1. Get a Journal Or you can download this freebie that I made for you! It follows the exact template that I use and have used for almost 10 years. Keeping track of your workouts in a journal is so important and you'll need to stick with it. 2. Get Started Now Make today Day 1. Don't worry about what you had to eat and drink for breakfast this morning if it's not "perfect". Spoiler alert, there is no such thing as perfect in nutrition. The only thing you can do wrong is think that nutrition doesn't matter in fitness. What you eat is important with every single fitness goal. The sooner you get journaling your fitness and nutrition the better. 3. Write Down the Time You Ate Give yourself a tim

Admittedly, I was hesitant to post this because there might be backlash about me deadlifting on Thansgiving with someone misconstruing the why behind it. To set the record straight, I don't deadlift on this day to burn the calories so I can enjoy what I'm going to eat. I'm going to eat what I enjoy and enjoy what I eat no matter what day it is. I deadlift and lift weights as often as I can in general because I love feeling strong. I think holidays and traditions are fun. Story time: How It All Started Some families like to run turkey trots, but that's not my family. We like to lift shit. And this girl reeeeally likes to deadlift. That's why Thanksgiving is and always will be my Annual Deadli

When we exercise we always recommend a warm up before the workout to get the body ready for action. These 6 essential steps are basically your warm up for mindful eating. Ready carefully, and practice with your next meal. 1. Plan Ahead Planning ahead of time what you're going to eat, just like you would a work out, will put your mind at ease when it's chow time. You know how it goes, if you're hungry or it's time to eat and you have no idea what to have you probably aimlessly eat whatever. You open the fridge door, see the grapes and grab a few. The cheese looks good, so you get some of that out. You usually have cheese with crackers so then you have the crackers. Now you're standing at the

If you follow Whole30 or CarbNite, you're not going to like this blog. I'm going to share the cognitive distortions that Whole30 and other diets use. I get that people who adopt those foods or cook the recipes eat better, but it's because they're eating more fruits and vegetables. That's always a good thing, but eliminating other healthful foods? Not such a great idea physically or mentally. Carb Nite Solutions and Whole 30 cut your list of foods you are allowed to eat to very limited. They distort the facts into sounding like a legitimate approach to health...but are they? Lose belly fat! Change your life! Detox your body! We've all come across these attention-grabbing headlines. But what d

Ever wonder what to do to make counting macros easier? Here are 10 Dietitian Approved Macro Hacks that can help you whether you are just starting or have been going at it a while. 1. Weighing nut butter instead of using a volume measure (Tablespoon) really makes a difference. 2. Keeping a journal to write in helps me stay on track when I need a break from the screen. 3. Condiments- Mustard, Salsa, and Trader Joe's Green Dragon Sauce take plain cooked protein, carbohydrates, and veggies from meh to YEA! 4. Roast your veggies for easy prep and loads of flavor. 5. Be flexible. Don't stress about not meeting EXACT numbers. As long as your within range and staying consistent you'll be okay. It's

Happy almost Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving for anyone celebrating both. For some, this holiday is filled with dozens of family members and friends but for others it's a smaller crowds. A lot of recipes around the thanksgiving time are made for 8-12 people. In this articles I'm sharing a complete healthy Friendsgiving menu for 2 to 4 People. Appetizer: Everything Bagel White Bean Dip Recipe from How Sweet it Is ​​ This recipe is one of my go-tos for bringing to parties or hosting guests myself. The key is using toasted Sesame seed oil (I get mine from Trader Joe's) and  roasting the garlic. I suppose you can also use Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoning to make it even easier but

You know how it goes. Mondays you're amped and ready to kick ass in the clean eating and working out hard department. You maybe even planned your meals and your workouts. But by the time Thursday afternoon hits, your weekend vibes are high and weekend eating becomes a free for all. This isn't uncommon at all. In fact, researchers looked at the differences between week and weekend eating. Their findings? Calories went up mostly from sugar-sweetened beverages, alcohol, and other more discretionary foods. Not only that, but servings healthier foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains actually went down. Why does this happen? Our routines through the Monday-Thursday schedule are usually st

I snagged this recipe from my Anti-Inflammatory meal plans. Recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack are provided each week. There is an option for 3 or 5 day meal plans! You can also customize the recipes, print out a grocery list and check those nutrition facts. 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗼 𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲: 1 1/2 Tbs white miso paste 1 1/2 Tbs mirin (sweet rice wine) 1 1/2 Tbs rice vinegar 1 1/2 Tbs soy sauce (tamari) gluten-free 1 1/2 tsp maple syrup 1 tsp ginger, peeled and grated 3 (6 oz.) salmon fillets, skinless 1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted STEPS: Preheat broiler. Place the filets skin side down on a parchment-line baking pan. In a small bowl, whisk together miso,

We need calories to survive. Even if you were just laying on your bed all day you still need to eat. But what about those of us who wake up bright and early to workout? Eating something is still a good idea. Here's a list of foods to eat before early morning workouts and why. There are 2 key variables that will dictate what the best choice of pre-workout fuel is for you. First it's exercise intensity and second it's the amount of time you have before you're actually exercising. High Intensity Exercise High intensity workouts would be the ones that have you gasping for air. Weight lifting sessions, spin classes, kickboxing, or really any total body conditioning class will put your body into i

I sat down to find out what are the best Daily Harvest smoothies and bowls for pre and post workout and here are my answers! What is Daily Harvest? In case you don't know about Daily Harvest it is a fruit & vegetable-forward meal prep service. I thin of it like a healthier juice cleanse because you can order individual containers; they're loaded with fruits and vegetables kind of like juices. Why is it better? Because it's giving you the whole fruit and vegetable which means you benefit from what researchers call the food matrix. None of the fibers or other nutrients are stripped away from processing so you get all of the nutrients, the non and the unknown from the plants. You can head to t

