A Slice of Home: Cincinnati Traditions That Never Get Old

Every summer, we make our way back to Cincinnati. We always stay with my mom, who picks us up and drops us off at the airport like the true MVP she is. (Even when that meant leaving her house at 3:30AM for our departing flight...now that’s love.) 

⚾ What We Did:

• This was the first time in almost 10 years that we were home during baseball season and the Reds were actually playing at home, so we made the most of it with a game night alongside my mom, aunt, and BFF. We had amazing seats down the first base line (thank you, Seat Geek!), caught two free t-shirts from the Spirit Team, the Reds won, and the whole night was the best kind of summer nostalgia. Bonus: we landed the perfect parking spot thanks to my aunt - too good to share publicly!

  

• Visited Krohn Conservatory for the Gothic Botanica Butterfly Exhibit. At least one butterfly landed on each of us (me, Mr. C, my mom, and my BFF), and I even ran into a former student and her mom...such a sweet treat.

  

• Took a quick walk over to Mirror Lake in Eden Park after Krohn's for a short break. Too hot to stay long, but a beautiful view while we were there.

  

🍴 What We Ate (When Mom Wasn’t Cooking):

• LaRosa’s pizza and hoagies - my forever favorite. We had it for lunch the day we arrived, grabbed slices at the ballpark, had pizza again our last night, and brought hoagies back to Maine to stretch the hometown flavor just a little longer. Is that too much?!?

  

• Shoreline Social - after the butterfly exhibit, we headed here for burgers and a breeze. The outdoor seating overlooks the Four Seasons Marina and was the perfect mid-afternoon recharge. Fortunately the breeze cooperated so we could enjoy being outdoors.

  

• Cazadores in Milford - a family tradition for Mexican lunch. We met up with my aunt and sister, and while the food was great, the margaritas may have been the real highlight.

  

Love getting home to see my favorite people, revisit my favorite places, and play tourist in between. It’s never long enough. So grateful for family and my BFF for always making time for us. Until next time, Cincy. 💛

The Smarter Way to Eat Carbs in Peri-to-Post Wellness

Not long ago, one of my clients told me something I hear all the time:

“When I first hit perimenopause, I went low carb and the weight just fell off. But I couldn’t keep it up. I missed carbs too much. Then when I tried it again later, it didn’t work the same. I was exhausted, hungry, and the results were painfully slow.”

Sound familiar?

This is such a common story for women in the Peri-to-Post Wellness season. At first, cutting carbs feels like a magic fix. But long term, it’s hard to sustain and even harder to repeat. As hormones shift, your body changes and what used to work can start working against you.

That’s where carb cycling comes in.

Instead of going low carb every day, carb cycling gives your body the benefits of low carb for a couple of days each week, while bringing healthy carbs back in on others to support metabolism, hormone balance, energy, and recovery.

Why it works for Peri-to-Post Wellness:

• As estrogen declines, insulin sensitivity drops, making short low carb phases helpful for fat burning

• But carbs are essential for thyroid health, adrenal balance, and mood, so bringing them back in regularly is key

• Strategic carb intake supports lean muscle, sleep, and workouts: major priorities in this season of life

Back to my client...once she started working with me and learned how to carb cycle, everything shifted. She didn’t feel deprived. She still enjoyed her favorite carbs, just at the right times. And she started seeing results again without burnout or cravings taking over.

Carb cycling creates flexibility, sustainability, and better results. For women in the Peri-to-Post Wellness phase, it’s one of the smartest ways to fuel your body and still live your life.

A Summer Day Date: Perkins Cove Charm and Ogunquit Playhouse Magic

One of my favorite things about summer in Maine is getting the chance to slow down and explore somewhere new. My husband and I finally made it to the historic Ogunquit Playhouse for the first time, and we paired it with a picture-perfect lunch in Perkins Cove for a full summer day date.

We picked a classic for our first show at the Playhouse: Guys & Dolls. But before curtain time, we made our way to Perkins Cove for lunch. I had read about Jackie’s Too, a waterfront spot with amazing views, which is always my favorite. Even though it was a little overcast and chilly for late June, we scored a great table with a front-row seat to the harbor. I ordered a chicken Caesar salad, and my husband went for the eggplant sandwich. Both hit the spot.

After lunch, we wandered around Perkins Cove and popped into a few local shops. We found some sweet treats at Perkins Cove Candies to bring with us on our upcoming trip to Cincinnati. We also strolled over the footbridge, which doubles as a hand-operated drawbridge. Yes, someone actually has to be available and willing to open it manually, which is kind of amazing. We lucked out and got to see it in action.

And of course, there was ice cream. I went with Raspberry Mint Chip and my husband chose Chocolate Brownie. We grabbed a bench by the water and watched the boats come and go while enjoying our scoops. Simple and perfect.

From there, it was just a short drive to the Ogunquit Playhouse, a beloved coastal landmark with a lot of character. If you're a veteran, there’s even a special parking lot right near the entrance, which made getting in and out so easy. We arrived early enough to check out the Gazebo Bar and the Patio Bar before the show. Both were lively and inviting. We ended up sharing a table with a lovely woman from Kennebunk and her sister, and had a great conversation while waiting for the doors to open.

