Hi friends! I’ve got a new podcast episode up for ya.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk about a few weight loss strategies that have nothing to do with calories or macros. I think it’s so common to hear, “calories in vs. calories out” but there are so many other strategies and things to consider that can impact our goals.

Disclaimer: this is not medical advice and not intended to treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any medical conditions. Talk to a doctor or your practitioner for individual concerns.

Also, this is my friendly personal trainer reminder to NOT focus on weight as much as body composition. Focus on the variables you can’t SEE: how do you feel? Is your schedule realistic for you? Is this something you can maintain? What’s your performance and energy like? Immune system function? Hormone function? These are all indicators of a happy body that a scale is unable to measure.

131: 5 things to support healthy weight loss (that have nothing to do with calories or macros)

Here’s what I talk about in this episode:

– Why the topic of weight loss can be taboo, finding your body’s set point, and why body composition is more important than weight

– 5 things to support your healthy weight loss goals (and health in general)

– How to set up your plate

– Adding more daily steps

– How alcohol affects weight loss (or weight loss resistance)

and so much more!

The digestive enzymes I love are from Sakara (they are the probiotics; use XOGINAH) and Now Foods (use FITNESSISTA)

More resources from this episode:

I’ve been loving Athletic Greens! This link gets you 5 free travel packs and a year’s supply of Vitamin D3/K2.

If any of my fellow health professional friends are looking for another way to help their clients, I highly recommend IHP. You can also use this information to heal yourself and then go one to heal others, which I think is a beautiful mission. You can absolutely join if you don’t currently work in the health or fitness industry; many IHPs don’t begin on this path. They’re friends who are passionate to learn more about health and wellness, and want to share this information with those they love. You can do this as a passion, or start an entirely new career.

You can use my referral link

These easy, skillet-fried pork chops with balsamic and dijon are an awesome weeknight meal that comes together in under 20 minutes.

I serve them with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Oven Roasted Asparagus and there is hardly a bite left over at the end of the meal.

Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

These pork chops were originally inspired by the Balsamic Dijon Ham that we love so much. That mouthwatering ham has become a holiday tradition over the past ten years. In case you don’t already know it, pork with balsamic is a pretty darn amazing combination.

I was staring into the freezer trying to come up with something new and my eyes hit these really thick pork chops I’d picked up on sale and stashed in the freezer. As things tend to do in my brain, one thing led to another.

I decided to pan-fry the pork chops and finish them with a balsamic glaze. Oh, that was a great decision. Let me tell you, we basically licked that platter clean.

Pork Chops with Balsamic Glaze

The pork chops were ready to eat in barely 15 minutes and they were so tasty, my husband and I had a hard time sharing them with the kids. And no, I’m not kidding.

I immediately jotted a note on that recipe to remind me to double the recipe the next time we made them. I’ve updated the recipe below for more servings, since that is how I make it every time now.

However, if you don’t need as many servings, or have already made it and loved it exactly as it was initially, simply reduce all of the ingredients by half.

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Sharing the best mocktails to enjoy this spring!

Hi friends! How’s the week going so far? I hope you’re having a lovely morning. I have a couple of Zoom calls today and am working on our May Fit Team programing. Join us here!

Since the weather is warming up and spring/summer BBQs and pool parties are on the horizon, I wanted to share some mockatil recipes with ya today. Whether you’re expecting, or just cutting back like yours truly, these are a fun way to switch up the rotation. While I don’t completely abstain from alcohol, I’ve noticed a huge difference in my energy levels, productivity, mood, and skin since I cut back to 1-2 max drinks per week. You can read more about my journey here!

A mockail is a flavorful and enjoyable drink, minus the alcohol. I love that mocktails often come in beautiful colors, with fresh ingredients, and you can easily switch up the flavor profiles, depending on what you have on hand. You can use seasonal fruits to flavor your mocktails, and I’m sharing a roundup of some of my faves! These are all super easy to put together and so delicious.

10 Best Spring Mocktails

A roundup of my fave fun, easy, and healthy mocktails for spring

Mojito mocktail

This is a delicious spring cocktail with fresh flavors of lime and mint. You’d never know the alcohol was missing, and it’s way less sugar than a traditional mojito.

Ingredients

1 lime, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh mint

Club soda

Liquid monk fruit, to taste (my fave is NOW Foods)

Instructions

Add the lime and mint to a glass and muddle. Top with club soda and stir in the monk fruit to taste. Boom! So fresh and easy.

Lavender lemonade

I LOVE anything lavender and can’t wait to try this. It would be perfect to serve with any spring dinner parties. Get the full recipe here. 

Pineapple Coconut Mockarita 

This tropical drink would be excellent poolside. We’ll definitely be enjoying this over the summer. The recipe is here.

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Have you tasted a Flourless Chocolate Cake? If so, you’ll likely never forget that first bite. Unassuming in appearance and almost ridiculously easy to make, this cake is a fantastic decadent treat.

Several years ago, a sweet friend of mine requested a Flourless Chocolate Cake for her birthday. I’d never heard of it before, but she told me that she had fallen in love with it at a restaurant once and wondered if I could make her one.

I found a number of different recipes and I tried a couple of them. Then I made this one and it took my breath away. This cake delivers the most intense chocolate flavor you can possibly imagine.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I’ve made this cake many times over the past 10+ years and every time this is served, the room goes silent. There isn’t a better compliment than knowing that your guests are reveling so happily in what you’ve served them that no one is talking while they eat it.

And when the plates are empty? Oh my, the raves over this cake are always over the top. It’s a timeless recipe for a good reason.

This flourless cake is creamy and smooth, not at all dry. The serving size truly is the tiniest sliver. The slice pictured here served two people.

This recipe for flourless chocolate cake uses dark bittersweet chocolate instead of the traditional combination of chocolate and cocoa powder. The dark chocolate here intensifies the chocolate flavor in the cake and the result is a creamy, almost truffle-like cake with a creamy velvet smooth interior.

If you’re already a fan of this easy flourless chocolate cake and want to try something a little different, this version is sweet, cold, creamy, chocolate cake combined with a hint of unexpected heat as you finish each bite; it is unforge

Hi friends! Happy Monday and I hope that my friends who were celebrating yesterday enjoyed a blessed Easter. We had a great day with our fam.

The fun started off with an Easter basket scavenger hunt. It prolonged the Easter basket fun and P loved following all of the clues. Their baskets were waiting for them in the garage:

(They always get new swimsuits in their basket; this year it was these. Liv also got a new slime, lululemon bag, and sports bra, and P got an otter puppet, action figures, and a little sloth. They both got some peeps and chocolate eggs, too.)

Next, we did the egg hunt outside – the Easter bunny was tricky with the hiding spots this year – and got ready for brunch at my aunt’s with my dad’s side of the family. Nana’s famous egg dish and French toast were there, along with fruit, salad, cinnamon rolls, ham, potatoes, bellinis, mimosas, coffee, and endless desserts. It was everything.

My contribution to the feast was Ina Garten smoked salmon tartines on homemade sourdough. SO easy and so so good.Read more