• Home
  • Store
  • Close to Home
  • Fitness
    • Cardio
    • Strength Training
  • Healthy Families
  • Weight Loss
  • Recipes
    • Veggie-palooza
    • Comfort Food Makeover
    • Detox
    • Easier Than Takeout
    • Fuel The Day Breakfasts
  • Media
    • In the News
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
  • Contact
    • Work With Me
  • Members
Nov 14 2014

Tip the workout balance in your favor: Guest blog by Trainer Taryn

by Taryn Langlois

We think of someone who’s “fit” as having exceptional stamina, endurance and strength. We might even be willing to add in flexibility. But balance? When Marilyn and I started working out together, it didn’t take long for her to realize that many of the exercises I was giving her challenged her balance. “Why?” she wanted […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss Tagged With: Balance, Fitness, Workout

Nov 11 2014

My big, fat good karma

by Marilyn McKenna

Lined up on our mats, awaiting the start of yoga this morning, the instructor walked into the what we affectionately refer to as the “hot” room (it’s normally 105o and 40% humidity) and he informed us: “I don’t know if you noticed, but it’s a little hotter than usual in here today; the humidifier is broken […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss Tagged With: Healthy Living, Karma, Yoga

Oct 31 2014

Who me, go to the gym? Eeeeek, that’s scary!

by Taryn Langlois

Does the thought of going to the gym fill you with dread? Think it’s just a buncha guys who look like this? Starting a gym routine can feel like you’re the new kid at school. Everybody’s looking at you. You don’t know where to sit at lunch. Your outfit seems hopelessly uncool. It’s natural to […]

Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: Go to the gym, Joining Gym, New to gym

Oct 24 2014

Fitness Hack: Ladders

by Taryn Langlois

“Counting reps is monotonous!” “Doing the same workout each day gets old!” “My workout seems to drag on forever!” I have heard all of these complaints and many, many more. If you find yourself saying any of these (or even thinking them), then here’s a fitness hack to make your workout more enjoyable and engaging. With […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness Tagged With: Fitness Hack

Oct 10 2014

Guest blog: Have a (stability) ball!

by Taryn Langlois

During one of our workouts recently, Marilyn and I were discussing the best way to go about setting up a home gym. Some people have a room dedicated to that purpose (Marilyn aptly calls hers “The Oxygen Room” cause she says she can breathe in there), but most of us have to make do with […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Strength Training Tagged With: Home Gym, Personal Training, Stability Ball

Oct 7 2014

Pick one thing to focus on

by Marilyn McKenna

Not to sound alarmist or anything, but there are five pounds out there trying desperately to attach themselves to you between now and December 31st. They are going to be disguised as Halloween candy, Thanksgiving leftovers, eggnog lattes and so much more. To thwart them is going to take considerable effort on your part. Losing […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss Tagged With: Focus, Pick one thing

Oct 3 2014

Guest Blog: personal training with Taryn

by Taryn Langlois

First let me say, I am so happy Marilyn asked me to write about fitness for her website. In fact, I’m going to be writing regularly with fitness tips and workout ideas for everyone from beginners to advanced. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let me introduce myself! My name is Taryn Langlois. I’ve […]

Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: Exercise, Personal Training, Taryn

Oct 2 2014

24 things you can do RIGHT NOW to feel better

by Marilyn McKenna

When I weighed 265 lbs. I had a lot of days when I just felt bad. Physically bad, mentally bad. Spiritually and emotionally bad. Are there other ways to feel bad? Yeah, I felt those too. I was a very busy, very stressed out mom of four, working full-time with a husband who had a […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Videos, Weight Loss Tagged With: Emotional Wellness, Feel Better

Sep 30 2014

Find your adventurous spirit zip-lining!

