Fit Talk Blog
Welcome to my blog—a space filled with expert tips, inspiration, and real talk about health, fitness, and wellness. Whether you’re looking for guidance on exercise, nutrition, menopause, or overall well-being, you’ll find valuable insights to help you thrive. If something I’ve written speaks to you, please reach out to me. Happy reading!
Let’s Talk Health & Wellness
The 7 Most Common Menopause Symptoms (and What to Do About Them)
Spoiler‼ There are over 34 documented symptoms at the time I’m writing this—but let’s start with the heavy hitters. If you’ve ever Googled “what is happening to my body??”…
Why You Should Reward Your Habits (and How to Do It Right)
We know we should build better habits — but let’s be honest, it’s tough to stick with something that feels like work every day. That’s where the concept of…
Why Your Morning Routine Matters in Menopause (5 Ideas For Success)
If mornings feel a little harder lately—maybe your sleep is off, your energy’s weird, or your mood is all over the place—you are not imagining things. During perimenopause and…
Let’s Talk About It (With Treatment Options): Pelvic Floor Changes, Painful Sex & Vaginal Dryness in Menopause
When it comes to menopause, there are some symptoms no one really warns you about. The ones that feel too uncomfortable or “taboo” to talk about—like vaginal dryness, painful…
How to Stay Motivated and Keep Winning
💥 Motivation is like a spark—it ignites your drive to start something new. But what happens when the excitement wears off? That’s when habits take over. The most successful…
Charting Your Course: Why a Clear Vision is Your Menopause Superpower
As we navigate the incredible journey of midlife and menopause, it’s easy to feel a little adrift. Our bodies are changing, our roles might be shifting, and sometimes, the…
Can Alcohol Make Menopause Anxiety and Depression Worse?
Many women in menopause experience anxiety, mood swings, and even depression as their hormones fluctuate. For some, a glass of wine or a cocktail might seem like a way…
Strength for Life: Building Physical Resilience for Longevity
😀 Strength is Life When it comes to health and wellness, physical strength is often associated with athletes or gym enthusiasts. But the truth is, building and maintaining strength…
Becoming Your Best Self – How Identity-Based Habits Shape Who You Are
“Your habits shape your identity, and your identity shapes your habits.” Have you ever said, “I’m just not a morning person,” or “I’ve never been good at working out,”…
Fear vs. Intuition: How to Tell the Difference and Make Confident Decisions
Confused between fear and intuition? 🤷 Let’s learn how to distinguish them, trust your instincts, and make decisions with confidence. Have you ever second-guessed yourself, wondering if your gut…
How to Thrive in Perimenopause – 6 Essential Tips for Women in Their 40s and 50s
Perimenopause is often described as a rollercoaster, but what if you could navigate this transition with confidence instead of confusion? 🎢 If you’re in your 40s or early 50s…
How Habit Stacking Can Transform Your Daily Routine
“21 days to build a habit, 90 days to build a lifestyle.” If you’ve ever struggled to make a new habit stick, you’re not alone. The secret to long-term…
Menopause and Mental Health – How to Manage Anxiety, Brain Fog, and Mood Swings
Menopause is more than just hot flashes and night sweats. It can bring emotional ups and downs, mental fatigue, and even anxiety that feels like it came out of…
What is a Hot Flash and How to Find Relief
If you’ve ever felt a sudden wave of heat take over your body, leaving you flushed and drenched in sweat, you’re not alone. Hot flashes are one of the…
The Ripple Effect of Keystone Habits
Have you ever made one small change in your life and noticed how it seemed to improve everything else? That’s the power of keystone habits—habits so impactful they create…
Everything’s Just So Crazy Right Now (5 Ways to Reclaim Your Life)
Life’s busy. We’ve all heard the refrain (maybe even sung it ourselves): “Everything’s just so crazy right now.” Thank you, Beyoncé. 🤣 But seriously. It’s a sentiment many of…
The Connection Between Menopause and Bone Health: 5 Ways to Keep Your Bones Strong
Menopause and Your Bones: What’s Happening? Bone health is something we often don’t think about—until we have to. For women going through menopause, understanding how hormonal changes affect bone…
Uncovering Hidden Sugars in Your Diet
We all know that too much sugar isn’t great for our health, but did you know there are hidden sugars lurking in many of the foods you eat every…
