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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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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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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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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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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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Fasted Cardio for Best Results
Fasted cardio has gained significant attention for its potential benefits in accelerating weight loss, but there is so much more to it. It can help jumpstart your morning, get your blood and creative juices flowing, and uplift your mood.
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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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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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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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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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Change Your Life with Your Words: The Power of Positive Affirmations
“The definition of hell is: Your last day on Earth, the person you became meets the person you could have become.”– Dan Sullivan.
We all want to live up to our full potential. But life is moving so fast and there are so many obstacles. What can we utilize to manifest the best possible version of ourselves? The answer lies in our words, and this article will discuss how positive affirmations can completely change the direction of your life. I know this because it did with mine.
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The DAO of Conquering Negative Thoughts
If you are on a path to fitness, mental fitness is a critical pillar. You can only fix so much on the outside. The negativity you experience on the inside can sabotage years of efforts and weigh you down, literally. It is a proven fact that positive thinking and weight loss success are interrelated. Not only that, but mastering the art of guarding your mind can lead to better job success, relationships, and overall health. On the flip side, a negative mindset is associated with depression, weight gain, and disease.
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If you practice long enough, you can go here in your mind. Photo by Simon Rae
The DAO of Meditation for Busy People
Who has time to meditate? Monks? And also, people who want to stay sane.
If you want to achieve next level fitness, the mental and spiritual element is a huge part of it. I am going to give you a simple guide to meditation, because I know you are too busy to meditate. And so am I.
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The DAO of Mastering Your Email Inbox: The Ultimate Efficiency Guide
As a successful business person, email is an integral part of your communication. But email should not stampede over your personal values and goals – including those that involve moving your body and bettering your mind. To ensure that you are using your time efficiently and effectively, we’ve put together a guide to help you manage your emails throughout the day.
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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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The DAO of Empowering Your Morning: Own Your Day From The Moment it Begins
“What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” —Ralph Marston
We all have 24 hours in a day. So do all the Fortune 500 CEOs. So does Beyoncé. Our responsibilities have responsibilities.
Do you want to make the most out of your day? Start by empowering your morning! The way you start your day can set the tone for the rest of your day. Therefore, it’s essential to create a morning routine that works for you and fuels your success. You can look at the morning in two ways – something that just happens to you, or an opportunity for you to seize the day. This is the DAOFitLife guide to empowering your morning.
Here are some tips to help you empower your morning and set yourself up for a “high vibration” day.
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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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Toxic Hustle Culture: How to Overcome the Busyness Trap and Lead a Fulfilling, Productive Life
‘Hustle Culture’ is a loaded term that means showing the world what a boss you are. And as busy people, we live on this. Striving and staying positive – that’s the thing, right? I even have ‘hustle’ in the title of my book.
But it can go too far – and become a ‘toxic hustle’ culture where we are obsessed with being busy and squeezing everything out of every second. What’s worse, it has become somewhat of a competition. Humble brags on social media along with prideful declaration of one being “swamped” are the new status symbol.
In today’s toxic hustle culture, brandishing one’s busyness is like swinging a Birkin bag. The support for this principle is not just anecdotal – a recent article in Harvard Business Review highlights how busyness has become the new status symbol. The result is a reported rise in “time poverty”. So much for luxury bags! This got me thinking – what is “busyness” really achieving for us in the fulfillment of our long-term values?
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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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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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