by Marilyn McKenna

My long-suffering husband lives in fear of our wedding anniversary; hopefully not because he has any regrets, but because I use it as an opportunity enlist him in all kinds of adventures. It’s become our tradition now to try out a new exploit each year to mark the occasion. Earlier this month we celebrated 28 […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Healthy Families Tagged With: Adventure, Zip-Lining

Sep 23 2014

Go ahead … try it!

by Marilyn McKenna

“What’s this stuff?” “Some cereal. It’s supposed to be good for you.” “Are you gonna try it?” “I’m not gonna try it.” “Let’s get Mikey!” “Yeah!” “He won’t eat it, he hates everything.” “He likes it! Hey, Mikey!” I won’t tell how old you are if you remember that commercial. Yeah, I remember it too. […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

Sep 21 2014

Is there a runner inside of you?

by Marilyn McKenna

I can’t answer that question. If you haven’t tried since junior high gym class, you probably can’t answer it either. Or you may be inclined to answer no. I’ve had people even yell “No!” emphatically to me in response to that question. Okay, that’s fair. Running isn’t the be-all-end-all of exercise. In many ways, as […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss Tagged With: Runner

Sep 19 2014

Personal Training for Normal People

by Marilyn McKenna

In this week’s podcast, I talk to my trainer Taryn about the benefits of using a personal trainer.

Filed Under: Fitness, Videos, Weight Loss

Sep 16 2014

M is for Music

by Marilyn McKenna

“Turn off that racket!” can be heard in households across America. In my house it’s one of the kids yelling at me rather than the other way around. Idk, I like loud stuff. I suppose it’s a throwback to our own teenage years when one way we cut loose and expressed ourselves was through our musical […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss Tagged With: Music

Sep 14 2014

K is for Kettlebell

by Marilyn McKenna

I am a recent convert to kettlebells. And like the newly-converted, I am a zealot for my latest pursuit. A kettlebell is a cast iron weight shaped like a ball with a handle on top. They come in various weights, just like dumbbells. Unlike dumbbells they lend themselves well to fluid movements in which controlling […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Strength Training

Sep 10 2014

H is for HIIT

by Marilyn McKenna

“Gwen, have you heard of high intensity interval training?” (I have no idea why her name is Gwen.) Cheetahs do it naturally: short bursts of intense exertion interspersed with slower “recovery” periods. It’s a different approach to exercise than the way we traditionally think of cardio. But what’s it all about, and why do people do it? […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss Tagged With: HIIT

Sep 4 2014

C is for Confidence

by Marilyn McKenna

Back-to-school with the ABCs of weight loss, and if A is for avocado and B is for beets, then C is for . . . It’s a little bit of swagger, a little bit of passion, and it’s a whole lot of grit. Confidence is earned by doing the tough things that others won’t do […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

Aug 28 2014

What is a Body Composition Analysis?

by Marilyn McKenna

For many people, getting on the scale can be a struggle. It goes up, it goes down. It has more mood swings than a woman in menopause. And often seems just as irritable. Not that I would know anything about that. Ahem. Among the best tools to measure weight loss, lean muscle mass, body fat […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

Aug 26 2014

Try-It Tuesday: Kickboxing!

by Marilyn McKenna

Let me start by saying: I like to hit stuff. Oh, it’s not very ladylike or whatever, but I think it’s very liberating. Good way to get out your frustrations, I suppose. Still, when a friend invited me to try a class at the kickboxing studio she owns with her husband, I was uneasy. Never […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss

Aug 20 2014

Which Fitness Band Is Best For You?

by Marilyn McKenna

Some people really get carried away with this whole “wearable technology” thing, don’t you think? Our discussion of technology and weight loss would be incomplete without a look at the wearable fitness devices that are all the rage these days. I recently bought a Jawbone UP24, so I count myself among the believers. I’m loving […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Product Review, Weight Loss

Aug 19 2014

9 Healthy Living Apps You Can’t Live Without!

by Marilyn McKenna

I feel like a bit of a fraud talking to you about weight loss and fitness apps. Full disclosure: even though I use them now, I didn’t use any of them when I was losing my weight. Quite honestly, I believe that no app can give us the internal drive we absolutely – unequivocally – […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