One of my favorite books is The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. It is an easy read that explains the basics of forming a habit. There are 3 parts to a habit: a trigger, a behavior, and a reward. Because of a few of my own triggers, I'm now in the habit of blogging every morning. Waking up at 5:30 has to happen otherwise everything is delayed. It's not easy for me to get out of bed unless I have something to look forward to which is blogging and anything warm. But it's not the warm beverage I go to first. Nope, I go straight to the bathroom and turn on the warm water to wash my face and brush my teeth. It's been a game changer having an electric toothbrush from Smile Brilliant and I'm now t

In the gym you're breaking down muscle, burning fat, and hoping to get that confident, strong and athletic look. What should you eat after your workout to look and feel like that? Here are some healthy post workout snack ideas that work with every eating plan. What Do Nutrition Experts Say to Eat Post Workout? In the literature, there are studies that look at all types of post workout food and macronutrient formulas. Researchers will look at certain diets: low carb/ high protein; low-fat/high protein; moderate protein/high carb; Mediterranean, Keto, Vegan. They'll look at protein powders after workouts and most of them come to the same conclusion: Eat Your Carbs Carbohydrates after a workout

This is Part 2 of a series of blogs I'm writing to help couples be more successful with their goals by planning their nutrition together. You'll want to read Part 1 first if you haven't, then come right back to this post! We left off in Part 1 at the grocery list making step. I recommend you do this in Google Sheets because it's so easy to copy a new sheet for the next week. You can also share it with your partner. When I plan our meals I start with our macronutrient needs, we have a conversation about what foods we want to eat (this week Physio wants turkey burgers and sweet potato fries) and then I make a mock up nutrition plan in an app. Entering the foods individually into and app helps

I'm eating clean but not losing weight, I'm eating paleo/ low carb/ keto/ gluten free but not losing weight. Is this you? If so you are not alone! Losing weight is hard. You're wanting fat loss and that's even harder because with losing specific tissues you have to be so on point to makes sure you're losing the right tissues - fat not muscle. The reasons why you're not losing weight are most likely related to your nutrition behavior and portions, and only a few choices. To help people get started on healthful nutrition behaviors, choosing more single-serving portions, and having healthier choices I made this $6 Strong Snack Guide. It comes with a fitness tracker too. If you can commit to the

Yesterday I tested my metabolism at bēkn and meal planned my nutrition in my food journal, an app, and photos. These 3 methods of food journaling all have their pros and cons. My nutrition choices were not the only reason for my bēkn results. My metabolism changed for my last test because of my nutrition and training over the last several weeks. Food Journaling in my Journal Writing in a food journal is probably the easiest method, at least it is for me. It's the easiest and it's the one I stick to the longest. I format my journal like this: nutrition on the top and workout of the day on the bottom. I began to plan my nutrition choices based on a 4:30 PM test, but you can kind of see that I

I have been food journaling for 8 years. I began tracking in MyFitnessPal in 2011 and then I would write down my meal plan for the day along with my workout in a little notebook. The hand written food journaling has been the habit I've been able to keep the longest. When I first started, it was because I wanted to lose weight. More so, I desired the fitness model look: sculpted arms and back, definite 6-pack, and a round booty. I was in fine shape for an 18 year old girl but I wanted to look like Jamie Eason, a body-builder from the earlier 2000's. She looked awesome and strong! But chasing the physique isn't what keeps me journaling today. At this point food journaling is just a habit that

Life is an adventure and you have to fuel for it! That's what our dogs do and we should too. Dogs are the best reminders of what life is all about. They are up for adventure, chill sessions, and they are the best eaters. They'll eat anything and they're grateful for it. I suspect they do this because they know they have to fuel up for playtime with their humans. That's not easy in today's food and nutrition world. We are so bombarded with mixed messages about nutrition. Between the latest documentaries like The Game Changer and Ketogenic Diet coaches we're often left confused and don't know how to fuel our bodies. We're shamed into eating a certain way, then shamed for eating that way. That'

I'm approaching my 1-Year mark of working with an exercise physiologist and I have learned a lot about the intersection between my two passions fitness and nutrition. There's a lot of overlap but even though it's clear to me, sports nutrition is not that valued systemically. But I'll go into that in another blog because right now I just want to focus on the lessons I've learned after working with an exercise physiologist for a year! 1. Weights and Cardio Both Matter Should I do weights than cardio? Should I do cardio then weights? Should I skip cardio all together and just focus on weights? When it comes to body composition changes, people want to know what to do exactly and do it. The ironi

In May I did a TV segment on healthy summer desserts. I shared my favorite Watermelon Cake, Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn and a Gluten Free Dairy Free Banana Split Pie recipe. Watermelon Cake Every year I celebrate my life with this watermelon cake. Could a dietitian eating cake made of fruit be anymore stereotype? Nope! But Im okay with it. I love watermelon and could (read 'do') eat an entire watermelon as a single serving. Great for my happiness, bad for my blood sugar but thats why I tame myself on my birthday and make it a cake using homemade waffles as layers and nuts & seeds. Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn One of the best purchases I ever made was this $15 popcorn popper at Target. Did I wal

November introduces all the baked goods and sweet treats. At-home bakers and holiday gift makers are flexing their creativity muscles and share the sweetest gifts. I mean that literally and figuratively. I myself love to whip up a sweet treat every now and again. I once made a gallon-sized jar filled with granola and gifted it to my brother. I bought all types of noms: chocolate chips, dried fruits, oats, and nuts. The kitchen was a granola making factory and sheet pan after sheet pan I was cranking out granola to give as gifts. But sometimes we're not trying to spend hours in the kitchen mnkaing desserts and that's okay! We have healthier option that are more convenient because they're sem