The Truth About Menopause and Weight Gain
Menopause brings many changes, and one of the most frustrating for many women is weight gain. If you’ve noticed that the number on the scale keeps creeping up—even when…
The Power of Starting Small: How Tiny Wins Create Big Changes In Your Life
Ever heard the phrase, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”? It turns out, this isn’t just a wise saying—it’s also rooted in psychology. Small…
Menopause 101: What’s Happening To Your Body (And How to Navigate it)
Menopause is a significant transition in a woman’s life, but it’s often misunderstood. It’s not an illness, and it doesn’t mean the end of vitality or wellness. Instead, it’s…
5 Ways to Create a Conscious Wellness Plan
Don’t Leave Your Wellness to Chance When it comes to your health, are you proactive or reactive? Many of us only address health concerns when something feels off—an ache,…
Harnessing the Habit Loop: 3 Ways to Create Healthy Cravings
We all have cravings—whether it’s a delicious dessert, the satisfaction of checking off a to-do list, or the feeling of accomplishment after a workout. But what if we could…
Motivation vs. Discipline: What Really Drives Success
💥 Motivation Is a Spark. 🔥 Discipline Is the Engine. Have you ever felt super motivated to start something new, only for that motivation to fade after a few…
4 Ideas for Intentional Goals in the New Year
🌟 Forget Resolutions. Let’s Talk Intentions. The start of a new year is brimming with energy, motivation, and the pressure to commit to sweeping changes. But we’ve all been…
The Power of Reflection: Charting a Mindful Path for 2025
As we embrace new opportunities, reflection becomes a vital practice. It’s more than looking back—it’s a way to assess growth, acknowledge successes, learn from setbacks, and realign with your…
Master the Habit Loop to Build Stronger Habits in 3 Simple Steps!
📅 New Year, New Habits! Every January, we’re inspired by fresh goals and resolutions. But how do we use that initial motivation and build stronger habits that actually stick?…
5 Heartfelt Ways to Honor Loved Ones During the Holidays
The holiday season, often marked by joy and celebration, can also feel like a poignant reminder of the loved ones who are no longer with us. Their absence can…
6 Ways to Manage Holiday Stress and Start the New Year Calm
The holidays can be a season of joy, but let’s be real—they’re often a source of holiday stress. Between family gatherings, endless shopping, and year-end responsibilities, it’s easy to…
Healthy Holiday Eating Without the Stress – 5 Strategies for Success
The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and, let’s face it, a lot of holiday eating. From family gatherings to office parties, it can be tough to stay on track with your health goals. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to sacrifice your favorite holiday treats to maintain a healthy balance.
3 Quick Tips to Ensure Healthy Holidays
I’ve put together a quick holiday wellness toolkit with 3 quick tips to help you have a healthy holiday while still enjoying the season to its fullest. Think of…
Credentialed Coaches vs. Fitness Influencers: Who’s Really Trustworthy?
In a world filled with Instagram-worthy workouts, detox teas, and picture-perfect transformations, it’s easy to feel inspired—and maybe a little overwhelmed. But how do you know if the advice…
For Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Know Your Health Numbers and Take ACTION!
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. And while no cancer is 100% preventable, being aware of your “health numbers” is a…
How Fast Can I Lose Weight?
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is How fast can I lose weight? The answer isn’t the same for everyone, because it depends how much you…
Practice Mindful Exercise for Better Health
When you think of mindfulness, what comes to … mind? Is it stillness? Is it active movement? I tend to think of mindfulness as peaceful stillness, but it doesn’t…
10 Ways to Keep a Healthy Heart
President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the proclamation in 1964 for February to be American Heart Month. You can learn more about American Heart Month from the American Heart Association….
The Medicine You Should Be Taking
Ever wish there was a simple trick to solve your health problems? Do you want something that can give you more energy, make you feel more confident, help prevent…
Get Inspired!
