Last Sunday I had one of the BEST cheat meals ever.  

As I sat there savoring every bite and passing fork-fulls around the table to my friends I thought, "I have to make a video about this experience!"  

There's a right way and a wrong way to "cheat."

The WRONG WAY involves settling for anything less than amazing, delicious, and bordering on or taking you over the edge of what I like to call a "food-gasm."

The WRONG WAY also involves feeling guilty about treating yourself.

Click PLAY on the video below for the RIGHT WAY…(and if you find yourself in NYC on a Sunday, do yourself a favor and go to Pulino's, order the lemon blueberry pancake, and drop me a thank you note on my Facebook page!)

In the name of treating yourself and doing it the RIGHT WAY let me know what your favorite cheat meal is in the comments below! (and don’t forget to click the Facebook “share” button or “Pin It” if you like this post).

Ever sign up for an event without really knowing what you're in for?

I got an email invitation for something called "Mama Glow Salon Series Spring 2012" recently.  An amazing woman I happen to know and admire, Latham Thomas founded Mama Glow and I knew a lot of my "online girlfriends" would be there, so I signed up without reading the description.

I also love training moms and figured it'd be a great place to network so what the hell, right?

It turned out to be the east coast premiere of More Business of Being Born by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein.  I had the privilege of watching the second fim in their series, Special Deliveries: Celebrity Moms Talk Straight on Birth.  Not a topic I would have knowingly signed up to learn about-but let me tell you, it was EYE-OPENING!

For a while I'd been on the "I don't want kids" train, and I totally changed my mind after watching this film.

What caused this shift you might be wondering?

Hearing Cindy Crawford say, as a successful woman, giving birth is the ONLY thing she can 100%, without question take full responsibility for achieving.  No make-up artists, stylists or photographers pushing the baby out for her.  And it got me thinking about how a baby is the ultimate creation.  Kinda cool, and kinda crazy at the same time.  If you're a mom you're probably thinking "Liz, you have no freaking idea!"  And at this moment, I would like to pause and recognize you for being an absolute warrior.  Seriously, wow.

Now for what I really want to share…some valuable info for those of you who are pregnant or plan on being in the future.

Here are some Mama Glow tips straight from the event program for a fabulous pregnancy:

Ricki and Abby's message: Make the most educated decision that's right for you.

You know how I roll, I'm always in favor of anything "real"…meaning natural, not processed, man-made, altered or manufactured (and if you're new here, now you know that about me).  Turns out there are A LOT of choices to make when you're having a baby that run the gamut from natural and holistic to traditional Western medicine.  

Full disclosure, I'm not an affiliate, I have nothing to gain by sharing this information with you-I just thought it was really beautiful and generous to see two women using their influence to create deeper awareness on the business of being born.

To learn more, or to view any of the documentaries in their five-part series, click here.

Now it's your turn! This is an important topic to share information about. Tell us about your birthing experience in the comments.  Specifically:

1) Did you have a plan? and if so, how did you come to the decision about what to do?

2) If you were to do it again (or if you plan to do it again) would you change anything?

3) If you're not a mom yet, has anything in this post changed your mind the way it did mine?

This is video #4 of 4 in my Switch Up Your Workout Routine series.  Today's exercise: Planks!

CLICK PLAY on the video now:

If you missed video's #1, 2, and 3 click below to watch:

Switch Up Your Workout Routine: Push Ups

Switch Up Your Workout Routine: Squats

Switch Up Your Workout Routine: Lunges

Do you have a favorite plank variation to switch up your routine?  Share it in the comments below!

Can you relate to this familiar scenario?

The other night I'm on my way home and I'm starving, start running through my head what's in the fridge and cabinets, debating whether or not to order takeout. Then in an inspired moment of healthy-culinary-creativity I channel my inner Heather Pierce and come up with this:

The Most Delicious Turkey Burger Ever

Ingredients:

1 lb antibiotic and hormone free ground turkey

sesame seeds

light teriyaki sauce (about 1 tsp)

coconut oil (about 1 tsp)

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

minced garlic

Instructions:

-lightly sautee onion and garlic

-combine with ground turkey, coconut oil, light teriyaki, and sesame seeds to taste

-get up in there with your hands "Italian Grandma Style", mix it up and roll into patties

-You can bake, grill, George Forman, or cook them on the stove top

Serves 4-6

Why is this the most delicious turkey burger ever? Because it tastes like you're vacationing on an island somewhere, not in your own kitchen at home…and who doesn't LOVE vacation? Give  it a try.  ENJOY!

Do you have a turkey burger recipe that could rival mine for the BEST EVER?  Drop the recipe in the comments!

This is video #3 in a 4 part series where I'm teaching how to Switch Up Your Workout Routine.  Today's exercise: Lunges!

