Portion sizes in America have increased 2-3x in the past 20 years. It's important to keep this in mind as it can hold you back from the results your looking for, even if you're eating nutritious foods like chicken and almonds.

As you may know, the basic equation for weight gain or loss is calories in - calories out. So if you eat chicken and almonds (two very healthy and nutritious foods), but have a large portion size or multiple servings, the weight won't come off. 

One way to stay on top of portion sizes is to track food. When you do so, be very specific. Instead of "chicken", put "4oz of chicken breast". Apps like myfitnesspal do the calculations for your calories, as well as protein/fat/carbs, so all you need to worry about is inputting the right quantity. Do this for a week without changing your diet, and you may be surprised at what you find.

Once you have a week down you can identify areas to improve!

Yes, it is true that artificial sweeteners are better than natural sugars in the calorie department.
They also lack the vitamins, minerals, and fiber provided by real sugar. Since they are artificial and thus foreign objects in your body, they can upset its natural balance and cause problems in liver/pancreas function, gut microbiome, sometimes even as serious as cancer.

All in all, your best bet is to stick to natural sugars. Of course, you want to keep it in moderation. The calorie increase compared to artificial sugars, in most cases, isn't large enough to justify increasing risk in all of those other areas.

If you've recently injured your ankle or have been struggling with pain in the area, you know how frustrating it can be. The ankle is a tough spot to have an injury because it's very difficult to avoid using it.

When an injury happens, common thinking and our instincts tell us to stop using it, ice it, and let it rest. While these are the correct actions immediately following the injury, before long they can become a detriment to your ability to recover. 

Our body's process for dealing with an injury is to cause inflammation and tighten up the surrounding musculature, because immobilizing the area is the best way to avoid hurting it more. However, the longer you allow the area to stay that way, the harder it will be to get back to full strength. 

Even a day after the injury, the best course of action is to actually start moving. You don't need to go out and run a marathon, but just doing the simple exercises in the video will go a long way to increasing blood flow and...

If you're ever lacking motivation to go out and exercise, just fill in this blank.
In other words, what's your "why"?
Everybody's "why" is different but it's crucial to find it and remember it if you want to stay successful, not only in an exercise program but life in general.

Breakfast is a key element of starting your day. Try out these protein bites and start it off right!

Ingredients
Ingredients scaled to: 1 serving
1/16 cup dry Old Fashioned Quaker Oats (3 grams)
1/20 cup Almond Flour (3 grams)
1/8 scoop (30g) Whey protein powder (3 grams)
1/8 tsp Cinnamon (0.39 grams)
3/16 tbsp Peanut butter (Creamy no stir works best) (3.2 grams)
1/4 tbsp Maple syrups (5.4 grams)
1/16 tsp Vanilla extract (0.21 grams)
Directions
Directions are based on the original recipe of 20 servings
1. Grind up your oats or cereal in a food processor and transfer into a mixing bowl.
2. Add almond meal, protein powder, cinnamon, and nut butter. Stir ingredients all together. Add in maple syrup
and vanilla, mixing well with your hands.
3. Roll into 1-1.5 inch balls and place on cookie tray or plastic ware with parchment paper underneath.
4. Freeze for 20-30 minutes then transfer into a zip-top bag.
5. Dust with additional cinnamon or flavored protein powder, if desired. Keep in fridge or freezer...

Fall is here!
This is the perfect time to ramp up your exercise routine and dial in your nutrition.
Check out the video for more!

When you think of "getting healthy", what comes to mind? Is it a complete overhaul of your lifestyle? Taking everything out of your diet, running 7x/week?
That's just not realistic for long-term success.
Instead focus on some small, realistic habits and stay consistent with them!

Poor sleep is a problem that can have far-reaching effects in your daily lifestyle. Many times, reasons for lack of sleep can be traced back to a few key themes.

1. Leading a sedentary lifestyle. Your body uses sleep to recover and rebuild itself after the work and stress it has had to endure throughout the day. When we have prolonged periods of time with no inactivity, the body no longer needs that time to turn off and recover. The result is a poor quality of sleep and inability to fall asleep. To combat this, just move! It doesn't need to be anything crazy, but doing activities throughout the day will help your body re-realize the need to sleep for recovery and get you back on track.

2. Late-night meals and snacks. When we consume food shortly before bed, a couple things happen. First, food is energy. Putting fuel in your tank before you lay down won't work well, because your body will feel that it needs to expend that energy. Second, your body will then have to digest that food....

Looking to add a unique dish to your dinner plans?
These turkey-stuffed bell peppers pack a ton of flavor and 35g of protein into only 400 calories!

Ingredients
Ingredients scaled to: 1 serving
1/3 lb Ground turkey (151 grams)
3/16 medium (2-1/2" dia) Onions (18.3 grams)
1 medium (approx 2-3/4" long, 2-1/2 dia.) Red bell pepper (119 grams)
2/3 tbsp Pepper or hot sauce (9.6 grams)
1/3 cloves, minced Garlic (1 grams)
2/3 tbsp Paprika (4.6 grams)
2/3 tsp Poultry seasoning (1 grams)
3/16 tsp Nutmeg (0.37 grams)
1/3 dash Salt (0.13 grams)
1/2 oz Mozzarella cheese (14.2 grams)
2/3 tbsp Olive oil (9 grams)
Directions
Directions are based on the original recipe of 3 servings
1. Turn on the oven to 350 ° F before you start with the preparation.
2. Mince the garlic. Cut the tops off the peppers, remove the seeds and leave aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the garlic. Allow it to turn light brown and then add the chopped onion.
4. Stir for a few minutes, until the onions start to turn slightly...

Everybody worries.
However, when we start to worry too much about what may or may not happen it takes away from our enjoyment and appreciation of what's in front of us.
Instead of worrying about the possible future, focus on what you have the ability to affect in the present!