Switching Up My Meal Prep Because I’m So Sick of Salads

Let’s get things started with a few updates. This Wednesday will mark 12 weeks of constant headache (residual pain from my shingles outbreak in the fall). The good news is that it’s been extremely mild, and I’m used to it, so I barely notice it anymore. It’s been weeks since it’s flared up to the point where it’s caused any significant inconvenience in my life. Hopefully this means it will go away soon – I feel like I’m 97% of the way there!

In other news, I’m hitting the stairmaster with a renewed vigor. My current plan is to use it twice a week (Mondays and Fridays), and while I’m only starting my second week of that plan, I’m excited by it.

Working out with a mask on is

Trying New Things: 2 New Foods and 1 New Gym

Usually these posts are about new food items that I’ve tried, but I’m branching out. In addition to writing about two new-to-me foods (which I’ll get to soon), I’m first going to write about a new gym that I tried: Gold’s Gym.

I’m not in the market for a new gym, to be honest, but I got a postcard in the mail for a free trial week, so I took advantage of that and checked it out. Gold’s Gym has a

Four Tips For Eating at a Buffet That I Figured Out During a Vacation in Mexico

I spent Christmas on a fantastic vacation in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. My whole family met up there, and we stayed at an all-inclusive resort. And, like many all-inclusive resorts, this one had a lot of buffets.

I haven’t eaten at many buffets since I started losing weight, and the thought of all the buffets was a bit daunting. After all, they

Reader Question: Help! I’m Self-Conscious at the Gym

I hope everyone had a better holiday weekend that I did. I’ve been fighting a nasty cold, and I hope, by the time you read this, the worst will be behind me. I’ve thought that once already, on Friday, when I was feeling pretty good. But then I woke up on Saturday a sneezy, snotty mess. Now, as I type this, I’m feeling like I did on Friday… and keeping my fingers crossed that I won’t regress again.

Meanwhile, a reader recently reached out to me looking for some advice, and I wanted to share how I replied:

The Simple Walking Workout That Wore Me Out

I don’t give myself a break from exercise after a race. No resting on my laurels here! Instead, I take a rest day on the day before, so I’m ready to go on race morning. That meant I was due for a workout the day after my hour-long stair race in Springfield, and I couldn’t skip it. Yes, I was achy and sore, but I gotta do what I gotta do. I decided to keep it easy and light… until I stepped on a cardio machine that had other ideas.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! And… Christmas in Michigan, Part Two: Exercising Like a Lunatic

HAPPY NEW YEAR! The new year excites me, because it means my anniversary is in a few weeks. I’ll soon be starting my SEVENTH year on my weight loss journey, and I’m still going strong. I’m so proud that I’ve lost 160 pounds and kept it off for two-thirds of a decade!

That picture on the right is from

I Cancelled My Gym Membership and Here’s Why.

It’s the end of a chapter in my life: I’ve cancelled my gym membership at Crunch, after four and a half years.

Crunch is a great gym, but it’s time to move on.

Getting My Fitness On In My Hometown

I’m in Michigan, and I’m staying for a few weeks. I’m able to work remotely, so I’m staying with my parents in my childhood home, and I turned their kitchen table into a temporary office. The other day, I addressed a need I have when I travel: the need to exercise. So… I joined a gym.

A Terribly Awesome Trip Up Jacob’s Ladder

Remember the Jacob’s Ladder? Probably not. I’ve only mentioned in once before, in a blog post last May, but it’s a challenging cardio device that’s basically a never-ending ladder. It’s also a Bible story, but that’s a whole different blog post (on a completely different blog).

The rungs move on a circular track, so you’ll

Hello from Michigan!

I’m back in my home state for Christmas, and having a great time. Finished my Christmas shopping, been hanging out with friends, helping my parents with cooking and cleaning. And my parents have a whole slew of new neighbors:

There are deer everywhere. We never used to