Does this sound familiar...stuck in back-to-back meetings from morning until evening? Wondering when you’ll get a chance to eat or even take a bathroom break? I’ve been there and I feel your pain! Be prepared for those crazy marathon meeting days and pack your snacks ahead of time. Here are my top 5 best snacks to keep on hand -- whether it’s your car, your purse or your desk!

1. Hacked Snacks Protein Bites
2. Power Crunch Bar
3. Almonds + Apple
4. Quest Tortilla Chips
5. Turkey Lettuce Wrap

You’ll notice that these snacks are low in fat and high in protein. They will help keep you full and are only around 200-250 calories. For #1, #2 and #4, there are a variety of flavors and options.

Keep these on hand whether you’re stuck in the car driving or on a flight delay. When you don’t have options and you’re ravenous, that’s when bad food decisions happen!

What’s your favorite go-to healthy snack to keep on hand?

Dreading the holiday pounds? Media stories often suggest that the average person gains 7 to 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And in many surveys, people say they gain, on average, about five pounds this time of year. Avoid those extra pounds with these tips:

1. Focus on the actual holiday
   One of the main reasons so many people gain unwanted weight is due to the holiday season. If you eat your way through Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s, you’re bound to gain some pounds. If you allow yourself some indulgences on the actual date, you’re sure to keep the scale in check.
2. Have a strategy for special events
   The holidays mean lots of parties, special events and festive occasions where indulgences abound. Check out these tips to party like a rock star without ruining your diet.
3. Keep moving
   Don’t miss your workouts if at all possible. If you do, find other ways to keep moving. Take an extra lap around the mall, park your car as far as you...

'Tis the season for potlucks, office parties and family gatherings…don’t be a party pooper. Here are some tips to rock your party without wrecking your diet:

1. Plan ahead
   My favorite quote is “when you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” If possible, find out what’s on the menu ahead of time and then plan your strategy. Are vegetables and lean proteins available? Are you bringing food to the party? Make sure it’s part of your diet plan to ensure you have options.
2. Eat before your go
   Whether it’s a cocktail party or a full-blown dinner. Don’t go in starving! It’s a plan for surefire disaster. Have a small snack. It could be a handful of almonds with an apple or a small yogurt.
3. Keep your hands and mouth busy
   If you feel your willpower dwindling because you’re in the middle of a room with all of your favorite foods, hold a drink in one hand and your purse in the other. Or hold a glass and an empty plate. Work the room and chat up...

When it comes to working out, you want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck with HIIT exercises. If you’re trying to burn fat and you’re short on time, incorporate some high intensity interval training or HIIT. During this kind of training, you’re going to spike your heart rate for a short period of time, recover and repeat.

Here’s an example: jog for one minute, then sprint as fast as you can for 30-45 seconds. Resume jogging for one minute and repeat. Do this for 10 to 15 minutes and you have a great HIIT workout. If you’re new to running, check out my 5 tips to get your running mojo.

What are some other great ways to incorporate HIIT workouts? Here are five HIIT exercises to maximize calorie burn:

1. Burpees
2. Sprints
3. Jumping jacks
4. Jump rope
5. Jump squats

The best way to recover from these exercises is to walk, jog or march in place. The key is to bring down your heart rate. You can also vary your ratio — 1 minute HIIT and 1 minute...

When it comes to losing weight, stress eating or emotional eating can quickly derail even the best laid plans.

How do you know when you're stress eating? Typically something triggers you. This could be anything from getting a rush project at work to finding out a loved one is sick. Your heart starts racing and you start searching for food. You mindlessly start putting food in your mouth without much thought to the taste or the quantity. And once you start eating, you just can’t stop. We’ve all been there. It’s not fun. But if you plan ahead and stay aware of what you’re doing, it can definitely help!

Here are some ways to prevent a stress eating spiral:

• Distract yourself
  Take a walk, phone a friend, get in a workout, clean the house.
• Occupy your mouth
  Brush your teeth, chew gum, drink water, pop a mint.
• Take a moment
  Stop and take a moment to realize that you’re stress eating and ask yourself why. Journal, talk to yourself or meditate. Getting to the root...

It's 3 p.m. You’re tired…you’re bored…or maybe you’re both. It’s nothing a sugar fix couldn’t handle, right? STOP! Step away from the candy bar! When a sugar craving hits, you need a game plan.

Here are four ways to avoid the grips of the sugar monster.

1. Keep your hands busy
   It’s hard to eat when you can’t use your hands. Type an email. Take up a hobby like knitting. Do a load of laundry. Clean something — anything! Tackle your to-do list. Do whatever you need to in order to distract yourself until the craving subsides.
2. Keep your mouth busy
   You can’t consume sugar if there’s something already in your mouth. Pop a piece of gum or sugar-free candy. Make a cup of coffee or tea. Call a friend since it’s pretty hard to hold the phone, talk and chew. Start chugging water. I find that this fills my belly and many times will help keep me full
3. Keep your body busy
   Stop that sugar craving in its tracks and get away...

Are you ready for the big game? Do you have your Super Bowl diet strategy in check? Whether you’re rooting for the Falcons or the Patriots, one thing’s for sure, you don’t want to wreck your diet as you cheer on your favorite team. With some pre-planning, you can enjoy the game, the food and the festivities without wrecking your diet.

Some of the tips from How to Party Like a Rock Star Without Wrecking Your Diet still apply. But here are some additional ways to keep your diet on track:

1. Eat before you go to the party or before your guests show up. Take that edge off so you’re not starving. Have a nice big salad to fill up your belly and lessen your chances of overeating.
2. Drink lots of water. Many times hunger is mistaken for thirst. More importantly, for every beer, glass of wine or mixed drink you have, be sure to drink a glass of water. Not only will it help keep a hangover at bay, it will also prevent you from eating too much.
3. Prepare ahead of...

Did you overdo it during the holidays? Too many cookies and not enough exercise? It happens to the best of us. (Yours truly included…never met a Christmas cookie I didn’t like.)

Don’t wait another minute to get started. Now’s the time to get back in the saddle to take control of your eating and exercising. (Yes, I know New Year’s is this weekend…that’s no excuse.)

The goal is to focus on consistency.  When it comes to changing your body, diet is 70% of the equation, while exercise is 30%. With 100% dedication, you’re ready to go.

Workout Plan

Commit to this workout 5x a week for 12 minutes or 3x a week for 20 minutes. It doesn’t matter if it's first thing in the morning, during lunch or before bed. Pick the time that works best for you and DO IT!

Complete 10 repetitions of each exercise before moving onto the next one. Repeat until you hit 12 minutes or 20 minutes.

1. Jumping jacks
2. Squats
3. Push ups
4. Crunch
5. Walking...