Hi, I'm Gloria

Welcome to my blog! I'm just your average 20-something southern-born and raised gal, runner, and post-grad with passion for tough workouts and a growing interest in food and cooking. I started teaching group exercise classes in 2006 and have taught many styles of classes including step, Bodypump, abs/core, boot camp, interval training, water aerobics and kickboxing. I was a certified personal trainer for a while, but my true fitness passion lies in teaching fitness in a group setting. I prefer teaching and doing workouts that are not choreographed, although I believe that dance and other scripted classes do have their place. I have a B.S. in Dietetics and an M.S. in Nutrition, so I know a little about food too.

The way I see it, health and fitness are marketed, bought, and sold just as frequently as any other product. But I'm not here to sell anything. Actually, if you're looking for the latest and greatest thing to get "the body you've always dreamed of" or "high school skinny," you'd better just stop reading now, because this is going to be very boring for you.

I find it kind of funny when I'm asked, "What are the top 3 healthiest foods to eat?" or "What should I do to lose this weight?" or even when people sling around lingo such as "superfood" or "detox" without really knowing what they're saying. To address those things, there are no "3 healthiest foods" to eat. Humans need a combination of a wide variety of foods to be as healthy as possible. To lose that extra weight, well I think you already know the answer to that one. "Superfood" is a fun word. People use it to sell vitamins, magazines, diet programs, and some food items too. "Detox" sure sounds refreshing as well. And it just so happens that it's the main thing that your body ever does, no matter what you put in it.

Health, fitness, and good food are worth having, and I use my resources of time, energy, and money to get them. But I don't make it complicated. There is no "secret" to being fit and healthy; that is, nothing you don't already know. There is no "formula" for which foods to eat and when, which exercise works every time, or what pill to take to make you better than you were before you took it. In my line of work, if something of this nature is discovered, I'll be one of the first to know and I'll be sure to post about it. But for now, let's just get a good workout and enjoy my favorite food - pizza. Because I can't have one without the other!

In my free time I enjoy making and eating pizza, exercising, and going on splendid adventures with my marvelous husband.

Aren't we just a dashing young couple?

And so worldly.

My life's work so far has been focused on the research and application of nutrition principles, overweight and obesity prevention, and fitness. I live in a country where you can call one person to deliver an unlimited amount of calories to your front door, then another to come cut a hole in your house if you become too fat to leave. That's right...'Merica. And I know there's a lot more to it than over eating and not moving enough (I have only just given you an extreme example). But these issues are troubling, and through hard work, a good education, and a bit of humor, I intend to be a part of the solution. Thanks for visiting, hope you enjoy!