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The Nocebo Effect: Are You (Unknowingly) Thinking Your Way to Failure?

July 13, 2015 By Nia Shanks

A patient taking part in an experiment is told her new medication may have symptoms such as nausea, stomach pains, and loss of appetite. Four weeks later when she revisits her doctor for a checkup she complains of nausea, stomach pains, and loss of appetite. “The side effects from this medication are terrible,” she groaned. […]

Forget Fat Loss

July 13, 2015 By Nia Shanks

The goal of fat loss isn’t (usually) the problem. It’s the mindset that often evolves from a seemingly never-ending fat loss pursuit. Fat loss isn’t executed as a simple objective, structured process that lasts for a designated time — it gradually morphs into a definitive, emotionally-fueled, all-consuming infinite lifestyle. This unrelenting, long-term focus on fat […]

Break Free from the Ugly Side of Health and Fitness

July 13, 2015 By Nia Shanks

The health and fitness industry has done a fantastic job of making women dislike their bodies, and themselves. Browse the health section at your local bookstore, scroll through social media feeds of fitness professionals, glance at fitness magazines in the checkout aisle of the grocery store. It’s abundantly clear what modern health and fitness is […]

Lift Like a Girl Dumbell Workout

July 13, 2015 By Nia Shanks

“What exercises should I do for the Lift Like a Girl programs if all I have access to are dumbbells?” That has been asked so frequently that it’s time to provide the answer. Or if you have dumbbells at home, your gym has limited equipment, or you simply prefer dumbbell exercises, use this program for great results. […]

Here’s the Simple Guide That Shows You How to Eat Healthy

July 13, 2015 By Nia Shanks

Does it ever feel like you spend way more time than you should have to thinking about food? What you should eat and shouldn’t eat; how many meals you should eat; are any foods best for fat loss; what’s best for improving overall health; is there such a thing as an all-you-can-eat peanut butter diet; are total calories or […]

Remarkable “Before & Afters” That Have Nothing to do With Fat Loss

July 13, 2015 By Nia Shanks

What do the majority of women’s fitness before and after photos have in common? They’re all about weight loss—someone was “bigger” in the before photo, and they’re smaller (or at least leaner) in the after. Not that there’s anything wrong with people wanting to lose weight to improve their health, feel more confident, or to […]

The Huge Problem With Guilty-Pleasure Foods

July 13, 2015 By Nia Shanks

“What are your favorite guilty-pleasure foods?” the interviewer posed. “I don’t have ‘guilty pleasures,’” I retorted before continuing, “I refuse to experience guilt or shame from eating food.” My answer was received with a stunned silence. Clearly this wasn’t a response she’d ever received to the common, playful question. And I had just sucked all […]

Disordered Eating No Longer Controls Me, But That Doesn’t Mean I Never Struggle

July 13, 2015 By Nia Shanks

I’m no longer captive to disordered eating. But that doesn’t mean I never struggle or feel the tug of old, destructive habits. Like a scar from a sutured wound leaves a permanent reminder of the event, so too did my stint with obsessive eating habits create a lasting mark on me. It fades with time, […]

Eating in Moderation: How to Do It Right

July 13, 2015 By Nia Shanks

Eating in moderation is a noble goal. Too bad most people suck at it. What does it mean to “eat in moderation”? We must define it if we’re to practice it properly. The definition varies widely depending on what beliefs someone has about nutrition, but here’s a simplified answer that’s void of stupid nonsense (calling any food […]

Squats Don’t Work Your Glutes (Because You’re Squatting Wrong)

July 13, 2015 By Nia Shanks

“I like getting stronger with squats, but they don’t work my glutes,” she said. She went on to perform a set of barbell squats and my initial assumption was correct: she wasn’t squatting correctly. That is why she thinks “squats don’t build glutes.” It wasn’t the exercise that was the problem; it was her execution of the […]