Do you find your body size fluctuates?  Sometimes it’s going up … and sometimes your body size is going down? 

Many people find that their body size is usually pretty steady but a long vacation, a period of intense exercise or a major life event can sometimes result in weight loss or gain.  When this happens it can lead you to feel out of control.

In fact, my body size changed a lot recently. I’m an active person and on top of working and my usual exercise routine, I also spend my time running around after my four lively kids! So, when I recently went on an extended business trip, I didn’t think twice about the extra exercising: I was running about and leading a few fun classes each day. I didn’t pair the extra exercise with extra calories and my weight dropped by about 7lbs (3kgs).

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Motherhood brings joy, of course, but you might also be feeling fat and tired!  Here are eight tips to help you lose the baby weight and get your energy back.

Aside from a healthy baby, of course, there are two things new moms want most – to lose the baby weight and get their energy back.  If you’re wondering if you’ll ever get rid of that spongy belly, or get back into skinny jeans; know that you can, and you will – but you can’t rush it.  One day you’ll also manage to get through the day without feeling like you need to prop your eyelids open! Losing the baby weight and building your energy levels back up takes time, and as a new mom, you need to focus on taking care of your baby and yourself.

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Are you a new-ish mom? This is my ‘must read’ fitness advice to help you regain body confidence.  

Are you trying to lose baby weight but find that you’re not seeing results despite your best efforts? Sometimes new moms hit a fitness and weight loss plateau and it can feel like you’ll never get back to your pre-baby body. But working smarter not harder can  help you see results, so don’t despair.

I know it’s hard to drop baby weight and I’ve written before about why new moms need to concentrate on bonding with their baby. I also believe that eating right and snatching a few moments to exercise can help new moms feel more positive, reduce stress and rebuild body confidence.

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Yo yo dieting:  do frequent ups and downs make it harder to lose weight each time? Even if your weight has gone up and down like a yo yo, a new study says it doesn’t interfere with your ability to lose weight. 

Here’s something I’ve heard more times than I can count: “I’ve been on every diet imaginable, and they all work – but I can’t keep the weight off! I’m sure that all these ups and downs are making it harder and harder for me to lose!”  It’s a common concern for many of my clients whose weight goes up and down like a yo-yo – that each failed attempt makes it more difficult to lose weight next time around.  When you think your metabolism is shot, it’s easy to convince yourself that there’s no point in even trying at all.  But a recent study¹ found that even if your weight has had a lot of ups and downs in the past, it doesn’t affect your ability to lose weight long term.

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Cardio exercise is important so let’s talk about one of the easiest ways to add an effective cardio workout to your fitness routine: running.

It’s no good just knowing about the benefits of working out and not putting that theory into practice; today I’m going to try and convince you to take up running.

I’m a big fan of running but I’m naturally a sprint specialist – that’s a discipline that is all about explosive power over a short distance.  Endurance running is a completely different exercise. Okay, so it still uses your legs but I think running is something that anyone can get into with relatively little equipment.  It’s also easy to start out walking and gradually ramp up – making sure you always go at your own pace.

Whether you are training for a marathon or just want to add some cardio exercise to your fitness routine, here are some simple tips to help you reach your running goals.

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Whether you’re dieting to lose weight or maintain weight, everyone falls off their diet from time to time.  Know what your triggers are, and how to deal with a momentary diet lapse.

Your day started out great.  You got up early, did your workout, had your protein shake.  You showered and dressed, packed a healthy lunch and headed into work feeling energized and ready to tackle the day.  As you go through your emails, you find one from your boss asking for the report you promised her – the one you thought was due next week.  Your stress level skyrockets.  And in a panic, you get to work – but not until you’ve grabbed a donut from the break room.

It only takes a moment for your diet to go from terrific to terrible.  You have a bad day and think a bowl of ice cream will make you feel better.  Your movie companion offers you some buttered popcorn and you just can’t resist.  You cook too much food for dinner, but rather than packing it up for tomorrow’s lunch, you just finish it off instead. 

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Cardio exercise is good for your health. Let’s talk about why your fitness routine needs to include cardio and why I’m sure my top three cardio benefits will convince you to add an extra cardio workout session to your week!

Fitness is central to my outlook and, although I know about the benefits of cardiovascular exercise, it was still motivating to read Louis Ignarro’s Heart Health post last week.

It’s so common to think about what being fit looks like on the outside of your body. The external changes that come as a result of increased physical activity are often the greatest motivational factor that gets people moving. People want to see the results of their hard work on the scale and in the mirror. The thought of a slimmer waist or leaner legs will often get people up off the couch and into the gym, but what if I told you that the true beauty and benefits that fitness provides lie far beneath the surface?

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Dining in ethnic restaurants can be tricky – many dishes have so many ingredients, that it’s hard to figure out how many calories you’re eating.

Some people eat in restaurants a few times a week or more – and if that group includes you then that’s often enough to wreck your diet if you’re not careful.   That’s one reason I’ve written about smart ordering in restaurants and how to order what you really want.  But choosing food in ethnic restaurants deserves some special attention, because the dishes are often a lot more complicated – so it’s not only harder to know what to choose, it’s also tough to figure out exactly what you’re eating.  It’s relatively easy to “guesstimate” the calories in a piece of grilled fish and a pile of veggies, but trying to estimate the calories in mixed dishes – like lasagna or Thai green curry – is even harder, since there are so many ingredients.

