Imagine the following: You’re eating a salad. But, this isn’t just any salad. This is your first salad on the first day of your new nutrition plan after years of yo-yo dieting, fast food drive-thrus and late-night snacking. You feel a sense of accomplishment in choosing this salad over the drive-thru or vending machine. That is until a well-meaning friend…
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…
When it comes to healthy eating, I’m always searching for new ways to keep it fun and enjoyable. With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I’m thinking ahead to one of the tastiest parts of this holiday … the leftovers! You may have already seen last year’s suggestions for “healthifying” leftovers, but there are countless ways to enjoy Thanksgiving treats all the way through…
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…
There’s so much I love about fall. The cool but not-too-cold weather. The leaves changing color and crunching under your feet. And, of course, the abundance of delicious fall fare. Fortunately, fall foods aren’t limited to pumpkin-spiced treats. There are plenty of autumn veggies ready to liven up your plate and fill you up without leaving you feeling stuffed. If…
If you have a fairly sedentary job, you may have noticed that it can be easy to let the pounds creep up. And it’s not just the prolonged sitting or job stress that influences our habits. Turns out our office mates can affect our choices, too. According to research by Cornell professor Brian Wansink (who also wrote the foreword for…
One-bowl meals are becoming more and more popular and are a fun, healthy way to fuel up without feeling weighed down. You can take this tasty trend one step further by making your own edible bowl. Veggies like squash can serve as the perfect holder for your favorite fall dishes. And, as a bonus, using edible bowls makes for fewer…
When you hear “portion control” do you immediately think “diet” or “deprivation”? When you get in the habit of following a healthy meal plan, it doesn’t have to feel like punishment. No matter which meal plan you’re following, portion control is must. Fortunately, watching your portions doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself or spend hours weighing and measuring everything…