Have you ever started a workout program or new diet, swear you're doing everything right, then after 2 weeks ask yourself, "Is this working?" You wonder why you haven't seen the magical results that you had expected in your imagination and when that's going to happen. 3 days later you are nowhere closer to your 25 lb weight loss goal and you think to yourself, this isn't working and you quit.  You see your friend Tracey posting about her new diet and think, I should try that, maybe that will work .  So you do the new diet because it's totally different than the last one, try it for 2 weeks, not see any immediate results, get discouraged, quit!  Rinse and repeat for the next 10 years or more! You wonder why nothing seems to be working although you swear on your life you've tried everything and you're doing everything perfectly.  You start to convince yourself something is wrong with you.  Maybe your metabolism is broken?  Maybe it's the...

Since this COVID 19 situation started,  we have all being confined to our houses and  all the gyms have closed, it has made it challenging for some (present party included) to get the workouts we want to have at home. I don't know about you, but I find working out at home just not the same.  I don't have a lot of equipment at home and I miss the comradery and focus the gym gave me.  But alas, we are stuck with what we have at home for the foreseeable future! You may be stuck in the same boat as I am, not a lot of equipment and a need to move your body.  Exercise and activity have been helping to keep me sane and balance my moods in an overly-emotional time.   So it has forced me to be creative, which really isn't the worst thing in the world.  I've been finding ways to make my workouts different and more challenging, so I will share my tips with you on how to change up your workouts to help make them more challenging, especially if you ...

Them: "I've tried everything!  Keto, intermittent fasting, working out, HIIT, high carb, low carb, cardio!  Nothing works!  It must be my hormones/metabolism/genetics!" Me: "Have you tracked your calories to ensure you're in a calorie deficit?" Them: "No, that's silly, it's not that simple!  Weight loss is so much more complicated than calories!" Me: "It's really not.  Weight loss is actually not complex at all.  It's not necessarily easy, but it's not complicated." Them: "I don't believe you!" I cannot keep track of how many times I've had this conversation over the years. Weight loss is commonly an ongoing struggle for many people.  The same 10lbs lost and gained back all the time; trying this diet, that supplement, those shakes.  Maybe it's your gut health?  Maybe a saliva test to see what your body is "intolerant" of?  Protein? No, it's bad for your kidneys?!  Y...

A common statement I hear is "I just need more motivation!"  or "How do I get myself motivated to workout/eat healthy"   I am certain you've had these thoughts, as has everyone!  You may be thinking to yourself, what's wrong with me, why aren't I motivated like the people I see on Instagram?  Why can't I seem to motivate myself to get off the couch, and why can't I stay motivated?! What's the secret behind motivation?  How do you actually achieve your goals?   The big secret is, you can't rely on motivation!  You don't need "motivation" to do anything in life, especially weight loss.   Why?  The answer is simple, motivation is fleeting and it fluctuates.   Take this extremely common example, that I guarantee has happened to you before: Some weeks/months you're all full of energy and excitement for your goals.   You start the diet, you meal prep all the things, do all the workouts, double your wo...

Ok, so does anyone else feel like the world is on fire?  Yep, we are all in agreeance, ok!  These past few days have been hell-raising for anxiety and stress for everyone.  Uncertainty of jobs, schools closing, scrambling to find childcare, and on top of that anytime someone coughs, it makes you feel like you're going to have a heart attack.  Good for mental health isn't it? Like the rest of us, I too am feeling the stress and my anxiety has been high over the last few days.  So I decided to take some steps to help alleviate and manage my anxiety and I thought I would share some of these with you because we can all use a little help right now! Tips on how to manage Anxiety during this COVID19 situation: 1. Minimize social media scrolling.      The great thing about social media is how fast news can be delivered now.  BUT over the past day or two, I found myself scrolling into the social media rabbit hole of news feeds, comment se...

Injuries suck.  Let's just start there.  Whether the injury is acute (happened suddenly) or a chronic issue that has been steadily getting worse over time, they can derail your plans for fitness and weight loss.   All injuries are difficult, shoulders, ankles, elbows, and my dreaded personal favourite, the knee ! If you've followed me on social media, or this blog for a while now, you probably are well aware of my own personal issues with knee injuries.   If you haven't or you're new to my blog, here's a quick rundown:  Torn ACL on my left knee in November 2015 in jujitsu, then I tore my right ACL 7 months later in June 2016, at jujitsu again .  I had bilateral ACL surgery to repair both my knees in September 2016.   Then in May of 2017, I got a small tear in the meniscus of my left knee.  My surgeon was confident it was small enough to heal on its own.  It didn't bother me and I continued to train, lif...

Feelings of anxiety or intimidation in the gym are not uncommon.   If you took a poll of everyone in the gym, I can guarantee you that a significant amount of people  felt the same when they first started.  As a fitness professional, I feel it is my job to help my clients with their gym anxiety and make them feel more comfortable.  A gym is a place for everyone, no matter where in their journey they are.  That being said,  a person who has never been in the gym before, they might not initially share those thoughts.  L ooking at all the equipment that you're not sure how to use, then seeing someone lift a scary amount of weight with ease as you go for the 5lb weights can make you feel self-conscious.  You may feel that you're being stared at or judged for where you are at in your journey, even if you're just starting! Gym anxiety or feelings of intimidation can be because of many different reasons, and each one of them is valid and...