why your progress has stalled no matter how clean you eat or how hard you train, this conversation will bring so much clarity. Your metabolism isn’t broken. It’s adaptable, responsive, and directly shaped by how you fuel, train, move, and recover. If you’ve been frustrated by plateaus, confused by mixed messages online, or stuck believing your best years are behind you, this episode walks you...

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8 Signs You’re Burnt Out + What Your Body Really Needs show art 8 Signs You’re Burnt Out + What Your Body Really Needs

Embrace Your Real

Today we’re diving into something that a lot of us feel but don’t always catch in the moment: Burnout.    Not the regular kind of tired where a good night’s sleep fixes it. The deep, lingering exhaustion that follows you into the next day, the next workout, the next conversation.   Sometimes, the next level of your results won’t come from pushing harder. It’ll come from slowing down, refueling, and reminding your body that it’s safe to grow again. This season, especially through the holidays, I challenge you to nourish your body instead of punish it.   ...

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More Episodes
Today, I want to talk about something that so many of us struggle to accept — the idea that you can’t always give 100%. Some days, weeks, or even months… all you have is 60%. And that’s not failure — that’s being human.
 
We live in a culture that glorifies “all or nothing.” It tells us that if we’re not giving it our absolute best — crushing workouts, tracking macros perfectly, staying on top of every little habit — then we’re somehow falling short.
 
But it doesn't have to be this way. 
 
When you start giving yourself permission to scale your effort based on your season, you stop operating from guilt and start operating from grace. And that’s where real, sustainable progress happens.
 
So in this episode of Embrace Your Real, we’re going to talk about:
  • Why 60% effort still matters more than you think
  • What “maintenance mode” actually looks like
  • And how to give yourself permission to scale back without losing momentum

 

If you loved this episode, you might also like Episode 474: Overcoming Unrealistic Expectations of Yourself 

 

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