CLICK PLAY on the video now:

If you missed video's #1 and 2, click below to watch:

Switch Up Your Workout Routine: Push Ups

Switch Up Your Workout Routine: Squats

Do you have a favorite lunge variation to switch up your routine?  Share it in the comments below!

I'm dishing out more of my personal fitness secrets, are you ready?

Four exercises that end up in most of my workouts and the workouts I design for clients are push ups, squats, lunges, and planks. I remember before I became a trainer, doing the same old thing every single time I was at the gym. That’s not how to sculpt a tight body…you’ve got to switch it up.

This is video blog post #2 of 4: Switch Up Your Workout Routine: Squats

If you didn't catch video blog post #1, Switch Up Your Workout Routine: Push Ups, you can watch it here.

And if you're a beginner and need to review proper form when squatting before you go switching it up, watch this too: How To Do A Squat.

Have a favorite squat that I didn’t cover in the video? Tell me what it is in the comments!

Want to learn some of my personal fitness secrets?

Four exercises that end up in most of my workouts and the workouts I design for clients are push ups, squats, lunges, and planks. I remember before I became a trainer, doing the same old thing every single time I was at the gym. That's not how to sculpt a tight body…you've got to switch it up.

This is video blog post #1 of 4: Switch Up Your Workout Routine: Push Ups

Have a favorite push up that I didn't cover in the video? Tell me what it is in the comments!

This is a question I get fairly often and found myself facing when I woke up with a killer cold last week.

Here are three easy guidelines for working out when you're sick:

1. Is the cold in your head or in your chest?

If it's just in your head, (meaning, stuffy nose, maybe a little sinus headache but no chest congestion) then it's still ok to workout. Once the cold hits your chest, it's time to see the doctor. Pushing yourself too hard in this state could result in a serious lung infection. It's better to skip a few days of exercise and recover than over do it and end up with a longer term problem.

2. What's your body saying?

Always remember that your body knows best. Often when you get sick, it's your body's way of slowing you down since you won't do it voluntarily. Ever notice how you get sick at the most inopportune times? Like right in the middle of a busy time at work? A major project? A family crisis? It's probably because you need to rest. So tune into your body. If you feel up to a workout, have some energy and giving it a go feels like a good choice-go for it. Just stay tuned in during the workout also. No one is judging you if you decide half way through to call it quits. Likewise, sometimes you won't know until you give it a try-you may even feel better afterwards.

If you are attempting a workout, keep the intensity light to moderate.

3. "But I heard exercise boosts your immune system."

I'll let a medical professional field this one. "Moderate exercise won't prolong your illness or make your symptoms worse, but it may not shorten them, either. One possible benefit of exercising with a cold: If you're generally well-hydrated, a workout can break up congestion," notes Leah Mooshil Durst, MD, medical director of the Friend Family Health Center, Inc., and clinical associate at the University of Chicago. "However, your congestion could worsen if you're dehydrated."

And here's a bonus tip for you:

This is 100% my opinion, by the way-the BEST cold remedy ever is sleep.  Refer back to tip #2-it's what your body wants.  On more than one occasion I've felt a cold coming on, went to bed early and felt way better the next day.

What's your favorite go-to cold remedy?  Share it in the comments and let's stay healthy, people!

I'm pretty sure this is my favorite video I've ever made.

I want you to have the best Valentine's day ever, whether you're single, in a relationship, or…it's complicated.

My favorite comedian, Aziz Ansari even makes an appearance at 2:30.

Watch it now:

Talk to me in the comments, homegirl. I'd love to know:

What are you going to do differently this year to make it the BEST Vday ever?

How can you (and will you) treat yo' self?

And if you loved watching this as much as I loved creating it, treat your friends and share it up on Twitter and Facebook.

xo

February is truly a month of LOVE.  It's everywhere.

Here it is in a few different places around NYC:

But I'm not just talking about romantic love.  I've been witness to many forms of love lately.  Hanging with many of my entrepreneurial friends, I see deep love and passion for their creativity, for inspiring greatness in others across many different industries. I see an abundant capacity for giving with no expectation of what they might get in return…and it inspires the sh*t out of me.

My girl Natalie Sisson is no exception. She is embarking on a journey across Africa, ON A BICYCLE to support WomenWin.org, for 6445km (approx 4000 miles). Learn more in this 2-minute video she made just for you (you're going to love her accent!):

Like Natalie mentioned in the video, I'm donating half of the sales for Tighterin 10 Days between 2/7-2/21 to her cause. I'm also having a Valentine's Day Sale during those dates which means you can get your hands on the program for just $29.

So if you want to look your best fast (or in time for Valentine's Day!), now is the PERFECT time because half of your money will go to WomenWin.org.

Click here to get  Tighter in 10 and donate half of it to WomenWin.org now.