The Diet Diaries

Today I’m talking with dance teacher Stephanie Penn-Virot about her experience transitioning from dancing during her childhood years into navigating the world of fitness and movement as an adult. This is truly one of my favorite episodes because of how easy the discussion flowed and connected into movement, food, body image, confidence and more.  Stephanie talks about the impact of her childhood d...

As someone who spent half of my life believing that a number on the scale or a certain clothing size would bring the happiness and confidence I could never find, I can tell you with complete certainty that is not how it works. Wanting to make a change in your body needs to come from within-from not feeling comfortable, not feeling confident, not feeling like YOU. But its often really hard to draw...

Episode 30 is a super special one because I’m talking with someone who really shaped the course of my career in movement. Jules Mitchell is a yoga educator focusing on biomechanics within the practice of yoga. She is a teacher’s teacher and her approach to movement is grounded in science but with space and permission to explore and get curious about what works for your own body.  Jules shares the...

Today I’m talking about the language and mindset we’ve grown up with and been conditioned to use around exercise. Words and feelings like brutal, killer, wrecked, exhausted. I am going on record to say I will NEVER use those words (or anything similar) in reference to exercise. Because there is NEVER a time when you need to use exercise to punish yourself. And last time I checked, all of those wor...

In today’s episode I’m talking with Pilates teacher and strength coach Nikki Naab-Levy. Nikki is a force in the fitness industry and I am honored to have her on The Movement Diaries. She holds nothing back and her brutal honesty is refreshing, inspiring and comforting.  We dive into everything from our personal struggles with body image, how and why strength training changed Nikki’s life and her i...

Today I’m talking about lowering the barrier to entry with exercise (and nutrition too). Basically this is just about making things easier on yourself.  Why does this matter?  Because we’re all so brainwashed to think that exercise has to be a certain amount of time, in a certain location, in certain clothes. And if any of those conditions aren’t met, then it doesn’t happen. Which means we miss ou...

Today I’m talking with my friend and colleague Michelle Farrell.  Michelle is a personal trainer and nutrition coach and I’m so thrilled to have her on because Michelle is a true champion for the health at every size movement and offering people a safe space to get support with exercise and food in a world where we’re always being told that being smaller is better. We both get really candid with o...

On today’s solo episode I’m finally sharing my story with how I came to love walking as my main form of exercise after 20+ years of a destructive relationship with working out.  I go all the way back to high school where it all began and talk about the turning point where I began to shift my thinking.  I don’t hold back anything today because when it comes to movement and taking care of yourself-w...

Episode 24 welcomes my friend  and colleague Brenda Kennedy. Brenda is a cancer survivor who teaches aerial yoga. Pretty amazing right?  Brenda's journey through cancer and recovery is a really powerful testament to what our bodies are capable of and why exercise and movement is NEVER one size fits all.  We start off talking about Brenda's "bionic" leg and then dive into how an...

We've been taught that in order to feel better, be healthier, be fitter-we have to overhaul everything. Stop eating these 3 food groups, don't eat after 7 pm, do cardio 3 times a week, strength train 4 times, squeeze in yoga, don't forget to meditate everyday for 20 minutes and do your journaling. But what if we just do ONE thing? One thing, right now-that makes us feel better. More...

Episode 22 is extremely meaningful for me, as I'm talking with a teacher and mentor who profoundly influenced my path as a movement teacher.  I met Chrissy Carter almost exactly 10 years ago. And from the very first class I took with her, I knew I had found someone I wanted to know and learn from for the rest of my life.  Chrissy has an incredible way about her-a way that helps you feel more...

Today is episode 21 of The Movement Diaries. And I'm talking about something that has been taking up a lot of space in my brain lately. Bags of dog food 🤣 For real.  Because it has a lot to do with what it means to be strong.  I used to think that strength meant one thing. Being able to lift really heavy weight. But that's not true. That's just ONE way to be strong. And the reality...

