When I think of Thanksgiving I think of family togetherness and lots, and lots of food. Most of us enjoy our family and food, but don’t enjoy the way we feel after eating. Many of us experience uncomfortable bloating, and a stuffed, “heavy” feeling. Here are a few tips to beat the holiday bloat so you look back at your Thanksgiving with fond memories.

*Serve Yourself: Usually when others serve us they want to be gracious and have a tendency to give large portions. By serving yourself you’ll know exactly what you have on your plate.

*Don’t Go Hungry: If you come to dinner really hungry you’ll be likely to eat too much too fast. Have a healthy snack before you leave to avoid over eating. Read the rest »

The toughest part about working out can be having the motivation to do it. Here are 10 simple tips to get you movin’ and motivated!

1. Reframe exercise as “me time”. Instead of viewing exercise as another thing to do, start seeing exercise as the one ½ -1 hour of time just for you. When you start to view exercise as “me time” you’ll actually want to do it!

2. Find exercise that you enjoy doing. There are so many activities to chose from including walking, jogging, biking, hiking, yoga, pilates, dancing, swimming and more. Don’t be afraid to try something new, there’s got to be something that you enjoy! When you do what you enjoy you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Read the rest »

I had a new client who arrived frazzled, and stressed out. When I suggested that we do yoga to relieve her anxiety, she stated anxiously, “but I’m not flexible!” I reassured her that 99.9% of my clients felt the same way when they were first asked to try yoga. What’s great about yoga is the postures are performed at your own level of ability. There’s no competition in yoga, the focus is within. Much of the class you’ll have your eyes closed with the focus placed on your breath.

A simple posture I often begin class with is called Mountain pose. To do Mountain pose begin standing with your feet shoulder width a part. Keep your spine straight, tuck your pelvis under and tighten your upper thigh muscles. Close your eyes and inhale a deep breath in through your nose. As you inhale imagine the breath going to the top of your head. Exhale out through your nose with your mouth closed. As you exhale imagine the breath sinking to your toes. As the breath sinks to your toes imagine all the tension of your day exiting your body sinking into the ground. Read the rest »

“Do I need to lift a lot of weights to get muscle tone?” Angela B.

Most people believe that in order to get muscle definition they need to lift weights. The fact of the matter is you can tone and define your whole body without lifting a single weight.

Just think about those lean, buff military men doing push-ups and pull-ups. If you can lift your own body weight then you definitely have muscles! Read the rest »

Summer is in full swing and you may feel like it’s too late to tone up and look good in your bathing suit, but now is the perfect time to get in shape and feel and look great for the rest of your summer. If you live near the beach, have fun while you tone from head to toe! The sand adds resistance for a more challenging workout. However, if you’re far from the beach, you can do these exercises anywhere, including in your own home. Try these simple moves to tone up and be beach body ready in no time!

“Sandy Lunges”: Standing place your right foot approximately 3-4 feet in front of your left. Bend both knees so your knees make 90 degree angles. Read the rest »

Miracle pills and diets don’t work yet women spend thousands of dollars praying that a little miracle pill will burn off all their fat and leave them thin and happy in all areas of their life. There’s one big problem, nothing changes once they lose the weight. When women diet and deprive their bodies, they lose the weight and feel just as empty. They still have little passion with their husbands or partners and have no patience with their children. What’s been overlooked by all of the dieting gimmicks is one’s mindset. Until a women’s mindset is addressed she’ll continue yo-yo dieting and end up fatter and emptier after each attempt. Read the rest »

It’s the New Year, and we’re all evaluating our goals and making resolutions. If one of your resolutions is to lose weight, I’m going to show you how with these top 5 tips to losing weight and feeling great while doing it.

Top 5 Tips to Lose Weight

1. Have realistic expectations. Don’t expect weight loss to happen over night. Lasting results take time. With healthy eating habits and consistent exercise, expect to lose 2-4 lbs. a week, that’s 8-16 lbs a month! Read the rest »