You want to get fit and be healthy, right? So you’re working toward your goals on the outside (eating better, getting more exercise, and so on). But what is that…
Transform Your Life (Part 2 – Get Healthy, 1% At A Time)
In Part 1 of my Transform Your Life blog series, I wrote about the problem with diets, basically that they don’t work. In Part 2, I want to talk…
20 Days of Christmas Kindness
Take on the 20 Days of Christmas Kindness challenge! Tis the season of busy busy busy! But it’s also the time of the year to think of others who…
Nicky’s Heart of Gold – 2021
Join me on Sunday December 19, 2021 for a Charity Event to raise money for Nicky’s Heart of Gold Foundation Nicky Rutherford was my son Mickey’s friend at Evergreen…
Improve Your Life by Being Thankful
If you want to improve your outlook on life, start with giving thanks for what you have. The Thanksgiving season reminds us to take a moment out of our…
You Are the Average of the 5 People You Spend the Most Time With
Jim Rohn once stated “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with”. There’s a lot of power in these words. The people you…
Measuring Body Fat in 3 Easy Steps
I covered why BMI isn’t a great metric for accurate body fat measurement. So then, what IS a good way to measure body fat? How about the Navy Seal…
Small meals or 3 Square? Is there a best size for all?
There have been claims and research on both sides: “To lose weight, it’s better to eat 3 square meals a day and avoid snacking” or “Eating 5-6 small meals…
Transform Your Life (Part 3 – 1% Better Actions You Can Take Today)
We talked about how diet’s don’t work in Part 1. In Part 2 we touched on setting up systems for success instead of focusing on goals. In this post…
Transform Your Life (Part 1 – Diets Don’t Work)
It’s not easy to eat less food. It’s not easy to make a lifestyle change. It’s not easy to accept diets don’t work. With this multi-part blog series I’m…
Lift Weights the Right Way
Weight lifting isn’t just for body builders. Everyone needs to lift weights. YOU need to lift weights. Muscles that aren’t used will atrophy. This process begins in your 20’s…
What to Eat Before a Workout for MAXIMUM results (10 Ideas!)
In order to get the maximum benefit from your workouts, you need enough energy to get thru them. Food fuels your workouts, and it’s important to eat before exercising. …
Does Muscle Weigh More Than Fat?
Does muscle weigh more than fat? If you Google “Fat versus Muscle” you’re likely to see a picture of fat and muscle on opposites of a weight scale. It’s…
Work “In” When You Don’t Have Time to Workout
I’ve coached many people over the years who offer good reasons why they don’t have time to workout. Even well-intentioned people who make plans for tomorrow’s workout can give…
Don’t rely entirely on your BMI
People everywhere commonly use BMI (Body Mass Index) as a quick-and-dirty way of gauging whether they’re within the “normal” weight range. But beware! BMI is strictly a ratio of your height-to-weight…
Just Walking Isn’t Enough
Don’t get me wrong, walking is good for you. Any movement is good for you! It’s good to get up, step outside and get your body moving. Walking can…
Are You Really Ready for Change?
It’s mid April already. Did you make a commitment to be fit in 2021? Have you been working steadily toward your goals? Are you seeing progress? Or did you…
Getting Kids to Eat Healthy
Many of us make commitments to ourselves to eat healthier in some aspect. Unfortunately, it may not seem so straightforward to convince our kids to do the same. When…
Updated Lists: Clean Fifteen™ & Dirty Dozen™
A healthy diet is one full of fruits and vegetables. But as good as they are for you, sometimes fruits and vegetables are contaminated with toxic pesticides. The Dirty…
Resolve to Get More Sleep this Year
I know it’s March, but do you still think about your New Year’s Resolutions? You may have forgotten an important one that could have the biggest impact… Getting more sleep!…
Strengthen Your Core by Planking
Believe it or not the best exercise to improve core strength is not the crunch. It’s the PLANK! Planks work far more muscles than a crunch does, and planks work…
Not All Calories Are Created Equal
If you want to lose weight, you’ve probably heard the good advice that you need to count calories to know what you’re really eating. Still true. The energy balance equation which…
Be Thankful, Be Healthy, Be Happy
Did you know that gratitude is a foundation of healthiness? And did you know that when you’re healthier, you’re happier? Gratitude is a key ingredient to good health –…