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The little things matter...

What kind of little things?

What we do everyday.

What do you do everyday?

Think about it a minute...

Have you incorporated habits or rituals in your life you do without thinking and without fail?

The people I work with who achieve lasting results are the ones who have designed and established life-long habits for the body and life they want.

There are also those who have not achieved lasting results, and this is one of the saddest things to me, so I wanted to do a video about it.

There are 3 main reasons why habits fail to stick when we try to adopt a new healthy behavior.

1. Size - When it comes to habits big is not better. Small...crazy small is better. Behavior and lifestyle changes occur by doing something everyday. Mini habits are a way to avoid mental fatigue that flows from a life packed too full. If you are busy, stressed, overwhelmed or do work that requires a lot of focus. You are EXTREMELY susceptible to biting off a habit which is too big. You...

Many people I meet are trying to eat and cook healthy but they get stuck trying to find something they enjoy, that's easy to make, and good for them too.

I just got back from the grocery store (Trader Joe's) and thought I'd share with you what I bought and how I plan to use it this week.

Hopefully you'll find a few new ideas you can incorporate into your eating plan this week.

"It starts with one."

This is a phrase which floats around our house on a regular basis.

Too often we are our own worst enemies when we expect to take giant leaps into our goals instead of walking out the little steps each day.

I am consistently reminded that what we do daily matters!

I love the Jim Rohn quote, "Success is a few simple disciplines practiced everyday. Failure is a few errors in judgement repeated everyday."

This is how my husband and I approach not only our fitness lifestyle, but our whole life. Paying attention to our habits good and bad, leads to lasting change.

My husband lost over 60 pounds. Here's his before and after:

He averaged 2# per week, and has create the habits he can sustain for the rest of his life.

There are two things Chuck did that served him well:

• First he started super small 
• Second, he made a long commitment. (He committed to 1 year, but 12 weeks is a good place to start.)

Ever feel like you don't have enough willpower to resist the cookies, chips, or wine after a long hard day?

Do you feel the need to reward yourself with food because of stress, or emotional overwhelm?

Sometimes we're drained because of the mental focus we put into a project or the number of decisions we've made throughout the day. Experts call this decision fatigue.

I've felt this way on a regular basis as have most of my clients.

I've been researching the brain for about 3 years now, especially the part responsible for will power. My research has helped me understand how to train, and manage this amazing resource.

Many of us beat ourselves up when we lack self-control or the energy to take care of ourselves the way we want. We feel we've failed in this area, even though many other areas of our life seem fine.

There's an important piece of the brain puzzle you may not be aware of...

Maybe you believe as I used to, that our will power is like a muscle which grows stronger with work.

How do I get rid of belly fat?

This is the #1 question I get, and it is an important one.

Most people think they can exercise their belly fat away, but the truth is it is a sign of too much sugar, and flour in the diet.

Today's video compares and contrasts a diet most people assume will help them lose weight and one that will actually do the trick.

The grams of carbohydrates we eat per day plays a significant role in weight loss – specifically loss of belly fat.

Here's a general guideline to help you get started:

If you are:

• Trying to maintain weight eat apporox. 100-150 grams of carbs.
• Trying to lose weight keep carbs at or below 100 grams.
• If you are in metabolic distress and struggling with obesity or Type II diabetes keeping them around 50 would be good.

You might think it difficult to track grams of carbs, but if you are tracking your food with My Fitness Pal, the information is already there for you and you can make some meaningful changes toward your goal.

I would...

Today I wanted to introduce you to one of my favorite things...I feel like Oprah;-)

It is my Flip Belt. I used to have belts that carried things like car keys, phone and driver's license, but it would always bounce around when I ran or jumped.

That's why I like this belt. It fit's snug to your waist and doesn't bounce. It also packs easy if I'm traveling.

Thought you might want to see it.

Though you might want to see it.

Often when I'm working with clients on their nutritional program the initial thought is one of loss, and fear of deprevation.

I've learned over the years if we focus on quality over quantity our eating improves and our bodies align with their ideal size and shape.

If we are eating quality food in the right amounts, we tend to be more satisified and experience less hunger and cravings.

Cravings are an example our body telling us something's not right.

We need something better.

Sometimes better is whole unprocessed food, good fat, and high quality protein and vegetables.

Sometimes better is a walk to calm our anxiety.

Sometimes better is a good quality night sleep.

More is rarely better.

When trying to improve our lives and our health, this thought of chosing better over less may help.

Watching the quality and quantity of what we eat is crucial to living a fit, lean, lifestyle, but that doesn't mean we can't eat out.

Today I had lunch with my workout partner Mary Ann.

Fortunately we like the same thing, so we shared a Tostada Salad and each had a glass of wine. We both track our food with My Fitness Pal, and this lunch fit nicely into our calorie range.

An alternative if you're with someone who does't like to share is to choose something on the appetizer menu.

Paying attention to what we eat and how we move, is one of the best we can do for our health.

 If you'd like to receive a free pdf for guidlines to eating healthy and choosing quality macronutrients. Click below.

When I first started running I used to have horrible pain in my calves, which led to plantar fascitis and ultimately a stress fracture in my thigh.

Today is #28 of the 40 Day's of Training Videos and I'm going to reveal what I learned about eliminating tightness in my muscles and fascia with this unique little ball.

Before I got the ball I'm showing in today's video, I did these same movements with a tennis ball and received some relief, but it wasn't quite firm enough.

If you struggle with pain in your calves, feet, or hips see if these techniques bring you some relief.

I do these movements before working out and find that it improves my mobility as well as decreases pain and tightness.

Do you struggle with pain, tightness, and limited mobility?

It always feels like someone made dinner for me when I use my Crockpot.

Walking into a house that's been filled with the aroma of a warm meal, makes me say ahhh.

It always feels like someone made dinner for me when I use my Crockpot.

Walking into a house that's filled with the aroma of a warm meal, makes me say "ahhhhhh."
Today's video #27 and shows how a few minutes in the morning can lead to a tasty meal waiting to be enjoyed after a long day.

This is the roast I showed you at Trader Joe's in Video #2.

The veggies can be done with anything you have on hand. I happened to have a lot this week, which is great because the leftovers will come in handy for everything from omelets to cauliflower rice bowls.

What's your favorite way to use extra veggies?