Our seats were in the very back, but the view was just fine, even after everyone was seated. Neither of us had ever seen Guys & Dolls before, but it delivered exactly what we expected - a fun, romantic comedy with a bit of nostalgia. Not going to lie, the first act was long, and we both felt a little sleepy. But a stretch during intermission and a quick restroom break helped me reset, and the second act flew by.

Would we go again? Absolutely. Between the coastal charm of Perkins Cove and the classic Maine theater experience at Ogunquit Playhouse, it was a day date worth repeating.

Shoes or No Shoes for Strength Training? Here’s What You Should Know

Recently I started my upper body workout and realized I never put on my shoes. No big deal for yoga or Pilates, but it got me thinking about strength training. Do we really need sneakers for every workout?

I looked into it, and here’s what I found.

Wearing Shoes can provide support, stability, and protection, especially during heavier lifts or exercises that involve jumping. But they can also limit your ability to engage the floor, reduce foot strength over time, and change alignment without you even realizing it.

Going Barefoot can improve balance, activate more muscles in the feet and core, and help you feel more grounded during lifts. But it may not be the best option on gym floors or when lifting heavy weights that could land on your foot.

So what’s best?
It depends. Some women feel stronger and more confident in sneakers. Others swear they feel more connected and balanced without them. A lot of us land somewhere in the middle—barefoot for core or upper body work, shoes for squats or lunges.

My advice? Try both. Pay attention to how your body feels and choose what supports your strength and stability.

Summer Slimdown Week Recap

The other day I was reading some of my blog posts from when I first started doing the FASTer Way program as a client. We were living in Shenzhen, but home for mrC's recurrent training on day 1. Back then I was so confused about macros and tracking, but it was fun reading my weekly recaps.

So I'm bringing them back starting with Summer Slimdown Week!

As a coach, this week is a chance for me to share a sneak peek of the program with people. For my VIP clients (and me because I'm also a VIP member) it is a chance to kickoff summer by tightening things up for 5 days. A little reset.

My goals for the week: follow the meal plan as closely as possible and add peloton intervals 3x. I'm mainly adding the peloton rides for the low impact cardio (to make my knee happy) and for the extra sweat. I feel like I don't sweat as much since menopause started.

Here's how mine went:

Monday - Progressive HIIT + bonus core + 10 minute peloton intervals + dog walk. I did the Extra 10 Tabata Ride. I don't need a ton more cardio after doing a HIIT workout. Tuned into the Slimdown Week kickoff training at noon highlighting why we need to eat more protein for fat loss and the power of intermittent fasting. Followed the meal guide.

Tuesday - Day 1 of summer break from my part time job as a PreK assistant teacher! Had an early appointment with my dermatologist and she took a skin biopsy off my back. I decided to make it a rest day after that. Spent the day cleaning the house, doing laundry including bedding (ours and the dogs), and taking dog walks. My core was sore from yesterday's bonus core workout. The Day 2 Slimdown training highlighted how rotating your carbs keeps your metabolism on fire. Followed the meal guide. 

Wednesday - Total Body + bonus ab circuit + 15 minute peloton intervals + dog walk. Strength training day! These have become my favorite days. We are doing straight sets with time under tension this month. 15 Minute HIIT Ride was so good. I marked it as a favorite. Watched Slimdown day 3 training, Eat This, Not That with some of our head trainers highlighting the best ingredients for fat loss and reducing inflammation when stocking your pantry and how to make a healthy protein dessert! Did not follow the meal guide, mainly because I need to go to the grocery, but I did hit my macros.

Thursday - Upper Body + 15 minute peloton intervals + dog walk. Another strength day. My triceps were screaming from the abuse today. I did 15 Minute Tabata Ride and it was tough with a 2:1 format. Whole Foods haul to restock for the rest of the week, but wasn't motivated to prep meals. Did not follow the meal guide for today but had meal guide leftovers!

Friday - Rest day + bonus core. Final Slimdown bonus core workout had my favorite, dead bugs. Such a great exercise. It was a super windy day and Moose did not like it one bit. He was my little shadow all day. I took the dogs for walks and worked in the garden - watered, trimmed the tomatoes and harvested some mint and cilantro. Joined an afternoon OG Coach call - just a chance for us to check-in with our own wins and questions. Another day not following the meal guide but hitting macros for the most part.

Saturday - Leg Day + 10 minutes peloton sprints + dog walk. Final strength day of the week and as usual it was challenging but good. Chose my weights so I could focus on my range of motion. My legs only had 10 minutes of energy left in them, so I just did a Free Ride with some Tabata speed bursts. 20 seconds work and 40 seconds rest. Followed the meal guide 50/50 - broke my fast with the FW Raspberry Banana Smoothie bowl, but made GF pasta for dinner.

Sunday - Mobility + yoga for sore glutes + dog walk. I was moving slowly after yesterday's leg day. Not sure which move left my glutes feeling so sore, but they were talking to me. The stretching definitely helped. Followed the meal guide today and prepped some protein for the week ahead.

How do you prep for the week ahead?