Some people’s biggest fear about moving over to a healthy lifestyle is that the changes are going to mean an end to their social life! They imagine being stuck at home, nibbling on carrot sticks while all their friends go out and enjoy themselves.

Not only does it taste great on food, it is the perfect product for so many of my beauty regimens. I use it so much, I keep a few different jars all over the house — including the kitchen, the bathroom, and the bedroom!

I was working with one of my clients at the gym — who’s in her 70s — when she started looking around at the other women working out nearby.  “I’m looking at these young girls and they’re doing all these things. And I’m thinking to myself, I’ll never be able to do these things,” she told me. “I’m feeling very old.”

Spring is here and it’s time to CLEAN UP, CLEAN OUT and MAKE ROOM.This winter in New York City was brutal. It was one of those winters that felt never ending! I found myself hibernating — loading up on comfort foods, having a hard time getting motivated, and feeling guilty about that.

Fitness is a priority for me regardless of where I am.  Despite traveling and constantly being on the go, I travel and I’m on the go in my day-to-day life.  I have plenty of excuses to be “busy” when it comes to keeping up a fitness routine, but instead, I use these challenges as opportunities to better myself.

“If I could just lose a few pounds, I would be OK.” “If my thighs were a little bit thinner, I would be OK.” “If I were perfect, then I could be OK.” When I was young, I was not OK with myself. I was obsessed with my butt. I was convinced it was TOO BIG! I was this really skinny kid. I had legs for days. But I had a really round rear end.

This is perhaps one of the trickiest topics in my world. Self -perception is usually a COMPLETE DISASTER. We (yes, myself included) are a wild mess when it comes to how we feel we look. But by taking some simple steps, you can be on your way to looking better by THINKING better.

Valentine’s Day is just three days away, and for many of us it conjures up images of a dozen long-stemmed roses, a box of expensive chocolates, and a romantic dinner with a loved one. But what if we shifted the focus of Valentine’s Day to an equally important form of love – loving yourself?

Some people think eating healthy is pricey. It may be, depending on what you buy, but it also depends on how you look at it. I think the bigger concern and question is: What does it cost if you don’t eat healthy?

Jessica, thank you for agreeing to share your story. When we met and started working together on your fitness goals, you were coming out of a very serious and trying time with your health.
Yeah, I was always pretty fit in general but when I connected with you I was actually about six months post treatment for breast cancer.

Today is the last day of 2014, which means most of us are already thinking about our goals for 2015, and probably focusing on what we did not accomplish this year and want to work on next year. Sound like you? I know I do this. But what if we try something different going into 2015?

Today is my 58th birthday, but just a few months ago, VOGUE magazine said I had the figure of someone in their late 20s. That’s a high compliment that I don’t take lightly, especially because the journey that led me here has little to do with my body.

I am 45 minutes into an hour of my Pilates private session and my right quad feels like it may burst into flames – or just burst. I’ve been doing a slow, long lunge-like exercise, called going up front on the “chair,” a workout designed to completely fatigue the deepest parts of each muscle in my legs and test my balance before moving onto a new muscle group.