If you’ve ever had to work out with your hair down, in dress socks, or in your regular bra, you know just how frustrating it can be to get to the gym and find out that you’ve forgotten some important bit of clothing or equipment. Aaaaarrrrggghhh!!! So I’ve compiled a handy list of my own gym bag essentials so that you’re …
Reverse-Engineer Your Goals for Success
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about helping people reach their goals is how to break them down and plan out all the steps to set them up for success and manage expectations. It’s easy to say, “I want to lose 20 pounds,” but how? What do you need to do to accomplish that and how long will it take? …
6 Ways to Get Your Butt in Gear When Low Motivation Threatens to Sabotage Your Progress
This is my “I so don’t want to be here” face. I was talking with one of the ladies in the Happy Habits Challenge group the other day about motivation. She says she struggles with exercising because she just doesn’t like to do it. That’s understandable, and she’s not alone with struggle. Not everybody likes to lift heavy weights, do cardio, …
Back to Basics: A Trend That Never Goes Out of Style
There’s one trend I tend to see over and over in the gym, and again a few nights ago. A 40-something man was performing a variety of kettlebell exercises a few feet away from me, and it was clear that his ability and body-awareness were a work in progress. I don’t mean this in a negative way. Just that he …
8 Common Fat Loss Beliefs That Are Actually Complete Bullshit (Part 2)
Earlier this week we talked about the first four fat loss beliefs that can keep us spinning our wheels and not obtaining our goals, mostly when it comes to exercise. The focus on the next four beliefs is centered more on the nutrition side of things, where things tend to get even murkier. With the thousands of diet books on Amazon …
8 Common Fat Loss Beliefs That Are Actually Complete Bullshit (Part 1)
I like to tell it like it is with my clients. I don’t believe in sugar-coating anything, especially if it only keeps someone struggling longer. And I’m constantly on the search for new information to keep my health and fitness knowledge up to snuff. I would rather find out that I’m wrong about something and be able to change direction than …
Are You Letting These Kill Your Results?
First it’s a few bites of a decadent dessert at the holiday party. Then it’s a few fried appetizers at happy hour. Then it’s a couple squares of chocolate after dinner. And then maybe gallon tubs of froyo are sneaking into your grocery cart and you’re indulging in your favorite tortilla chips and guacamole on the regular. And then 1 glass of …
How to Fit in Exercise When You Have Zero Time
It’s a common issue that I hear from busy women and moms all the time: I don’t have any time!We all have a lot on our plates, and when you throw in kids or extra responsibilities at work, it can seem near impossible to fit in exercise. Your day is booked up from sun up to sun down. I get …
Confessions of a Personal Trainer
I have a confession to make. Actually, seven of them (maybe more). I am not perfect. I am a recovering perfectionist, but I’ve learned over the past few years to embrace my imperfections and quirks. They make me who I am. They make me more relateable. They make the whole fitness and fat loss journey seem a little less intimidating. So, …
Monday Mindset: Getting Back into the Swing of Things
The bad thing about taking some time off from exercising (at least for me) is getting back into it again. I really enjoy lifting weights and going for walks (and occasionally sprints and longish runs), but if I take more than one day off in a row regardless of the reason, I struggle mentally to get back to the gym. …