Today's guest is physical therapist Ben Kraus. I invited Ben on to the podcast because of his progressive and thoughtful approach to working with patients that may be surprising, but truly helps people get better in a way they never expected.  This episode is basically a crash course in learning about why you're in pain and how to get out of it.  So if you're someone who has ever de...

On Episode 19 I'm bringing back the conversation around consistency. But not in the way I usually talk about it. I think we need to zoom out and look at the big picture more often. We get so consumed with the day to day and whether or not we fit in exercise or if we ate well...but we very rarely stop to look at what we've done over the last 2 weeks, month, 3 months and beyond. Consistenc...

Jess Patching-Bunch and I have a conversation on Episode 18 that feels like one I'd have with a friend over lunch. Its truly what I hoped The Movement Diaries would be like when I started the podcast in November.  JPB is a stress resiliency coach. Wondering what that means and why it could change your life? Listen in.  I hope our passion shines through and gets you rethinking how you manage s...

Episode 17 is all about our ability to make choices. Seems simple, yet its actually a game changer when everything about fitness and food is pretty much all or nothing, where you have very few options.  Let's stop making people feel guilty by telling them "no excuses" when it comes to their workouts and instead empower them to make choices that fit their life. Let's stop tellin...

On episode 15 I am honored to be joined by yoga teacher Wini Linguvic. I admire  and have learned SO much from her, it is a thrill to have Wini be a part of this podcast. Wini's methodical and intelligent approach to practicing and teaching movement is unlike anything I have ever encountered in the best possible way.  By looking at things through a very practical and realistic lens, Wini blen...

Just me on episode 15, talking about change....and the way the pandemic has totally changed the way I teach and opened up so many opportunities for us to rethink the way exercise and movement shows up in our lives. I never had an interest in teaching online. It was literally the last thing I ever wanted to do.  I taught 60-75 minute in person classes because that is the way yoga and strength was t...

This podcast is called The Movement Diaries, but I think the most underrated part of movement is actually rest.  So that's what episode 14 is all about. My guest Melissa Smith Wilkinson is a restorative yoga teacher and teacher trainer and her expertise on rest is incredible.  We talk about how, like movement, rest is not all or nothing and can be so much more accessible than we think. We don...

This might be my favorite solo episode so far.  Because it dives headfirst into what I think are the biggest underlying issues for people who struggle with exercise (and food). So,  nearly every single one of us.  First, I talk about why comparing the human body to a machine is the most inaccurate and infuriating analogy ever.  Can people PLEASE stop doing this? Its causing major issues.  We are h...

Episode 12 today is a special one because I'm talking with one of my closest friends who also happens to be a holistic health coach, Lesley Landa. Lesley and I go on walks together all the time and inevitably end up talking about work-and we realized those conversations needed to be on a podcast. So here it is! We talk all about... -what it means to work with a holistic health coach -why a on...

Why is it so easy for us to spend time and money on things that get replaced but so difficult when it comes to our own bodies which are, quite literally, irreplaceable?  This is what I’m talking about on episode 11 of The Movement Diaries. This might be a sensitive topic for some, but I think its something each of us needs to really take an honest look at because of the way these choices are impac...

This week's guest is a fellow teacher and friend and someone I admire more than I can say. I've known Dawn not even 2 years and couldn't even begin to list what I've learned from her in this short time. I'm so excited about this episode because we get into so many myths around movement and what we actually need to be focusing on when it comes to fitness and feeling good. ...

Let's talk about trust.  Do you even know what it means to trust your body?  I bet you don't (even thought you might think you do). I didn't either. But after this short and sweet episode I think you'll begin to figure it out. Spoiler alert: Trusting your body is about learning to live in the grey areas. I'm sharing a few personal stories about how I learned to rebuild tru...

Something I really hope to do with The Movement Diaries is to spark conversations and reflection around challenging, scary, uncomfortable yet essential and transformational topics.  I think today's interview with All Foods Fit nutrition coach Christi Brown does just that.  This is a deeply personal episode for me because we dive in to some very sensitive topics around food, disordered eating,...