By: SPELIZABETH1, SparkPeople Blogger
10/1/2018  12:00:00 AM   :  27 comments   :  9,725 views

At SparkPeople, we love helping people accomplish big goals—but we believe it's equally important to celebrate the small successes along the way. Each week in the Spark Spotlight, we'll check in with a featured member about his or her proudest moments, biggest challenges and advice for others on living, thinking and feeling healthier. We hope these quick snapshots will help motivate you to keep moving steadily toward your own goals, week by week.
 
This Week's Spotlight: Noelle (LUCKY1964)
Age: 33
Location: Ball Ground, Georgia
 
Small Success of the Week
 
Noelle has the food prep thing down—including all of her snacks. "Food prep should always include your healthy snacks. You can have too much of a good thing easily and we all are guilty of over-sizing our plates or snack bags when hungry," she said in the Community Goal Feed. "I have started portioning my snacks into snack cups the second I come home from the store. This makes the grab-and-go so much easier and also saves me from having to portion each time I eat." 

By: SPARK_MRUDY, SparkPeople Blogger
9/28/2018  12:00:00 AM   :  103 comments   :  57,454 views

We get it. Trying to lose weight—whether it's 10 pounds or 100—isn't exactly a barrel of fun. It's a long and often arduous journey marked by confusing signs and steep hills, with the occasional pothole or detour thrown in for good measure.
 
Planning nutritious meals and exercising regularly is hard work, and it can be maddening when the scale doesn't respond as quickly or as dramatically as you'd like. But that doesn't mean you can't find ways to lighten things up a bit. Weight loss can be an emotional roller coaster—so, next time you feel like want to cry, look for opportunities to laugh instead.

By: SPELIZABETH1, SparkPeople Blogger
9/26/2018  12:00:00 AM   :  87 comments   :  47,625 views

The end of summer means the end of bathing suit season, outdoor workouts with lighter gear, nature hikes and other warm-weather activities. While that might feel like a reason to despair, don't, for fall brings with it a host of new reasons to get outside, hike, bike, walk and run in cooler weather that won't have you worrying about heat stroke or carrying along extra hydration.
 
Cooler weather means an opportunity to change both your workouts and your wardrobe. Consider switching your color palette, learning to layer or discovering a new fitness trend that can keep you feeling stylish and motivated as you head toward a season switch.

By: SPARK_MRUDY, SparkPeople Blogger
9/25/2018  12:00:00 AM   :  273 comments   :  60,208 views

In some areas, "fast" is a good thing. When it comes to improving your running or walking pace, completing a dreaded task or even losing weight (safely, of course)—well, the faster, the better. Fast traffic, fast money, fast meetings: all good.
 
But when it comes to fast food? Not so much.

By: SPELIZABETH1, SparkPeople Blogger
9/24/2018  12:00:00 AM   :  33 comments   :  12,450 views

At SparkPeople, we love helping people accomplish big goals—but we believe it's equally important to celebrate the small successes along the way. Each week in the Spark Spotlight, we'll check in with a featured member about his or her proudest moments, biggest challenges and advice for others on living, thinking and feeling healthier. We hope these quick snapshots will help motivate you to keep moving steadily toward your own goals, week by week.
 
This Week's Spotlight: Tom (TANGOJAVA43068)
Age: 49
Location: Columbus, Ohio
 
Small Success of the Week
 
Tom shared a monumental success on the Community Goal Feed a couple of weeks ago. "So excited today!" he says. "This is my first day under 200 pounds since around 2001." 

By: SPARK_MRUDY, SparkPeople Blogger
9/20/2018  12:00:00 AM   :  129 comments   :  86,314 views

It's naturally high in fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants, choline, calcium, potassium and other essential vitamins and nutrients. Including it in your daily diet could help protect against cancer, improve digestion, boost weight loss and strengthen bones. One cup of it contains only 27 calories, five grams of carbohydrates and virtually no fat.
 
But if you made a list of your top 10 most-craved foods, we'd bet cauliflower doesn't snag a spot. Hey, no judgment here—the cruciferous vegetable doesn't exactly win a lot of produce popularity contests. But if you're not a raving fan, could it be that you just haven't found the right recipe to make the most of this cabbage-like veggie?
 
The next time you find yourself with a head of cauliflower on hand and aren't feeling particularly creative in the kitchen, try one of these inspired ideas.