Aug 18 2014

Try-It Tuesday: Core Strength Training Workout

by Marilyn McKenna

Just try to make it through the grocery story checkout line without seeing a magazine cover shouting at you, “Get Flat Abs FAST!” Everybody wants the 6-pack, the washboard, the chiseled midsection. But how to get it??? Well, abs are made in the kitchen, so start there. (Sorry, it always, always … ALWAYS comes back […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss

Aug 17 2014

Mission Accomplished!

by Marilyn McKenna

As I sit here, I am exhausted but feeling so accomplished after having completed my first triathlon this morning. The weather could not have been better: calm, sunny, mild. As I waited for my “wave” to start the swim, the sun rose. The bike ride was glorious too; in filtered early morning sun, we crossed […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness

Aug 11 2014

Try-It Tuesday: Childhood Throwback

by Marilyn McKenna

I was scouring through old photos the other day, searching for something else entirely, when I came upon some photos of me ice skating when I was a little girl. Mom said the picture of my brother and me was our Christmas card photo in 1966. Which is impossible of course as I’m only 29. […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Videos

Aug 11 2014

Drive the District Peak Performer: Marilyn McKenna

by Marilyn McKenna

McKenna’s a weight-loss inspiration and social media maven. Seven years ago Marilyn McKenna weighed 255 pounds. Today she’s a 135-pound marathon runner, triathlete and social media star. McKenna had been a fat kid (and she deliberately uses the word “fat”), a teenager whose weight yo-yoed with crazy diets, and a woman who for twenty years was, in medical […]

Filed Under: Fitness, In The News, Style + Substance

Aug 7 2014

No Excuses Travel Workouts

by Marilyn McKenna

“Bathing suit for hanging out by pool? Check!” “Sandals for the beach? Check!” Salacious romance novel for plane? Check!” “Workout clothes??? Ummmm…” YES!!! Almost any trip, for work or pleasure, will be made better by sticking to your fitness routine. And while your exact workout may be different on the road, there are still plenty […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

Aug 5 2014

Try-It Tuesday: Raising the Barre

by Marilyn McKenna

If you’ve been curious about what a “barre” workout is then this is for you! This isn’t a bar in the sense of an energy bar or “belly up to the …” This is “barre” as in ballet barre. And just like dancers, these workouts are meant to create long, lean physiques that are strong […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss

Aug 4 2014

Healthy Travels

by Marilyn McKenna

Whether for work or leisure – by plane, train or automobile – travel is a part of our normal routine. Even when it’s for pleasure, though, travelling creates its own challenges when we’re trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. As I write this I’m sitting on an airplane, headed to a spa in Southern California […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

Jul 31 2014

Take a Ride on the Virtuous Cycle

by Marilyn McKenna

No, not that kind of cycle! The “virtuous cycle” is a pattern of behavior – just as is the “vicious cycle.” And just like the vicious cycle, the virtuous cycle is self-reinforcing. That is, the more you do it the more it becomes engrained. Over time, the effort required to sustain it lessens because the […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

Jul 29 2014

Try-It Tuesday: Lower Body Strength Training Workout

by Marilyn McKenna

As much as I’d love to have the long, lean legs of a dancer, my body’s just not designed that way. My legs bulk up when I work ‘em hard. I’m in the middle of cycling season right now and by season’s end I’ll wind up looking more like Helga from the East German Cycling […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss

Jul 25 2014

Workouts for Your Fitness Personality

by Marilyn McKenna

There are two concerns I typically hear from people who want to start an exercise regimen, but haven’t had success. The first is: I don’t have the time. The second is: I can’t seem to get motivated. I get it. We’re all busy. We have jam-packed schedules and are pulled in a million directions. Because […]