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Eat well. Exercise. Get enough omega-3s. Chances are, you’ve heard tips on making heart-healthy choices before. But how do your good decisions affect heart function? Read on to discover how common advice has an extraordinary impact on heart health.

I’m Dr. Louis Ignarro, a research pharmacologist and Nobel Laureate* in medicine for my research into Nitric Oxide, an important molecule Susan Bowerman described in detail in a recent article about heart health. I’ve spent the last decade focusing on educating others about the impact of nutrition and lifestyle on the heart, and you know what I’ve found? Many people don’t understand how their good decisions affect heart health and overall bodily wellness. And for good decisions to have staying power, it’s important to understand the impact they’re having.

When you lose weight, you can see the difference. But the results of a healthier heart are more difficult to measure. Let’s take a look at five healthy choices and how they impact your heart.

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Heart health expert Louis Ignarro, PhD has a tremendous amount of practical advice about how each of us can look after our hearts, so we’ve invited him to share some of his knowledge with us over the next few weeks.  If you have any questions then let us know in the comments section below and we’ll make sure to pass them on.

Hi Louis, thanks for joining us today.  It’s a pleasure and an honor to welcome you to our Herbalife offices.  We all know you as an eminent heart health expert but can you tell us a little about your background?

Louis Ignarro: Of course. I grew up in Long Beach, NY and was always active. I enjoyed swimming in the ocean and one-on-one stickball but I always had an interest in understanding how things worked and delighted in constructing and deconstructing things – if I could get them to work again then even better!

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Samantha and I are in privileged company this week – we’re looking forward to a guest post from Louis Ignarro Ph.D, Nobel Laureate*,  consultant to Herbalife and member of the Herbalife Nutrition Institute Nutrition Advisory Board, in which he’ll describe the impact of a healthy, active lifestyle on heart health.   A healthy diet is, as Dr. Ignarro says, “as good for your heart as it is for your taste buds.” 

I couldn’t have said it better.  But what I often run into with my patients is that it’s one thing to know what to eat – and why (okay, that’s two things…) – but they often get hung up figuring out how to incorporate more healthy foods into their diet.  So let’s take a good look at the key “whats”, “whys” and – more importantly – the “how tos” of a heart healthy diet.

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Whether you’re a new mother or not, I bet there is something in today’s article that will help become more fit, gain confidence or just learn a little empathy.

No matter how or why you’ve gained weight, know that it takes as long – if not longer – to lose that weight again.  Pregnancy is a special time and new mothers need to concentrate on their baby but you  may need to reprioritize if you are still blaming a spare-tire on baby weight, three years later!

Dads-to-be often gain baby weight too – if someone around you is eating more then the temptation to join in is hard to refuse. This week, I’m going to share five tips that will help you regain the figure you want.  I’m focusing on how to reclaim your pre-pregnancy body because it’s a message I relate to strongly.

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There are plenty of healthy foods that don’t get the attention they deserve.  Here are five under-appreciated foods that deserve another look.

Why are some foods popular and others aren’t?  I’m not talking about foods that taste better than others, or are more fun to eat –  I get that.  But I do wonder why certain foods are trendy, while others just aren’t eaten all that much.  It’s hard to find a restaurant in Los Angeles these days that doesn’t feature kale salad.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that – kale salad is delicious, and kale is jam-packed with nutrients.  But why is it that certain foods gain superstar status while others – equally healthy and equally delicious – get the short shrift?

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Do you ever think about cellulite?  Do you have cellulite? Cellulite is the dimple effect seen on thighs up and down the land. And if you’re thinking, “what an earth could she possibly know about having cellulite?” Let me fill you in on a little secret: I have never trained with a woman who doesn’t have it and, yes, I too am guilty of owning a little cellulite of my own!

With the warmer months fast approaching, the dread of revealing all in a bathing suit or shorts has many men and women frantically dieting and exercising in an attempt to shape up. If you read my summer countdown post, you know that getting active today means you may see some improvement in your external appearance just in time for beach season!

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Eating out doesn’t have to be a diet disaster.  Here are six tips to help you navigate a menu and ask for what you want in a restaurant.

It’s Thursday, but I’m still thinking about a ridiculous experience I had at a restaurant last weekend.  We were at a new trendy – but casual – neighborhood place for dinner. I scanned the salad offerings – dismissing the vinaigrette-dressed roasted beets (not my favorite) and the “southwest” (loaded with refried beans and cheese) – and zeroed in on the mixed baby greens with creamy buttermilk dressing.  I asked my server (“Mike, I’m happy to be taking care of you tonight”) if I could please have the mixed baby greens with the vinaigrette instead of the buttermilk dressing.  “I’ll need to check with the chef,” he told me. “Our menu clearly states, ‘no modifications’.”  Huh?  After a few minutes he came back – with attitude.  “The chef said he’ll make an exception.” Looking down his nose at me, I half expected him to add, “… just this once.”

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