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When you’re first starting out on your health, weight loss, and fitness journey, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. From the things you have to say “no” to, to the change in your daily habits, just the thought of altering your lifestyle forever can be intimidating. Which is part of the reason why the key to anything life-changing is taking baby steps. It’s also vital to allow yourself to celebrate and take pride in those small steps. So, whether you’re well on your way to achieving your final goal or you’re just starting your health journey, here are five milestones worth celebrating along the way. You Move the Needle The first and perhaps most celebration-worthy milestone is when you move the needle of the scale for the first time. After years of either not giving fitness and nutrition any thought or following the wrong diet or exercise regimen, you're finally seeing results. It can only get better from here, so pat yourself on the back and keep moving forward. Your Clothes Stop...

To some, mornings suck. Waking up and working out first thing seems like a faraway dream that isn’t worth the effort in the end. Not true! If you aren’t a natural morning person, going without hitting snooze at least once can feel like a huge accomplishment in and of its own. That’s step one. Keep going, let’s get you up, moving, and sweating in the mornings. While exercising in the evening is better than not exercising at all, here are a few reasons why the early bird truly does get the worm when it comes to reaching your health goals. Feel the Early Burn If you’re an avid follower of intermittent fasting weight loss , then you'll know how effective fasting for set periods can be at boosting your metabolism and kicking your body into fat-burning mode. When you exercise in the morning as opposed to in the evenings, you can shift that process into high gear first thing in the a.m.—one study even found that if you exercise on an empty stomach as opposed to a full one, you can b...

Spring is here, and with the weather warming up and your favorite spot opening their patio space, you know what that means—it’s officially brunch season! Brunch is a sacred time for most of us and gives us a chance to pause, catch up with the girls, and enjoy some sunshine on the patio. What could go wrong? Well, there is that one little thing you might have forgotten—your diet. Luckily, you’re following a flexible, brunch-friendly weight loss meal plan . But even so, you can’t just go hog-wild after merely smelling some French toast. If you have a brunch date (or many) coming up, these are some easy tips that will help you stay on track with your health goals.  Plan Ahead A huge part of keeping your meal plan in check is planning well in advance what you’re going to eat when you get to brunch. If you just show up and wing it, chances are you’ll eat a big plate of pancakes and syrup with a side helping of regret for later on in the day. On the other hand, if y...

No matter what diet or weight loss plan you follow, it seems you’re bound to hit a plateau eventually. Hitting a plateau is essentially when your results start to slow down and finding the motivation to keep going can be a bit frustrating.  It happens to the best of us. Whether you’re on a low-carb plan or are following an intermittent fasting weight loss program, the plateau can feel inevitable. The good news is that many have overcome it and you can too if you have the right mindset and consider the following tips. Inspire Yourself It’s easy to let the number on the scale dictate how you feel about your progress, although your weight loss goal is really only part of the equation. When that number hasn’t moved much in a week or two, it’s easy to get discouraged and feel like this is as good as it gets. Having a positive mindset is probably the most crucial part of breaking through a plateau, so take a moment to look back and inspire yourself. If you took ...

Meeting your health goals, be it to lose weight or eat healthier foods (or both!), feels nearly impossible for some, while for others the process appears effortless. The truth is, anyone can conquer their health goals, including weight loss, with the help of an effective weight loss meal plan and the right fitness routine.  In recent years, low-carb diet phasing has shown success for many people, but as you go down that path, you might start missing your favorite carb-filled foods: buns, bread, pasta, potatoes, and more. The good news is you can have variations of these foods with a low-carb twist if you know what to use. Here are five low-carb substitutes to try: Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti is an all-time favorite comfort food for many. It’s filling, tasty, and versatile. The thing is, this crab-loaded dish doesn’t fit in a low-carbohydrate diet. Luckily, nature invented a vegetable version of pasta in spaghetti squash that is just as fork-twistingly fun to ...

Butter coffee is one of the hottest trends in the keto, intermittent fasting, and low-crab diet worlds. Once just made at home in a blender, its popularity has boomed into local coffee chains across the country. Not familiar with butter coffee? Well, it’s just as it sounds, emulsified butter—or another healthy fat like coconut milk or oil—in a cup of joe. While it might seem weird at first, the health and dietary benefits speak for themselves. Here are a few reasons to give it a try. Stay Full for Longer If busy mornings keep you from eating breakfast or you’re following an intermittent fasting weight loss regimen, then butter coffee is perfect for you. Many people find fasting until lunch a struggle as they fight off hunger pains and cravings, however, a dose of healthy fat in the morning bridges that gap and eases stomach discomfort. Butter and other healthy fats are more calorie-dense than protein or carbohydrates. Your body breaks fats down slowly, aiding in sat...

At the start of every new year, millions of people across the country create lists of resolutions. Much of the time, these lists include health goals like “lose X amount of weight this year,” or “go to the gym X times a week.” As you probably know, many of these goals are a lot easier said than done. However, at the beginning of the year with the calendar switching over, it’s easy to hold onto the “new year, new me” mindset. But what happens when you fast-forward a couple of months? The goals that once seemed conquerable now feel like mountains too steep to climb. What does it take to get up those mountains? Well, it all comes down to your habits—and more importantly—sticking to those habits. Particularly the healthy ones. Let’s go over a few tips to help you achieve your health goals and reach the summits you’re facing in 2019. Stay Away From Crash Diets It seems that every few weeks a new diet trend takes over. One week, carbs are bad, and the next, it’s fats. On...