Read more about the article Hot Sauce: The Spicy Secret to Jump Start Your Fall Fitness
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Hot Sauce: The Spicy Secret to Jump Start Your Fall Fitness

Did you know hot sauce can be a powerful weight loss tool? From boosting your metabolism to reducing your appetite, hot sauce has been found to offer a range of benefits for those looking to improve their health. In this article, we’ll explore these benefits, as well as the different categories of hot sauce.

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Read more about the article Why You Should be Skeptical of the 12-3-30
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Why You Should be Skeptical of the 12-3-30

Every single day when I walk into the Equinox I see the treadmill -style workout still sweeping the nation – the 12-3-30 workout. But a lot of what I see is people holding on for dear life on the handles and craning their necks to overcompensate. It is important to consider whether a certain “hot” workout is right for your physique, as opposed to jumping on some social media bandwagon. You should always be skeptical. This is why.

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Read more about the article Sip, savor and stay skinny with this coffee creamer guide
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Sip, savor and stay skinny with this coffee creamer guide

For many, the comforting ritual of sipping a steaming cup of coffee is a cherished part of the day. However, concerns about weight gain often loom large, especially when considering the addition of creamy, flavorful coffee creamers. The good news is that with a mindful approach and a few clever techniques, it’s possible to enjoy the indulgence of coffee creamer without tipping the scales. In this article, I will give you specific recommendations and a great method to make sure no matter what you choose, you can sip and stay skinny! Thanks to my husband’s friend Chris H for inspiring this article!

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Read more about the article The DAO of Metrics: Why You Will Succeed With Food Tracking
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The DAO of Metrics: Why You Will Succeed With Food Tracking


In business, accountability and metrics are important. How is a company supposed to know if it is meeting its goals and gains if there is no understanding of daily, weekly, quarterly sales? Similarly, fitness goals also need measurable metrics. But what are the right ones, and how should you track them? The #fitprofessional is here to help.

NOTE: This is not to be interpreted as a recommendation of how many calories/macronutrients you should be eating. While the tools highlighted here are a good litmus test, everyone should consult with a medical professional and/or dietician to ensure that the numbers are consistent with their individual health profiles.

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Read more about the article What the Liver? What You Don’t Know Might Kill You
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What the Liver? What You Don’t Know Might Kill You

Have you ever had a long weekend and felt like you needed a “detox”. Maybe you had too many glasses of wine at that wedding. Maybe you ate a lot of croissants on that summer vacation to France. Or maybe you just feel a little sluggish, and the fantastic promise of many products in the market that will “clean out your liver” and “detox” you is very tempting. This article should make you reconsider. Based on a true story.

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Read more about the article Why Portion Sizes Matter! (more than most things)
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Why Portion Sizes Matter! (more than most things)

We are going to talk about portion sizes. I categorized this as a saboteur because I have seen many cases, including with me, of eating nothing but healthy whole food and gaining weight. It is SO frustrating.

The only explanation lies in CICO, Calories in = Calories out (read my cardio post for more explanation and breakdown of CICO). Portion sizes matter in this equation. And thanks to Supersize menus, we have a skewed view of what they should be. So I will use this article to understand the problem, and then offer a guide to retrain your brain – which is what I had to do after being brainwashed by the skewed portion size saboteur.

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Read more about the article Your Low-Cal Guide to Summer Starbucks Drinks
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Your Low-Cal Guide to Summer Starbucks Drinks

You know it’s summer when you start seeing pictures of the frothy, creamy, colorful Starbucks drinks pop up on the menu. 

What you might not know is that many of these favorites, even when not supersized, are the calorie and sugar equivalent of a large candy bar. And have far in excess of the recommended sugar intake sometimes on a daily basis. While following my 80-20 approach can definitely leave room for an indulgent Starbucks drink as is, regular consumption of these “empty calories” will not only add up but will leave you unsatisfied, as there is no significant amount of protein, fiber, or fat in any of them.

But you don’t have to be left out in the heat. You can have your cake and eat it too on the reg. Here’s how.

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Read more about the article What Happens when ChatGPT Designed My Meal Plan
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What Happens when ChatGPT Designed My Meal Plan

When I saw influencers start to post videos with AI-designed meal plans, I immediately opened my Chat GPT app and joined the fun. I will say that ChatGPT did a pretty good job, if not lacking a little in variety. I also learned you have to be REALLY SPECIFIC about what you want, so you don’t get weird combos (you will see).

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Read more about the article The Best Low-Carb Wraps
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The Best Low-Carb Wraps

When I need something to eat during the day when I am working, I literally sometimes have NO TIME to either prep or time to get lunch out. Not to mention, the latter is expensive and can add up to 100s of dollars a month!

For this post, you will find the DAOFitLife “awards” for the best types of low-carb wraps.

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Read more about the article Love and Other Weight Loss Drugs: The New Wave of Injectable Treatments
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Love and Other Weight Loss Drugs: The New Wave of Injectable Treatments

Sometimes the greatest success comes from a mistake. Or an accident.