Filed Under: Fitness

Jul 22 2014

Try-It Tuesday: Go Jump in a Lake!

by Marilyn McKenna

Do I look nervous? I was nervous. Terrified may be a more accurate description. I go swimming at my Y all the time, and even though it was out of my comfort zone when I started, I’ve been swimming 2-3 times per week for more than two years and I’m very comfortable with it now. […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

Jul 15 2014

Try-It Tuesday: Arm Yourself

by Marilyn McKenna

Second only to abs, arms are the body part that people long to tone and firm. Women especially bemoan their “flag arms” (they flap in the breeze) that jiggle and wobble. Spot-toning, exercising a particular muscle group with the intention of reducing body fat in that one area, doesn’t work. No surprise there. But what […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss

Jul 10 2014

Non Scale-Related Goals Enhance Weight Loss

by Marilyn McKenna

Scene: My bathroom, random Monday morning. I’ve got my foot poised over the scale, and I’m about to step on it. I spent an hour tossing and turning last night, berating myself for overeating – again – vowing to be “good” this week.   Me: Okay, here goes nothing.   I step onto the scale […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

Jul 7 2014

Try-It Tuesday: The Triathlon

by Marilyn McKenna

Huff! Puff! Gasp! Wheeze! Ugh! That’s me, climbing up the last hill before I finally get home on my cycling route. I have a couple of loops I ride; they all end with that damn hill. I have mental tricks I play with myself to get up hills: mantras (“this hill can’t even handle me […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss

Jul 1 2014

Try-It Tuesday: Who Me, Hire a Trainer?

by Marilyn McKenna

Go ahead, say it. You know you want to, so just get it out of your system. “Ugh, you’ve got to be kidding! Me, hire a trainer?!? They’re so expensive!” Feel better? Good, now we can move on. I’ll address the cost (and why it’s not as expensive as you may think) in a moment, […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss

Jun 28 2014

10-Week, 10-Pound Challenge: Week 1 Recap

by Marilyn McKenna

Have you taken The Challenge? If not, it’s not too late to sign up! Sign the participation agreement here until 11:59pm on Sunday and you not only have the chance to lose 10 pounds, but you’ll automatically be entered to win weekly prizes! This coming week we’ll be talking about how to schedule meals and […]

Filed Under: Fitness

Jun 25 2014

What in the World is a Basal Metabolic Rate, and Do I Have One?

by Marilyn McKenna

In “Start Here, Start Now” I revealed a revolutionary formula for weight loss: If you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. Did you feel the Earth move?!? Me either. No, it’s not earth-shattering because you’ve heard it a thousand times before. And while it’s true, that doesn’t make it any […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

Jun 4 2014

Fitness Dilemma: Distance, Speed or Time?

by Marilyn McKenna

Fitness dilemma: when you’re building up a fitness routine, what do you work on first: Distance? Speed? Time??? There is a temptation when you begin a new workout regimen to go all out and try to do too much, too soon. You’re gung-ho and filled with excitement about your new activity. Or, maybe the opposite […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness

May 30 2014

Believe You Are the Person You’re Working to Become

by Marilyn McKenna

This is #10 of the “top 10 lessons that becoming an athlete have taught me about weight loss” that appeared in the “Building Sweat Equity” blog. “Believe that you are the person you’re working to become.” That sounds vaguely like one of those annoying … er, I mean inspiring Facebook messages that people are always […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

May 26 2014

The Oxygen Room

by Marilyn McKenna

All month we’ve been talking about how to create a home environment that supports weight loss and healthy living. There was the “Pantry Purge” and “The Proactive Pantry,” the “Refrigerator Rehab” and “Refrigerator Reset,” the “Franken-Freezer” and “Frozen is Fabulous.” But what about the rest of your house? Is it set up to support a […]

