Valerie, Author at Moore Balanced

Fitness

What to Expect the First Time Riding Peloton – My Review

June 1, 2019 by Valerie

UPDATE 8/30/2020: COVID has changed my opinion on the Peloton, as it has changed the fitness landscape. See my updated post here: Your First Peloton Ride: What to Expect (COVID

Fitness

Steps to Improving Your Push Ups

May 22, 2019 by Valerie

If you’ve never been able to do a full push up, you’re not alone. Many people feel self-conscious about not being able to do a push up, and are afraid

Diet Fitness

Lost 5 Pounds of Fat and Gained 2 Pounds of Muscle in 2 Months!

March 17, 2019 by Valerie

I didn’t expect my body recomposition to be so noticeable so early. In January, I got a DXA scan from Composition ID. This scan tells you the distribution of your

Diet

My Adventures of Starting to Count Macros

March 10, 2019 by Valerie

Over the past few years, I’ve thought about macros in passing. I’ve tracked them more as part of percentage of my diet instead of the actual amount consumed. Mostly, I’ve

Motivation

2019 Goal Setting & 2018 Goals Review

January 7, 2019 by Valerie

Goal setting can be scary. When you set a goal, there’s always the fear that you won’t be able to achieve it. Sometimes, it can be hard to handle the

Motivation Personal Well-Being

Staying Motivated to Stay Healthy is Too Hard

October 17, 2018 by Valerie

This is where I’ve landed. The past six months have proved to me that it is hard to stay healthy–and I mean hard. Having my foot in a cast for

Music & Playlists

My Favorite Songs of March

March 27, 2018 by Valerie

This month, I found some sounds that keep my spirits up, make me want to get sweaty, make me want to get swole, and help me stay focused. I hope

Food Health

My Extended Whole30 Reintroduction

March 2, 2018 by Valerie

With Whole30, my reintroduction phase was what I was most excited for. It also is what made me see the value of Whole30. By the time day 30 of Whole30 hit, I wasn’t feeling that Whole30 had really benefited me, and I was frustrated that I didn’t feel big changes. My extended Whole30 reintroduction period allowed me to see the value by figuring out what my body liked and didn’t like. By having those additional days after reintroducing foods, it made me see the difference in how I felt when eating certain foods versus being on Whole30.

Healthy Turkey Meatloaf with Thai seasoning

Recipes

Healthy Thai Turkey Meatloaf Recipe

February 13, 2018 by Valerie

This is my healthy turkey meatloaf, spiced with some Thai curry spices to give it a new twist. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not convinced that meatloaf needs a new twist–I love meatloaf! It might be the stereotypical meal from the 1960s, but I’m still a fan of it today. The problem is, it tends to be high in fat. With this recipe, I wanted to make a dish that was low fat and something different than the standard meatloaf of my youth. My healthy turkey meatloaf recipe was born.

Being positive has become a new form of moral correctness

Personal Well-Being

The Pitfalls of Positivity

February 12, 2018 by Valerie

When I listened to Susan David’s recent TED talk, The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage (below), it really spoke to me. One thing I love about the online fitness community is how positive everyone is. Everyone is supportive of one another’s goals, encouraging when someone hits a roadblock, and always positive. But, there’s also a good amount of false positivity, where some people don’t believe it’s helpful to be sad, or angry, or have any non-positive thoughts. Dr. David refers to this kind of positivity as “a new form of moral correctness.” She’s absolutely right, and it’s absurd.

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