In a drug originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, scientists discovered during the process that the active ingredient in these drugs could also be used prescriptively to aid weight loss. Boom, an industry estimated to be worth 200 Billion dollars by 2030 was accidentally born. 

So what do you need to know about the trend sweeping social media and dominating the headlines? And why does it matter?

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Read more about the article How to Show Steps on Your Apple Watch Face
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How to Show Steps on Your Apple Watch Face

If you have or are considering getting an Apple Watch, you may be aware of this fact: unlike a Fitbit, you do not see the number of steps immediately on the watch face. Wait, what? 

Steps don’t automatically appear on the watch face. Which can really decrease your motivation when you are trying to track steps. The good news: There IS A WORKAROUND. I learned it, I did it, and so can you! All is right with the world.

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Read more about the article When Your Jeans Feel Tight: A How-to-Deal Guide
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When Your Jeans Feel Tight: A How-to-Deal Guide

Have you ever taken a pair of jeans out of the closet you haven’t worn in a while? There is already an inner battle in my head when I do. Should I try them on? What if they don’t fit? What if I’ve gained weight? How did they fit the last time I wore them?

Now you shimmy them on. You might already be on the struggle bus in the shimmy process. Or you might get them all the way up but they don’t quite zip. Or they might zip, but that’s only a technicality. It zips but doesn’t quite fit.

In my day job, I like developing a “mode of analysis” for all my projects and issues I handle. So here is the DAOFitLife “Mode of Analysis” for your tight-jean issue. Step by step, with decisions along the way that you make based on what you feel is right for you!

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Read more about the article Spring Cleaning: The Sneaky Workout You Didn’t Know You Needed
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Spring Cleaning: The Sneaky Workout You Didn’t Know You Needed

Spring cleaning may not be the most exciting task on your to-do list, but it can actually be a sneaky way to get a workout in. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy we burn during our daily activities, and cleaning and organizing your home can be a great way to boost NEAT and burn some extra calories. In this article, we’ll explore some common spring cleaning tasks and how many calories they can burn per hour, as well as tips on how to tackle cleaning out and organizing your closets and kitchen cabinets.

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Read more about the article Healthy Easter Candy: Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth Without Compromising Your Health
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Healthy Easter Candy: Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth Without Compromising Your Health

As Easter approaches, it can be challenging to resist the temptation of indulging in sugary treats. Especially if you have kids and Easter baskets to fill. But even without, there are aisles of colorful candies in every store, office candy bowls, and commercials witth the clucking bunny.

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Read more about the article The Rise of Gua Sha: How a Traditional Practice is Revolutionizing Western Skincare
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The Rise of Gua Sha: How a Traditional Practice is Revolutionizing Western Skincare

You probably have seen it on some form of social media – women rolling odd shaped jade tools over their faces. This practice of gua sha is centuries old, but it has resurfaces as a way to decrease puffiness and act as a “natural botox”.

But is it really that magical? Here is what you need to know and my experience. As an initial reaction, I found that a regular gua sha practice was so much more than skincare. It helped relieve tension in my jaw, forehead, and sinus pressure. So read on if you have any of these issues especially at your job! This is now part of my daily routine – rise, wash face, coffee, lemon water, meditate, and gua sha. By the end of this five minute routine, I feel like a million bucks and ready to face the world!

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Read more about the article How to Get Toned Arms for Summer – Starting Now
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How to Get Toned Arms for Summer – Starting Now

Spring is here,  and it’s time to start thinking about getting those arms ready for tank tops, sundresses, and other warm-weather attire. Whether you’re looking to tone up, build muscle, or just feel more confident in your own skin, there are plenty of ways to get nice arms for spring.

Here are some tips to help you achieve your goals. It might be only spring but it generally takes about 8 weeks to notice a difference when you start a new training program. Be patient, and follow along!

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Read more about the article Foods that are no better for you than their “evil” cousin
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Foods that are no better for you than their “evil” cousin


In a morality-laced wellness culture, the world is divided into two food groups: Virtue-signaling “clean” foods, and evil, bad foods.

You know what? In many cases, the virtue signaling-food is actually not materially healthier. I have identified several common categories that compare the demonized food and the halo effect, then shine a light on reality. As for a solution, you can now eat the food you really want knowing that there is no real moral superiority to the alternative. OR you do what I do in many cases which is identify the core craving behind wanting a particular food and satisfy it with a healthier alternative, not a “faux healthy” version of that food.

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Read more about the article The 5 Biggest Myths About Strength Training, Busted
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The 5 Biggest Myths About Strength Training, Busted

“You don’t need to do cardio if you lift weights!” “Weights will make women bulky.” “You have to lift heavy to see your body change.”

Ever since bros have been lifting, there has been “broscience.” A classic way to spot one of these broscientists is the guy walking around the gym with a protein shake and a brightly colored pre-workout drink. And he may also be sporting a bag of trolli gummi worms, because it’s “chest day.”

A lot of the myths surrounding strength training make it more of an intimidating world to approach. How can you dedicate hours of extra time a day to doing sets when you can barely tear yourself away from that spreadsheet?

Here are 5 common beliefs about strength training and how to keep your busy schedule without having to become a “bro” parked in the gym for hours.

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