You want to show love on Valentine’s Day. But you don’t want to spoil anyone’s healthy habits with a bunch of sugar-packed treats, right? Show your love with these alternative gifts – for yourself or your Someone Special. Sugar-free chocolates Darker, more pure chocolates have less sugar (check the labels) Heart-shaped “samplers” also come full of various healthy nuts. Seriously :) Find a bakery nearby that includes low-sugar offerings made with healthier ingredients Cherries

Is self-care selfish? Not at all! But sometimes people tell us they hesitate to practice self-care because they should put others ahead of themselves. And we totally get that, but we also urge them to think a step further to see why practicing self-care is an act of love – for other people in your life, as well as for yourself. Here’s an illustration of the point. At the beginning of every flight, the attendants tell us that, should we need them, airbags will come down from a

Henry Ford said a great many wise things. Our favorite: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” And this is never more powerful to remember at a turning point, like the start of a new year, when we look forward with hope, excitement and – yes – sometimes even fear. It’s okay to be afraid. Just remember that it can’t stop you from doing what you need to do. And the key to overcoming that fear isn’t to wait for it to go away. The key is to decide on th

Starting something – ANYTHING – is often the hardest part. But if you can just take action, one little first step, it gets easier. This, friends, isn’t a self-help platitude. IT’S SCIENCE! Remember Sir Isaac Newton? He said a body at rest tends to stay that way, and a body in motion will stay that way, too. The point is, don’t feel bad about yourself because it’s sometimes hard to leave the house and go to the gym… or to start building a new healthy habit… or to start doing a

Coach Heather Binns here... We can always find a reason not to move our bodies if we look for one. And it’s even easy for me to fall into that trap during cold days with the darkness creeping in so early. But of course, that excuse isn’t sustainable. I hope you don’t let the cold, dark winter days keep you from moving your body every day. If you need some pointers on how to sneak in more movement daily, here are a few that hold up no matter what the thermometer says. 1. Dres

We’ve all heard the old saying, “ A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.” But why is it so hard to remember it when pursuing positive health changes and outcomes? Maybe because we’re brainwashed by marketers to believe in quick, miracle fixes for everything – instant weight loss, spot reductions, and more. Sorry, but ancient sayings persist for a good reason: They’re true! So, the secret to making big, positive changes isn’t instant gratification. It’s making sm

What’s the #1 New Year’s Resolution? According to research, it’s usually the desire to live healthier. Statista, a marketing research firm, puts the figure at 23%. It’s followed by: Personal improvement or happiness - 21% Losing weight - 20% Career or job goals – 16% This got us thinking about what else statistics might tell us about this annual tradition. Of course, it’s hard to say for sure, so let’s take this all with a grain of salt. But it’s still fun! For example: What’

Have you ever used a coach? Some people use a coach to help them get to the next level at work (they are sometimes called “mentors”). Some use a coach in relationships to strengthen bonds. And some use a coach in diet and exercise to guide them through challenging periods of change. And right now, at the start of a year, is a challenging period of change for many people. Face it, even if life is going along well, you can’t help but wonder how it can get better… or worry about

We're back to working, commuting, tending to family, and finding personal time... Spending hours prepping food is not always top of mind, or even desired. Trust us, we know! :) That’s why we're sharing with you our top SET IT & FORGET IT RECIPES that are not only easy to prepare, but they will essentially cook themselves and last for multiple meals – Score!! And as an added bonus, you’ll even be saving on your grocery bill – it’s a win all around! So why not indulge in food t

With a new year upon us, we’re all looking ahead and wondering how we can make improvements to our healthy habits. We know we are! In that spirit, we’ve put together a series of prompts to help you plan your own vision for 2023. It’s a loose guide to get you thinking – and get you writing down your aspirations and desires so you can make positive progress. This will help you clear your mind, calm your nerves, and strengthen your determination to have the best year you can! We

