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August 4, 2026

Lili Kazemi

woman exercising indoors

The DAO of Abs*

So let me ask you some questions. How many articles do you see that say, get a six-pack in 30 days? How many people do you see on the stretch mats on the gym doing a bajillion crunches, or flailing around doing some painful looking twisting exercise. Are you that person? It’s ok, your secret is safe with me. I was that person. The fitness industry gaslighting is fierce, y’all. Let’s start by debunking some of this click-bait. First of all, did you know you have a six-pack already? Those are the muscles in the rectus abdominis, but only a…

popcorns on clear glass bowl

Saboteur series VIII: Nighttime snacking

Nighttime snacking is probably the number one question I get from my fellow #fitprofessional peers-  and I understand because I am in the same boat as you all. Every day is like a marathon, we are scrambling to get things done until 7 or 8, AND make dinner AND finish the laundry AND figure out what the heck is going on the next day. When we finally put those dishes in the washer and flop down on the couch to watch a bit of the tube before bed, munching on a treat while doing so sounds really appealing. So how…

Week of June 23rd – DAOFitLife Meal and Exercise update (neck pain, pre-workouts, and salad ideas)

Every week, I post a weekly roundup of new finds – recipes, shows, videos. Be sure to check out the DAOFitLife Youtube Playlist for a curateed list of fitness-related videos you can watch while doing cardio. RECIPES AVAILABLE HERE  Customizable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Links Customizable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Template Google Sheet  Downloadable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Template Excel Document Printable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Template PDF Exercise Template Links Customizable DAOFitLife Exercise Plan Google Sheet Template  Downloadable DAOFitLife Exercise Plan Excel Document Printable DAOFitlife Exercise Plan PDF DAOFitLife Exercise Update…

The DAO of group fitness classes

As we come out of the COVID fog and start reintegrating back with our family, friends, and workplaces, the idea of returning to live fitness can seem extra. Now that we know there could be people spying on you in your house from your fitness devices, however, it could be a good time to consider man (or woman) over machine.  Even more so, group fitness can be a great way to reintegrate with our communities. It’s intentional to go to a yoga or bootcamp class, but the spontaneous relationships we can form  present an opportunity to expand our networks. The…

The DAO of Fancy Water, by personality type

Have you ever had this happen to you – you go to a restaurant with a group of people, and the waiter comes around with a pitcher dripping with condensed iced tap water filling your glasses up. Then he/she asks if you would like anything else to drink, or are interested in still or sparkling water. That moment where everyone locks gazes in the ultimate awkward moment – do you stick with the tap or order the fancy water? Usually the person picking up the check decides.

Week of June 16 – DAOFitLife Meal and Exercise plan

This week, I have some new products to introduce! Plus, the beginning of my journey into a 5-day lifting routine. RECIPES AVAILABLE HERE (UPDATED FOR WEEK OF June 16) Customizable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Links– Week 15 Customizable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Template Google Sheet  Downloadable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Template Excel Document Printable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Template PDF DAOFitlife Exercise Plan – Week 15 Exercise Template Links Customizable DAOFitLife Exercise Plan Google Sheet Template  Downloadable DAOFitLife Exercise Plan Excel Document Printable DAOFitlife Exercise Plan PDF Meal plan – nut butter crepes…

green food is medicine! graffiti

The DAO guide to Intuitive Eating

When I first heard of intuitive eating, I dismissed it as some hippie-dippie excuse to indulge a lack of willpower. When I bypassed my inner judge and listened to what dietitians had to say, I have gotten more curious. The more I see, the more I think that this could be a new chapter in my fitness journey. This post will explain what is “intuitive eating” and the resources you can access to explore it on your own.

person holding red and beige twin bell analog alarm clock

Unlocking the mystery of intermittent fasting: Fad or phenomenon?- UPDATED for “Intuitive Fasting”

If I were to compare intermittent fasting to a celebrity, I would go with Lady Gaga. It seemed to explode on the scene out of nowhere, but didn’t succumb to being a fad or a one-hit wonder. It’s been timeless  – but it has attracted a lot of controversy. Lately, I came across the “Intuitive fasting” craze pushed by Gwyneth Paltrow, so I investigated and updated this post.

