Our Sisterhood allows us to connect with amazing women from around the world. These authentic, driven, and passionate women who are an inspiration to us and so many others. There are so many stories to tell, tips to share, and empowering women here to support other women. One of these inspiring women is Lindsey Schmidt, a certified doctor, and wellness coach, she has built a health and wellness empire that helps women reach their goals to becoming the best version of themselves. Her story is amazing, her track record is proven, and she’s here to share her tips with you!

So let's let Lindsey introduce herself...

I am from a small town in the midwest, Osceola, Indiana. No one knows where that is until I say “Next to South Bend, Indiana where Norte Dame is.” I was a cheerleader and a rugby player which led me to making many different kinds of friends, which I consider a huge blessing. I majored in Psychology and minored in Sociology, and was Pre-Med at Indiana University. I also continued my rugby career there. I went on to my doctorate in Davenport, Iowa at Palmer College of Chiropractic.

I have honestly always been into being active as well as helping others. As I got older, I was so interested in peoples' behaviors: Why they did what they did? Why did people feel depressed? Why do I feel the way I do sometimes? How could I help them and help myself? That's why I studied psychology. During my undergrad studies, I coached CrossFit and that's what got me into the mind-body connection, as well as nutrition. I then went into chiropractic because it truly encompasses the natural mind, body, soul, and how they all equally play a role in our overarching health. I wanted to help people become healthy, not through means of medications but through finding their true potential by natural means (nutrition, exercise, mental clarity). Yet, I do believe there is a time and place for medicine.

Did you met your husband in your field as well? What drew you to him?

I met my hubby, Derrick, the first week we were in school, we were in the same trimester, and we worked out at the same time in the gym, which led to us hanging out with the same friends. He asked, “If I did CrossFit” and I was kind of creeped out, like how did you know that. He had such a nice smile and eyes but really what drew me in was he was smart. He ended up tutoring me in a lot of classes because his studies were biology, pre-med. We studied every night together, worked out together, and found we had the same drive. We were inseparable and still are. Together we are on a mission to help others through nutrition, workouts, and a healthy lifestyle.

What has been your motivation to help others?

When Derrick and I got out of school, it was a huge awakening of how hard it can be to break through to people and their health. Our motivation is health itself, it’s our passion and has become our purpose in life to help those who are ready to receive that help with their health. That's why we are atypical doctors. We closed our successful "normal" practice so we could better help people in the way they deserve: honest, and integrative. This is our purpose in life: to spread the knowledge of real health; we really have no other options. This is what we are set to do.

What is your opinion on fad diets?

Don't do it! Back in the day, I thought fad diets were the answer. When I couldn't stick with it, I thought I was broken. We are not broken and we can learn and live in a sustainable and flexible way! Hitting our health and fitness goals takes time and learning. Ensuring we have a proper plan will work. A health journey doesn't happen overnight. Our bodies and minds take time to adapt and transform! This is what truly makes our health into a lifestyle and not a fad! Please, please, please don't give up on yourself. This life is too long to give up on something that takes no time to learn when you have the right tools.

You struggled in the beginning about what combinations of food were, in fact, healthy. Where does someone start when they are looking to change their diet?

No food is out of grabs. That's one thing I like to share with my clients. It’s about finding a healthy relationship with food and understanding what a plate of food should look like. Fruits and veggies are carbohydrates and super easy to grab on the go. These foods are not bad but fruits are loaded with carbs and sugars. Throughout the course of the day, I was eating a bunch of fruit and doing myself no favors because I was missing protein and fats! I had to start with small swaps and then learn what a plate of food should look like.

So when you're looking to start to change the way you eat, first, look at your day. We all know pop isn't good for us, but we love it! I made a small swap of pop for juice, then juice for water. This meant less sugar and carbs in my day. Another swap I did was coffee creamer for protein in my coffee. This meant fewer carbs/sugar and more protein. Evaluate your day and start making small swaps. Next would be to know what proteins, carbs, and fats are (the 3 macronutrients). Ensure you're upping your protein intake (this is most commonly under eaten) and being aware of your carb intake (this is most commonly overeaten). Real unprocessed foods over processed foods.

