“It’s been almost 2 years since I lost 52 pounds. For me, maintaining my weight has been more challenging than losing it. I’ve had to realize that food is my fuel, not my enemy. By not denying any foods, eating in moderation, and making exercise part of my lifestyle, I’ve been able to remain steadfast. When I see the scale moving in an upward direction, I catch myself and focus more on what I am putting in my mouth. It’s not easy, but the rewards are worth it! –@ReneeJRoss

“I lost 80 pounds over the course of 2 years. My Aha moment was when I realized that losing weight wasn’t about following the crowd, or finding a magic workout or diet formula. It was about listening to my body and paying attention. I learned that I’m the expert on me. Without accepting that reality, I never would’ve gotten where I am.” –@kerriolkjer

“After losing 80 pounds and maintaining it for three years, I’ve learned you can’t change everything in a day. Getting fit is like building blocks—one change supports the next, allowing you to grow at a rate that’s right for you. And you’ve got to be flexible. What works today may not work tomorrow. Just when I think I figured it out, something changes and I have to adjust what I’m doing. I haven’t ‘made it.’ In fact, I still have to fight just as hard. It doesn’t get easier, but it does become a habit.” –@priorfatgirl 

“I’m down 174 pounds since 2009. My biggest secret is that I never have thought of this journey as a diet. It has always been a lifestyle change for me because this is never going to end. The scale can be a pain and not always say what I think it should, so I constantly set goals that aren’t weight-related. That way, when I see a number I don’t care for, I can remind myself that I accomplished another goal that I can be really proud of.” –@babnotonadiet

Time after time, I see friends, family, and clients go gaga over the latest, hyped super-food or fad diet. When I do my own investigation, I often find that the food or diet isn’t so “super” after all. As a result, I end up being the bearer of bad news.

For example, a pregnant friend of mine asked me if it was okay that she drink 5 cups of green tea daily—some new thing she’d read about online. Ummm, no! Not only does green tea contain caffeine, it also leaches iron and calcium from the body, key nutrients pregnant women can’t afford to lose. Luckily, she followed my advice and cut back to 1 cup of green tea daily.

Then, there’s the super-popular paleo diet, touted by many in the CrossFit community. I can’t tell you how many people tell me they’re trying it. I tell them that the diet isn’t a one-size-fits-all. In fact, the meal plan can be problematic for those with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and kidney disease. Read my explicit opinion about the paleo craze here.

Want to try a new diet or super food? Use this easy checklist.

1. Study the ingredient list. If there’s a laundry list of things you can’t pronounce, skip it.
2. See who’s recommending it. What are his or her credentials? Does that individual stand to make money off of your investment?
3. Check how much of the product is recommended. If you’re encouraged to consume the product in massive amounts, it’s a big red flag. There is no need to for a healthy individual to take mega doses of any food or supplement.
4. Seek professional guidance. Sometimes it’s best to take your questions to a registered dietitian. Click here to find an expert in your area.

Tending to four acres of land is a workout, no doubt. Blogger and nuevo homesteader, Joyce Cherrier, talks about trading in her hand weights for a wheel barrel.

Bali Paradise Ride
Best for: Seekers of exotic culture.
Home of the active Batur volcano, this five-day cycling tour starts in Ubud, known as the cultural central of Bali. You’ll pedal past black sand beaches, majestic temples that date back to the 11th century, quiet villages, and explore the shore of a lake inside a volcano crater. Eat, pray, love, and burn calories!
The ride: 243 miles total with a daily average of 40 miles.
Go to pedalerspubandgrille.com, and click on “Our Tours” and “Indonesia.”

Alps to Paris 2013
Best for: Francophiles at an intermediate to advanced cycling level.
This unique, seven-day biking experience is dubbed a “tour with the pros” because you’ll ride a segment of the actual Tour de France route ahead of real competitors. Experience the famous Lac de Serre-Ponçon and the uphill climb of Alpe D’Huez. End your adventure at a four-star hotel in Paris, and watch the pros speed into the finish line before you pass out from all that riding.
The ride: There’s an option to ride 60 km, 80 km or 100+ km each cycling day.
Go to great-explorations.com, and click on “Trips,” “France,” and “Tour de France.”

