Why You’re Overeating (Even When You Know Better) You’re not lazy.There’s nothing wrong with you And no, you don’t need another damn diet. But if you’re like most of the women I work with, you still find yourself in the kitchen most nights, rummaging through the fridge like you’re going to find answers behind the almond milk. You ate a balanced dinner.You’re not physically hungry.But you’re standing there, eyeing that chocolate or the leftover pasta like it’s a lifeline. Sound familiar? This is what emotional eating in midlife often looks like.It doesn’t always show up as a dramatic binge. Sometimes it’s quiet, just a little bite here, a few crackers there. But it adds up. Not just on the scale (although let’s be real, that’s part of it), but in how you feel. Physically heavy. Mentally foggy. Emotionally worn out. And you beat yourself up.Because you know better. You’ve read Read More . . .
Does Health in Midlife Feel Like You Just Can’t Win?
Health in midlife can feel like an endless struggle—one where no matter what you do, someone says you’re “doing it wrong.” One day, carbs are the enemy. The next, it’s dairy. And somehow, even water is up for debate. If you’re tired of the conflicting advice, the guilt, and the constant second-guessing, you’re not alone. In this post, I’ll show you why health feels so confusing in midlife—and how to reset in a way that actually works for you. Read More . . .
Is Clutter Draining Your Energy? How a Messy Home Disrupts Your Health and What to Do About It
Clutter, Stress, and Your Health: The Hidden Connection You walk into your kitchen, ready to make a healthy meal, but the counters are covered in mail, yesterday’s coffee cup, and a half-unpacked grocery bag. Before you even start, you feel drained. The thought of clearing space just to begin cooking is overwhelming, so you grab takeout instead. Or maybe it’s your bedroom—your supposed sanctuary—where laundry piles on the chair, unread books stack up on the nightstand, and the dresser top is a chaotic mix of receipts, lotions, and random clutter. Instead of feeling calm before bed, you feel restless. Your sleep suffers. Sound familiar? It’s Not Just Mess—It’s a Mental and Physical Health Issue Most women don’t realize just how much their environment impacts their well-being. Clutter isn’t just about having too much stuff—it’s a constant source of stress, distraction, and mental exhaustion. Studies show that living in a cluttered Read More . . .
How to Eat to Manage Menopause Symptoms & Weight Control
Tired of unpredictable hot flashes and endless food confusion? Discover how targeted meals, simple habit tweaks, and better “menopause nutrition guidance” can finally bring calm, energy, and confidence back into your life—without giving up everything you love to eat. Read More . . .
Frustrated with Your Health? Why Your Old Habits Are Holding You Back, And How to Break Free
If you’ve ever thought, I should be able to do this—exercise more, eat better, lose weight—you’re not alone. But what if the problem isn’t your willpower? What if the real issue is the unrealistic expectations you’ve been holding onto? Instead of forcing yourself into a plan that doesn’t fit your life, it’s time to meet yourself where you are. In this post, I’ll show you how small, achievable changes can lead to big health results, without guilt, frustration, or burnout. Read More . . .
How to Overcome Relapse and Get Back on Track Faster
You don’t fail because you mess up—you fail when you let a mistake turn into a month-long spiral. The truth is, relapse is a normal part of habit change. It’s not an “if,” it’s a “when.” The key isn’t avoiding it—it’s knowing how to get back into action faster. In this post, I’ll break down why relapse happens, why frustration is actually a sign of progress, and how to stop letting one bad day turn into weeks of quitting. If you’ve ever struggled to get back on track, this is for you. Let’s talk about what actually works. Read More . . .
Why Willpower Fails: And Why “Trying Harder” Isn’t the Answer
Are you a successful woman in your 50s, navigating the unpredictable waves of peri/menopause while juggling career, family, and personal aspirations? You’re not alone. Many women at this stage feel frustrated by weight fluctuations, low energy, and the constant mental chatter around food and body image. Despite trying countless diets and workout plans, sustainable results seem out of reach. But what if the solution wasn’t another quick fix or restrictive plan? What if it was about understanding you —your unique needs, emotional patterns, and lifestyle challenges—and creating lasting change from there? Read More . . .
