I recently welcomed my aunt and uncle from the Pacific Northwest for a quick family getaway. Originally hailing from Wisconsin, they were eager to indulge in all of the state’s staples including cheese curds, beer, and of course, a Friday night fish fry. To be fair, Wisconsin does have many healthy food options available that extend beyond its culinary clichés.…
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of meeting Gladys who lives across the hall from one of my good friends. While I was visiting my friend for her birthday, Gladys invited us in to her apartment to meet with her family and chat. As we were talking, Gladys pointed out the view from her porch. “Look at that view,”…
Earlier this summer I went on my very first mountain biking excursion in Bend, Oregon, with my dad. I thought this would be a fun and active way to spend part of our family trip and balance out the inevitable vacation calories. And what better place to experience mountain biking than the city that’s a famous hotspot for this very…
(Updated April 11, 2019) During our workplace TOPS meeting last week, one member mentioned having a hard time exercising (like getting on a treadmill, for example) just for the sake of exercising. He likes the idea of getting moving for a purpose and is a fan of activities like geocaching, where different navigational techniques are used to hide and seek…
Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in a food rut? Maybe you started the year off strong by batch cooking and trying new recipes, and now you’re getting tired with the same old, same old. Or maybe you took part in a diet challenge and now you’re wondering, now what? Whenever I feel like this, I tend to gravitate…
My husband and I recently adopted a 5-month-old puppy named Stevie. She came to us with zero training, but the cutest little squishy face and sweet personality that would make even a non-dog lover melt. As she’s jumping on my back and eating my hair, messing in the house and chewing every household item that isn’t nailed down (and even…
Thinking of consistently doing something or changing a habit for the next 362 days seems incredibly daunting no matter who you are. So how about shortening it up a bit? Instead of a New Year’s resolution, consider setting New Weeks’ resolutions. Each week, for the next 12 weeks, focus on one area that you’d like to improve. The beauty of…
This week I’m excited to have TOPS Member Content Associate Taylor Patton as my special guest blogger. As of today there are five days before Christmas and less than two weeks before the end of the year, and the various health clubs, wellness centers and fitness studios of the world aren’t letting you forget it. In fact, on the way…
If you’ve ever tried to watch your weight, you may be familiar with the sneaky weight “creep.” This “creep” is deceiving, because it happens very slowly. Maybe you forget to log your meals one day. No big deal. Then one day turns into a week. You may skip the gym for a couple days, then those days turn into a…