My fitness philosophy is simple: Exercise often and eat whole, natural, unprocessed foods.Simple. But not easy.
I developed the approach, unwittingly, during my childhood. And it seems that with every certification, book, study, article and interview it's been getting reinforced ever since.
It started when I was a kid. I'd spent most of the year with my mom and stepdad in Maryland, and summers and most holidays I'd be with my dad in Michigan.
Mom would always cook healthy meals that included dishes like baked chicken or pork chops (she never fried anything) and lots of vegetables. Dad, on the other hand, liked to indulge a little more. We often had fried foods, sugary cereals and lots of fast food.
Sure enough, when I would return to Maryland, I would undoubtedly have gained weight.
One summer in middle school, I could actually see the change in my body before my visit was over -- I was getting pudgy and feeling blah. It was then that I first started working out and trying to eat healthy. In the few weeks before I was to head back to Maryland, I got up every day at 6 a.m. to catch a workout with Gilad of Bodies in Motion on ESPN. Before leaving Michigan that summer, I got back to my old self and gained new energy I never knew was possible. Ever since, I've been fascinated with the body and how it responds to exercise and the type of food you put in it.
To date, I've been a personal trainer for over 10 years. While I was attending college at the University of Michigan, I started as a part-time trainer for a national health club chain. Since then, I've gone on to hold a key position at an independent fitness studio and run my own training, nutrition and fitness consulting business under the brand TrainerTiff Fitness. I've competed in several figure competitions and coached an award-winning figure competitor. I've been a featured fitness blogger for Ink Magazine, used as a nutrition expert source for newspapers such as USA Today and The Arizona Republic and I write about fitness and nutrition for Muscle & Fitness online.
These days, I spend much of my time explaining how I lost all of my "baby weight" within about a year of giving birth to healthy twin boys--and also with my third baby. I want other moms out there who are struggling with weight loss to know, that it is possible to get your body back and make it even better!
All of this is just to say that my love for fitness has always been strong. And, like I said, my approach is simple. But not easy. Let me help you along the way.