Maine Family Biking
Best for: Family fun.
From Camden to Little Cranberry Island, this five-day biking vacation has something for everyone. See enchanting fishing villages and historic light houses; shop for souvenirs at one-of-a-kind stores; go rock-climbing at Otter Cliffs; visit a farm and a lobster museum with a touch tank. You’ll make memories to last a lifetime!
The ride: Easy-going with moderate daily mileage.
Go to backroads.com, and type in “Maine Family Biking.”

Wine Country Bike Tour
Best for: Wine and nature aficionados.
Sonoma County is home to hundreds of wineries, growers, and thousands of vineyard acres. Avid cyclists and beginners will enjoy the winding roads, majestic redwoods, and beautiful gardens. Indulge in fresh locally-grown, organic food along the way and spend peaceful evenings at a quaint Inn. Of course, there’s plenty of opportunity to stop and smell the, uh, wine.
The ride: One day guided, two days of self-guided custom designed touring, for a total of three days.
Go to winecountrybikes.com for more info.

Hawaii’s Big Island Biking
Best for: Experienced riders who long for paradise.
This adventure on wheels takes you through a diversity of awe-inspiring terrain, from rain forests and balmy black sand beaches to rugged lava fields. Along the Kau coast, you’ll bike by the southernmost point of the United States, ride a portion of the same course as the Kona Ironman Triathlon, and top off an amazing day of riding with fresh-caught fish and locally-grown tropical fruit.
The ride: This five-to-six day hilly course is best for intermediate to advanced level riders.
Go to backroads.com, and type in “Hawaii Big Island Biking.”

This Mother’s Day, our gratitude takes us back to our wonder years, when we followed your lead, voluntarily or by force. Strangely enough, the childhood rituals we practiced helped shape us as fitness professionals. We just have one question: Mom, how’d you know?

“Thank you, Mom, for our walks in the park, even though you were tired from a long day at work, the weekends learning to swim and riding bikes, and the days we attempted to play catch in the backyard. Those moments have stuck with me and helped shape who I am. You may not have known it, but you laid the groundwork for one of my favorite fitness tips that I share with all of my clients: Fitness doesn’t have to take place in the gym.” –Franklin Antoain

“After my mom gave me a big, what-are-you-going-to-do-with-your-life talk when I was a sophomore in college, I knew the direction I wanted my career to take. I applied to the food and nutrition program at New York University, where she was already enrolled, and I got in (woo-hoo!). My mom and I took classes together, studied together, and eventually graduated on the same day. I would have never found my calling without her encouragement. I love you, Mom” –Toby Amidor

“Mom, you are the most caring person I know. You always treat everybody exactly the same—with total compassion. Over the years, your kindness has rubbed off on me as a personal trainer. I’ve come to realize that my clients don’t care about how much I know, until they know how much I care. So, Mom, thanks for showing me the way and helping me become a better person and trainer.” –Danny McLarty

“As a child, my mom would have us daughters perform for the local women’s group in a tumbling and dance show every year. There was this one move we did where my mom would stand on her head with her legs open, and we would dive-roll over her. It always got a big cheer from the crowd. Those performances gave me a love of dance that’s still a major part of my life today. Guess that might have had an influence on my career as well!  Thanks, Mom!” –Andrea Metcalf

“Thanks, Mom, for locking me out of the house–it was the best thing you ever did for me.  I’d pout for a bit and then seek out the neighborhood kids. We climbed trees, chased each other in a game of tag, and played semi-organized soccer. After a few hours, I’d return home tired, ravenously hungry, and you’d greet me with one of your great Mom hugs. I didn’t know it then, but you were teaching me to love the outdoors and all it has to offer. It’s a gift that I’m passing on to my son now.” –Lisa Johnson

Pilates and cycling may seem as if they’re on opposite ends of the fitness spectrum, but that’s not the case. There are several surprising similarities between the two, and our very own Pilates pro, Lisa Johnson, is more than happy to point them out. And to prove her point, she’s designed a Pilates workout specifically for cyclists. Oh, and she uses a foam roller in an entirely new way. Watch and learn!

Gear you’ll need: Foam roller. Click here to buy one.

There’s been some push and pull amongst industry experts about stretching. Should you? Shouldn’t you? When? How? A recent study, published in Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, may influence the debate. Study participants who engaged in static lower body stretches (that’s holding a particular stretch) before doing a squat exercise, reduced their performance output by more than 8 percent and stability by more than 22 percent, compared to those who performed a dynamic stretch (taking the muscles through a range of motion). Why did static stretching produce negative results?

