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August 4, 2026

Lili Kazemi

The DAO of pre and post workout nutrition

Pre and post workout nutrition is so confusing. A simple google search yields over 30 million results. You don’t have time to read all this and figure it all out, so I did it for you. For this article, I interviewed Neda K, an elite trainer with Equinox for 10 years, for a guide to pre and post-workout nutrition. I have also based it on my own experience and research, because it seems that every expert has a different answer. Let’s get to the bottom of this together. Pre-workout nutrition Why eat before a workout?  Fasted working out, especially cardio, may…

Soul Comparison

Put up a parking lot…for your Soul

What my first post-pandemic SoulCycle class was like Pre-pandemic Soul journey My experience at my first post-pandemic live SoulCycle class was one for the history books. I was under a tent. In a gravel parking lot. with no mirrors, candles, or darkness. But I still had a blast. Eight years ago I walked up to my first SoulCycle class in Manhattan in the Union Square studio. It was a blur of dancing and lots of “tapping back,” one of SoulCycle’s signature moves. Unlike other studios like Flywheel or Cyclebar, SoulCycle does not believe in leaderboards or quantitative measurements. It’s about…

How to get Michelle Obama arms

The weather is already summer like in many places on the east coast. And we all know what that means. Lighter clothing, particularly in the upper body area. Thanks to former First Lady Michelle Obama, it is now acceptable to show some bicep. Her arms weren’t just on display for special events like the Oscars or the Inaugural ball. She showed off those arms shaking hands of foreign prime ministers and presidents, at her husband’s first inaugural address, in her first official photo. Notwithstanding some unavoidable pearl-clutching (jelly much?), her arms left their own legacy as a fashion and political…

Week 10- DAOFitlife Meal and Exercise Plan

Here is my weekly update on my meals, exercise, and recipes. RECIPES AVAILABLE HERE (UPDATED FOR WEEK OF MAY 6) Customizable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Links– Week 10 Customizable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Template Google Sheet (updated for week 10) Downloadable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Template Excel Document Printable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Template PDF DAOFitlife Exercise Plan – Week 10 Exercise Template Links Customizable DAOFitLife Exercise Plan Google Sheet Template (updated for week 10) Downloadable DAOFitLife Exercise Plan Excel Document Printable DAOFitlife Exercise Plan PDF Meal Plan  I am on week 2 of no…

Lili bicep curl

Week 9 – DAOFitlife Meal and Exercise Plan

Week 9 of DAOFitlife meal and exercise plan has a few new twists. This week I have tweaked my diet in two ways: I am starting to eat a little early breakfast before my workout. I do this by either eating a few bites of my oatmeal mix half an hour before my workout, or eating a date and a few nuts beforehand. A Medjool date is fairly big and good for a burst of instant energy. In my article on pre and post-workout nutrition, I outline the pros and cons of eating before the workout. I am going to…

Why Down Dog is now my favorite fitness app

During the pandemic, I have probably tried free trials and paid for subscriptions of no less than 50 fitness apps. Yes, this was mostly research for the blog – mapped out in my Fitness app decision tree. But it was well worth the investment, because after countless hours of planks, burpees, and squats, developing a decision tree, and slogging through unbearably annoying instructors and lots of freezing issues, I have done it. I have found the holy grail.

assorted-color pebble lot

Week 8 – DAOFitlife Meal and Exercise Plan

Note: Please consult a physician before pursuit of any exercise or meal plan. This is solely intended as a meal and exercise diary, and is not prescriptive. T-1 month until I am a bridesmaid in a wedding. This is mainly post-Easter remorse, but I am doing a sugar detox – so very much focusing on eating more healthy fats, proteins and vegetables. Eating a breakfast with a good amount of healthy fat definitely sets me up for success. And, I have a whole article for you to read about why fat is essential for a fit body and mind. DAOFitlife…

