A lifelong Cincinnatian, Melissa earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from University of Cincinnati before breaking into the online content field in 2000. As a Digital Journalist for SparkPeople, she enjoys helping others meet their wellness goals by writing about all aspects of healthy living. An avid runner and group fitness addict, Melissa lives in Loveland with her guitarist husband and three feisty daughters.
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10 Chain Restaurants with Diet-Friendly Options
When you're trying to lose or maintain weight, it seems like "restaurant" becomes a four-letter word. When taken out of your kitchen (aka meal-prep headquarters)—with no measuring cup, food scale or nutrition chart in sight—it's as if you've been thrust into a food free-for-all, with no control over portion size, calorie count or fat content. But while you might not be able to actually prep your meals at a restaurant, you can do a little research beforehand to find smart menu options that won't undo all of your hard work.
Although these 10 restaurants certainly feature some unhealthy indulgences on their menus, they all offer at least a few sensible choices to keep you on track toward your goals.
Posted 5/16/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 167 comments 684,484 views
Spark Spotlight: Melissa "Milly" (MILLYMAE1)
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.
Milly's Small Success of the Week
Losing 15 pounds!What's your overall goal?
What's your biggest challenge right now?
What advice do you have for someone who just joined SparkPeople?
Want to be the next small success we spotlight? Share your successes on the goal feed or in the comments below, and you might be the next person we contact!
Posted 5/14/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 28 comments 16,016 views
50 Ways to Improve Work-Life Balance
With our email inboxes living in our pockets, colleagues and clients clamoring for instant answers and competitive workplaces judging employees based on the length of their workdays or the size of their project lists, the archetypal 9-to-5 workday has become all but a distant memory. For working parents, the struggle to juggle family obligations and professional duties can often seem futile. In the never-ending quest to impress the boss and pad the paycheck, personal passions and hobbies tend to get shoved to the back burner. Lopsided priorities—say, logging 12-hour workdays while sacrificing exercise, recreation and relationships—can even lead to weight gain, poor health and depression.
Is it really possible to achieve that elusive "work-life balance?" Although life isn't a pie that can be neatly bisected into perfectly equal segments, there are some steps you can take to make sure you're not filling up on too much of a work slice and that you're leaving enough room for other, more important pieces of the pie.
Posted 5/11/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 73 comments 44,594 views
How Beth Lost 230+ Pounds and Reclaimed Her Life
This year marks a decade since Beth Donovan (INDYGIRL) joined SparkPeople. A lot has changed in that time—most notably, she's lost more than half of her body weight, but other parts of her transformation can't be seen. As it turns out, losing 230 pounds (and counting) doesn’t just change how you look—it also changes how you think and feel. For 53-year-old Beth from Fishers, Indiana, the road hasn't always been easy, but it's certainly been worth it.
Posted 5/10/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 232 comments 108,982 views
Spark Spotlight: Enya (TANNERZ)
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.
Enya's Small Success of the Week
Losing 60+ pounds!What's your overall goal?
Posted 5/7/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 30 comments 9,950 views
7 Best Running Apps to Keep You Moving
There was a time when all runners needed was a pair of good athletic shoes, some comfortable clothes and the motivation to move. Technically, that’s still true—but in our high-tech, info-heavy, wearable-friendly world, most modern runners also set out with some sort of gadget on their wrist, arm or waist. While fitness trackers and smartwatches are growing in popularity, the smartphone is still the most popular course companion.
Posted 4/30/2018 2:00:00 PM By: : 102 comments 150,177 views
Spark Spotlight: Teresa (TEXASHSMOMOF3)
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.
Teresa's Small Success of the Week
Losing 40 pounds!What's your overall goal?
Posted 4/30/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 46 comments 11,870 views
Stock Up on These 12 Spring Workout Wardrobe Essentials
As the days linger a little longer and the temperatures finally start to rise, venturing outside for some open-air exercise starts to sound not quite as daunting—and maybe even downright pleasant. If you still need a little extra motivation to smooth the transition from winter hibernation to spring training, there's nothing like a little pre-season shopping to get you excited about your activity of choice. We did a little legwork to get you started—check out some of these fun and functional pieces to kickstart your spring goals.
Posted 4/26/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 62 comments 58,438 views
35 Meatless Monday Meal Ideas
If you know a vegan or vegetarian, you’ve probably heard all about the wonders of a plant-based diet—and for good reason. Not only are those who go meatless less likely to be overweight or obese, research has shown that they’ll have healthier hearts and may even live longer than their carnivorous counterparts.
Posted 4/24/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 90 comments 44,425 views
Spark Spotlight: Pele (PELESJEWEL)
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.
Pele's Small Success of the Week
Getting up at 5 a.m. to exercise!What's your overall goal?
Posted 4/23/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 66 comments 11,523 views
100 Healthy Habits to Add to Your Life
Along your journey, you’ve probably heard the term "healthy living" more times than you can count. You may have a general idea of what it means: Something along the lines of eating better foods, exercising more often, seeing your doctor regularly and taking better overall care of your body. But what does that look like on a day-to-day basis? What specific habits constitute a healthy lifestyle?
Posted 4/20/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 124 comments 100,615 views
Spark Spotlight: Sandra (SILVERSPARROW04)
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.
Posted 4/16/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 54 comments 17,335 views
You're Never Too Old to Hike: Trail Tips for Seniors
You’re never too _______ to ________.
There are countless ways to fill in the blanks. You’re never too slow to run. You’re never too heavy to do yoga. You’re never too weak to lift weights.
And you’re never too old to start hiking.
Posted 4/12/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 106 comments 61,042 views
Spark Spotlight: Michelle (SHELLEYMCELROY6)
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.
Posted 4/9/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 41 comments 18,348 views
10 Exercises That Work the Most Muscles in the Body
Your days are short, busy and full. You don’t have the luxury of spending hours in the gym every day—and even if you did, there are plenty of other things you’d rather do with your time. That means you need to find ways to wring the maximum benefit out of every workout minute, with more efficient exercises that deliver double-duty results.
Posted 4/4/2018 12:00:00 AM By: : 99 comments 126,346 views
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