I hate diets. After years of being a chronic dieter for various reasons, including professional physique competitions, I. Hate. Diets. I affectionately call the way I eat ‘Manage Your Mangia’. This is based on my upbringing in an Italian American family, where I like to believe mangia means eat and enjoy. What I eat in a day can vary, and I … Read More
Fabulous Fathers Day Salad
Beautiful Broccoli Salad Summer time fun often means bring a bowl of something to a back yard cookout. This is a hit with my guys so I felt obligated to share! It makes a great Fathers Day side dish to go with that steak or those slow cooked ribs. Broccoli salad topped with chilled shrimp. Broccoli Salad Veggies 1 1/2 pounds broccoli … Read More
Those Arms Though!
I have coached, trained and/or advised over 500 women about their fitness challenges. The questions women ask me have a common theme, and they are often about physique improvement. I have been sharing my answers to the most asked questions on my Instagram and Facebook page. Because so many people requested this information, and many busy women may have missed it … Read More
The Hobby that Taught me How to Stop Dieting
There was that time I took up a new hobby. We had recently moved back to our old hometown, after living away for 14 years. I though it would be a good idea to have an activity that I could do with girlfriends, (besides drinking coffee and supervising play dates) After some thought, I settled on Tennis. Tennis, I … Read More
Eating with Freedom AND Responsibility
Mr. Kennedy was our pal. He was also our elementary school principal. He was the fun kind of principal that we had a healthy respect for. He was also a master at getting kids to understand rules without being stern. His advice was basic and so much of it has stuck with me years later. Mr. Kennedy was keen on preparing us … Read More
Bikini Ready?
Spring break is around the corner, and the comments are coming in about getting ‘bikini ready.’ What is bikini ready anyway? To me it is a state of mind, not a size or a shape. A girl can be bikini ready any time she wants to by accepting her body. Succumbing to the notion that one must be as thin … Read More
What Twinkies Taught Me about Consistency
Do you remember the Subway diet guy? He lost weight by eating only subs every day. And how about the Twinkie diet? That guy only ate Twinkies and lost weight. Over the last 33 years, I have sampled many diet strategies, (not twinkles or subs), and I discovered a common denominator across all nutrition plans. Consistency in honoring hunger and … Read More
What to do When a Chocolate Craving Hits Hard
During one particular snowstorm, when I not feeling the urge to eat an icy cold protein smoothie I played around in my kitchen while sipping coffee. I came up with this velvety chocolate mug cake. Hot food in cold weather, and cold food in hot weather makes sense, duh! Chocolate always calls to me when I get the urge to bake. An old … Read More
“Inconsistent is the new Fitness Habit”
I generally enjoy a lifting weights and prepping my own food. But at times I stgruggle to find time or motivation. When I need to find time in my schedule, I look to temporarily find hours, without jeopardizing my goals. Recently I found almost 4 hours in a week’s time by being inconsistent in my training and cooking. Yet, I … Read More
Is Your Diet is making you Fat?
Spring break is coming up, and the comments/questions are coming in are about getting bikini ready. What bothers me are the promises and guarantees that are circulating. By know you know that the only guarantee in life is death and taxes, so stop fooling yourself by believing that a diet plan is guaranteed! All diets are effort dependent on results. … Read More