3 women sitting on chair

My date with a dietitian – how to find one, why it matters

In this post, I want to address is the question of consulting with a dietitian or nutritionist in your fitness journey. We will talk about the difference between the two and why it matters. But first, what are the benefits of having professional nutrition advice? What are the considerations in choosing someone to work with? A fool for a client  There’s a famous saying, a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client. This is rooted in the lack of objectivity required to assess your own situation. The same principle applies to nutrition, arguably – unless you do…

lighted eat what makes you happy neon signage

The DAO Intuitive eating

Since the beginning of my journey writing this blog, I have learned a lot about my relationship with food. One question that has been tugging at me since I started seeing a dietitian and exploring intuitive eating – Can an intuitive eating approach be reconciled with calorie and macro counting? *

woman leaning on wall while sitting on bed

How to bounce back from that post – wedding post-graduation weekend hangover

In my last DAOFitlife update I talk wed about going to a wedding this past weekend. When we checked into the hotel, I noticed that there were lots of people clearly going to weddings and graduations… and of course, it’s the season! But this season is unlike any other because we are all like lions being let of our COVID cage. And as I discovered , I was ravenous for life – and food. And it was EVERYWHERE.

Lili eq

Equinox Workout Class Reviews

This is your one-stop shop for Equinox class reviews. I will continually update this post. As someone who attends Equinox classes almost everyday, I am so enthusiastic to share this information with you. Equinox strength classes Athletic Conditioning Athletic conditioning is a full body workout using bodyweight and a variety of equipment. You will be doing a combination of HIIT, weight circuit training, and core work. In the particular class I took, the instructor uses sliders. It is about 45 minutes each class, and by the end of it you will definitely feel like you had a workout. The exercises…

Week 13 – DAOFitlife Meal and Exercise Plan

This week I am focusing on split training that is the type of training where you focus on certain muscle groups at a time as opposed to doing full body strength training. The advantage of this type of training is also that it decreases the amount of total training time. So, for example, when you do a split with upper body lower body push and pull you can be in and out of the gym in about half an hour including the warm-up. And that makes things really efficient during work “busy seasons”, which we are all familiar. In my…

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The fanastic promise of zero sugar

”So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”–1 Corinthians 10:31 “If you never taste the bitter, the sweet just isn’t as sweet.” – Cameron Crowe, Vanilla Sky My latest Netflix binge show is “Money Explained.” I’m already hooked from Episode 1, because I am a documentary nerd and I love Tiffany Hadish, especially the sound of her voice (she narrates the series). The first episode talks about get rich quick schemes and how they have evolved over 200 years. It highlights various examples of ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes, and…

Week 12- DAOFitlife and Exercise plan

The secret to meal planning success – a preview In the coming weeks I am going to deconstruct the art of successful meal planning. And the secret to that is REALLY PLANNING. That’s not to be confused with prepping. It’s about anticipating the situation and making sure you are prepared. This is something we do in everyday live without even thinking about it. For example, if your weather app says there is a 60 percent chance of rain, you are not going to wear suede shoes, right? And you’ll probably take an umbrella. The same principles apply to meal planning….

Week 11 – DAOFitlife Meal and Exercise Plan

Here is my weekly update of my meal and exercise plan. First, here is a roadmap of all the documents I update. Ideally you will want to use a personal gmail account to access the google sheets. Otherwise, you can also download the documents in PDF or excel format if you don’t have that platform. I update recipes on a weekly basis, and log my food and exercise activity both on a planned and real-time basis. RECIPES AVAILABLE HERE (UPDATED FOR WEEK OF MAY 12) Customizable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Links– Week 11 Customizable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery…

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