Set Yourself Up for Failure: 7 New Years Resolutions Sure to Crash & Burn

Go with goals: They are specific, measurable, and have a deadline

“Don’t waste your money or my time,” I firmly told my would-be client, who replied with a Did you really just say that? look.

Yes, I did.

Immediately after our complimentary initial consultation, my client began rattling off excuses about why she could commit but that lots of stuff would get in her way.

You know the story. She has erratic work hours; she’s in a crazy on-again-off-again relationship; she may or may not be going to Maui in March. Altogether, I counted seven excuses within 15 minutes, and I wasn’t buying any of them.

If you’re not going to fully commit to fitness goals, spend your money and time

9 Budget-Friendly Gifts for the Impossible-to-Buy-For Fitness Fanatic

Great Last Minute Holiday Gifts

I have one and so do you. Mine is a coworker at my gym. Every time she concocts some Paleo recipe, she brings me samples. Brownies, granola, carrot cake… If the recipe contains Paleo-legal ingredients, she makes it and I become her guinea pig.

A few months ago, my car broke down across town, and I knew she would be that person who dropped everything to pick me up after I’d had it towed to the station. (Okay, it was her day off and she was in the area, but still: She’s consistently that always-there-for-you person.) 

I wouldn’t exactly call her a friend, though we’ve hung out a few times. She’s just a really great person who goes out of her way for others.

Naturally, I wanted to thank her during the holidays.

Except I ran into a problem:

10 Secrets Gyms & Fitness Experts Don’t Want You to Know

It's 2014-Time to get serious!

“How do you know it’s early January in Los Angeles?” I asked my friend the other day as we waited in line at Starbucks.

He looked at me perplexed and replied, “Surely not the weather?”

Nope, we don’t get much snow or other winter weather here. What we do get in early January is an influx of gym newbies.

Look around at your gym on, say, January 5: Lots of new, determined, eager faces. As a personal trainer, I love that fierce, take-no-prisoners look. These folks have a mission. Maybe a killer beach body by June or to reduce their risk for diabetes.

But because they’re going at it on their own, you’ll

9 Strategies to Kick Your Hangover to the Curb

Hangovers: the perfect way to ruin your day!

“Don’t judge,” she said a little too loudly, sitting down and frantically flagging our server for coffee. I had seen my friend at her very worst during a particularly nasty flu where I brought over chicken soup, and she didn’t look half as bad as she looked this morning.

She didn’t need to give me the details. I knew her plans last night. Second date, bar hopping, texting me at 3 a.m.: All signs pointed to

Do You Really WANT to be Healthy?

From time to time, I like to re-post some of most popular blogs. This one was very popular with my readers and I admit that it really resonated with me too-so enjoy:

Are you lying to yourself?

Any reader of Throwing a Fit knows, I am huge on education. I have not stayed on the "cutting edge" (an overused term but one I do not throw around lightly), in this industry for nothing. I go to seminars, workshops, get specialized certifications, read books, magazines, journals, blogs, etc. to really stay on top of what is happening. To that end, one of the experts whose work I "follow" is a doctor and physical therapist out of Canada named Dr. Andreo Spina. Dr. Spina is an amazing talent.  He understands functional anatomy and physiology in a way that few people I've followed does. He has taught me much.