yellow banana fruit on green plastic pack

Whole Foods Shopping List: DAOFitLIfe

We all know the famous nickname for Whole Foods – Whole Paycheck. I do not get my staples from Whole Foods, but there are a number of speciality items that regularly make my list. I will also make recommendations about what type of produce and vegetables to buy at WF. 1. Miracle Noodles The best substitute noodles for Asian or Italian dresses ever. These are available Fettucine or Angel Hair style, and you can also get the pre-mixed flavored packets, like Pad Thai. I stock up on the plain kind and have it featured in this week’s Meal Plan and…

brass-colored mug with sliced lime

Saboteur Series V: Drinking your calories

Drinking right is just as important as eating right. I have encouraged tracking calories and food intake throughout the day. One reason this is a good practice is because people conveniently forget how many calories they can be drinking. From juices to your grab and go Starbucks and glass of wine, you could be giving away as much of 600-700 calories of your calorie budget to drinks. Eating those calories instead is not only much more nutritious and energizing, but so much more satisfying. In this article, I will give examples of typical sources of liquid calories: Sports and energy…

How to get back into running and best apps

Getting back into running isn’t easy – and I know, because I am doing it. I haven’t decided whether to sign up for a race, yet, but I am taking a slow approach to doing treadmill running and increasing my time/miles. Here’s are some helpful tips if you, too, want to get back into running – how to get motivated, how to improve quickly (including apps). Tip #1: Take it slow Start by walking, like I have been for the past several months. This will both help get you used to a longer workout, and build you up from a…

Week 7 – DAOFitlife Meal and Exercise Plan

On a weekly basis I update my meal and exercise plan google sheets so you can see real time what I eat, drink, and how I move. You can download the templates and customize them for your own meals and workouts. And I have a rolling update of my fast and simple recipes HERE. Tips of the week: Overnight oats is a super easy way to have breakfast for days. I have the recipe and combo on my recipe page. I have slowly started running again, and I am sharing my tips for how to get back into it and what…

Week 6 – DAOFitlife Meal and Exercise Plan

On a weekly basis I update my meal and exercise plan google sheets so you can see real time what I eat, drink, and how I move. You can download the templates and customize them for your own meals and workouts. And I have a rolling update of my fast and simple recipes HERE. Tips of the week: I have my Trader Joe’s shopping list for you here, to compliment my recipes. All designed for those of us who are busy and want on the go meals. Non-exercise activity, or NEAT, really makes or breaks your fitness. It is quite possoble…

Trader Joe’s Shopping List

In order to survive a professional career and be domestic, I have become a “Trader Joe’s chef”. Which means, I buy stuff at Trader Joe’s that I can throw together in rando combinations and somehow make it delish. It’s a skill I developed after years of shopping at the Trader Joe’s in my neighborhood (the West End, in Washington, DC) on Friday nights when I was single. I’d leave work around 7 or 8pm (#consulting life) and take advantage of the fact that the Trader Joe’s would be empty so that I could do my shopping and explore the aisles…

strawberries and blue berries on palte

I tried the food combining diet for a week, here is what happened

You may have noticed in my meal plan for last week I had a lot of fruit on the menu for breakfast. Well the reason why is that I decided to try the “food combining diet.” In this post I will cover what that is and what my experience was. In my post overviewing different diets, ,I didn’t cover every diet under the sun. There is always something new to discover, and I did that just last week when I ran into the “food combining” diet. I tried it for a week, and I am writing about what happened.

four assorted flavor of ice cream on white wooden table

Top 5 fake health foods

First, let me qualify that the purpose of this post is NOT to rain on your parade and tell you that any of these foods are off limits. As you can see from my 80/20 post, I am all for balance and enjoying favorite foods in small doses.  The purpose of this post is to expose foods that masquerade as healthy “80” foods, leading us to believe that we are making healthy diet choices when we are really eating the equivalent of liquid candy. Under the false belief that these foods are harmless health foods, we are more likely to…

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