Have you ever wondered how much strength training versus cardio you should be doing for optimal results?

As a dietitian and personal trainer, here are some questions that I get asked a lot:

• Should I be doing cardio if I have a fat loss goal?
• How much cardio should I be doing?
• How many days a week should I do strength training?

I will answer all of these questions (and more!) in this post! 

As with most things that pertain to nutrition and fitness, there will never be a “one size fits all” approach or answer to these questions. These answers are also dependent on your goals, current fitness level, the amount of stress your body is currently under, and time that you can dedicate to exercise. Unless you are training for a specific event, like a half-marathon or marathon, sport, or crossfit competition, etc. then my general recommendations provided here will most likely apply to you. 

If you are a woman who simply wants to LOOK and FEEL good in your body (i.e...

Is it possible to have a “slow” metabolism?

I see it way too often. A woman comes to me who has been dieting on and off for years. Whether she followed weight watchers, calorie counting, or low carb, she has always been off and on some type of diet. Her first diet attempt she was able to lose 15-20lbs, but over the course of several months and years, the weight crept back on. 

Certain that what worked in the past will work again, so she puts in hours at the gym each week and “eats clean” but the weight just won’t seem to budge this time around. She thinks it is because she isn’t being disciplined enough and restricts further. She might lose a few pounds, but she feels like she is starving all the time and her energy sucks. When she isn’t seeing more results, she takes a “break” from her diet and binges on all the foods she had been restricting. 

If this woman was able to lose weight the first time she dieted, why...

If you are fixated on the number on the scale, it could be keeping you from reaching your body composition goals. 

Back in 2010, I was at my lowest weight of 125lbs. At that time I ran marathons and felt like I had to earn my calories via exercise. Now, in 2021, I am at my highest weight of 140lbs. I am also the most satisfied with my current body composition...15lbs heavier. Over the past 11 years I have learned a LOT, and I hope that this post resonates with you as you read it.

Like most women, I used to get caught up in the number on the scale. As long as I could “stay below 130lbs” then I was “on the right track.” Why was 130lbs so magical? I couldn’t tell you. Maybe it was because it was what my “small” friends weighed or what the calculated “ideal body weight” was for me. For whatever reason, I had it in my head that I wanted to weigh 130lbs or less. I didn’t understand the concept of weight fluctuations, and...