By Jillian Teta In our fast-paced, institutionalized, ever-changing world, we are constantly inundated with messages and “lessons” about how we should be doing more, being more productive, sacrificing our time and sanity for others, and to above all, don’t value yourself, because there is always something else that you could do (or buy) to be… Continue reading »

“We are meaning-making machines.” Jade introduced me to this concept, and says it all the time. In essence, it means that we make meaning out of things, events, people, situations, etc based off our individual biases. In a very general example, you and I can both be sitting at a cafe when we see a… Continue reading »

“The greatest gap in life is the one between knowing and doing.” –Dick Biggs, author This is a theme to which I think many women (and men) can relate. We know WHAT to do, but for God-knows-what-reason we just cannot DO it. Or at least with any type of consistency. Whether it’s eating for fat… Continue reading »

There is nothing sexy about a sustainable eating plan. It’s boring. It’s always the same. It’s moderate. There’s no thrill of the up-and-down. And many times it is equated with being “easy.” Which, of course, is my point. By definition, a sustainable approach IS easy. It helps you maintain your physique without much effort, while… Continue reading »

By Sara Baker Awhile back I shared with all of you that due to some medical issues I was having, I was basically told to cut back both on the intensity and amount of exercise I was currently doing.  I wrote a blog about embracing my lower intensity lifestyle and I guess assumed I was… Continue reading »

Last week, I posted on Facebook that 2011, while being a very exciting year on one side, was also a fairly rough year for me in other ways. I noted that I was “ready for 2012″! Many of you responded that you agreed–you too had a rough 2011 and were ready for a new beginning.… Continue reading »

By Jillian Teta Do you fall into the “expectation” gap? That is that uncomfortable little place between what is actually happening and what you want/expect to happen–the difference between reality and the version of reality that would be convenient or “better” for us. I certainly am a huge victim of the expectation gap. Can you… Continue reading »

Was thinking yesterday about my evolution in the fitness industry and the place to which I have come. And I have to say after years and years of ups and downs (in weight and emotions), I feel more balanced and comfortable in my skin than I have ever been.  I talk to a lot of… Continue reading »

It’s not my style to be a militant trainer or a nutrition zealot for my clients. Partly because I believe that everyone has their own unique fat loss journey and no negative motivation on my part will really help them with lasting change (“you can’t have that!” or “it’s all about will-power, just stop eating… Continue reading »

By Tara Ballard To say that life has been challenging for me for the past 6 weeks or so would be a bit of an understatement. I don’t tell you the following things to ask for pity or to be all “oh woe is me” or anything like that, but I think it’s needed to… Continue reading »

Getting a little personal with you all today…and talking about something that is very important to me–my family. In addition to my mom, dad and step-dad, I have 3 half-brothers who I have been very close with all of my life. I was 9 when the oldest of the 3 boys was born, and we… Continue reading »

By Jillian Teta Life is one big experiment, isn’t it? We form a hypothesis, make a plan, test the waters, and get results we may or may not have predicted. I love working with people. You hear so many interesting and fabulous stories, so many insights and so much pain. It’s as if looking into… Continue reading »

I am not religious. I like the idea of spirituality and I love that many of my close friends are involved in their churches and get a lot out of their faith. I think that it’s a gift that many hold their faith so dearly. But personally, I have moved away from organized religion after… Continue reading »

I had a really good conversation today (over text message–aren’t we sooo 2011?) with a girlfriend of mine who has been a great support for me over the last few years and someone who knows all of my “stuff”. We were chatting about a recent incident I experienced when my insecurity around a specific situation… Continue reading »

I love working with women, and I have worked with a lot of them. They are enthusiastic, kind and grateful. However, working with women is distinctly different from working with men, for several reasons. One, men can usually see themselves the way they are for the most part. They come to me as a trainer/coach… Continue reading »

By Jillian Teta Before I get started, I wanted to thank you for opening this blog and even starting to read it. This is a topic I have been wanting to write on for a long time, but had trouble organizing my thoughts – because I felt guilty – LOL, sounds a little weird, but… Continue reading »