Coach Heather Binns's here... Tradition says we should choose a New Year’s Resolution, but I like something else better: A VISION! Why? Well, it’s simple. A resolution is usually about changing a certain “bad” behavior that’s ingrained, and there’s usually an element of punishment involved. “I WILL lose 20 pounds” (to make up for what I’ve done “wrong” in the past) “I WILL stop being a couch potato” (because I’ve wasted so much time watching Netflix) “I WILL save more money”

What a fast year 2022 has been! Coach Heather Binns's here... I’m truly grateful and celebrating all that I look back on, even honoring the things that were hard or challenging. Some of the highlights for me in 2022 were: Visiting my grandkids in Washington and learning more about their unique and individual personalities Recovering from my ankle injury so I can return to running and strength training Learning more about myself on a much deeper level emotionally, mentally and

Coach Heather Binns's here... The holidays are a joyous time spent with friends and family, above and beyond what’s usual for us. This year Steven and I are having a wonderful holiday season and now we’re prepping for our annual “Dry January!” Would you like to join us? Let’s face it… Some of us have consumed more adult beverages than we usually do… me included, LOL. So why don't you join us for Dry January? We do this each year to help “clean up” our bodies a bit after our 1

What’s the least you can do? No, really. What are your daily minimum requirements for yourself? What are the two or three essential action steps you’ll take no matter what occurs – because you’re committed to consistency in your efforts to having the healthy life you desire. We're not talking about your big, audacious goals for the year, or your dream situation coming to life. We want you to write down what you can do each day – EVEN WHEN YOU TRULY CAN’T DO ANYTHING ELSE -- a

Life is always so busy, but this time of year gives us a wonderful opportunity to sit quietly, reflect, and realize how wonderful life is :) No matter what is going on in our world at any given moment, what we know to be true is that there is always something to be grateful for… every single day of the year. We want you to know that WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU! My content and coaching may be a small part of your day or week, but it’s my life and my calling. You may not even curre

Have you heard of the 80/20 Rule? It’s a helpful idea to manage stress and time. It’s SUPER-helpful during the holidays, when lots of us need help remembering what’s important, managing resources, and improving how we get things done. Here’s what it says, in a nutshell: 80% of the outcomes in life come from 20% of the causes. Put another way, we get the most results from a fraction of our efforts. Put another way, don’t run around like a chicken with its head cut off trying t

The holidays can be a time of joy. They can be a time of feeling overwhelmed and frazzled. And they can – surprise – also be a time to focus and get important things done. Here are five tips to help you succeed over these next 2 weeks and keep you merry and happy into 2023! 1. Assess what’s important to you. And we don’t mean shopping! Count your blessings – literally. Write down all the good stuff – what makes you happy, what makes you smile. Write a long list as fast as y

Picture yourself on a train going through a tunnel. Ahead, you see a light at the end. To reach it, you must shovel coal into the furnace every day, keep up the maintenance, and anticipate bumps in the tracks ahead. Now think of the tunnel as the process you’re using to reach your intention, which is the light. And the fuel, maintenance, and anticipation of bumps? They’re all part of the action you must take every day to keep moving and make it all the way through to what you

The holidays can be tough if we allow them to be. Stressful… Busy… Too much food… Too many commitments – and not enough time to take care of yourself. But wait… You don’t need more time. You need a coach -- at least for now. The guidance, accountability and support a coach provides is invaluable all the time, but especially amid the crazy pace of the holidays. A coach can help you set priorities, manage your time, learn to say “no,” keep you accountable, and so much more. The

Plus My 12 Days of Fitmas Challenge! Sometimes it’s best to start at the end. Think of the outcomes you desire and try this approach. It’s called “reverse engineering” and it works for all kinds of problem-solving. Start by envisioning the desired outcome. Write it down, with as much explicit detail as possible. What will it be like? Are there sights, sounds, tastes, and smells associated with it? Will you feel happy, proud, relieved – all of these things? Next, imagine the s