Why You’re Not Losing Weight Anymore: The Truth About Weight Loss Plateaus
If you’ve been trying to lose weight and suddenly the scale won’t budge, you’re not alone. It’s frustrating, and it can feel like all your hard work isn’t paying off. You’re eating better, moving more, and doing everything “right,” yet nothing is changing. Here’s the thing—weight loss plateaus are normal. They happen to everyone. Your body isn’t broken, and you’re not failing. A plateau doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong; it means your body is adjusting. But if you’re not prepared, a plateau can feel discouraging. You might start second-guessing yourself—Am I eating too much? Should I work out more? Is this even worth it? That kind of thinking can push you to make drastic changes that aren’t sustainable or even make you want to give up altogether. The good news? You don’t have to stay stuck. There are smart, simple strategies you can use to push through plateaus without Read More . . .
The Truth About Treats: How to Enjoy Your Favorite Foods Without Guilt
The holidays are over, but the treats? They’re still lingering. Leftover cookies on the counter, chocolates in the pantry, and that tin of toffee someone gifted you. January can feel like a tug-of-war with sugar cravings as you navigate the indulgences of the past few weeks. If you’re feeling out of control around treats, you’re not alone. Guilt and frustration can creep in when sweets seem to call to you. But here’s the good news: you can reset your habits and enjoy your favorite foods without guilt or feeling like they control you. I know this because I’ve been there. Years ago, I found myself obsessing over a cake at a party, consumed with thoughts like, Can I eat it? Will people notice? Will they judge me? When the cake was gone, I felt both disappointed and relieved—disappointed I didn’t get any, but relieved I didn’t have to fight myself Read More . . .
The Power of ‘Half-Assing’ Your Health: Why Perfection Isn’t Necessary for Progress
This article was written for and originally published on Sixty and Me Here Ever feel like you need to overhaul your entire life to get healthy? Have you ever found yourself putting off making changes because you can’t do it all perfectly? If this resonates, you’re not alone and many women just like you feel overwhelmed by health advice that seems to demand perfection. But what if I told you that you don’t need to be perfect to make real progress? In fact, embracing a ‘half-assed’ approach to your health might be the key to lasting change. Half-assing your health isn’t about lowering your standards. It’s about making consistent, manageable improvements that add up over time. Half-assing your health is about making progress, not striving for perfection. And it’s an approach that can lead to better health, more energy, and yes, even weight loss if that’s your goal. In this Read More . . .
Self-Care: Beyond Massages & Manicures
I talk about weight loss on my blog a lot. But, to be honest, the topic of weight loss has become less and less interesting of a topic to me. I’m much more concerned with how my clients think, feel, move, and their general health. However, our weight is a really good barometer for our health, and for that reason, I still think that it’s important to discuss. If we are taking good care of our body, that means feeding it properly and in the proper amounts, exercising it, giving it enough rest, (and since our brain is inside our body) not stressing out, and having a healthy attitude towards our relationships and the world around us. Our weight is a symptom of our lifestyle. Many folks like to manage the symptoms without addressing the root cause. Knee hurts? Get an injection. Can’t sleep? Take a pill. Low energy? Take Read More . . .
How to cook cactus (aka: nopales)
Join Total Health by Elizabeth and Dona Sonia & Chef Marco as they show how to shop for, clean and prepare cactus pads (leaves/paddles). A few things discussed in the video: How to shop for nopales – what to look for, what to avoid How to clean and store them How to cook them. Read More . . .
Why you’re not Losing Belly Fat
It seems to happen without our even noticing it. Seemingly all of a sudden one day, your pants seem a little bit more snug around the waist although not in the hips and thighs. Huh. I wonder why? So, you set out to lose that belly fat: go low carb, and wake up earlier so that you can dedicate more time at the end of your workout for ab exercises. Running! That’ll do it! Move more & eat less! But it doesn’t seem to be working. Nothing you do seems to be working! As we age, the calories in versus calories out approach doesn’t work like it used to. Gone are the days of just working a little harder at the gym to drop a few lbs. Here are the top reasons why you might be having trouble getting that belly fat to budge. You’re getting older This is especially Read More . . .
Two tricks I use to avoid the “eff-its” over the weekend
We all work so hard during the week. And once Friday night rolls around, we just want to put on our sweatpants, sit on the couch, and be a vegetable – not eat vegetables. We are worn down from all the adulting that we do during the week, that all we want to do on the weekend is NOT be responsible. Weekends tend to be a bit more relaxed. We typically have more time, so we want to sleep in, hang out with friends, have fun & not have to think about our diet. Well, unless you have kiddos who are in soccer, baseball, basketball, go to birthday parties, and other activities. In that case, weekends aren’t such a relaxing time O.o When we finally get through the week, we feel like we deserve a treat – and one of those treats is to not think about it. So, there are a Read More . . .
