Why is there this misconception in order to live healthy lifestyles we must stay at home, meal prep every week and be tied to our gym membership? I for one, strongly disagree in that scenario and believe life is meant to be lived, places are to be explored and there is no reason as to why we cannot fuel and support our body while doing so!

Could it present some challenges and require you to think outside the box? Yes, it very well could but I know you are resourceful and rather than feeling like a chore; today I’m giving you the ultimate cheat sheet for eating well on the GO!

PLAN AHEAD:

If possible, opt to stay at a location such as an Airbnb or hotel room that includes amenities to cook with a local grocery store nearby to stock up for your trip. While you are at it, search local restaurants, cafe’s or coffee shops where you can find the menu online to ensure you have fresh options to choose from! You can even give the hotel a call and inquire about the...

Temptation is defined as; “Something that causes a strong urge or desire to have or do; especially something that is bad, wrong, or unwise.” (1)

 How many times have you felt temptation when it comes to food? You want the dessert but “Know you shouldn’t.” I’m going to assume there have been many instances. Sitting down to write this blog for you, my goal is to equip you with the tools to feel confident in a situation of temptation. Before we can get there, however, it’s weighing on my heart that food has the ability to make you feel as though you’ve done something wrong by eating it. That is temptation after all, isn’t it?

This is the dieting mentality showing up. We have been conditioned to label foods as “Good,” or “Bad.” Using phrases as “Don’t eat that, that’s bad for you.” What if however, we took the labels away? What if a food was neutral? Here is the thing, it’s...

Have you ever felt as though attempting to live a healthy lifestyle required as much work as a second job? Between the meal prep, the hours of exercise, waking up early, counting calories, getting 7 hours of sleep, it can be exhausting!

We, simply by human nature, are creatures of habit. Everything from how we style our hair to the meal we cook when we forgot to plan dinner, is done out of routine. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, habits are defined as “A settled tendency, or usual manner or behavior; an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.” (1) You know which word sticks out to me most in that definition? Involuntary. The fact that our habits are actions we just DO, not actions we have to think about doing.

An easy way to simplify your health and fitness journey and cultivate a fat loss lifestyle is to create HABITS that align with the final goal you’re striving to reach.

No matter the goal, here...

Early risers, weekend warriors, after- work late night gym closers. With busy schedules and jam-packed weekends often the most challenging piece of the puzzle is finding time to workout.

For some individuals, they love to wake up and move their body, for others that 5 am alarm clock is the last thing they want to hear. So when is the best time to workout? The truth is, whatever fits your schedule best. At whatever time you can consistently move your body each day; just with anything, though, each time has its pros and cons. So let’s break this down.

Morning Workouts:

Great for the early bird and often a time that is most easily attainable for consistency as long as you can wake up for your alarm. Hitting the gym in the morning hours can feel amazing for breaking a sweat not to mention short intense workouts help illicit EPOC (Excess Post- Exercise Oxygen Consumption) helping you burn more calories for the rest of the day! Some cons of the early bird workouts, however,...

Maybe you were a competitive athlete in high school, but haven't trained in a few years. Maybe you have been doing home exercise programs for a while and need to  switch up your routine.

Regardless,  hitting the gym can be intimidating to say the least.

I didn't see the inside of a gym until my freshman year of college, and even still I stuck to the group fitness room and the back row of treadmills. The goal was to just get in and out and avoid public humiliation. If someone asked me, “Would you ever be a personal trainer, fitness instructor, or have no problem walking into the gym and making a fool of yourself.” I would have said, “NO WAY!”

Over the years, though, I have picked up a trick or two when maneuver the gym scene and have built up the confidence to go alone. Today, I want to share FOUR of the biggest strategies that helped me overcome the intimidation factor and get comfortable in the weight room.

1.  Go at an OFF Hour.

If...

Real results come from getting CLEAR on what it is you're working towards. Sure you can say "I want to lose weight," or "I want to be leaner," but at the end of the day, those are simply words. What you need is an action plan, so let's create one together! 

Habits are created from CLEAR goals.

How do we set clear goals? By getting SMART about our intentions!

Smart Goals stands for goals that are:

1. Specific (What EXACTLY do you want to achieve?)

2. Measurable (Put a concrete number or feeling with the goal, something measurable.)

3. Attainable (Ask yourself, is this a realistic goal I can achieve? Reach for the stars, but keep one foot on the ground.)

4. Relevant (Is this goal what you genuinely want to achieve? Does it makes sense to go after it NOW?)

5. Time - Based (Pick a date at which you aim to hit specific milestones. Even if you do not achieve them exactly as planned, you are actively making progress forward; which is still a success!)

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