What are other common misconceptions that people may not realize?

Protein will not make you bulky, ladies! It will make us toned and curvy! Don't be afraid of consuming protein & good quality protein shakes! It is super hard to consume too much protein.

Jump off the cardio machine and lift weights! Lifting weights or adding in resistance training is the best thing we can do for fat loss! This will build nice lean muscle (not bulky), and muscle burns fat! There are healthy fats and unhealthy fats!

With the Keto Diet being so popular right now, I often see people fueling the body with unhealthy fats. We want omega 3 right fats that promote anti-inflammatory effects: wild-caught fish, grass-fed butter, nuts, seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.

What you see on social media or in the magazines may not be "real" but may be slightly altered or unnatural. I bring this up because I feel like we compare ourselves to this un-realness. A healthy fat loss is in fact, 2-3 pounds per week! This will help us keep the weight off long term and not gain it back. Sometimes dramatically changing a diet can be daunting. 

It can be overwhelming. I think one thing that has helped me and a lot of my clients is to get a journal to write a plan for the week and make checkmarks. Becoming more organized in "life" can help 100%. Next, cut back on the things you know just aren't the best for your health: pop, fast food, a whole bag of chips (guilty). This sometimes takes time. Try setting a goal like this: I will drink only drink 2 pops in 5 days instead of 5 pops in 5 days. Gradually ween yourself off those things. That way your focus is on that one thing and you aren't going HAM for a week and give up. It's about attainable goals. Now, just know, when you do this, you aren't going to see a HUGE number on the scale drop, but you must stick with it. It's about your health, changing behaviors and habits. Last, I would find a group of people who support your change in your life. The Fit Fam Derrick and I have is so wonderful and fun to see women making their lives and their families lives better!

What is your trick to a healthy snack?

I LOVE to bake! I love to bake with healthy ingredients! I have a sweet tooth and have found that baking with better ingredients doesn't make me feel like poo afterwards! One of the tricks I learned is infusing my treats with some yummy protein. We tend to under consume protein and over-consume carbs so this helps when wanting something sweet.

Not every day can be a goal-hitting day. How do you handle those mentally hard days of feeling like progress has plateaued or you don’t want to workout? 

Mental health is everything. I say that the mindset is the most important element to success in anything we do in life. Not every day will be goal hitting but what we can do is be 1% better than the day prior. We can all do that. I find that it is so easy to focus on all the negative things in life, but when we change our way of thinking of the positives too, it can do wonders. Acknowledge the negative but don't let it control our days and our life.

I do think that it is important to listen to our bodies.  A lot of times we are told to go workout no matter what. We think we have to go to the gym and workout until we want to collapse. Although that can be good for mental toughness, it can hinder the body’s ability to recover and place more stress on our body making it harder to hit our fat loss goals. Listen to your body if you are sore and fatigued.

Try Stretching

deep breathing, an At-Home Bodyweight Workout

or just quiet time. On the flip side, there has been plenty of times where I didn't want to go to the gym, and I made myself go and I felt so much better when I did. Following through is important but also being flexible and honest with yourself and knowing when it's time to just take second to breathe.

What is your support network like?

I have a wonderful support system! My family has been supportive, although they may think I'm crazy sometimes. They support my dreams and my purpose in life. I mean, they're the ones that "formed" me into the person I am today. My friends are like my second family. It has been tough to continue to evolve and moving states all the time for school and living, but what is cool is that I have friends all over the world. My Fit Fam aka Team Schmidt Fit is the most amazing thing that has happened to me. It is such a great group of women aspiring to be the best for themselves and their families from Canada to California to Texas. I feel extremely grateful for those bonds and that sisterhood. Of course, lastly, my hubby, Derrick, is my rock! He is so smart, driven, and pushes me to be better. In fact, he is a lot more focused and organized than I am. He is my best friend. A healthy support network totally matters and can be a huge predictor of mental and physical well-being.

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Find more information on her website HERE!

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