Eat the Freakin Banana
So, here’s the scene: It’s after dinner, and you want something. A banana. But you don’t eat it. Because you heard that it’s got a lot of starch in it. And sugar. And they can also have a lot of calories! And all of that is bad to have before you go to bed. So you eat a handful of almonds. Because even though they can be higher in calories, at least they don’t have any starch or sugar. And that’s good because you’ve heard that at least it won’t raise your blood sugar before bed. But the almonds don’t really hit the spot. So you find some fat free Greek yogurt. And you put a touch of honey in it to sweeten it a little. But that’s okay because you read that you should always eat carbohydrates with protein – because protein slows down the spike in blood sugar. And Read More . . .
Should you hire an overweight personal trainer?
There are hundreds upon hundreds of personal trainers in your city – let alone the US or the world. Have you ever had one? How did you pick him/her? What do you look for when you hire a personal trainer? Certification? Years of experience? Did you stalk her, watch her train other clients to see how she interacted with them? Or did you select her because of her body? Choosing a trainer based on looks is a bad idea. Deciding on a trainer based solely on appearance is as bad of an idea as picking a life partner out of a magazine. I don’t need to explain that. Do I? Most people have a disconnect about what a trainer can do for them. They hire a trainer with the idea that they’re going to lose weight and look toned, and so they hire a trainer who has the body style that they, themselves, desire. There Read More . . .
How many carbs do you need to eat?
Carbs! Such a controversial subject in today’s national conversation about nutrition and proper diet! It’s so confusing. Eat carbs or don’t eat carbs? Which carbs are good? Which carbs are bad? (hint: there are no bad foods. There may be more or less nutritious foods, but none are good or bad.) Okay so let’s break this whole carb thing down. What is a carb? We get our calories from Protein, Fat and Carbohydrates (these are called macronutrients). If we divide macronutrients into two vveeeerrrry broad groups, we have things that grow out of the ground (plants), and things that had a mother (animals). Carbohydrates come from plants, and protein mostly comes from animals. Fat can be found in both plants and animals. Good Carbs & Bad Carbs? First. Carbs really run the specturm in terms of nutrition (aka: nutrient density). Nutrient density is the term you want to think about Read More . . .
Why the scale isn’t a good tool for weight loss
When clients come to me saying that they want to lose weight, I understand what they mean. If I were to be snarky, I could say, ‘oh, you want to lose 10 lbs? Let’s just chop off your right arm. Would that make you happy?’ …but that probably wouldn’t make a good first impression now, would it? When folks say that they want to lose weight, what they mean is that they want to lose body fat. We want to look ‘toned’ – like our muscles are flexing even when we’re sitting on the couch. The degree of muscularity desired, however is different depending on the individual, and what they perceive to be an ideal physique. What’s counter-intuitive, though is we say that we want to lose weight, even though we want to lose fat, but we’re measuring that success with a tool that only measures our gravitational pull to the earth – the scale. Read More . . .
Why goals might not get you to your goal
There are no shortage of memes about goals. “A goal without a plan is just a wish” “Set your goals high, and don’t stop until you get there” “Goals that are not written down are just wishes” Aaaah! They’re endless! Not only were goals a huge part of my early success with my weight, but they were a cornerstone of my health coaching business for a long time. I would teach folks about SMART Goals. How to create them, and help them through the process. But I’ve changed my attitude about goals. I don’t think they’re necessary anymore. I have a client who’s daughter is one of the most disciplined kids that I know. Every year, she’d create New Years Resolutions, and actually complete them! I Know! Who does that?!? I think they were tests of her willpower. When she was in high-school, she created a New Years Resolution to perform Read More . . .
Which should I do first? Lift Weights or Cardio?
It’s one of the most common questions I get asked, “Elizabeth, which one should I do first? Strength train? Or cardio?” And, as always, the answer is, “It depends.” It depends on your goals. Why are you doing one or the other, or both. Do you have goals to run a sub 3 hour marathon? Or do you have a goal to compete in a strongman competition? Okay – I realize that you probably don’t have either of those goals in mind, BUT you might want to run a 5k, or just look toned – like your muscles are flexed even when they’re not. While doing higher amounts of cardio to prepare for your race is going to compete with muscle growth and maintenance, the flip side is that having a ton of muscle is going to slow you down for your speed goals. The short answer is that you want to Read More . . .