Filed Under: Close to Home, Fitness, Healthy Families

May 26 2014

Swimsuit Season

by Marilyn McKenna

Are there two more feared words in the female vocabulary than “Swimsuit Season”? If there are I can’t think of them. The thought of putting on a bathing suit – in many cases something smaller than your bra and underwear – and prancing around in public can be unbearable. Okay, you don’t prance. But even […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Style + Substance, Weight Loss

May 23 2014

Drafting

by Marilyn McKenna

This is #9 of the “top 10 lessons that becoming an athlete have taught me about weight loss” that appeared in the “Building Sweat Equity” blog. “If you’re intimidated to try something new, ask for help.” Whether you’re a cyclist or not, you’re probably familiar with the concept of “drafting.” The physics of it are […]

Filed Under: Cardio, Fitness, Weight Loss

May 16 2014

Roadblock Ahead

by Marilyn McKenna

This is #7 of the “top 10 lessons that becoming an athlete have taught me about weight loss” that appeared in the “Building Sweat Equity” blog. “When an obstacle pops up keep the overall goal in mind and find a way to climb over it, go through it, or work around it.”  Intellectually we all […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

May 12 2014

Progress Comes In Spurts; Stay the Course

by Marilyn McKenna

This is #6 of the “top 10 lessons that becoming an athlete have taught me about weight loss” that appeared in the “Building Sweat Equity” blog. “Progress comes in spurts; stay the course.” Along the road in both fitness and weight loss, things come up that make it easy to get sidetracked or discouraged. When […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

May 9 2014

You Can Persevere Through Discomfort, But Not Pain

by Marilyn McKenna

This is #5 of the “top 10 lessons that becoming an athlete have taught me about weight loss” that appeared in the “Building Sweat Equity” blog. “You can persevere through discomfort, but not pain.”  Seriously, I am the biggest knucklehead in this regard. I pass along this advice now only after making this mistake time […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

May 5 2014

Keep Moving Forward

by Marilyn McKenna

Stuff happens, right?!? You get sick, you get injured, someone you love gets sick or injured and you have to stop everything and take care of him or her. The truth is, the path to good health isn’t a straight line.  In weight loss we aim for “good enough,” not “perfect” (whatever that is anyway). […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

May 5 2014

You Must Intrinsically Enjoy It Or It Won’t Last

by Marilyn McKenna

This is #4 of the “top 10 lessons that becoming an athlete have taught me about weight loss” that appeared in the “Building Sweat Equity” blog. “You must intrinsically enjoy what you’re doing or it won’t last.” There have been times when I had no choice; because of an injury or access to equipment I’ve […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

May 2 2014

A Daily Commitment

by Marilyn McKenna

This is #3 of the “top 10 lessons that becoming an athlete have taught me about weight loss” that appeared in the “Building Sweat Equity” blog. “You don’t get fit once and then expect to be fit for the rest of your life; you must do it over and over, every day.” This principle comes […]

Filed Under: Fitness, Weight Loss

Apr 30 2014

Stretch Yourself: Try Yoga!

by Marilyn McKenna

Filed Under: Fitness, Strength Training, Videos

Apr 29 2014

Rest and Recovery

by Marilyn McKenna

Many of us walk around like zombies, in a sleep-deprived haze. We’re up early to get out the door to school or work; we stay up late catching up on household tasks or dealing with our email in-boxes. Or maybe Facebook… (Oops, guilty!) We should aim for 7 – 8 hours of sleep most nights, […]

Filed Under: Fitness

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

#ItMatters Store

  • 28 Days to Overcoming Food Addiction eBook $57.95
  • Eat Like It Matters Book $13.95

Recent Posts

  • Finding Second Gear

    Finding Second Gear

  • The easiest interval workout in the history of the universe

    The easiest interval workout in the history of the universe

  • Digging myself out of depression

    Digging myself out of depression

Copyright © 2015 Marilyn McKenna | Privacy Policy
You should always consult a doctor before changing your diet or starting a new exercise regimen.