The answer involves body temperature. Stretching cold muscles is like an attack on the nervous system, according to Ann Frederick co-director of Stretch to Win Institute in Tempe, Arizona. “Pushing the tissue too hard when it’s not warm may cause your body to react adversely and tighten up,” Frederick explains. “It’s recommended to get a light sweat going before you stretch; that raises your core temperature and makes your body more responsive,” she says. Exactly which dynamic exercises are best is still up for argument. More research has to be done.

As far as after your workout, stick with slow, gentle, continuous movements, rather than the traditional static stretches of old. “The goal of a post-workout stretching program is to undo the possible tension created during exercise and help reduce or eliminate the soreness that might occur afterward,” Frederick explains. “It’s a reward for working so hard.” Frederick thinks of it as romancing the nervous system. And couldn’t we all use a little bit more romance?

On May 1, 2013, my job beckoned me to Grand Central Station in NYC for the “World’s Largest Bake Sale,” a fundraiser to benefit No Kid Hungry and Food Bank of New York City. In any other instance, I wouldn’t go near a bake sale for fear of purposely falling face first into a vat of cream cheese icing, one of my recurring fantasies. But because this was a work-related affair, there wouldn’t be time for doughnut-gazing, or counting the gnarly, crackled grains of sea salt sprinkled over caramel fudge bars. After all, I was a professional. I could certainly disable my sweet inclinations for a few hours.

And so, as I bounced into Vanderbilt Hall, about an hour before the event opened to the public, I proceeded to busy myself with statistical reporting. Number of vendors on site: 35. Number of patrons expected to pass through Grand Central Station daily: 800,000. Price of each treat: $5. Number of meals every $1 feeds a hungry child: about 10. Number of desserts eaten by me: Zero

Phase two: Engage the vendors. This is New York; I knew I’d have some talkers on my hands. Yet there was one significant detail I neglected to consider: New York City is arguably the food capital of the U.S. These aren’t your average restaurateurs. They’re food zealots. For every treat on their menu, they gave me history, emotionality, conscious steps in farming they took from seed to harvest. By the end of every conversation, I knew if their chickens came before their eggs.

No doubt, the protracted details made stellar story-telling material (aren’t you enjoying this piece?). But all that “overtalk” also made my mouth water, like a fire hydrant. And, ironically, the stress made me retain water. That’s when it happened–the dawning arrived. I have no choice but to trust that it was a gift from God because of my attempt at abstinence.

Rather than spend the rest of the day in sugar-free mourning, I’d use that energy as a foil for my madness. I decided to ask the culinary glitterati on the scene how many desserts they planned to eat, the exact question that racked my brain. By flipping it onto them, I, in essence, freed myself from the idea. Suddenly, it wasn’t my problem anymore. That opened the door for a few unexpected lessons.

Chef, best-selling author, and Food Network personality, Sandra Lee, who headlined the Bake Sale for No Kid Hungry campaign, planned to eat as many desserts as she possibly could. In fact, she makes it a weekly ritual to indulge. “I get a big bowl of popcorn, melt a stick of butter in it, put my feet up and watch Grimm,” Lee confesses. Does she feel guilty afterward? Nope. Lesson learned: It’s cool to indulge; it’s not cool to sweat it afterward.

Construction expert Ty Pennington, host of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” says his feeding frenzy will probably land in the range of 20 desserts. “It’s all about pacing yourself,” he explains. “I have eight hours, so I’m gonna go for it. It’ll be fun.” Lesson learned: Dessert is supposed to make you happy. In my world, it was more like the grim reaper I couldn’t escape. Had to change that.

“Cake Boss,” Buddy Valastro, co-owner of the famed Carlo’s Bakery said he’d stop at one dessert.
“Why just one?” I asked, surprised.
“Because that’s all I need,” he answered.
“And what will that one dessert be?”
“Probably a brownie,” he shrugged.
Lesson learned: Eat exactly what you like, and that’s all. I’ve burned through enough pastry in my lifetime to have a good idea of what that is: Key lime pie.

On my way out, I carefully surveyed the lay of the sugarland and opted to buy one key lime cake from Bee’s Knees Baking Company. And I skipped away from the World’s Largest Bake Sale feeling lighter than ever.

Update: World’s Largest Bake Sale raised $100,000, enough to connect hungry children with 1 million meals!