Decide. Act. Outlook change. Fit Life
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.
If you are looking to get back into the swing of challenging workouts or just to try something new, Orange Theory is a good choice. This post will explain what it is, what the experience is like, and help you figure out if it is right for you.
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…
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? *
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.
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…
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…
”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…
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….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
…into your diet. In my PFFCW formula, the second F is for fat. And I resisted it for years. Now that the stigma has been shattered, I realize that fat is essential to feeling good on the inside and out. Let’s find out why.
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.
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…
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…
As promised in my post on drinking calories, here we have a guide to the shrine of corporate existence: Starbucks. This article will give guidance on what NOT to order from Starbucks, and what to order instead.
